Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum - Considering Dr. Kirshenbaum

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Did everyone see the nice news casts on the Lap Band and Diabetes? I was so proud!

22 out of 30 Lap Band patients after two years had their Diabetes resolved! Only 7 out of 30 on traditional diet and exercise had resolved their DM.

I hope my Mom saw the news!

[Lap_dancer 8]

Tied: YES. I had two women come to me at work and gush about the report they saw on Diabetes reduction. It makes total sense.

Widow: Best up to you. I wrote a long email about teens, la la la la..and lost it in the POST click. Do PM me if you have the need to talk. Therapy...teens, been there, got the free umbrella and four tokens with the tshirt.

Michelle I'm so proud of that progress. You are doing so very well. I'm inspired by your committment to exercise.

HOAH did someone say our fine Dr. K does tummy? YES! SWWEEEEET. I can diggit. Does he do hooters too? My 'mams' are DDD. I'm sure they will go down but thinking like a flat tire.

Very tired tonight. Rough day at work.

Love to my other chicas. I miss you all. I'm doing so very well that I don't think I need a fill. I am having no problems, just a truly sweet spot.

LOVE to you all.

Patty

[bookholder 0]

Banditos:Banane47:

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Banditos:Banane47:

I love it! BANDITOS!!

[MissMom24 2]

Yep!! Skinny Minnies!!!

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Yep!! Skinny Minnies!!!

Stick People!!

[MissMom24 2]

Sticks would be good!! Actually, great!!!

~Bean Pole

~String Bean

~Teeny Weenie (Get your minds out of the gutter...)

~Itty Bitty

Lots more I am sure. Much, much better than Fatty!

[Taynuh 1]

Hi all,

Been awhile since I posted... ya know, adjusting to the new baby... then we've been through hell the last week and a half... everyone officially has been diagnosed with strep... even little Tanner... his took the longest to confirm... because the darn docs kept saying infants rarely get it... well, this infant shares his room with his carrier sister (no symptoms, just carrying the bacteria and sharing it apparently)(nice to know she shares)... and he was recovering from a nasty cold so lo and behold strep (after 2 false negative rapid tests)! I finally went to my primary care doc... and told her the scoop and also said, ya know, he's 11 months old and he has funky breath... to me that means infection. And she agreed and finally someone put him on antibiotics... so anyhow, we are finally all on the mend... no more fevers and sore throats... Tanner has sweet baby breath again and we are no longer contagious (so...hard to believe I am saying this, but yippee, I can go back to work and daycare will "allow" me to bring my kids back)...

Anyhow I am just venting... I'm tired of nursing three sick babies (I'm including the 43 year old boyfriend... he's the worst of the lot...lol) even when I felt like crap too... I still have 8 days of bribing and tricking kids into taking their medicine to look forward to, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now...

Now, on to the "have ya ever...?" Have ya ever had a fellow larger person friend or family member kind of casually hint around/insinuate that you are somehow "cheating" or taking a short cut in losing weight because of the lap band? You know, like somehow, it's more respectable/honest/noble/righteous if you lose the weight without the band... you know? I have kind of encountered that a few times... Comments like, "well, I think its better/healthier to lose it by diet and exercise" or "oh, I just need some will power is all and I could lose that weight too"... ya know sometimes I don't know if its jealousy or envy or competition or maybe rationalizing on their part... but really I just try to rein myself in and respond back that the band is a tool... you can still gain weight if ya misuse it and that it's definitely not an easy out... diet, Portion Control and exercise are all part of the whole picture... it's certainly not a walk in the park...

I have one friend in particular (we used to be the same size) that seems to like to rub it in that I can't really do Breakfast anymore... (My former favorite meal -- I even tried breakfast dishes at dinner time when my band is nicer, but no go, eggs always result in a PB for me for some reason... well okay, poached on very dry toast works). Anyhow, she keeps telling me about her breakfasts at my favorite creole cafe that I introduced her to (Hmmm...maybe I'm the envious one...G-d I miss beignets and fried eggs and andouille sausages...)!

I dunno, it seems like the frequency of the sly comments has increased as I move along toward my goal... And yet, she keeps saying she's gonna diet, she says she is happy for me, but she does not diet (and that is totally her choice... I try to encourage her and cheer her on when she brings it up) and I kinda feel like maybe she's feeling resentful or something.

Have y'all encountered this or something similar and what do you do about it? I did not do this to make my friends feel badly or anything.. I did this for my health and for my kids. It's not a competition or anything... so I don't get it. I have other friends that have lost and kept off significant weight on their own (and one who did it via the "band") over the years and I always thought it was cool that they did it, so I'm not "getting" the ones that are feeling funky...

Tina

[Mal 0]

Hi Everyone -

Yes, I was just with Dr. K and two others (a med student and a PA student). Dr. K is such a sweetie. I have lost 4.3 pounds since last month and considering all the eating out and stress, that is a good number to me. So I didn't get any more Fluid in or out. I asked Dr. K about the surgery for excess skin and whether he would do that. He said he would do the Tummy Tuck portion, but to check with my insurance. Many insurance policies will cover the excess skin operation because it is a medical necessity to prevent irritation and infection. We'll see about Kaiser.

Mal - are you working out?

Dynamo - (Michelle)

Congrats on the loss, you have certainly been working your butt off (literalll):redface:

Tummy tuck? Yesssssss! I can't wait! I hope that I will be able to get one when all is said and done.

Working out? YEP! I almost made my goal on the eliptical last night. I am shooting for a 12 minute mile, I did 1240! then 2 miles on the bike and my weights. Yeah!!

[Mal 0]

Hi Everyone!

Yup, I was in the office this morning and so happy to see Sweet Michelle! :tt1:

I got a nice hug! We do need our hugs on a regular basis, you know!

I am pretty excited about the surgery! AND guess what I lost 13lbs since the 15th of January! This pre-op is going well!

5 days til I am Tied2BFit!

Count'em 5 days!!!:lol:

How a bout a nice big hug from all of us...:redface:

good job on the pre op! You are going to do GREAT!!!

[Mal 0]

Lap~I MUST say again that you look MAHVULOUS!!

I was wondering how your one friend was treating you now? At the begining of your LB journey you mentioned a dear friend that shunned away from you? Now that she can she how healthier/happier you are, does she aggree that you did the right thing? Just curious.

Taynuh~sounds like you have had a not so fun time lately. Glad to hear everyone is feeling better. Strep is sooooo nasty! I used to get it like once every month for a LONG time, finally they took my tonsils out...WHEW, I am so glad that was done. Once I was hospitalized in ICU because my tonsils swelled so much, they thought my airway would close up. Nasty, nasty Strep!

"have you ever?"...I used to get it from friends and family. I remember having a conversation with a friend, I was so excited about my LB journey and she said "well, don't you think if you have to watch what you eat and you have to excercise and maintain your Water intake, Proteins, and vitamins...if you do that stuff anyway, you know you will lose weight with out the band." I decided after that conversation NOT discuss my journey with that person anymore. She will aske every now and then how I am doing, how much I lost and I will answer briefly. Her compliments and that of others that don't understand are hollow anyway. The same person while a group of us were sitting at a table, she asked another person to join her in a diet plan and workout. Right over me, like I don't count??? So I just interupted and invited myself to join, but they never gave me the diet and they talked about calling each other every day to make sure they are working out and following the diet. I called them both for the first couple days, then when they didn't call me, I just stopped. I was doing it mostly for them, I already do my gym thing and log my food and water AND I have a SUPER support group, my LB buddies...so SCREW them!!!

ooooo rant, rant!

Bookholder...I LOVE BANDITOS!!!...it took me a while (it's early)...but I got it and it's GREAT!!!

Cheers mi Banditos!

[BellaPerdente 0]

Angie: thank you sooo much for your response. You hit it right on the money on how I feel and you are soooo right. My mom passed away this past July and her name was Angelina but everyone called her Angie.

Hi everyone! Well I had my phone consult with Dr. K yesterday. You were right, he is very nice. I asked him about the lower port and he said it is possible for an extra $695.00? but that noone has ever wanted to spend the extra money and he doesn't see that it is necessary at the beginning. You would have to lose alot of weight before it would be a problem and you should deal with it then. I don't have to do a liquid diet before...only 10 days of Atkins diet (high Protein, low carb). I can still have my regular coffee. YEAH! He has no problem with coffee.

For you out-of-towners, where did you stay while there. I am thinking about the Tech Center. Is that too far away? Did you rent a car or take taxi's or what. Let me know!!!

Counting down!!!!!

[GreenChrysalis 1]

Hey fatwidow, thanks for asking Dr. K about the lower profile port. That makes sense to me. I have the 10-day Atkins too. I've already started trying to avoid bread, sugar and potatoes but I forgot how hard that is to do (I've done Atkins before).

Are you having your surgery in Parker or Aurora? Mine is in Parker and I'm staying at the Holiday Inn Select. We are renting a car at the airport. I don't think there are a lot of taxis around. I could be wrong, but I seem to recall my friends who live in CO (admittedly, not in either Parker or Aurora) saying as much.

Now that I'm under three weeks out, I'm positively giddy!

Angie: thank you sooo much for your response. You hit it right on the money on how I feel and you are soooo right. My mom passed away this past July and her name was Angelina but everyone called her Angie.

Hi everyone! Well I had my phone consult with Dr. K yesterday. You were right, he is very nice. I asked him about the lower port and he said it is possible for an extra $695.00? but that noone has ever wanted to spend the extra money and he doesn't see that it is necessary at the beginning. You would have to lose alot of weight before it would be a problem and you should deal with it then. I don't have to do a liquid diet before...only 10 days of Atkins diet (high Protein, low carb). I can still have my regular coffee. YEAH! He has no problem with coffee.

For you out-of-towners, where did you stay while there. I am thinking about the Tech Center. Is that too far away? Did you rent a car or take taxi's or what. Let me know!!!

Counting down!!!!!

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Thanks Mal!

I'll take that hug and any other hugs, anyone wants to give me!!!

Human touch is so important, I guess, I never realized how important it was to me until recently. I went to lunch with a friend of mine and her Mom. Her Mom was so cute. She had to drop her at the door and then go and park her car. I helped her into the building, holding her hand. Later, I thought, how nice it felt to hold her warm little soft hand. Touch is so important!

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Virid~

Hi! I read what you said about the pre-op diet. You are so right. It's not a difficult diet, it's just hard to do it for a long period of time. I tried to start early several times, but realized I couldn't until I really HAD to! Those first 4 or 5 days, I am always so exhausted and craving something with carbs. After that, I'm home free! The weight drops quickly and I'm never hungry and I have no cravings. We are so fortunate that Dr. K doesn't require one of those restrictive clear liquid diets for 2 weeks, like so many other docs!

I know what you mean about being giddy! I just started feeling that yesterday after my pre-op! Now, I'm thrilled AND I just can't wait!