Shackwacky

I have decided up front to tell no-one besides my husband. My kids are teens, and are self absorbed enough not to notice if I feel under the weather or if I am not eating like I used to I have booked the time off at work for some (insert vague reference to female anatomy) day surgery and since I report to all men I haven't had a further question. I have about 5 days post surgery before I go back to work, and if I am not ready then I will just reinforce the mysterious female ailment and put my feet up. I have tried a hundred diets, and I can't remember one time when people left me alone to work things out and make my own mistakes. When it comes to weight, everyone's a genius. So this one will be just me, make or break. I intend to make

I love this thread. My surgery is November 7. I am glad I read this, since tonight I have had a couple glasses of wine and am doubting myself and my decision. You all rock..

My husband is the only person who knows that I have made this decision. And he flipped too, when I first brought it up. Not because he doesn't want me to have the lap band, but because he is afraid of the surgery. Surgery, any surgery, carries risk --- and he is afraid that something will go wrong. Google lap band surgery problems and you get everything from Soup to nuts and then some. We have talked it to death, and while he's still not sold on the idea, he realizes that this is something I need to do and he is doing his best to be supportive. Your BF might surprise you. In any event, I wish you the best, whatever you decide.

Yes, lets do that

November 7!

Oh I am glad I found this thread! I have 50 to 60 pounds to lose, and the first couple of times I mentioned the band I got "but you're not big enough" -- or "wow that's expensive why don't you just........join-a-gym, eat-less, try-(insert diet name here), walk-more, get-hypnotized, hire-a-trainer, learn-to-love-yourself" yada yada yada yada. So, I am doing it, but not telling anyone except my husband. Sadly, I have tried almost every one of those things people keep telling me I should try, and then some. I have been 50 to 60 pounds overweight for 15 years, and I feel it in every joint and lump and bump in my body. I am in my high (very high) forties, and I am really afraid if I don't do something drastic I will limp into old age overweight, unhappy and arthritic with messed up blood sugar and a bad heart (meet my family). The most weight I have ever lost (and kept off) is about twenty pounds for the last three years --- I switched to low fat vegetarian food for about 90% of the time and that finally put the scale from 220 to 200. My GP thinks my diet is excellent, I just eat too much of it. Uh ya, I eat too much of EVERYTHING, thus the BMI He originally suggested I eat less. (Oh thanks, ten years of medical school and that's what he comes up with?) If I could eat less, I would be thin, ya think? I was terrified at first, now I am plain and simple excited and impatient. I won't have to have a strict pre-op diet apparently, and have been assured that the post-op isn't so terrifying either. Bring it on.

Oh you guys are brilliant. Thanks for this -- I had decided to stay the one extra day in TO, then fly home. Now I feel okay about that. What a great place this is huh?

I am getting my surgery in November, so I am reading everything I can get my hands on. Here's my question -- how many of you out there had a good experience post op? I read the odd post that says "I hurt a bit for a day or so, but was up and around and generally feeling good by day three" or "went shopping the day after surgery" and like that. My doctor says that is how the majority of patients are, yet when I read here, I see waaaaaayyyyy more of the complications and pain patients and not so much of the went-smoothly patients. Perhaps those of you who didn't experience much in the way of pain or discomfort just aren't posting about it --- ? Or perhaps my doctor is overly optimistic! Just wondering how it's going to be to travel across the country so soon after

Thank you all. I have made my appointment with SWLC for November.

Ya, I don't have much of an option since I will already be away four days. Kids at home still. I do think they gave me the names of a couple of hotels, I will double check that.

Thanks Spark -- my surgery is set for a Wednesday so I guess I should book flight home for Friday afternoon. How did you feel by two days post op? Did you stay with friends or do the hotel/nurse thing? I have to figure out a good close hotel and a babysitter for the Wednesday night. I am in Grande Prairie, where are you from?

Fills and follow ups are done here, by my family doctor (who was trained by Dr. Cobourn). I don't know anyone in TO unfortunately, and no, we don't have a clinic here in Alberta that can do this procedure. I am not eligible for the one in Vancouver unfortunately, so these are the only two locations. As for asking people who have been through it......I am hoping that some of the past clients of SWLC that have made this trip will see this post and fill me in on how they managed it. Thanks.

Well I am definitely doing this! Just trying to sort out logistics, and this is a biggy. I have to fly from Alberta to Toronto for the procedure. I will need to fly in the night before, stay the night directly after, and fly back home the following day. From reading the surgery-day stories, it would seem that some of you had a tough day (or days) immediately following the procedure. Is this a problem maybe? I will be travelling alone, so it will be a couple airports, one piece of luggage, and approximately five hours all told. Should I be giving it an extra day? And on that topic, I am using airmiles for most of my flight. But for you out of towners contemplating doing this, there are a few things you need to add to that budget Flights from out of province are not cheap. You will need a hotel for two nights for sure, more likely three or four. If you are not travelling with someone, you will need to either pay extra to stay the night at the clinic (Slimband) or pay a nurse $20 per hour to go back to the hotel with you and stay the first night (SWLC). Cabs to and from airport, centre, hotel etc. So I am thinking I have to budget an extra $1500 at least, it would be more if I was paying cash for flight The other concern I am trying to get addressed is what happens if for whatever reason I have to return to the surgeon (repairs or problems). I have been assured that the procedure itself is warrantied, but so far I can't get a definitive answer on whether or not I will be reimbursed at all for travel costs. If (and I don't expect it to, but I like to cover my bases when I am running up debt) something were to happen that required me to be back in TO for repairs, I am looking at all the travelling costs again plus down time at work. Anyone else dealt with this yet? Input much appreciated! I think there is such thing as Too Much Information. I am obsessively reading everything I can find on the net, and there are some amazing success stories as well as some crushing defeats. I should learn to stay away from the posts that detail complete train wrecks and warn any and all to stay away from ************** etc. I am overthinking, I know. I am confident in my choice of centre and surgeon, now the devil is in the details and I am keeping myself up nights Thanks in advance.

Oh! Air miles ---- I hadn't thought of that.

Oh that's a relief. That was on my next set of questions! I drive 15 km to work in the morning, if I tried that without caffeine it would be like trying to fly with one wing.

I am excited for you! Keep us posted.

I would think it would be a purchase, since it would be done through a vendor who is paying credit card charges (not a bank). I thought of doing the credit card route too, but the thought of the interest rates scared me off.

Even though you aren't taking hormones, that hysterectomy likely has your hormones totally out of whack. 5 years after my (partial) hysterectomy my ovaries stopped functioning normally and my weight shot up with very little help from me. Have you had those levels checked out?

As the original poster with only two posts -- I am asking for information instead of providing it so it would be hard for me to be stumping for any particular centre at that Thanks for the reply. I am still leaning towards SWLC due to the phone consult, will have to make my decision later today.

Hi Elcee -- thanks for the reply. I probably wasn't very clear in that post. I have an option of two different clinics in TO, Canada. One is the slimband clinic and the other is the SWLC clinic. Different surgeons and some different options. So I am trying to find out as much as I can before I jump firmly on one side of the fence. Congrats on your weight loss by the way, amazing.

Thoughts? I have had a consult now with both, and both seem equally, ummm, equal I am self pay and travelling a very long distance, so I am worried about getting the most value I can. Things like after care, ever had to come back for anything, fills and defills.... I am doing this in November of this year, I just have to make a commitment to one or the other in the next few days. Would love to hear any experiences and/or words of wisdom. My doctor would be Dr. Yau at Slimband or Dr. Cobourn at SWLC. Thanks!!

Best of Luck!

Thank you for the replies. I had a phone consult with Dr. C today and was very impressed with his manner. I think I will go with SWLC --- it just seems more professional to have the Doctor call rather than a salesperson. Lana, my BMI is just a few pounds too low for Vancouver to take me, so Toronto it is. I have armloads of airmiles though, so the flight is not an issue. I went ahead and picked a date - November 7! Now I am very nervous, and excited, and all sorts of other feelings I have yet to put a name to. Mostly I am happy, I feel like I have made the decision to put things right. Again, thank you all for being here. Tomander, I will take you up on that offer!

Hi all --- So glad to have found this forum!! It seems no matter what question goes through my mind, I can dig around a bit here and find that someone has already asked it and someone else has already answered it. Its a godsend. So about me, I have been overweight most of my life (which is 49 years). For the first 30ish years I kept it under control by sheer will power, but age and a hysterectomy and menopause and quitting smoking and a desk job..........well, pfffffftttttt. Here I am 65 pounds over my ideal -- gallbladders out, blood pressures up, the joints are inflamed and I am planning my lap band. Tomorrow is my phone consult with the Dr. from SWLC. I have already spoken to someone from Slimband ---- is there a big difference between these two do you know? I will have to travel to Toronto to have the surgery, and I will be self pay, so I want to get the very best bang for my bucks. I live in Grande Prairie, Alberta -- and both clinics assure me they have a Doc locally here for fills. I guess the one thing I could use help with...what do I ask during this consultation? What is the got to have information that I need to remember? I am nervous, but even more so I am excited. I can't wait to be a healthy weight again. Thanks for listening