Micia il MINIac

Even though I was banded in February of this year, I just found out about this site and wanted to express my dismay that no one in Dr. Spiegel's office shared such a great tool with me. While I am curious about how others found the newsgroup, I am more anxious to see if there is another person out there who is dealing with the added restriction of Celiac Disease (Sprue).

First, congrats on making such a life-changing decision! I hope this tool (LapBand) is as beneficial for you as I feel it has been for me. Now about your question... While I feel Dr. Speigel is a highly-skilled surgeon and I felt safe having him perform the surgery and the fills, I have to tell you that his office staff is less than steller. If you were having it done anywhere but at Physicians SurgiCenter, I would suggest you do more research on this site and others to read about the chief complaints against his office before making up your own mind about what you want from the surgery. That said, the support at the SurgiCenter more than makes up for his staffing problems. The first problem I had with his office occurred during the first week after the surgery, I called his office with complaints of nausea, vomiting, and cramping, but I was basically told that there was nothing they could do; regardless of the symptoms, they pretty much chalked it up to hunger pains. When the pain increased, I called the SurgiCenter and they put me in touch with one of their staff (after hours and on her personal cell phone). She took the time to review everything I was doing, the medicines I was taking, and what liquids I was consuming. Thanks to the time she took, we were able to identify the problem; one of the medicines that the pharmacist declared to be gluten-free did, in fact, contain gluten. Once I replaced that medicine with Little Tummies (for gas pressure), I recovered within a few days. She called me several times to follow-up and offered incredible moral support. So, if one of your concerns is post-surgery support, I would not expect it from Dr. Speigel's office staff; however, as I said, the SurgiCenter is wonderful and all of Dr. Speigel's fills are now done there. I just wish that I had known about this site, so I wasn't quite so disappointed with the level of customer service they provided at his office. I really hope that my response helps; I am sorry that I can't give you a more definitive answer. This is such a personal decision... Regardless of which doctor you chose, I offer you my best wishes and know that you will make a success of it. Please feel free to keep in touch. I would be interested in hearing about your experience and your progress (SUCCESS)! :biggrin1:

They are beyond precious! Poor kiddos... dealing with that kind of adversity so young. While I have kissed the Blarney Stone plenty of times, sadly I don't have a drop of Irish; however, the northern European rings true for me as well. My Mom's family hails from Germany while my Dad's kin was banished from Norway. :eek:

Bless your heart! That is so sweet of you! Honestly, I am thankful that it happened as an adult (diagnosed 11Nov2004) rather than as a child. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it must be on them... and the other family members. Wishing you (and them) the best of luck!