Considering Dr. Kirshenbaum

Woofay - sorry to hear you have a leaky band! I hope you get some answers soon so you know one way or the other for sure. But dang, you've got a great mind set about it!

Littleroo,

I am sorry to hear about the failed adoption, that's got to be hard. I know, even with an International adoption (where mothers changing their minds is very rare) it can and does happen and I worry about that all the time. I always tell people, I do not consider him mine until we are on American soil... still, its hard not to let them into your heart while you wait and to feel that they are yours... so I know you must feel that loss. Fortunately, our ability to love is not limited and the baby that is meant for you will be there when the time is right... someone special must be coming in the near future for you and your husband. :) I'm also a big believer in Karma and timelines being right when the time is right. ;) What is meant to be will be. blah blah blah

Well, I thinks its cool about having the same surgery dates too... Mine is at 2 p.m. (so I get to be awake and hungry longer...lol...then if it were in the morning). I think it's at Parker, because Marilyn said she'd have the center hang onto my documents... of course, I'm going to have to refill my Keflex (antibiotic) prescription as I guess the liquid form expires within 2 weeks of mixing... Fortunately, it's a generic... besides, I have decided to use it for my sinus infection... Anyhow, I am using my time to recover and also, am getting ready for baby Tanner's arrival (got a dresser to paint and all... with baby #1, I went with everything new...this time around, I'm a little more practical).

Woofay,

Thanks so much for your very kind words... and yup, I was frustrated and a little let down...especially because I was mentally ready for it to be done with, but I agree, things happen for reasons...so that is what the cards held for me that day... and look, I'll be having my surgery on the same day now as a fellow adoptive mom-to-be too.... how cool is that?!

Tina :hungry:

Hi Tina! Mine is at noon at the Crown Pointe surgical center. I agree - 2pm is a long time to wait!!

Hope you're feeling better ASAP!!

SIGN!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Hello friends!

Great time last night? Pictures? Stories? Do tell.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Anita best to you with your band leak. Awesome that you will not have to go full under like the first time when we had the band installed.
...............................................................

Today for myself I went to Dillards and bought a fragrance I have never owned before...Kenneth Cole's BLACK. Wow. It smells divine. I rented two movies and watched them, end to end, I think the Ritalin is starting to work because I find I am finishing tasks. That sounds odd but it is not like me to get it all done.

Also drinking all of my water. Woo Hoo.


Love to you all.

Woofay,

Sorry to hear about your band! That is so unfortunate. Did Dr. K give you an idea of the cost to repair it and what surgical process is involved?

Lap Dancer~ yes I posted 7 pics. Go back a page. It was great.
We missed you. We were talking about you...where your ears burning? (hee hee, my mom loves that saying!) Congrats on staying on task and your new smells! hee hee

Biggestloser~ I'm guessing that I will find out more on Tuesday. I would hope that I won't be charged anything as I have yet to really use it! I'm pretty sure this happened with the first fill. :) Seriously, I don't know much. If there is a big charge, I'm not sure what I'll do. I took a second on the house to afford it in April. Don't think that I've built any more equity since then! :D I guess that would be far more upsetting than the leaky band because it just wouldn't be done right now. (You're poor, Kenny! Sorry, Cartman came out...:)) I can't say I've "waisted" 4 months of good weight loss time. But I wonder how much better I would have done.

Woofay - good point, sweetie. Glad it is public. Thanks for posting our pictures. Woo - whooo!

Drews - we thought the 4th would work, but if you can't and will really be there, I'd go for the 11th. Let us know.

Hugs to all you gonnabes. It is a journey of self discovery some of it miraculous and some of it just hard work. You deserve a healthy life and to live minus excess pounds that weigh our shoulders and bodies down. Best wishes, please join our little support group, we do have a good time.
Michelle

Thanks Michelle! It is obvious that you all get along since you have the longest thread going! I'm looking forward to being on the other side. Don't want to be a gonnabe anymore LOL!

Hi, All! I went to my nephew's birthday party today and, alas, I lost total control. The fatty chocolate sweet lovin' person was waiting for me. She pigged out on homemade chocolate cake and chocolate marble ice cream.:faint: So much for South Beach today. I'm in North Forest piggen out! I lost control after only 9 days of dieting. :think I was going to try to be good the rest of the day. But my mind just doesn't work correctly. At this point, I've "blown the diet" and I should continue to stick whatever I want into my mouth. Which I did a little. I ate a piece of bread with butter. And then quickly returned it. Yuck. Very rude awakening and now I'm going to be good. There is some sort of restriction still in there! Ha! :)

Woofay, I'm sorry about the band leak, but glad to hear that it will be taken care of soon. 9 days on SB before any diversion -- that is an excellent accomplishment!! I want to thank you for making me laugh out loud TWICE this week, (when I've been stressed & crying over stupid work). I think I've been on the North Forest eating plan myself on one too many occasions! And of course, good old Cartman gets me everytime. I love South Park, but ssshhh...don't tell my 10-yr-old.

You guys look so beautiful and healthy in the new photos from your group meeting! It so nice to see your smiling faces AND Mal's handsome son!

Welcome, welcome to all the new folks! This is a great place to learn from the masters. (I'm a gonnabe and this is the place that made me pick Dr. K)

Patty, kudos to you for seeking out some treatment for the attention problems. Both my boys have ADD and I know I do as well. I have a very hard time focusing and staying on task (as evidenced by the problems at work I've been having and the ongoing state of my house). I've taken Strattera for awhile, but am not currently on medication. I am struggling, but want to wait until my surgery is behind me before I seek out another medication. I'm feeling somewhat overwhelmed right now, so it's a one thing at a time deal for me.

Sometimes I worry that I'm putting too much faith in this band to fix everything -- my weight, my PCOS, my ADD, my depression -- only to find that as the weight comes off, those other things are rearing their ugly heads. I'm taking Cymbalta right now and feel like that has made my focus worse. Anyone else here take Cymbalta?

I had my phone consults with Dr. K and with Dr. Paula, the nutritionist. Both went very well. Dr. K was very reassuring. I ask about the new AP bands and he told me that the company rep was coming out to talk with him about them on Friday (was either the 10th?or 17th?), & depending on how the ordering goes, we may be getting the new bands soon after that. My surgery is the 22th so I'm crossing the old fingers.

Have great weeks eveyone -- sending positive vibes out to you all from NC!

Shelbi - rest assured that band doesn't cure anything, but gives you a reminder of how it feels to be full, that you need to chew slower, that you are commited to your health and willing to go to the nth degree to achieve that. The initial phase makes the whole thing seem easy, at least it was for me and then I hit the 3 month, I'm bored being "good", then a fill that tightens me so I can't overeat jars me back into how I am creating my future. Can the band fail? Sure. Lots of people eat around it. Let's face it this is an addiction. Whatever you do about getting banded, you will need emotional support, I also have a trainer and an acupuncturist, which I think helps my energy adjust as I change. Everyone does the journey a little differently. I would love to be an A - Z type person, but I am always looking for the loopholes, and just have to face that. Good luck and best wishes. Banding is a great motivator.

Woofay - ok I understand you blew it, but try not to put it in terms of "good" and "bad" so much. So you ate over your caloric needs, adjust and get under control again. What is amazing is that on this journey you are confronting the behavior within a short time. For me in the past a binge could last for months before I confronted it. Be proud of yourself.

I am proud of you!!!!! Awareness is everything we can hope for.

As I am on this journey there are times I feel weepy. Lifestyle changes are hard work and emotionally charged.
Love you guys,
Michelle

I am proud of you too Woofay!You are doing GREAT! Keep movin' on, don't look back. I ate ice cream all weekend (interesting, I'm not a "sweets" kinda girl). I feel sick! (to my stomach from over eating and literally, I'm coming down with a summer cold). Looking foward to my fill on Friday!

Thanks Shelie for the kind words!

Here's to a good week!

Hi All!

I spent all weekend on a crazy drinking/up to no good camping trip in Michigan's Upper Peninsula this weekend (Sunnysea - Fox Park about 1 mile east of Cedar River on M35).

Anyway, minus a couple of cheesy poofs, I did really well foodwise! I got most of my protein in, kept my calories around 1,000 per day and I only had 1 lite beer and a Mike's Hard Lemonade Lite (only 96 calories) too!

This band is awesome.

I find that I really lose weight when I log my food on Fitday.com. (I did really well on Weight Watchers too, when I logged my food consistently). I really think a food journal is key! If it goes in my mouth, it goes in the journal! I'll even try to log something before I eat it, to see if it's really worth it or not.

Here's to a good week, consistent journaling, exercise and another pound gone forever! ;)

Hi.....I just had my surgery in Denver by Dr. Kirshenbaum. He is great!!! You will just love him. He is so compassionate and he loves doing this for people. That is why he brought his rate down so low. I will be going back to him around the 1st of Sept. for my first fill. You will be happy you went to him. His has not had any complications from any of his lap bands. He was the first surgeon in Colorado to do any Laproscopic Surgery. I rate him a 10 on a scale of 1-10.

Woofay, I'm so sorry to hear about your leak, I wonder if it is in the tubing leading up to the band or in the band? i'm guessing that the tubing leading up to the band gets poked accidentaly when the Dr. does a fill?!?!? Anyhow, you have done WONDERFUL so far, 44 lbs in 4 months is really good. I know how hard it is when the weightloss slows down, I finally after 2 months have lost 2 lbs but when you look at the whole picture and divide 44 by 4 that is pretty dam good! Remember eventually the loss will be more like 1 or 2 lbs a week. So be good to yourself and I hope your repair will be soon. Your in the North Woods Friend,;) Sunnysea