Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum - Considering Dr. Kirshenbaum

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Just a reminder that tomorrow is the beginning of the holiday weight loss challenge. Please weigh yourself and then decide how much weight you'd like to lose by the end of the year. Post your weight loss goal, and then we'll start posting our losses starting next Thursday. Hope that all made sense.

Let's lose that weight by the end of '08!!!!

(sorry, that was the best I could do)

Thanks Challenge Partner! You're the best! I counted 7 weeks til January 1st. So I'm going to go for 25lbs! I know that sounds like a lot, but I'm going to try it. My new fill is the best so far! It's amazing how 1.6mls can make the difference!

Yay! A weightloss goal I can participate in!

I'm starting a spreadsheet here at work, so I can keep track of my starting weight.

I'm going to go balls to the wall (:w00t:) and say 20lbs.

Jaime! Who's balls and what wall?

I had my surgery a week ago today. When can I remove the bandages/dressings? Two of them are starting to peel off on their own now that I'm out and about and wearing normal clothes.

Dr. K removed mine at the 1 week appt. He said no hot tubs, baths or swimming for 4 weeks.

I may or may not have a leak but that is a whole other long story. But when I grilled Dr. K on how he knew that the leak was in the port and not somewhere else he assured me that that is where leaks occur almost always. When I questioned him more, because the port is such a solid little thing and I couldn't understand where it would leak from, he pulled one out of the package and showed me and it turns out that he has contacted Allergan several times about the design of the tubing that is connected to the port. The tubing that is connected to the port is thin and flat and then goes into a round tubing. Dr. K showed me with a needle how the needle can slip off the edge of the port and go into that flat tubing creating a leak. He said if the tubing were round like the rest of it, the needle would slip off of it instead of going into it. I hope this makes sense. This is how he (thinks) he punctured mine. It really is very easy to do and I am surprised it doesn't happen more often. I hope this helps some.

Deb

All of that makes perfect sense to me! It's sad that it can happen so easily!

I know you are right. It is just hard to see the sun when you are at the bottom of a hole. I am going to weigh in with my PCP tomorrow and see what he says. I may wait until Dr K gets back to see what his opinion is... but honestly, I most likely wouldn't return to him because of the cost and travel, but I value his opinion highly.

Bless your heart, Adorkable! You've been struggling a long time with these things... then you had the gallbladder problems in the middle of all of this! You've lost 80lbs! You can be so proud of that. I know you worked so hard to lose that weight, but you can be proud of yourself for doing it without the help of your band.

Pssh, healing month? I don't need no stinkin' healing month!

I'm on a mission to be part of the minority - the people who gain NO weight during mushies!! :thumbup:

Heh...we'll see how far that gets me, lol.

Well, Sweetie, good luck! I appauld your efforts. I gained when I started solids, not mushies. It's might happen, just know it happens to most. Don't be hard on yourself.

Mini-I'm bored too. Getting antsy about leaving to see my sister.

Well all, I am writing comedian guy off-he is too cynical and sarcastic (and a little bitter). I figure I have had enough of that from the ex to last me a lifetime. And life is too short!!!

But....Starbucks guy has turned out to be really sweet. I kept kind of dismissing him because of comedian guy...and I shouldn't have. This weekend he made me homemade Soup one night and a delicious homemade zucchini/squash casserole and brought them to me to take to work for dinner when I stopped to get my iced tea before dinner. I thought that was pretty darn sweet and thoughtful...especially when I hadn't even gone out on a date with him yet. So I called him Monday to see if he wanted to do something. We went out for a few hours and I had a really good time!! And he liked my dogs!! Yippee! And better yet, my special needs dog Jake LOVED him...which tells me alot. And I mean he really loved him- was acting all spastic and goofy, which he never does, especially when there is someone he doesn't know around.

So basically Bob and I have decided I need at least three criteria to be met before dating someone:

1. Do they like Dave Matthews? (Comedian guy doesn't....it's blasphemous)

2. Does Jake like them? (Other than my ex he seems to have a pretty good nose for people)

3. And I am so tired I can't remember the third one...so it must not have been that important (as if Dave Matthews is, LOL)!

I cannot wait to see my sis-I am totally psyched. Although a bit angsty about leaving the pups for so long. But I know they will be in good hands with Bob. :thumbup:

Starbucks Guy sounds wonderful! How sweet! AND I trust Jake! I'm glad you found someone nice! You're so adorable! I'm so happy that you are going to be able to wear your Princess outfit again!

Dee~you are MORE than the mama, you are the QUEEN! Thank you for all you do for us here.

Queen Squirrel? That's hilarious! My daughter asked me what I was doing today and I told her I was going to pick Marie up at the airport to take her for her fill. She said, "Oh you're now the Dr. K mobile." I had to laugh!!!

Nah Dee, you're not a regular squirrel. You're like the Mama Squirrel, leading all us young squirrels to the light, giving us guidance, helping us have a better BAND life. You're Super Squirrel!!!! :thumbup:

Mama Squirrel!! You guys were making me crack up here!

I just had a great visual of Dee in her Super Squirrel superhero outfit complete with cape! :w00t:

We love you Dee!!!! You really ARE Mama Squirrel!!

Well, I've been Super Morbidly Obese - I guess I can be Super Squirrel! I'd rather wear that cape!

TA DA! The Super Squirrel to the Airport! I eat slower than a snail, I cannot leap tall buildings in a single bound, but I can take tinsy bites!!!

See ya!!

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Yay! A weightloss goal I can participate in!

I'm starting a spreadsheet here at work, so I can keep track of my starting weight.

I'm going to go balls to the wall (:thumbup:) and say 20lbs.

Coolness!

You and I can be Spreadsheet Sisters! I love my Excel. It's nice to see the trend going down! Even when I have gains and plateaus!

Don't forget to do all of your measurements!

[Snowgator 3]

Mini,

I'm hoping to lose 12 lbs. Thanks for tracking us again!

[lovinglife 0]

Hi everyone!

I am going to be banded with Dr. K the 17th of Dec.

I will be flying in alone and am wondering if there is

easy transportation from the Denver airport to the

recommended hotels in the Parker area. It looks like

it's about 30 miles and I am wondering about the cost.

What did you all do?? I have a friend coming in the same night who will stay with me for the first 24 hrs.

I don't think we would be doing enough to justify a

rental car unless they are very inexpensive and the

shuttles are very high.

Can anyone give me advice??

[minidriver 0]

Hi everyone!

I am going to be banded with Dr. K the 17th of Dec.

I will be flying in alone and am wondering if there is

easy transportation from the Denver airport to the

recommended hotels in the Parker area. It looks like

it's about 30 miles and I am wondering about the cost.

What did you all do?? I have a friend coming in the same night who will stay with me for the first 24 hrs.

I don't think we would be doing enough to justify a

rental car unless they are very inexpensive and the

shuttles are very high.

Can anyone give me advice??

Hi Loving! Well, the super shuttle will run you about $50 round trip, so not too bad. Much better than a cab!

[minidriver 0]

Okay, after failing miserably on the last challenge, I'm gonna' be conservative and go for 10 lbs.

And, HELLO!!!! I have an Excel spreadsheet too! Don't leave me out of the club!

[BellaPerdente 0]

Hi all,

I am in for the challenge. I am going to try for 25 lbs. I have only 14 pounds to go until I reach ONDERLAND:thumbup: I haven't seen that in a long, long, long time. I go for another fill on Nov. 21. It will be two months since my last one. I still am having a hard time with taking small bites. I seem to eat way to fast and some things go down slow, but I can still eat way to much. I wanna feel full faster NOT get tighter to where I can't eat. Is that possible? Good luck everyone on the challenge!

[lotzasunshine 2]

DEE, you are AMAZING!!

THANK YOU!!!

On another note, my fill was great, I LOVE Dee and now I am home and going to go to bed soon.

For the challenge I will hopefully set my goal as 10lbs. Maybe it will be more with this new fill.

[Tally 0]

I had my surgery a week ago today. When can I remove the bandages/dressings? Two of them are starting to peel off on their own now that I'm out and about and wearing normal clothes.

Dr. K says after one week you can remove them just make sure you remove them from side to side not up and down.

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

DEE, you are AMAZING!!

THANK YOU!!!

On another note, my fill was great, I LOVE Dee and now I am home and going to go to bed soon.

For the challenge I will hopefully set my goal as 10lbs. Maybe it will be more with this new fill.

Oh My Goodness Marie!

You are so WELCOME!!! I loved meeting you!

I'm glad you're home! I was just sitting here thinking about you and hoping you had gotten home safe and sound! I bet your hubby is happy to have you home!

Let us know how your fill goes!

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Hi all,

I am in for the challenge. I am going to try for 25 lbs. I have only 14 pounds to go until I reach ONDERLAND:thumbup: I haven't seen that in a long, long, long time. I go for another fill on Nov. 21. It will be two months since my last one. I still am having a hard time with taking small bites. I seem to eat way to fast and some things go down slow, but I can still eat way to much. I wanna feel full faster NOT get tighter to where I can't eat. Is that possible? Good luck everyone on the challenge!

Bella!

HI!

Congrats on being so close to Onederland!

I just got a fill and I think I figured out something. If I eat slower, taking smaller bites, I get full faster and I eat less. If I take bigger bites, eat faster, I get that stuck feeling and then I am hungry sooner!

I've been doing some experimenting. Try and see if it works for you.

[Tally 0]

I "believe" I was maintaining 5cc in my band since my last fill before my gallbladder surgery. I had 2cc, then another 2cc, then 1cc all under fluoroscopy with Dr Berger in Flagstaff.

Then I went to Dr Monash for my gallbladder. Had that surgery, recovered, and then did an upper GI so he could make sure everything with the band looked good and started follow up with him. My first fill with him he withdrew 5cc's, so it appears everything was still there from Dr Berger. ??? Who really knows.

He says my port is tilted. It takes him multiple sticks every time I go in. He uses a new needle each time to reduce risk of damage, but who knows if that is what happened. One time it took 3 needles and a lot of poking around before he got it.

He did call me back since my last post and said the reason he didn't order a dye fluoroscopy study is because in 100% of the cases he has seen (either through reading, or his partners cases), it was a port issue. He said if I am more comfortable with a dye study first, he will order it. He just felt it was unnecessary. I did ask that he write a script for that; I want to know for sure.

I do feel better after talking to him again. He has always had trouble accessing my port but I am hoping if I do have him replace it, he will no longer have those issues. ??? His track record IS good, and he came highly recommended from my PCP who was banded by his partner. I think that IF he did cause my leak, it was a mistake. No one is perfect.

He did admit that it could have happened during a fill, but there is no way to know for sure. Even after the port is taken out, he says it can be difficult to tell if it was a faulty stick or a malfunction with the band.

He IS cutting costs drastically for me to have it fixed. He has offered to fix it for $500. He will do it in office under local. He says he has not had a leak come up yet, I am the first (lucky me). It basically comes down to do I still trust him 100% with my care. I am still not sure.

I realistically would love to have it replaced by Dr Berger in Flagstaff and then continue care with him again. I like that all his fills are done under Fluoroscopy... but I don't like the long drive (over 8 hours round trip), the very expensive fills, and how he doesn't seem to remember me from Adam.

*sigh* I feel really stuck. I really do like Dr Monash and I trust him. He seems like he wants to get in there, fix it, and get me going on the road to restriction. He calls me back personally to answer my questions, I like that he knows me and I am not just a number to him. Am I crazy to continue to go back to him if I feel even a teensy bit deep down that he damaged it?

I asked him about it and he won't use it. Doesn't fix the problem. I agree with him. I wouldn't slap a band-aid on a gaping wound... and I am not going to fill my band with a thicker solution so I can hold my leaky Fluid a bit longer.

Of course only you can make the decision of which Dr. to stay with but from the sound of everything you have said, sounds to me like Dr. M is a good choice. Everything he seems to be saying is identical with everything Dr. K has just said to me. It's funny because even Dr. K was like "well, it was probably a manufactureer defect" but he said the company will not ever admit to that, they told him that it is almost always that the Dr. punctured the tubing. Then Dr. K told me that he was indeed right on the tubing so he is quite sure that he just punctured it. I know he was pissed off at himself over the whole thing and I kinda felt bad for him, lol. I just told him "no worries, it is what it is". Afterall I know he didn't do it on purpose (if he even did it, I don't know yet). Sounds to me like you are getting good advice from Dr. M and you trust him that's important.

Deb

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Okay, after failing miserably on the last challenge, I'm gonna' be conservative and go for 10 lbs.

And, HELLO!!!! I have an Excel spreadsheet too! Don't leave me out of the club!

You can be in our Spreadsheet club! Isn't it fun?

[minidriver 0]

DEE, you are AMAZING!!

THANK YOU!!!

On another note, my fill was great, I LOVE Dee and now I am home and going to go to bed soon.

For the challenge I will hopefully set my goal as 10lbs. Maybe it will be more with this new fill.

YAY FOR YOUR FILL!!!!! You and I will be the 10 lb girls . . . we'll do our best and hope we get there.

Now you know why we all fall in love with Dee. Is she the bestest person EVER????

[Tally 0]

Bella!

HI!

Congrats on being so close to Onederland!

I just got a fill and I think I figured out something. If I eat slower, taking smaller bites, I get full faster and I eat less. If I take bigger bites, eat faster, I get that stuck feeling and then I am hungry sooner!

I've been doing some experimenting. Try and see if it works for you.

The timing of this post is funny. I am just learning this the past two days. It is so true.

Deb