GBear

I know I don't post here much, and I have been largely absent on LBT the past few weeks, but I'm trying to "come back" again because--gasp--my surgery is in 9 days! I just found out I'm getting banded the same day as lotzasunshine. I think it's kind of neat that I just found someone who's getting banded by Dr. K on the same day. Heh. Anyway, I'm going through the "nervous" stage right now. I guess it's all fairly typicaly, right? I start my low carb diet tomorrow and I bought a bunch of high protein, low carb food items today to keep in the office for my lunches. So, um, hello again, everyone. :biggrin: *waves*

Hi Lotzasunshine! I'm getting banded by Dr. K on the 16th, too. I've been kind of absent on LBT lately (maybe trying to put my fingers in my ears and say lalalalalaIcanthearyoulalalala?), but I'm trying to get back in the swing of things again. My surgery is at 9 am on the 16th, when is yours? I hope I get to see you then. Have you started your low carb diet yet? I start mine tomorrow. Anyway, I hope to see you soon! Feel free to email me or anything if you like.

I'd be up for going there with other people (assuming this is open to other patients as well). Can you send me the info or point me to a link for next Wed, pretty please?

I've been lurking around here for a little over a month and have even replied to some threads, but I thought I'd formally "introduce" myself and say hi. Hi! I'm going to get banded by Dr. Kirshenbaum in Colorado on July 16. I'm excited and nervous at the same time, but more excited than nervous. I know what makes me the most excited is that I feel like I have finally found the tool that will allow me to be successful. I've known for many years now what the "right" decisions are, but making them consistently is tough! But hopefully this will make it a little less tough than before. Anyway, hello, and best of luck to everyone. I look forward to learning more about lap band and the people and stories here as I continue my journey. =)

Skinny and healthy, what a concept, eh? It's going to be woooonderful! Best of luck to you!

Thanks! I can't wait! How lucky you are to be within driving distance of Dr. K. I have relatives in Denver that I can visit when I'm there, but we're not close enough that I would fly to Denver for every fill. :thumbup:

Hey ladies! I'm another 30-something here. It seems I checked this forum for the first time at the right time. I'm married with 4 nephews and 2 nieces (DH and I are still deciding whether or not to have our own kid, but at least I know if we do, I'll start pregnancy at a lower weight than now!). I'm getting banded on July 16 by Dr. Kirshenbaum in Denver, but I live in California. BBK, I hope you are okay now and healing well! That must have been scarier than I can even imagine. 80s_chick, I am loving your Xanadu icon, hahaha! I'm debating whether or not it's worth a trip to NYC to see it on Broadway. :thumbup: Cheers, Golden Bear

I read every single word in this thread and I love it. It's so nice to know I am NOT alone. I kept on saying to myself, "oh! oh! That's totally me!" and then sometimes saying, "Oh gosh, I forgot about that!" I will not miss everything that was said before me. But I finally thought of some "original" ones: I will not miss always touching a wall, chair, or cubicle wall while standing and talking with someone because it's too tiring to hold all of my own weight by myself. I will not miss not being able to ride a horse/mule at Yosemite National Park because I weigh too much. I will not miss having cramps in my mid upper back because of the way I hold myself. I will not miss my clothes taking up so much space in a suitcase. I will not miss sweating so much on my head/under my hair. I will not miss having to walk at an angle through the skinny aisle on the upper story of the train I take to work. I will not miss having to wear my work badge and pedometer on my pants pockets instead of my waist because of my jelly roll... and then having to wear them hanging from a shirt when I wear pants that have no pockets. I will not miss always having to leave shirts untucked. I will not miss feeling like I can't cut my hair into a cute short style because it would be out of proportion with my body. I will not miss not being able to shop in the tall sizes in catalogs! I will not miss plantar fasciitis. Wow, that was going to be a list of one at first! It's amazing how much more I thought of once I started writing.

Hi Michelle, I'm glad to hear you had a great experience at ECR. I hope you get the restriction you need soon. As it turns out, Dr. Foster and the gang at ECR are *not* in my network, so I'd be self pay. Also, the coordinator at their office and the coordinator at Dr. McKeen's office in San Jose both said they think the odds of me getting insurance to pay are very slim because I am "only" 37+ BMI with no co-morbidities. To say the least, that ticks me off because I'm 115 pounds overweight. That's the problem with being 6' tall! Anyway, that's all to say I might end up going to Dr. K. in the Denver area. His fees are $5K less than Dr. McKeen and I have relatives there, so I really only need to pay for my airfare and a rental car. Good luck with the rest of your journey!

I live in Mt. View and work in San Bruno and I'm still in the research process. I finally learned that chances are not good that insurance will cover me (I weight 115 pounds overweight, but my BMI is 37+ with no comorbidities), so I go back and forth in my head between choosing Dr. McKeen in San Jose and Dr. K in Denver. I think I'm currently leaning toward Dr. K because it's hard to argue with a $4K price difference... Right now I'm currently hoping for surgery in mid July!

I just joined here because I'm in the very early stages of my research and making appointments, etc. I live in Mountain View and I'm considering Dr. Pamela Foster and the rest of her gang at Thinner Future, but based out of El Camino Hospital instead of up by Mills Peninsula. I was going to consider Dr. McKeen at Good Samaritan hospital at first, but he's not in my network, but Dr. Foster is. So, we'll see how it goes as I make my consultation appointments, etc.

I'm thinking of using Thinner Future because they are in my network and I live near El Camino Hospital, so the location is ideal. I hope to read about more people using the doctors there!