Alex R.

Happy Birthday !

Some of the responses to this article are interesting, see: Freakonomics in the Times Magazine: The Stomach-Surgery Conundrum - Freakonomics - Opinion - New York Times Blog

My records show that I currently have 8.25 ccs in my MIDBand. I've heard that it holds 9ccs. I'm getting a little concerned because, although I have reasonably good restriction, I think I need a small tweek - about .1 cc I don't want to max out. Does anyone else have this much in their bands? Banded April 4/07 Lost 60 lbs. Feeling great.

There's no leak - the fill nurse is always able to pull out the full amount whenever I go for a fill. Thanks peaches - I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with that much in their band.

I hadn't done any real exercise in years and knew I had to start somewhere. I couldn't even imagine doing anything until after I had lost 50 lbs. I joined Curves because it was close to my home and have been enjoying a gentle re-introduction to physical activity. I'm sure it won't be enough after a while and I will try something else, but for me, right now, its perfect.

I've had this pain as well and have been very curious about it for a long time. I've posted about it on occasion too. A band doctor who sometimes posts on these boards said he had heard of this from some of his patients, was pretty sure it was band related, but didn't know exactly what it was. However, at my last fill, I asked about it and was told almost the exact same thing that Danielle says (above). I think the mystery is solved for me.

Sorry to be brutally blunt, but you've asked for help. Try to remember why you are doing this. You have paid a lot of money for this procedure. You are having surgery. This is no joke. This is not about cheating. This is about your health. You are doing this preop diet to shrink your liver, among other reasons, and it makes a huge difference to the surgeon and the safety of your surgery.

Perhaps it does hold 10cc. I only noticed references on these boards that it holds 9, which may be incorrect.

I have not heard of this clinic either. If you have a consult with them, ask how many lap-band procedures the actual surgeon has done and what their personal slippage and erosion rates are. This is a very specific procedure and I would recommend that you have a highly experienced surgeon. Success with the band depends a lot on the clinic follow up.

Hi Sheila, I'm in Toronto, but am frequently in London. My daughter goes to UWO and my mother lives in Tillsonburg, so I feel like London is my second home. Congratulations on your surgery. How are you doing? Alex

Expertise of the surgeon is KEY to your success with the band. Follow up care is critical, and I doubt that someone who only does 3 or 4 a month would have the kind of support that is offered at the TLBC or SWLC.

Only you can decide what is right for you. But you have to remember that the few people who do have complications come here for support. There are a vast many others with no problems who do not post. I find however, that reading about complications helps me to behave in a way that often will help prevent complications. A lot of those posts are "don't let this happen to you" warnings. Being banded was the best thing I have ever done for myself.

Thats a very nice article about Dr. Tin. I had bookmarked the following website a while ago when I first heard that there were a couple of other doctors doing lapband in the Toronto area: Breast Augmentation Toronto Liposuction Clinic Cosmetic Surgeon | TC Clinic Looks like this clinic does a lot of other plastic surgery procedures in addition to lapband. Does anyone know how experienced Dr. Tin is with lapband?

I was banded April 5th and thought I was past the risk period for hair loss, but mine is coming out by the handful now. I have read many posts and possible explanations for hair loss and what I have learned is this......that is it most likely related to the anethesia from surgery, that it has nothing to do with Protein or Vitamins, and that it will stop and your hair will all come back, some even say better and fuller. Hope you find this as reassuring as I did.

Welcome Maral. Although we never met, you were absolutely wonderful to me over the phone. I appreciated your phone calls for the first few days after my surgery and you were always available to me whenever I had any questions.

I was told that we could have as much as we wanted, but it didn't take long before you didn't want very much!

On another board, a lap-band surgeon addressed a similar question. He said it sounded like irritation of the diaphragm and said it would go away with time.

Regarding the mini gastric bypass (MGB), I've heard that this is an outdated procedure, and that there is really only one surgeon doing it, but he advertises heavily. You've seen the results your mother has had. The other procedure I've been hearing a lot about is the verticle sleeve gastrectomy (VSG).

I wish I could highlight some of these - note the recommendation to "wear dark pants" What are treatment effects? alli™ works by preventing the absorption of some of the fat you eat. The fat passes out of your body, so you may have bowel changes, known as treatment effects. You may get: · gas with oily spotting · loose stools · more frequent stools that may be hard to control What to expect The excess fat that passes out of your body is not harmful. In fact, you may recognize it as something that looks like the oil on top of a pizza. Eating a low-fat diet lowers the chance of these bowel changes. Limit fat intake in your meals to an average of 15 grams. Learn more about following a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet. Learning how to manage treatment effects is an important part of being successful with alli. Here's how to take control: · Start trimming fat from your diet now, even before you begin taking alli. Then pick a day to begin taking alli, such as a weekend day so you can stay close to home if you experience a treatment effect. Make the timing work for you. If you're getting ready to travel or attend a social event, hold off on starting with alli until the event is over · While no one likes experiencing treatment effects, they might help you think twice about eating questionable fat content. If you think of it like that, alli can act like a security guard for your late-night cravings · You can't "save fat grams" from lunch and "spend them" at dinner. Spread your daily fat gram allowance of 15 grams on average per meal over the whole day · You may feel an urgent need to go to the bathroom. Until you have a sense of any treatment effects, it's probably a smart idea to wear dark pants, and bring a change of clothes with you to work · You may not usually get gassy, but it's a possibility when you take alli. The bathroom is really the best place to go when that happens · You can use a food journal to recognize what foods can lead to treatment effects. For example, writing down what you eat may help you learn that marinara sauce is a better option than Alfredo sauce To learn more about how myalliplan can guide you with smarter food choices and a wealth of resources, visit myalliplan now.

You should try to get the Isopure - because it is a "clear fluid" that you need for the first part of the postop diet. It has Protein, which you need. Gatorade and Propel don't. I bought it at Nutrition House at Yorkdale Mall. It was in the refrigerated section, and looks like orange pop. Comes in different flavours apparently. GNC should have it or the kind of store that sells Vitamins, bodybuilding and weightloss supplements. Make sure you check the expiration date. The clerk happened to notice it, and I didn't even think to check.

You should try to get the Isopure - because it is a "clear fluid" that you need for the first part of the postop diet. I bought it at Nutrition House at Yorkdale Mall. It's iwas in the refrigerated section, and looks like orange pop. Comes in different flavours apparently. GNC should have it or the kind of store that sells Vitamins, bodybuilding and weightloss supplements. Make sure you check the expiration date. The clerk happened to notice it, and I didn't even think to check.

I want this thing to work so much - so won't to do anything that could possibly screw it up.

I do hope that everyone realizes that this is only an "allegation" at this point. My best friend's husband was falsely accused, arrested and had his life ruined by a disturbed relative making comments to someone. The process was like a railroad train - it wouldn't stop. Ultimately, it took 12 years to clear his name, and they lost over $500,000 in legal fees and lost income. And his name was absolutely cleared - even received apologies. But there was no way to recoup what they lost, financially or emotionally. His career was ruined, his life was ruined. That poor innocent man is a shell of his former self. You just can't imagine how awful it was. Please, please remember this before jumping to conclusions.

I too was told by TLBC that the only charge was if the band itself had to be replaced, I would pay 50% of the cost of the band only.