Hi there,

I am considering Dr. Kirshenbaum in Aurora, CO (www.lapbandrockies.com) I know that there are a few of you in LBT that went to him. I am interested in knowing your thoughts on him and if you have had any complications. I am just a little leary since the price is so low, there is little on the internet about him, and I will be traveling from WI to have this done. Any information you could provide would be much apppreciated...

Thanks!

Sheila:)

congrats to those who lost and those who didn't gain...support to those who inched upwards...we all know those weeks!

wish i could be at RR with u guys...have an adult beverage for me someone!!

Well, I'm pulling out all the stops! I have 121 days til my plastic surgery! I'm okay with having my procedure at this weight, however, IF I can lose more, I'll be sooo much happier!

As of this Wed, I'll have 18 weeks - 18 weeks to work out and eat right!

I just read Jillian Michaels book, "Mastering Your Metabolism" -- I'm going to follow her suggestions and see what happens! It's a whole food plan and it follows my belief of eating what is healthy and balanced. She states that feeding your body is important - starvation will just ruin your metabolism for the future and make keeping your weight off more difficult!

Well, we shall see how it works!

Wish me luck!

Dee--

I didn't know you had decided for sure on where to go. Are you going to Mexico still??

I am so happy and excited for you (though, I must admit... a bit envious :biggrin: ) I can't wait to see the new you!!!!! :biggrin:

...have an adult beverage for me someone!!

I just might have 2!!!! :biggrin:

I know exactly what you mean! I am very sad about my loose skin. The odd thing is that when I weighed over 450lbs, I would go swimming in public and I felt okay about it. People stared, but they were looking at fat. I wasn't a freak, just a big fat woman. Now the skin on my thighs hang, my calves, knees, AND don't even talk about my arms. I look like a freak! Something that people just stare at! NOW I can't swim in public anymore. I just can't! So I am left swimming very late at night at the pool. Which is okay and I am fortunate to have that option, but I know exactly what you mean!

I hope you are getting better with your reflux. How horrible! Maybe you're not so tight anymore.

You've had such a stressful year Marie. You can be proud of yourself for getting through this tough time and not gaining weight. We all know that even with our Bands, we can gain.

Hang in there!

Thanks for the kind words. I was just having a bad day yesterday. I am down 0 for this week, but it's better than gaining. I should be more grateful for how far I have some in the past year. I am glad that you are getting your PS. It will feel awesome!

Hey Patty,

I loved the slide show. How far you have come!

FYI - I had a false positive for Hep C five or six years ago. Many follow-up tests show that I never had it. I wish you the same.

Mary

Hey Patty,

I loved the slide show. How far you have come!

FYI - I had a false positive for Hep C five or six years ago. Many follow-up tests show that I never had it. I wish you the same.

Mary

I"m hoping the same Mary! Patty has come so far, she is my inspiration!

Can you join us at Red Robin? Which date is best for you?

Hi everyone,

I just got home from two weeks in Savannah plus the drive home. I ate my way accross several states and managed to gain two pounds. BUT in the good-ole-days, I would have gained 10 pounds!

So it is back to the grindstone for me.

Weekends don't work for me for Red Robin, it's such a long drive from home, plus we have stuff going almost every weekend through labor day. But I wish you all well and hopefully will see you in September.

Mary

Thanks for the kind words. I was just having a bad day yesterday. I am down 0 for this week, but it's better than gaining. I should be more grateful for how far I have some in the past year. I am glad that you are getting your PS. It will feel awesome!

Well, it's all about mobility for me. The rashes are getting bad and my backaches are worse. I got this tummy support belt from the maternity shop and the lady asked me how far along I am. My heart sank, I would love to be having another baby. But alas, my answer was, "I'm just fat and I have a really bad "apron" so I'm hoping this works for me."

Dee--

I didn't know you had decided for sure on where to go. Are you going to Mexico still??

I am so happy and excited for you (though, I must admit... a bit envious :biggrin: ) I can't wait to see the new you!!!!! :cool:

Mexico is where I'm going - with Dr. Sauceda. I wish you were going with me, we could do a 2 for 1! He's so very nice!

congrats to those who lost and those who didn't gain...support to those who inched upwards...we all know those weeks!

wish i could be at RR with u guys...have an adult beverage for me someone!!

I wish you were with us too! You're a blast!

Either one works for me!!! :biggrin:

Got it Julie, thanks! I can do either one too! AND so can Snowgator. So we're just checking in with everyone else to see if there is a majority preference!

Well, it's all about mobility for me. The rashes are getting bad and my backaches are worse. I got this tummy support belt from the maternity shop and the lady asked me how far along I am. My heart sank, I would love to be having another baby. But alas, my answer was, "I'm just fat and I have a really bad "apron" so I'm hoping this works for me."

You'll have to let me know if it works. I have been wondering if one would work for me.... at least get the apron up a bit further . I'm just to cheap to spend the money on something that may do me no good. :biggrin:

Mexico is where I'm going - with Dr. Sauceda. I wish you were going with me, we could do a 2 for 1! He's so very nice!

Gee, I wish.....

I don't see surgery any time in my near future, between the cost, having a little one at home and my MIL's illness. :biggrin: I will be so excited to see how you do, and I guess I will just have to live vicariously through you for now. :biggrin:

You'll have to let me know if it works. I have been wondering if one would work for me.... at least get the apron up a bit further . I'm just to cheap to spend the money on something that may do me no good. :biggrin:

I'm hoping it works for me. The lady was extremely helpful. She allowed me to try a sample on in the dressing room. It seemed to help a bit. This and the new Flexees from Costco will hopefully make a difference. I love the Flexees.

Mexico is where I'm going - with Dr. Sauceda. I wish you were going with me, we could do a 2 for 1! He's so very nice!

Gee, I wish.....

I don't see surgery any time in my near future, between the cost, having a little one at home and my MIL's illness. :cool: I will be so excited to see how you do, and I guess I will just have to live vicariously through you for now. :biggrin:

Well, I'm praying for the best from this procedure. The cost is so much lower in Mexico and if things work out well, maybe at a later date you can do it too.

I'm hoping it works for me. The lady was extremely helpful. She allowed me to try a sample on in the dressing room. It seemed to help a bit. This and the new Flexees from Costco will hopefully make a difference. I love the Flexees.

I've never heard of Flexees. Are they like Spanx?? Cuz Spanx alone are doing nothing for me. I did consider getting some sort of belt plus wearing the Spanx for a little "compression". :biggrin:

I've never heard of Flexees. Are they like Spanx?? Cuz Spanx alone are doing nothing for me. I did consider getting some sort of belt plus wearing the Spanx for a little "compression". :biggrin:

Flexees are a bit less radical than the Spanx. IF I wear the proper size Spanx, they are extremely restrictive and not comfortable. The Flexees can be worn everyday, which, I now do, because they are less uncomfortable and bring everything up into the right place or as close as possible. I have several pairs of Spanx, but just feel they are not comfortable enough to wear everyday.

Hey Patty,

I loved the slide show. How far you have come!

FYI - I had a false positive for Hep C five or six years ago. Many follow-up tests show that I never had it. I wish you the same.

Mary

Thanks Mary. That lifts my spirits today. THANK YOU for telling me you got a false positive. I don't fit the profile so we start all over again tomorrow to see how healthy my liver is.

I"m hoping the same Mary! Patty has come so far, she is my inspiration!

Can you join us at Red Robin? Which date is best for you?

I would love to join you all at RR. I really could use a shot in the arm from you all. Just being around you all and see your smiling faces and laughing. Dee you are my inspriation.

Well, it's all about mobility for me. The rashes are getting bad and my backaches are worse. I got this tummy support belt from the maternity shop and the lady asked me how far along I am. My heart sank, I would love to be having another baby. But alas, my answer was, "I'm just fat and I have a really bad "apron" so I'm hoping this works for me."

and speaking of inspiration, I am arm and arm with you on the skin thing. I had a rash so bad and thank God I was in the hospital so they could document it, the UNDER rash was bright red, sweating, and my skin was peeling. I thought it was just itching and my pain management doctor read the report from the heart doctor and informed me that my incident was caused by some type of compression on my heart. The only thing I had done prior to the event was put on my underwire bra, that wire digs into my chest wall to hold up my DDDD size hooters. I then laid down on my chest because I was hurting so much. Then I couldn't not breathe well. If I do not continue to lose in the chest, the pain management doctor is recommending a breast reduction to my Primary Care Physician who will forward it to the plastic surgeon.

Mexico is where I'm going - with Dr. Sauceda. I wish you were going with me, we could do a 2 for 1! He's so very nice!

If I can't get insurance to pay for any of my plastics, I'm right there behind you. How exciting for you Dee. I'll have to look up that book you were talking about.

I am even more determined now, slow and steady wins the race. Wish me luck for tomorrow. I have my gallbladder MRI and my PCP visit to start the liver journey.

Got it Julie, thanks! I can do either one too! AND so can Snowgator. So we're just checking in with everyone else to see if there is a majority preference!

I'm a big zero again this week. I'd love to do Red Robin. I'll be in Seattle on the 16th, but am available on the 9th...or any Tuesday or Thursday.