Vancouver Area Bandsters

[Doddie63 6]

Hey guys,

So two of my eight incisions are infected but my doctor gave me some antibiotic cream. Where is the meeting on the 21st? What time?

Scroll back and look for Canadagirl33's posting of the monthly meeting. She posts every month. We meet every 3rd Wednesday of the month at the Lion's Gate Hospital, Conference Room A. She is there at 6:30 as she comes down from Pemberton so anytime after 6:30 pm. The meeting breaks up around 8:00 pm.

Did you get your answer on what to eat?

[canadagirl33 0]

Hi Everyone :confused:

Thought I would post now since I have a few minutes at work while I have lunch.< /p>

This coming Wednesday is our monthly meeting at Lion's Gate and I wanted to get the reminder out so that you all can make the time to join us if possible. I plan on coming down early in the day and spending some time with a friend before hitting costco for a bit of a shopping spree. I will be at Lion's Gate by 6.30.

If any of you have any specific topics you would like to talk about, post on here or drop me an email. If I have any literature regarding the topic I would happily bring it along.

Hopefully I'll see you all there !!!

Patricia

[Skyler 0]

Hi, I am new to this and seeking information on whether to be banded in Mexico or BC. Have any of you been banded in Mexico and if so where, by who, and for how much? Those of you who had it done in BC who was your Dr. and how much and did you like him? thank you

[Doddie63 6]

Hi, I am new to this and seeking information on whether to be banded in Mexico or BC. Have any of you been banded in Mexico and if so where, by who, and for how much? Those of you who had it done in BC who was your Dr. and how much and did you like him? thank you

We have members of our group that have gone to Dr. Ortiz (sp?) in Mexico and are highly complimentary. Factor into your research your aftercare. Most surgeons/clinics will only give aftercare to their own patients so you have to decide if you can fly back to Mexico for fills, etc or find a doctor here in BC who will do the fills. Be sure you have all the t's crossed and i's dotted for aftercare before making your decision. Now for Doctors, there is a Dr. Leung, a Dr. Robin Woodhead and the False Creek Medical Clinic in Vancouver. Dr. Leung and Dr. Woodhead are good doctors. The clinic has just opened its doors so you may want to call them and see what they have to offer. Good luck.

[timmmers 0]

Hello again fellow bandsters.

Almost three weeks post-op and am already so happy that I got the band! I have had zero complications other than one time when a little bit of food got stuck on day two of eating "real" food, but after some PBing it passed.

However, I know that I will get off of the "high" of being banded in the months to come, so I really want to build a solid foundation of support from other bandsters. I really want to attend a meeting, but I have school on wednesday nights. So, I am wondering about other meetings in/around this area (I live in Richmond). If any of you know of other meetings, PLEASE let me know!

Thank you kindly ~

[canadagirl33 0]

Hi Timmers

Glad to hear that you're doing so well and feeling good about your decision. You're right in thinking that the initial 'glow' will fade, however with good support you can work thru that when the time comes.

As for support I am not aware of anything else. There was nothing available at all when I was banded 3 years ago which is why I started this group. I will certainly ask tonite at the meeting if anyone knows of anything else or if they are interested in a 1 on 1 meeting for coffee or something. I'll get info to pass along to you if I can find anything at all that looks like it might help you out.

I'm giving some thought to the possibility of driving down to NWWLS for a little check-up and the chance of doing a support meeting there. Have you given any thought to doing that? Maybe if I do start planning it I'll let you know and you could come down with me....I'll keep you posted if I plan anything.

All the best,

Patricia

[nadsltd 0]

Hey Guys,

I just wanted to thank everyone who was at the meeting yesterday, you guys have really helped put my mind at ease and made me feel better about my decision to get banded. Thank you so much for all of the advice and for being so open about the ups and downs you have each faced. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone at next months meeting and telling you how my first fill went.

Thanks,

Nadia

[yosemite 0]

Hi everyone. I have to say the same. Listening to everyone's stories (sometimes 2 or 3 at a time!) helped me to feel easier about having the procedure done. I'm awaiting word on my surgery date & will let everyone know by next meeting. Nice to know the support is there. Thanks again.

[canadagirl33 0]

Glad that you both came to the meeting and found it helpful. I would have to agree, sometimes sitting amongst that group of women and having them all chatter, trying to listen to everything, can get a little overwhelming...and chaotic !!! :blushing:

If either of you have any questions or need any help and want to email me privately, please feel free.

canadagirl33@hotmail.com

Hope to see you both again at future meetings...

Patricia

[Skyler 0]

Hi everyone, I went to my Dr. regarding having the band surgery and he was not all that supportive. I found it to be rather depressing. He did not believe it works. I told him that I have seen on the website that it does work. Anyways he told me to walk up the Mountain in our town everyday and diet. Nice! I am still going to go ahead with the surgery, I think he is just old school.

Still trying to decide which surgeon to see. (I live on Vancouver Island).

Cheers

[Doddie63 6]

Hi everyone, I went to my Dr. regarding having the band surgery and he was not all that supportive. I found it to be rather depressing. He did not believe it works. I told him that I have seen on the website that it does work. Anyways he told me to walk up the Mountain in our town everyday and diet. Nice! I am still going to go ahead with the surgery, I think he is just old school.

Still trying to decide which surgeon to see. (I live on Vancouver Island).

Cheers

I would ask your doctor where he gets his information from that the band does not work. There is, like all surgery, failures but the vast majority have found the band safe and effective as well as it is removable is the individual finds the band hard to live with.

Also, as I have found out that the majority of doctors do not support the band, because they do not like to have to take care of patients afterwards. Surgeons want the money but not the hassles of aftercare and GPs have no training and don't have the time to study up on the care. Looks like we are caught between a rock and a hard place.

Anyway, recent studies have found that exercise causes increase in the appetite causing many to gain weight. Seems to me your doctor should be willing to look at a balanced weight loss plan with the band as the aid.

The Seattle based clinic seems to have the greatest experience and is close by for support. Of course, there is the fledging False Creek Clinic in Vancouver with I understand a support program. As stated earlier, there is Mexico, Dr. Woodhead, and Dr. Leung. Would love to here your decision. :wink2:

[nadsltd 0]

Hey guys,

I have been doing much better since our meeting last wednesday. I have not lost any weight in the last week despite being on a pureed diet, it has been discouraging but I am trying to write down everything i put in my mouth. I had a conference yesterday and couldnt eat the sandwiches there so I had the Soup and potatoe salad one day and orzo salad the next which went down fine but I dont think Im going to lose weight by loading up on food like that. I am hoping my first fill will help me control the amount of food I consume. Any tips on how to survive halloween candy? I bought that book 'Mindful eating' and I work with dietians who have studied 'mindfullness', it seems like a lot of people have bad relationships with food and I really want to work on that relationship. I dont want to look forward to eating, I just want to eat an amount and go about my day. Does it get easier? Does the weight come off easier?

[Doddie63 6]

Hey guys,

I have been doing much better since our meeting last wednesday. I have not lost any weight in the last week despite being on a pureed diet, it has been discouraging but I am trying to write down everything i put in my mouth. I had a conference yesterday and couldnt eat the sandwiches there so I had the Soup and potatoe salad one day and orzo salad the next which went down fine but I dont think Im going to lose weight by loading up on food like that. I am hoping my first fill will help me control the amount of food I consume. Any tips on how to survive halloween candy? I bought that book 'Mindful eating' and I work with dietians who have studied 'mindfullness', it seems like a lot of people have bad relationships with food and I really want to work on that relationship. I dont want to look forward to eating, I just want to eat an amount and go about my day. Does it get easier? Does the weight come off easier?

Hi: Be patient, the weight will come. How often and when are you weighing yourself. I have been tracking honestly (that being the key word) for over 2 1/2 years now and find that by weighing myself every Saturday at the same time gives me an accurate weight. For fun, I step on the scale sometimes every day and find my weight flucuates five lbs or more, so it is important to weigh at the same time.

I now take the chart in with me to my Doctor so that he can see how my weight varies up to five lbs per month but always shows a loss. For example. This months 218.4 then next week up to 221, then 220.

I would suggest the best for you is to start tracking until you know and are comfortable with your weight pattern of loss as well as quantities of food. A cup to me is in reality two cups. Try tracking, you may shock yourself.

Regards and Good luck

[Uli 0]

Hi,

the fastest weight loss is always at the beginning and you are happy the way it goes. I was banded by Dr. Leung in Nov 2007 and have plateaued for one year, and I know why. Now I have seriously started again and lose about 2 pounds a week. One mistake, and the scale tells me right away. Doddie is right, I also weigh myself once a week on the same day and time, that gives you the best results. I find it very hard right now with all the candies and Christmas coming, it is quite difficult to stay on track and for me it only works this way: either all or nothing, so I had to chose nothing, meaning no sweets whatsoever for me. That was always hard but I still need to lose 50 pounds. Anyhow, this will be a challenge for a life time. But it is worth it.

Gerdi

[Doddie63 6]

Hi,

the fastest weight loss is always at the beginning and you are happy the way it goes. I was banded by Dr. Leung in Nov 2007 and have plateaued for one year, and I know why. Now I have seriously started again and lose about 2 pounds a week. One mistake, and the scale tells me right away. Doddie is right, I also weigh myself once a week on the same day and time, that gives you the best results. I find it very hard right now with all the candies and Christmas coming, it is quite difficult to stay on track and for me it only works this way: either all or nothing, so I had to chose nothing, meaning no sweets whatsoever for me. That was always hard but I still need to lose 50 pounds. Anyhow, this will be a challenge for a life time. But it is worth it.

Gerdi

Congratulations, Uli on your 2 lb weight loss. I recognize the work you are going through. For some of us, it takes a bit of time to realize that the band does not do all the work but we have to work with it. Your decision to stay away from sweets is a good one because from the literature I have read, sweets trigger something in the brain that brings on the desire for more food. Good luck on your journey.