Doddie63

Congratulations Mary. Glad your trip was successful and the band helped you have a good holiday. Happy New Year.

Great post.....It is encouraging to read of your success but more in your determination not to be swayed by what others are doing. I had a "3.5 lb" weight loss in 2009 and although disappointed I am more determined to loose more in 2010. I hope you and all other slow loosers keep your spirits up and have a Great New Year. :thumbup::laugh::thumbup:

Merry Christmas everyone. Don't you just love the thought of the New Year. It brings a refreshing of the mind to keep up the good fight.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL BANDSTERS, PRE AND POST. :biggrin::tt1::sad:

We had a turnout of 5. Small but interesting. N.S. I emailed you the information, but I am not sure it got through? Could you e mail me privately please.

congratulations. Now to conquer the 20's. :scared2:

Sounds like we may have a good turnout. Great for the end of year and extra support just before Christmas and the New Year.

I live ten minutes away so no excuse for me not being there if others will be

Congratulations to all. Being banded at the same time you should be great support for each other.

Happy Birthday and many more to come. Take the atmosphere, food is secondary now - right! :thumbup:

I doubt if the Maples will help you unless you are their client. You will have to get your clinic to tell you where the nearest fill nurse is and travel there. Unfortuantely, fills are only done by the clinic where you got their band. If you know of any clinic that takes any bandster regardless of clinic please post.

Just a thought, could you take Kosher meat to work with you? As for eggnog, take a protein shake in a thermos and when the egg nog comes out bring out the shake. As I understand it, carbs turn to sugar and sugar starts the engine, protein is the long burning fuel. Hard protein stays in the pouch longer thus the feeling of full. Until you can get professional help, try outsmarting yourself. For instance, I found my weak spot is the 3:00 afternoon break so at noon I have a protein shake along with 4 oz of shrimp. At the 3:00 break,I have tea with yogurt which keeps me until dinnertime. I haven't controlled the issues I have with chewing or grazing when alone, but I am the most successful when I try to outsmart myself. Take care

I think most of us have had three or more fills before feeling there is good restriction so I would go back. However, do your homework before going to see Dr. Leung. What are your choices when you eat and are you eating 5 to 6 mini meals a day. For instance, boiled egg or protein drink for breakfast, Hard protein such as shrimp and salad at lunch, some form of protein snack at 3:00 and then dinner time hard protein such as chicken, beef whatever. Eating mini meals allows you to feel full all the time. Waiting long periods of time from breakfast to lunch to dinner allows your energy levels to go down so you need to "stoke the furnace more frequently". Hopefully Dr. Leung's staff have some sample meals for you.

I am planning to be there. Things are at a stand still for me as far as weight loss goes. Medications are being tinkered with causing water retention as well as the caloric count has increased from 14-15 hundred to 16 to 17 hundred. However, the last few weeks I am back on track and hoping the weight will start downwards again. See you on the 18th

This is a problem with surgeons that sell the band but do not have a support program in place. This is an example of why I am always preaching check the aftercare. Most surgeons are competent but don't want the aftercare other than fills and other clinics will not do fills for other than their patients. Most of us need more, thus our support group was formed by Patricia and her friend, I came as the 3rd member. I am continually on this site to try to help as much as I can, but I too need support. My support I get by giving information to newbies. The information I give reinforces or renews my practices. Some people love him but others are devastated. The support group always meets every third Wednesday of the month. Patricia sends out electronic reminders as long as she has your email. Hope to meet you as well.

stop worrying, already. Just relax. If the water is going down, then you are OK. It is when the water does not go down that you have a problem and some fill should be removed. I had a fill for 2 weeks before anything happened. Then nothing would go down. I had to have half of it removed. I don't know why it can take a few days to work, maybe the stomach reacts to being restricted, all I know is just relax and follow the rules. Remember to take small bites, chew your food and above all learn quickly the signals for the pouch being full. That is usually one of a pressure feeling, hiccups, pain, sneezing. Whatever your signal is push away from the table and don't give in to finishing the final bite. It has been a long hard road for me to push away but I can tell you if you don't you will be vomiting which is frowned upon but does occur. Especially to new bandsters but don't push your luck.

Heard this song before. Same old, same old.:smile:

Please keep our group informed. I would think providing fills for other clinics/surgeons would be profitable. I hope Slimband (TLBC) is one of them.

I received my Fr. Midband from TLBC and I was told the band company gives a warrantee of ten years. I was given the necessary form upon discharge. I mailed the registration to the company and received an e mail back confirming receipt. At the time I received my band, I was told I had lifetime aftercare with the clinic. There was no written contract given at the time, but Dr. Yau has fulfilled the promise of lifetime support by fixing my port at no charge. I have never bothered to find out if that support includes fills as I am too far from Toronto and must pay for my own fills. If I had to do this over again, I would ask for a written contract. Circumstances change over a long period of time and if nothing is in writing there is no way to prove what was said at the date of banding and must rely on the word of TLBC. So far so good.

Congratulations RN. Is you clinic giving fills to individuals that have the band from another clinic? If so, what is the fee?

Nadia, you don't have to apologize to anyone for writing down what you are going through. We have and are going through many trials and tribulations on our journey. Sometimes, for lack of support groups the website is the only way to get support. It sounds to me that you now have a plan of action and are well on your way to a balanced weight loss program with the band as a tool to help you stay on pace. Don't overdo it though. No pain, no gain does not apply anymore. It is a myth. Pace yourself within your plan and you will succeed. There will be ups and downs, but if you remain focused on your ultimate goal you will succeed. Good luck.

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.

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

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:

Hi: Yes, I agree not that your are not good company, but I like to hear everyone's experiences as they make their journey. I have received so many helpful hints over the past that has made my journey easier and I hope I have helped someone with my experiences as well. But as we both know, the technology keeps advancing and people move to the lastest fad. Hopefully, they will return. :laugh: