canadagirl33

Hi everyone !! Just a couple of notes of interest that I wanted to pass along.... For those of you that attended the last North Vancouver meeting, you heard about Dr. Arsneau at St. Pauls Hospital doing fills for Vancouver Bandsters. I have just spoken to another lady that has seen him for a fill and he confirmed to her that he will take patients that were banded by any Dr. This means that if you are in the Vancouver area and are looking to have your surgery in Ontario or Mexico or the USA an finding a fill Dr was your big concern, it looks like he might be your guy !!! :thumbdown: I would probably call ahead just to confirm it for myself but I'm pretty cofident in telling you this news !!! The sencond bit of news is that it looks like there will be another support group starting up for anyone that is interested. The lady starting it is named Geri and the first meeting will be Saturday, Oct. 11th at 11am at 3339 West 41st. It is open to all of those who are already banded as well as anyone looking into it, regardless of where or who your surgeon is. Her email is geri_webre@yahoo.ca for more info. Quick add-on.....as usual our North Van support group will be on the 3rd Wednesday of Oct. (the 15th) at Lion's Gate Hosp. I'll post again closer to then to give you all a reminder !!! All the best to everyone !!! Patricia

Hi Everyone I hope this finds you all doing well with your bands and living life to the fullest. Some of you may 'know' me or remember me as I organized the North Vancouver bandster meetings at Lion's Gate Hospital for the last 5 years. I will no longer be doing these meetings but have told Doreen (Doddie) that she is welcome to take over and use the room for meetings if she chooses. I'm sure she will post soon to let everyone know if there will be a meeting this month or not. I have always enjoyed seeing you all and meeting some phenomenal bandsters but at this time I can not commit to the long drive every month for a meeting that has slowly been getting smaller and smaller. Don't get me wrong, I loved being there even if there were only 3 of us chatting. If the meetings continue, either at Lion's Gate or another venue, hopefully I can arrange myself so that I can pop in now and then to catch up with you all. Again, thank you for the support and taking the time to attend meetings, I enjoyed then more than you know. Keep supporting each other and helping each other as much as you can !!! Feel free to drop me a note to let me know how you're doing, I'll look forward to hearing about your amazing journies. All the best, Patricia

Good Morning everyone, I just recievec an email from Doreen and she will not be continuing the Lions Gate meeting. Unfortunately this looks like the end of the North Vancouver group. I have not cancelled the use of the room at Lions Gate yet so if any of you would like to take over and organize a meeting, please let me know and I will make contact with them to let them know that we will continue to use the room. Hopefully any of you that need support will be able to find some close and carry on with your journies. Keep in touch, I enjoyed meeting all of you and sharing. All the best, Patricia

I had my TT over a year ago. My PS asked me to have a defill because she was concerned about being able to take meds. I was on antibiotics for 7 days after surgery as well as pain meds for the first few days. Before the surgery I knew that I could have issues with taking pills and felt it was safer to just get the defill and not worry about it. I got a refill 9 days post-op and never had any issues with any of my pills My PS also had my take arnica....she had a 'kit' of pills. I took 2 the day before surgery, and 2 more for 3 days post-op. It helps with swelling. Good luck

H everyone I'm soooo sorry that I didn't make it to the meeting last night. I had every intention of being there, left home and got as far as Squamish and my car started acting funny. I whipped into my sister's place and had her hubby have a look and he thought it was probably the carb of fuel pump/filter.....and he didn't think I should take the chance of heading to Van and breaking down. So I turned around and headed back up the highway and home. I made it without any issues but I am getting the car into the shop tomorow to have it looked at 'cause it's still acting up. I wanted to see you all!!!! I look forward to getting together for a chat all month.....~sigh~. It sounds like a few of you were there, I'm glad to hear that and that you all had a good chat and could help each other out. P~

Hi Everyone Bumping this topic up to the top because this week is our monthly meeting in North Vancouver. Everyone is welcome to attend whether you have a band or are just beginning to look into it. Talking to those of us already banded can be a great source of info. Our meetings are informal and generally a lot of fun. We will meet at Lion's Gate hospital on Wednesday evening, any time after 6.30, conference room C. If anyone has questions or needs more info please email me at canadagirl33@hotmail.com Patricia

I had a tummy tuck 5 months ago and had my band completely de-filled at the request of my PS. She had done surgery on bandsters before and she had 3 main concerns for a de-fill... 1~ The possibility of nausea following surgery. 2~ The need to take numerous pills post-op. I was on pain meds and a full week of antibiotics after my TT. I was tight enough pre-op that I had problems swollowing pills...I'm not sure I could have taken my meds without issues if I hadn't had a de-fill. 3~ There is certainly a chance that you will lose some weight after surgery but my PS also feels that we need to eat very healthfully after surgery so that we heal properly and quickly. Lots of fruits and veggies as well as good solid protein for a few weeks post-op is ideal for optimal healing. You should certainly talk to both your band Dr as well as your chosen plastic surgeon to see how they feel about all of these issues. I would much rather be de-filled before and have no issues than be vomiting or getting stuck after my tummy tuck...that would ~NOT~ have been very pleasant.

Good luck today Cindy....I will be thinking of you and sending positive, healing vibes your way. Let us know when you're home and how you're managing:smile2: You are both right...maybe it is time to make a change. I will contact Lion's gate and see what days the conference room is available. If I hear back in time I will let those of you at the meeting know what they say. As an alternative, we could meet someplace else....possibly a restaraunt or something. Start talking about it and let me know what you all prefer. I have to work at 5.30am on Friday mornings so Thursday doesn't work for me, but that said, if it is the preferred day for everyone else I will still organize it but probably not attend regularly. Anyhow....how about you all posting here, which day of the week and time of day works best and we'll go from there. Hope to see some of you Wednesday !!! Patricia

Hi Everyone :laugh: Sorry I hadn't read any of these posts in weeks, mey computer has been in the shop...gotta love viruses !!!:thumbup: Anyhow.... As always our monthly meeting is this week, Wednesday, Nov. 17th at Lion's Gate Hospital. I will definitely be there this month as I am planning to spend the night in Vancouver and shop, shop, shop!!! Shauna...I did not recieve a mail from you (Doddie missed the 'l' in my address:wink2:) so I have sent you a quick private message in hopes that you get the meeting info and can join us. Pre-bandsters can take away a lot of info regarding everyday life with the band...it can be helpful. mamaj....How did your consult at NWWLS go? I was banded by then as well....tomorrow is my 4 year bandiversary !!! They were amazing to me, I loved all the staff and they were very helpful. I'm looking forward to hearing how things go for you and if you have a surgery date yet. Hope to see everyone at the meeting on Wednesday !!! Patricia

The original posts and prices are 4 years old in this thread. Things like price have definitely changed since then, that may be the difference you're seeing.

I lost just over 100lbs. I don't especially like the wording of your question. "Need" can be interpreted in a lot of ways. Some people lose massive amounts of weight and quite happily live with the excess skin, and then there are others who have tummy tucks after delivering a baby because they can't live with the little 'pooch' they end up with. Whether you will 'need' a tummy tuck will depend on what you can live with after your weight loss. Personally, after my weight loss I decided that I wanted a tumy tuck. Even tho I didn't 'need' it, I wanted it. I took a second job, saved for 3 years (while living quite comfortably with a hanging tummy) and had a tummy tuck done 4 months ago. I'm quite pleased with the results, certainly feel more comfortable naked, however in my clothes ~very~ rew people have commented that I look any different. Your original post states that you don't want to "lose all the weight only to find out that i need PS because I look heinous." How about losing the weight to become healthier and happier? Then you can start to worry about if you need to fix any thing....

I had a full TT with muscle work done 4 months ago and I was actually quite surprised at how little pain was involved. I never actually had what I would call 'pain'. Yes, there were certainly a few days where I was in discomfort and it was a little tough to move around too much. My back was sore from hunching over, but it was definitely tolerable. My PS told me to stay on schedule with pain meds, especially for the first 3 or 4 day and I did, which I think probably helped a lot. Like you, I had to wait until my drains came out before I could have ashower....so I waited until day 16. In the meantime I used a box of baby wipes/ wet cloth thingies....they worked well. And by day 4 I laid towels on the bed and got my hobby to set up a small table with a big pan of hot soapy water and had a sponge bath. Even that made me feel (and smell) so much better. As I felt better the sponge bath became a daily thing. Good luck to you and keep us posted on how you feel !!!

Alright....Time to get the Vancouver Bandsters back in line !!! :smile2: I have to apologize for not being around much but life has just been crazy for me lately. No excuse I know, but now is the time to start putting myself first again and get back in line... I want to tell you all about our upcoming meeting, and I know I'm really early, don't worry, I'll post again closer to the time but I want you all to know about it early so that you can make plans to attend. I think that it's going to be a great meeting !!! We will be having a guest speaker attending. I know some of you have heard about Chef Dave Fouts and he will be at our meeting !!! He is a well known bariatric chef and will be ther to talk to us about eating properly after WLS and how to make healthier choices ect. I think it's going to be great !!! There is a cost for admission.....however I think you can all handle it. Bring a can/box/bag of food for the food bank and you're in !!! :tt2: I think it will be well worth your time to attend. Hope to see you all there and I will be sending out my reminder email the start of next week so none of you forget !!! Be safe and healthy, Patricia

Any time I travel to the US (or anywhere outside Canada) I generally get a basic travel insurance. Quite honestly in Vancouver I assume you could go anywhere that sells insurance. I live in a little bitty town and there is only 1 insurance office. They are the ICBC outlet for car insurance but also sell travel isurance....so try calling your local ICBC office maybe. If they don't I'm sure they could direct you.

Congrats on your upcoming surgery Kimmy I had my surgery at NWWLS almost 4 years ago and think they are all great !!! The support staff and all the office staff are wonderful. You should probably get a hold of Stephanie, I think she's looking to get a group going in the Surrey-ish area. Othewise, if you're able, you can of course join us in North Vancouver anytime. This coming Wednesday at Lion's Gate Hosp is our monthly meet-up. All the best !!! Patricia

Ooops.... BTW... Hi Joanne:smile2: Glad you found this group, all the info can be invaluable when you're looking into surgery. I hope you can join us for a few meetings before your surgery, there are plenty of us that would happily answer any questions you might have. And be sure to bring your hubby along if he'd like to join us, everyone is always welcome. If you have any questions please feel free to email me any time at canadagirl33@hotmail.com Looking forward to meeting you !!! Patricia

Hi Everyone :scared2: Hope you're all well and enjoying summer and the warm weather. Wanted to post to remind everyone interested that this coming Wednesday, July 21st is our monthly get-together in North Vancouver. I am coming down a little earlier in the day and seeing Dr. Arseneau for a fill....finally !!! My band has been completely empty for almost 6 weeks and I've been a BAD BAD girl!!! :smile: I'm going to make a few excuses...between surgery, laying on my ass for 2 weeks and limited activity for another 2 weeks, post-op swelling and water retention from the heat I'm up almost 10 lbs !!! So we're gonna cinch this thing back up and get on the bandwagon !!! So I hope to see any and all of you at the meeting. As always I will send out my email as well tomorrow and again, if anyone has a specific topis of discussion you would like to focus on, let me know in advance and I'll try to get some relevant materials organized. Take care everyone !!! I'm headed out to wash my car... Patricia

Wow....I'm surprised that you were told to do this yourself when there is such extensive bandaging. I also had a major bandage, lots of padding with heavy-duty tape covering it....and it covered me basically from side to side and pubic line to sternum. The difference being I was told not to touch it until the Dr. was ready to remove the drains and they would do the bandage at the same time. Turns out I had drains and bandaging on for 16 days !! I never even saw my incision until then. As for the shower, even after 16 days my PS didn't want water hitting it directly, I could shower, but with my back to the spray. Personally, if this was me I would call the PS's office, get the answering service to page the on-call Dr. and ask them my questions. If you're anything like me, I just paid *HUGE* $$$'s for this surgery and aftercare is included !!! Good luck and congrats !!!

Hi Becks :ohmy: Welcome to the forum... If by 'Northwst' you are refering to NWWLS based out of Everett, WA then I know of them. I had my surgery with them in 2006 and absolutely love them. Great facility, awesome staff, excellent follow-up care...you won't be disappointed if you decide to go with them. As for insurance etc... I do know that you can keep all reciepts (travel, gas, hotels as well as the actual surgery and meds) and claim it as medical expences on your income tax. You won't get a bunch back but I think I got about $2500 back....not a ton, but some is better than none. That said, I do not know of anyone personally who has ever had any kind of medical insurance cover their surgery. If I had insurance at the time of my surgery I would certainly have made some calls and tried to get it at least partly covered, the worst they can do is deny it. So I would definitely contact Manulife and ask the questions, but I wouldn't pin my hopes to terribly high that they will help. Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to ask. Patricia

I think both of have good points about why attendance is down. Summer is always quieter, altho we have been slowly losing people for quite some time. Maybe the group has just kindof lived out its time...I hope not, I love meeting up with you all when I can. So I wasn't at the last meeting because I had had my tummy tuck done 4 days prior...and another drive to Vancouver at that point was impossible. I'm feeling pretty good now, recovering very well and will certainly be at the meeting next month. That said, if any of you would rather meet somewhere else, perhaps someplace for a light meal or coffee, someplace for a walk or utside meeting while the weather is good.....please post here or email me and I'll see if it can be arranged. I'm always open to all suggestions. Hoping to hear from you all soon !! Patricia

It seems like so many other things...completely dependant on what your Dr requires. The surgeon I used for my TT insisted that I be completely un-filled prior to surgery because of the possibility of vomiting after surgery. I am also 1 that kept my band fairly tight and on occasion had problems taking pills. Between the antibiotics, pain meds, stool softeners and laxitives (pain meds are terrible for constipation!!!) I have taken more pills in the last 2 weeks than I have in the last 2 years. Had I not been unfilled I could very well have had problems with some of them. Another thing that I thought about....protien is very important in healing so I've actually been pleased the last couple of weeks that I have been able to eat good, solid protien without any issues. My band Dr has offered to fill me any time I'm ready so I will probably book for a small fill in the next week or 2.

I'm 2 weeks post-op from my TT and I haven't even attempted to put on any clothes that I would have to button, snap or zip. :bored: I still have my drains (altho I should lose at least 1 tomorrow...finally!!!) I have spent the last 2 weeks in night shirts and laying around the house doing nothing. The 2 times I actaully left the house I wore elastic waisted pants. I'm actually really pleased at the timing of my tuck...being summer it is usually far more casual dressing and I can wear sun dresses and stuff.

I'm sorry I didn't reply in the forum Doddie. Have you already contacted her? I was intending to include a note about her in my pre-support group email because I thought there may be a few that read those but don't come in the forum here. Shall I still mention it or not bother? And that sucks Rhonda !! Gotta love the gov't !!

I actually believe that how your skin reacts to weight loss depends a ton on 2 things....your age, and genetics. If you are young your skin tends to have more elasticity and will rebound better than if you were older. Whether you get a TT or not completely depends on how you feel (mentally and physically, in my opinion) with the skin left after you lose your weight. I have lost 100 lbs and will be attending my 2nd consultation with a plastic surgeon next week. I don't like my belly !! It makes me feel and look fat so I have decided that in order to feel better about myself I want to have something done about it. We shall see.... P~

Anyone?? Does anyone know the status of Dr. Schulman? He's obviously not answering these posts anymore but I hope he's alright. P~