Julie G.

<p>I was the 200 th person in Ontario to get banded in Scarborough (eastern Toronto) in May of 2002. &nbsp;I was very excited about the band because I was <strong>not</strong> a candidate for a gastric bypass due to a history of&nbsp;bleeding&nbsp;Ulcerative Colitis. &nbsp;(A very prominent surgeon in Toronto had refused to do a gastric bypass on me because he said that in the event that my colon had to be removed at a later date, I could literally starve. &nbsp;I had to laugh at that -- there was no chance of that ever happening, I thought.) &nbsp;In any case, because he wouldn't do the by-pass, so a lapband was my only option.</p>
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<p>The band cost me $10K back in 2002. I lost 76 pounds in 4 years.</p>
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<p>Then in 2006, the connecting tube of my Inamed band disconnected. &nbsp;My surgeon had to re-operate on me, with general anesthetic. &nbsp;In the following<strong> 5 years,</strong> my band's tube disconnected <strong>4 more times </strong>-- each time I gained back some weight, while I waited to be re-operated on. &nbsp;Sometimes the wait times were several months, as this procedure was not an emergency and my doctor only worked at Scarborough Grace Hospital part time. <strong>&nbsp;The Inamed company (later&nbsp;bought out by Allergan) would not replace my faulty band. This was very upsetting. &nbsp;</strong>Meanwhile, the price of gastric bands in Canada went up to $16 K.</p>
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<p>This year, my defective band was finally replaced (and paid for by an anonymous donour ) -- and I have a new &quot;Slimband&quot; inserted. &nbsp;This band is guaranteed for 5 years,&nbsp;according&nbsp;to Slimband's website. &nbsp;So I've been given a 2nd change through the generosity of someone and<strong> I am excited to continue my weight loss journey.&nbsp;</strong></p>