Ah... Christopher Duntsch..

I HATE that they call him Dr. Death cuz "Dr Death" was my nickname when I played softball.. but, I'm also not a medical professional.. I remember when Dr Duntsch was making the news in and around Dallas.. Coincidentally, this was close to around the time I had my two level neck fusion surgery done in Dallas.. Which is probably why I paid so much attention to Duntsh's story as it unfolded..

Another reason I paid a lot of attention to Duntsch was because, initially, my surgeon in Dallas was Dr. Rimlawi.. Luckily, Dr. Rimlawi dropped me as a patient after I insisted his office send me a copy of the MRI they MADE me get because he couldn't diagnose me with the MRI I brought to them - although 4 other surgeons COULD diagnose me from my MRI.. So, I get the MRI done at Rimlawi's office - Minimally Invasive Spine Institute (MISI).. He comes running in with the results and declares, "Yes! NOW I can see your problems with the new MRI.. lets do surgery and get you better!"

So, I drive 3 hours home and wait to hear from his office to schedule surgery.. and wait and wait and wait.. While waiting, I decide I want a copy of the MRI Rimlawi made, because I always get copies of my MRIs.. They don't want to send me one.. I insist.. They insist they won't send one.. I remind them that they HAVE to send me a copy if I request one.. They agree to send me one.. Later that night Rimlawi's office calls and he drops me as a patient.. They tell me I owe them $2500 for the MRI.. Totally crushed, I wonder why he dropped me..

I would only wonder why they dropped me until the MRI came in the mail.. I throw it in the computer and this MRI is COMPLETELY F'd up! Totally fuzzy, no detail, out of focus, completely jacked up.. Yet Rimlawi had made a diagnosis on me from it.. and I knew it, so he dropped me as a patient.. Turns out that was a bit of good luck.. Insurance REFUSED to pay $2500 and only paid him $300, or so, and made sure that I knew he couldn't charge me a dime for the MRI..

So, what about Dr. Death Duntsch? Dr. Death Duntsch was working with Dr Rimlawi, at the time I was a patient at MISI with Rimlawi.. I can't remember if Rimlawi was mentioned by name in the TV series, but Rimlawi got between Duntsch and a patient, on the operating table, and would NOT let Duntsch continue the surgery.. He had BOTCHED it THAT bad.. I'll re-watch the series, at some point, to find out if Rimlawi was mentioned..

So, what happened to Rimlawi? I'm not sure if he's currently STILL incarcerated, but he and maybe 10 other surgeons in Dallas were convicted of insurance fraud - getting people to have surgeries done with them through illegal practices, and whatnot.. BIG SURPRISE, huh..? So, last I heard, Rimlawi had been convicted and was set to do maybe 6 years time in a federal prison..

So, both Rimlawi and Duntsch are BOTH in prison.. WHERE THEY BOTH BELONG..

Who did MY surgery, you ask? Why David Barnett did.. The HEAD of the neurosurgery department at Baylor, with a 30 floor wing named after him at Baylor.. He also did Roger Staubach's neck or spine surgery.. Actually I went to another guy - Drew Dossett - before Barnett.. But Dossett wouldn't do my surgery.. Dossett is the Dallas Cowboys surgeon and had just done Tony Romo's surgery.. I think he refused to do mine because he sensed that I hated the Cowboys.. Barnett never found out lol.. I hope he never does!

---

Friendship is like peeing your pants.. Everybody can see it, but only you can feel the warmth..