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Had a fill today by Dr. Douglas Bishop in Ottawa. He's been the only one in the area for a long time and does fills for 4 clinics from elsewhere in Ontario and Quebec. What a pro!! In just seconds he found the port, figured out how much was in there and topped me up. All without any fuss or pain. It was great and considering how nervous I had been going in, I'm really impressed.

Sorry, no I don't know. He offers bariatric care program, so I would call and ask. He's got a website so maybe check that out too. Good luck.

Hi, I was banded Feb11 and am supposed to go for a fill later this week. But today was a crazy day - I've been bingeing since early this morning. First it was a couple of eggs, then some dried apricots, and then a chocolate bar when I went to do some errands. And then later on, when I did some more errands, I gave in a had some turtles (chocolates). Oh ya. Somewhere in there I also ate some cheese. And a chocolate eclair. I don't know what's wrong with me! I'm not really that hungry, but it was almost as if a huge urge came over me and I just had to eat. It's not like I'm having a bad day, or a really stressful or emotional one. It'salmost been as if I really needed to get in some things that I haven't eaten for six weeks (i.e. pre-banding liquid diet and then post-banding). Has this happened to anyone else? Is it normal? I've been doing so well - lost 23 pounds in 6 weeks - and I'm kind of worried that maybe this will happen again. And again. Love to hear from others. Thanks. ECK

Since my first fill a couple of days ago, I've had far less interest. I mean I feel full and the idea of eating anything "extra", while tempting is just not an option. I literally feel like there's no room for anything more! I'm beginning to think this band is going to do what was intended after all... Nonetheless, I can see that I definitely some help of some kind to change my relationship with food. I'm thinking of checking out a group because books alone won't do it for me.

Other than family and two colleagues, one who's banded and the other who's considering it, I haven't told anyone. I go out for lunch alot at work and I order soup. If anyone comments that I'm not eating much, I simply tell them that I've decided to try and get my weight under control. No one seems to find this unusual, nor should they considering how common obesity is. They see me as being on a diet and I feel no need to tell them about the band,

I had my first fill this morning. I'm now at 3cc. That doesn't seem like much compared to some of the posts I've seen, but I'm feeling pretty good. So far. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it keeps me feeling full and isn't so tight that I'm miserable. Cheers

I've seen this question several times and since I also had left shoulder pain, I thought I would relay what I learned. The following is a direct quote from the book that my surgeon provided to me pre-op. I found it helpful. In the book The Lap-Band Solution, Dr. Paul O'Brien writes: "It is common to have pain at the left shoulder area after the procedure. This pain is actually coming from the diaphragm, which is the large sheet of muscle that separates the chest, with its heart and lungs, from the abdomen. It is called referred pain because although it comes from the diaphragm, the brain interprets it as coming from the left shoulder and you feel sore there. It is common early after the operation but usually settles in a few days. Occasionally it can linger on for many weeks. We (the author) do not know exactly why it occurs and therefore we cannot predictably avoid it. Apart from letting time pass, various simple techniques have been found to help and are worth trying: hot packs to the shoulder standing or sitting upright resting quite still for 10 minutes walking about peppermint tea simple pain relievers" The other thing that my doctor told me is that if the pain moves beyond the shoulder area, e.g. into the upper arm, neck or chest, to consult a doctor immediately, call an ambulance or get myself to the ER because it could be something more serious. A scary reminder that with obesity comes a higher risk of heart attack. Boy, I can't wait to get down to a normal weight!

Lots of food for thought here (pun intended). I can see the difference between what I did and bingeing from a technical perspective. Please know that I didn't mean to make light of what must have been a serious experience. Sometimes vocabulary can be limiting. At the same time, I sometimes wonder whether the helpless feeling that I feel with food from time to time is similar? I know that I'm an emotional eater and that occasionally I feel like a magnet draws me to the kitchen. That's part of the reason why I chose to go for the lap-band - which insurance doesn't cover in Canada - as opposed to following yet another diet. Thank you all for your feedback. I look forward to my first fill and am hopeful that with time I will learn to look at food as a healthy necessity and not a means to cope with feeling happy, worried, sad,depressed, excited,etc. I'm sure that you know what I mean. Kind regards,

Geez Denise, I remember the song. Are you by any chance suggesting that some of us are a little older? I debated about M&Ms when choosing my chocolate bar yesterday. I figured they're so small that it would be easier to have just a few and then stop. Ultimately, however, I went for something more substantial because I was "mouth hungry", i.e. my mouth needed the taste and feel of chewing a chocolate bar with nuts and caramel. I'm happy/unhappy to report that I woke up this morning with a stomach ache. I actually feel uncomfortably full! And it's not a nice feeling. I would like to think that I've learned my lesson, but I'm enough of a realist to know that this feeling will eventually fade (like having a baby) and then I'll do it again. I only hope that it'snot a frequent thing! Have a good day out there and thanks again for the feedback.

I will look up that book too. It sounds like something I could use! As for the advice, thanks it's good to know that I'm not the only one. I'm trying to figure this thing out and you're right, it's not just the banding. I've been overweight for almost 30 years and a few weeks won't change all the habits I acquired over that time. It helps to be reminded of that! Take care,

My fill doctor recommended that I take B12, Omega3, D, a multi-Vitamin and calcium. All of them are chewy - like jujubes- which makes them very easy to take. And they taste great, not like most chewable Vitamins. ECK

My doctor didn't tell me anything, but from the research that I'd done I learned it was best to wait until I was also taking some food and to avoid bubbles. Well, I'm four weeks post-op and I had one glass of champagne on the weekend, with no bad reactions. Well, other than a few burps and a couple of giggles that is.

It is really interesting seeing all of the comments about the left shoulder pain. I had this for about a week or so starting the day after my surgery, but I had been warned ahead of time to expect it IF the surgeon had to also repair my hiatal hernia. Now I knew going in that I had a hiatal hernia. It was diagnosed a couple of years earlier when I was having ulcer problems. At any rate, post-op the nurse told me that sure enough the doctors had repaired my hiatal hernia and to expect some soreness. She also told me to follow the eating plan exactly, i.e. to go slow with liquids, not eat too much or to fast, etc. I followed her instructions almost to a T and sure enough, in a few days the pain disappeared. I have since done some more research and the link between hiatal hernia and left shoulder pain was confirmed via a couple of sources. So, if you're having it you may want to speak with your doctor about whether a) you had a hiatal hernia and whether it was repaired when you were banded. Cheers,

Hi, Banded Feb 11, 2011 at SWLC in Mississauga, but living in Ottawa. So far, so good!

Hi, I'm new to this board. I was banded on Feb 11, 2011. Glad to find a board that's got people actually posting and exchanging. I had my surgery done by Dr. Coburn at SWLC in Ontario, Canada. So far, I've lost 20 pounds including the pre-op period. Only another 80 to go! ECK

Hi, I had my surgery on the 11th and flew home on the 13th. The flight was no problem. No nausea, just had a sip or two of water on the plane. Waiting at the airport was the worst thing.

Hi, Yes, I'm doing well with the band. I had some discomfort for a few days post-op but it was exactly what I'd been told to expect. It was amazing to not feel hungry. At all! When I hit two weeks post-op, hunger came back all of a sudden. I guess the swelling had finally gone down. At any rate, the nurses told me to give it a couple of weeks to stabilize, which it did. I haven't had a fill yet, but feel good. Weekends are harder - too much time on my hands, too many temptations - and I kind of want to eat something but it's purely a mouth thing, not because of hunger. That's one thing they don't tell you about, i.e. that your mouth craves tastes even though your stomach doesn't. Kind of proves how much of this is in one's head! Good luck with your surgery. I hope that it will be a great experience for you.