JAC

You can call Dr. Descoteaux at 220-8958. I think that is his office number and you would need to get an appointment at the clinic for a fill. It is actually quite a confusing process if he did not perform your surgery, but he will try to do everything to help you out. Julie C Nov 6/06 Dr. Ortiz, Mexico

It is interesting what everyone says about what is happening in Calgary as it seems that some people have been able to fly through the steps to get the lap band and others have not been able to get through any of the steps. There are people that have done all these steps in 3 months, and others are being told it is a tremendous wait. I have no idea what the real truth is. This is what I have been told. First you must be referred to the Weight Management Clinic. You can self refer by calling 9-Health. They will need to contact your family doctor, so if you have an appointment coming up, you might want to get them to refer you. Many of the family doctors have not heard of the Weight Management Clinic and what they provide, so it may be a longer process than if you contact them yourself. Once you are accepted into the clinic, you have to "participate" in the program for at least six-months prior to you being referred to the surgeon. Participating seems to be going to the first three mandatory classes and then making a plan and trying to follow it. There is no one that actually follows up on your plan. They inform you of when surgery information sessions are held, and you must attend one of them to be on the path to surgery. They have said you need to be part of the Weight Management Clinic for 6 months, but I met the people that had the surgery in 2006, and since the Weight Management Clinic only started in March and the first surgeries were done in May, somethings about the timeline they are giving don't make sense. I also know that several families had several members banded last year as part of the 25. It made me feel somewhat ripped off as I think the health care money should have been spread around to more people than one family being able to take advantage of all the funding. I personally went to Mexico and had Dr. Ortiz place my band. The cost was less for me going to Mexico than to Ontario and because my in-laws live just a couple of hours away from the clinic in Tijuana, I feel like I might actually make it back to Mexico at another time. I am glad that I have made the decision to get the band, but it is not without its share of issues that you have to deal with. As with any surgery or procedure, you just trade off one set of problems for another. You really have to decide what issues you want to deal with - being overweight, or changing your eating habits, exercise habits, sleep patterns, etc. Those are some of the issues I deal with. Dr. Descouteaux is who I see for my fills and I do like him. He is very quiet but very caring and he does want to see everyone succeed. As far as contacting him, I made a call to his office at 220-8958. They would not make an appointment for me, but they gave a message to him and he called me back. I explained to him about my surgery and he asked me to get all the reports of my surgery and anything from my family doctor that would give him a history of me. He then told me to call his clinic and make an appointment. When I called the clinic, they would not make an appointment for me as there was no referal on file for him. I then had to call his office and it was quite a process calling back and forth between his office and the clinic, but eventually I got an appointment. I have seen him for three fills now. I think it might be getting close to the time when we don't have to pay for fills, but I have had to pay for two of the three fills. Good luck with your decision. Julie C Nov 6/06 Dr. Ortiz, Mexico

I have read that some people experience first bite syndrome, where the first bit of food they take always gets stuck. That is happening to me now, and I am forgetting what all other people try to help. I trying taking a drink of water and most of the time it clears, but I am wondering if there is something else I could try.

Andrew, I love your analysis as it is exactly what I went through before I decided and it wasn't until I met people that actually went to Mexico and had nothing but good things to say about the doctors there that I considered it as an options. I also found out that it was Mexican surgeons that trained the surgeons in Toronto on the lap band, so that gave me confidence about the surgeon I picked. Whatever you decide, they are always issues with followup for some people. I have had problems myself with contact with the clinic, but I am certainly not loosing any sleep over it and I just keep being persistent until I get what I want. 15 more sleeps for you . . .

I just had my third fill last week and before that I did not have this problem. I am now at 5.5 cc. I had a great experience with Dr. Ortiz. I had a friend that was also banded on January 5 with Dr. Ortiz. Did you meet Nancy? Are you going back to Dr. Ortiz for a fill or do you have someone else to do it? It costs me $100 to get a fill here or $100 US to get a fill at the clinic, so I thought I should save the flight cost and just get it done here.

I don't think he charges for a defill. I know someone who was filled by someone else and needed an emergency defill in the middle of the night. She was met by Dr. Descoteaux at PLC emergency and he didn't charge a dime. I am not sure if he even billed it to AHC as he did not get her to check in with the triage nurse and I don't think he even got her health care number. It seems to me that Dr. Descoteaux is really committed to his patients and to seeing them lose weight and become healthier. As far as your questioning whether you should have it in Toronto or Mexico, have you looked into the possiblity of changing things? I know you have probably paid a deposit already, but maybe the difference in cost would make up for loosing out your deposit. There would be a $75 fee for changing your airline ticket, but it might be worth it. I must say I was so pleased with my surgeon. His skill is exceptional. I did not have a single bruise following the procedure, which is amazing because I normally bruise a lot and from the pictures I have seen of other people, some people have terrible bruising following surgery. The cost of the hotel was also included in my fee of $8500 US. I know that you can usually book within days and get it done, so you might want to give them a call and find out more. Their 800 number does not work in Canada, but if you e-mail them they will call you. www.obesitycontrolcenter.com Whatever way you decide to go it is so well worth losing weight. Although I have only lost 24 pounds right now, I know that more is to come and that I will change my life for the better with every pound that comes off.

I live in Calgary and am seeing Dr. Descoteaux. He is very caring and working on trying to get lap band surgery covered by Alberta Health Care. Right now it is covered for a few people who are part of a test group, but he is wanting to get it covered for everyone and then also get the fills covered for people who were banded in other places. Right now he charges $100.

This is just an invitation to any lap banders in Calgary or area to join our Calgary Lap Banders on-line group. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/calgarylapbanders/ We are also planning to have a get together at get together at the Cheesecake Cafe (Northland Mall) on January 31 at 6:30 pm. If you would like to join us, please let me know. We would love to have a few more people join our group and offer local support. Julie Crawford Nov 6/06 Dr. Ortiz, Mexico

Fill doctors? For all of those getting fills in Calgary or area, how did you decide on your fill doctor? Were you referred to a specific doctor through your surgeon or did you just hear through the grapvine? Just wondering as I have heard some things lately about different doctors and just wondering about what other have heard.

My February goal is to get below 100 kg. I always measure myself in pounds, but the doctor measures in kg, and I remember the first time it went over 100 kg and how I felt, so I would like to get below. I have about 4 kg to go, so hopefully when I see him again at the end of the month, I will be dancing in the two digits.

Angie, If you are interested there is a "Food & Mood" class coming up the first two weeks in February at Cardel Place from 6:00-7:30. It specifically deals with reasons why we eat, when we eat and what we eat. I think it has a lot to do with emotional eating. From what I have heard it is one of the best classes offered in relation to food. It is free, so just call the 9-HEALTH number and see if there is still space.

Angie, I too had high blood pressure and was prescibed meds in January 2005. It was then that I started looking into weight loss surgery more seriously. I also have low thyroid so the thought of taking more meds did not bother me. It is a long weight to get into see the surgeons as you have to be part of the Weight Management Clinic for six months prior to seeing a surgeon, and the wait to get into the WMC is about six months. There are programs that you can self-refer to and get into a little bit quicker that are all part of the Living Well Program through the Calgary Health Region. Call 9-HEALTH to find out more information on them. I think once you get into the system that when you say you are also interested in the Weight Management Clinc, you may get in there faster. If you have funds available to self-pay, the surgery I had in Mexico was really quick and easy. The surgeon I had trained the doctors in Toronto, so I know his skills were exceptional since they are now training other doctors. If you have your surgery in Mexico you also get more money back from Alberta Health Care once you submit your receipt to them as there is a reciprical health care agreement between provinces that limits the amount that you get to what would be paid in the province where the surgery is performed. If you go to Mexico, you get the Alberta rate, which is substantially more than the Ontario rate. Going to ON you should expect to get back about $1,000. Going to Mexico it is closer to $2,000. Drs. Mitchell and Descoteaux have no issues taking care of people banded in other places, so the after care is really good. Dr. Descoteaux in particular is trying to get more funding and as much as they were limited to 25 in 2006, they did get approval this week to do another 10 in the next couple of weeks prior to them finding out about the funding for 2007. I am only 2 1/2 months out from surgery and it has been well worth it already for me. Just losing 20 pounds my blood pressure is back to normal and I don't have to take those meds anymore. Every bit counts towards becoming healthier and happier people.

Cheesecake does go through the band fairly easily and I know some of the people are still on mushies, so I am trying to be sensitive (ha, ha, ha)! Actually they have great tasting French Onion Soup which is one of my favourites there.

I guess I am really trying to get some face-to-face support as I work full-time and have three kids and a very busy life and on-line does not always work best for my schedule and life. I would like to see people face to face. I think sometimes when we are obese we become lonely and stuck in the house because there are so many things we can't do or don't fit into. I need to get out and I want to meet some people in person. I am really trying to just get a group together. So, if you know of others, please send them my way. I don't know enough about the Yahoo groups to comment, but I did notice as the group owner I was getting bounced, so that annoyed me quite a bit. Julie

I actually PM'd everyone who said they lived in Calgary or area in a previous post. I was not checking people's profiles, just trying to find those that may be interested. I will note my file to not PM you again. Julie

Having met some of the 25 that were banded, I am not really sure what their criteria was in choosing them. The one thing that bothered me, and I am not sure why, but there were 3 families of people who were done. Three sisters done in May that have lost over 220 pounds between them, two other sisters, and then a set of (young - 26 years old) identical twins. I guess why it bothers me somewhat is because I feel that one family is getting all the benefit and not spreading it around. I don't know if I would have been chosen as I only have 100 pounds to lose and I have high blood pressure. My BMI was 38.9. The talk was that you needed a BMI over 40, so I thought I should just eat a little extra for a weekend and I could make it. Some of the people there are very much bigger than I was. So far with losing 24 pounds, my blood pressure is now normal. I don't regret at all having to pay for the surgery myself, but I do wish I could take more advantage of the things that those 25 people have been able to get in the way of support and meetings. I guess that is why I am trying to push to get our on-line group larger and meeting together because I need it. Julie

Yes, Nannette is leaving. She said she accepted a position in the community, so I don't exactly know what that means. I have heard that it is taking about 2 months to get appointment now as they are short staffed, but what place is Calgary is not??? Julie

It took me many months to get into the Weight Management Clinic and I got in when I did (Nov 23) because of a cancellation. You have to be part of the clinic for six months prior to them letting you even see a surgeon for the lap band, so it can take quite a while. They are estimating 2-3 years at this point, but it may change if funding comes through. There are many classes through Living Well including exercise, diet, nutrition, psychological issues, etc. It is a self-referral or doctor referral, so you don't have to go back to see your doctor to get into the program. I have taken classes on High Blood Pressure, Exercise, Diet / Nutrition, and food and Mood is coming up in Feb. The Weight Management Clinic is also part of this, so you could call the number below and find out more about the time frame for when you might get in. Living Well - 943-2584 (9HEALTH) One issue at the Weight Management Clinic is that the dietician leading the program accepted another position, so they are now trying to fill that empty spot. Dr. Descoteaux said they are hoping to find someone who will specifically deal with only the post-op lap band patients and their specific needs, but I don't know how long that will take. Good luck with the pre-op diet. I lost 12 pounds pre-op, so it was an encouraging way to start. Julie

I am seeing Dr. Descoteaux. There are four doctors in the Weight Management Clinic who were part of the original group doing the surgery. Dr. Descouteaux and Dr. Mitchell are the two that are doing the most with the lap band patients as the other two have decided that they don't want to see their practices become limited to only lap band surgery. Dr. Descoteaux I would say is the senior of the two as he is a teaching doctor at the Foothills as well as the doctor that speaks to AHC about funding, the study, etc. From what I understand from other patients, Dr. Mitchell is quite agressive in his fills. I have heard he charges $125 per fill. Dr. Descoteaux charges $100 and Dr. Botha (trained by Dr. Coburn to do fills) charges $99. As far as the fills go, I don't think there would be a great deal of difference between them all. I do think that Dr. Botha probably has the least amount of experience as he is a family physician, not a surgeon. Some of the Calgary patients have been going for fills every week, so I think the surgeons have become better at fills, but I have to admit there is no real pain to them. It is kind of like getting a blood test. On my second fill, it was much harder to find the port as it has slightly tipped forward, so that was more of a challenge, but it is well worth it. I can tell I have lost some weight this week, so I am happy. Have you been referred to the Weight Management Clinic or done any programs through Living Well? They have been very informative to me and have helped me on my journey. Julie

I know that Dr. Grossbard is a lap band patient himself and was banded by my doctor, Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana, and that Dr. Grossbard has trained many surgeons in Canada and other places. He also is working with Dr. Ortiz to open a clinic in Cancun. I have seen him speak about how positive the experience was for him to be banded that he is commiting to help others. I think that is something great to have in a surgeon because he understands all sides of being banded and the challenges of loosing weight. Julie C Nov 6/06 Dr. Ortiz, Mexico http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/calgarylapbanders/join

Just to clear up some things about whether the procedure is covered in Alberta. It is if you are one of the lucky people who gets in. In 2006, the Calgary Health Region was limited to 25 people. If you did not live in that region or were not one of those 25, you were out of luck. So yes, it is covered if you are in Alberta, but only for those 25 people, and if you had it done out of province, you only get about $1000 back of the total amount that you pay. There are other doctors doing lap banding in the province, and they are not limited, but the wait list is about 2-3 years. My surgeon has said they are working on getting more people done in 2007, but they have to have approval for funding. The 25 people that were done are part of a study to see if the cost of getting the band improves people's health and in the long run will be less of a cost on health care than if the procedure was not done. Having been self-pay in Mexico, I am trying to figure out how to get back into the health care system and have some of my on-going fills and visits covered by AB now. For the patients done here, it is covered, but because the lap band is not widely covered and the funding is only limited to those 25 in the control group, the fills are not covered right now, although I got one yesterday for free as I started voicing my concerns to my doctor. Julie C Nov 6/06 Dr. Ortiz, Mexico

Just to clear up some things about whether the procedure is covered in Alberta. It is if you are one of the lucky people who gets in. In 2006, the Calgary Health Region was limited to 25 people. If you did not live in that region or were not one of those 25, you were out of luck. So yes, it is covered if you are in Alberta, but only for those 25 people, and if you had it done out of province, you only get about $1000 back of the total amount that you pay. There are other doctors doing lap banding in the province, and they are not limited, but the wait list is about 2-3 years. My surgeon has said they are working on getting more people done in 2007, but they have to have approval for funding. The 25 people that were done are part of a study to see if the cost of getting the band improves people's health and in the long run will be less of a cost on health care than if the procedure was not done. Having been self-pay in Mexico, I am trying to figure out how to get back into the health care system and have some of my on-going fills and visits covered by AB now. Julie C Nov 6/06 Dr. Ortiz, Mexico

I am from Calgary and self-paid in Mexico as the wait is too long for the procedure here. I am expecting my reimbursement cheque any day from AB health care (about $1700 of the $8500 US I paid). I am finding it a challenge to get back into the health care system now as those patients done in AB are getting fills for free, but because I self paid, I am not. It does not make sense to me and I am trying to get that changed or at least voice a loud concern about it. I would invite you to join our on-line support group for Calgary lap banders. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/calgarylapbanders/ Julie C Nov 6/06 Dr. Ortiz, Mexico

I spoke with my doctor just yesterday about this new band. I had the Vanguard (VG) band put in the beginning of November, so I wanted to know about the new one. The difference with this band is just with the way the bladder is shaped/sized. What they have found with the VG band is that sometimes Fluid goes "missing" or can not be aspirated from the band. Apparantly with the new one, that is not as much of a problem. That's about all I know. Julie C Nov 6/06 Dr. Ortiz, Mexico

There are no private clinics in AB as the AB government is paying for the procedure if you are lucky enough to get to see a surgeon. I have heard the wait is about 2-3 years and the restrictions are different in each area of the province. Canadian law does not allow for private clinics to offer a procedure that is also publicly funded. There are several of us who did not want to wait or did not qualify who went to clinics in other provinces, ON, or to Mexico or the US. We are now on a journey to see if somehow we can squeeze back into the health care system here. I don't know much about BC, but I have heard of three locations and also of some of the patients there going to the North West Weight Loss Center in Washington. If you are looking into price, don't forget to figure into the cost the time and money for fills as they are an important part of the process. If you are near Calgary, I invite you to join our Calgary support group. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/calgarylapbanders/ Julie Crawford Nov 6/06 Dr. Ortiz, Mexico