MissCheryl

Love the name! Except soon you'll be SkinnynSassy! I had gall bladder surgery many years ago and had a much worse time than after the lap band. Dr. K is such a great surgeon, he is much more gentle inside of you than most. As others have said keep ahead of the pain. My wonderful hubby set the alarm at night to wake me up and give me my pain meds, it helps SO much. Also get up and walk around, it's the best thing you can do. I have a real fear of IV's (I know, it's silly) so I asked Dr. K if he could give me something for the morning of the surgery, he gave me a script for a Valium and it made all of the difference. I really didn't want to be in a panic before I went under, and I wasn't, something to think about. You'll be SO glad you did this, I weighed myself this morning and I'm in OnederLand (199!) and to know that I will NEVER see that number 2 again is such an amazing feeling. Good luck to you, keep thinking good thoughts, let us know how you are doing! Cheryl

Congrats on your upcoming surgery! When I had my surgery in March my husband and I stayed at the Comfort Suites: http://www.denver.com/comfort-suites-tech-center/ which was very nice for a long stay with a kitchen/living room separate from the bedroom area. The fridge sure came in handy for drinks and your medication. Expedia had a buy 3 nights get a 4th night free, check all of the online reservation companies for deals. The recliner in the living room is perfect for lounging after surgery. The huge free breakfast is great for your traveling companion. The location is right between the hospital and Dr. K's office and 2 miles from a large mall. Good luck with your surgery, I'm sure you'll love Dr. K and his wonderful team! Cheryl

Marcy, You can read this section from the beginning, but after awhile you'll see most of the talk tends to be about personal stuff. I have never in my life encountered a doctor like Dr.K before. He is so personable and responsive to questions or problems, I've never had a doctor call me back himself, NEVER. Not only that but he is an excellent surgeon, I had hardly any pain to speak of after my surgery, which was 3/3 of this year, and I know that is because of his skill and the thousands of laproscopic procedures he has preformed. He always uses the same team with his surgeries, which is very important and he uses an MD as his anesthesiologist. He worked very hard to get the hospital to lower it's rates to offer this surgery at such a great price, I doubt that he'll ever get rich with his lap band patients. His aftercare with fills is virtually free, it is cheaper for me to fly to CO from NC and spend the night than to see a doctor locally for fills, plus it's just great to touch base with him and his wonderful staff. I am SO glad I had this surgery and I know finding Dr. K was meant to be. Read as much as you can about the procedure and if you think the band is for you, you can't do better than Dr. K, at ANY price! You can always send me a personal message if you have any specific questions. Hope to see you among his happy patients in the future. Cheryl

Don't worry, keep your date of the 11th, I'll meet up with you guys some day. Cheryl

WOW! Great job, you are looking fab, thanks for sharing! Cheryl

Gang, I'd love to be able to catch up with you all sometime. I'll be there the night of the 12th for a fill, any chance you could change the meeting to then? Cheryl

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! How special to be given a surprise party!! Cheryl

Well, a big fat goose egg for last week. I'm glad I'm getting my 2nd fill next week, I'm getting really hungry between meals, it's the first time since my surgery on 3/3. I read that it sometimes takes a few fills to get restriction. I'm still really thrilled with the band, best thing I EVER did for myself. Let's hope this second fill will do the trick. By the way, my wonderful hubby and I celebrate our 30th anniversary on Wednesday, might have to have dessert for the first time in 3 months! Cheryl

Bella, Sorry I didn't post last week, please put me down for -1.5 last week and -1.5 for this week! Thanks, Cheryl

Marie, I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad, I lost mine last year, too. It does get better, try to concentrate on great memories, they will get you through. Cheryl

Heather, Welcome! Isn't Dr. K the greatest? I've never met a doc quite like him. I think the reason we all have such an easy time with the surgery is because of his great skill. Can't wait to hear aboout your weight loss! Cheryl

Bella, GOOD FOR YOU! I've just been banded a little over a month but I know what you mean, food just isn't that exciting anymore, for the first time in my life. The band was one of the best things I've ever done for myself. Put me down for -1.5 so far! Cheryl

Hello all, I've been on this forum for a couple of months but just found this NC thread! I was banded on 3/3/09 in Denver CO with Dr.Kirshenbaum, I'm a self-payer and he has a great rate, not to mention he's the best doctor I've ever seen! So far I've lost about 22 pounds, I go back to Denver for my first fill this Tuesday the 7th. My husband of 30 years and I are originally form CA and moved to Morehead City about 5 years ago, we LOVE it here. So far the band has been SO easy, it will only get better after a fill. Hope everyone else is doing well, too! We in Eastern NC should get together sometime. Cheryl

CONGRATS! I have 8 more pounds to reach that milestone, but I'm ahead of you in another, we have our 30th in a month! GOOD FOR YOU!!!

Bella, My goal is 15 pounds, thanks again!

Bella, Please include me in the Memorial Day challenge, my first, thanks for doing all the work! My goal is 15 pounds, and right after Memorial Day we leave on a cruise to celebrate our 30th anniversary, it would be nice to have to buy some new clothes for that trip! I get my first fill on Tuesday the 7th. I forgot to ask the Doc, do we have food restrictions before or after the fill? Cheryl

I can walk longer and farther than I have in years. I am now into a 1X. Miss Patty, Not to worry! I am so thrilled for you, all of those milestones are SO very important. The weight loss is great but your body is healing, too. Your endurance is wonderful, it will just get better. Patty, want some clothes? If you do send me a private message with your address and I'll send you a care package! Everyone else, Hopefully I'll get to meet you all some day! My first fill is April 7th, have that night free if anything is going on just let me know. Next fill I'll check to see when the monthly meeting is so I can join you all. Cheryl PS: How do I have the photo I uploaded show when I post???

Howdy! Patty and I are going to be in Denver for fills on April 7th so we're meeting up at the Rockbottom in Englewood at 7:00 PM on the 7th. We'd love for you to come, and anyone else who's up for it! Cheryl

Welcome Step68! This was the first message board I ever joined, too, it has been SO helpful! I had my surgery on March 3rd and I'm doing great. It's been so easy, it's hard to believe sometimes! I think the best advise to you all is to think positive, visualize good results and an easy recovery. Make sure you have everything you'll need at home before your surgery date. Keep up with your pain med's, even set the alarm at night so you don't miss a dose. Let yourself sleep the first couple of days, sleep on your back, of course, with lots of pillows under your knees, that will take the pressure off your stomach muscles. Good luck to you all, check back in and let us all know how you're doing and if you have any questions!

Wow, you did great, I stayed in Denver for 3 nights and thought I was brave! I'm glad to hear it went well for you. Welcome to the Dr. K fan club and the loser's bench!

Hope your belly feels better soon, mine took about 6 days before I could say it wasn't sore anymore. Try liquid Tylenol if you don't want to take a narcotic. I know, the soup routine gets old. I also ate Greek yogurt, know it's not a true liquid but it melts in your mouth and has lots of protein. I found a great tasting protein powder on www.Vitacost.com, my favorite online store for vitamins and such, it's called Gold Standard Whey. It's quite a bit less expensive then others I've seen and has great ratings on the website. I've mixed a scoop of the chocolate with a package of sugar free hot choclotae mix for a real treat at night. The vanilla is good, too, and blends well with other flavors. Another favorite find is V8 Fusion Light, it's a vegtable/fruit juice drink really yummy and great ingredients, it comes in 3 flavors. Here's too us all, just think where we'll be NEXT March!

I just had my surgery with Dr. Jerry Kirshenbaum (lapbandrockies.com) on 3/3. I have NEVER been so impressed with a doctor, office staff or his hospital team. I flew all the way from NC because of his good name and reasonable prices for we self payers. Check him out, you won't be disappointed. There's a large thread with all of his happy clients in this forum, too. Good luck!

So how was your first day back to work? What kind of work do you do, how is everyone coping with returning to work? I'm so backed up from taking time off it's crazy, but it feels good to be productive, guess our bodies will tell us if we're overdoing it!