canadagirl33

I have been banded for over 2 years with an Inamed 4cc band....I've had no problems at all. From what I understand about the size band the surgeon chooses, it is dependant on the size of your stomach and how much fat you have in the area they are putting the band. I am big....as in just a touch under 6' and 306 at the time of my surgery, and I was sure I would end up with the larger band. The surgeon told me after surgery that my stomach was not overly large and I had a smaller amount of fat surrounding the area therefore he felt a 10cm/4cc band was best for me. I honestly can not see them (meaning all Dr's and clinics) deciding that 1 band fits all....just makes no sense to me. Patricia

Good morning everyone !! Just bumping this thread up to the top so everyone will remember that this coming Wednesday is our monthly meeting. As always we will be meeting in Conf. Rm. A at Lion's Gate Hospital. I have finally been in contact with Dr. Areseneau and will be going to see him at St. Paul's for a fill before the meeting. I still quite honestly don't know if I actually need a band adjustment or a head adjustment, maybe by discussing it with him I'll be able to figure it out. The scale is moving in the wrong direction lately and I need to put a stop to that....so hopefully a little tightening along with a mental tune-up will get things rolling !!! Time will tell..... Hopefully I'll see you all at the meeting !! Patricia

I'm really glad that you brought this out to the main forum and posted your reply Alex !!! To be completely honest I have always assumed that the 'TLBC' thread was more directed to issues related directly to the clinic and Dr's at that clinic. I didn't know that you all used it as a 'general discussion' board regarding all things about banding, therefore I have never even opened the thread since TLBC was not my clinic. I know that some like to keep things more personal and to within a certain group, but I would like to ask that if you are posting in the TLBC board and it is just general band info/questions that could help and inform other bandsters of issues, please post (or X-post it) in the general forum so we can all benefit from it. JoJo...I would agree with Alex, you probably need a fill. I was banded in '06 and have had about 12 fills, my last one being months ago. As of right now I can eat bread, muffins....I even had 1/2 a bagel this morning...so I have called and scheduled a fill for next week. Keep us all posted on how you're doing and if you do indeed decide on a fill. All the best, Patricia

~I need to find me an American!~ ...Come on Ben !!! What about us Canadian girls ?? :confused: Seriously tho.. Your attitude will get you far. Take the time to look after yourself, everyone in your life will benefit from it. Congrats on your surgery and all the best for an amazingly successful journey !!! Patricia

I'm glad to hear that things are progressing well for you Babe. I'm like you, not much of a soup person at the best of times, and 2 weeks of it almost did me in....soon it will be over and you will be back to enjoying chewing !! :party: The meeting went really well, I was super pleased. I don't remember exactly but there was about 20 of us, including a couple from the bypass/sleeve meeting from Tuesday nights. Dr. Beach was really good and there were some excellent discussion points. She did allow us to tape the session, so Darren is editing it and we should have copies of it eventually. I'm not exactly sure if he's going to do 1 copy and lend it out or make multiples and sell them for a small fee. He should be at the next meeting so we'll find out, regardless, I'm sure you will be able to see the meeting. Sharon, the next meeting will be on Wednesday, March 18th at 7pm in Conf. room A at Lion's Gate Hospital. You can reach me at canadagirl33@hotmail.com anytime you have questions. It's a good idea to mail me so that I have your address if you want to be put on my monthly 'reminder' email list. Patricia

YAY Babe !!! I'm so glad to hear that everything went well for you !! Keep walking, that will definitely help. If the pains you are having are shoulder pain, forget about Gas-X...it only works for gas that is trapped in the stomach/abdominal tract. A heating pad usually works best....up high on your shoulder blade or collar bone. Drink lots and keep hydrated for your trip home !!! I'm glad you went for an unfill mom, it doesn't sound like you had much fun over the weekend. To everyone....don't forget that tomorrow night (Wednesday) is our monthly meeting in North Vancouver. As always it will be in Conf Room A and because of our guest speaker we would like to start right at 7pm. Please bring a pen and paper, you may very well want to take notes. There will be a Q&A session after her presentation so think about any questions you might have. Please remember that she is an expert in the feild of food addictions, eating disorders, body image, etc. She is ~NOT~ a band specialist, therefore she will not be answering band specific/related questions. She has said that the meetings can run over an hour because of the discussion time so keep that in mind when making plans. Hope to see you all there !!! Patricia

It's funny that I ran across this post today... In today's newspaper I read an article about obesity and the billions of dollars that are spent on weight loss products every year, a huge percentage of which are bogus. Now I am certainly not saying that this acai berry product is, just that many are. The article went on to say that by posting all of these before and after pictures as 'proof' that their product works they are preying on the desperation that so many obese people live with every day. That said, I couldn't, in good faith, let anyone use my image for a product that I couldn't prove worked. Good luck in your decision. Patricia

Babe, I'll be certainly thinking about you and sending tons of good thoughts your way. I can't wait until you are all done and back here!! I'm looking forward to seeing you at the meeting next month and hearing how every things went for you. Please feel free to email me if you need anything !!! GOOD LUCK !!! mom2two... It's honestly hard to say if you need an unfill or not. I would certainly suggest that you try to stick to liquids for today at least, warm liquids are usually easier, and see if things improve. You may just have some swelling, both from the surgery and from the fill itself. Neither should last more than a day or 2 so if it doesn't resolve itself soon I would say that you should probably get a little taken out. Even dropping it down just 1 cc can help a lot. Good luck and keep us posted !! Patricia

I'm not one to tell you to go against what your surgeon/clinic has advised so if they say you need all this Protein then it looks like you are just gonna have to grin and bear it.... The clinic I used never made us worry about doing Protein drinks even right after surgery. They felt that going a couple of weeks with a lower protein intake wasn't anything to be too concerned about. I didn't have a strict 'clear' liquid stage, just liquids for 2 weeks and I never did a single 'protein drink'. 2 years later I have still never done a Protein Drink and have certainly not suffered from it. If you really can't handle them, when not just try chicken broths and things like that. If you absolutely must take protein I have heard that 'unjury makes an unflavored powder that can be added to almost anything to up protein content...maybe see if you can find it. All the best !! Patricia

I just voted in the poll and chose 'I also see a link between problems and fast banders'. Previously I had started a thread in the 'Rants and Raves' board kindof along the same vein as this. I was having a bad day and had read a post from a woman who had been banded a few days before and was on here whining and asking some silly question about eating after surgery. I can't remember exactly what it was but it was certainly something that in my opinion ~EVERY~ bandster should know....if they had attempted to learn about banding beforehand. Anyhow...I'm not looking to start anything either I personally was a fast bandster. My first phone call was Oct. 15th, surgeon consult Oct. 30th and surgery Nov. 16th. But I spent that month reading ~EVERYTHING~ I could find about banding and living by the bandster 'rules'. I lost 100 lbs in the first year after banding and have maintained it for a year (I was banded in '06) I was successful because I educated myself. I personally feel that sometimes peoples ignorance of the banding process (before and after) is only partially their own fault. I think that especially for those who are self-pay (like myself) we can rush thru the process very quickly and I believe in that case it is also partially the responsibility of the surgeon/clinic to make sure their patients are educated. Patricia

Congrats on your banding !!! I'm so glad to see that you're home and all went well !!! I am a side sleeper and found that trying to sleep on my back just did not work for me. After the first night or 2 of tossing and turning I finally got an extra pillow and laid it beside me. When I then turned partially on my side my belly kindof rested on it and it didn't feel so much like it was 'pulling'. It took me about 10 days before I could actually lay on my side without the pillow and be comfortable. If you have any shoulder/chest pain caused by the gas, try walking lots (you should be doing that anyhow) and I found a heating pad up high, kindof on my shoulder blade, helped a lot. Keep posting and letting us know how you're feeling....it does get better soon !!!! All the best ! Patricia

Hi dc ....welcome to the group :redface: I don't know personally of any support groups in the New West area. I started the North Vancouver group, with the help of 2 awesome ladies that were in need of support as well, and I can tell you personally how difficult it is to get these meetings up and off the ground. I personally drive down every month from Pemberton (2 hours north of Vancouver) just to be at the meeting....its a long drive but doing it once a month is well worth it for all the support I get and the wonderful people I have met. You never know, now that you've posted maybe someone in your area will be interested in meeting up for a coffee or something. Another idea might be for a few of you ladies to carpool in from out your way...I know there are a couple that come in from the Surrey are to the meetings. All the best !!! Patricia

Hi Vangirl :w00t: I didn't ask you at the meeting the other nite just how much of a fill you had gotten....and I must say that I'm ~very~ surprised that he gave you that much !!! With a 4cc band it the fills are usually quite small because the volume is so much less. I have a 4cc band and it took me 5 fills over the course of 9 months to get as high as 3cc's. Granted, I had wanted to go slowly because I did not want to PB etc but I certainly felt more restriction after each little fill. That said, as we all know, everyone is different... I personally would ask him to withdraw all of your Fluid when you see him next week as that would certainly rule out a leak (or missed shot when you got the first fill) right away. My clinic will often withdraw my whole fill at a visit just to keep tabs on any leaks or 'evaporation' so asking him to do it is no big deal. All of that said....your 4cc band will actually probably hold about 8cc. Yes, the manufacturers recommend a 4cc maximum but that does not mean that once you reach 4cc's it is the absolute top fill. Finding a Dr who will go above the 4cc's could be another story however... I know at my clinic we have talked about this and they said they would cautiously go higher than the 4cc's if needed. Keep me updated after your fill so I know how you're managnig !!! Patricia

I run a support group in Vancouver and numerous members have been banded in Mexico. I have never heard any of them comment on having problems at the border and all of them are ~very~ happy with their surgeries. You should look thru the Canadian boards on here to hear about some Mexican experiences for Canadians.... All the best and good luck !!! Patricia

I was thrilled with the turn-out for last nights meeting !!! It was so good to see a few people who had been before but hadn't been able to attend for a while....and seeing all the new faces was completely awesome !!! :thumbup: I remember the first 6 or so meetings when it was just the three of us and I wondered if it was worth my while driving all the way down to Vancouver...almost seemed like a waste of time. To see you all last night, to hear your stories and to know that even 1 person learned something new or was helped in some way makes it all so worth it !! I'm really looking forward to next months meeting, I think Dr. Beach will be awesome to hear speak on some of our issues....and I certainly look forward to seeing you all again !!! Take care and if any of you have questions or just want to chat, feel free to email me at canadagirl33@hotmail.com or leave me a private message here. Have a great day everyone !!! Patricia

Happy Monday Everyone !!! This is my monthly post to let you all know that our support meeting is happening this coming Wednesday, January 21st. The weather is supposed to be good so I'm hoping that all of you who were snowed in last month will be able to venture out. I'm very much looking forward to talking to our new post-ops to see how they've been managing and dealing with their new lives as Bandsters !!! We should also have a couple of ladies with us that are scheduled for surgery very soon that I'm sure will have some last minute questions. I have some exciting news for all of our group members !!! Lizanne has been working hard on the phone trying to line up a 'guest speaker' for our Febuary meeting and I am happy to tell you all that on Feb. 18th Dr. Barbara Beach will be joining us. She is a psychologist that specializes in eating disorders among other things and will be coming to speak to us about food addictions, dealing with life on a limited diet, body dysmorphia/perception, etc. She normally charges in the neighborhood of $160 an hour but has agreed to forgo a fee to our group because we are a non-professional peer support group. However we are going to be doing a 'collection' to pay for part of her time, so at this months meeting (January) I will be 'passing the hat'. I realize that times are tough for a lot of people and if you can not donate I understand, and if you can, we are not asking for much....whatever you can afford is fine. My hope is that if we can come up with some money and make it worth her time she will agree to come back again. That said....PLEASE do not think that if you can not donate, you're not welcome to come !!! It makes no difference and we will ALL be able to benefit from heaing this woman and asking her questions. I'm looking forwand to seeing you all this week !!!!! Patricia

There are the odd moment when I don't like my band very much....but there are ~FAR~ more moments when I love it and am thankful for every healthy minute !!! After over 2 years of living with it....I would do it again in a heartbeat. Patricia

Ok...I'll jump in and post to reply to some of your points. Some of what you said is very valid, other stuff not so much, altho please do not take any of this to be criticism on your thought process !!! I am over 2 years post-op and have emailed, phoned and sat face to face with numerous bandsters who were banded all over the place. Some in Ontario (keep in mind I am in BC), some in Mexico and some like myself, in the US. Saying this is just to say that I have heard plenty of things, both good and bad, from all 3 of the possible surgery scenarios. First of all....Mexico. - Hospitals and clinics have unknown standards True enough, altho I think by reading sites like this one, Obesityhelp.com and the many Yahoo groups available (I name these because it is where I did most of my early pre-band reading) you can learn a lot about different surgeons and clinics in Mexico. I have sat face to face with people in meetinns who went to Tijuana who have told me that they have ~never~ been in a cleaner or more organized facilty anywhere. - Dr's claims to huge surgical numbers are unverifiable Again, I agree, but I would never chose a surgeon that I had not read extensively about and spoken to some of his patients. By reading thru these sites you can easily pick out a few Mexican surgeons that it is easy to tell that they have numerous patients. As well, if you read things about certain surgeons (Dr. Ortiz immediately comes to mind) you will see that they are outstanding in this field and have in fact trained certain 'big-name' Drs both in Canada and the US. (by 'big-name' I mean well known in the bariatric surgery field) - Free follow-ups require traveling to Mexico Yes, however there are plenty of Canadian clinics who only offer short-term or limited 'free' aftercare. - No liquid diets noted prior to surgery... does this not put the liver at risk? I never had any pre-op diet to follow, liquid or otherwise. This is almost entirely dependant of your surgeon and varies greatly, the same as your immediate post-op diet will vary surgeon to surgeon. Another variable my be your health status at the time of surgery and how much weight you have to loose. My surgeon did not put me on a pre-op diet, but I know other people from the same clinic that were required to follow one. This said, there are 2 ladies in my support group who have just recently been banded by Dr. Ortiz in Mexico and they ~both~ were put on a pre-op diet. So Mexico is just like Canada and the US on this point, some require it, some don't. - Unless you speak Spanish, are you sure you are safe? Not at all. These clinics depend on their American and Canadian clients and all speak full English, all the way from the fellow driving the hospital 'taxi' (most clinics provide transportation from the airport to the clinics) to the surgeons. And the US... The US dollar issue is a given. If you manage to have surgery when our $ is good, then it can be good, if our $ is down, it's not so good. You will pay for your aftercare in USD which will fluctuate as the $ goes up and down. - The consultation we had in a good hospital in a good market gave us the cost of the procedure at 16000 USD but they did not provide any free follow-ups after the first year or fills ever. I paid 16000US and my clinic provided free fills for 13 months, free support for life and if I need to have any 'repair' surgery that will also be covered for life. I was happy with that and found it comparable to anything close to me and Canadian. - Even if you decide to get it there and use the clinics up here to fill and follow-up... expect to keep paying and paying. Agreed, but everyone needs to know what is included in their surgery regardless of where you have it done. Plenty of Canadian clinics don't offer free care and fills for your lifetime....so any of us can keep paying and paying. And Canada.... - Since you will use a clinic close to you... the follow-ups and fills are probably free As I said...this is only true ~if~ the clinic you choose offers free care. Everyone needs to be certain of what is included in the cost of your surgery and for how long. - Your band clinic will be contacted for emergency complications and I should hope that your banding doc would have something to say about the band's removal before it happens. Yes and no. I just spoke to a woman in Ontario recently who had some complications with her band and went to emergency at the local hospital. The attending Drs had no idea about 'bands' and were not willing to call her surgeon. They would not access her port to defill her. Her hysband finally took her home after having an IV to rehydrate her, and they called her band clinic once they got home. It is pretty rare to have some kind of complication come up that will require ~immediate~ surgery and removal of your band. I would hazard to guess that in 99% of the cases you would personally be able to contact your surgeon regardless of where s/he is. The people that I know who have been banded in Mexico come home with the surgeons personal cell #, and a 24 hour emergency call #. - If you have complications that only require a visit within 24-48 hours to your clinic... you can get there! Agreed, and this is exactly why I chose the US and not Canada. This will depend on where you are located. There were 2 surgeons in Vancouver for me to choose from for my surgery and I decided that neither were a good fit for me. That left me to either drive to WA state or fly to Ontario. I decided that I wanted to be able to drive to see my surgeon and not worry about a plane ticket and trip across the country. I personally think your post is great. It will give everyone something to think about when they are deciding what is best for themselves. You've pretty much done what I have suggested others do before surgery.....make a pro and con list and see what works best. I'm glad you've decided to go ahead with banding....I honestly don't think you'll regret spending the money, it's an ~amazing~ journey !!! All the best and good luck !!!! Patricia

I read about Dr. Joffe a couple of years ago on a Canadian Bandster site on Yahoo. It's been over a year since he left his practice with Dr. Yau and then I had heard he had started a new practice... If you go to the Globe & Mail website and do a search on Dr. Joffe you will get a few stories. I've pasted a small clip below....I'm not going to pay to read it all. KATE HAMMER From Friday's Globe and Mail A leading Canadian expert in bariatric surgery pleaded no contest yesterday to accusations that he sexually abused female patients over nearly a decade, leading a disciplinary committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons to revoke his medical licence effective immediately. The full text of this article has 537 words. To continue reading this article, you will need to purchase this article. Patricia

Ok....I'm up for a challenge !!! I'm not going to pick a # of pounds I want to lose because at this stage that # isn't the most important thing to me. I have pretty much been at a stand still for the last year and within 20-30 lbs of my original goal. I still want to get to that goal but it isn't important to me if I do it in 6 months or 6 years...simply because I am SO much healthier and happier than I was. As of yesterday I started the 5 Day Pouch Test (with a few minor variations) and I also started the Beck Diet Solution book which I bought 6 months ago....and promptly put on a shelf and ignored !!! So my January challenge is to finish the pouch test to get the scale moving and stick with the book to get my brain and motivation moving !!! Patricia

Hi everyone :thumbup: Well, surprisingly enough I sat down at Mom's laptop last nite and saw this funny little icon thingy and when I investigated it, I found out that this building is wireless !!! So here I am online... At the moment I am sitting out on the balcony in the sunshine, watching the ocean and debating having a nap in the sun... I know, nasty of me to rub it in since you're all putting up with the rain and snow but believe me, my holiday is short !!! I'll be flying home tomorrow and only just arrived on saturday !!! Been nice with the good weather, I've been out for an hour walk every morning after I get mom up and organized. For the most part I've been sticking pretty close to healthy foods..lots of fruits etc. Even with the stress I haven't had any major 'stuckages'... Out for dinner last night and had scallops and prawns with salad....tonight Dad is grilling some fish. Anyhow..... I hope you all are well and I'll post again once I'm home and organized... Patricia

Thank you Doddie and I hope your Christmas was a good one !! The holidays were pretty quiet for me and my family, some were out of the country, others stayed home in Alberta, but those of us that were here enjoyed out time and the peaceful celebration. I'm not sure exactly how much I'll be on and posting over the next couple of weeks as I have a pretty up-in-the-air schedule right now. Some of you may know I was planning on spending just about all of January in Hawaii, however do to some family medical problems that has been changed. I'm actually travelling with my parents tomorrow to Hawaii (mom is in a wheelchair and I'm her usual home care/support) I'll get them set up over there, get the fridge and cupboards filled, locate and discuss issues with a local Dr. and then fly home probably next Tues or Weds. My hubby will be having surgery probably sometime the following week so I'll be back and forth to North Van with him. I'm going to do my very, very, very best to be at the January meeting and I'm pretty positive that at the very least I will be online to send out the reminder e-mail, and probably before then to read thru the boards and mail. You all be safe and have a very helathy and happy 2009 !!! See you all soon !!!! Patricia

Welcome to LBT and Happy Holidays to you as well !!! Hopefully as you look through this site you will come across the Canadian board in the 'Support' section. There is a ton of useful info there for Canadians that are looking either for a local Dr or thinking about going to Mexico or the US. You didn't mention where you were located so I cant be more specific at the moment but I'm sure you'll find a ton of info as you read. The reasons you listed for looking into this surgery are very familiar to me. I started with a BMI of about 42 and didn't have an co-morbidities....but I knew they were on their way !!! I am now 2 years post-op, down about 100 lbs (lost it all the first year and have maintained for a year) and healthier than I have been in YEARS !!! I wouldn't give up my band for anything !!! Read everything you can about this life-changing decision, ask questions and arm yourself with all the knowledge you can. You'll make the right decision for yourself and your life !!! Good luck to you and all the best in 2009 !!! Patricia

Hi Kathy :tongue2: I claimed my surgery and expenses on my tax return last year and it was pretty simple....granted I don't do my own return, the accountant does. Normally, in an average year, with my income level and write-offs I break even....no money in, no money out. After claiming my surgery ($16,000 US) and a couple of hotel reciepts (I spaced it and didn't save gas bills!!!) I got about $2,200 back. As far as I remember the accountant telling me, it was all claimed under 'medical expenses'. Another thing I recall him mentioning was that if it helps, the cost can be split and claimed over 2 years. All the best, Patricia

I'm different than most an keep my fill level pretty loose....I can eat almost anything I choose and very rarely vomit. However I am completely different than some of you....a cold drink, especially something with ice or cold and of milkshake consistancy will sieze up my band almost instantly !!!! Glad to hear you got some liquids down !!! I would still make an appt to see your Dr tho... All the best, Patricia