Doddie63

Thanks for the correction, but I didn't mean to imply the website was restricted to two clinics. As Nancy gives out the card with the literature after surgery I assumed she controlled the site. Anyway small matter as long as the individual knows the site exists. Doddie

The fact you were related to a staff member might be the reason you have had such good success with CIBO. It isn't what you know it is who you know. Just a thought. Doddie

Thanks. I found Nancy cold and arrogant in her dealings with me. I understand she has trained someone else now to do the fills. I hope this new nurse is a bit more sympathetic to the emotional side of getting a fill. Nancy sure wasn't. Just walking in a having a needle with saline takes seconds, but I know I wanted a bit more than that. I wanted to know how much and why. I had to be sure of what was happening as I was, at the time, with no local support. Nancy just brushed me off. She didn't even come out and check on me to see if the water was going down OK. She left it up to me to decide. Many banders think that ERs will automatically know what to do but they don't. If you go to an ER some will tell you to go home and contact your surgeon as they had no training. Others insist in taking all the saline out. Some are just plain rude and suggest the band was a private matter. As my support is the internet, these tales of ERs are posted and I have had one experience which was take an aspirin and call your surgeon in the morning. When a patient is coming from a long distance, more care should be taken in seeing to their needs including fears. Not the case for me. Doddie

So do I. Face to face meetings are a long more helpful.

Hi Seana: I appreciate your comment about not wanting to debate, but if you are going to recommend a particular clinic or doctor it would be helpful for people making a search for comparisons if you stated what the clinic had to offer for aftercare. Aftercare is so vital to any decision being made due to all the possibilities that can go wrong. What is their support system if any. Doddie.

Green. The ugly "C" word raises it head. Your upbeat attitude is half the battle to defeat it. My thoughts and prayers go out to you. Doddie

Welcome CIBO. More private clinics may lower the prices BUT having said that, what is their support system throughout Canada like? Doddie

Lizzie: Any business can not improve if the negatives sit out in the public but are not aired to them. It is said one complaint mailed in, represents 1,000 unspoken complaints. Go to the TLBC website and get their contact e mail address for Chris the CEO and state your position clearly. You may not benefit but others may. The TLBC is one of the finest clinics and the Dr. is (in my opinion) the best, but their PR is hurting them badly. The CEO has to do something about fill sites throughout Canada and not just cosmetic like a new website. Doddie

Yahoo! congratulations. Can't wait until you join us. I knew you would like Dr. W. Doddie

Lisa: The head nurse made the appointment with Dr. and the surgery was to follow. He gave me an interview and then referred me to Nancy to do a fill to see how she did. It took her a few tries but she did a 1 cc fill. Then dismissed me summarily as I didn't need surgery. She made the decision not Dr. Yau. Even though my surgeon in BC wanted it done. I went back the next day and asked for more fill and her arrogance was unbelievable. She told me that she would not do a fill because I had one yesterday. I told her that fill was just to decide if a fill could be put in the port not an actual fill. She told me bluntly she wouldn't do it and as I had eaten breakfast turned away. I replied she gave me 1 cc the day before and no one had told me to fast. No reply so I went home - $1,000 spent on nothing. I had to demand that a telephone call be made to my surgeon in BC and explain why the surgery was not done. Angry, yes, frustrated,yes but at least I have a nice surgeon who is seeing me every two months. Wished he had been in business before Feb. 07. Doddie

Lizzi: You just stated my problem as well. My family doctor said he would support me but backed out because of the legal issuse with the College. Boy do I relate to you. One of my angry but polite emails was sent to the CEO. His response to one of his staff members about me was ugly but LOL, he inadvertantly sent it to me. I found the Dr., the Head Nurse and the dietician very nice but I can't say the same for the fill nurse. She made a decision that I didn't need surgery and dismissed me summarily. Doddie

Good luck on that. I flew all the way out to Toronto because my port was on its side. The surgeon out here referred me back because it takes him 3 needles and approx. 25 minutes to put in a fill. So I booked an appointment to see the doctor and booked the surgery time. I arrived there only to be told the fill nurse would see if she could could put in a fill. She did after two tries. Her attitude was one of arrogance faulting my surgeon out here as not knowing how to do a fill and telling me I didn't need surgery. So I had spent $1,000.00 and I still have my port on its side and the Dr. out here still has to take 3 needles and 25 minutes to give me a fill.

Hi: How very sad but true Elizabeth. I felt like the TLBC's fill nurse had an attitude problem. I have no complaints with the Dr. nor the actual experience of the band surgery but I did have a lot to say about the aftercare. It has been only my persistance in filing complaints and demanding some help that I get some from Jill. She calls me once a month(could be more if I wanted it). She is one nice individual. Also it took some persistance on my part to get the clinic to refer me to a doctor our here. They tried to tell me that he would do all fills for their clinic but that was not the case. He was and is very selective. Would I recommend the TLBC, yes without hesitation but with a caveat that if you are outside the Province consider the aftercare carefully. Can you afford to fly back for a free fill or would it would it be better to go to a clinic that has fill nurses in your Province? If you are following the program, you should not require a lot of fills and defills, but let's face it, we are all human. Doddie

Peaches: I am taking my bootcamp by correspondence because I live in BC. Jill sends me the material then sets up a call schedule to check to see how I am doing. It is working well for me. Contact her and I am sure she will find a way to help you. Doddie

I wish you all the best in your journey. You can only decide what is best for you. I and others offer up negatives to inspire an individual to see all sides. That usually gets the best decision in the end for the individual. I certainly am not against going out of country as long as it meets your needs. I unfortuantely did not have the benefit of someone telling me about after care and for about six months I went thru a lot of emotional distress. Hindsight is wonderful. If I had known about the negatives of after care, my decision may have been different. Again God speed you in your journey. Doddie

sorry did not mean to imply veggies be cut out entirely. My point was many people look as salads as the rapid way to loose weight. It is not as some salads are higher to caloric count than hard protein. With the band as we cannot eat as much, 3 ozs of protein should be eaten first then go into the veggies, etc. Any room left the white stuff. By making protein your main choices you will stay full longer. Supplements can be taken to make up any shortfall in vitamins, calcium etc.

juney: I understand your frustration at not getting after care but at the same time you have to realize that banding is a business. The surgeons make their money on the surgery and the after care is included in the consult fee. Also, doctors do not like taking on patients they have not put the band on due to the warrantee coverage of the band. I had my band in Toronto and even then I found it next to impossible to get after care. I was finally taken on by Dr. Woodhead on a referral from Dr. Yau who knew each other. There are various opinions out there about the pros and cons of going out of country but seriously are you really saving money. If you go to the TLBC for instance you get tremendous support and the fills are free. The SWLC provides support and fills as well. The Mexican Hospitals have no connect with you after the fact unless you fly down to them. Where is the saving?

You are probably right, but why shouldn't people claim thousands and thousands of medical expenses if they are legit. For instance if you have a member of the family that is severely disabled. Just another instance where I think the CRA is unfair to the working stiffs. Doddie

I don't know what the max. is. I think you are entitled to claim all medical expenses and the CRA will reject or support. I wasn't aware there is a maximum medical expense figure? Doddie

veggies and fruits are deadly in that they change to starch and sugar which is quick energy, and protein stokes the muscles slower but longer. Hard protein is the only way to remain full for the required 4 hours with supplements. The other thing is loosing weight is personal. For the first time in my life, I do not equate eating with dieting. By following the nutrion plan set out by the clinic and trying to exercise consistantly I woke up one year later and found I had lost 60 lbs. On a month by month basis it was 4 lbs or less but when I totalled "wow" Happy person am I. So I will continue to plod along using the slogan "the turtle won the race". Doddie

I wrote and asked the TLBC and received back a letter from Dr. Yau stating it was a medically necessary procedure and I had the receipts as well. You can also claim mileage and parking in some instances. What I would suggest, is overkill. Contact your clinic and find out what they have to say. If you submit everything you can think off to document your surgery it is better than being rejected and having to start all over again. Doddie

Rose would suggest you contact the CRA and give them a ball park figur. They might give you a estimate. If not, there are companies that prepare income tax for lower income. They should be able to tell you. Hope this may help. Doddie

Yes Marcar. We will always have a desire to eat (head hunger) and have to manage our food intake. The band is the tool tht forces us to obey the 6 oz rule. If you are eating more than that, then you should enquire as to more fill. If you are eating junk easy to go down food then you may need a defill to allow you to eat the hard protein. I am at 5.5cc and can't eat more than 6 oz. at best, even junk food. So reevaluate what your habits are then go to the clinic and talk to Jill about getting into her boot camp. Have you seen the new TLBC website, it is great, but unfortuantely, many TLBC patients are not using it. Boot camp may be the answer. Contact the TLBC Doddie

Can your parents claim your expenses for the surgery, etc. If you are still living with them, rather than loose out, you maybe able to transfer to their income tax return. Just a thought. Doddie

Are you Canadian or American. If Canadian, I can hardly wait for my return. I wonder what it will be. Doddie