Need a sane MD LONG!!!

[Guest guest]

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