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:)

I have to post this and sorry if I sound like I'm whining but this process sucks. I've had 3 fills and still no weight loss. Just tried to set up a fill appointment and Chae wants me to wait another 3 to 5 weeks before he gives me another. Bulllshit. It doesn't take 4-6 weeks for me to see and know that the fills I've received aren't working. I did feel a little more restriction with my last fill on Feb 24th. In fact, I've even had a blockage on a couple of occasions. Big bites and not chewing enough did it. If I chew well then I can still eat till my hearts content. \

I know that another fill will get me close to where I want to be and find it hard to just sit and bide my time. I'm tired of biding time and want to get this rocket off the pad.

Dan. I'm so sorry you are feeling this way. Go ahead and whine, I will whine right along with you. I am having no better result with my bypass.

All I can tell you is what people have been telling me. It will work.

I have a friend who lives in Lakewood. She is in the same boat as you. She was banded in September (I think) and still is not feeling restriction.

This is her second band. She saw the same idiot I did for the first one, and had the same bad result.

Now, she is not feeling restriction with this new band yet. Perhaps we should invite her to our next RR night??

I wish I had some other insight for you than just saying hang on in there, you will ultimataely get where you need to be. It just sucks in the meantime.

Have you lost anything yet?

I lost 12 lbs the first two weeks and have maintained that loss. But I can still eat what i want. I'm exercising and watching what I eat. I'm not dieting but isn't that why we had bariatric sugery? I think I could get into big time dieting again if I could feel some restriction.

Chae called me back and I'm going in next week for fill #4. I know many people have had the same problem I'm having but this sitting around for the next fill is BS when I know it's not going to get any better.

Love to meet your friend. Invite her or have her login in here? Misery loves company.

Looking forward to our support group(North Suburban) meeting next week. Fill #4 yesterday didn't seem to make a big difference. I guess I don't know what I'm supposed to be feeling? I thought I'd have this small pouch above my stomach that filled up quicker and stayed full longer due to food not passing through as quickly?

Since fill #3 I've had several bouts where it seemed like food has been temporarily stuck(mostly due to scarfing my food own without chewing properly). I can feel some gyrations going on and usually within 2 minutes the mild pain and gyrations go away. But then I'm able to continue eating and eat quite a bit as long as I chew my food completely. Where is that feeling of being full? Where is that feeling that one more bite will wind up just above my adams apple?

Dr. Chae put 1 CC in this time and after pumping it in, he took his thumb off the plunger and it ascended about 3/8 of an inch. He said that my band was very tight and full and that pressure was pushing back against the band sack. And also that the pressure against the stomach was about all it could take. Is this it? Holly crap, this is a huge disappointment. What a frickin waste! If this is it, I'll just have him deflate the F'n thing and go back to dieting.

D

Looking forward to our support group(North Suburban) meeting next week. Fill #4 yesterday didn't seem to make a big difference. I guess I don't know what I'm supposed to be feeling? I thought I'd have this small pouch above my stomach that filled up quicker and stayed full longer due to food not passing through as quickly?

Since fill #3 I've had several bouts where it seemed like food has been temporarily stuck(mostly due to scarfing my food own without chewing properly). I can feel some gyrations going on and usually within 2 minutes the mild pain and gyrations go away. But then I'm able to continue eating and eat quite a bit as long as I chew my food completely. Where is that feeling of being full? Where is that feeling that one more bite will wind up just above my adams apple?

Dr. Chae put 1 CC in this time and after pumping it in, he took his thumb off the plunger and it ascended about 3/8 of an inch. He said that my band was very tight and full and that pressure was pushing back against the band sack. And also that the pressure against the stomach was about all it could take. Is this it? Holly crap, this is a huge disappointment. What a frickin waste! If this is it, I'll just have him deflate the F'n thing and go back to dieting.

D

Dan,

That doesn't sound like it. When I had my band I would physically feel full. I just knew that if I took another bite or two I would be seeing everything I had just eaten.... really soon. It could just be that what you are feeling is much more subtle. The fact that you are getting stuck (even for a brief time) is encouraging.

I'm sorry this is taking so long to get right for you. Believe me.... I know how ya feel. I have been quite discouraged myself lately.

I guess we both just have to hang in there and believe these things are going to work for us

I am just wondering if Dr Chae is erring on the side of caution. Just curious.... does Water fill you up? (When I was inflated to a good spot fluids <drunk fast> would tend to make me full.... especailly Protein drinks).

Anyone else with any words of wisdom for Dan????

Still looking forward to doing RR soon!!!

I have no fill in my band ( I got my band to help control my GERD, but my stomach does not tolerate fills, at all) and though that means food moves through more quickly, I can still only eat so much and I do get stuck if I'm not careful. It takes your body a bit of time to adjust to it. I've received two different pieces of advice from different providers. One is chew everything to mush and don't drink for a couple hours after you eat and the other is to eat not soft food and let your stomach fill up, which it will with very little and learn to stop eating. Your stomach will take its time to break down the food and you will feel full for a longer time. Dr. K told me that you should never be so tight that Water backs up. For me that's a no go anyways with the GERD. Since chewing your food to a Fluid consistency isn't working, you may try the other way. You just have to remember to stop. Don't even take that one extra bite.

I've been watching, but haven't posted in a very long time. I have had a few issues and they thought I might have slipped, but I have been fine. The biggest problem that I have had is getting good post surgery care since I didn't get the surgery here. Plus the local surgeon isn't that special. I don't follow the normal band schedule, as with the GERD, I can't have fills. And no, I haven't lost much weight, but I haven't gained it back either.

Red Robin Night - Everyone is welcome to join us at Red Robin, I-25 and Arapahoe Road, on Sunday May 20th at 5pm. Let me know if you can come.

Hello all! I am a patient of Dr. K's and I have moved to Alabama. I know Dr. K retired. Where do we get our old records from since I'm going to be finding a doctor down here? Can you help me out?

Hello all! I am a patient of Dr. K's and I have moved to Alabama. I know Dr. K retired. Where do we get our old records from since I'm going to be finding a doctor down here? Can you help me out?

Dr. Weaver's office 303-320-7826

Hey, Anyone out there still reading this thread? Stephanie, Dan, Theresa, Nora? Anyone???

OMG..I just read some of my posts from last March. I can't believe what a whiner I was? I scold some bandsters who post on the forum for whining and I was the king. Hope you're doing well.

I stopped losing back in August and gained about 8 lbs back. Sort of waiting on Spring and Summer to kick start my exercise routine. I hate working out indoors and sometimes the biking weather is find but the wind is awful. Still down 40 lbs but have 35 more to go and hoping to lose most of that over the summer.

Dan

HI Julie, Hi Dan!! It is so great to hear from you both. I am off FB due to my work comp claim and feel like I am missing out on everything! Dan, congrats on your weight loss success. That is fantastic. Julie, how are you doing?? Would love to see everyone again.

Nora

HI Julie, Hi Dan!! It is so great to hear from you both. I am off FB due to my work comp claim and feel like I am missing out on everything! Dan, congrats on your weight loss success. That is fantastic. Julie, how are you doing?? Would love to see everyone again.

Nora

Work comp? Wha happened? You fall down?

It was almost a year ago now, I tore my rotator cuff turning a patient. Had surgery, but it didn't help.

It has been a year since I saw you. Be fun if we could all go to Red Robin again?

tmf