Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum - Considering Dr. Kirshenbaum

[marcyinak 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!!!

Mal - thanks for thinking of me...is the pin in the right place? Or just on the state itself? I'm in the upper left, on the coast....maybe I'll get my friend to do it and there'll be TWO pins for us?! I feel special now!:biggrin1:

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Hey Everyone!!!

I have been busy working so I haven't had much time to pop on and read all the posts! Welcome everyone!!! This is great!!! I know that this Thread might be much bigger and a little intimidating because it's hard to read all of the last 185 pgs, BUT if you just post, we'll welcome you and you can catch up on who we are at anytime! I haven't been banded yet. My date is 1/29/08. I was supposed to be banded in November but things were cancelled. Long story!! Anyway, I didn't start posting here til October and I have been welcomed and made to feel as part of the family. It's a wonderful feeling to know that everyone here understands what we are going through. We are at the same place that everyone else was at before they were banded -- feeling anxious, thrilled, a little or a lot nervous!!! I love everyone here!

L.A. you asked about Dr. K's practice of not requiring a pre-op liquid diet! He said that he doesn't feel that is necessary. He used to require it, but now asks his patients (Thank Goodness!) to stick to a NO Carb, High Protein and Veggie diet. I found it to be pretty easy to stick to and I lost weight pretty quickly. Once I got past the first 6 days, I felt energetic and well. Even tho my surgery isn't for 6 wks, I've started it again so that I don't gain any more weight! I've done the "Last Supper" thing already! I am so ready to be banded!!! I was self pay too, but it was paid for with the money I got from my divorce!! YEAH BABY!!!

Marcy, I saw the map too and thought of you!!! I look right away for your pin in Alaska! I think it's great!!! AND it says so much about Dr. K!!!

Virid, I know what you mean about not being sure about telling your family. For me, my friends have always been more supportive and less judgemental than my family. I have not told anyone in my family but my Mom and she won't tell anyone if I ask her not to... she's pretty good about that!!! When I filled out my FMLA papers Marilyn in Dr. K's office asked me who knew at my work and how I wanted things written. She had a way of writing it so that they didn't know it was WLS. BUT I told her it was okay to put Adjustable Gastric Banding because I already told the people in HR

Mal, how's your son and his friends doing? You'll get back on track with your eating and exercise. You just went through a very difficult time with your family... it was an emotionally draining time for you. Take care of you -- too!

Livingthedream, let us know how the surgery went!! Hope things went well and you're home and painfree!

Mona, I'm glad you're home and safe! AND I'm glad the pain is less! Don't overdo it at work!!

Well, I gotta run!

Hugs!

dee~

[divaofsongs 42]

Mona,

Glad to see you are feeling better too. Didn't it hurt more than you thought it would?

No, the pain was not near what I thought it would be. I stopped taking the pain meds on day 3 and I feel great, just a little sore.

[divaofsongs 42]

Mona: Glad to see you made it home safely! I live in Tucson and am not looking forward to the drive. :confused: 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?

The Dr. in Flagstaff uses Floro and only charges $200, he does not require any enrollment fees, etc. That is why I chose him. If you decide to use him, maybe we can travel together.

[adorkbl 156]

I haven't been banded yet. My date is 1/29/08. I was supposed to be banded in November but things were cancelled. Long story!! Anyway, I didn't start posting here til October and I have been welcomed and made to feel as part of the family. It's a wonderful feeling to know that everyone here understands what we are going through. We are at the same place that everyone else was at before they were banded -- feeling anxious, thrilled, a little or a lot nervous!!! I love everyone here!

Thanks so much for the welcome. We are getting banded close together. I was originally scheduled for the 1/22 but they were so awesome to bump me up to the 17th because I have a thing for 7's. lol!

L.A. you asked about Dr. K's practice of not requiring a pre-op liquid diet! He said that he doesn't feel that is necessary. He used to require it, but now asks his patients (Thank Goodness!) to stick to a NO Carb, High Protein and Veggie diet. I found it to be pretty easy to stick to and I lost weight pretty quickly. Once I got past the first 6 days, I felt energetic and well. Even tho my surgery isn't for 6 wks, I've started it again so that I don't gain any more weight! I've done the "Last Supper" thing already! I am so ready to be banded!!!

I got to go over that with Paula today. She was helpful. I too have started the low carb diet and have lost a few pounds already! Yeah! I am also chewing sllooooower and cutting back on portion sizes some. As much as I can. I am also SOOO ready to get started on this journey! :confused:

Where do you live Dee?

I was self pay too, but it was paid for with the money I got from my divorce!! YEAH BABY!!!

Wish I had a stack of cash somewhere! lol. Don't want to get divorced though. We just bought a house and are pretty tight already. This is going to be a challenge for us financially, but I am prepared to get a part time job if I need to.

The Dr. in Flagstaff uses Floro and only charges $200, he does not require any enrollment fees, etc. That is why I chose him. If you decide to use him, maybe we can travel together.

That would be fun! I may take you up on that. It would be nice to have a bandbuddy close by to share this experience with!

[munchkin392 1]

LA- I told everybody before getting my band....and I am living to regret it! The girls I work with are all very supportive of me, but I ran into work to get something yesterday, and the day shift girls that hadn't seen me since surgery were already asking me how much I had lost. I told them 4 pounds, and they all just kind of looked at me. I was like "Sheesh, I'm not even two weeks out yet!" So, I guess what I'm saying, is think carefully about who you tell.:confused:

[Mal 0]

Marcy~I don't remember where exactly the pin was?? I think it was in the correct city.

Tied2b~Thanks for the kind words, my son is up and down, he talks openly, then he shuts down. He is giggly and happy, then quiet and sad. I think he is trying to put it out of his mind.

I LOVE that you financed your surgery with your divorce $$$!

LA~I use the chocolate Atkins shakes, they taste wonderful!!! I just bought some Slim Fast ones and they are terrible!!! To each his own though right?

threedogpeople~is your surgery today??...thinkin' bout ya', post when you can!

livingthedream~have a safe trip home! Congrats on being banded! Hang in there and post when you can!

Woof~how are you doing? how is the medication

adjustment going? Miss ya'!

Mare~nice to hear from you. I sure did miss my LB buddies at RR.

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Munchkin,

I totally see what you're saying! My friend, whom you met, hasn't told anyone except her husband and children and me and you!!

I think it sucks now that I've told so many people. I don't mind that I told my Mom, but others are really starting to bug me! What I should have remembered was -- you can always tell people, BUT you can't ever take it back once it's told.

The bad thing about telling people is that the Band is not well-known and people assume you're going to lose like RNY. I had a friend who had RNY in Sept and she's lost over 100 lbs already. Some told me, 'wow by the time March is here, you'll be down 100lbs" I thought, "oh boy!!"

It sucks!

L.A. - Yup, we are being banded very close together! That was nice of them to change your date! I live in Littleton Colorado. Are you being banded in Parker or Aurora? I work at the hospital in Parker and I'm working on the 17th. I'll try to remember to pop down to see you! What time is your surgery?

Believe me, I'd rather be in a good marriage, poor and having to borrow to be banded than divorced with a stash of cash on the side. My stash is getting smaller. I am or was in the process of purchasing a brand new home. It's being built as we speak. I just did the sheetrock walk through. I told them about my surgery, which wasn't planned when I signed the purchase agreement and they said to wait and see what my financial status looked like at closing!

See ya Buddies!

dee~

[GreenChrysalis 1]

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!

Ugh, I don't blame you a bit for that. That's how I feel with my family -- judged all of the time. My dad goes off and on this diet called the Rotation Diet and when he's on it, he talks all of the time about how great it is and how well it works. He crows about every pound lost. But then he goes off it and eats junk, at which time I really want to remind him that his diet must not be working that great after all. But I don't, because unlike all of them, I am sensitive to weight. He even used to poke me in my stomach (even after I was an adult) and only stopped after I blew up at him one day.

I can't maintain either, I have lost weight before but always gained it back plus some, so I too am at my highest weight ever.

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!

Good point, I could just take the vacation time and not tell anybody. It is nobody's business, as you say. But I won't have that much time built up yet as I'm still fairly new in my job. I probably will only be able to take 4 days off. I'm not too worried about being able to go back to work as I sit 95% of the time (I work in a library, so I do have to pull books and periodicals from the stacks).

And I can just say I'm on a diet if anybody does ask. I do get asked to go to lunch a lot, so if I want to socialize I'll just have to find something that will work for me.

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!

Exactly! It is a tool, period. Not a quick fix or an easy way to lose weight. For those of us who have tried for years on our own and failed, we need this tool. The sad thing is, I have read of some people who have the band and still expect the pounds to melt off, even before their first fill.

[munchkin392 1]

Viri-This is going to sound so silly, but I'm so jealous of you, I've always wanted to be a librarian!! I love to read, I can think of nothing better than being around books all day. That is one thing I am very thankful my mother instilled in me-a love of reading. She started reading to me when I was very young, and I've always been a bookworm! I used to sit and read a book a day, but I don't seem to have time for that lately.

Dee-I hear you about how you would rather be in a happy marriage...divorce is so hard to go through. I was devastated when I divorced my first husband (got married too young) even though it was my decision. I felt like a huge failure, and my family was so nonsupportive, they just didn't understand why I made my decision. But...as I've always told my friends who are having relationship problems, you shouldn't necessarily listen to what other people think because obviously they aren't living under the same roof as you, and don't know what goes on. Now if only I could listen to my own advice and not be so hard on myself! (Sorry, I got on a tangent again!) Hey, we saw the lawyer about the Jerky neighbors yesterday, and he read all the stuff I had documented, and the first thing he asked when he was done was "How old are these people?" Wahahahaha!!!! I told him that has been what I have been saying all along, that they are in their 50's but act like they are in elementary school!! I thought you would get a chuckle out of that!

How is everyone else? I am not being a very good bandster so far. The one thing I am really having a problem getting used to is not drinking while I am eating. I did not think I would have a problem with this, but I do for some reason!! I always have Water sitting by me (and did before I was banded even) so I have to make a concious decision to physically put it away before and after I eat so I won't drink it. Arggghhh!!!

And my hubby says I am obsessing about food. I don't think he is getting that I am trying to relearn how to eat. Did any of you have this problem with the people around you? I probably am obsessing a little bit as I am rather obsessive by nature, but still.....this is a whole new lifestyle.

[GreenChrysalis 1]

Viri-This is going to sound so silly, but I'm so jealous of you, I've always wanted to be a librarian!! I love to read, I can think of nothing better than being around books all day. That is one thing I am very thankful my mother instilled in me-a love of reading. She started reading to me when I was very young, and I've always been a bookworm! I used to sit and read a book a day, but I don't seem to have time for that lately.

Well, I'm not actually a librarian -- I'm an assistant. But I have always wanted to work in a library, and part of why I took this job was to see if I wanted to get my Master's in Library Science (which is required to be a librarian). Luckily if I decide to do it, I can do it for free since I work for the university system. Or I might do something else. But I took have had a life-long love of books -- it's like they're my friends. I've always been very introverted and preferred to sit and read over almost anything else. I always knew I'd do something related to books; I also edit and write.

[VABandster 0]

Hey gang! I'm really enjoying the fill I got last week w/Dr. K!! It has really cut down on my hunger and my portion sizes!! YEAH!!! And I've re-lost the weigh I had gained since August...YIPPEE!!!

I didn't know about the Map in Dr. Ks office!! Wish I'd noticed it when I was there, but oh well!!

As for telling people....I only have a few friends and my immediate family that know b/c I really just don't want to feel like people are watching/judging me all the time. Like someone else said...once you tell, you can't untell!! But I agree that its a personal choice. Some people may want the accountability....

Hope you all have a Happy HOliday!

[adorkbl 156]

sorry duplicate post

[adorkbl 156]

How is everyone else? I am not being a very good bandster so far. The one thing I am really having a problem getting used to is not drinking while I am eating. I did not think I would have a problem with this, but I do for some reason!!

I was telling Paula that this was going to be the hardest thing for me. Drinking while I eat. I drink all the time when I eat. It is aways take a bite, wash it down.

I hope you can find some success with delaying when you drink. One thing Paula said was if you have to drink during... make sure that you don't before or after, to limit the amount in the stoma.

Hey gang! I'm really enjoying the fill I got last week w/Dr. K!! It has really cut down on my hunger and my portion sizes!! YEAH!!! And I've re-lost the weigh I had gained since August...YIPPEE!!!

Yeah that is awesome! I can't wait to get banded! I want to feel what you are. :) Congrats on re-losing!

As for telling people....I only have a few friends and my immediate family that know b/c I really just don't want to feel like people are watching/judging me all the time. Like someone else said...once you tell, you can't untell!! But I agree that its a personal choice. Some people may want the accountability....

LA- I told everybody before getting my band....and I am living to regret it! The girls I work with are all very supportive of me, but I ran into work to get something yesterday, and the day shift girls that hadn't seen me since surgery were already asking me how much I had lost. I told them 4 pounds, and they all just kind of looked at me. I was like "Sheesh, I'm not even two weeks out yet!" So, I guess what I'm saying, is think carefully about who you tell.

The bad thing about telling people is that the Band is not well-known and people assume you're going to lose like RNY. I had a friend who had RNY in Sept and she's lost over 100 lbs already. Some told me, 'wow by the time March is here, you'll be down 100lbs" I thought, "oh boy!!"

Well I finally decided, screw it, I will tell my close friends and some family. I told my good friend here locally just a little while ago. Mostly because when I go to her house, it is a five course meal! lol. So her boyfriend can't force me to eat anymore... it won't fit!

I also told my sister that lives with me. I am planning on telling my mom and other sister over the weekend. I am explaining as best I can to everyone how it is different than RNY so they don't expect to see 100lbs melt off me in the next 6 months.

L.A. - Yup, we are being banded very close together! That was nice of them to change your date! I live in Littleton Colorado. Are you being banded in Parker or Aurora? I work at the hospital in Parker and I'm working on the 17th. I'll try to remember to pop down to see you! What time is your surgery?

I am being banded at Aurora. My surgery it at 1pm. Would have been fun to say hi. Maybe we can still meet and do lunch.

[GreenChrysalis 1]

Virid, I know what you mean about not being sure about telling your family. For me, my friends have always been more supportive and less judgemental than my family. I have not told anyone in my family but my Mom and she won't tell anyone if I ask her not to... she's pretty good about that!!! When I filled out my FMLA papers Marilyn in Dr. K's office asked me who knew at my work and how I wanted things written. She had a way of writing it so that they didn't know it was WLS. BUT I told her it was okay to put Adjustable Gastric Banding because I already told the people in HR

Hi Dee, I thought I could tell my Mom but I have learned that she does repeat what I say to other people, so...for now, it's just my husband and a few friends. So you took FML when you had the surgery? Did your recovery take that long?

I am going to likely need some kind of note from Dr. K's office for my husband, because he's a teacher and one of the days we'll be gone is right before a workday. If there isn't a medical need then his pay is docked for that day. But I'm hoping that they can write something that doesn't detail exactly what I'm having done.