Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum - Considering Dr. Kirshenbaum

[minidriver 0]

Dee-I feel the same way as you and Brandy. No matter how much weight I lose, I still feel "huge". It doesn't matter if 100 people a night tell me how "skinny" I am getting, or if I buy smaller pants, or a size medium sweater, I am still the fat girl. I dont know how to get my head around losing weight.

Brandy-The hottie is my friend Bob! She is a great girl. She is the one who lets my dogs out on the weekend. She is like a sister to me.

And yes, I think anyone would have to be insane to wear that butt floss! I have never understood the concept, it just makes me feel like I have a wedgie all day!!

I'm with you on the butt floss thing. I don't get it at all. GROSS!! Right now I'm at the "russian lady bloomer" stage. I can't wait to have some cute underwear. Sigh.

[ShelbiCallie 0]

Here I am Munchkin!

Thank you for looking for me.

I feel I've been lost for a long while.

My blues got the best of me. I've found that learning to eat properly is not an issue for me. However, learning to love myself is...

Thank you to everyone who PM'd me and called me to see if I was okay. I'm sorry, I was so silent. I just needed to take some time to get my head on straight.

I hope you all know how important you are to me. You've been with me from day one of this journey. A journey that has taken many turns and curves and has landed me in the gutter a time or two, but a journey that has given me hope of a better tomorrow. I pray that as my body changes, my mind and emotions towards myself will change too. I'm fighting years of verbal abuse - abuse from my childhood even during the lean years. Abuse that was carried over to my marriage -- and I've carried it over to today. How can we do that to ourselves? Why do we do that to ourselves? Why do we believe that we are the worst and no one would ever want us or love us? I think because we can't give ourselves a break - and realize that we deserve better -- we deserve to be loved... cared for.

Please pray for me and my struggle. I need the prayers right now.

Thank you.

Love,

dee~

Dee,

You will never know how so very glad I am that you've posted again.

Big, big smooches to you. MMMMWWWWAAAA!

The brighter tomorrow will be here soon.

Love,

Shelbi

[ShelbiCallie 0]

Green C, 59 pounds in 6 months is amazing. I'm so proud of you and can only hope for that kind of success. You should reward yourself with a day at a spa or something for all your hard work.

Tropicana, no, Dr. K did not ask for proof of my comorbidities. He did not charge me for the consult, so maybe you should just schedule a phone consult to see if you are eligible.

I am starting my preop diet tomorrow, low carb, so everybody please wish me luck. I made hardboiled eggs tonight, and packed my lunch and Snacks for tomorrow so am all prepared.

Good luck, Denver!!!! It will be banding day before you know it~~ I've got faith in you. Let the journey begin!!!

[ShelbiCallie 0]

OPINIONS PLEASE!!!

so I am thinking of re-joining WW tonight. I am thinking if I go, I will set my "goal" 8 pounds from here and then I don't have to technically pay.

What does everyone think???

I've been away, so did you go or not???

My (very tardy) opinion would have been to do whatever works for you to help you meet your goal!

[ShelbiCallie 0]

Hi Everyone!

I've been away a long time and outta the loop about the band. I saw Tom today and had an unfill to see if that wouldn't kick start me. He said that I was now technically at the same fill as a year ago. I have just learned to eat around an overly tight band, which is frustrating but predicable. The amazing thing is that I haven't regained what I initially lost. So the band really works, and I've been coasting. I do need to stick with a healthy eating plan to lose more weight, so I am a little frustrated with myself, as I thought I would be "done" with this. Although on the positive, I've kept to a 5 day a week work out program. I look good and have reshaped a lot of me. I still have 50 or so pounds to take off though. I did find that liquid Protein Drinks help, and the Protein Bars are too tempting. I do feel ready to go at it again. I guess that is my way of dealing with weight loss - push and hold and the dream of slow and steady doesn't seem to be my reality.

Anyone else out there with similar stuff?

Michelle

Dynamo!!! So good to hear from you!!!! I've wondered how you were doing!

[ShelbiCallie 0]

So much catching up to do!! I'll be back later tonight. Gotta an appointment to get to now.

[MissMom24 2]

Shelbi~

No, I didn't go. I went clearance shopping at Kohl's instead. Lots of cute, cheap stuff if anyone is wanting something new.

I am still tossing it around. We will see....maybe next week!

[minidriver 0]

Shelbi~

No, I didn't go. I went clearance shopping at Kohl's instead. Lots of cute, cheap stuff if anyone is wanting something new.

I am still tossing it around. We will see....maybe next week!

Hmmm, gotta' say, clearance shopping sounds WAY more fun that WW.

[nurse7263 0]

Does anyone have Natalie's email address?

I had it once, but can't find it!

[deboregon 0]

hey,all..my computer is all frozen up...over a week now,,am on a friend's computer.

haven't had time to read all posts carefully, but am mindful of the difficulties several of you are experiencing and you are in my thoughts.

Adorkable, don't know how to calculate exactly since I started keeping track on July 28...and have lost 14.3 since then. I think it is 9.3 since Aug. 4 (was that our starting date?)

Exercise...gawd, i hate it...worked two hours spreading barkdust this morning. Other than that, not much this week. (Temps have been near or over 100)

Hate to sound dumb, but what does PB stand for and how serious is it?

Well, girls, it is only 4 days til I fly to Denver (19th) and 20th is my new life date. Then we leave 21st for home.

Wish I could hear all your support and such between now and then, but don't know if my computer will cooperate. Wish me luck....

[Lap_dancer 8]

Okay, here are some pics of the little one . . .

CUTE!!! Oh my goodness those eyes would do me in. SWEET. Thanks for posting it.

[ATTACH]14696[/ATTACH]

Okey dokey ladies. I just called and made an appointment with the fill doctor here in Salt Lake for Sept. 5th. People LOVE him, so I figured I'd give him a try. Here's the deal though . . . he ONLY does fills under flouroscopy, no exceptions. I know Dr. K. doesn't think it's necessary . . . have any of you had it done? If so, what is it like? Do you think they give a more aggressive fill? Or????

flouro is just an xray type machine. No biggy. I had one done once, shortly after my surgery so I could stay local. It was uneventful.

Mini ~ Your typo was great. Wishful thinking? :thumbup: I'm pretty sure I'd look like a walking talking skeleton at 105 (I'm 5'10", medium bone structure). Adorable grandbaby pix!

TYPO looks like my opposite putting me UP the scale deep into the 300 territory.

Brandymom1234 ~ Personally I don't care for WW. I did it three times, could never keep the weight off. I didn't like the point-counting, the platitudes or the shaming after weigh-ins; I just didn't feel supported with it. I went to meetings & did some online; now I see how silly I was to pay to do it online when SparkPeople has better resources and it's free. But that was just me, if you can do it for free and think it will help you, why not?

Agreed Brandymom1234. Weight Watchers wasn't my cup of tea and didn't really help me but that's just me. I think if anyone believes WW could be another tool to help...GO FOR IT! And best of luck with it.

So today is my sixth-month bandiversary! I really wanted to be halfway to goal, which is 63.5 pounds gone. But that's OK. There are so many victories...today I realized that I'd gone all summer without getting sweat rashes in my fat rolls and inner thighs, like I have for the last couple of years. That's certainly something right there. :sad:

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

Does Dr. Kirshenbaum take patients with a 35 BMI and no health issues?

Tropicana call the office and ask for Natalie. She is a great go to person and wonderfully full of information. Best to you.

Hi Everyone!

I've been away a long time and outta the loop about the band. I saw Tom today and had an unfill to see if that wouldn't kick start me. He said that I was now technically at the same fill as a year ago. I have just learned to eat around an overly tight band, which is frustrating but predicable. The amazing thing is that I haven't regained what I initially lost. So the band really works, and I've been coasting. I do need to stick with a healthy eating plan to lose more weight, so I am a little frustrated with myself, as I thought I would be "done" with this. Although on the positive, I've kept to a 5 day a week work out program. I look good and have reshaped a lot of me. I still have 50 or so pounds to take off though. I did find that liquid Protein Drinks help, and the Protein Bars are too tempting. I do feel ready to go at it again. I guess that is my way of dealing with weight loss - push and hold and the dream of slow and steady doesn't seem to be my reality.

Anyone else out there with similar stuff?

Michelle

HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Michelle is is awesome to see you posting. Dang I missed you. Now..GIRL, we could talk. Starting with the too much fat in my diet, changing that, then DRINKING past my band...not booze but things like coffee with cream and sugar and then of course laying in bed all the time zero exercise..NONE..and popping pain pills to keep the pain at bay. The upside is that like you, my body has changed for the better. I am smaller by two sizes. I just wish I was farther along down the process. BUT here is where my head is at and the conclusion I came to:

I started off with this band as a committment to me to get healthy and if I had to do gastric surgery to make it happen I would. Nothing changes that. No problems make me waiver from my goal. It is what it is and if something funky is going on (which for me it has) I will not quit, I will find out what it is, work around it and keep going. I simply refuse to quit. So be it a year, be it five years, I will not quit until I see my goal weight achieved and a lifestyle where I can run, or ski, or whitewater raft or do the things I dream of doing!

It's awesome to see you here. HUGS!

Here I am Munchkin!

Thank you for looking for me.

I feel I've been lost for a long while.

My blues got the best of me. I've found that learning to eat properly is not an issue for me. However, learning to love myself is...

Thank you to everyone who PM'd me and called me to see if I was okay. I'm sorry, I was so silent. I just needed to take some time to get my head on straight.

I hope you all know how important you are to me. You've been with me from day one of this journey. A journey that has taken many turns and curves and has landed me in the gutter a time or two, but a journey that has given me hope of a better tomorrow. I pray that as my body changes, my mind and emotions towards myself will change too. I'm fighting years of verbal abuse - abuse from my childhood even during the lean years. Abuse that was carried over to my marriage -- and I've carried it over to today. How can we do that to ourselves? Why do we do that to ourselves? Why do we believe that we are the worst and no one would ever want us or love us? I think because we can't give ourselves a break - and realize that we deserve better -- we deserve to be loved... cared for.

Please pray for me and my struggle. I need the prayers right now.

Thank you.

Love,

dee~

DEE, pages back there is a part of this big volumous thread where abuse is talked about. It comes up every so often. Many of us have that in our history. It hurts, it is so painful to repeat the memory in our minds but it is there. I know for sure I have eaten endlessly over some of the pain in my past and food has always been my first reach since about the age of 9. Why do we eat over things? I personally believe we seek things to soothe and develop a pattern that we carry with us through the years. I'm glad you are here, I'm glad that you acknowledge within yourself what you believe is going on. Counseling helps, talking here helps, reading helps. Keep it going friend. We are replacing bad habits all the way around.

[minidriver 0]

hey,all..my computer is all frozen up...over a week now,,am on a friend's computer.

haven't had time to read all posts carefully, but am mindful of the difficulties several of you are experiencing and you are in my thoughts.

Adorkable, don't know how to calculate exactly since I started keeping track on July 28...and have lost 14.3 since then. I think it is 9.3 since Aug. 4 (was that our starting date?)

Exercise...gawd, i hate it...worked two hours spreading barkdust this morning. Other than that, not much this week. (Temps have been near or over 100)

Hate to sound dumb, but what does PB stand for and how serious is it?

Well, girls, it is only 4 days til I fly to Denver (19th) and 20th is my new life date. Then we leave 21st for home.

Wish I could hear all your support and such between now and then, but don't know if my computer will cooperate. Wish me luck....

Hey Deb! Good job on your weight loss! My goodness!!!

Wow, it's getting so close for you. Hope you get to check in every now and again cuz we'll all be sending your lots of support. Sorry it's so hot there. I hate when it's hot in Oregon. It's so muggy . . .

[Lap_dancer 8]

Shelbi~

No, I didn't go. I went clearance shopping at Kohl's instead. Lots of cute, cheap stuff if anyone is wanting something new.

I am still tossing it around. We will see....maybe next week!

ATTA GIRL!!:thumbup: Gotta love that Retail Therapy.

[BellaPerdente 0]

Dee,

I am sooo sorry to hear you are feeling that way. You are one of the nicest people I know. I am not sure what has happened to make you feel so down but if you would like to talk, please call me (you do still have my cell phone number, don't you). I don't know why you can't see for yourself what an amazing person you are....no matter what size...you are beautiful inside and out. Does this have anything to do with the new man in your life? If you do not want to talk about it, OK, but we are all hear for you, just like you are there for us when we are down.

Prayers and hugs to you!!!

[ShelbiCallie 0]

I am going to call the corporate compliance guy at the hospital now and see if I can set up a face to face meeting with him in the morning, rather than talk to him over the phone. I will keep everyone posted.

So how'd it go?

Okay, here are some pics of the little one . . .

Oh lord, what a darlin'! My favorite part of a baby is the little fat creases at the wrists. Oh so sweet. (Do I sound like a cannibal or what? Geez.)

So today is my sixth-month bandiversary! I really wanted to be halfway to goal, which is 63.5 pounds gone. But that's OK. There are so many victories...today I realized that I'd gone all summer without getting sweat rashes in my fat rolls and inner thighs, like I have for the last couple of years. That's certainly something right there.

Happy Bandiversary, Green! You are doing a wonderful job with all of your victories!

Dee-I feel the same way as you and Brandy. No matter how much weight I lose, I still feel "huge". It doesn't matter if 100 people a night tell me how "skinny" I am getting, or if I buy smaller pants, or a size medium sweater, I am still the fat girl. I dont know how to get my head around losing weight.

Me, too! I saw someone today that I haven't seen in a year. She went on and on about how different I look -- I just don't see it!

Shelbi~

No, I didn't go. I went clearance shopping at Kohl's instead. Lots of cute, cheap stuff if anyone is wanting something new.

I am still tossing it around. We will see....maybe next week!

Making a mental note to hit up Kohl's......

Does anyone have Natalie's email address?

I had it once, but can't find it!

I think there's contact information on www.lapbandrockies.com.

Adorkable, don't know how to calculate exactly since I started keeping track on July 28...and have lost 14.3 since then. I think it is 9.3 since Aug. 4 (was that our starting date?)

Exercise...gawd, i hate it...worked two hours spreading barkdust this morning. Other than that, not much this week. (Temps have been near or over 100)

Hate to sound dumb, but what does PB stand for and how serious is it?

Well, girls, it is only 4 days til I fly to Denver (19th) and 20th is my new life date. Then we leave 21st for home.

Wish I could hear all your support and such between now and then, but don't know if my computer will cooperate. Wish me luck....

Hey Deb, WOW -- you're doing great with your loss already! PB stands for Productive Burp, but really it's really more like a barf without feeling sick. Or at least it is for me. I'll be thinking of you next week! If your staying at the Holiday Inn Select, there's a business center with a computer on the first floor to the right of the Breakfast area. Drop us a post and let us know how you're doing!

Dee,

I am sooo sorry to hear you are feeling that way. You are one of the nicest people I know. I am not sure what has happened to make you feel so down but if you would like to talk, please call me (you do still have my cell phone number, don't you). I don't know why you can't see for yourself what an amazing person you are....no matter what size...you are beautiful inside and out. Does this have anything to do with the new man in your life? If you do not want to talk about it, OK, but we are all hear for you, just like you are there for us when we are down.

Prayers and hugs to you!!!

Hi Bella, Just wanted to hijack your post to Dee and tell you that you are doing a bang up job on the weight loss so far!!

Adorkable, Mare and Lap -- how are ya'll doing with the surgery, endoscopy and MRI/PT (I guess this is a good place to put in the word, "respectively".)?