Frenchie

Yes, there is a Dr in Ottawa, I go to: Dr. Jose Gutauskas Suite 107, 770 Broadview Ave. Ottawa K2A 3Z3 613-725-9180 He charges btw $50 - $75 (depending on the time it takes or the quantity) Annie

Woohoo! Bravo AZA!!! I'm not having the same success unfortunately... I've had like 5 fills so far, I'm at 8 CCs and no restriction... I'm getting discouraged! I will be there Saturday, I think we should make a reservation, but no idea how many we'll be... any ideas? Annie

I'm in and looking forward to meeting everyone! Annie :clap2:

:clap2: Hello everyone, I just came back from Dr. Gutauska's office for my 1st fill. He was very nice and put me at ease right away. He injected me with a freezing liquid before to help with the pain, the fill itself was painless. He gave me 1cc in a large band (not sure how many CCs my band can contain...) I have a feeling 1cc won't be enough since I haven't felt any restriction since I've had my band, but w'll see. I already scheduled another appointment in 2 weeks. Annie

Thanks! I'm booked an appointment to see him. I feel like I'm "cheating" on my own doctor LOL! But the thought of driving 10 hours to my own surgeon during the winter months has convinced me to stay closer to home. Just out of curiosity Aza, When is your appointment with Dr. G? I just want to get an idea of how busy they are. Thanks, Annie

Hello Aza, I will get my 1st fill by Dr Josee Gustaukas Broadview Avenue on Nov 6th. I called to get my appointment 2 weeks ago, heès apparently pretty busy! I, ll let you all know how it went. Annie

Hello everyone, I just thougth I would give a quick update since last time I wrote I was not yet part of the Banster's club. I was banded on September 20th by Dr. Gozalez in Tijuana Mex.; so today is 12 days post op for me. All and all, I would say that Dr. Gonzalez, Dr Valenzuala, Laura and all the staff at the clinic took care of me like a Queen! Everyone was sooooo nice, the clinic was just beautiful, and Laura (my little angel) was there for me the whole time; from the moment I set foot in San Diego to the moment I left. THANK YOU! The surgery went fine, as far as pain goes, the gas pain was the worse... a bit more then what I expected. The pain lasted about a week. The only pain I have felt is some back pain that comes and goes for the last couple of day. I haven't figured out yet if it's something I'm doing, drinking or eating... Off course, I'm a little nervous with every little disconfort I experience. I wonder: Did I eat too much?!? (I'm on mushies for now) Did my band slip?!? Did I strech my pouch?!? A little paranoia after reading the Thread "Band Complications" while looking for anyone else having back pain... I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Tomorrow I'm seeing my Family Dr. for my annual... I'm curious of her reaction when I tell her what I've done!!! I have a feeling she won't be impressed. I'll ask her if I can get an X-ray done, hopefully that will put a stop to my worries and I'll see that my band is OK. Today two of my little tapes on my incisions fell, I was happy to see that the incisions are tiny and healing beautifully. So far so good... Talk to you guys later! Annie

Thanks Short C, I would love that. I just PMd you with my contact info. I`m flying out Wednesday Sept 19... getting nervous! A

Thanks for your encouragement Peaches, I'll definitely write about my experience when I get back! Hearing that a Canadian GP goes to Mex for surgery is even more reassurance! Later!

Well Peaches, When I first started to do my research on the procedure, I didn't even know Mexico was an option. I was looking at T.O. or MTL. With my financial situation, financing wasn't an option, so I would have had to save my $ for 2 more years to come up with the 16K-17K. Then I saw alot of postings on this Forum, as wel as on ObesityHelp .com about the Mexican option. I then concentrated on researching Mexican clinics and spoke to a couple Banded in Mexico and I'm convinced that the quality of care I will be getting by Dr. Gonzalez is equal, if not superior as what I would get here in Canada. BUT... the price!!! 10K less then in Canada. So now, I don't have to wait another two years and I have found to options for aftercare/fills in the area. I'm still scared about the whole thing, but not because I'm going to Mexico... The adventure itself is quite scary, especially as my date is getting closer!

:clap2: You should be proud of yourself! You are quite an inspiration, reading your post is exactly what I needed today. My surgery is in 14 days, and I must say that, some days (today was one of them) I get scared. Thank you, and keep up the good work, as well as posting your 2 cents.

Well, I just confirmed my surgery date with Dr. Gonzalez in Tijuana, SEP 20th!! I`m so excited and scared at the same time. Thank you Short C for your kind advice. I experienced exactly what you you told me... kindness, patience, professionalism... I will definitely be interested in joining the Ottawa Support Group; I`ll need all the support I can get since most of my friends and family think I`ve gone MAD!!! :bounce: Hope to meet some of you in the Ottawa area soon! F.