CyndieRI

I say send it. Unless you are getting a lawyer, it's going to fall on def ears anyway. I think your unedited anger will come across as intended. Make sure you add that you also put a copy of this on a few social media sites. These days, anybody that offers a service of any type is more afraid of bad press from social media than any other source. They will make changes just based on the possibility of getting a bad rep. GO GET EM TIGER! (oh, and move on afterwards)

You should absolutely confront your team in this professional critique if you believe they neglected you.

You had a terrible experience with this Dr. I hope your post will encourage others not wait and to change Doctors ASAP if you see see any red flags or feel your medical needs are not being met.
I applaud you for addressing your medical issues and moving on to a more qualified medical professional.
While you are waiting for the process of seeing a new Dr. Search around the boards for others that have had or are experiencing the same struggles.
I wish you the best in taking charge and moving forward.

I have never been made to feel so inadequate in my life. I am so disappointed in the way Brian Gary treated me. I received the gastric sleeve surgery from him on 09/12/2017. From the beginning, my very first visit with him was not very pleasant. I should have taken that as the red flag it was and taken my business elsewhere, but against my better judgement I preceded with him as my weight loss doctor. He didn't feel I needed the surgery. I would have rather him tell me he will not perform my surgery and for me to get another doctor. My visit with him on 10/17/18 proved to be the most disrespectful way I have ever been treated by anyone, especially my doctor. I have not lost but about 34 pounds in the year since my surgery and saw on this day I gained 11 of those pounds back. Already feeling bad enough, he made me feel much worse with the remarks he made to me. He told me I failed, there was nothing else he could do for me, maybe I could get on the Medifast diet with Dr. Jernigan and he didn't have to see me anymore. Really! The Medifast diet, after I have put myself through weight loss surgery. Instead of him asking what the problem might be and let's see how we can fix this, he humiliated me. I told him my sleeve has never restricted my food intake the way it should, not even from the very beginning. The hunger was still there and if it were not for the scars on my stomach, I wouldn't think I had weight loss surgery. I asked him if he removed the 75% of my stomach the way he was suppose to, he didn't give a yes or no answer, instead he said your sleeve is the same size as the lady I just saw and she's already lost 80 pounds. Talk about adding insult to injury. He told me people who don't do what they are suppose to do always find excuses. He never once offered to run an endoscopy, barium or any other test to see what might be causing the lack of weight loss I'm experiencing. Sure there are things I could have done better. I am new to this and needed my doctor's help, but instead I got turned away and told I was a failure and he didn't have to see be again. Your weight loss doctor is suppose to be a life time relationship to keep you on track and to make sure you are having no problems, like leaks, nutrient or Vitamin deficiencies along with other problems that can come with weight loss surgery. I m having Hair loss, bruising and pitching in my stomach, but did not feel comfortable telling him these things, because to me he just didn't care one way or the other. The bariatric group I am a member of could not believe this. These people had their surgery before me, some during the same time as me and others after me and have lost anywhere from 70 to over a 100 pounds. Most of them still can't eat more than a few mouthfuls. When I told him I can take in more food than I should be able to, he said the stomach is a muscle and it stretches. This is not supposed to happen this fast, maybe some years down the road, but not right after you have surgery. My group asked me about my labs with him, I asked what labs? I have never done lab work in his office. I spoke with my insurance company and they have given me the green light to seek another weight loss doctor. I pray all was done right and it is a simple fix. I am not a failure, I feel my sleeve and doctor failed me. I pray he does not make anyone else feel this way.

Mousecat - I totally agree with your idea to abstain from certain “trigger foods”. I think of it like someone addicted to drugs or alcohol who can NEVER have that again. I plan to NEVER eat Doritos or barbecue chips again. I know myself enough to know that I can’t eat those in moderation. Good luck with you surgery!!

So sorry you are struggling! I had similar feelings while I was doing all the pre-op “hoops”. I just kept plugging in and figured if I changed my mind any time up until my surgery I could always back out - but if I stopped the process then I wouldn’t even have a choice. My surgery was 8 days ago and so far so good! I’m glad I kept at it! Good luck!!

So sorry you are struggling! I had similar feelings while I was doing all the pre-op “hoops”. I just kept plugging in and figured if I changed my mind any time up until my surgery I could always back out - but if I stopped the process then I wouldn’t even have a choice. My surgery was 8 days ago and so far so good! I’m glad I kept at it! Good luck!!

I’m in the preop phase.. on nutritionist visit 3/6, scheduled to see food addiction counselor, cardiologists, pcp, and pulmonologist...I’m down to 50 carbs intake.. Only down 13lbs from end of August..I was feeling great.. food around me didn’t bother me.. but now I’m getting frustrated because It’s starting to bother me again... I’m even starting to second guess having the surgery..how much does lifestyle change? Should I just keep up with the Keto and lifestyle change and just try to do it on my own? Maybe I’m just having a bad day and needed to vent...

I’m six months out and was going pretty well, weight loss has slowed but not stopped, I’d mostly put it down to some stressful work situations and losing control of some food choices due to a lot of travel. Still, was looking forward to the fall to get back on track. Then, disaster.

One of my best friends experienced a freakish, frequently fatal complication during the birth of her first child and is in a coma. She has been for weeks. We’re now well beyond the time she was expected to come round and it’s becoming increasingly clear that intense damage occurred. She lives in an area far from family and friends, I’m one of the closest but still hours away. I’ve been taking time off work to go care for her as her husband deals with the totally separate medical emergency that is their newborn. I feel like my brain’s been puréed, I can’t focus on a damn thing and am in a constant hypervigilant state. I don’t sleep much anymore and I’m a zombie at work.

It’s taken me three weeks to notice that I’ve totally stalled out weight-wise (I suppose I noticed day-to-day while weighing myself, but then didn’t chain the days together). And I know why: I’m grazing, I’m not prioritizing Protein, I’m not drinking enough Water. Worse, some of the habits I’ve kept at bay for almost half a year have come roaring back, including stopping by the local CVS to pick up junk food. I ate half a packet of Oreo’s, for pete’s sake. I don’t even like Oreos, at all, never have.

I’m going through the house this morning to throw out any junk food I’ve mindlessly bought, but I can also feel that the need to have quite literally anything make me feel slightly better is translating to the old emotional and current chemical boost junk food loans you. I know I’m going to have to just be more aware of all of this, now I’ve spotted it. But my entire life feels like a bomb went off at its center, and given how hard I’m finding it to focus on ANYTHING, I’m going to have a hard time being mentally guarded against lifetime habits creeping in again.
This sucks. THIS SUCKS.

I'm not having any trouble with my beard growth or limpness...🤣

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@elcee yes, very helpful. No, I don't have a dependency, I can stop at any time and have now chose to stop. I, like you would use the wine to help me relax and sleep. But since the deaths of my mom and two sisters, I was also using it to dull the pain of their loss. I know that's not the way, so to stop drinking the wine isn't the problem. The problem is my sleeve never restricted me from eating large portions, well larger than I should be able to eat. I just wish I knew why. Hopefully I will find that out once I get another weight loss doctor.

About a year ago I realized I was ready to take control of my life and have weight loss surgery! I had my gastric sleeve yesterday, and even though I lost 15 pounds on the preop diet my doctor said my liver was still fatty. Surgery was a success, the first 18 hours of post op recovery were awful and I did not expect it. My body kept trying to throw up but there was nothing except bloody saliva. I couldn’t keep any liquids down, and ended up having a panic attack at 4 am. That was fun.
BUT I am finally starting to feel better. Rather then horrible pain I am a very uncomfortable bloated beach ball. I can keep fluids down, which is currently in the form of tiny baby bites of Jello and sips of Water. I am up and walking and should be able to leave in a few hours.

I just feel an overwhelming sense of pride, and I can’t wait for this new journey.

Spoke with my insurance company. They will allow me to go to another weight loss doctor to address my problem and see how I can get back on track, but will not pay for a revision surgery. Well I'm gonna pray he did my sleeve right and it's as simple as putting the wine bottle down, getting in more exercise and counting my calories better. If my sleeve wasn't done right, of course I will go after the a*****e doctor I used. Wish me luck.

Glad you are able to face it so now you can beat it! Safe Journey, we are cheering for you!

Your priority is your health and mental well being. Absolutely change physicians. You are grieving and know wine and food are an issue when dealing with stress/emotions. Treating the mental health side of surgery is just as important as the surgery itself.
Glad you are making your calls. Wishing you the best.

I meant I can help men find a male to help. sorry auto correct

I have been clean and sober 7 years. I am active in aa and my home group is actually an online group. So for any women that has drinking our drug issues and need advice or want to talk, message me. I'll give you my number and we can talk. Men too, I can help guide you to a feeling make in this area. I always say I'm a "true addict". I take anything and make it unhealthy; cutting, sex, drugs, alcohol, and especially food.

I'm not trying to make my message a public service announcement, but I want those struggling with other unhealthy coping mechanisms to know that they're not alone.

Hang in there. I also had wine issues and yes it will halt your weightloss for a while. Every time I stop, the scale starts moving and that feeling of seeing the scale move again is amazing and motivating. Please seek therapy right away or maybe even just an AA class to get started. I was warned against alcohol as a substitute for food after surgery. I did not take seriously as I was always on control of my wine. For some reason, it escalated after surgery and took a lot of mindfulness to stay away. I am sorry for the loss of your family. I understand completely, I lost my mum 3 days before surgery. I would like to think they would want us to do better and take control our progress and do all we can to continue. Understanding the process it took to get this far, make changes now. Start with putting away the wine which I know is easier said than done, reach out to a local wls support group as meeting others in similar situations help when done on person, most importantly you are your greatest motivator. What do you hope to accomplish with this surgery and what are you doing to be accountable? Also, best food tracking tool to be accountable in regards to food is myfitnesspal app. You log everything you need thereby knowing exactly what you put into your mouth. It counts calorie intake, water intake, fat content, etc. Please start there for diet setbacks. Good luck!

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Thank you everyone. To answer the questions about my diet. I try to make healthy food choices, I might slip every now and then. I know my main problem is the amount of wine I drink every night. Since my mom and two sisters passed, wine has been my coping mechanism. I drink plenty of Water. Wine and water are the only things I drink. I have two glasses of wine per night. I have vowed to stop. Didn't have any last night and the bottles I had I gave them to my sister and cousin yesterday. My sleeve have never stopped me from eating a full meal, never! I would stop myself, because I know I should. My doctor has never checked my blood, never checked for leaks or suggested I have any type of test to see if there's a problem. I pray my insurance will pay for a revision and allow me to see another doctor. I admit I didn't do all I could have done, but my sleeve seem nonexistent. I'm about to make some calls now.

I agree with everyone that surgeon is straight up asshat. I am 18 months out and my surgeon made it a point to see me and have blood panels checked every three months until I made a year. After that, I now have to check in every 6 months with the option to call his office or work cell in case ANYTHING happens. He takes leaks very seriously and encourages me even when I didn't lose half my weight at a year. His advanced nurse practitioner who was in my surgery with him runs support group for wls patients once a month. My point is, this is not only an expensive surgery but it is life altering. This surgeon you have needs to give you all the support you deserve. Since that is not happening, I would research another in the same field/hospital. If not, look through insurance provider lists for options and start making calls. This is your life, change starts with you. Dont let some jack make you feel lesser than. I cannot stand those ones. No support at all. I am sorry you are going through this. You do not deserve that. Please make those calls asap. Rooting for you to find a proper surgeon and team for your revision. Do research, read reviews, gauge attitude towards patients. Ugly can't hide and usually shows on the first day of meeting. Listen to your gut and if it feels wrong, leave asap. Good luck! Aloha

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Yes, your surgeon does sound like an ass, BUT how have you been eating? I doubt that he opened you up and just didn't do anything. I get hungry too. In fact, as I'm writing this, I'm hungry and wanting some lunch! I just can't eat a lot at one time. The food choices that you make, affect how much you can eat of something too. I don't know how you're eating; you've been asked a few times, but you haven't responded. How is your diet? The surgery is only part of weight loss equation. My surgeon explained that the surgery won't do it all for me, I have to eat right, exercise, and drink Water too. Do you keep track of your food, Protein, and water? The surgery will not fix it all for you; you have to make changes too in order to see results.

Request a barium swallow test with copies for your records. You can then seen your sleeve and proceed to choose your path from there, whether a consultation with a new team or a follow up with this doctor. Don't take no for an answer. Take charge.
Also, let's be really honest because I don't want to speculate: how's your diet, forealsies...?

So things I do when I get hungry (in addition to making bad choices sometimes).
1. Have a drink. I live on Crystal Lite.
2. sugar free Jello. They are 5 or 10 cal's, so pretty hard to go wrong with that.
2. Sugar free fruit cups. The Dole or Delmonte ones are around 50 cal.
That is usually enough to get me through another couple of hours. Personally I try not to think too far ahead, just get me to the next meal time if I am hungry.

@Ed_NW, I love the way you worded your response. It makes so much sense. I'm gonna call my insurance company and see if I'm allowed to go to another weight loss surgeon, even if he or she didn't do my surgery. I don't have to see my surgeon again, it's obvious he doesn't want to see me again. I know something is wrong, felt this way almost immediately.

@johnsons13, @CyndieRI, thank you so much for responding. johnsons13, I pray it gets better for you with everything. This is not easy. People that say surgery is the easy way out, have not had surgery. CyndieRI, I pray all goes well for you.