mommmyof4

hi everyone - i was banded on june 3 by dr.m at swlc. would love to be included in get togethers planned for edmonton. how did you all hear about the luncheon thing in calgary?

hi tyler, haven't been on the forums for a while but i remember you and am glad to hear you're taking the plunge. when is the big day? i had my surgery on june 3rd. i was told to arrive the night before and had to stay 48 hours after surgery. i don't know if that was because i wasn't allowed to fly for 48 hours or if the clinic wanted me in town for 48 hours. either way, it was definitely 48 hours. i did not see anyone at the clinic after the surgery. dr.m phoned to check on me the day after and i think the nurse phoned as well earlier in the day but i did not have to get back to the clinic at all. best of luck, hope all goes well. keep in touch.

JJ, thanks for sharing that letter with us. 25 is worse than edmonton, but i think edmonton is only 100. i have heard that the edmonton program is fantastic as well. i suspect the edmonton and calgary programs are very similar. seems like the waiting lists are the same anyway! at last check, the waiting list in edmonton was over a 1000. i have also heard of a swlc opening out west here, i didn't realize it was out of the banff hospital, i thought it was calgary. either way - much closer than TO which is where i am going. thanks again.

hey becca yep, i'm in the chuk! congrats on your baby girl by the way! did they have to completely defill your band when you realized you were preggers? good for you for getting right back on the horse! dr. m is doing my surgery. how has the post-op follow-up been. i find they're pretty slow to get back to me on my emails which is a little worrisome. i'd like to feel confident that if i have something come up that they will follow up with me asap. how was your experience there overall? my biggest worry right now is all the pb'ing i keep reading about? was that a problem with you? where are you getting your fills? i'm thinking i will probably go to red deer. do you pay for them? seems like they don't have to pay for fills in grand prairie - nost sure why we are paying then. anyway - feel free to hand out any advice, suggestions, etc. this is day 3 of optifast - didn't feel like i was starving to death all day and headache is gone today. but i'm dying for something dry and crunchy!

the clinic in edmonton is only funded to do 100 (i think) per year which explains the extrememly long waiting list. so you can imagine which 10 are getting the band - the very sick, ++co-morbidities, etc. This also might explain why dr. birch had only done 50 in 5 years depending on when that was. the program is a lot different than TO, counselling, dietician, psych, etc. - lots of "tests" before getting surgery, if you get surgery. there is no guarantee that a referral means surgery. ultimately, it is always better to lose weight without the surgery but that doesn't make it any easier for those of us who have the weight but not the co morbidities, "too healthy" is what i was told despite the fact i have 90 lbs to lose. the program i think certainly prepares you better for what is to come if you do get surgery and in my opinion, it would be nice if everyone could get that education before surgery. it would be my choice to go through the program and then get the surgery. but that just won't happen in edmonton. i'm paying myself, surgery is june 3 at swlc.

hi sphynx - have you made a decision yet? i just wanted to add my two bits. regarding mexico, although it is not a place that i considered, i have read very good things about it. there is a forum, i believe, for that clinic that you can check out, look at the facility (looks beautiful), etc. i also never considered colorado, but again haven't read a lot but what i have read is good. i looked into washington state but could not find a place that i qualified at. what i really wanted to make you aware of is the insurance issue. i was a little surprised the JAC said her repairs were covered by AHC even though her band was put in in mexico. my understanding is that AHC will only cover the complicaitons if the band was inserted in canada. that is something that is would definitely clarify. on the other hand, having it put in the US, if you return there because of complications, your insurance probably would not cover you because you are travelling there with a pre-existing condition. something else i would verify. i cannot comment on anyone here yet, i an scheduled for june 3 at swlc. best of luck with your decision. 8-)

hey tyler, many obese people have sleep apnea, and in fact it is this sleep apnea that necesstates the surgery. there are anesthetists that specialize in the bariatric patient. i cannot believe that surgery is not an option based on that. i don't know how much you weigh or how bad your sleep apnea is, but i think it's worth investigating a little more, going outside of calgary or at least outside of dr. yau. i know nothing about him. you can have a phone consultation with a dr. in toronto at no cost or obligation. yes, ultimately you will have to pay yourself in toronto (which is what i am doing). if it is any consolation, alberta healthcare does give you about $1300 back if you self pay in toronto. did he say that once you dropped your weight you would be a candidate or that as long as you had sleep apnea that you wouldn't be a candidate? because the surgery is publicly funded in alberta, each clinic gets approval to do a certain amount of bads per year. i believe edmonton can do 100 but that calgary is down to 50. don't quote me on this info, just what i've heard from various sources. not very many for either place considering the number of people waiting. and when you think about it - they are going to be very selective in making sure the 100 or 50 people that get the band are the patients that absolutely need it the most. you might want to check into dr.farries in red deer, clinic is new, not such a long wait list but still the same restrictions as to the number of bands that can be done per year. like i said, i am having my surgery on june 3 in mississauga. i don't have co-morbidities so i would not qualify in alberta but i have 80-90 lbs to lose and i know that i cann't do it on my own. i've battled my whole life. and i decided i was not going to wait for co-morbidities. so that's my long post. good luck with everything. i admire you for making your plan and being willing to still try the non-surgical route. best of luck. 8-)

hey Habs fan, welcome to the world of lap bands. i am from edmonton, i have my surgery scheduled in TO for june 3 but for 16k. i have never heard of it less that 7500 - make sure you have the price nailed down before you proceed. i am assuming if you are having it done is SK that your insurance is covering it. there is a program here in AB but 4-5 years to get into the program and that doesn't necessarily mean surgery after all of that. it is called Weight Wise and it is a whole "program" meaning it's for all aspects of weight management. some people do get the band or bypass or rey but not everyone. the program includes dieticians, psychiatrists, psychologist, etc. the whole shitteree! i had my first appt there and was told i was too healthy i.e. i didn't have any of the co-morbidities associated with being overweight. so i am goeing east! does your wife have all the info you have about the procedure, results, complications, etc.? i am fortunate in that my husband is supportive if i do it, and supportive if i don't. i agree with what kathystrick said - people who have never battled the bulge don't get it when you tell them you tried, or the weight is not coming off, or i feel like i'm starving when i'm on a diet....they really just don't get it. my sister who has been a size 3 her whole life is like that. she told me she didn't agree with my decision but that she would still support me. she does however manage to get the odd negative comment in here and there. the bottomline is - you do have to be ready, you need to feel confident in your decision in order to make others understand. i am definitely at the low end of the bmi that is eligible for surgery, and that has made it difficult for people to grasp as well. but i KNOW that i cannot lose 90 lbs on weight watchers/bernstein/jennycraig/atkins...and keep it off. never mind keeping it off, i would never be able to lose that much. so i am being pro-active, i did my research, i'm not waiting for co-mobordities, i am going to chase my kids around, i am not going to be the "fat" soccer mom, i am going to feel attractive....i could go on and on. i'm doing it because i'm ready. sorry for such a long post, i'm feeling pretty passionate about my decision right now! i know it's too late this year but, go oil!

hey - i've following your replies and everyone has different family dynamics. i know it will be tough to tell my parents but i fell right now that i will tell them. i have already planted the seed with my mom - i've told her i was considering it. my dad will be more difficult to tell. but in the end, most people do not understand our choice. they think it's extreme, taking the easy way out. these same people wear a size 3 jeans and were "cursed" with a high metabolism - i would kill for that curse. ultimately, it is your life, you are an adult, it is your body. i know that i cannot lose 90 lbs on my own. that is why i will get the band. good luck with the family!

hi paul and cristi! alberta will cover the full cost but you have to meet certain criteria i.e. bmi with associated co-morbidities. i have the bmi but no co-morbid's so paying 16k out of pocket and going to toronto to have it done. the waiting list in edmonton is off the charts - probably 3-5 years to complete the process, over 1000 on waiting list currently. it is a whole "program" meaning you can't just get the surgery. in fact i believe they do everything to avoid having surgery - there are psych consults, dietician, among others. in a nut shell - a lot of hoops! i was told to go back to WW since i had lost 10 lbs with them - i almost snapped! anyway - cristi i have 4 kids, ages 6,4,2,2. yes it was the bogo event for us the last time around. did you say you had 4 as well. i wish i could blame the weight gain on pregancy but i never gained more than 10 lbs with any of them and in fact could not keep the weight on with the twins. i have no excuse, just laziness, bad genes, bad luck! so your surgery is in 2 weeks? what about you paul - can i ask what is holding you back? i know it is a big decision, to a lot of people it seems so extreme. for me it is a no brainer! i'm 36, i've been heavy my whole life, i've tried every diet under the sun. if i haven't taken been able to get it off by now... And i don't feel like i am taking the easy way out either. like we read over and over, it is a tool that needs to be worked, it doesn't work on its own. it's a lot easier to stick to a diet when you don't feel like you are starving to death! sorry so long....

hi tristin - i'm being banded by dr. yumford, oops, mumford, on june 3. i feel relieved that i have finally made the decision. unfortunately it was the cost holding me back. i know a lot of us don't have 16K in our back pocket but these forums, including the swlc forum made me realize that the cost is totally worth it - how can you put a price on your health! so you're a week into this now, how is it going? how was the optifast? i am feeling like if i can make it through the optifast and 4 weeks post-op, i can do just about anything!!! i know these 6 weeks will be torturous to me! any regrets? second thoughts? were you happy with the clinic? do you live in the gta? i am flying in from edmonton so i would pick your brains about hotels, etc. if you are from out of town. anyway - sorry for all the questions.

hi everyone, i've posted a couple of times but thought it was time i introduce myself. my name is judy, i'm booked to be banded on june 3rd with dr.mumford in TO (Canada). i think i would probably still be riding the fence if it weren't for these forums! the results are fantastic, the mood is positive and if it is not, someone is always there to turn it around! just wanted to say thanks for the inspiration.

hi everyone - i love all of your answers. i want out of the "2's" after swearing i would never get that heavy. i don't want my kids to think it is okay to be as overweight as i am. i want my kids to know how to eat properly. i want to want my husband to see me full monty and i want to believe him when he says he thinks i am beautiful. i want to chase my kids in the yard. i want to buy clothes at banana republic. i want to wear my husbands 501's. i want to wear a bathing suit - with out a t-shirt or shorts or sarong! mostly i just want to make sure i live to experience all those things we daydream about! thanks so much for sharing and letting me share!