Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum - Considering Dr. Kirshenbaum

[mem620 3]

Hello Bella-

Much to my shame...put me down for zero pounds this week. I had a good loss early in the week and went to a wedding on Saturday and well, you know how it goes. Ugh!

Mary

[Lap_dancer 8]

Sad news :purplebananna: I think I will have to postpone my surgery to a later date because Dr K recommended I see my GP about a possible abdominal hernia :Banane01: I've booked my flight and room (holiday inn -- thanks for the recommendations) so it all hinges on my GP clearing me on Tuesday or hauling butt through some testing so I can stay with the 10th. On top of losing my date I have the worry that something is in disarray in my belly.

I had my consult with the nutritionist Paula Peirce and that went really well. I'm so happy with all of the interaction with his staff.

I guess a little patience for safety cant be bad.

Be patient friend. If it is meant to be it will be. Feel safe in the knowledge that your doctor is not in it for the buck$ (take the money and run) but puts our health first and foremost.

*side thought* I had a child with disabilities and another who manifested arthritis in 3rd grade. I also work with the deaf as a sign language interpreter. I've had a wealth of doctor's experiences..as have the ones on here who work in healthcare. We're the ones who sniff out the good doctors. Doctor K is one of those doctors.

.......................................................

I want to talk a bit about the fills and headwork and finding the green sweet spot.

I had my surgery on April 17, 2007, that is two years ago. It was not the flight to Denver for fills, or not enough fills, it was not until, I believe, my last fill in February of 2008 that I hit my green zone/sweet spot. The card says the green zone is when you feel full soon, have longer periods of time between meals and you are not hungry or craving food and you are losing weight. You are not having GERD or productive burps, do not feel pain when swallowing. Since this is the first time in perhaps twenty years since I would begin to know what normal people feel when they experience fullness, or that "I'm hungry now" feeling, I had to learn to tune into that and train my head and body to listen. So in all fairness, it took me a year to hit that place. But I'm still learning new things. I'm learning when instinct tells me that today at this time of the day, based on what I have eaten all day, bread is not a good selection, I should listen rather than taking two bites, knowing that hung up feeling, spitting it the next bite before I get worse and feeding the cats my sandwich...I need to listen more.

A friend said "It took you 20 years to gain it all you can't expect to take it all off in one year." Yup I tell myself.

[Lap_dancer 8]

I had my surgery on April 17 and stayed at the Marriott Denver South At Park Meadows. Very nice plush beds and close to the Park Meadows Mall which I love to shop at. Good luck with your surgery. By the way I went and got my hotel on priceline.com the room was supposed to be a 200$ a night room and I got it for 50$ a night. Again good luck.

Thanks for the tip!!!!!!

[Laptastic 0]

I also work with the deaf as a sign language interpreter. QUOTE]

Hey, I'm a sign language interpreter too!

[deboregon 0]

I'm returning to Denver in 4 weeks for my first fill. Dr. K said it would be in my best interest to get my first fill from him. The doctors here in Atlanta fill you very slowly and Dr. K tries to get you to restriction quickly. Sounds good to me! Anyway, does anyone know of a hotel that's within walking distance of his office? I was thinking I could take a shuttle to the hotel and save on the rental car. Dr. K does want me to stay overnight after the fill to be sure I'm not too tight. Thanks.

If you go for a day only, go on priceline and bid for a rental car. I am staying overnight this trip and got a great deal on hotel that I put a bid on. Saved enough that the rental car wasn't too bad.

[deboregon 0]

Next week is the final weigh in???:purplebananna::eek: Man, I thought it was the end of the month....oh, well.....

[Lap_dancer 8]

It seems Dr. Kirshenbaum has a big following on this forum. I think from what I have read I will be putting him at the top of the list for Surgeons. I have a few questions:

1. How many Lap-Bands has he done?

2. If I fly and have it done and then go back home, whats the average cost for a different doc to do the fills?

Great questions!

I don't know how many lap band sugeries he has done but I can tell you he's done 10K laparoscopic surgeries. Since the scope is what is used to place the band and do the surgery, I felt at 10,000 SURGERIES, that beats the hundred or so required by a Centers of Excellence. Want to know more about him? I did some research...check this:

Sixth paragraph down in the article:

When Routine Surgery Turns Into a Nightmare - ReliableAnswers.com

2. Fill center USA here in Florida charged me initial visit $300. Each fill post that was $150, now you want my take on fills?

I went to Colorado about every 5 months that first year not including my six week post op. From Tampa, I can fly round trip for $200 not including rental but they do have shuttle services to hotels. Technically I could do a quick turnaround the same day but I figure, what the heck, once every five months, I leave FLORIDA and fly to the Rocky Mountains. In three days including my fill, I've seen everything from Buffalo Bills grave on top of a mountain (the drive was awesome), my husband toured the Coors factory in Golden, he also went skiing in Breckenridge one day while I went to the doctor and did a little shopping. I look at my fills like a mini vacation and don't we all need vacations! Beautiful part of the country and I just love going out there.

Once I knew I was self pay it was like going on a shopping spree...gee, where do I want to be in case I have a little medical situation? Do I want to look out and see snow capped mountains? or do I want cactus and people who don't speak English as their native language. (I'm just saying is all...remember I'm a translator for a job so that allows some selectivity on my part) I picked this awesome doctor after researching his history and then calling the office. The staff is real user friendly. Remember...to get to the doctor you gotta go through the staff so that was important. Natalie is what I call the 'go to' girl. She's email accessible and if I call, I can typically get her (but I seldom call).

I hope this helps. I recognized your questions because they were the same ones I had!!! hahahah. Great minds.

Best of luck.

[Lap_dancer 8]

1. How many Lap-Bands has he done?

I am not sure of how many, but I am sure someone on here knows. He's done thousands of lap procedures though.

2. If I fly and have it done and then go back home, whats the average cost for a different doc to do the fills?

The fills here are $250 for the fluoroscope and $100 for the regular fills. It would actually be cheaper to fly out to Denver than get a fill here.

OHHHH and I forgot to mention, I'm not suggesting he does this all the time but Dr. K hits my port first time every time. You're getting a surgeon to do the fills! The one time I went to Fill Center USA closest to me, she was super nice, tried her best but MISSED my port and was even digging a little to get a hit. I was sick for the next four months, stomach hurt, appetite was funky...this is my experience and not typical, who knows what happened that day but I decided then not to risk my band getting damaged and have to fly out to Denver, have my port unfilled and find the solution was discolored with particles in it (truth), no, the investment in my wellness became a whole action commitment and I decided to follow up with fills from Dr. K only. But again, everyone has different experiences and mine could be an isolated incident with the fill center USA.

Keep asking questions, it's a good way to find out information.

[julie.ann 1]

Well put me down for a loss of 2.9. Yeah. Only one pound away from my goal of the century mark!

[lotzasunshine 2]

Put me down for 0 this week. I've been sick, and puked a few times. idk if it was band related or just me being sick.

[KayleighsMommy 16]

Put me down for +1.2 <sigh> I just can't seem to get it together. :purplebananna:

[deboregon 0]

Put me down for -1.

[BellaPerdente 0]

MEMORIAL DAY CHALLENGE (In memory of the way we used to eat!)

First weigh-in: April 6 Last weigh-in: May 25 (seven weeks)

******************************Week 1**Week 2**Week 3**Week 4**Week 5**Week 6

JMEGIRL....................(Goal 14lbs) +0.6 +0.8 -4.8 :smile2: -0 ?

LOTZASUNSHINE........(Goal 8.5lbs) -.5:smile2: -3.5:smile2: -2.5 :smile2: -2.5 :smile2: -1.5 :smile2: -0 :redface:

KAYLEIGHSMOMMY.....(Goal 15lbs) ? +8 -7 :smile2: -2 :smile2: -3.8 :smile2: +1.2 :crying:

JULIE.ANN....................(Goal 13.5) -2:smile2: -1.8:smile2: -2.2 :smile2: -1.1 :smile2: -2 :smile2: -2.9 :frown:

MISSCHERYL..............(Goal 15lbs) -1.5:smile2: -1.5:smile2: -1.5:thumbup:

PRTYANTOVRYT.........(Goal 25lbs) -2:smile2: -0 -5.6:smile2: -3.6 :smile2: -3 :smile2: -2 :huh2:

BELLAPERDENTE.........(Goal 14lbs) -3:smile2: -.5:smile2: +1 -1 :smile2: -1 :smile2: -1.5

LAPTASTIC................(Goal 15lbs) -1:smile2: +1 -4 :smile2: -3 :smile2: -2 :smile2: -2 :wub:

DEBOREGON...............(Goal 10lbs) -1:smile2: -2.5:smile2: -2.6 :smile2: +2 -0 -1:thumbup:

MEM620....................(Goal 14lbs) -2:smile2: -1:smile2: -.5 :smile2: -.5 :smile2: -2 :smile2: -0 :smile2:

MINIDRIVER...............(Goal 10lbs) -1.2:smile2: -2.4:smile2: ? :smile2: +.6

SNOWGATOR..............(Goal 8lbs) -1:smile2: -2:smile2: -2 :smile2: -0 -3 :sad:

[Lap_dancer 8]

:mad:MEMORIAL DAY CHALLENGE (In memory of the way we used to eat!)

First weigh-in: April 6 Last weigh-in: May 25 (seven weeks)

******************************Week 1**Week 2**Week 3**Week 4**Week 5**Week 6

JMEGIRL....................(Goal 14lbs) +0.6 +0.8 -4.8 :smile2: -0 ?

LOTZASUNSHINE........(Goal 8.5lbs) -.5:smile2: -3.5:smile2: -2.5 :smile2: -2.5 :smile2: -1.5 :smile2: -0

KAYLEIGHSMOMMY.....(Goal 15lbs) ? +8 -7 :smile2: -2 :smile2: -3.8 :smile2: +1.2 :laugh:

JULIE.ANN....................(Goal 13.5) -2:smile2: -1.8:smile2: -2.2 :smile2: -1.1 :smile2: -2 :smile2: -2.9

MISSCHERYL..............(Goal 15lbs) -1.5:smile2: -1.5:smile2: -1.5:thumbup:

PRTYANTOVRYT.........(Goal 25lbs) -2:smile2: -0 -5.6:smile2: -3.6 :smile2: -3 :smile2: -2

BELLAPERDENTE.........(Goal 14lbs) -3:smile2: -.5:smile2: +1 -1 :smile2: -1 :smile2: -1.5 :thumbup:

LAPTASTIC................(Goal 15lbs) -1:smile2: +1 -4 :smile2: -3 :smile2: -2 :smile2: -2 :thumbup:

DEBOREGON...............(Goal 10lbs) -1:smile2: -2.5:smile2: -2.6 :smile2: +2 -0 -1:thumbup:

MEM620....................(Goal 14lbs) -2:smile2: -1:smile2: -.5 :smile2: -.5 :smile2: -2 :smile2: -0

MINIDRIVER...............(Goal 10lbs) -1.2:smile2: -2.4:smile2: ? :smile2: +.6

SNOWGATOR..............(Goal 8lbs) -1:smile2: -2:smile2: -2 :smile2: -0 -3 :thumbup:

Congratulations bandsters!!!!!!!

[Lap_dancer 8]

June 9th meeters at RR (that's the right date? )

Please read

I am doing a documentary film on my Lap Band experience. I will be filming at our meeting as part of the support and friendship aspect of having the surgery.

I will have my camera with me when I come to our gathering but I would also like the chance to interview, as in five minutes or less, a few to describe your personal experience prior to the band, any event that stands out and then where you are with your band journey.

I'm doing this for a professional project. I will be translating the film into American Sign for other professionals like myself, or the deaf, to utilize as a source of information.

If you are interested in participating, please pm me or contact me via email at handjive1228@yahoo.com thanks.

Patty