canadagirl33

I'm sorry you ladies couldn't make it, but it's completely understandable. There was only 6 of us at the meeitng but we had a lot of laughs and ended up sitting there chatting until almost 9pm !!! I was staying in overnight downtown so it was nice not having to leave and worry about the drive home !! Hopefully next month the snow doens't interfere with us !!! Patricia

Hi Babe :blushing: BubbleButt is correct. It's called the French Midband and it is a little different in it's dwsign from the other bands. All Dr's seem to think the one they use is the 'best' one, and like everything else I would assume it is a personal preference on their part. If you make it to the meeting tomorrow night be sure to ask Doreen about it, she has a Fr. Midband. Patricia

The weather system bringing the snow is supposed to blow thru fairly quickly I think so I'm hoping there won't be a ton of it.... I'm going to be in Vancouver regardless so I will be at Lion's Gate, hopefully it's not too terrible and most of you will be able to make it, altho I completely understand that some of you won't if the weather is bad. As far as postponing....there really isn't enough time left in Dec. to re-schedule because of Christmas and New Years. The January meeting will go ahead on the 3rd Wednesday (Jan. 21st) as usual. Take care and be safe !!! Patricia

Hi Sabrina !!! So glad to see you post and hear that you're doing well !!! I always worry until I see that everyone has come thru surgery and is well into their recovery I'm glad to hear you'll be at the meeting on Wednesday, I'll looking forward to hearing how everything went !!! And to everyone else !!!! I'm posting to bump this up so that everyone is reminded that this week is our meeting. As always it will be Wednesday the 17th at Lion's Gate Hospital in Conf. Room A. I will already be in Vancouver so I should make it there by 6.30ish... Hopefully I'll see you all there !!!! Take care and be safe !!! Patricia

Hi there I live just north of Vancouver and organize a monthy support meeting in North Van. Your timing for this post is perfect because this week is our meeting !!! We meet at Lion's Gate Hospital on the 3rd Wednesday of every month which happens to be this Wednesday, the 17th !!! The meeting starts at 7pm altho a few of us arrive a little early usually and it is held in Conference room A (just off the main lobby) You are most certainly welcome to join us !!! We are a range of people, men and women, some of whom are just beginning their journey to Banding and others who are a couple of years post-op. If you can make this weeks meeting it would be perfect for you because 2 of our ladies have just had surgery over the last few weeks in Mexico so they could provide you with all kinds of info !!! If you haven't found it already, there is a Canadian group page in this site....look down the list for 'local' support and then look for Canada. There are a couple of posts regarding our Vancouver meetings as well as threads from Mexican banded Canadians (does that make sense ???). Looking forward to talking to you and feel free to email me privately if you would like. canadagirl33@hotmail.com All the best and good luck !!!! Patricia

I would have to agree with Jachut.... Decide what you would like and what your band will tolerate (noodles and rice don't generally work for me so I don't have any) and then have small portions. I generally enjoy all the veggies, I like chicken with curried veggies, and sometimes I even manage a piece or 2 of sweet and sour pork or chicken. If you look at it realistically, you aren't going to go the rest of your life without eating chinese....so try what you want and see how it works out. Patricia

Wait a sec.... Haven't you been eating oatmeal as a 'mushy'?? I had it every morning for Breakfast during my 2 week mushy stage !!! I don't think I could have lived with out it... Patricia

Hi Vangirl !!! Your #'s are looking great !!! Doddie is right, take it easy on your first day of solids....altho that can be tough !! I remember planning my first solid meal for DAYS in advance....decided on moist chicken breast and ceasar salad and I swear it was the best meal I'd EVER eaten !!! I'm looking forward to talking to you and hearing about how everything went.... On that note...has anyone heard from Valley Girl lately??? Her surgery was last week and I haven't seen anything from her. Hoping she's doing well and let's us know soon !!!! See you all next week !!! Patricia

It's all just so bizarre.... I just read kbf's post and my first thought was 'I wonder who she means..."tall thin woman that chaired the meeting"...' And then it dawned on me that she was probably refering to me !!! I have yet to think of myself as 'thin' or even normal weight and to see that someone else does is very odd to say the least. Thank you for the compliment...it's much appreciated. I didn't have to have any special testing done so I can't help you with the oximetry test, hopefully someone else will post that knows more about it. Vancouver meetings....if you are refering to the one in North Van, we will be meeting on Wed. Dec. 17th (1 week from today) at Lion's Gate Hospital and you are certainly welcome to attend !!! There is another meeting in Vancouver that has happened twice in the past although I'm not sure if there has been anyone turn up for it yet. Unfortunately I have no idea if it is a monthly thing and if it wil happen in December or not....if I hear anything about it I will post. Regardless of which meeting you attend, my personal opinion is that you should attend as much as you can before banding to learn and ask questions. After banding it becomes a support group to help you out, but we all still learn from it. I know that after having my band for more than 2 years I still learn from other Bandsters !!! CanadianButterfly...I used to be a smoker but quit over 3 years ago. When my surgeon spoke to me about it he clarified that smoking increases your risk for complications and slows healing because it affects circulation etc. Wasn't an issue for me but I have heard that generally surgeons like a person to quit a month prior to surgery but this will vary Dr to Dr I would think. As for pre-op, this also varies depending on your surgeon. I didn't have a pre-op diet at all and was only told not to gain any weight prior to my surgery. Others have had very strict diets before surgery ... it will depend your surgeon and what they recommend for you. Good luck !!! Patricia

It would probably depend on how much weight you need to loose and if your hands change size much. Mine did... I've lost right around 100lbs and had to have all of my rings resized. It's really not all the expensive. I waited until I was close to goal because I didn't want to have to do it again !!! Patricia

Oh my gosh !!! It just dawned on me at dinner time that Valley Girl was leaving for Mexico today !!! Sending tons of positve thoughts your way and lost of healing vibes !!! Good luck and I can't wait to hear how things go !!! Congrats Babe !! I'm glad to hear that you've booked a consult appt. It's always a good thing to have all the questions answered beforehand so there are as few surprises as possible !!! And early reminder as well....the next meeting is just over 2 weeks away on Dec. 17th. I we DEFINITELY be there, I've booked a couple of days and will be staying in Van the night of the meeting...and the hubby is staying home this trip !!! I've learned my lesson :biggrin: So I won't have to run out the door to beat the road closures this month....looking forward to sitting and talking to you all !!! All the best to everyone !!! Patricia

Ok....wait just a second !!! I know I had a late night at work last night and am lacking sleep but is it just me or does everyones computer show that our Vangirl had morphed into kygirl31 !!??!!?? Think we have a LBT glitch !!!! And btw....I hope your feeling some better today Vangirl !!! Keep walking and keep that hot Water bottle close !!! Patricia

I'm not one to follow recipes and I tend to 'wing it' a lot when I'm cooking... So my version for this is.... 8 boneless/skinless thighs (I have a hard time with breasts but you can use whatever works) 1 can low fat cream of chicken Soup 1 envelope taco/burrito seasoning mix 1.5 cup salsa 1/2 cup FF sour cream 1 can rinsed and drained black Beans 1 cup shredded cheese Cook chicken and shred. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well mixed. I usually use 6 tortilla shells and well fill them. Bake covered at 350 for about 45 mins, uncover and spoon a small jar of taco sauce over it, grate a little more cheese on it and continue baking until melted and bubbly. I cut this open and eat the 'guts' out of it because the tortilla's don't work well for me and I like it with the beans, adds some Fiber and protien !!! Patricia

This might sound a little counter-productive but you might want to try upping your daily calorie intake. I'm not 1 that believes in the 'starvation mode' theory but I do believe that too few calories isn't good for you. Personally, I didn't lose a huge amount on the liquid/mush stage because mushy things tend to be a little higher calorie and I tended to eat more often especially by 3-4 weeks post-op because I was starting to feel hunger. Either way, maybe up the calories for a few days and see what happens. I also found that checking my BMR/RMR was quite an eye opener. You can Google 'RMR' and find all kinds of calculators but here's a link to one I've used. Calculating BMR and RMR | CaloriesPerHour.com Good luck and keep on following the rules....you will lose the weight !!!! All the best, Patricia

Congrats and welcome to the land of the Banded !!! :grouphug: I'm so glad the hear that it went well and that you are up and moving around. I know exactly what you mean when you say you want lay down and sleep, I wanted to do the same !!! Hard to believe right now but walking and moving as much as you can will help in the long run !!! I found that the incisional pain got considerably better every ady...as long as I wasn't twisting or pulling on them. The gas pain isn't easy and I found the best things were walking regularly and a heating pad on my upper back and chest when I was resting. Just remember that you're going to have a few tough days but it WILL get better !!! Post when you can and keep us informed.... Get some rest and be gentle with yourself. All the best to you !!!! Patricia

Hi Vangirl !!! I'm so sorry I haven't replied before now, my computer has been messed up and causing me a TON of grief !!! I'm so happy to see that you are good to go for your surgery and that you made it successfully thru your pre-op diet. That and the post-op are the 2 most difficult times you will probably face and it's good to keep in mind that both are only temporary. I'll be thinking of you and sending huge positive thoughts as you make your way to Mexico and take the next step in your Band journey. As soon as I send this I will send you a quick personal note including my phone # so that if you have any last minute thoughts you can call. Be safe and stay positive....!!!! I can't wait to see you at the next support meeting and hear how things went !!! Patricia

Well Ladies.... I really need to apologize for not being at the meeting on Wednesday !!! I was actually in Vancouver and spent the night Tuesday with my hubby, planning to spend the day Weds shopping and then come to the meeting. As some of you know, my hubby was in a bad accident a year ago and is still suffering the effects of it.... We found out this week that a day in the car travelling (Tues), then a night in a very hard hotel bed and a 1/2 day shopping is just WAY too much for him to manage. By 5pm Weds he had popped a full days dosage of ibuprofen as well as 2 doses of morphine. I needed to get him home and he felt terrible about me missing my meeting, but I just couldn't make him sit any longer. I know there are 2 of you that are headed to Mexico over the next 2 weeks.....please know that I'll be sending positive thoughts your way and hoping for a speedy recovery. Please post (or email me!!!) if you have any last minute questions and be sure to let us know how things go !!! All the best, Patricia

I really hope that you don't allow cost to become your deciding factor...there is so much else to consider. Depeding on where in Canada you live you can plan on spending approx. $16,000 on your surgery...this seems to be a pretty good average across the country. Like Alex said, the price may look less expensive some places but when you factor in costs of fills and travel it may not be the best. I certainly would not pick a less than stellar surgeon or clinic just to save myself some $$$. Best of luck, Patricia

Hi Everyone !!! Just me posting to remind everyone that tomorrow (Weds. Nov. 19th) night is the North Vancouver support meeting. As always we will meet in Conf. room A at Lions Gate Hospital. Anyone that would like to join us is more than welcome, whether you are already banded or are looking for info. Please feel free to bring along any family or support people that may have questions as well !!! Have a great day and I'll see you all tomorrow !!! Patricia

Generally speaking, most surgeons attach your port, using sutures, to your abdominal muscles. This anchors it and usually makes it more stable. Some surgeons leave the 'free floating' and others make small 'pockets' in the tissue below the skin and sit them there. My belief is that if they are left unattached they are more apt to change position and 'flip'. A fill 'person' who is good at what they do can usually manipulate the port with their fingers, moving it under the skin until they can access it with the needle and get a fill in. That said, sometimes there is just no way to get it turned into the correct position and then they need to be 'flipped' back over in a fairly minor surgery....usually with just a local freezing and small incision on your original port scar. Even if your port is sutured into place, I would assume that with strenuous abdominal muscle use you could tear those stitches and cause it to flip or change position. My port was sutured during surgery and is still in the exact position it has always been and I have never had a problem with getting fills....1 poke is all it has ever taken. You should ask your surgeon what his usual procedure is in this instance. Patricia

Let me know if I can help Kat :thumbup: I once read the story of a lady who submitted everything and tried to fight BCMed to have her banding covered (I think it was in a Yahoo band group but I'm not positive). They turned her down flat, regardless of the paperwork she submitted. Their reasoning was basically that it was too experimental to be covered. This was just before I had my surgery, so about 2 years ago that I was reading this. By now there should be more studies, and more #'s supporting the outcome of banding. Good luck !!!! Fighting the beaurocrats can be time-consuming and frustrating to say the least, but if it helps someone get this life-saving surgery then it's worth it. Patricia

Congrats on your banding !!! I'm glad to hear that things went smoothly and that you're feeling well !!! Being 2 weeks post-op, for the most part you are healed. The swelling will have subsided and for most of us, without a fill it is going to feel like you don't have a band at all. Keep to the proper meal plan and keep taking small bites/sips. Don't let it fool you, my bet is if you were to take a big bite of something or not chew properly, your band will make sure you know it's there !!! Always remember that the first 4-6 weeks is about healing and your band seating itself properly, it's not all about weight loss at this point. By looking at your stats you are already well on your way.....so stop thinking about failing !!!! Keep your thoughts positive and follow the bandster rules, we can ALL be successful if we work at it !!! All the best !!! Patricia

The high back and shoulder pain is usually cause by the bas they use to 'inflate' your stomach during surgery. The surgeon tries to remove it all befofe they close you up but usually there is a little left. It can also be caused because during surgery they push your diaphragm out of the way and the path of nerves from the diaphragm goes up and into the shoulder area. I had some of this pain for the first week or so and found that the meds didn't really help it, my best remedy was a heating pad. I would either recline back against it or hold it high up on the front of my shoulder/chest....depending on where it was aching. I never really got bloated after surgery so I don't have much to suggest in this area. Would something like Pepto (I've never taken any of this stuff so I'm not sure which helps bloating!!!) possibly help? Keep us updated on how you're feeling !!! 1 more thing....we are all different and heal differently, so I can't say what's 'normal' or not, but you just paid your surgeon good money to look after you. If you have concerns or issues do NOT hesitate to call his office !!! Patricia

Hi ssvancouver :laugh: I did reply to your personal note about the next meeting....but for everyone's info... The next North Vancouver meeting will be held Nov. 19th at Lions Gate Hospital in conference room A. As always I will be there by about 6.30 so feel free to arrive early. A repeat note as well... Geri is going to try to have a meeting again as well. Her meeting will be on Saturday Nov. 15th at 11am. I believe it's at her home which is 3339 W41st Ave, Vancouver. The last note I recieved from her said that because it covers the lunch hour, please bring a band-friendly food to share (pot-luck-y I assume). Have a great day everyone !!! Patricia

Thanks for the info Lapbandy !!! That would probably explain the returned mail. So you all might want to wait until after the 10th before trying to contact him again. I didn't do any Protein shakes and I have read on other boards that they can cause gas etc for some people, sounds like you are one of the unlucky ones in that department. The clinic I went to had us on 'full liquids' right after surgery and we were to follow that for the first 2 weeks. Full liquids was anything that would 'pass thru a straw' and it had to be strained or blended smooth....no chunkies !!! (Keep in mind the 'straw' part is just a phrase...don't use straws !! They are known to cause more gas!!!) So on full liquids I could have any smooth Soups, broths or creamy....jello, puddings, strained smoothies, yogurt (with NO fruit chunks). It was also stressed during this part that I could eat (drink) as much as I wanted as long as I stayed within the 'texture' guidelines. The focus was on healing, not weight loss, altho I lost a good chunk during the first month. You should start feeling a little better every day....give yourself time to heal and be gentle with yourself. Patricia