My name is XXXXX XXXXX and I have just hijacked my wife’s account under the name of westcoastlady.

Twelve hours ago I took a call from Alex, the owner of this web site and was asked several questions that concerned him. I did not appreciate the way the call started off by pretending to be a future patient of wls and asking me if he could book an appointment through me with a certain doctor. I felt he baited me to see if I was a coordinator or someone in a position that can make a booking and receive a monetary fulfillment. He failed! After being in the conversation for approximately 10 minutes, Alex requested that we “ease off” on promoting certain surgeons, hospitals and hotels but that I should continue to speak the truth as I know it. He suggested we not give out our personal phone number but to discuss my thoughts and concerns over the chat lines (which I will not due to the fact as getting lambasted when discussing someone else’s doctor that they consider a hero). He did not request my wife to leave his site but to “just cool it” abit.

His concern is that my wife has given out our own personal home phone number to approximately 12 people to help people making evaluations for future patients easier.

I have been to TJ 13 times, once for myself, once for my wife, three times with friends and eight times with complete strangers whom I had only chatted with on this site and the OH site.

I KNOW most of the TJ surgeons, all the major hotels and all of the hospitals and clinics and I feel I have a vast amount of knowledge to share.

But regrettably, this will now come to an end since Alex has had a few complaints about me (us)… as he put it… us being sketchy by giving out our private phone number and then offering my “free service”.

We get 20 to 30 emails and phone calls a week of people saying thanks but it just takes a few complaints to take it all away. I even have a “new friend” in TJ right this minute that we are in contact with several times a day. Seems she thought it would be no problem being there by herself but now wishes I was there. Not everyone needs an advocate, but ones that do sure appreciate it.

I know my wife has posted that I have gone down with complete strangers and acted as a patient advocate. This is true. I speak for them when they can’t because of the pain, the language barrier etc. I make them walk when they don’t won’t to. I go buy bags of ice for the nurses’ station for all patients because the hospital/clinic has none. I carry their bags, I call their loved ones, you get the drift.

What is my charge you ask? It’s nothing. Zero. Nada

Why can I do this? I’m retired. Retiring before I was 50 has made life grand and we live it large. I have nothing but free time and a damn plane ticket is less than $500. One hundred percent of all the people I have accompanied are VERY thankful and most of them have bought us thoughtful gifts and trinkets to show their appreciation. And to be very honest… I am considered kinda wealthy. Some say stinkin rich lol. I say healthy!

I have even paid the difference for a young man to switch doctors to another (an $800 extra) so he would not take a chance with a certain doctor where I have personally witnessed two deaths.

In closing I always looked at it as paying it forward. I had such a bad surgery at such a bad clinic that had a doctor on board that wasn’t a licensed doctor, had to get fixed up a year later… you get the picture. My wife had a great surgery with Dr. Kelly and his team. MBC sometimes uses a bait and switch tactic when it comes to inquiries, changing hospitals and hotels without advising you, actually just taking the cheaper way out.

Again… I have vast knowledge of what goes on down there and have tried to share it at my expense. To those who read this and are concerned that I will renege on my future commitments… please feel comfortable as that I am a man of my words and I will follow through.

I have asked my wife not to offer my services to any others and I feel that I have paid it forward as much as I can. Thank you all for your patience reading this mumble jumble. Seems that when you’re upset you have a thought every 5 seconds but not enough time to write them down.

To those of you that complained that we had ulterior motives, your wrong and that’s your prerogative and we hope you have an uneventful surgery with whomever, wherever and whenever.

The drama is over, no more suspense!

And this is a perfect example of why you have a few people who post constantly and then you have folks who find information and run for the hills. Congrats Laura I am sure this gets you one step closer to your dream of being an administrator to this site.

Finally I stand by my statements. I was not rude, disrespectful or WRONG. Alex you do have an exceptional legacy in WLS and I don't begrudge you the opportunity to help others and make money but I don't believe this interest is clearly defined on this site - especially on the apps.

Now I shall run for the hills again whole everyone simmers in the stew.

I am not having surgery in MX but as a newer member I appreciate Alex and Susan investigating offers to accompany strangers to a foreign country for a surgery that leaves you vulnerable pre and post op. I feel safer as a part of this community knowing that someone is monitoring for scams, shysters, and predators.

What a mess this topic has become. I think the original poster was wrong to post this way. They seem well intentioned' date=' however I would be cautious if I had read some of the posts Alex mentioned the man and his wife have posted. But isn't that how anyone should approach information provided on these forums? I do think Anniemay deserves a little defense here. I understood her first post. Forum readers do not always have it in their mind that the forum owner is Alex. The forums helped me choose a doctor and I had my surgery one month ago. I never got the impression that I was being "scammed" or pressured by coordinators lurking on the site. But maybe that is just because I chose the forums that seemed sincere to me and didn't pay much attention to the rest. Now that I have had a good experience in Mexico, I don't look at this forum so much, because topics like this--all the bickering back and forth, just turn me off. I am glad I did not notice so much of this bickering before I made my decision. I hope this type of topic doesn't turn off new people who are just looking for information.[/quote']

Well let me tell you all something. I am new to this forum and I have been reading and reading and studying, trying to make a decision about which Dr. I will choose for my sleeve in MX.

Now after reading all of this garbage, I can honestly say I am more confused and unsure then I have ever been. It seems to me that EVERYONE involved has an ulterior motive and that is to promote the Dr that he or she is working for and it's got me seriously doubting ANY of the "my MX sleeve experience" stories that ANYONE has posted on this forum. Why can't people be honest anymore?!!! Why can't people just tell the truth?!!! I'll tell you why!!! Because so called "caring people" care more about making money then they do about human life!!!!!! I am so disgusted by all of this that I am SERIOUSLY ready to back out, and that makes me even more sad and angry because I really need this surgery and can't afford to have it done in the states! So I guess I'm on my own because now, and you can best believe I will not be putting ANY stock into what ANYONE says regarding MX sleeves and that includes YOU dear Alex. All I have left to say now is THANKS A LOT!

What? There are people on here that have posted that the will travel with you free to Mexico? I would never travel to Mexico with a stranger! My god that's crazy!

Oh, and one more thing! *susan* and laura-ven, you guys need to stop with the jokes! This is a very serious thing for me and quite upsetting, so PLEASE act like the veterans you are suppose to be and cut the crap, cause I ain't laughing!

2btrim, I feel for you! I researched on this site and made a decision about where I wanted to go and which Dr. to use. I placed my trust in my decision and never looked back. I am happy with my decision. Personally, I think the doctors who you see in positive personal stories on this site are probably all good. The coordinators who get positive posts are also probably all good. I think it is pretty easy to tell if a post is coming from a "real" person or not. If you decide to proceed, trust in your decision and don't look back. Good luck to you!

What? There are people on here that have posted that the will travel with you free to Mexico? I would never travel to Mexico with a stranger! My god that's crazy!

If anyone wants to go to Hawaii to have their surgery....I'll go with you and I'll even go for free. Happily.

Oh, and one more thing! *susan* and laura-ven, you guys need to stop with the jokes! This is a very serious thing for me and quite upsetting, so PLEASE act like the veterans you are suppose to be and cut the crap, cause I ain't laughing!

Don't you know that hijacking a ridiculous thread is a veteran's #1 job? Why else would we be here?

Seriously, there needs to be a little levity around this place. It can't be all doom and gloom.

I believe this topic has run it's course.

It's now locked (click.)