Re: Disappointed with all the hype about R&R!

From: Karla (ifirgit@new.rr.com)
Sun Mar 11 04:52:29 2001


Well said Trace. Anyone can perform surgery....even world renown surgeons from Philadelphia....but let us know after a year or so just how you are doing. Are you still having the pain that you had prior to your surgery....or is it worse?

In my case, and my case is about as bad as it gets, there is only one group of doctors that I will allow to touch this body. When I get to the point where I can actually have an adhesiolysis it will be by Dr. Reich and Dr. Redan because I KNOW that they are the only ones skilled and qualified to do battle with my adhesions.

It is a sad day when a person is willing to go out and spend $20,000 on a car, but is not willing to put forth less than half of that on getting themselves better.

Regina, I am aware that there is and has been a problem with Sue and how she deals with patients. I am sorry that you had to experience her wrath, but that does not mean that you should be trashing the names of Dr. Reich and Dr. Redan. You aren't going to get any doctors better than they to take care of your adhesions. In an ideal world medical care should be free....but this isn't an ideal world. Are you willing to work for free? These doctors have staff that they have to pay (even if we feel some of them don't deserve it) and they deserve to be compensated for the hours that they spend giving us our health back. And I mean hours. I have not heard of one surgery that they performed that was less than four hours and some up top ten hours or more. Do you think that these doctors should be donating their time in excess of what the preset coverage for an adhesiolysis is? Would you as a medical student consider doing this when you become a good surgeon? And when you say yes, think to the point of where you have been a great surgeon for at least 10 years and have put years and years into researching and improving your technique....are you still so willing to donate your time? In my opinion it would be totally dishonest to think that you would.

Like I have said before and I will say it again....no other doctor will operate on me....I want my life back and while I have no guarantees....at least I have hope!

--
Karla

> ----- Original Message ----- From: niko To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2001 10:41 PM Subject: Re: Disappointed with all the hype about R&R!

Hi Everybody,

I am not going to defend any doctor or anything like that, but I did want to say one thing.

I know from personal experience and I also know of a few of my closest friends, that have let doctors operate on them, that do not have the skills required to treat adhesions. This is totally disastrous. Not all specialists have the skills to operate on adhesions effectively. OR to operate and reduce the adhesions to continue with a quality of life.

Any specialists that are having a good success rate, I hope, will be shared with other sufferers.

I agree that the monetary aspect is a whole point in itself. I just hope that people don't forget to look for qualifications. It can save a lifetime of pain.

Your pain pal Trace xo

> ----- Original Message ----- From: Linda Beebe To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS Sent: Thursday, 8 March 2001 9:50 Subject: Re: Disappointed with all the hype about R&R!

I had much the same reaction to hearing these surgeons charged so much up front! I'm looking for help in my area...I'm sure they are NOT the only doctors in this huge country with knowledge of adhesions! well said! Linda Beebe

Trtglia1@aol.com wrote:

Hello-My name is Regina and I too am a chronic ARD sufferer for over 3 years now. I am a doctoral candidate at a prominent medical school in Philadelphia. I, like most of you, have been through many doctors and treatments with very little long term relief and recently I have truly felt at the end of my rope to the point where even my studies have been adversely affected at times. I have read many of the quilt stories and have even added my own. I am truly touched and grateful for the emails of support and friendship and I feel true camaraderie with most of the members. I have been reading the ongoing accolades of Dr.'s Reich and Redan. It "seemed" to me that they were the miracle workers I had been hoping for. I mean they have patients flying in, to Scranton(?)none the less, for their amazing(?) procedures. I figured, what the heck, and I submitted my patient information and thought I would wait and see. Well, it was 24 hours and I received a call and spoke with a Dr.Gerhart. I spoke with him at length and I (and he) felt I had the criteria for their treatment/surgery. He was very nice also. I was instructed to call "Sue" and work out some "details". I feel like was just through the classic bait and switch. This telephone call I made to Sue was the most demeaning and insulting call I have ever made. She was rudely condescending. I am not an idiot and I am well spoken and educated and I was made to feel like I was some poor, stupid fool. She "chastised" me for the insurance I had and went on to tell me that these "Godlike" doctors don't accept my insurance if any at all. She went on and on how the "up front" money of 3-5 thousand dollars isn't really a lot of money. A home equity loan or credit card would happily be accepted. I do not know who these doctors think they are. I have good insurance, in fact, great insurance! I am a hard working woman who happens to be paying a lot of money to attend medical school. I personally cannot pull a couple grand out of my "ear" like Miss Sue can. I feel that these physicians are totally unethical in their handling of money and insurance. They are true predators--they offer chronically ill people, some suffering for years, hope, help and relief. They know how desperate these people could be and are taking advantage of them by truly gouging desperately ill people. I have been in so much pain at times I feel like I would sell my soul to Satan himself, but I come back to reality and trudge on. I guess some people don't have the strength and are willing to go into hopeless debt on procedures with NO guarantee performed by HUMAN beings, not Gods. This experience further seals my dedication to serve and work for my future patients as a person, not a monetary number. CAVEAT EMPTOR. I know some of you may have the financial means to afford these Doctors, but what about the working person?? They do not care about you! Please do not email me with rebuttals or in defense of these predatory doctors-I do not have the time or desire to read them and will not. I have had personal and first hand insulting experience with them. I am TRULY happy for those who have been helped by them. I wish you continued happiness and health. They really have the compassion "thing" down pat--it goes straight to your heart and then zooms to your wallet. I even read they are "world-renowned"????? In the past few days I have been in contact with some of the best and truly "renowned" surgeons and physicians in the Philadelphia area. None of them have EVER even heard of them, and most agreed that their methods are not compassionate or necessary. I personally will see to it to find physicians, truly this time, who are the best and most knowledgeable in this field. I will make sure they accept all of our insurance's also, there is no reason not to(unless "something" happened in their history, but I digress, that is a whole other story) We ARE NOT limited--we all are praying for a "cure", we have been victims of our own pain long enough, we shouldn't be victims to the almighty dollar and a doctors greed. We will find other doctors-together we will find help without going into ridiculous debt. It is sooooo kind of them to accept credit cards isn't It--but no insurances??What is wrong with that picture? To all-stay strong, we will survive! Regina T.


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