Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum - Considering Dr. Kirshenbaum

[mare5569 0]

Littleroo1 - Yep it is part of the hospital. After you go through the double glass doors, turn Left immediately and walk to the end of the hallway. Sign says Crown point surgery. In you go, really nice receptionist. Little paperwork, and a very short wait. Be sure to leave jewelry and watch etc. with who ever is waiting for you. Clothes go in a bag they keep with you. I had them keep my glasses too, cause I knew I would want them first. Then the really nice nurses ask you some questions, change into a huge gown and non slip socks, nice warm blanket across you legs. Heparin shot to the stomach and start the IV. Talk to Dr. K and anesthetist, then I don't remember anything after being wheeled to the operating room which is just across the room, transfering to the op table looking around for a few minutes, then waking up and being offered a popscycle. I had two, I was hungry and thirsty. You will do great. Keep us posted.

Marilyn

[LSzeliga 0]

I am also staying @ the Holiday Inn 10/10 thru 10/14 79.00 per night plus tax 11.01 tax per night.RATE 3XP

USD 79.00 .00

FREE HIGH SPEED INTERNET AND LOCAL CALLS

PARKER ADVENTIST HOS QUOTED /NO COMM

GUARANTEE ONLY

[ShelbiCallie 0]

Mare!!!!!20 pounds!!!! You go girl!!!! That's great!!!!

Taynuh & Littleroo -- will be thinking about you tommorrow! Please post as soon as you can and let us know how you are!

Lap dancer -- gorgeous photos. That sunset takes my breath away!

(I'm getting alittle manic with the exclamation points, so I better stop here.)

[Lap_dancer 8]

Another thing...we had some friends over tonight - good friends. I told them about the surgery (my daughter calls it diarreah of the mouth! I shouldn't have said anything)...the conversation went to the fact that all I need is more self control and commitment and surgery wouldn't be necessary...gawd....

thank god my entire family is supportive. They may not understand what it is like to be overweight, why I prefer slip on birkenstocks to tennis shoes, etc. but they are supportive. I just wish anyone I would tell would jump up and down in happiness!

Don't they just kill ya? The ones with the grand advice. I suppose it is all well and good and intentions for better might be there but I come down to ...YO FOLKS, if I could do this myself ya think after 10+ years it would have happened.

Not to mention the rumors on Lap Band. People CLEARLY have Lap Band confused with Gastric Bypass. I was on another board and the woman told the group that she "read" it was 500 calories for the rest of your life and that was all you could eat. It's just crazy. But people do have the right to be ignorant!

Also, check travelocity. I found some great deals there. Although it is convenient ( HOliday inn express) This is a big city, easy to navigate. If I got nowhere, I'd jump on the link for hotels.

Best to you.

Patty

[DynamoMini 1]

LSzeliga - good luck with your surgery! It will go well, you can count on Dr. K., if you have been following your preop diet closely.

Taynuh & Littleroo - good luck tomorrow! Wow! I can't believe your day is here. ARe you ready? It will be a good decision and you will recover well.

I have had a crazy day. Just istening to the wood floor dryer is making me nuts. It sounds like a small jet engine, that high pitched hum with blowing noises. It is working slowly. We are day 4 of trying to dry things out.

My audit gathering is going pretty well. Last night I was up until 12 am working on recreating my life of 2004. I hope whoever is responsible for pulling my number has a lousy night's sleep too.

Hugs and best wishes all,

Michelle

[DynamoMini 1]

Hey Lap - I see you are online.

I got a call to sub for all of November at one of the elementary schools. I may do it to make enough money for another grand trip somewhere.

[marcyinak 0]

Michelle - Alaska?!?! I could hook you up with a plane!

[Shesha 1]

I'll jump up and down for ya!

. I just wish anyone I would tell would jump up and down in happiness!

[DynamoMini 1]

want2bethin - I'm with Shesha and jumping up and down! We understand what it takes to get to this decision. It was one of the bravest things I have ever done. Declare that I deserve a healthy lifestyle and tell it to the world.

Hugs,

M

[want2bmeagain 0]

Michelle, Shesha, Patty, Shelbi, Mare, Littleroo, Marcy (sorry if I forgot anyone!)

Thank you for your encouragement and support!

There is nothing quite like baring one's soul to a group of those who understand..

I really am a strong person, unless it comes to taking care of me, and somewhere in there, I fall short of the goal by a mile. I am sure an intuitive therapist could pinpoint the source...but the whole thing with my weight has not been a monkey, but a gorilla, on my back ~ as each year has passed, the weight has piled on to the point that I don't even recognize myself in pictures. I know there are those with a higher Bothersome Mound Issue (BMI :mad:) than I...but we all suffer silently just the same....having you all to rant, rave, Celebrate, and overcome with has been a boost to my spirit!

I know deep down, that if I could kill the giant with my bare hands, I would have a long time ago. If I could devote 24/7 for the rest of my life to exercise, trying to change my metabolism, counting calories, and using a tea saucer instead of a dinner plate, I could certainly lose the weight "on my own"...I suppose I now see the lap band as my stone to throw at the giant....

The mixed emotions going into surgery are crazy making. I have always woken up (obviously!!) from anesthesia, but now am freaking out that maybe I won't this time....junk like that swirls in my brain. I can't imagine I would die a death on the table, but why does that thought haunt me? Have you thought that before surgery? I feel so lame even admitting it!

Now that I have pondered..I have even more practical questions for you wise ones!

Did you feel grumpy the first day or so into your protien/veggie, no carb, pre-op diet? Is there a crash that comes when a carb addict quits cold turkey?

I had a major sweet tooth tonight, and had a hard candy...is that ok? (I am also getting a hold of Paula to clarify a few things for me!)

Can I indulge in fruit?

I have had meat, cheese, veggies, eggs, sausage, chicken breast, and the cream in my coffee........I never wanted a pancake so bad in my life :hungry: ha, ha!

Also, did you have your protien drinks purchased or made before you went into surgery?

thanks so much for EVERYTHING!

I LOVE this place!!!:eek:

[ShelbiCallie 0]

Want2Be -- I don't know what your profession is, but I really believe you could write for a living (if you don't already). You have a gift with words, at least this non-writer thinks so! I hope you're keeping a blog/journal or maybe thinking about submitting something about this journey to a publication.

About the pre-op diet: Dr. K told me no sugar, potatoes, bread or Pasta. In other words, nothing white. ( I learned the same from the women here.) Paula told me Protein and veggies only. I immediately questioned Paula about the lack of fruit to which she replied, well maybe one fruit occasionally. (In my brain that means one per day -- I do love me some fruit:kiss )

About the fear of not waking up from the anesthesia -- Yep, me too. I told Dr. K that there was nothing in the world that was more important to me than getting back to NC to my boys and I will tell the anesthesiologist that too as soon as I meet him/her.

Happy, positive, peaceful day to all my fellow travelers wherever you find yourself on the journey today!

[Woofay 0]

Wow! I take a few days off from this thread and there's about an hour of reading to catch up! How is everyone doing?

Dynamo~ well, haven't you really been given quite the pile to deal with? Hope that everything works out, the house, the irs, all of it. Oh, and congrats on the weight loss. That's just great!

Mal~ have you been on vacation too? Saw the one post and glad that your fill is doing you well. Hope that you and your family are doing well.

Lap Dancer! You sound like your really working on getting control of your life. That is really exciting.

Drews~ where have you been?

Taynah and Littleroo1~ Woo hoo! Today is your day! Here's to a quick and easy recovery! All our thoughts and prayers are with you. Give us a hayho when your up to it.

Want2bmeagain~ Your day is coming quickly!

Mare~congrats on your band.

Shelbie~11 more days!

LSzeliga~Welcome to the board and your date is coming quickly too!

Jennifer~ I'm so sorry to hear about your Grandpa. Heart-felt sympathy from me to you. (we lost ours in June)

Okay, I'm not meaning to leave anyone out. If I did, I'm sorry. It was more difficult catching up than I thought. Well, my pre-op appointment is tomorrow to get my port replaced. Not sure how it's going to differ from the first one, or why it needs to be done at all. I guess for paperwork. Monday is my day. I think that I am getting a little nervous again. I have no idea why. I have been given the option of being knocked out completely or doing local. (Shesha went local, Drews out completely) Goodness I wish I knew what to choose! I think I'll go local. It couldn't be any worse than taking a baby out of a little incision, could it? Hee hee! And I lived through that twice! :nervous

I had a great time with my company. My friend Patti also had a great time and I took her to as many things here in the Springs as I could. 4 days to play isn't very long. And the Josh Groban concert was more than I could have hoped for. {{****sigh****}} I had amazing seats compared to Vegas and I could see much better. I got lost in Denver for about 45 minutes though. Wow, what a wild and scary experience. I kept thinking "a little further and we'll be out of this". Wholly crap! I'm pretty sure there aren't areas quite that rough in Phoenix! But I called my hubby and he mapquested me outta there.

We also went to the Air Force Academy to see the chapel and you know what I did? I lost my digital camera.:omg::think I'm just so sad! I had so many pictures still on it. I was going to get them all printed when Patti left and now they are all gone. The pictures of Michelle in Breckenridge, Keystone, the Groban concert :omg:. Rats. Went through some posts and sent emails and tried to recover some of the better ones. Oh well, life goes on. The brighter side is...time for an upgraded camera! Ha!

My weight didn't take a hit while she was here, thank goodness! And we ate out everywhere. Eating out is just fun. Heck, eating is just fun! And I can tell I'm wide open. Wish my weight was down, but what ya gonna do? Hopefully after monday things will get back on track.

Have a great day all!!!!!!!

[Mal 0]

Hey Woof~Welcome back, we missed you around here!...Vacation???...me???...nope, I wish! I have just been sulking about all the large bills (furnace, pets, cars) and the new large ones coming(school, cars, flooring, deck, roof)....oh well, what can ya do???

I try to keep up around here, it is becoming difficult to remember everyone here...welcome to all the new peeps and congrats to all the newly banded peeps.

[mare5569 0]

Ok everyone, I go for my first fill on the 10th. What should I expect? I think I understand the needle, saline, port thing. but how does Dr. K decide how much to put in? I have look at everyones fills and they are all different amounts. Did the first fill make a difference?

I am watching my calories very closely and have gained TWO lbs this week. Not good for the moral. I started Water aerobics again this AM, then came home and slept for 3 hours. It is really surprising how little calories are burned by exercise. Fitday says about 200 calories burned for 1 Hour of water aerobics. YUCK!!!

Anyway, I could use some first fill advice. Does he numb the area. Can't say I like needles!

Marilyn

[DynamoMini 1]

mare - I think that moving with exercise will help you weight loss. My first fill was wild, he poked and I spurted blood that hadn't been absorbed post surgery. the good thing was my belly no longer was a balloon, I did have a big black and blue. No one else on here has said they had that experience, so don't worry. The hardest thing for me when I get a fill is to figure out when it is enough. Drews said the same thing. I do think I am at an optimum level right now. I have to eat slowly and in small quantities. I'm not perfect yet, but am learning new eating behaviors.

Woofay - sorry about the camera. Jealous about the concert and fun. You rock girl. I think you are very brave getting a local, but you know you'll fell better so much faster this way. Are you going to be in Parker?

Mal - I am wallowing here too. Soo much trouble and expense. I did look at the double rainbow tonight and thought, "you know everything will be ok." Believe it!

Hugs to all you bandsters, to be bandsters, and thinkers

Michelle