Doddie63

Hi: You are in the loop. It is Easter weekend and have been busy but have been checking the posts now and then. Happy Easter (what's left of it). Doddie

Hi Cloe: From your ticker, your march to the end is very successful. What a wonderful journey you are having. You sure are an inspiration to the rest of us. Doddie

Hi Susansilver: My exercise of choice is aquasizes. With my weight, joint injury has occurred over the years from exercising as a result, I am not to enamoured with exercise and motivation is my biggest problem. Who wants to do something that injures themselves. Just be careful when you use the treadmill. If you walk too fast, you stretch out your stride putting a lot of weight on your knees. My knee surgeon tells me that knee injuries are increasing as the "baby boomers" age and a lot of it is the result of improper exercise. Good luck in soon becoming one of us. Doddie

Hi Chief: It it works for you it is a wonderful tool. Hope your weight loss journey is very successful. Doddie

Thanks Astrotoes: I find the people on the web a lot more helpful and encouraging than any group such as WW that are there to make a profit. I know it helps many people and I wish them well, but the weightloss industry is not there to make us successful, they are there to make money for the shareholders. The originator of WW and her wonderful idea of support has long gone and WW has been sold many times over to conglomerates. I am very grateful that there are some doctors out there that believe overweight people need help and are trying to do something about it. Here ends the lesson. Sorry I was preaching but I wish more people in my circumstances had access to this band. Again thanks for the support. Doddie:violin:

Hi Susansilver: Thanks, it was a terrible crusher to me. Just the perfect "excuse" to hurt myself all over again. Don't know why overweight people hurt themselves with eating when you know it wasn't your fault. Anyway, I find my band the perfect friend. It talks to me when I overeat and remains quiet when I behave myself. As I am an emotional eater, It is a silent reminder that to hurt myself by overeating is not the solution. Now, if I could just exercise more........darn. Doddie.

Hi: I won't go back to WW either. The last (of three times) I lost 99.9 lbs. I was so excited I mentioned to the instructor that next week would be the big one I just knew it. She being so proud she had lost 25 lbs told me "oh, it is not such a big deal many members have lost 100 lbs or more". I was crushed and the weight came back on. Thus the band. It doesn't argue with me, doesn't give in to me. I screw up and it lets me know it. Well worth the money and I love my band even though I have only had it since Feb.01/07. Doddie

HI: Going it alone may be a bit difficult if you have a distance to get back. When I came out of surgery, I was so groggy that I only remember a few things. One was my hubby had gone out and the clinic couldn't reach him. The nurse was about to take me back to the hotel in a cab when he arrived. So If you can have someone pick you up it would be better and more safe. Doddie

Hi: It may have changed, but I think the rules of WW and TOPs is you must not have any aids for loosing weight to win any of their awards. I think if you tell them you have the band, it must be approved. I would telephone and check out their policy for the group you want to join. In my WW group, it is individually owned (franchise) and they don't allow and inplants. TOPs as well. doddie

Hi: Restrictions haven't helped me too much. I have lost 3 lbs in a month and although my doctor is happy with that, I wish it was more. He is sending me to a dietition (sp?) for diabetics as he is concerned about my diet. It is amazing what one can tuck away in the form of liquids if one wants to. I having been tracking my intake for 2 weeks now and am doing better. If you are not having restrictions at least you can eat anything. Try tracking if you are not doing so. It might help. Doddie

HI: OK, I will tell them for sure. Thanks Yoda you are right of course. Not easy though. Doddie

Where can I get a copy of that wallet. Happy Easter everyone, don't eat too many chocolate easter bunnies. Doddie

Hi: I will try. I have great faith in the TLBC that they will ask questions and not arbitrarily put in the normal amount of fill. I am never one who speaks up with a doctor/nurse as I feel they know better than I. Doddie

Good to hear you are having a smaller first fill. That is what I want. I am having restrictions with the band being empty and I am concerned that a 4 or 5 cc would be too much. Doddie

Thanks everyone. Glad to hear I am "normal". Yes, no question I have bad eating habits and I am trying hard to correct them. Sure hope the fill nurse knows how much to give me. I don't want to be barfing because I am too tight. I live to far away from TO. Doreen

Thanks everyone. Glad to hear I am "normal". Yes, no question I have bad eating habits and I am trying hard to correct them. Sure hope the fill nurse knows how much to give me. I don't want to be barfing because I am too tight. I live to far away from TO. Doreen

Hi: Has anyone else experienced what I am experiencing. I have not yet had a fill (April 24th) and today (4th time I have experienced this) I barfed because I took too large a bite and did not chew properly. I thought this only occurred when a person had some fill in the band. Doddie

If you go to the Canadianbanders websit, most of the patients are from the TLBC or Dr. Cobourne(sp?). Ask for any Manitoba residents and I am sure you will find someone.

Hey sounds like building a home is worse than loosing weight. Remind me not to do it. Doddie

Visa was accepted for the downpayment (non refundable) in Dec. and then when I appeared for my surgery, Feb/07 I signed for the remainder on my Visa. Just be sure you have the necessary credit on your Visa. I telephoned Visa told them what I was going to do and they did a credit check while I waited on the telephone. I was approved.

Yes......went to the telephone numerous times to cancel but glad I didn't. The band is the conscience that I need. I still have head hunger, I still graze, but do not consume as much. Before I took Zenical to keep me from over eating, but the medication was $100/month and I had to stop. I traded diarrehea for stomach pain when I over eat, and I c an't get a fill easily where I live but again I would have the band in a moment. Good luck on your decision. Doddie :violin:

I am not motivated to exercise and I am so thrilled to hear I am not alone. Joining a gym is good, but I would join a ladies only. I have gone to the community gym and found that co-ed made me feel uncomfortable. There was always some macho guy standing beside the equipment I was using glaring and me and jogging in place. At the moment, when I can get my self outside the house, I am going to aquasize until I loose some weight. Walking on a treadmill and the weights hurt my joints too much. Wish you motivaton and success. Doddie

My incision pussed for four weeks finally got mad and pulled it out myself. Had to do it in two stages first part one day the second the next day. I went to my doc and he said it was just a stitch and to pull it out if I saw it which I did. Doddie

Hi Jurema: I was banded Feb 01/07 and frankly I haven't had any side effects. The pre op diet is a state of mind and if you think it is awlful it will be. If you thing it is for the greater good (shrink your liver so you won't have issues) you will get thru it. The TLBC nurses are gems and will have all the empathy in the world as most are banded themselves. You will wake up and be sent back to your hotel room and be excpected to sleep and wake every hour and cough and move around. They will call and check on you but it would be helpful if you have someone with you. You may experience gas pains so have gax X with you. Some people experience other pain but I will let them tell you about that. I had none. When you are on the Fluid stage after the surgery be sure and stick to the prescribed diet so as to not cause problems with you band. Some people have restriction before a fill (I do) and other don't. But as you heal, it will be easier to eat solids. After about 6 weeks, it should be easy to eat. You have now caught up to me (LOL). Also, expect to go thru all the emotions in the world before surgery. I doubted my decision, thought I was out of my mind, what food would I be able to eat, happy, scared, etc. Hope some of this will help. Edieparks, I am impressed with your success. I sure hope I can accomplish what you have done.

hi Donna D. I will let the more experienced bandster answer your questions because I have never had a fill. As I understand it though, the defill is used if a) you are too restricted or you swallow something and it gets stuck and you have to have a defill to let the boogie go thru. Correct me if I am wrong bandsters. Doddie