Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum - Considering Dr. Kirshenbaum

[Mal 0]

:party:Woofay~I missed your Birthday??? Well Happy Birthday!!

Mini~Did I read that you are looking to get another furry friend? awwww, I am soooo jealous! Honestly, I look everyday for another dog or two. I know I can't get another one, but I go through many motions. I search Craigslist, the Humane Society etc. Sometimes I will contact the people and ask for pictures and other information, but I just can't take the final step. I know it's strange, I want another (million) dog/s, but I just can't! I am so excited for you though, what are you going to get?

My Buster has moved his favorite spot from under my desk to ontop of my desk! I don't know where that came from. He just started to jump onto my desk and he lays there. Such a silly spoiled boy.

Life~i can't wait to hear how the hike went! Did you start the Couch to 5K? I really enjoy it, I am on week 2, but I am repeating each week twice. The other day I forgot to take a hit off of my inhaler before my workout, but I did fine!

Brandy~Any news on the FIL? How's the family holding up? Let them all know that we are all praying for him.

Shelbie~you deserve a break today...no no not Mc Donalds, a break from your excercise. Way to go on the no red meat (that would be so very difficult for me), the Oats, I really enjoy them, I told my dad about them today and he is going to get some too.

Buster says "hi"

Munchkin~Have you ever bought the Doggie Ice Cream for your babies? Buster goes crazy for that stuff! I want to start a Doggie Ice Cream truck that goes to the Dog Parks, Vets, Pet Stores, Parks etc...what do ya' think? My husband thinks I have lost it (again). Heck I would buy some if I were at the dog park, or coming out of the vet after shots (awww). I would have Water, treats, misty sprayers, and of course ice cream!

Later gals!

[bookholder 0]

I have the hardest time keeping up with all the news, congrats too everyone for all the exciting news and hard decisions

Edited July 11, 2008 by bookholder
no quote inserted.

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

I'm not familiar with the book Dr. K. recommended but the EMMI educational program was OK. I didn't get an access code until 3 weeks after my surgery which is strange because it is intended for before during and after. You might email Natalie and ask her about it.

Now a question for you banditos. If you haven't been banded yet or were recently banded (Mini) don't let this question alarm you but here goes. I have had a bump about the size of my fist over my port since my surgery. I thought it was just swelling and it would resolve in a while. Today is week 8 since my surgery and it is more noticeable since I have lost some weight. It doesn't hurt and isn't tender but it is obvious to others besides me. My daughter said she could see it when I wear certain knit shirts that touch my stomach. When I press on it I can feel my port. Any thoughts from the experts here?

I have said this before but I truly would never have felt this good about my band without all of you. Someone has ALWAYS been here to help or encourage and it is unbelievable the difference it has made to me. I refer to things you have recommended or things you have said here and forget that my friends here in town don't have a clue who you guys are. But it is great!

Yup, I had that same thing. It was actually the size of a extra large egg and Dr. K offered to drain it. BUT I declined -- since he said it would be absorbed eventually by my body. AND I know that draining it could cause an infection since I was entering the site. He agreed and we left it alone. I'd say it is about 90% resolved now 5.5 months later.

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

How is everybody tonight? I am bored silly. I am in one of those moods where I want to do something because I am bored, yet I have no motivation to do anything. I hate being in a mood like this!! (Especially when I have things I actually need to be doing!)

I went to the dentist today, and discovered why I probably have headaches all the time... and it is not because of my blood pressure. Apparently I am grinding my teeth quite badly when I sleep, to the point that I am wearing little notches into my teeth. Sigh. Now I need some plastic guard that costs $350. (That insurance will not pay for of course).

I met a local gal on the OH forum and went to her first fill with her yesterday. I have to say, I am thankful for Dr.K's port placement. My fill doc has never had a problem accessing my port, but he had a terrible time accessing this gals. He poked her three times, with progressively longer needles, was digging around, and had her bleeding. It did not look like fun. He is sending her to have it done under flouro next time. It made me want to send a big hug Dr.K's way!!

Munchkin,

Did you check with your medical insurance? I have TMJ and had to get a night guard. My medical insurance paid for it.

I posted this very long response to your question about going to days!

I worked nights for over 10 years and am now on days. I loved nights and I loved the money, but when I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes and I saw the rates of Breast Cancer for night shift nurses, I decided I better get on days. I still hate having less money and waking up so darn early and having to work with so much management hanging around, BUT I am very thankful for the "human-like" energy and feeling I have now. I think I actually look more rested now that I'm on days.

I'm sure it has nothing to do with the 86.6 lbs I lost! Right?

I think you made the best decision for you and that is what is important.

I remained on nights because for 10 years as I was raising my small child, it was perfect for me. I could take her to school at 850am and pick her up at 1550. AND sleep during her school time.... we all do what we have to do!

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Sorry that I have not posted lately. Things are nuts. I was getting on this afternoon when my husband called and said that my dear FIL had had a heart attack!!!! I am absolutely stunned, he just turned 59 and is the poster boy for Body for Life. Fit, muscular, athletic, you name it...

He was here at the local hospital in Brighton, and they ended up air lifting him to Aurora...right next to Dr. K's building!!! And did an angioplasty and placed a stent. He was 80% blocked in one artery. This was all done within 2 hours of getting the news. He seems to be stable and doing OK.

Just pray for my DH family. They are all VERY close (on the verge of creepy) and are all devestated.

I am going to bed!! I am pooped, I will check in tomorrow.

I just read this! I am so sorry Brandy. How scary! I read that he's doing better now? Is that still true? I hope he continues to a full recovery.

Did he have a genetic link to heart disease?

Poor guy! Being so healthy and fit and having an MI. At least when we are out of shape, we can see how something like that can happen, but when someone is taking the time to care for their health... I think they deserve to remain healthy.

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Wow, you folks are wonderful! Not to mention prolific. :redface: It's hard to keep up with this thread. (I guess it doesn't help that I have a deadline at work this week... which got slipped until the week I'm in Colorado, but oh well.)

Thank you everyone for the welcome and kind words. Everyone is too kind. And a special shout out to GreenChrysalis whom I've known online for... what is it now, 13 years?? She's met my husband (I met him from the same group) in person before, but not me. That's something I have to fix!

Depending on how I feel and what my family plans are on the 16th, I'm going to try to meet everyone at Round Robin. I'm staying with relatives in Denver and my parents are going to be there, too (to support me), so I'm kind of at their mercy. And our relatives are very close and love all spending time together. So, I don't know if I'll be able to sneak away. But I'm going to try!

Lotza and FW, I am SO with you right now on struggling on the low carb diet. I did a low carb diet to lose weight in 1999 and I remember the initial adjustment period being tough and awful, but for some reason, the last two days have been killing me. I keep on thinking I'm eating enough to satisify my hunger, but I have been hungry a lot, so I don't know what is up with that. Maybe I need more cheese. :thumbup: (Ack, but cheese is so much better with just a little bit of bread, meep!)

Anyway, as a friend of mine said "the stakes are higher this time" on my low carb diet, so I will not take a single bite of bread (or similar). But man oh man, this is TOUGH.

Night night!

Gbear!

I just read that you might make it to Red Robin! That's great! I hope you do! I'm going to pick Fatwidow up and bring her with me!

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Mini: good ideas for liquid stuff:smile:Brandy: my thoughts are with you. as mentioned earlier, sounds as if the worst is over.

Question: how many of you on here are in medical field, nurses, techs, etc? Seems as if i run across hospital references all the time! Just curious.

I have to have a potassium test done a couple of weeks before surgery. Since I am self-paying, I will have to pay for this too:angry:. Does anyone have a clue about how much such a test will set me back?:confused2:

Here are the charges for my recent blood tests:

CBC with differential/platelet -- 37.00

Basic Metabolic Panel (8) -- 42.00

Hepatic Function Panel (7) -- 41.00

Lipid Panel -- 87.00

Hemoglobin A1c -- 74.00

As you can see they aren't that expensive. The Basic Metabolic Panel has your electrolytes in it. So that is where you'll get your potassium results.

Sorry, if someone already answered this for you. I'm just now trying to catch up with everyone's posts! I've been working the last 3 days.

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Thanks for the advice everyone. And Mal, if I lived closer I would take you up on your offer because I know you would take good care of my babies! :thumbup: So here is the deal, I talked to one of my dog sitters, and she is talking a day shift job (she is a tech in our unit). But she will be working Mon-Fri so it will not be an issue. However, my other dog sitter is my friends 14 year old daughter, and once she goes back to school in the fall I will have no one to let them out on Fridays (unless I hire a "real" dog sitter). Once my friend who is a tech in our unit passes her boards and becomes a nurse, every 3rd weekend will become an issue. Sigh....this is what I get for having so many fur babies.

FW, I can tell you are a mom because that is exactly what my mom said when I talked to her today! It makes me feel a little better that your sister in law doesn't like days-everyone just thinks you should love day shift, but I truly am not a morning person.

As for the lady that came in your store, a few things.

First, if her uncle had his surgery in January and has lost 40 pounds, he is right where he needs to be with his weight loss.

Second, if she is eating candy and not changing her eating habits, she likely will gain a good portion of her weight back. On my old floor, we had several nurses that had bypass. The majority of them have not been successful keeping the weight off. One is bigger than she was before she had her surgery. Why? Because she eats horribly and still drinks pop like it's going out of style.

Third-research shows that at the 2 year mark the average weight loss for the lapband is about the same as for bypass. And, we can keep adjusting our band!

So, I hope that gives you some things to consider. Are there days I regret not having a different surgery? Sometimes. But then I think of the effects of some of the other surgeries and I am over it very quickly. I also think of all the patients I have had to take care of that have had complications from bypass, and that makes me give up my second thoughts quickly! I am not saying one surgery is better than another, I just know what I have observed as a nurse.

Fatwidow!

I totally agree with Munchkin! She's very correct when it comes to the Gastric Bypass. There is a 2 year window of loss with that surgery and then the malabsorption lessens and their much smaller stomach has stretched out. I have a friend who had the bypass about 10 years ago. She is bigger than she was when she had it done and now she's getting a Lap Band over her formerly very small stomach. Poor thing!

Secondly, you can't rely on how other people lose or don't lose. Everyone is very different. WE have to remember not to compare ourselves with others. I have a friend from the springs and she had the band done in September. She's lost over 160lbs. She looks great and is about 2 lbs under goal! In 9 months she reached goal with the BAND! Such an inspiration! AND the best part is that she looks 20 years younger!

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

:thumbup::redface::thumbup:

Marcy!

CONGRATS ON YOUR ONE YEAR BANDIVERSARY!!!

YOUR TRANSFORMATIONS ARE AMAZING!!

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Oh yeah, and today was my weigh in... I am down ONE pound.

So I am back where I was 2 weeks ago. *sigh* Ah well. :thumbup: I am not making my goal for the challenge, but I am still heading in the right direction. Only 17 pounds to go till I hit twoterville.

Congrats on your loss!!! You're moving in the right direction! :redface:

I think your PCP is great!!

I can't wait to be in twoterville!!

[BellaPerdente 0]

Hey everyone,

I know I made the right decision. I am still worried about not having health insurance.

Question: on the preop diet, does it matter how much you eat? I am following the no carb rule, but my appetite is still big and I am still eating alot. I don't want to mess up any chances of getting the surgery because of a large liver. I will do whatever it takes to have this surgery. What do you guys think?

I can't wait to meet some of you guys at the RR!

[adorkbl 156]

I want to do LOW carb to budge my weight...anyone else do this consistently. Does it REALLY speed the weight loss?

Brandy... I did low-carb before my surgery and I lost 20lbs in one month. So I say YES.... it REALLY will speed your loss. I still try to be mindful of crabs, but no where as strict as I was pre-op. I think cutting out the whites is a good place to start, but I would not be so strict as to cut out fruits etc.

Hey everyone,

I know I made the right decision. I am still worried about not having health insurance.

Question: on the preop diet, does it matter how much you eat? I am following the no carb rule, but my appetite is still big and I am still eating alot. I don't want to mess up any chances of getting the surgery because of a large liver. I will do whatever it takes to have this surgery. What do you guys think?

I can't wait to meet some of you guys at the RR!

I was freaking out about not having the surgery covered by my health insurance, but I am so glad I did it anyway. Not a day goes by that I wish I didn't haven't surgery... I am VERY very VERY happy with it!

Now I have had some problems, but I am not sure if they are band related yet or not. Will find out on Tuesday when I have my HIDA scan. I am a bit different because I DO have insurance... so my Endoscopy, CAT scans, Ultrasounds, HIDA scan & ER visits have all been covered. I know Mona doesn't have health insurance, so she might be someone to talk to.

If I didn't have insurance, and all these issues came up, I am not sure if I would be as happy right now... lol... cuz I would be swimming in medical bills, but I still wouldn't regret having the surgery done. It has made a big difference in my attitude and outlook on life. I participate in my own life. You can't put a price on that!

As for how much to eat pre-op... I don't think it matters. I ate whatever portions I wanted but cut out the whites. I would still eat a 8oz steak and veggies and then have something again a few hours later. Just stay COMPLETELY away from the whites and carbs. No yogurt either!! :cool:

[adorkbl 156]

Ok ladies... restriction question. since my fill on Monday I have obviously been careful on what i eat. I HAVE noticed my portions have been cut down and I have been very mindful about chewing, not drinking, etc.

After this last fill I have noticed I sigh, or take a deep breath so I am taking that as a soft stop signal. Head hunger is fighting me on that, but I am trying!

I have noticed a NEW sensation, it almost feels like something is stuck in the back of my throat. Not painful stuck like in the chest tightness... this is at the back of the throat and just feels like I need to swallow it down. I keep dry swallowing but it still feels like something is back there. Eventually the feeling goes away. Sometimes my throat feels tired, like the muscles have been overworked. (maybe it is all that dry swallowing.. haha)

So does this mean I am too full and filled all the way up my esophagus? I read somewhere that there are no nerves in the throat so there is no way to feel were in the throat it is. Is this true? I don't want to overeat!! But I feel fine, still no stuck episodes or PB's. *knock on wood*

Has anyone else experienced this???

[BellaPerdente 0]

Adorkable: I experience the same thing and I haven't been banded yet! At first, I thought it was sinus drainage. I saw my ENT doctor and he could not find anything in the back of my throat. He told me to see my GI doctor. I saw my GI doctor and he said all ENT doctors think that "feeling" is caused by acid reflux. I say "I am already on Nexium and I already had a endo done twice but this is a different feeling." Some days, it really annoys me!!! Well, GI doctor did a Barium Swallow and they found nothing in my throat but doctor came to the conclusion that it is a combination of acid reflux and a hiatal hernia. Well, I need to watch my diet; don't lay flat; don't eat before bed....yada...yada...yada.

Do you take nexium? I love nexium, but I have to switch to something cheaper because....no health insurance. Hope this helps.

[adorkbl 156]

FATWIDOW ~ Ha... thanks for the info. I had my Endo done in May and they found severe reflux so now I am on Nexium. I keep telling them I do not FEEL any reflux, or have any symptoms. Well maybe now I do! Hmmm. This all just started after the last fill. Maybe I need to eat less or chew more??? I think my insurance covers it, although it is expensive, I pay $30 a month for it. I think that is a lot for a co-pay??