Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum - Considering Dr. Kirshenbaum

[GreenChrysalis 1]

Viri~WELCOME!! I hope it all works out and you get your Feb 11th date. I chickened out a few times myself. I almost did the gastric bypass (thank goodness I didn't), I am happy with the LB and Dr. K. It took me about 4 years to finally get enough nerve to just "do it". Keep us posted on your journey. We have a great group of people here for support!

Thank you, Mal. I got 2/14 which is close enough. I'm glad to know that others struggled with this decision. But at the same time, it shouldn't be something that you decide quickly -- it's life changing. I feel like finally, finally I'm ready and I have the right surgeon.

[mare5569 0]

Welcome all the newbies and hi to all the oldies. I'm back but probably not posting too much yet.

LA you ask about keeping it quiet. I have told very few people. I started out telling only one friend and my immediate family. I have added people as it seems safe. Alot of people, just don't understand why we can't "just loose the weight" or "stop eating so much"etc. I didn't want people to watch what I eat etc, after surgery.

To quote Drews (another person on this board) " I didn't get the band to be on a diet"

My philosophy is that I can always tell people, but once they know I can't take it back.

Mal - what an incredibly painful experience for your son. It will be life changing, hopefully in a good way.

Michelle- have fun on your trip

Dee - You are such an inspiration, keep up the good work and the end of Jan will be here soon.

Anita - Have a wonderful Christmas, enjoy those kids, for tomorrow they will be parents.

Marilyn

[GreenChrysalis 1]

LA, Brandy, verid... - welcome. We are a great support group and site and love having you.

Thanks so much. I am glad that there's a Dr. K support group in place!

[marcyinak 0]

Thanks so much everyone for taking the time to answer my questions! Appreciate it.

I have my phone consult in the morning with Paula! I have already been cutting out all bread, Pasta, and rice in my diet for the past few days. Been practicing chewing slower (so hard!) and have avoided my worst enemy... ice cream (even harder)!

Tomorrow I am going to start subbing a Protein Drink for Breakfast in preparation of the liquid phase. :girl_hug:

Mona: Glad to see you made it home safely! I live in Tucson and am not looking forward to the drive. I have not had luck finding a fill Dr... so I may look into yours in Flagstaff... not too bad of a drive. Were you not able to find anyone in Phoenix who would do it?

Has anyone here kept their surgery private? I am not going to tell anyone at work for sure, but am undecided about family and friends.

LA - I travelled from Nome, Alaska to see Dr. K last July. The travel, cost, and care was worth it. I, too, worried about aftercare, but I made sure that I set that up before I even STARTED the band process. I have to fly to Anchorage to see my fill doc ($225 a pop and I have to stay there a few days just in case...makes for an expen$ive fill - so I've only had 2). Dr. K "guarantees" his work so if there are issues (ie. flipped port, leak, etc.) he will take care of that - for a year. As for emergencies...get into a group at your home base to get info on docs who at least regularly see WLS patients so you have someone to at least CALL when you're having a problem. Way out here, I'm still confident that if there was an immediate issue I'd still be able to get someone to at lest TRY to help me. I'm losing slowly, but since I can't get filled as often as others, that's just something I'm dealing with. I echo Michelle in that you really start to realize your problems with food 4-5 months out...I just thought I was fat and didn't want to be one of those people with a food mental problem...guess what? I am! Food after the band is tricky...some can eat some things, others can eat other things...you'll just have to try and see what works for you. (For instance, I can drink soda just fine, but can't eat chicken AT ALL!) Also, recovery was a snap for me, didn't have much pain, just stiffness and I was sleeping on my side/tummy within days of the surgery. Dr. K also lets you progress on foods after surgery as you see fit...I was only on liquids for a few days and then mushies for about a week...eating regular food (with some Protein shakes) by week three....others seem to need a little more liquid. Really, your body will dictate what is best and what you need at that time. GOOD LUCK!

Mal - I'm so sorry that you have to deal with this sadness at this time of year...maybe Christmas will give your family a little hope for the future? Kiss up the boys for us!:think

Anita - I just love it when you say something your disappointed in and say "rats"...it's soooo something my mom would say! Just don't become ALL like her - she's a little nuts! :biggrin1:

I'm working on getting into the Christmas spirit. It's getting cold here (-15) and starting to get crappy...and of course this is the week with all the Christmas programs and Christmas parties....Thank Heavens for Auto-start! I'm in a total work-out slump and KNOW that I need a fill...I can eat Cereal for breakfast (when I'm usually tight and just have a shake)...this is BAD, cereal is my nemisis!:angry

[GreenChrysalis 1]

Viri,

Congrats on your decision. One great thing about going to CO is the great sightseeing you can do in the days before your surgery. I had a super time for a couple of days in the Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs/Pikes Peak area.

Thank you! When I was in CO this past May I didn't get to do much sightseeing -- it was raining and I was there for a wedding and didn't give myself any extra days. So I hope that we can get some in this time; of course, in February it's likely to be snowing.

[GreenChrysalis 1]

Has anyone here kept their surgery private? I am not going to tell anyone at work for sure, but am undecided about family and friends.

Hey Lori. I have been thinking about this as well. I have told a few close friends who are understanding, and of course I have my husband as my primary supporter. But I am still not sure if I want to tell my family. I don't think that they would be as understanding & supportive; I have never felt very supported by them in my struggle to lose weight. I think they would consider getting banded "cheating" and want to know why I can't just "eat less, exercise more" as if I haven't been trying to do that for most of my life.

But at the same time, when I start to lose weight, I will probably get questions. The last time I lost a significant amount of weight (30 pounds) they asked me a ton of questions about how I did it (that damn WW Point counting!). And I won't be eating the same -- I may not be able to eat some foods at all, so surely that'll be obvious. Will I be able to just change the subject, lie or make something up? I have no idea.

I do not plan to tell anyone at work at all. If I have to say why I need to take those days off, I'll say surgery. I'll keep it as generic as possible. I have heard of people saying that they were getting a hernia repaired or something else done laparascopically. I don't want to lie, but I also don't see why everyone needs to know my personal business. Of course I'll run into some of the same eating issues at lunch and company functions, but I'll have to think of ways to deal with them ahead of time.

Would your family & friends be supportive of you? I think I'm also concerned because I've heard stories of people who told a lot of family and friends, then had to deal with questions about why they weren't losing weight quickly (since some people get into their heads that this surgery will be an immediate fix).

[Mal 0]

I truly appreciate the condolences, my heart goes out to the family. we recently heard that it was an accitdent, the boy was playing with a gun and thought it wasn't loaded...my son is angry, he knew this boy for five years. I asked my son to forgive his friend. He is having some difficulties but I think he is handling things fairly well???

I had my 5th fill yesterday, I don't feel a lot different today. My fills have taken a few days to feel a difference in the past. My work outs, along with everything else have been put on hold for the last week or so...I feel sluggish and I am looking foward to getting back on track with my excercise and weight loss goals!!

Wishing all the new gals a speedy recovery and a happy new healthy life!!!

Livingthedream~I think your surgery was today...I hope you are doing well..remember to walk, walk, walk as much as you can and stay hydrated! Let us know how you are doing and have a safe trip home!

Dynamo~hope your havign fun in Seattle and thanks for the words of encouragement, your awesome!

[adorkbl 156]

Welcome to all the new people. I personally do not regret having my surgery with Dr.K. The aftercare thing can be a bit of a problem. I initially planned to fly back to Colorado for my aftercare, but I'm having some financial constraints right now, so I found a local surgeon to do my aftercare. I feel lucky because they only charge $150 for a fill, which is not nearly as outrageous as some of the others I have seen.

I did find a surgeon finally in Tempe (abought 1.5 hour drive for me) who will do aftercare, but he is kinda spendy. Sound like they are VERY thorough though... so I may still go that route.

$500 to become a patient

$370 for the first 2 fills with Ultrasound

$265 for each fill after

Then a year out they do a ETG? scan. Something they require for follow up. They said insurance would cover it. It may be just about the same as traveling to Colorado but this way I don't have to take off work or be away from home. I also am waiting on a call back from a few sugeons still closer to home. We will see!

If I did not get this surgeon to do my aftercare, I would be flying back to Colorado. I am a nurse, and I was very impressed with Dr.K and his staff, and very impressed with the surgical center where I had my surgery. The nurses there were top notch. I agree with Tarheel, if you have surgery in Denver, plan to stay an extra day or two afterwards to rest. I did not feel like flying home the next morning either. It was a long morning. Anyhow, if any of you have any questions, please feel free to PM me!

Thanks so much for the info!! I appreciate your input from a nurses standpoint. My surgery is scheduled for a Thursday. We plan on driving back home late Saturday or early Sunday. We are staying with relatives in town. We are contemplating flying instead, but we don't want to inconvenience family with picking us up, driving us, etc. Plus I HATE flying right now. So uncomfy!

LA - I travelled from Nome, Alaska to see Dr. K last July. The travel, cost, and care was worth it. I, too, worried about aftercare, but I made sure that I set that up before I even STARTED the band process. I have to fly to Anchorage to see my fill doc ($225 a pop and I have to stay there a few days just in case...makes for an expen$ive fill - so I've only had 2). Dr. K "guarantees" his work so if there are issues (ie. flipped port, leak, etc.) he will take care of that - for a year.

Wow! What a distance to travel. So glad to see you don't regret your decision. I am feeling 100% better about the aftercare now that I finally found someone who is willing to closer to home. I haven't had my phone consult with Dr K yet, that is on the 27th.. but I am so glad to know he covers things up to a year out! Fantastic! :girl_hug:

I echo Michelle in that you really start to realize your problems with food 4-5 months out...I just thought I was fat and didn't want to be one of those people with a food mental problem...guess what? I am! Food after the band is tricky...some can eat some things, others can eat other things...you'll just have to try and see what works for you. (For instance, I can drink soda just fine, but can't eat chicken AT ALL!) Also, recovery was a snap for me, didn't have much pain, just stiffness and I was sleeping on my side/tummy within days of the surgery. Dr. K also lets you progress on foods after surgery as you see fit...I was only on liquids for a few days and then mushies for about a week...eating regular food (with some Protein shakes) by week three....others seem to need a little more liquid. Really, your body will dictate what is best and what you need at that time. GOOD LUCK!

Thanks so much for the insight to your food experience after. I am already mourning the loss a bit as I mentally prepare for the changes. I can't imagine how hard it is going to be to REALLY not be able to eat something when I am upset, frustrated, or just plain feeling like gorging out. I NEED this band to keep me in check though during those times. I can't wait!!

I'm working on getting into the Christmas spirit. It's getting cold here (-15) and starting to get crappy...and of course this is the week with all the Christmas programs and Christmas parties....Thank Heavens for Auto-start!

YIKES! That is COOOOOLD. I just moved to AZ from WI last year and I miss snow a lot!!! But I DO NOT miss the cold and the grey for sooooo many months.

I am freezing right now and it is only in the 50's. lol. Back in WI we would be breaking out the shorts. Here I have the heat on, a sweater, and booties and am still cold!

Hey Lori. I have been thinking about this as well. I have told a few close friends who are understanding, and of course I have my husband as my primary supporter. But I am still not sure if I want to tell my family. I don't think that they would be as understanding & supportive; I have never felt very supported by them in my struggle to lose weight. I think they would consider getting banded "cheating" and want to know why I can't just "eat less, exercise more" as if I haven't been trying to do that for most of my life.

I am pretty sure my family will be supportive, I just don't want people watching me, waiting for me to lose weight. Asking questions all the time. Judging everything I do with regard to food.

About 2 years ago when I first started researching the band I talked to my mom about it a lot since she needed to lose also. Well I started working with a dietitian and working out and lost a little over 50lbs. So I decided I didn't need the band anymore. Big mistake.

Now 2 years later I have regained all that weight and then some. I am at my highest ever. My mom on the other hand was so inspired by my loss that she started walking and eating better. She has lost over 100lbs ad has maintained it. She never shuts up about what she eats, how far she has walked.. yadda yadda. Drives me nuts! lol.

So now I don't want to tell her because I am afraid she will try and convince me to try yet again on my own. I know I can do it. I have done it before, but I can't maintain. I fall off the wagon. I am 100% sure that this is the route for me now.

She is coming into town on Thursday for the holidays, I may tell my sisters and her over Christmas. I guess I will feel it out!

I do not plan to tell anyone at work at all. If I have to say why I need to take those days off, I'll say surgery. I'll keep it as generic as possible. I have heard of people saying that they were getting a hernia repaired or something else done laparascopically. I don't want to lie, but I also don't see why everyone needs to know my personal business. Of course I'll run into some of the same eating issues at lunch and company functions, but I'll have to think of ways to deal with them ahead of time.

I just requested the time off for vacation. So I didn't tell anyone anything. I work four 10 hour days so I only had to take 4 days vacation which gives me 10 days away from work. I am hoping that will be enough. My surgery falls on a Thursday and I don't return to work until the Saturday the week following. Plus I sit 100% of the time as I am dispatcher.

Is there a way you can just take off vacation time and not tell them it is medical related? I guess it really is no one's business there. In my opinion.

As far as eating at work, I am sure people will notice the difference. Specially when I am sipping on Protein Shakes during the day. I figure that will explain my weight loss sufficiently enough. they can assume what they want! :girl_hug:

I think I'm also concerned because I've heard stories of people who told a lot of family and friends, then had to deal with questions about why they weren't losing weight quickly (since some people get into their heads that this surgery will be an immediate fix).

Yes. that is why I am also apprehensive. WE understand the band and how it works. I don't think people "get" the difference between WLS and will expect pounds to just "melt" off. I don't want to have to try and educate people on the differences. Or have them think I am taking the "easy" way out when I know this is going to be a lot of work!

[Mal 0]

Mal - I'm so sorry that you have to deal with this sadness at this time of year...maybe Christmas will give your family a little hope for the future? Kiss up the boys for us!:think

Hi Marcy~ Thanks. I will give the boys lots of kisses! Happy Holidays to you and yours! How's your hubby's knee doing??

[adorkbl 156]

I truly appreciate the condolences, my heart goes out to the family. we recently heard that it was an accitdent, the boy was playing with a gun and thought it wasn't loaded...my son is angry, he knew this boy for five years. I asked my son to forgive his friend. He is having some difficulties but I think he is handling things fairly well???

Oh how said. Maybe the family will find some comfort in that fact. Not blame themselves for missing his sadness or depression.

I had my 5th fill yesterday, I don't feel a lot different today. My fills have taken a few days to feel a difference in the past. My work outs, along with everything else have been put on hold for the last week or so...I feel sluggish and I am looking foward to getting back on track with my excercise and weight loss goals!!

I remember back when I worked out regulaly just how sluggish I would feel missing a few days. Hope you can return to your routine soon! Also hope that you found your "sweet spot" with restriction!

Wishing all the new gals a speedy recovery and a happy new healthy life!!!

Thanks!

Oh, I just wanted to add that I had my phone consult with Paula this morning. She is wonderful. I am feeling much better about the food choices I am making now pre-surgery.

I still can't believe DrK doesn't require liquids prior. Guess I can discuss that with him on our phone consult. I weight 375 right now so I feel like he is going to have A LOT to get around in my tummy. Don't want my liver to add to the congestion! lol.

What is everyone's favorite Protein supplement? I was going to go pick some up today and wasn't sure which one's are yummier than others. Thanks!

[Mal 0]

oh yeah...have you gals checked out the map in Dr. K's office? It has a tac representing where his patients came from for the surgery! It is really cool! I saw the pin in Alaska and smiled awwww, that was Marcy!!!

[adorkbl 156]

Oh one more question. If you were self pay... how did you pay/finance your surgery? DrK's office recommended two different companies. Has anyone used either of these?

Surgeryloans.com

– 888-405-8140

Mymedicalfinancing.com

– 800-728-9585

Thanks!

[marcyinak 0]

Hi Marcy~ Thanks. I will give the boys lots of kisses! Happy Holidays to you and yours! How's your hubby's knee doing??

Mal - knee/s are fine now...no surgery needed, just rest. He was doing great until he fell through a pallet getting some firewood! Doing better today and he knows he's not allowed to whine. Now, I married a man who could wrestle with a broken hand, thought it was "cool" when he separated his shoulder, has had more injuries than most people can count...why do I get the whiner?!?! :tired Gotta love him!:kiss2:

[marcyinak 0]

What is everyone's favorite Protein supplement? I was going to go pick some up today and wasn't sure which one's are yummier than others. Thanks!

I like just about anything in vanilla...there was some Eat Smart from GNC I liked, but the price is heafty...comes with flavor enhancers and doesn't have the tell-tale Protein Shake aftertaste.

I've started using some Nutrilite stuff from Quixtar (Amway) that a friend introduced me to. The price for a big bucket is $33ish and I can mix it with Water or milk...no real aftertaste and tastes ok.

Now, if you don't care if there's aftertaste: Myoplex Lite is a good idea. There's a little bit of aftertase and you can mix it with water, comes in packets that travel easy...I ALWAYS take this when I go to get fills and have 2-3 shakes a day at that time.

I've also found some whey powder from bulkfoods.com that was VERY inexpensive and doesn't have ANY taste...it's just pure Protein Powder so you can add it to anything (I usually add an extra scoop to my shakes or to soup). I know there's a thread out there with this information, but this should get you started. Also, I've heard that there are several places for bariatriceating that you can buy a big sample box.

[marcyinak 0]

Oh one more question. If you were self pay... how did you pay/finance your surgery? DrK's office recommended two different companies. Has anyone used either of these?

Surgeryloans.com

– 888-405-8140

Mymedicalfinancing.com

– 800-728-9585

Thanks!

I paid for it with a credit card (need those Alaska Airlines miles) and then switched it over to another card that offered me 0% for a year (time to pay it off). We have excellent credit and that's what we do for some of our "larger/costlier" purchases.

Keep in mind that this CAN be a medical cost deduction...along with the travel, car, food, etc. so keep your receipts!