Doddie63

As I said, Dr. Woodhead does them. Dr Yau, is the pioneer doctor that introduced the band to Canada and he trained Dr. Woodhead to implant the band. As it is not practical for me to travel to Toronto, Dr. Yau referred me to Dr. Woodhead. I find him extemely competent. There are others banded by other doctors who go to Dr. Woodhead as well, but it is understandable that he won't just take anyone without first reviewing their health and band history. It is sad that someone would make such ill informed statements and possibly destroy that reputation is beyond my comprehension. Doddie

Oh. I must add that the fee for fill is $75.00 charged by Dr. Woodhead. Doddie

Uh excuse me. Those were not true words you spoke about Dr. Woodhead. I don't know where you got your information from. Dr. Woodhead charges the $400 consult fee for people like myself that went out of province and suddenly found they had no one to do the fills. He is an excellent young doctor and very good. He is presently going to france to train in the placement of the Fr. Midband so that he has more choice for his patients. He charges the consult fee, because we are asking him to take over another surgeons work and he is taking a huge insurance risk. I would not hesitate to recommend Dr. Woodhead for surgery. It is his youth that he cannot get OR time. More senior doctors have priority as well as heart other emergency type surgeries. He does not have his own private clinic so must use the Government run hospitals. So please do not make such outlandish uninformed statements. You are damaging the reputation of a fine young doctor. Doddie

Best solution to either clinic is to take a taxi. To the TLBC, is is a flat rate of $44 dollars cheaper than renting a car and having to park it. Subway is a great way to get around as well but I am lazy and take a cab. I am from Vancouver, BC and I don't think there is anywhere in Canada that is worse to drive in. We have no such thing as freeways so it is stop start all the way no matter where you go. Welcome to Canada, whichever clinic you choose the doctors are excellent.

Hi: In case Peaches doesn't answer, you can go to two reliable websites. The one most use is Fitday. It has a areally great free program whereby you can track calories, your weight, your nutrition, and it has a journal that you can keep. The other is Sparkpeople. Both are great. Doddie

Hi Peaches: Bi Polar is something I am not familiar with except my brother in law has been diagnosed with it some years ago. Any chance that as you loose weight the medication might be eliminated? In any event, the loss of weight and increased self esteem should help you a lot. I know it has for me alread. As I see the weight slowly going down (1/2 lb per week) I feel pumped.Doddie.

Hi Ang. I started out by going thru a referral service that sent me to Montreal. I then came across the TLBC and read the write up about Dr. Yau being the pioneer doctor that introduced the band to Canada along with Dr. Joffe. I researched them also by checking out news paper articles on the net. At the time, Dr. Woodhead was not known to me except I read he was thinking of leaving the province because he couldn't get OR time. TLBC has a fabulous support system and does not charge for any followup such as fill or replacement of the bands,etc. I MADE ONE MISTAKE by not calculating in the costs of going to TO for fills. I asked my family GP if he would do the fills and I was told I would be supported but when it turned out I had a slightly turned port, he backed off. I had to go to TO for my first fill (which they recommended anyway) As Dr. Yau trained Dr. W. he referred me to Dr. W. who has taken over my care. I really like Dr. W. I know that if you go to the TLBC website, they have a medical financial company that finances bands but I think it would be less costly if you went to your bank and made a loan. Some go to Mexico which is less money but excellent reputations, some go to Alberta for their surgery. Do your research on the web and make you choice. I just know that I would do this all over again. I at last have control of my eating and I would highly recommend TLBC. The money, heck, I would spend that on WL programs, medications, surgery recovery, whatever. My health is worth a lot more than $16000. Is a car more important than your health? Doddie

Hi: Just think if all goes well, you won't need those nasty pills. Yesterday, I was taken off my 2nd BP pill now I am down to one. With weight loss and exercise I am inching towards not having to take any BP pills. Can't wait, hope the same comes true for you. Doddie

Hi Ang. Things are rapidly changing. The band is becoming more and more known and the doctors are pressing for coverage. Contact Dr. Woodhead and find out from him whether or not the band is covered. Who knows, I could be outdated in my information. Go to your family doctor and ask for a referral to Dr. Woodhead that way the medical will pay for your visit at least. Who knows, you may be a candidate for gastric by pass. Gastric by pass is still the preferred way of WLS so please don't give up, contact Dr. Woodhead or Dr. Amson. Doddie

Hi: Contact Dr. Robin Woodhead in Delta. He does the band privately. I was banded by the TLBC in Toronto and they referred me to him for my fills. If he does your band, you will get the fill from him, if you go to another clinic he charges a consult fee and $75.00 per fill thereafter. There is also another doctor that does bands privately but can't remember his name. We are having a Bandsters meeting at the Lions Gate Hospital on Wednesday at 6:30 to 8:00 pm in Conference Room C. Joine us and ask away with all your questions. To tell the truth having the band was the best decision I have ever made in my life. BC Med does not pay for the band but does the gastric bypass which to me is too dangerous. If you wish to contact me by e mail privately feel free. Doddie

Hi: The fill nurse is very experienced and will tell you what the first/2nd/3rd fill will be. However, not everyone has the same restriction when the band is first inserted. For me, I live in BC and I had restriction right from the start, if it ate more than 1 and 1/2 cup, I would PB so when I flew to Toronto, the fill nurse put in four ccs which I found was tight so she took out 1 cc again it was too tight so she took out 1 cc more. I flew back to BC with 2 ccs. The doctor out here has since put in a single cc twice to give me a total of 5 ccs. The point I am trying to make is everyone is different and it is better to go slowly in your fills than to be overfilled the first few times. Talking to long time banders they all say they have the most success with a looser fill than a tight one. Doddie

Hi: don't go looking for difficulties when there are none. Ports are easily filled when they are on the side by someone that knows what they are doing. Also, it is a simple matter to have the port put right if you want to go thru local surgery. Mine is flipped and the doc out here has trouble but the TLBC fill nurse has no problem whatsoever. Doddie

Hi Everyone: Thanks. I have had another 1 cc put in my band and now stand at 5 ccs. I find this a comfortable fill at the same time, I can't eat more than the recommended 1 cup. Not PBg so much any more but do when I forget to chew. The weight should start coming down now hopefully. Hope you all are meeting your goals. Doddie

Hi: don't panic about flipped ports. When ports were anchored the doctors found a lot of ports were becoming disloged from the tubes causing numerous problems such as serious infections. Take an object and move it back and forth quickly and it will soon break. That was what was happening to anchored ports. The new proceedure is to leave the port free but place it in a pocket allowing it to move freely with the tubing. Sometimes the port will twist to the side or flip. Mine is twisted to the side with difficulty a fill can still be done. If it flipps, it is apparently an easy proceedure to be done with a local and the port is put right side up. Flipping is not too common from my research but does occur. For me, I seem to be comfortable with 5 ccs so don't see the need for more surgery at this time. No big deal. Doddie

Sorry about the fill. My fill is tipped on its side. Yours may be too. It is very difficult to do a fill with a tipped port. It took my doc over 30 minutes of trying but no pain as the port is just under the skin. Doddie

I flew back to TO and saw Dr. Yau about my port being on its side. He explained the reason he no longer anchors the port. His example was: Take a port with the tubing and move it back and forth and it will soon break. That is why the new proceedure is to place the port directly under the skin in a pouch without anchoring it prevents the tube from detaching from the port leading to infections. My doc has a terrible time getting the needle into the port but he eventually does. It is not painful as he is just peircing the skin. I can make an appointment to have the port put right side up if I like? I am pretty close to my sweet spot now so can't see going thru more surgery if it isn't necessary. Doddie

If you have a small fill you may be swallowing too soon and the food is still in large pieces. If you are loosing weight that is great, but I would also look at the way you are chewing. As it is the old habits we have to change. Doddie.

Hi peaches: I can't eat port, beef or chicken either. I can eat a small amount but not the required 3 ozs. I also PB today as I tried chicken again. You would think I would learn. Doddie

Mine is on it's side and my doc takes around 20 minutes to complete the fill as he has to dig aroung. Doddie

HI; Some husbands feel threatened when their loved one starts to loose weight. They feel very secure with the "plump" us, then when we start to loose and develope a figure, they feel er may have other attention. This they can't handle. Also, it is a form of emotional abuse to not compliment or pay attention to a weight loss. Sort of like a power trip. Whatever, try not to let is matter. Give yourself a hug, use us as your source of encouragement and leave DH hangups to him. Doddie

Hi: We all want to loose weight quickly, but relax. The band is your tool make it work for you. Focus on one bad habit at at time, focus on the prescribed diet and exercise and you will be surprised how the weight will come . Slowly (1-2 lbs per week). Don't be impatient because you may become depressed and go into a slump of binging/grazing. It took you a lifetime to put the weight on and it will take more than a few weeks to take it off. Doddie

Hi I had the drip put in but they also put a mask over my face and I fought like hell but someone was awlfully strong and I went under in seconds. As for the pre op diet, mine was two weeks. Some on the web told me not to worry about quantity so I trucked in tons of cottage cheese (hate yogurt) and every mouthfull I told myself "for the love of me" and I prepared my husband's meals. Just keep remembering why you are on this diet and time will fly. It is for your own safety that the liver be smaller so hang in there. Doddie.

Hi Lferlad. Yes, I can feel the food moving from the pouch to the stomach but can also "feel" the food when it sticks. Even then as I writher in pain, I smile because I know I have not chewed my food and the band is letting me have it. Like you I am amused by the finicky band and I am loving every moment as I watch the scales go down. Slowly but surely, my bad habits are improving so a bit of "fluffing", "burping" "gurgling" is soooooooooooooo worth it. I was also banded in February so I guess we are "solemates". Doddie

Vancouver should welcome you with open arms. Lots of jobs available, housing may be a problem. Job market is hot. Doddie

LMAO Jim. Love it. No point being upset what will be will be and a sense of humour certainly helps. Doddie