nurse7263

Hello, all! My name is Charity, I'm 23 and was banded on 4/16/08. I have lost (to date since surgery) 7 lbs. I finally have some restriction! HOORAY! I was so frustrated before because I had only lost 3 lbs...now since my last fill two weeks ago, I'm down 4. I guess I've truly hit my sweet spot! I'm a summer camp nurse and have been trying to watch the junk I eat here. I have been eating the Protein of the meal (if it's not fried, breaded, etc), and a nice big salad with lots of veggies and added meat in it. I also use the Jenny Craig salad dressing instead of the regular. I actually went to Denver to have my surgery with Dr. Kirshenbaum. He was a fabulous surgeon - I went there because my BJC insurance didn't cover it. :cool2: I had to fight to even get half of it reimbursed through flexible spending! *sigh* Anyway. As I said, I'm 23, I'm a pediatric RN at Children's, and live in South City. I would love to find a group of bandsters in my neighborhood or area to start walking with a few nights a week. I work on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights, so I'm free Tues-Fri. I am sadly lacking in the exercise department, and I know that having someone kick my butt has worked for me in the past. :smile: So, hello! I'm glad that I found some St. Louisans to join me on my journey! :smile:

Thanks for the input. WHen I diet, I tend to lose 2-3 lbs per week, regardless of how I eat. I did Jenny Craig for a few months before I got banded and consistently lost that much. Trust me, I have a lot to lose! :tongue_smilie: Good luck!

Hello! I was banded on 4/16 and am down a grand total of....7 lbs. *sigh* I am a very slow loser as well. I just had my second fill last week and am finally getting a good amount of restriction. I now have a goal of losing 3 lbs per week until the end of July. I am going to follow this diet to a T and drink all my Water...and hopefully I won't be a slow loser for long! It is SO frustrating though...knowing that I was a self pay and am going to be paying for five years on a surgery that I haven't seen much by way of results. :tongue_smilie:

Hello! It's been a while, but I have been so busy I haven't had time to write, although I pop in frequently. I was banded on 4/16, lost about 7 lbs post-op, and had my first fill on 5/29, so today was my first full day of being filled. (I think he did like...2 cc's. I don't recall the exact number) So, this morning I ate a bowl of Cereal and was fine - lunch was sloppy joe meat and a banana, and dinner was a piece of turkey, veggies, and a little bit of potatoes. (I'm a camp nurse, so I eat what they've got) I had a tiny piece of cake...and only ate two bites! I was so happy that I was full! :smile: YAY! And here I am, 4 hours later and not a bit hungry, although I'm fighting the boredom eating right now. I have to get up early for work, so I think I'll just go to bed rather than eat. The only problem is...meal times are only a half hour, so I'm always the last one at the table! I'm going to have to start keeping those tuna packs in my cabin (uh oh...contraband!) and eat those before dinner and then just eat the veggies for dinner in the mess hall. Healthy AND still participating! Good luck all!

I haven't had a fill yet, but don't you have to be a liquids for a few days after one?? Because I was thinking that if I can get a decent price flight out I'd go but I would have to stay until Monday for a fill?? Any thoughts?

The A1C is a measure of how high your blood glucose has been running for the last three months. It would be possible to drop it a little in one month, but I would think more along the lines of three or so. To average out signifigantly lower, you would have to keep your blood sugar somewhere around 80-90 at all times, which is pretty much impossible, even if you're eating very healthy, as glucose rises after eating. I'm surprised your doc said he'd test again in one month! Watch your carbs and sugars - my best advice is to get into contact with a nutritionist and have them set up a diet plan for you. Good luck!

Hello all! I just have a question - I'm going to Dr. K's for my first fill on May 29th. How much does he fill you? I had asked him preop how many fills a person (average!) gets a year and he said 3-4. I have to fly there and I'd hate to fly out there, spend $300 and not have ANY restriction at all! So...that's the question. What did he fill you with the first time?

Hey there. I was banded on 4/16 and just am now getting back on a regular BM schedule. I still am not getting enough Water in, although I try! So I attribute it to lack of water, pain meds, and what I was eating. (Lots of cottage cheese for extra protein). You could try a suppository (Dulcolax or similar) to get things moving and then take a daily Fiber supplement. Or you could wait it out like I did. When I finally DID go, I felt SO much better. (And my weight that had been gradually creeping back up went back down!)

Hi! I was banded (self pay!) by Dr. Kirshenbaum on 4/16/08 in Aurora at Crown Point SUrgery Center. If I had to recommend Dr. K, I would, without a doubt. His office staff is amazing - and he is very kind and willing to discuss anything at all with you. I had nothing but a fantastic experience. I flew in from St Louis, MO for my surgery, and didn't even MEET Dr. K until the night before OR! I was in contact with his staff, the nutritionist and the doctor himself as often as I wanted via phone before my surgery date, and since I was banded, I have called no less than 5 times with questions and have not once sat on hold or have been made to feel like a pain or stupid for calling. If you are curious, I would just give his office a call and ask to speak with Natalie. She did my pre-op interview and before I even decided to go through with it, she and I had a long chat. (She was banded herself a few years ago, too!) As far as financing, I financed through surgeryloans.com and got a pretty fair interest rate. My surgery will be paid off by Christmas! If you have any questions about Dr. K, feel free to PM me and we can either chat via email or I can give you a call. Good luck in your search!

Name........................Current.......Goal....... Lost.......Still toLose luvinke........................217.............190..........0......... ..27 Leslie2Lose..................233.............208.........0..........25 (by 7/4) kathystrick..................318..............288.........0........... 30 Sunshine2...................179..............160.........0...........1 9 (by 6/29/08) TexasFire67.................170..............145.........0...........2 5 Nettie.........................193..............170........42......... .65 nurse7263....................244..............150........0............24 (by 7/4)

Hey there Sorry to hear about your experience! My anesthesiologist was arrogant as well. I'm an RN and when he said, "I'm going to give you some medicine to help you relax", I asked what he was going to give me (of course) and he said, "Well, what do you WANT me to give you?" and kind of laughed it off and went on with his speech. I interrupted and said that I'm a RN and he immediatly went on to tell me what the medications are. I can't stand when MDs think that the patient don't know anything. I'm pre-med now and when I finish, I vow NOT to be one of those docs. Hope your throat was okay when you woke up!

I was able to sleep on my stomach for the first time about two days ago and what a GLORIOUS feeling it was! I'm a stomach sleeper, too! I was miserable on my back! I was able to take my surgical dressing off today and my incisions look great! Dr. Kirshenbaum did a fantastic job- someday when I'm in a bikini, you won't even see the scars! PS: I'm down 9.2 lbs in one week! :tt2:

At my pre-op appointment on 4/15, my weight was 254.0. This morning I was 245.6! That's a loss of 8.4 since 4/15!

TOmorrow morning at 6 a.m., I fly to Denver CO to have my surgery! Well, my pre op appointment is tomorrow afternoon, and my surgery is on Wednesday....I can't wait! I'm so ready for this. I'll check in tomorrow from the hotel! PS: Bea - I'm thinking of you girl! GOOD LUCK!

I'm having a huge time trying to stomach the Protein drinks. My doctor told me that the big thing this month is to NOT throw up, and I haven't, but every time I try to drink a Protein shake, I gag. I am currently on full liquids (including yogurt, pudding and cottage cheese) and I was wondering if cottage cheese could be an equivalent. My nutritionist wanted about 100-150 cals with 15-20 grams of protein with each shake. The cottage cheese is 120 cals per 1/2 cup with 13 grams of protein, and as long as I chew, chew, chew it doesn't make me sick to eat a half a cup. What do you other bandsters think? I just don't want to throw up and disloge my band!

I haven't been that hungry - I've been sipping on soup or broth about once an hour just to stay hydrated. I have been using the Protein water by Kelloggs for a little more boost of protein other than my soups, etc. In the past I've done the shakes and couldn't stomach them then, either. I've order a protein elixer from my MD's office that isn't in yet, so after that gets here it won't be an issue to get my protein in. I'm just concerned about between now and then! The cottage cheese makes me very full, not so much that I'm not comfortable, but full just the same. I am LOVING my band. Although...I had only told me sister and stepmom - I wanted to wait on telling the rest of my family beause I wasn't ready - and my stepmom went and announced it to our church for the prayer chain. I am SO upset and embarrassed - not that I wouldn't have ever said, but I wasn't ready for the whole world to know. Now what? What if I go home in the fall and haven't lost as much as they expect? THey'll say, "Waste of money." (They think that diet and exercise is the cure for everyone.) Or they'll study what I eat and say, "Do you tihink you need to eat that?" I'm SO ANGRY. It wasn't any of my stepmom's businss to announce that at church. She promised she wouldn't speak about it again until I was ready. What should I do?

I've done the cream soups - the Campbells Soup at hand is a great light cream soup. I am supposed to supplement with high Protein shakes though, so I'm going to stick to the cottage cheese for the protein. I ate about 1/2 a cup and was full, and that's 13 g of protein. Thanks for your input! When were you banded? How do you feel?

I was banded by Dr. K on APril 16th, 2008. (Just a few days ago!) I can't believe how kind and helpful his office staff is, and Dr. K himself! He put me at ease in the office and even though I was scared to death sitting in the Pre-Op holding area, he came in with a smile on his face and words of encouragement. Yes, I am a nurse, but I get scared too! OR is not a fun thing! I guess maybe the thing I was so impressed about was how caring everyone is. I had a complaint about a nurse and spoke with Dr. K and his staff and really felt like something would be done. I'm a little sore today, and a lot tired. I've been able to sleep about 2 hours at a time before I have to move around. I'm going to try to take the Lortab only twice a day now - I think that I can get by on just Tylenol during the days. The Scope patch behind my ear is coming off tomorrow, thank goodness! It's giving me the worst dry mouth ever, and although it staves off nausea, it doesn't help waking up with the worst taste in my mouth! :thumbup: So anyway - if anyone is looking for a great doctor with a fantastic staff, look at Dr. K ---- If I had to do it again, I'd fly there again in a heartbeat! In fact, I'll be there on May 29th for my first fill!

Well friends, I had my first followup appointment with Dr. Kirshenbaum today. My incisions were draining so he reinforced them and said I looked great! I made my first fill appointment for May 29th, and will be having that done out here in Denver as well. For the first fill, I feel much safer having the surgeon who performed the procedure do it. After that, I'll follow in St. Louis with another surgeon. So, now I'm in BAND LAND and can't wait to see how much I weigh when I go back in 5 weeks! :thumbup: I am going to IMPRESS! Hope everyone's surgery goes well! :smile:

Good afternoon all from Band-Land! I was banded this morning by Dr. Kirshenbaum. I feel okay, just sore and I've got a very sore throat. I'm sitting here drinking broth and watching television. I was very impressed with the entire hospital staff except the PACU nurse. I asked her to get my glasses from my boyfriend (I was nauseaous and having them on makes it better!) and she said, "Well, I'm not going out to get them" And then when I asked to use the restroom, she said, "Well, you can't get up yet and I don't have time to put you on the bedpan, so you'll just have to hold it. You can get up in 35 minutes." :rolleyes2: So, needless to say that I'll be filling out my survey and letting her know EXACTLY what I think of her. I'm a nurse, and as a nurse I would NEVER treat anyone like that. GRRRR. When it was time to go, she basically pulled the curtain and said, "Your company can help you get dressed." Which to me wasn't a big deal, but I certainly am not happy with someone assuming that my boyfriend has seen me without a stitch of clothes on. GRRRRR. Every time I think of that woman it makes me angry. Anyhow. The pain isn't much worse than when I had my appendectomy, so it's okay. I just took my second round of pain meds (Lortab elixer), and I would recommend (as a nurse and a patient!) to take pain meds pretty regularly for the first 24 hours. Yes, it makes you groggy, but its easier to take it when you're only hurting a little bit than trying to get it back under control when it's bad. That is what the pain meds are there for! :biggrin: And for anyone who gets Lortab .... it has a Tylenol component in it, so please don't take extra Tylenol! It'll be too much for your kidneys. Both my MD and my pharmacist neglected to tell me that, but I know from being a nurse. I'll update more as I progress! BEA: I hope you did well today! Let me know how you're doing! NEXT: I was on a low carb (no potatoes, bread, corn or pasta!) high Protein and simple sugars diet. It was hard but I did it and he said my liver looked fantastic! (Which is the goal of the pre op diet!)

Hey guys! Here I am in Denver, eating a snack and waiting for my boyfriend to land at the airport. I met with Dr. Kirshenbaum today and was impressed with how kind his staff was. I feel very good, although I told him I lost 2 lbs preop (the nutritionist said that's what I should lose) and he said, "That's it? Really?" ANd I felt like this biggest FAILURE ever. I followed that diet to a T. Well, we'll see tomorrow! I picked up some broth and Protein Water and my prescriptions (Lortab, Zofran, Keflex) and am going out to eat tonight for dinner. Here we go...!

Hey, by the way - where are you having your surgery!??! I'm going to Denver! :thumbup: (Dr. Kirshenbaum!)

Bea - I feel the same way! Today I had 25 g of carbs and am SURE that he'll be able to tell (although they just said low carb high Protein but didn't give me an actual number!). My carbs came from an Atkins bar and veggies. I was SO TIRED when I came home from work today - I keep thinking --- seven more days! A week from today I'll be getting ready for bed, and seven days and a wakeup and it'll be the BIG DAY! PS: I made egg salad today with mayo (not Miracle Whip) and it was filling and yummy. Just a hint for something (maybe) different! :tongue: And I got Tyson's appetizers buffalo chicken wings - 1 carb per serving, 2 servings per box. That's different too! Have a GREAT day tomorrow - we are SO CLOSE! :thumbup:

Hey girl. I feel THE SAME WAY! I started my low carb high Protein diet yesterday and my boyfriend took me out for fish last night and what does the waiter bring to the table? BREAD WITH OIL! I was so jealous watching him devour that yummy carb-liciousness. I am tired, crabby and cranky, and this only DAY TWO!!! I can't imagine another 8 days. Already I'm sick of the salty foods. Yuck. I just want something sweet - I had a Vit. C drop today to get the sweet from it. Hopefully I'll do well. We're SO CLOSE - we can do it!

My date is the same as yours! :tongue: