Lone Tree's Pellet Treatment is no Panacea.
I was concerned by my low energy level and my inability to lose weight. When I learned that Lone Tree OBGYN offered treatment that purported to get your hormones back to a healthy level, help you feel better, and enable you to lose weight. I was excited by the prospect of getting a mental and physical boost. I had ambitions of working out more, being healthier, and getting back into my old suit pants.
I went in for tests. The tech told me that I was going to feel amazing. I told her amazing would be just fine. When my tests came back, Lone Tree assured me I was a good candidate for the treatment.
When I came in I saw Ms. Barbara VanDersarl Slocum. Ms. Slocum had me recline on a table as she applied a local anesthetic and placed hormone pellets under the skin of my hip. Afterwards, Ms. Slocum told me I needed to be vigilant for radical changes in mentation. She said I could find myself crying my eyes out over a Hallmark movie, or be overcome by anger, commonly referred to as "roid rage." If I experienced either extreme, Lone Tree would adjust my dosage.
On the way out, I was relieved of $750, for the non-FDA approved procedure, which is not covered by insurance. I went home and waited for the magic.
In a week, I found that I had not experienced any wild mood swings. Had not been drawn into any TV romances, nor threatened to beat anyone up, in fact, I hadn't felt anything. I had continued to diet but hadn't lost any weight. I emailed Lone Tree and explained I hadn't seen any results. I got a call from someone at Lone Tree who told me it was too early to make a judgment and asked me to be patient. Lone Tree scheduled a follow up appointment, and I continued to wait for something to happen.
On my appointment date I called before going in and reiterated that I had experienced no improvement. Ms. Slocum called back and advised that Lone Tree would not be able to give me a "bump" in my treatment until after my test results. Then she told me I had waited too long to get my blood work, which puzzled me, as Lone Tree had set the appointment, not me. I was polite and didn't argue about my "tardiness."
Soon after I started calling to learn if there was a plan for my treatment. When I reached Ms. Slocum, she advised that my tests were back, and my hormone levels were great!"
I told her I didn't feel "great," and she said my failure to benefit from the treatment probably had to do with another medication I take, a medication Lone Tree knew about before telling me I was a candidate for the procedure. I was polite and didn't dwell on Lone Tree's advance knowledge. Ms. Slocum again mentioned how "late" I was in the treatment, but I saw no benefit in reminding her that Lone Tree was doing the scheduling not me. I let it go. Doing my best to keep the frustration out of my voice, I said that regardless of what her tests showed, I didn't feel any different. Ms. Slocum responded by telling me that the treatment is not a "panacea," and that people often "don't realize how good they feel until the treatment wears off." She went on to say that "if I decided to continue with the therapy........" Always a gentleman, I resisted the temptation to tell her that "if I decided to continue the therapy I would have to be an idiot."
The loss of $750 is not going to send me to the poor house, but it does sting a bit, kind of like the feeling you get when someone sticks a probe into your hip to insert magic pellets. I'm counting this as a lesson learned, and I say to you: Gentlemen, If you want to feel better, you're going to have to do it yourself. Eat better, exercise more, and do those things you know you should to improve your well-being. There is no magic pill (or pellet) that's going to knock ten years off our charts and make us feel like champions again.
I wanted to believe, and for many people, the wanting is enough to make them believe. After all, placebos are shown to work in about half of all patients. So now I'm off to the gym. It is going to be hard and slow, with no magic pellets to help me on my way. If by chance you find yourself in front of Lone Tree's office, take my advice and keep driving. There's a gym down the road just a couple of miles. read more