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LMAO! This picture just cracks me up!!! =) Love it. Question for those of you who follow up with Dr K... how long does it take to get in for a fill? Does he do your fills or does Tom? Do you have time to sit and talk with him or is it quick in and out? I am seriously considering returning to Dr K and discontinuing my follow up down here.

Heya ladies... I realize I haven't updated since Dr Kirshenbaum called me to go over everything and see how I was doing. (Have I mentioned how much he rocks!! The man is awesome) So he is confident from everything I have told him that it is NOT a slip. He still thinks it was a small tear/hole that allowed a squirt of gastric juices into my abdomen causing the pain and irritation to my diaphragm. He is adamant that I should not get a fill on Wednesday as scheduled; advising me instead to give myself a month to heal and get the acid reflux under control. After talking with Dr K, and talking with my husband, and talking with Dr Berger's staff... I have decided to still travel to Flagstaff on Wednesday so they can at least look at my band under Fluoroscopy. Then, depending on what Dr Berger thinks, I will decide if I should do a fill or not. I don't want to go against Dr K's advice, but I also respect Dr Berger's opinion. Dr Berger is the surgeon physically examining me... Dr K is going off of test results and phone consultations. I will tell Dr Berger what Dr K said and see if he agrees, disagrees, or takes a neutral stance leaving the decision up to me. If he leaves it up to me, I will follow Dr K's advice and hold off on a fill for a month. I am just frustrated with my band right now. I have no restriction at all. I have been bouncing between 328-330 for the past 3 weeks. I want to get back on track... but I absolutely don't want to do anything that will jeopardize my band. *sigh* I have a feeling I am going to come back from Flagstaff without a fill. At least I will have peace of mind once Dr Berger check things out under Fluoroscopy... so the trip won't be for nothing. Also... hubby and I have been talking about whether or not I should just start going to Dr K for my follow up care. As it is Flagstaff is 8 hours round trip... and fills cost me $200. It would be about the same to buy a plane ticket and stay with relatives in Colorado. I am just apprehensive about having a fill without Fluoroscopy. Dr K is so easy to get a hold of though, and this whole experience has left me a bit unsatisfied with the response form my new Dr's. I am giving them the benefit of the doubt since the surgeon I see was out of town during all of this and his partner was the one on call. I am so out of the loop on this thread, I feel silly coming here with my problems. Sorry for my novel. I am glad everyone is doing well.

Hi ladies. Thanks so much for the good thoughts and prayers. I am back home. Yesterday was quite the day. Rich and I traveled up to Flagstaff first thing in the morning and arrived around 9am. We checked in at the office and were told my Endoscopy was scheduled for 1:15 in the afternoon. I ended up spending most of my morning on the phone trying to figure out insurance. They needed my PCP to write a referral since the GI Dr was out of network. Well I have only seen my PCP once ever since I moved to Tucson, last September when I had a double ear infection. She isn't even aware of my recent surgery. Oye. What fun it was trying to explain about my surgeon Dr Kirshenbaum in Colorado, my new surgeons Dr Berger and Dr Aldridge in Flagstaff, my emergency CT scan records at NW Medical from the ER visit, and why exactly I was in Flagstaff to see Dr Trujillo for the Endoscopy. Big mess. Needless to say they could not get pre-approval for the procedure in time, so we are thinking this is going to come out of our packet. The staff at Dr Trujillo's office was wonderful and very very helpful. If it ends up getting denied they will work with us on a payment plan. We decided to go ahead with the procedure since we were in town and I didn't want to wait days for an authorization that may never come through. Dr Kirshenbaum and Dr Aldridge seemed to be in agreement that the Endoscopy should be done right away to rule our erosion. The procedure went ok. The medication they gave me to knock me out... didn't knock me out. Go figure. I always seem to fall into the lucky few category that have averse reactions. I am still thankful that I didn't wake up during my surgery. That would have been something that would have happened to me. heh. So I was awake and gagging through the whole procedure. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't exactly pleasant either. I guess my body does not respond to "twilight" sedation. I had the same thing happen to me when I had a HSG years ago The "twilight" sedation never kicked in and I felt everything. No fun. I was practically jumping off the table for that one. At least this one wasn't as much painful as it was awkward. I have a big gag reflex and it was in full swing. Dr Trujillo determined that I have acid reflux, swelling, and irritation. He prescribed Nexium to help with the reflux. I was surprised to say the least. I have no symptoms at all of reflux, and would never have thought that I had it. Dr Berger did mention during my fill last month that I was refluxing the contrast. I didn't feel it refluxing and told him I didn't have any heartburn. Go figure. So the reflux thing was diagnosed and will be taken care of with the Nexium. I do not have a hole in my stomach or any indication of erosion. *big sigh of relief* However, Dr Trujillo mentioned that when he went down into my stomach there was not really a pouch above the band. He thinks it may have slipped. So now I am waiting for Dr Aldridge to look over the results of the Endoscopy since Dr Berger is out of town. I have been sitting on pins and needles all day waiting for him to call. I have been reading up on slippage and have found a lot of contradicting information as far as symptoms. I had a lot of pain, weight gain, no restriction, and acid reflux. All of which could be signs. Then again... other people report severe restriction and the inability to swallow even saliva. So I really don't know what to think. For now I feel good. My weight has leveled out for the most part which has been very frustrating. I am afraid to eat... worried that I may have a slipped band. I am still scheduled for a fill next week and plan on keeping the appointment unless something changes. I am hoping that the pain was from the acid reflux and the non-restriction and weight gain is nothing more than needing a fill. I am also hoping that Dr Truillo may not have looked at enough bandings under Endoscopy to know what the pouch should or shouldn't look like. Please may that be the case. So for now I am still waiting. Waiting for the all clear. These last few days have been frustrating and trying. I am ready for it to be over.

Shelbie... thanks! I missed your post there a second. The CT was negative, nothing wrong with the gallbladder. White blood cells were only elevated a small amount. YES! Dr K is a good egg!! i really really think he is such and awesome Dr. Such a fabulous bedside manner. I am so glad I found him.

Thanks so much Dee! I actually feel like I have been doing so crappy with my band... specially the last week or too. Too many chocolates over Easter has kept me at a stand still lately. Don't let the 55 fool you, 20 was before surgery. So my new Dr in Flagstaff isn't as concerned abut it being erosion. He didn't feel like a Endoscopy was something that needed to be done right away. Since Dr K seemed pretty concerned i asked that he talk to him so they could get on the same page hopefully... or maybe that Dr K could explain better than me why he felt it necessary. So Dr's talked and it has been decided the best thing to do is have a Endoscopy done. So Rich and I are traveling up to Flagstaff so I can have it done with the GI doctor that Dr Aldridge and Berger work with on a regular basis. This way they can look over the results. Hopefully this is nothing and everything will turn out to be fine. Will know more tomorrow.

Hi ladies... long time no post. I am sorry about that. I need some good thoughts right now or prayers, whichever is your thing. Last night I went into the ER after talking with Dr K. He was concerned that I may have had symptoms of erosion. I had extreme abdominal pain, shoulder pain, nausea, and sweating that came on suddenly. i had a CT scan and bloodwork done and the ER Dr said everything looked ok. My white blood cell count was up a tiny bit, but he wasn't too concerned about it. So I went home thinking everything was ok. Dr K called me today for follow-up (did I mention how much I love Dr K... he is so caring!). I told him about the results, and that my pain had subsided and I was feeling better. Only pain I have right now is in my shoulder. Well he is still concerned about Erosion, and wants me to go in for an upper GI scope. So now I am freaked out again. I thought the CT ruled that out, but apparantly that was to rule out my gallbladder. I am trying to remain positive about this, but I am so scared I am going to lose my band. I feel ok right now physically... so it is hard to believe something could be wrong. I have a call into my Dr that has been doing the follow-up care for me, but he still has not called me back. That is one thing that still amazes me about Dr K. I called him just after midnight last night and he called me back within minutes. Then he called today to follow up with me. It has been over 40 minutes now and still no call from my new Dr... on a Sunday afternoon. Really makes me wish I was local to Colorado! Anyway, please send me positive energy. I am hoping everything will be ok and that Dr K is just being extra cautious. I am also trying to be realistic and prepare myself for the possibility of removal. *crossing my fingers and toes* that is not necessary. Otherwise everything has been going really well for me and I am down 55 pounds. I love my band!

I am not LD... but I will answer this for you for me. I brought my CPAP with me and was told to use it for sure the night of my surgery. When I woke up in recovery after surgery they did not have me on a CPAP. Just laying around, groggy as all hell, wanting to go home. :blushing: I used my CPAP the few nights I was in Colorado, and to be honest, it is still sitting in the corner of my room at home not being used. I haven't unpacked it from it's travel case from when I had my Surgery in January. I should be using it... but I have been sleeping pretty good, and the increased energy from my weight loss has offset any decrease I may have felt from not using it. HTH!

I have severe sleep apnea as well, tolld my anestethiologist the settings I use on my CPAP and all was good. No complications.

Lizzieann: I have sleep apnea and when I went for my surgery... the anestethiologist did ask me about it. I told him the settings I had to use on my CPAP and he told me that would be helpful for him during surgery. If you don't have sleep apnea, or are unsure if you do, I would talk to Dr K about it. If you don't have any signs, or have never been concerned about it before, not sure I would stress over it now.

Hi ladies... I know I have been absentee for awhile. Sorry bout that. Just want to give everyone my 6 week post op update. Time has flown by since surgery. Today my official weigh-in brought me to a total of 46.5 pounds lost. Awesome. It is hard to remember how miserable I was on liquids! lol. Oatmeal is no longer the best tasting stuff on earth. It is just plain old oatmeal again. The biggest changes for me right now: ~My tight 32's are now all loose ~My energy level has soared ~My appetite is non-existant ~Sugar no longer rules my life I am still amazed that I have not had ice-cream in months. I really think the strict pre-op and the liquid post-op helped tremendously in kicking my sugar addiction. I had a cookie at work a few days ago and realized how easy it would be to fall back into the routine of consuming sugar after every meal. I really need to remain vigilant about that. Things I need to improve on: ~Getting my daily water intake up ~Eating more food (yes I feel like I eat too little) ~Adding exercise back into daily routine My water intake has been sketchy at best. I am lucky if I get 32oz in a day. Today I guzzled one glass before I ate breakfast to get started. On workdays it is easier to keep track because I keep my water bottle by my side. At home, I get a little lackadaisical about it. I also have not picked back up on my 5K training. I have been more active around the house cleaning, painting, and re-organizing... but that should not keep me from getting out and going for a run for 45 minutes a day. I also need to start going to the gym and mixing things up so I don't get bored. So that is where I am at right now. I go for my first fill tomorrow. I am not sure how I feel about that. I have been enjoying my weight loss without really having to alter my drinking with eating. I know I also still eat probably a bit too fast. That will all come to an end tomorrow. Time to really listen to my body and my band. Time to slow down. It will be interesting. Woofay~ Congrats on Onederland girl. That is flipping awesome! WTG! Also... I will send out a card to Dr K... love that idea! Thanks Liteweight.

Hey Michelle. I had researched the band back in 2005. Was going to get it then, but insurance wasn't going to cover it. So I started working with a dietitian, trainer and going to the gym. I lost 50 pounds. So I decided I didn't need the lap band anymore, and could do it on my own. Well I put the 50 pounds back on over the last 2 years, and an additional 20 friends came along for the ride. That is when I came back here and decided I was going to go self pay. Someone posted a link to Dr K on my blog (not the OH one) and that is how I heard about him. I really think this was the path I was meant to take. Two years ago I just wasn't as ready for this change as I am now. Two years ago Dr K wasn't doing lapband. Two years ago the lapband placement wasn't as perfected and advanced as it is now. Lots of good reasons why two years ago just wasn't meant to be for me. :thumbup:

Hi Anita... Do you have an OH account? I think you need an account to write a review. Then in your profile you can add your Surgeon Testimonial. I actually edited mine a bit today because I didn't like how I had worded the part about Paula. I just felt the nutritionist aspect of the program was lacking... but since I am out of state, I think that has a large part to do with it.

Brandy~ The wine is good for your heart. :thumbdown: One night is not the end of the world, as long as you get back on the "band" wagon. I haven't tested myself by going to a restaurant. Mentally I am telling myself I have restriction, so I don't overdo it. Hell last night I had almost a 60z cut of Salmon and 1/4 cup of steamed broccoli and I felt guilty. I think we are programmed to feel guilty. You will be fine! Amieru~ Great job on the weightloss. That shows some awesome pre-band commitment. Keep chug chugging away. You are going to do so good! Dee~ Here is the link to Dr K's profile at OH ---> LINK

Oh... just wanted to add... thanks to all who wrote testimonials on Dr K's profile at OH. YEAH! He has a bunch now. Mission accomplished! :thumbup::thumbup:

Michelle... thanks for the bellyUps tip. I will try that!! Natalie at Dr K's office told me 4 weeks. Waaah... I wanna work out NOW. lol. I guess I can wait one more week. All you RR girls and guys look so good! Jealous I can't join y'all. :tt2: I FINALLY decided to try food food tonight. Had my favorite salmon and broccoli recipe. YUM! It was sooo good. Definitely do not feel ANY restriction. I went slow... chewed well... and had no issues at all. Ate almost the whole 6 oz Salmon (minus 2 bites) and about 1/4 cup steamed broccoli. Nummy. :tt1: Hubby wants to cook steak tomorrow. Told him I am not going to test the tummy that much yet! :thumbup:

Hi Della. I wasn't on meds for medical problems... just anti-dep. I am actually doing TONS better now! :thumbup: I am actually 31... not in my fifties. I am sure you will do fine if you continue on the same path you ae now with your medication. Best of luck to you with your upcoming surgery!

Thanks Dee. I will call the office tomorrow. I do look cute don't I! :drool::wink: Now it is time to smother the hubby in my cuteness. Bwahahaha. :tongue2: <--- love that new smilie!

Treadmill is BORING. Elliptical FUN. I feel like I also get a MUCH better workout on a elliptical. I sold my Precor Treadmill because I just never used it. Eventually I want to replace it with an Elliptical. The gym is going to have to do for now.

Dee~ So glad you are feeling well! Yippee!! :biggrin2::biggrin2: I happen to be in a great mood today too. Got my hairs cut, and got a one month FREE trial membership to LA Fitness. I can SCHMOOZE :tongue2: hehe... So ladies... speaking of gym memberships. WHEN can I start working out. D K never went over it with me. lol. I guess I should call the office tomorrow. I know I can't do kickboxing etc... but I really want to do aquacizing and the elliptical. I am officially 3 weeks out. Yeah! I am still to afraid to move to real food. Someone tell me it will be ok. lol. I am eating my mushies too fast, which I have been getting away with. If I eat solids to fast... I am worried. I feel NO restriction right now though! Hrmph. Oooo I love how they put all the smilies on the bottom! Fun!! :drool:

I see your point. They can remove it later if they choose to. They would still have a chance for negative effects, whether it be with the stomach or liver. (ie rubbing, adhering) No where as significant with trying to reverse RNY though.

I don't think the reversible thing should have been mentioned more. Technically it is... but that isn't the point. Yes it can be removed, but that shouldn't happen unless there are problems. As for the teenagers getting the band. I guess I am going to be in the minority, but I just don't agree with a 13 year old going in. I agree with Dr Oz in that a non-adult is not mature enough to make that kind of decision. I also agee with him that the surgery is forced behavior modification. Specially with the band. A 13 year old is still young enough that I think a parent should work with them on the behavior modification. I think that had my parents been more proactive at helping me when I was younger, I wouldn't have had to take this step now. Yes there are exceptions to this... i.e. the 20% that Dr Oz stated have biological causes as well. I just think that at 13, her mom should have put the same energy into trying to help resolve the psychological issues that she did trying to get her the surgery. As for the 16yoa Mac. He at least went through a lot more testing and addressed the psychological aspect BEFORE surgery. I still think he was too young for such a drastic measure... but at least he addressed issues before hand and went through a six month process of evaluation. Hopefully he understood more what he was in store for. Like I said, I guess I am in the minority. I really feel like the lapband is forced behavior modification. We HAVE to eat better. We HAVE to eat less. We HAVE to listen to our body and learn what satiety is. The band forces us to. I have 31 years of BAD eating habits to unlearn. I needed this tool to help me. Specially now after being banded, albeit not very long. I realize just how STRONG the psychological portion is. I though I knew before hand, and had a good handle on it. Boy was I wrong.

Just thought I would post this here. When I was originally researching Dr K... I was a bit freaked that he had barely ANY testimonials on the ObesityHelp website. Then I found this thread and got all my answers I needed. Well for someone who doesn't find this thread, I wouldn't want them to be swayed from an excellent surgeon because of the lack in testimonials. Soooo... if you are a member of OH... please take a minute to review your experience. I am sure Dr K would appreciate it! :eek: :frown: Dr K on OH

Oh sorry... just wanted to add. I have never heard of the surgeon you posted.

I guess it depends on who your insurance will cover. I was self pay so I went to Colorado for my surgery. I tried to find aftercare here in Tucson and had no luck. I am doing my aftercare in Flagstaff with Dr Berger. Mainly chose him because he uses Fluoro for fills. I love him. I went with a friend for her fill and thought the facilities were excellent and I love the fact that he does fills under fluoro. I went to a seminar for Dr Blackstone (Scottsdale) and was impressed with her. Had planned on using her in the beginning of my research, until I found out my insurance wasn't going to pay. I also heard she is better for RNY than she is LapBands, that she prefers to do RNY and the majority of her practice is such. That info came from antoher surgeon's staff... so I take that with a grain of salt. *shrug* I was very impressed with WLIAZ Dr DeBarros & Dr Orris (Tempe). I was going to use them for my follow up care originally, but their program is spendy for a self payer. They are VERY good surgeons and are considered amongst the top 3 in the region. There is also Dr. Chiasson and Dr. Burpee out of Northwest Hospital in Tucson. I got a great impression from their staff, very friendly. Did not attend their seminar or research them fully. I was looking into them for aftercare. I was NOT impressed with Dr. Schwartz's staff (Tucson). At all. I guess initially I was disappointed he wouldn't take me for aftercare, but out of all the places I called, his staff took the longest to respond and were not friendly. That was enough for me to know I did not want to have to deal with that office on a long term basis. In all fairness, I have not met with him personally, nor I have researched his practice. He was out of my price range. Your best bet is to check out ObesityHelp.com. They have a lot of surgeons profiles, along with reviews. That might help you narrow down who you want to look into first. Here is the link for LapBand surgeons in AZ with a profile there. Good luck!

I think it is gone. I wish I could redo my list also. I REALLY appreciated that feature.