You're right. HOWEVER, I went Yahoo board cruising and I read about our friend Sandy who was here soliciting folks to join the lapband board that is just another recruiting tool for Ortiz...remember her?? This weekend, she was kicked off of one of the boards because she was pretending to be someone "gailkitty" (go figure) who was shopping for the right doctor and was using that "disguise " to recruit more patients away from a particularly pro-Kuri board to become Ortiz patients.

The moderator said she was "sharking," but I'm starting to think that, in the case of SOME of these people, that term is insulting to sharks everywhere.

A request has been made that this thread be locked. I'm not inclined to do so at this point but I will say this. We can discuss the doctors and our experiences with them freely, but please keep the personal comments and drama out of it. "He said" vs "she said" stuff is never helpful, and rehashing of history that occurred elsewhere is just distracting and annoying to the rest of us.

People reading this board are responsible for making their own decisions and doing their own research. Let's keep the soap operas out of it.

Sandy, you are welcome to post here, of course. If you have an affiliation with a physician it would be nice for you to disclose it, but that's up to you. Same goes for everyone else. Let's start again, and assume that everyone is posting honestly and without malice, and move forward from there.

A request has been made that this tread be locked.

This always seems to happen. I somehow am always silenced for one reason or another everytime I try to post my side of something, this is what happens.

Anyone that wishes to contact me privately is welcome.

Sandy

A request has been made that this tread be locked.

This always seems to happen. I somehow am always silenced for one reason or another everytime I try to post my side of something, this is what happens.

Uhhh... No one is trying to silence you. The thread has not been locked, as Alex states in her post prior to yours. You did, in fact, post again. And yet you did not post any info, just a complaint about being shut down... Which you weren't...

????

Sandy,

Some of us thrive on peace and quiet and want to enfore it everywhere. Some of us thrive on discussion and debate and want to cause it everywhere. I don't think either "side" wins all the time.

I sent you a private message and I've not received a response. I've asked you to tell your side and I'm still hoping to hear it.

~~~~~~~~

For those who would like the thread locked,

Please understand that while some people want support for the decisions they've already made, others crave info in order to make the best decision they can make. (Perhaps if I had had access to such "conflicting" info, I would be able to see fairly well out of BOTH of my eyes. But no, I didn't get to hear the negatives about the surgery I chose, so I'll never again have depth perception or be able to cut my own toenails. Just happy, good news is not always the best information.)

So, hearing the other side of the issue regarding what Sandy was doing posting to all of the boards in question--whether she was doing it on her own in a maverick fashion or with permission/guidance/etc. would give everyone more information to factor in to a decision. I was adamantly not crazy about the solicitation, but I suspect that there is more to her story than was posted elsewhere.

Sue

Sue, did you mean Sandy or Sally? Is there a Sally Shark and a Sandy Shark?

Originally posted by donali

Uhhh... No one is trying to silence you. The thread has not been locked,

????

Sorry. I’m not very computer savvy and I thought that I would not be able to post after someone stated that the request had been made to lock this topic.

First I do want to say that I have worked for a LapBand doctor. I also want to say that I have NEVER worked on a commission or worked for one of those headhunter companies that represent several doctors and mark up the price to cover their commission. I feel physically sick that there are people out there that do this. I can tell you that what I have done regarding speaking to others regarding Lapband surgery, I have done from my heart. When it comes right down to it, I really don’t care who puts your band in. As long as you get it put in and improve your health or even save your life, that’s what’s important to me!

When I had my surgery I was 328 lbs and at 5’1” I was pretty miserable. I couldn’t walk without assistance, I couldn’t sleep lying flat, I couldn’t breath just walking across a room and I couldn’t take care of my family. I also couldn’t find a surgeon in the US that would do my surgery. They all wanted to give me a gastric bypass. So I went to Mexico. I ended up choosing Dr. Ortiz to do my surgery because I had narrowed down my choices to him or Dr. Rumbuat. It was cheaper and easier for me to get to San Diego, so I went with Dr. Ortiz. This surgery saved my life! And yes, I feel very passionate about it! I would NEVER for ANY amount of money, take advantage of someone else that is going through what I went through. If there is anyone that chooses not to believe that, well there’s nothing I can do about it! Perhaps you could join up with all the Yahoo’s on their board and post crap about me after I’ve been banned and not allowed to post responses. Why not go ahead and call me a dirty whore or something just as nice?! If I sound frustrated, it’s because I am!

I never once posted on another doctor’s exclusive, invitation only board! I did make a phone call to his coordinator after I had heard several rumors about what was being said about me and my work. Of course you can’t just call and chit chat and get information, you have to give out an email address so you can receive an invitation to the boards and so they can also solicit you some more. I had to get an invitation to a board I didn’t request. But now I’m being accused of trying to infiltrate some secret society. I NEVER posted on it, NEVER read it and NEVER even became a member of it. If anyone were to even do a little checking, they wouldn’t even find anyone that I’ve “solicited” off ANY of the boards to have surgery! I guess I’m not cut out to compete with the ruthless, cut throat patient coordinators out there!

I was banned and removed AFTER I posted the results (which by the way was removed) of my conversation with their coordinator! This person used every sneaky, underhanded, slanderous and crooked trick in the book to try to get me to book with her doctor. She also, by the way informed me that I should join Mexicanbandsters because their own employee is the owner of that board! But that’s okay for her to be an employee of a doctor and own a board that “claims” to be impartial!

Furthermore, if anyone has noticed, every board that I’ve ever owned has NEVER even been moderated. ANYONE could post what they wanted, when they wanted! You won’t see the same on their Yahoo boards! You’ll never read about an unhappy patient of a particular doctor on some of those Yahoo boards! I have news for all of you. EVERY DOCTOR HAS AN UNHAPPY PATIENT OCCASIONALLY!

As you on this board know, I did come on here and post about another board, you told me you didn’t like it and I left! I don’t feel I’ve ever done anything unethical, wrong or illegal personally or professionally EVER! I wouldn’t say the same about those accusing me! I guess some people don’t have anything better to do than attack me PERSONALLY! I even received threats in my private email!!!

One thing I’m not going to do is keep this crap going on any board anymore. So I’m asking, please to not start a big debate and speculate what my intentions were or weren’t. That’s been done to death other places. Just ask me! If anyone wants to ask me anything, please email me! I don’t have anything to hide!

Sandy

I wouldn’t say the same about those accusing me! I guess some people don’t have anything better to do than attack me PERSONALLY! I even received threats in my private email!!!

I'm taking a chance here, but I really hope Sandy will return long enough to clear up any potential misunderstanding that may arise from the above. Sandy, You didn't mean that I or anyone from this board had sent you any email, inappropriate or otherwise, right?

Sue

So Sandy. You used to work for a LapBand doctor and do not now. And you have shown a lot of restraint in not ratting him out, even though he seems to have disappeared you from his board and denied knowledge of you to the point I expected to hear a cock crow three times.

So, you are a banded woman without a board. We're here. Stop in. Visit. Share your info. (Just don't tell me how wonderful you-know-who-is.) You've lost a lot of weight, you've got a lot of knowledge to share.

Sue

Edited to add a question:

Your name--and reference to you--is gone from the message board, yet your name, photo, testimonial are all still on the home page. You don't have a business realtionship with any band doctor now?

I Will not comment

I read alot of boards...Lurch

You Rang?

O.K. Now that hopefully that's settled. This board is great and let's continue supporting eachother like we do and who cares who has what doctor and help eachother. I agree with you Geezer Sue. How's everybodies week so far?

Sandy, thanks for posting your story. I don't even want to know who the doc in question is... :sick

Your story just highlights why some of us are so on alert for people trolling for docs - this board isn't like that, and we want to keep it that way. I think it's great that the docs have their own boards - but I also know that it is unlikely that people having problems could post to those boards without being censored in some way, or jumped on by the happy clam patients. I'm a member of a LOT of boards, and I see this happen over and over again.

I have no interest in reading bashing posts about anyone or anything - but I AM interested in reading the truth, good and bad. I agree that it is the rare doc (if any) who has NOTHING but happy patients.

I'm sorry you've felt persecuted from so many boards. I am SO thrilled for you on your success!! I loved my band, too.

We love success stories over here, and can't get enough of them! So please stay and share in the support of the wonderful people here.