Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum - Considering Dr. Kirshenbaum

[DynamoMini 1]

Hi all,

It is wonderful celebrating those big milestones with all of you.

I am finally back on my old BP medication, yeah! My pressure is 123/75 and I am happy. It is an out-of-pocket expense ($100/month), unless I can appeal with Kaiser. I am not sure my doc is willing to take on the system, but at least I have been good to me.

I have been losing some weight, slowly, another four pounds in the last month. It is weight that I have lost before, I am entering new ground. I think our fat cells retain memory. We need to release what has held the weight before dropping the weight. At least it seems that way for me. Exercise is now my mental health and well being. Not nutty, but consistent. So I'm off to the elliptical for 40 minutes. I have upped my weight training to three times a week, to maybe burn more calories. My body is really efficient, which was historically great during starvation in Eastern Europe, but sucks the big one now in Denver 2008.

Hey pick a day let us know and you show up there Lap,

Michelle

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Thanks Lap -- it is definitely the hardest part. I wish I'd been at home for my first PB, I would've liked to run around! But since it was elsewhere, it was just me sitting at the table thinking "oh no, oh no, it's stuck" and then standing in the bathroom wishing that it would hurry up and end.

Well, I get my first fill next week. I know I am ready for it; I am no longer losing weight (I've gained back a pound or two but I'm not changing my ticker, goshdarnit), I can eat more and I get hungry between meals. I'm looking forward to the fill, a little nervous of the unknown but I know that everyone's been through it and I'll be just fine. Happy Friday!

Hey Sister Green!

I love GREEN!!!

What time is your fill and what day next week? Mine is on Tuesday!

We can support one another after our first fills!

I am finally feeling like I could eat the house! A horse and a small cow!

Sorry!

I remember once at work, a Father came in to visit his child and I said, "you're here just in time, I just finished eating your baby!"

His face was so expressive! I imagine he sees this SMO nurse standing there admiting that she just ate his child! I realized what I said and then retracted, "no no no! I mean feeding your baby!" -- "come here! look she has all her arms and legs!" Oh my goodness! All my co-workers burst into laughter -- it wasn't funny! the Dad would tease me about it later!

Another time, during my vegetarian phase -- I had 3 premies, get this - their last names were "Baby Girl Pinto, Baby Girl Bean and Baby Boy Brito"

My assignment that night was a Pinto Bean Burrito! YUM! We also had a Baby Boy Riblet, BUT I had to refuse that assignment -- I was a vegetarian afterall!

Okay, enough sick jokes!

or worse yet, enough real life sick stories from the NICU!

Love you all,

dee~

I am HUNGRY AND PMS'g!!! Where did I put that Horse?

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Hi all,

It is wonderful celebrating those big milestones with all of you.

I am finally back on my old BP medication, yeah! My pressure is 123/75 and I am happy. It is an out-of-pocket expense ($100/month), unless I can appeal with Kaiser. I am not sure my doc is willing to take on the system, but at least I have been good to me.

I have been losing some weight, slowly, another four pounds in the last month. It is weight that I have lost before, I am entering new ground. I think our fat cells retain memory. We need to release what has held the weight before dropping the weight. At least it seems that way for me. Exercise is now my mental health and well being. Not nutty, but consistent. So I'm off to the elliptical for 40 minutes. I have upped my weight training to three times a week, to maybe burn more calories. My body is really efficient, which was historically great during starvation in Eastern Europe, but sucks the big one now in Denver 2008.

Hey pick a day let us know and you show up there Lap,

Michelle

Congrats on your weight loss Michelle!

I've gained! Of course it could be my huge cankles! I think they weigh 10 lbs a piece, not to mention lovely PMS!

I had to work my call shift on Monday so I'm trying to get rid of that extra swelling in my ankles, but then I had to work again yesterday and tomorrow too! By Sunday I'm sure I'll be back up to my pre-op weight! Just one giant, PMS/Cankle Swelling Girl!

What a lovely visual!

I have to admit I am loving the exercise routine! I am finally at 20 mins in the morning and 10 in the evening. If my foot didn't hurt so bad, I could do the full 30 in the morning. But ever since I ruptured my achilles tendon, my left foot kills me! You should have seen my riding my cycle -- bright pink, muppet socks and flip flops! It's the best solution for comfort I've found. My tennis shoes are just not comfortable and too big to fit in the straps on the peddles! I'll be glad to be normal for once in my life!

[GreenChrysalis 1]

Hey Dee!

I am so glad that there's a fellow green-lover.:angry_smile:

My fill is on Tuesday also, at 2 p.m.

Your baby name stories crack me up. I guess when you're working in the NICU you must have a sense of humor at times. And sometimes babies can look so nice and juicy...:cursing:

I am PMSing too. I ate more at dinner last night than I'd eaten since before the pre-op diet. Not bad stuff, and not even close to my previous quantities, but still a lot. So come on, fill time!

[Mal 0]

Hey Banditos!

I just wanted to drop in and say Congrats to everyone, sounds like everyone is doing well!

My turn for the bug! I get Viral induced asthma, so needless to say I can't catch a simple cold bug...it is full blown asthma attack and a trip to the Urgent care, returning with 5 prescriptions...YIKES! I can't even talk with out a cough spasm! Thanks to my son for sharing his cold! According to the doctor's scale, I was down another three pounds. I wish i could crawl into bed for the weekend, but with St. Patrick's Day celebrations...we are hosting our family and friends this weekend with a big bash!...I think I just might stay in my room and rest...NOT looking forward to entertaining at all!

tied~I about coughed up a lung reading your post, it was sooo funny! You silly girl!

Dynamo~doc says no work outs for me. She thinks that my asthma might be present all the time and it just get worse when I get sick (which I haven't been sick in years). she wants me to see a pulminary specialist before resuming any workouts. she also thinks that I may have become accustomed to my shortness of breath and not realize it???

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Hey Dudes!

I hit the 30 min work out! I did it! All at once! Yeah!!!

Instead of finding that horse and dipping him in chocolate and eating him!

I decided I'd ride my recumbent bike. AND I rode it for 30 mins! I know that sounds like a tiny success BUT it is huge! HUGE, I say!!! I started 3 weeks ago at 3 mins! A ball of sweat, out of breath and feeling like I was dying! NOW three weeks later, I am at 30 mins! Not sweating! AND just breathing normally!

I'm so excited!!!

AND did you all notice that in all of Fergie's songs, she spells? My bike has a Music Port and my daughter's MP3 player was attached, so I listened to her music. G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S! Do you think she spells so much in her songs, to prove that she can? I also learned that Nickelback's songs can be quite graphic! Yikes!

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Mal!

I'm so sorry you're sick! That's horrible!

My ex has the flu too! He called for medical advice last night!

Men! they think they should take every cold remedy they have in their cabinet! NOT! Scary! I was so glad that I'm 444 miles away!

Bad of me, true!

I hope you feel better soon! Maybe you could tell your friends and family that St. Pat's day was really on the 22nd and you'll have to postpone til next weekend!

Congrats on the lbs lost!

If you're dealing with shortness of breath, I wonder what you're oxygen satuation is. Are you nail beds pink?

Hugs Dear,

dee~

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Yup Green has always been my favorite color! My first car as an adult was green, my house had green carpet and I just loved it!

I should have been born in the 50's so I could have an avocado kitchen!

NOT!

Don't you love PMS'g? Since I stopped taking my PCOS med after surgery, I am dealing with prolonged PMS events. Makes me want to restart it! Actually my doctor put me on Metformin for my periods and my pre-diabetes. My fasting blood sugars are all under 90. So I stopped taking it, I didn't want to hit a low at night while I was sleeping. Maybe if I take that original dose and separate it out into 4 administration times. I'll get the PCOS benefit but not have to worry about the low blood sugars. I have to crush it anyway. I'll cut it into 4's.

The mind wobbles!

See ya,

dee~

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

I just wanted congratulate everyone for reaching Onederland!

I Celebrate your success!:party::clap::waytogo::smile::biggrin:

I hope Onederland is everything it's advertised to be!

Lovely new clothes!

Chairs that fit your lovely smaller butt!

Shoes that aren't too tight!

Feet that don't ache anymore!

Meds that don't have to be purchased!

It sounds like a place I want to visit, purchase some land and live forever!

Your future Neighbor,

dee~

[DynamoMini 1]

Hi all,

Mal - so sorry about the asthma. Do they think that quiting smoking will improve your chances for not going full blown? Ouch! It is crappy that the harder we try the more stuff keeps on happening. Yikes!

Dee - the weight thing will fluctuate. I will tell you right now that I can go up and down several pounds within a day. Water retention is killer! Hugs to you and yeah on the exercise. I think that just being consistent will help you feel better. I love your humor. Crazy funny baby names! I think some preemies look kinda like lima Beans. : ) But don't tell the parents.

GC - I think you will really feel a difference with a fill. Good luck, it is tricky getting the saline just right.

Woofay - you look marvelous, what can I say?

[cara51183 0]

Ok, so I didn't even take a minute to get caught up on the thread - I just had to post this!

You know how we all have those happy memories from younger and/or skinnier days? And then we decide to try something "for old time's sake"? OMG! Bad plan...such a bad plan. In my memory ice skating came so easily to me, I stepped onto the ice and zoomed around without inhibition. I skated around and around and around without stopping to rest. SOOOOOO not that way anymore! A friend of mine was in town to visit and we have the only ice skating rink in west texas right here in our very own mall. We decided to go shopping a bit and then "Oh! Ice skating! That sounds like fun! Let's go!" Again, bad plan. So we go and rent our skates and put our stuff in one of those little lockers and then we head for the ice. Let me tell you, that rail around the edge is now officially my best friend. Heck, we might even be a little more than friends, I'm not sure, lol! I did occasionally venture away from the edge but then some tiny thing on skates would whizz by and cut me off, and I'd be attached to the edge again. I literally did one of those "cling to the glass like a frog" things...the bad thing was that there was an elderly indian family at a table on the other side of the glass...they just looked at me like I was crazy. I think I was crazy to listen to my buddy about skating. :: So I made it a full 11 laps around the rink. Lap lap rest. Lap rest. Lap lap rest. Lap rest. Lap rest. And so on... But I did survive, and so did my dignity, as I made it out without gracing the ice with the presence of my posterior. My shins hurt, my calfs hurt, my back hurts, my arms are sore, my feet are barkin, and I used sweat pores that I'm not sure I even knew existed.

In short, I now know what one of my non scale victories will be - to skate! LOL!

[DynamoMini 1]

Cara - Wonderful example of what we can push ourselves to do. I have this image of being back on the mountain skiing and then I remember that I was out of breath then, now, I don't know. It was hard to get up after falling, now, I don't know. But gees, part of getting in shape is to figure that out. Just think of all the calories you burned physically and mentally.

I loved your description.

[Lap_dancer 8]

Patty here wishing you all a Happy St. Patty's Day!

fITtobetied, the GREEN of this note is dedicated to you.

Dynamo Mini >>I'll be flying in to Denver on April 09th, Wednesday. My appt is on April 10th in the morning. You are the hostess with the mostess; You all pick from those two dates and lets have an RR gathering! I'll have my camera in tow and will take loads of pics for our pages here.

I had a productive weekend. I painted my kitchen GREEN. My son and I went to the movies and saw JUMPER. I love fiction that plays with the space time continuum, this movie did not disappoint.

I am definately needing a fill. I can tell because the "I'm full" button is delayed. Ready for my trip to Denver and definately ready for a fill.

Mal, my friend...sending you warm ocean breezes with wishes for a quick recovery.

Cara... I laughed at your post. Doing what sounds fun in the mind and doing it in real time is not the same. CRAZY. But I'll get there. I have often thought I am glad I was active and did so many things. The muscles are still there and with time and effort I can see assuming my old fun things once again.

GreenChrys... I can't imagine being stuck somewhere when I had a PB. Ahhhhh. I have them rarely now. I eat very very slow and I chew even slower. I also avoid any food that doesn't soften up a bit more while chewing.

ah heck why edit myself...I almost posted... "and I avoid putting anything HARD in my mouth" but that just read not at all what I intended"

[Lap_dancer 8]

One last thing.... my sweet tooth is whistling. Avoiding red light foods for me but can't figure what's going on with my hunger. I got so spoiled being on my sweet spot. The grand thing is I now know what the sweet spot feels like. I believe it is what normal people experience in life. It's a great feeling to know what it's like not to crave food, think about food most all the time but, rather to, have an ever present sense of satisfaction. To experience hunger the way normal people do...it really is amazing.

I'm convinced now more than ever that what we experience is the result of some rogue gene that they will discover down the road. I sometimes wonder if we are trailblazers for a greater good than just ourselves.

Peace and Green to you all.

Patty

[MissMom24 2]

Hi Girls~

Everyone sounds like they are doing phenominal!!! I am almost done with school (this week, 3 days of clinicals next week and then the state exam). I am VERY happy about that.

I am even HAPPIER that I am down almost 50 pounds...I am over half way to goal!!! Now if I could just exercize again, life would be better!!

I will keep checking in on you all. Even though I have not posted, I am reading daily and am still raring to go to RR!!

Brandy