A new Dr. K thread is being born! Pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, and join in!

The current thread is great, but I have heard from a few people who have been intimidated from the length and tightness of it. I have never been able to read every page myself, but have learned a lot from being there!

This new thread has NOTHING to do with undermining the current thread, but it seems if the car feels too small, get a bigger one....so, I am going to put my head on the chopping block and try it out...I just hope that no one reaches for the cleaver.

It would be great to discuss how you found out about Dr. K, what your experiences have been, when you were, or are, banded, where you're from, fears and excitements you've had, etc.

I am hoping that if this thread is meant to survive, it will.

If you are more comfortable jumping into this new place, please post. Without input, this ain't going nowhere!

Please, don't anyone grab the meat cleaver, this is not an attack, for I have found support on the other thread. There is more than enough room for all of us! I am just hoping to meet needs that might not be getting met.

C'mon folks, post!

Want2bmeagain - I wish you were going to be here for RR. I so enjoyed meeting you.

If we set up a specific time each month would that help you participate. I know it is quite a drive, but .....

Anyhow, Please anyone on either list please feel free to join us at Red Robin on Tues, Nov 13 at 7pm. Let me know if you are coming and I will keep a look out for you. I know the first time is hard. I didn't know anyone, but the gatherings really help me adjust and to compare notes about what is normal etc. Everyone is very friendly and cordial.

Nicknaknut - glad you will be there, Haven't heard much from you since the night before your surgery. Glad all is going well.

Hi Mare.... I'm going to try my hardest to be there Tuesday night... Those were some nice pictures of your Saturday afternoon get together, just the four of you... Lap Dancers post with all of the wonderful fall colors were great.... It sounds like she had a turn around trip and unfortunately she didn't have access to the internet to let you know she couldn't make it.... Hopefully there will be a larger group on Tuesday.... I'm looking forward to seeing you again... BTW, I'm doing great after my surgery and have lost 20 lbs so far, so I am pleased... I go in for my first fill right after Thanksgiving... I have been busy helping my daughter recover from her surgery, so I haven't been around much....

Want2b...... That story is way too funny about the shock collar..... It could only happen to you... What a hoot.... I would like to meet up with you on Friday while you are in town getting your second fill.... Lets set up a place and time.....

Gosh, Nic ~ I hope this fun happens to everyone! Some day you will walk into a shock collar happening and can share directly in the fun! Call me on my cell even on Thur afternoon, and we can figure out when to get together before I leave Denver on Fri.

Mare, I will miss you at RR...I hope that sometime the meeting falls when I need to be in CO Springs so that I can just hop up there. Otherwise, when I know I am in town, I will post and maybe we can do another meeting! I am going to be there Thursday night, but have so much going on that I didn't want to post about it, cuz it would be really stupid if I was the only one that couldn't make it!! It is amazing that the 4 of you lost 161 lbs total! way cool....The biggest problem getting there is that it is over a 5 hour drive..but I know at some point, it will work for me to hop in there.

Purplelady..have you had your surgery...ok, it probably shows on the regular posts, and I can't see it from this window..I will check. How have you been doing? how are you feeling?

wrkl8 ~ we are still waiting to hear about the Protein bar..the suspense is difficult!! I get so hungry, then eat, and it aint fun like it used to be! After my food is iced cold, I usually give up! I have enough restriction to be REALLY careful how big my bites are, but hope I can handle more to cut back how often I get hungry. It takes a fraction of what I used to eat to fill me up now, but I am puzzled that some folks eat half a cup and are done...does that mean I overeat??? Dunno...will talk to Dr. K about it, but would love to hear what others think or how much you all eat.

Munchkin ~ Having someone with you will be REALLY important. I wished I lived in the area and could keep an eye on you. I will say that Dr. K is not happy with someone being there alone. It can be too dangerous. I don't even think he has ever had a complication, but if for some reason you have an emergency and are at the hotel alone, that would be awful. Plus, you need someone to get you back to the hotel after surgery. On the day of my surgery, there were 4 of us. One of the guys traveled alone but had given the doc the impression he had someone there to help him. When Dr.K figured out what was going on, he was not a happy camper....and it was for the guy's safety. Keep your surgery date, and maybe all of us on here will have ideas for you. Please keep us updated on what is happening. Where are you traveling from?

Taynuh

LOVED the description of the origin of your nickname. I was cracking myself up, saying it outloud at my computer, in my version of a southern drawl!!! I didn't do too bad!

Any news on when your baby boy will arrive??

No, but I do have his new birth certificate and I think it will be either the week of Thanksgiving or the week after. So, today I decided to transition my 2.5 year old daughter to her new toddler bed (they'll share a room until they are a few years older)... so the big girl bed and crib are in same room. We pput the bed together and made it up, she loved playing in it, etc. I thought bed time tonight went pretty smooth. No hissy fit or anything... I went to check on her at 9:30 (she goes to bed at 8:30)... it was hard to open the door,as she had apparently climbed outta bed and was sleeping on te floor by the door... scared to sleep in her new bed... so I put her back in the crib... maybe she needs a few nights getting comfy seeing it and all... I have a few weeks or so to get her into the bed before her new brother needs the crib... lol, or I'll be buying a new crib... I feel kinda sad about moving her to a bed... first baby and all, seems to "big girl"... and then the sleeping on the floor kinda broke my heart... she's still just a baby and a good one at that, did n ot even fuss or anything...

Tina

Rosey...

I am envious that you are close enough to go to the support group! Do report back and tell us what it was like. Tina...have you ever been to one?

Actually, no... I live an hour north in Longmont, but it's also not my thing... but I do know it helps others, so I am all for it for those who it appeals to. People should do what works for THEM... it's a personal jouney and each one is different.

Tina

oh my gosh...poor little thing! She will seem like such a big girl when the baby arrives, but they are still so little, and sometimes change is hard! Can you take the side rail off of the crib (on some you can, so it's like a toddler bed) and have her sleep there for a while? Then it would be her crib, but transition to a big girl's bed. If it is too high up if she falls, maybe you could put her new mattress on the floor next to it. If she rolls onto it, then she is doing a double transition!

Just a thought...she sounds like a sweetie!

Thanks for all the helpful advice! I figured Dr.K would not be happy that I will be there alone, but I don't have much choice at this point. It is either that or swallow my pride after what the jerks at my hospital pulled and end up having the procedure here, which I really don't want to do. I am having my procedure at the Parker hospital Marilyn said, so thanks for the hotel, restaurant, and pharmacy info. I'm mostly worried about transportation as I will be in no shape to drive, so I guess I will call Marilyn and ask her about it. I found a great package for airfare and The Radisson, and they have a shuttle, so I thought maybe that was a possiblity. Does anyone local have any idea how close that Radisson is to the hospital? It didn't look to far on Mapquest, but...sometimes I don't trust Mapquest either!

Or do you gals think I should just swallow my pride and have my procedure at my hospital, since I will have a whole hospital of friends to look over me? (They require a 23 hour stay after the procedure at my hospital.) The only thing is with my hospital is that I never want to see the twit that runs the bariatric center again, so that's not getting off to a good start right off the bat I figure!

Oh, and to answer another question, I will be coming from Illinois.

If you're not comfortable at your hospital, I probably wouldn't do it. It will be important for you to feel comfortable about it. Are you self pay?

Gosh, I wish I were in Denver and could help you. I think you for sure need someone to take you to the hotel from the hospital.

Hey...! I may have an idea. The day I was there, the solo guy was going to take a taxi to the hotel. We made sure he got there ok (drove him), and then didn't see him after that.

Anyway...........I wonder if Marilyn would contact whoever else is having surgery that day and see if the patient's spouse (or whoever they bring) would check on you. My s.o. would have been glad to check on that gentleman if he had wanted it. That way, there would be someone at the hotel who could be there if you needed it...and many people are willing to help out.

I don't know where the Radisson is in relation to the surgery center. But, the hotel right there is REALLY nice. I would imagine that's where the other patients that day will stay, but really have no idea.

Let me know what you think of that idea...could work, never know!

That's a great idea! Thanks!

Tina -- It is so funny about the story behind "Taynuh". Before you explained it, I would pronounce it as "Tan-uh" in my mind while reading your posts. I thought to myself that it must be how your daughter pronounced her new brother's name. Awhh, how sweet, ya know? Then when you explained it, I realized the reason that I misread -- I've got one of those Southern accents that makes everything 6-7 syllables instead of 2. Like TAAAAY-nuuuuh. :o. Oh well, as they say in the country "I git it honest".

Munch -- that's a hard decision. What's the difference in cost? Where would you feel most comfortable? How much will you have to deal with the Bariatric Center coordinator post op? Who is going to do your aftercare/fills? I hate that you are having such a difficult time with your own employer (I went back and read your post) -- why can't the coordinator just go ahead and apologize already and make this right --geeze!

Want2Be -- I just realized that I never responded when you asked about my name -- Sorry -- I'm Karen..Shelbi and Callie are my cats. I am SO very CREATIVE, right!

Happy Monday, everyone!

ShelbiCallie,

That's a wonderful question as to why they can't just make it right. Life would be so much easier right now. I personally already know I will never WANT to work with the bariatric center coordinator again, so it would pretty much just be me and the surgeon. I DID talk to the director of nursing today, who seems to be a fairly nice woman, so we'll see what happens with that. The whole situation is just completely ridiculous isn't it? And how news travels through the hospital-I told her it would be a good idea to do damage control at this point, because the rest of the hospital has apparently already heard what happened, as nurses from other departments have called to ask me about it. Doesn't make the bariatric center look so good! I'll let everyone know what happens this week! I told the director of nursing at the VERY minimum I at least want an apology!!

Also, even with airfare, it will still be cheaper. But I do not have anyone to do aftercare yet, I have to call our competitor hospital and see if they will do fills or not. My hospital has already said they will not do fills on bands placed by anyone else. (Which is stupid, what if someone moves here from somewhere else?) Obviously, I would feel more comfortable at my own hospital where I know everyone, instead of flying to Colorado all by my lonesome, but I have heard wonderful things about Dr.K. It is a very hard decision that would be made much easier if some people would step up to the plate and do the right thing!

Ladies,

Ok so I am the hypocondriac in the room but I need some advice as to whether what I am feeling is normal . The section left of of my large incision feels not only hard but painful. I got this very sharp pain in there. Feels like a needle and the section right between my chest to my first incision not only is it tight but dear mother I can not wear my bra as it hits right there. Anyone else has felt the same. Is this all in my head or I am just bein impatient with my healing.

I can't believe I posted and didn't give the name of the Protein bar, I'm holding the name hostage.... OK, it's called Power Crunch and it's made by BNRG or BioNutritional Research. You can get them at the Vitamin Shoppe in store or online. I recommend the Peanut Butter Fudge ....mmmmmmmmmmm!

Rosey...I had and continue to have that same pain by my port, I truely believe it is gas. Try some Gasx strips and see if that takes care of it.

Wrkl8 -- thanks! I'll be looking for some of those.

Rosey -- I agree with Wrkl8 -- that sounds like port pain, which seems to be the last area to heal. If it worsens or doesn't improve or your pain med doesn't control it, call Dr. K.

munchkin -- Dr. K is a wonderful surgeon and I have no regrets about traveling to see him at all. You'll be in good hands, if that what you end up doing. It will be interesting to see how the administration handles the damage control this week!