Kathy/Idea to find a sane MD

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathy,

Here's an idea. Get a listing from your insurance co all the

participating primary care physicians in your area. This list should

include both phone number and office address. Even if you have a PPO

they should be able to provide this list as they typically have

doctors they consider in-network. Go through the list and highlight

everyone who is in a reasonable driving distance from your home or

work.

Now comes the fun part... Write up a brief (no more than one page)

letter overviewing your status (weight, height, bmi, brief diet

history, co-morbidities and pertinent bloodwork). State when and

where you are having the bpd/ds (even a very brief description of the

bpd/ds or at least a reference to the www.duodenalswitch.com website

may be helpful). Lastly state that you are looking for a PCP who

will work *with you* in both the pre-op and post-op stages as you

strive to improve your health. Ask them to contact you (provide

both phone number and address) if they feel they can provide any

assistance.

Mail a copy of this letter to every doctor on your list (minus the

prick you just saw) and wait for the following 3 things to happen.

First, expect that most doctors will simply ignore your letter.

Second, you may get either frantic phone calls telling you this

" tragedy " surgery is *not* for you, or a form letter stating you must

make an appt to speak with the doctor. And 3rd, you will get a small

handful of phone calls (or even letters) by doctors who sound like

they are genuinely interested in helping you through this process.

You can then schedule consultation appts with the docs in the 3rd

group to discuss your case in greater detail. Your decision should

become much clearer.

Hope this helps. Good luck and please keep us informed how you make

out!

Terri Hassiak

BMI 61.8

http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/profile.phtml?N=H980366398

Appealed " Out-of-Network " Ins. Denial - AND WON!!!

Laparoscopic BPD/DS with Dr. Pomp on 6/25/01 - Down 50 lbs in 5wks!

email(no spaces): bunsofluff @ hotmail.com

> Hi everyone,

> I just re-joined this group and plan on having a DS with Dr.

Elariny

> as soon as I finish the preliminary workup. I have relocated to NE

> North Carolina and need a good internist or Family Practice MD

> preferably in Greenville NC, or Chesapeake, VA or nearby

communities.

> The following is the reason why I am asking for your help.

>

> Events of the Day, July 31, 2001

>

> Dr. Gaddy Lassiter stated he would not allow me to have a duodenal

> switch. I asked him why he even saw me as a patient as I had

informed

> the staff well in advance that one of the reasons I was coming was

to

> have someone care for me pre and post operatively. He replied

loudly,

> with a red face " are you nuts woman? Your problem is

hypothyroidism " ,

> and then he circled the TSH test result of 7.14 several times.

>

> He picked up some research I had given Terry, his nurse and stated

he

> didn't know who was giving me this crap but that it wasn't true. I

> explained that it was my research and that it was, indeed true.

>

> He told me that he had several patients who had hypothyroidism and

> lost weight and that a person with hypothyroidism does not have

weight

> loss surgery. I told him that many of the patients who have WLS

have

> hypothyroidism. He exclaimed " You're nuts, they do not!, how many

do

> you know? " I replied 1128 from my internet support group. I asked

him

> if he could show me statistics on his patients with hypothyroidism.

> His reply, " You're nuts! " I told him I had researched Obesity for

10

> years and WLS in particular for a year and asked how much research

he

> had done? He replied " Are you crazy!? " Seems he feels MD means he

> can spout off falsehoods and not be held accountable.

>

> Next he told me my pituitary function was normal and that my only

> problem was hypothyroidism. Apparently he forgot about the glucose

> resuts in LA which showed impaired glucose tolerance and the

altered

> cortisol/aldosterone levels in Alabama. He further stated my

memory

> problems were related to hypothyroidism only, which indicates that

he

> also forgot about my hemangioma resection (brain tumor removal).

>

> After that he jumped up and ran in the hallway loudly exclaiming to

> all within hearing distance (other tx rooms, the waiting area, the

> office staff room) that " she's nuts, she's a nurse and she's still

> going to have this surgery " He said this over and over and

addressed

> me with " you're a nurse, you're an intelligent human being, why do

> this? I explained that I had been on synthyroid for a year, gone

to

> aerobics 7 days a week, had TSH, T3 and T4s done several times

during

> this period but only lost a pound. And that I had gone to weight

> watchers 5 times, Craig, etc. He stated " yes but you're

> hypothyroid, it won't work 'til you get euthyroid " . Apparently he

> feels his prescribing synthyroid and his overseeing my diet and

> exercise regime will be magical.

> After he again told me I was nuts I turned to leave at which point

Dr.

> Lassiter grabbed my hand, shook it and said " Well I guess I'm not

the

> man to be your Doctor " . I acknowledged that and left. He

immediately

> ran to his staff and told them again that " I can't believe it,

she's

> crazy " . As I walked out the front door I mouthed to who

was

> on the phone to " cancel Glynn " . She shook her head in

> acknowledgement. I had just made an appointment for Glynn prior to

> this incident.

> Thanks,

> Kathy