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Hello Albertans, From a couple of threads, there seems to be genuine interest in starting a local support group. I would like to know how many people from Alberta would be supportive of such an initiative. Depending on the size of the membership, the gatherings can be informal and/or can include other more organized activities - workshops, seminars, group counselling, events, etc. IF THIS IS OF INTEREST TO YOU, PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR INTEREST BY RESPONDING TO THIS THREAD. If possible, please be so kind to respond to the following questions either through a public reply or through private messaging - whichever you are comfortable with. - Where in Alberta are you located? - What sort of functions would you expect from the support group (specify all that apply): a. informal sharing of experiences and information b. organized workshops c. group counselling d. retreats e. events, please describe f. other, please specify - If the support group is facilitated in your city/town, how frequently would you like the group meet - monthly, every other month, quarterly? - If the support group is facilitated in a city/town other than yours (say within 100 to 400 km), would you still be interested in attending some of the gatherings or organized activities? - Would you be opened to rotational gatherings at members' houses (which means that we rotationally host a gathering at our homes)? - Would you be opened to gathering at a public place (like a restaurant)? - Would you be opened to gathering at a functional meeting site such as a pre-booked meeting room in a school, hotel, etc.? - Are there suggestions or information that you would like to share? Once we have an idea of the true level of interest and the number of members we may have, we can decide of how to proceed.

Susan, I am experiencing severe hunger pain and feeling derpived as well. I tried boost, which was tolerable (but one small 237 ml bottle has 667 calories). I also had soup, Water, and popsicle. Each time I had something, the hunger pain went away but only for a short time. I tried ignoring the pain 50% of the time and responding to it the other 50% of the time. In the past 3 days, I have not lost any weight. As a whole, I feel that I am recovering very well but like you and others, I am adjusting to the new diet, hunger pain, concerns about what woukld be, and so on.

Hello All, A member's feedback in my Yau/Cobourn thread gave me an idea to start a new thread where we can post credible reseach materials on banding and related matters. Maybe someone has already started one. If not, here is one. I will start the thread by attaching a very new reasearch finding on Lapbanding published in January in the peer reviewed Journal of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity. For those who may not be familiar with journal publication, a peer-reviewed professional or academic journal is the highest form of publication (in terms of recognition and content validity) for any professional or academic. It means that the research report you submit for publication in the specific journal is reviewed and critiqued by other experts within the field. Many reports are rejected while others are subjected to multiple revisions before it is accepted for publication. There are few that get their report published without revision. Of course, among peer-reviewed journals themselves, there is an order of "prestigiousness" which means that some journals are deemed more recognized/prestigious than others. For more research findings on obesity surgery, here is a link to one peer-reviewed journal site: http://www.obesitysurgery.com/ I look forward to more research materials from members of this site. ObesitySurgeryArticle.pdf

Here is a 2005 summary of studies & results on bariatric surgery from the Government of Ontario. It is a good literature review, has lots of useful data/info and certainly worth reading. http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/providers/program/mas/tech/reviews/pdf/rev_baria_010105.pdf

How about Sunday, May 27th? Leslielee, Becca, CanMacDaddy, Andrew, Tagger (did I miss anyone)?

I have the same problem and I certainly did not have any protein drink until yesterday. I'll see if it changes in a few days. Thanks for the tip, Tres Chic.

Yoda, I am not sure when you post your picture here but I was on the phone with Leslielee yesterday and she mentioned how good you look and how cute the two of you look with your yoda heads on. I just want to say that I totally agree. Your body transformation is amazing. You look great. With your outfit, it looks like you are ready to go line dancing. Do you find yourself doing many more fun activities now that you have lost so much of the weight? I love ballroom dancing and that will be the first activity that I will return to in the Fall. Leslielee and I plan to put our pictures up in the future. If it is o.k. with you, we are going to be copycats and replace our heads as well.

Hi Susan, Thank you for your concern. I am doing much better now. I took your advice and stuck to using the straw. That really helped. Since yesterday, I have been able to drink more. In general, I still get full (and hungry) very fast. My burping does not hurt as much now. I am so excited to be progressing through these stages. I am on full Fluid today. How are you doing with your full fluid?

Hi Leslielee, Thank you. I am feeling less dizzy and less nauseous today but I still feel quite weak. I suspect it is due to dehydration as I am having trouble taking in enough fluids. Last night I got woken up by hunger pain so I went o have some fluids. Then I felt tightness instead (and I had little Fluid, not much at all). In short, I am bouncing back and forth between hunger pain and the sensation of overfull tightness. I will call TLBC today to find out what my problem may be.

Hi Susan, I am feeling quite a bit of dizziness as well. I also feel nausea but not enough to vomit. In addition, I feel weak. For you or any of those that have been banded before me, is it normal to: 1. feel pain on your chest when you burp? 2. feel tightness (like over full) only after having a few sips of liquid? I can barely drink anything. When I do drink, I feel pain only after a few sips. When I don't drink I feel very dehydrated. What can I do?

Thank you, Andrew. I will submit that right away.

Less than a day to go. I'm still nervous but am thinking positive and hopeful for a better weight/health-management future. I wish to thank everyone for sharing their experiences, words of wisdom, and kind support. I truly appreciate it. My husband and I will be flying off to Toronto this afternoon so I may not be able to access the internet until Sunday when I get back. To all the May 4th banders, all the very best to you. To my TLBC buddies, Jannet, Robgoblin, and Mr. Yoda, hopefully, I get a chance to say hi to at least one of you.

Andrew, I got an itemized receipt but it only lists the following items. Is it enough to apply for AHC subsidy? Gastric band $4500 Clinic Fee $4340 Surgery Fee $3660 Post-operative Fee $2500 Anesthesia Fee $1000

Hi All, Thank you for the well wishes. I am back in Edmonton. Everything went well. Some discomfort right after surgery but nothing unmanageable. The pain is minor but the more annoying thing is combination of dizziness, slight nausea, and weakness. I have some gas pain but again it was minor. Like Jurema and Robgblin, I got the midband. To answer Robgoglin's question regarding the difference in bands, Dr. Yau said that one band is larger than the other (presumably between midband and the swedishband) and depending on the size and shape of stomach, he'll decide which to use. He said that he does not want to use a band that is too large/loose nor too small/tight for your stomach. He said the chosen band should be somewhere in the middle, not too large/loose and not too small/tight. For those that have been banded before me, is it normal to: 1. feel pain on your chest when you burp? 2. feel tightness (like over full) only after having a few sips of liquid?

Hello All, I am new to this banding community. I wish to say that this site has been most helpful to me in terms of feeling good about my decision to proceed with banding. I will have my telephone consultation with both clinics (Yau and Cobourn/Mumford) next week and will have to make a final decision on which one to go with. I reside in Edmonton, Alberta. I am hoping that those of you who have considered and completed the procedure with either Dr. Yau or Dr. Cobourn/Mumford can share with me how you come to your final decision on which physician to go with. I know that both clinics and physicians have excellent reputation and going with either would probably be fine but this knowledge does not help me to narrow down my decision. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.:help:

Hope all went well, Susan. Welcome to the banded side. Would love to hear your experience

Good reminder, Yoda. Hope to get a chance to say hi on Friday.

Jannet, As of this morning, after 6 full days of pre-op diet, I have lost 8 lbs (haven't changed my ticker yet. I'll wait till tomorrow). I think everyone is different. Robgoblin said he lost 20 lbs in 6 days. Maybe that's because he did not eat for a few days. For me, in the last couple of days, I ate but barely because, yogurt was starting to taste yukky and I just did not feel hungry. I only ate to get some substance in my stomach. In the first 3 days of my diet, I ate much more and I only lost 3 lbs.

Hi All, I was made aware that SWLC (Dr. Coubourn/Mumford) allows its pre-op diet to include (aside from Optifast) various green vegetables. I contacted TLBC to ask why vegetables are not made a part of our per-op diet. According to Maral from TLBC, vegetables, while good to serve as part of our regular diet, is not included in the pre-op diet because they add carbohydrate to our body. The diet of cottage cheese, yoghurt, milk, and for some of us, also chicken breast, is a high Calcium, high Protein diet. It minimizes the production of extra, unused fat (which is typically stored in our body) and drives our liver and body into a state of ketosis - which then activates the burning of already stored body fat as body energy fuel. Here is what I gathered from websites on what ketosis means and does: The primary source of energy for our body is fat in the form of ketones. Ketones are created in the liver from the fatty acids that result from the breakdown of body fat. These only appear when there is an absence of glucose and sugar. Our high calcium, high protein diet reduces the amount of glucose and sugar that is in the bloodstream. As a result, our body produces ketones for fuel. When our body is creating ketones it is called ketosis. The main benefit being that it increases the body's ability to utilize fats for fuel, which gets very lazy on a high carbohydrate diet. When on high carbohydrate diets, the body can usually expect an energy source to keep entering the body. But in the state of ketosis the body has to become efficient at mobilizing fats as energy. If our diet is changed from a highly glycemic diet to a diet that does not substantially contribute to blood glucose, the body goes through a set of stages to enter ketosis. During the initial stages of this process the adult brain does not burn ketones, however the newborn brain makes immediate use of this important substrate for lipid synthesis in the brain. After about 48 hours of this process, the adult brain starts burning ketones in order to more directly utilize the energy from the fat stores that are being depended upon, and to reserve the glucose only for its absolute needs, thus avoiding the depletion of the body's protein store in the muscles. Here is what I gathered from websites on the negative aspect of ketones: When insulin levels drop and your cells can't get the glucose needed for fuel, they resort to burning fat for energy. Sounds like a swell slimming strategy, but relying on this fallback energy source for too long can be bad news for the body. Burning fat makes ketones, which spill into the blood and urine. When ketone levels rise too high, you can become sick and possibly slip into a coma. Here is what I gathered from websites on concerns with Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). When the body doesn't have enough insulin, glucose stays in the blood and can't get into the body's cells to be used for energy. This can happen, for example, when a person skips doses of insulin, or when the need for insulin suddenly increases (like when a person is sick with the flu) and the doses are not adjusted. When the body can't use glucose for fuel, it starts to use fat. When this happens, chemicals called ketones are released into the blood. Some of these ketones, like extra glucose, pass out of the body through the urine. High levels of ketones in the blood can be a problem because they cause the blood to become acidic. Too much acid in the blood throws off the body's chemical balance and causes the symptoms listed below. In people with diabetes, this problem is called diabetic ketoacidosis (pronounced: kee-toh-ah-sih-doh-sis), or DKA. DKA is a very serious condition that can lead to coma or death if it's not treated. The good news, though, is that it's preventable and can be treated so very few teens actually die from it. DKA occurs more often in people with type 1 diabetes, but can sometimes also happen to people with type 2 diabetes. The symptoms of DKA usually don't develop all at once - they usually come on slowly over several hours. People who have DKA may: · feel really tired · feel really thirsty or pee way more than usual · have a dry mouth and signs of dehydration The symptoms above are caused by the high blood sugar levels that usually occur before a person develops DKA. If the person doesn't get treatment, the following symptoms of DKA can occur: · abdominal pain · nausea and/or vomiting · fruity breath odor · rapid, deep breathing · confusion · unconsciousness ("diabetic coma") So that's good and bad of ketones in a nutshell. PLEASE READ THE ABOVE FOR GENERAL KNOWLEDGE ONLY. ACCURACY OF CONTENT IS NOT GUARANTEED. For more detailed and accurate information, contact your doctor or do your own research. For me, having a general understanding the reasons and effects of the food we must/can eat does increase my coping motivation and I hope that it increases the motivation of others on the TLBC pre-op diet as well.

Robgoblin, You lost 20 lbs in 6 days? That's amazing. I only lost 3 lbs in 3 days. I know it's very hard. That why I said it would have been more tolerable to have a variety. Yoda said she found it easier to stick to a few fixed items. I personally would do better with a larger variety of equally allowable items. Hang in there, Robgoblin. We'll be on the banded side in a few days. Of course, we still have a series of diet restrictions to follow after that. We'll support each other through it - we'll make it!

Leslielle, The pleasure is mine. I very much enjoyed our chat. Look forward to seeing you in person sometime in the near future.

Susan, Can you please tell me where you accessed the video? I vaguely remember seeing one while doing my research on the matter. I would not might seeing another one (or maybe it's the same one - which is o.k.). Thanks.

Hi All, How about getting together on Saturday, May 26th in Red Deer? How many can commit to that date?

Robgoblin, The ladies have a point. Eat something. One member mentioned that she made a shake with yogurt, milk, and ice for dinner. I tried that and it was yummy. Maybe you can try that, Robgoblin. Variety would certainly make it much easier for all of us. What are all the food items that have similar nutritional content/value/restriction to yogurt, cottage cheese and/or chicken breast or more important, to the purpose of this exercise - which is to shrink the liver? If there is a list, it would make the pre-op diet much more tolerable. That is one thing that could be improved upon by the TLBC clinic. I was told that Dr. Coubourn/Mumford's clinic allows its pre-op diet to include (aside from Optifast) various green vegetables. Contrary to TLBC, their clinic disallow dairy products. I am going to contact TLBC to enquire about the matter. I'll let you know once I get an answer. Maybe you can eat something then. Of course, you can contact them yourself as well to get a quicker answer. I am starting my 4th day of pre-op diet today. It is not as bad as I thought. I thought that I would feel very uncomfortable with seeing other people eat real food but I am actually not. Last night, my family and I went out for one of those scrumptious multi-course chinese dinner. Of course, I could not eat a thing on the table but I was generally o.k. with it. The one thing that was hard to resist was the scallop fried rice - so yummy looking. Trying to explain why I could not eat the food was more uncomfortable than not eating itself. Luckily, no one questioned me when I told them that my doctor has put me on a very strict diet to bring my weight down because my blood pressure is too high. This support site has been tremendously helpful to all us that are trying hard to hang in there. Thank you very much to everyone.

Thank you, Susan.