Kwalla_girl

welcome back green. I was glad to hear you're back home and that you've made it through the surgery ok. My prayers are with you and I wish you good news. Peaches - good for you for calling Jill. Don't be discouraged if it takes Jill a few days to get back to you. She had a family emergency last week and she might run a little behind on her emails

I spoke with Dr. Yau about moving my port before, and he said I can do it at any time, I just have to decide. He told me there would be no charge. He did suggest that I wait untill I reach my goal, before I decide to move it, but I was thinking of doing it or esthetic reasons. If your port bothers you, I don't see why you can't have it moved.

I agree with Doddie, Peaches. You should give Jill a call. I know that there are people who drop the weight like it was never there, however some of us need the extra support, and there is no shame in asking for help. I was stuck at the same weight for two months before I called TLBC. The hardest part is taking that initial help. Think of how much you have accomplished already and celebrate. It will give you the boost you need to keep going....and remember we're all here for you and the proverbial kick in the ass.:thumbup:

Hey Lisa, Please let me know how it works out, if you do decide to move your port. Mine is in pretty much the same spot as you describe, and sticking out more and more as I get closer to my goal. I think I'll definetly get it moved once I get to goal. I will wait to see if I need to have a tummy tuck before I do it. Might as well do it all at once, if I need to.:thumbup:

I was wondering if anyone has attended the TLBC bootcamp, and if yes what were your results? I have had a hard time the past couple of months and haven't lost any weight so I thought I'd give this a try to help me get back on track.

I find I am still binging. Not all the time but from time to time, I will slip and I just can’t stop eating. Or better said I am trying to binge, the band (God bless it) won’t let me. But I live with the fear that if I don’t stop my band will slip. But even that fear is not enough to make me stop….

I think motivation is key. That and accountability. That is what the bootcamp does for me. It is led by Jill the nutritionist at TLBC. We start every session by getting weight (they also take measurements at the beginning and end). We also get nutrition tips every week. Week one On our first session we reviewed the “Bandsters 10 Commandments”, the “Daily Nutrition Guidelines” and the “6 reasons for PBing”. In addition we signed a contract saying we will follow the rules and adding a goal for the weight we would like to lose by the end of the boot camp. We then did a very interesting exercise where we wrote out our Hopes, Fears and Expectations when it comes to our weight loss. We went around sharing our notes and it was amazing to see how much we are all alike. It was a great comfort to me to know that I am not the only one who is afraid of failing, of what is going to happen once I loose the weight and I reach my goal. What if I am never going to be satisfied with myself? Week two The second session was titled Awareness. Jill spent the hour driving home the point that “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. We had to rate these statements from 1 to 10 like: I am aware that change is necessary/ It is important for me to change/ I will be successful in my weight loss journey etc. You guys can just imagine what scores we gave ourselves. Jill had us erase our scores and give ourselves 10s across the board saying that you will only reach as high as you believe you can. We spent the rest of the session reviewing our habits, that have stopped us from succeeding in the past and what our triggers are. We also keep a food journal that Jill reviews. This week we also had to review the triggers for our cravings. What are the where are we, what are we doing and what do we crave. Week three The last session was titled “getting excited about your life”, about showing gratitude for today, and our successes in life so far. We went around and each of us shared some of our successes and described ourselves as our friends would describe us. (Our friends would never say we are fat or ugly or losers). We discussed how if you’ve got happiness on hold until you get to the “destination”, you’re never going to have it. The key is to enjoy the little things you see along the way and use them to divert you from the temptations that can lead you off the path. I know this posting is kind of long but I find myself in the mood to write lately. I think it’s somewhat therapeutical for me. Let me know if you guys would like more details. I was at a plateau for the last two months before I started this program and I was getting a little down on myself. It’s still me doing all the work now, however the boot camp gave me the incentive I needed to focus on my goal, make some changes and just plain do it.

I think I agree with Andrew in that if there is no follow up care in your area, it doesn't really make a difference btw Canada US or Mexico. You are usually talking about the same travel distance. If however you do have a clinic available in your area it would still be my first choice. I live in Toronto, and was banded at TLBC, and what I appreciate most is not the aftercare, or the free fills, but the support groups available to me. But what good is the lifetime follow-up care if you live in BC or Alberta. I think it's cheeper to travel to Mexico than Toronto. That said I'll say that I was really tight a few months ago. Got my fill on a Friday and by the end of the day I couldn't even swallow my saliva and I kept throwing up. I went to Scarborough Hospital (where they actually do LapBand surgeries) and I waited 7 hours for a defill. By that point I didn't care what I had to do US, Mexico, anything would have been better than the waiting. So surgery in Canada is not the best choice for everyone. I do think that is good to be informed of the worst case scenario and make an informed decision. All the difficulties listed here are valid, have happened before and could potentially happen again. Make sure you make a decision you can live with and Good Luck!

I'm having great results so far with the bootcamp...losing about 3 lbs per week...I slamed through my plateau. The support group aspect of the meetings works for me. Sometimes I forget that I am not alone, and that there are other people going through the same things as me. It's great to have someone to talk to who knows exactly how you feel. I'm trying to implement the awareness exercises that Jill recommends. I think it's starting to work. I've already asked Jill to put me on the list for the next bootcamp. She also said that she is working with Dr Simon on a body image seminar. I think it's a great idea....we'll see.

Thank you for your response. You are right. I think I would feel slighted if someone did not respond when I sent them a message. So I am going to take your advice and ensure I answer everyone.

First I would like to say that I love this thread. Second, I need to ask for some advice. I am single and have been for most of my life. I recently joined some online dating sites. |I am wondering if it is considered rude if I don’t respond to some one who messages me. Do you guys respond to people you are not interested in? Just as a courtesy, or is it understood that I am not interested?

I too get tighter with my period. I have the mid band and am at 8.75cc. I am definitely on the loose side now. I think as time passes I am losing some of my restriction. I can eat about 2.5 cups of food, however as I am still loosing I am not overly concerned about it. What I wanted to emphasize was the importance of chewing thoroughly. I can feel full or get stuck with only a spoon of food if I don’t chew well. I sometimes chew each bite for more than 20 times. Just something to keep in mind when discussing fill levels.

I'll be there. Can't wait to see everyone again.

Disregard. I just saw your other post laurmac. I need to start paying more attention

I just needed to confirm what time we need to be there. Is it noon again? And what name is the rezervation under?

I have told no one except my parents and my doctor. I don't think I will be mentioning it to anyone else. I don't want to have to deal with all the talk behind my back, or any questions of how much weight have I lost, what am I eating etc... Maybe later on if I feel I can help someone by sharing my experience I will for now...it's our little secret :confused:

count me in. I can't wait to see everyone again.

My port has been on it's side since the swelling has gone down right after surgery. It hasn't created any problems for me. Fill are really easy. They just have to go in sideways.

My port is on its side. It's been like this since my first fill. It hasn't given me any problems. Fills are very easy as the port is right at the surface.

Hello, I loved meeting everyone on Sunday, and I am already looking forward to next month. Lianna - I wish you good luck on Thursday, and we'll be thinking of you. Rose - Congratulation on the weight loss. Keep it up.

Hello Bob, Welcome to Lap Band Talk. It was nice meeting you on Sunday. I'm sure you will do great, and I look forward to us speaking some more.

I eat three meals and two snacks a day. I spoke with Jill (the nutritionist at TLBC) and that's what she recomended. She also said I should choose some sort of protein snacks as that will keep me full longer. What they do not want you to do is to snack all the time. That's like cheating the band.

Nothing weird about you Peaches. This sound very similar to when I was at 9cc. I ended up going for a small defill (.25cc), but as this is only your second fill, give it a few days and see if it gets better. For me, I am usualy really tight the first few days after a fill, but it gets better. That said, only you can make the decision if you need a defill. You're the one that has to live with it. :biggrin1:

Hello Peaches, Same thing happended to me after my third fill. I was at 9 cc and I could still eat and drink very slowly and very little, but I felt that everything I swallowed was just sitting there, before slowly going down. Lots of burping as well. I had a very hard week, then finally gave in went back to TLBC. Nancy took out .25 cc and I instantly felt better. If you do not see an improvement in a couple of day, I say you should go for a defill. You can always get another fill if you do not feel enough restriction.

I am driving from North Etobicoke. If anyone needs a ride let me know.