TLBC Clinic- Toronto, Ontario, Canada

[jorja78 0]

Different clinics use different bands, SWLC uses only the lapband system done by innamed last time I heard. Slimband uses all sorts of bands the realize, J&J/ swedish band, the Innamed system and so on. One of the nice things about Dr Yau is he looks at your body type and shape and then based on his experience choose the right type of band from his arsenal that he thinks will suit you. I had won a free Innamed band at the first bash and Dr Yau knew that and decided when my Innamed original band had slipped so many times it wasn't good with my body and he wanted to use a J&J Swedish band since based on how I had lost weight and where I had lost etc he felt it would be better with my body and knock on wood other than my port having to be moved I have not had a complication since....

That said almost all the bands work the same way with differences in how they are constructed being minimal some of the tubing and band portion around the stomach is more or less flexible.

Heather

Hi Susie

I was just wondering what they had to do to you to get the port fixed? Mine has turned a little and I'm worried that it will become a factor later.

Was it just one incision or more to fix it? Did they leave it in the same spot or move it?

[jorja78 0]

Hanbe and Donna,

You both seem to be having great successes!!

I was just banded on the 20th of Nov. and I just wanted to know what your restriction is like. I have a total of 5.5 cc's in my band. I had a defill yesterday of .5 cc's and now I can finaly drink again. I just wanted to know the amount of food that you can eat comfortably, and drink as well. I would like to know how to get to this "sweet spot" that everyone talks about.

Hey girl!

Glad to hear that you are doing better now with the defill!!:sneaky:

I cant wait to get my second fill...I seem to have hit a plateau, darn it!!

After reading all the past posts about soda..I'm going to be better from now on.

[susieq321 31]

Hi Susie

I was just wondering what they had to do to you to get the port fixed? Mine has turned a little and I'm worried that it will become a factor later.

Was it just one incision or more to fix it? Did they leave it in the same spot or move it?

Jorja,

A lot of the time a small tilt is easy to deal with for the surgeons and the nurses and they just leave it, even a port flip can be manageable and I was filled with my port flipped several times. My port after four years since was sticking out and rubbing on belts, clothes etc and very irritated and for the first time ever someone asked what that hard bump was.... it was bothering me. So I had Dr Yau move it, there is the option of being under a local that works well for some people... it wasn't an option with me because of where he wanted to reseat the port how I wanted it and also because I had no desire to be done under a local... it is a quick 10-20 min procedure you are out you are awake and moving around again... the worst part is the after affects of the general but since I am sensitive to both locals and generals it is no worse with one or the other for me.

Port movement is not a big deal and easy to deal with for the docs.

Heather

[susieq321 31]

When I was in my bootcamp I had been told by several different bandsters that they would have a diet soda. Now I do drink caffiene free and again I think one of the things is that I put it in a glass with ice and let the fiz die down. And I don't have more then one in a day.

Sorry hope I haven't created a misconception!

Soda has been a no no as long as I was banded... I can think of one senior bandster who has some diet coke last year and had pain like she thought she was having a heart attack... she honestly thought she was going to die.. she works for a Dr and he defilled her and low and behold it was the soda expanding in her pouch and causing the pain instant relief!

With my original band I could never drink soda at all it was too painful. The carbonation expanded too much and it was physically painful all the time.

With my J&J band fountain soda works for me I tend to avoid it because my thoughts run along these lines.... There is no redeeming health value in the crap that is in soda/pop I don't like the taste of diet pop and if I am going to put crap in my body I might as well go for the full sugar crap as opposed to the chemical tasting diet crap.

If you understand how much you stretch your pouch with all the carbonation of soda you might not want to drink it. Mythbusters did an experiment about pop rocks and soda exploding your stomach and watching the pig stomach expand from the carbonation of just the soda alone was pretty freaky! Drinking soda can make you prone to slippage and other complications... as long as you are aware of the potential damage you are doing to your band then go for it but it could be worse than you ever thought...

If you are a Slimband bandster go talk to Dr Yau about drinking pop/soda and see how long that lecture is and how shamefaced you come out of it... he has some very strong views about bandsters drinking pop!

Heather

[Doddie63 6]

Hanbe: Don't apologize for posting what you do. The debate on soda has been ongoing for sometime and it is wonderful to read what everyone t hinks and what their clinic recommends. Times change and what I was told 2 years ago may in fact been found to be not necessary. If I have doubts after reading posts I just have to call my clinic but in the meantime it make for fun reading.

:sneaky:

Sorry hope I haven't created a misconception!

[Donna! 1]

Everyone feels good restriction at varying fill levels but I first reached my "sweet spot" after four months and my fourth fill. At that time (and with my Inamed VG Vanguard larger band) I was filled to 7.2 cc's. But your sweet spot is like a moving target at times and since then I have had several more fills and am at my highest restriction now since last July at 9.1 cc's.

For me to do well I try to keep a rough calorie count in my head and stick to about 1200 calories to maintain. I can't eat solids usually till about 11 am or 12 noon comfortably but will have a coffee or two. From then on my band is loose enough to eat most food and I eat whenever I am hungry up until 11 pm.

Being at my "sweet spot" for me means I can eat a small portion of food and feel satisfied without feeling deprived. Our bands can be very fickle though and one day I can feel very tight and the next hour as wide open as the highway (as one bandster put it. lol) Ironically I can eat a 6" assorted Mr. sub well chewed but if I eat Jello Gelatin will feel stuck after about 4 bites. lol One serving portion to me is for example one Stouffer frozen entree like Salisbury steak or one Taco Bell supreme hardshell Taco.

[Goober 1]

Anyone attending the support group at TLBC this Saturday? I am booked for it and a fill..

[jorja78 0]

No..I havent heard anything about it.

[Goober 1]

It's 10:30 - 11:30 am :wink2:

[green 6]

It's 10:30 - 11:30 am :wink2:

That is awfully early. I am still in bed at that time.

[susieq321 31]

That is awfully early. I am still in bed at that time.

To anyone considering going I would say go I can't tell you over the years how much the lunches helped me in going and meeting people who understood what I am going through and how it feels. People who aren't banded will never get it totally they try but it isn't the same.

I still go to the lunches when I get a chance and I am in the country. Meetings at the clinic are the same idea.

Heather

[Goober 1]

That is awfully early. I am still in bed at that time.

I have 4 year old twins, I wish I could still be in bed at that time :thumbup:

We are going to make a day of it and go to the ROM after.

[Hanbe 3]

I can't make it to the seminar on Sat so if anyone does attend I would love to hear the feedback! I maybe would be able to make time for the next one if they are helpful!

Heather I just saw your response in regards to my comment about drinking diet coke....I appreciate you telling me about the stretching of my pouch I was not aware of this. So thanks! I was very under educated about things like this when I was banded, I had my consultation with Kathy and I think it lasted 10 minutes and I found her unfriendly and uninformative and the only reason I went ahead with the procedure was because I wanted to be banded so badly and I had a friend that had referred me to TLBC and had lost over 100 pounds. You said to have a chat with Dr. Yau and he would chastise me on the no no's of drinking diet coke but I really have no interest in speaking with Dr.Yau considering he spoke approx 10 words to me in total just minutes before my surgery. I found him rude and trying to rush out of the room. I think he got my $16K and thats all that matters to him! Now I know Heather you are good friends with Kathy and a big supporter of TLBC and Dr.Yau so I want you to know this was not intended to start a battle with you I'm just venting my frustrations or I guess my disappointment with TLBC and Dr.Yau. We don't need to argue our differences of opinion and I respect your feelings and your loyalty.

I did speak with a expert on lapband at CIBO and she told me to try gateroide instead of soda pop is a good solution. I have also just went to drinking Water with flavors and that has helped.

[susieq321 31]

I can't make it to the seminar on Sat so if anyone does attend I would love to hear the feedback! I maybe would be able to make time for the next one if they are helpful!

Heather I just saw your response in regards to my comment about drinking diet coke....I appreciate you telling me about the stretching of my pouch I was not aware of this. So thanks! I was very under educated about things like this when I was banded, I had my consultation with Kathy and I think it lasted 10 minutes and I found her unfriendly and uninformative and the only reason I went ahead with the procedure was because I wanted to be banded so badly and I had a friend that had referred me to TLBC and had lost over 100 pounds. You said to have a chat with Dr. Yau and he would chastise me on the no no's of drinking diet coke but I really have no interest in speaking with Dr.Yau considering he spoke approx 10 words to me in total just minutes before my surgery. I found him rude and trying to rush out of the room. I think he got my $16K and thats all that matters to him! Now I know Heather you are good friends with Kathy and a big supporter of TLBC and Dr.Yau so I want you to know this was not intended to start a battle with you I'm just venting my frustrations or I guess my disappointment with TLBC and Dr.Yau. We don't need to argue our differences of opinion and I respect your feelings and your loyalty.

I did speak with a expert on lapband at CIBO and she told me to try gateroide instead of soda pop is a good solution. I have also just went to drinking Water with flavors and that has helped.

Hanbe,

I am friends with Kathy and I have a good relationship with Yau... two things I have learned in this life is that not everyone can like everyone else and they just may not be your cup of tea.. and that is ok. I get along with them and that is ok too, Kathy was one of the few resources for those who were banded way back when and she was amazing with people and her own research and I know from experience she does care but that is my relationship with her.

Yau... first time I met him that I remembered I loathed him called him a bastard I do believe... I was going in for my first fill at Grace and after over an hour of Joffe and the radiologist freezing and poking me everywhere... they called Yau out of surgery he walked in found the only unfrozen spot on my stomach inserted the needle none to nicely said her tubing is disconnected she needs surgery and walked out... that was it I was like who is that bastard? I was told and I said well he is a total jerk. The moral of that story is Yau is a surgeon and as a general rule most surgeons I have met over the years aren't the most social creatures and like to cut people open and fix them, they don't always have a decent bedside manner. As I got to know Yau through my complications and helping a friend out who had complications I liked him, he became human with a sense of humour etc. That lesson took me a long time, and most of his patients won't ever get to see him the way I did because I spent that time with him and it is probably a good thing that they don't know him that way. Knowing him as a surgeon from other non banding patients there is not a surgeon I know that I trust more than Yau other than my plastic guy... and both of those two rank highly with me as people who care that they help you and are perfectionists and there is nothing more you can ask of a surgeon.

I can honestly say this Dr Yau does care about his patients and if you are struggling and you aren't happy with your results or the help the nurses are providing you and at your wits end and you make an appt with Dr Yau he will sit there and go through things with you. He may tell you things you don't want to hear but he will take the time to work through issues and make suggestions etc. It isn't something he wants to do with every patient since there are well over 2000-3000 of us but if you do need him Hanbe he will make the time for you. The reason he hired all the staff he hired was so he could concentrate on surgery rather than on the patients and he arranged to hire people who had been banded and who could help in ways he may not be able to, but he will take the time for any patient who needs it and has exhausted the other options.

And with that said even if you sat and talked to Yau you might not like him as I said I learned a long long time ago there are a lot of people who can't stand me and I am good with that not everyone can like all of us and we can't like everyone and that is ok.

As for the pop you are welcome it is something I never believed until I watch that episode of Mythbusters it was eye opening. For liquids... I am a little different since I am at goal I do a lot of milk, water, some teas, wine, martinis and some fountain soda (the last three full of sugar and not the best choice but I do them in moderation and the soda I am trying to break that habit again)

Edited January 21, 2009 by susieq321

[green 6]

I have 4 year old twins, I wish I could still be in bed at that time :tongue:

We are going to make a day of it and go to the ROM after.

Aha! I have never been a morning person. This is one of the reasons I switched careers from office work to blue collar. I wanted to work in the afternoons, the kinder, gentler shift. This is one of the many reasons why I chose not to have kiddies. Everyone says that they are early risers until they hit their teen years....

Have fun at the ROM. It is a great place to go and to take the kids.