susieq321

It doesn't sound band related to me to, usually the band won't give you the runs.. it is the food you eat and your bodies reaction to it. I know for me if I eat popcorn because I have a slight allergy to corn I will have a bit of a reaction... so I agree with Argon it could be something like IBS, gallstones, etc I have no idea but I would talk to you family Dr and get it checked out. Hope you feel better Heather

To anyone considering going I would say go I can't tell you over the years how much the lunches helped me in going and meeting people who understood what I am going through and how it feels. People who aren't banded will never get it totally they try but it isn't the same. I still go to the lunches when I get a chance and I am in the country. Meetings at the clinic are the same idea. Heather

I agree it is a good idea to be informed... and when I had my post plastic surgery issue and I talked to my PS about the treatment and the base statements that were made to me about going home and getting care from the surgeon who did the work. And it was along the lines of if they had seen me and taken care of the post surgical issues they then become medically responsible for seeing me on an ongoing basis and if the complications escalated they would be responsible for repairing those complication and it was something they had no desire to get involved with. So they treated the symptom and got me out of there. Fortunately my complication was an abscess that burst and then healed on its own but I got the idea they wouldn't touch me unless it was life or death and even then it would be a debate could I get to my surgeon. Since I went to the emerg I had no inclincation of seeing a PS I knew I would see a general emerg doc. That emerg doc sent me to the infectious diseases unit who in turn talked to a PS who was described what had happened to me but who I never saw and who never personal evaluated my issue. And if I ended up in emerg during my extensive travels (I am on the road 300 days a year) I would never expect to see a band surgeon to help me and to that end I am prepared with a CD and a thorough understanding of my band and how it works and where my port etc are. Heather

I just want to clarify do you think that in an emerg situation (which life threatening band issues are rare very rare) you are thinking that you can go to a clinic and ask the surgeon to help you? Now I can understand thinking that you can go to an emerg and ask the emerg docs to help you. But at emerg the odds of getting a band surgeon are somewhere between slim and completely never ever happening. The other consideration is from my limited understanding of the Cdn medical system and one of the reasons that most clinics won't take on patients is that once the band doctor sees you he has a moral and ethical responsibility to keep you as a patient. I know this was an issue I ran into post plastic surgery when I was in Calgary and my surgeon was in Toronto. The Calgary docs saw me in emerg but the answer I was given was basically go home to Toronto and have your surgeon help you we won't touch you we don't want to see you or help you get on a plane and get out of here. I agree patients who are distance from their clinics have other considerations than those who are closer to their clinics but understand we all choose our clinics for a reason and most of us wouldn't make another choice. Heather

All I know is what I have experienced... I have a friend who is an xray tech in San Deigo and based on the horror she personally has seen coming out of surgeries in Mexico she wasn't willing to go there and get banded... (her experience is surgerical not specifically banding but she has seen some people horribly disfigured, maimed where Plastics won't help and several die.) I have talked to multiple patients who went to Mexico and thought it would be easier and cheaper. They are frustrated with the lack of fill sources available to them in Canada and several who have had complications and been left out in the cold by their Mexico surgeons and some of those have been surgeons who praises I have heard sung to the heavens... I don't think it is fear mongering I think people should be informed if Mexico works for you then go, but don't expect me to be upset when no Canadian surgeon wants to fill you or help out with your aftercare that is your problem. I am with Tracey I have read a lot of posts bitching about people who can't get the aftercare they were promised so the deal they got in the end is not quite the deal they thought it would be. If I was going out of country I would make sure I had a well written contract and I had proofed it with a Mexican lawyer because that contract means jack in Canadian courts and is not enforceable. I made my choice to self pay and stay in Canada and I am happy with my choice and even knowing what I know now I wouldn't change that choice or clinic or surgeon. Dr Yau is the only surgeon I would want to have the surgery with. Heather

I have a slightly different perspective.. when I was banded I had US health insurance and could have had a lap RNY in less time and for free.... I couldn't be banded in the US since it was approved until much later in 02 than I was banded... but I could have self paid and gone to Mexico. There were no clinics when I was banded and only two choices of local Toronto surgeons who worked together and both did my banding. So even though I could have had a lap RNY faster I choose to self pay in Canada and a large part of that was the difference in the medical syste,. I didn't trust Mexico at the time (this was over 7 years ago) and now that has been born out with the number of patients I have talked to who have no one to do their fills locally, who have had complications and their Mexican surgeon while very experienced in placing bands since he doesn't see most of his patients again isn't so skilled in complications... and sent them to find a new Dr in Canada. I have heard great things about the hospitals and the skills but crappy things about the follow up. The US I know a little about the US since I work there much of the time... their medical system is a crap shoot.. so I get banded I pay for everything including fills in most cases. If you are fortunate enough to have Health insurance and have a WLS you better hope you keep your job and your carrier because if you switch jobs you new carrier can refuse you covered services because you had surgery under another carrier... even if you stay with the same carrier... and switch jobs they can refuse you coverage because it is a pre existing condition.... I am glad I made the decision I made 7 years ago, I could not have more confidence in my surgeon Dr Yau and my clinic and their support of me... I have had one issue with Slimband and it was resolved as soon as I complained... I agree with Tracey check out all the clinics and make your decision on who you are comfy with this is a long term relationship so you need to like who you are going to have it with. Heather

I know there are plenty of people who have been banded to help get preggers but caring for a baby, mostly I would be prepared not to lift the baby if they weigh over ten lbs on your own for a few days (I would say weeks but I know that likelihood) The reason for this is that for about 2-3 weeks most docs say do not lift over 10lbs.. because you can give yourself a hernia and damage the already bruised muscles. I would have someone prepared to do some shopping for you or at least load and unload the car and put things away. I would also have someone to help you out.. it depends on how you react to general and the surgery some people are fine some people need painkillers for weeks. Me I was great didn't take painkillers post leaving the hospital, drove from Toronto to Boston on day three no problems... but that was me you might be as good or not so good! Heather

Absolutely... even with my complications and no aftercare when I was done at all I would do it again in a heartbeat... I look at it this way we can all lose weight, losing isn't that hard truthfully it is the expenditure of more calories than we eat... we have all lost a ton of weight over the years... the band is amazing and I mean amazing at helping you maintain that weight loss over the long term with relatively low effort... and this is where most of us fail in maintaining that jenny craig, weight watchers, atkins etc loss that we had... it is in keeping the weight off over years rather than months.. the band makes that simple easy peasy and that I would not give up for anything else in the world! I have been banded just over 7 years now and at goal for over 5 1/2 Heather

Peter, I had heard from a friend in the industry who works with a lot of the cosmetic surgeons etc who I used to date that he was assisting and still placing bands on his own (not sure if the surgery on his own was in CIBO or just Sarnia).. but that is the rumour mill I put some credence in it based on who I heard it from but take it for what it is worth. I know he was advertising that he was placing bands in Sarnia but I didn't see him advertising that same service in Toronto. Heather

Paula, you have done awesome congrats and you are so right it is so not all the band it is mostly you and what and how you do things and live your life and the choices you make. Congrats you look fantastic! Heather

wow interesting that a post from two years ago with no responses pops up... So much has happened since then.... Joffe immediately was gone from TLBC, went to work with CIBO after this and since then pleaded guilty and lost his license to practice in ON. Heather

Soda has been a no no as long as I was banded... I can think of one senior bandster who has some diet coke last year and had pain like she thought she was having a heart attack... she honestly thought she was going to die.. she works for a Dr and he defilled her and low and behold it was the soda expanding in her pouch and causing the pain instant relief! With my original band I could never drink soda at all it was too painful. The carbonation expanded too much and it was physically painful all the time. With my J&J band fountain soda works for me I tend to avoid it because my thoughts run along these lines.... There is no redeeming health value in the crap that is in soda/pop I don't like the taste of diet pop and if I am going to put crap in my body I might as well go for the full sugar crap as opposed to the chemical tasting diet crap. If you understand how much you stretch your pouch with all the carbonation of soda you might not want to drink it. Mythbusters did an experiment about pop rocks and soda exploding your stomach and watching the pig stomach expand from the carbonation of just the soda alone was pretty freaky! Drinking soda can make you prone to slippage and other complications... as long as you are aware of the potential damage you are doing to your band then go for it but it could be worse than you ever thought... If you are a Slimband bandster go talk to Dr Yau about drinking pop/soda and see how long that lecture is and how shamefaced you come out of it... he has some very strong views about bandsters drinking pop! Heather

Jorja, A lot of the time a small tilt is easy to deal with for the surgeons and the nurses and they just leave it, even a port flip can be manageable and I was filled with my port flipped several times. My port after four years since was sticking out and rubbing on belts, clothes etc and very irritated and for the first time ever someone asked what that hard bump was.... it was bothering me. So I had Dr Yau move it, there is the option of being under a local that works well for some people... it wasn't an option with me because of where he wanted to reseat the port how I wanted it and also because I had no desire to be done under a local... it is a quick 10-20 min procedure you are out you are awake and moving around again... the worst part is the after affects of the general but since I am sensitive to both locals and generals it is no worse with one or the other for me. Port movement is not a big deal and easy to deal with for the docs. Heather

Different clinics use different bands, SWLC uses only the lapband system done by innamed last time I heard. Slimband uses all sorts of bands the realize, J&J/ swedish band, the Innamed system and so on. One of the nice things about Dr Yau is he looks at your body type and shape and then based on his experience choose the right type of band from his arsenal that he thinks will suit you. I had won a free Innamed band at the first bash and Dr Yau knew that and decided when my Innamed original band had slipped so many times it wasn't good with my body and he wanted to use a J&J Swedish band since based on how I had lost weight and where I had lost etc he felt it would be better with my body and knock on wood other than my port having to be moved I have not had a complication since.... That said almost all the bands work the same way with differences in how they are constructed being minimal some of the tubing and band portion around the stomach is more or less flexible. Heather

Doddie a diabetes reversal is amazing and exciting.... failure to chew I know sometimes I fall into old habits and don't chew enough sometimes it helps me to mix up textures of food in one bite. So I will have protein, veges all in one bite and it helps me subscribe to chewing well... I find if I just have a bite of steak and only steak or protein or just veges I have a harder time remembering to chew... There is something about mixing the food textures that makes me chew more not sure what it could be my imagination but it works for me....as you can tell I don't subscribe to the pea sized bite theory... I find the smaller the bite the less likely you are to chew a lot. Good luck Heather

Doddie, Not my thread but I would suggest we check in as we go... so we are accountable and cheering each other on! I suck I haven't made the gym yet the bag is packed but I can't do yoga until my wrist heals long story but there is aquafit on Thursday and just plain jane cardio! So tomorrow gym... and thurs.. Tonight I have dinner plans it is a special occasion dinner which I am glad don't happen every day. On the upside I am eating better... fruit, back to my loved desired and adored spinach salad for lunch with some more veges and hard boiled eggs.... so I am getting back to some of my basics now I just need to stop the sugar... darn xmas leftover home made chocolates!

Dr Leung has been banding patients for a lot of years.. he has very little bedside manner from what I have heard but his patients as a group have done amazing... He used to not fill unless they had met their goals they set or if he felt they didn't need it and a host of other reason I don't know if that is still true. I haven't read a lot of complications from his patients over the years nor have I read any complaints other than his bed side manner sucks. There was a group on yahoo groups just for his patients called the BCbandits they would have more info if it is still going. good luck with you band and take it easy post surgery Heather

Lucy, It was meant to show how absurd accusing anyone of working for a clinic is... Just because some one has had good experiences doesn't make them a plant, it means they had good experiences.. just because someone has bad experiences doesn't make them a plant either it means they have had some bad experiences. Over all my experience with Slimband/TLBC/no clinic prior to that has been amazing and this is coming from a girl who has had 7 complications surgeries that required her to fly back to Toronto to have them fixed.... none of the complications were the surgeons fault and I attribute them to a faulty band and weight lost. Sorry but my experience is the opposite of theirs and i don't mind saying it doesn't make me a sales person it makes me a happy bandster. As for where swansong lives i looked at her profile and it was on there... 50, sudbury , 3 posts and you can even read the posts so that is where I got that info. I don't work for the clinic don't need to work for the clinic don't want to work for the clinic my clients are high enough maintenance without having to deal with patients who are super high maintenance pain in the asses myself included in that, god if I had to deal with people like us all day I would shoot myself.. I have sat in the waiting rooms and listened.. and not a hope... being a software consultant is bad enough people are horrid computers are simple, believe me or not...I don't care my pay cheques are signed by someone other than slimband. You are going to go where you are going to go, I just say go where you are comfy and where you like the staff and the surgeons you will have a long relationship with them. You owe it to yourself to be happy with your clinic and the amount of money you spent and if you have 3-4 choices in your local area why not talk to all of them and then make your choice... I am not saying choose one over the other I am not saying lean to one over the other it is obvious where I would go and where I will take my mum when she is ready to be banded. And I don't care if this thread goes on forever I wanted to start something more positive so sue me, something that was shorter again sue me.. as I have stated many times I prefer focusing on the positive but yes sometimes my annoyance gets the better of me like all people and do you honestly think if i worked at the clinic I could post what I have been posting... and they wouldn't fire me, or at least tell me to stop posting...think about it.. I have always been known to speak my mind and I am not going to change that. Read Canadian lapbanders on yahoo groups or read my posts here you can search my name and you will read that it is not all about the clinics neither are my posts on here for the most part until recently. Sorry when I see something I believe in being jumped on I will speak up... and I don't care who likes it. And yes I will continue to post about my positive experiences because guess what I have that right just as people have the right to post about negative experiences... and when I had a negative experience I posted about that.. and dealt with it and got over it and moved on. People have both.. so what... I have never ever said don't post about the negative I have said post it and move on... So good luck Lucy I hope it works out for you, I hope you meet and exceed your goals and I hope that for any one who is banded whether I like them or not or whether they go to my clinic or not it is a free market system may the best clinic win you business and I hope you do your research and ask a ton of questions and most importantly make the right choice for you and that you are comfy with. But since I came here for support I think I will get back to my basics and start working on my support... Heather

I have been at goal for over five years now, so I am not worried about losing weight but during the five years I have not for the life of me learned to love fitness and working out! I get to the gym a few times a week or doing some hiking and some yoga etc.. and I feel good working out and post working out... I hate going so I will postpone it for anything including a hang nail... How did you learn to love working out? What is your work out? What did you try that is different to make you enjoy it? I read an article on Oprah not long again that examined the brain cycles of why people can't learn to love it and what they said was interesting too... but I am still wrapping my head around it... and trying to figure out how I can find something that I truly want to do to improve my fitness levels. Heather

Well I am not looking to lose weight but I am willing to challenge myself to working out and eating better... so I am willing to challenge myself to take a class or work out at least three times per week Heather

Lucy, I am a TLBC patient and have been for 7 years, it is a good clinic. I have had one negative experience with the clinic since it has been open and it was easily solved.. I sent an email, got a solution and that was that. I would advise you to visit both before you make your decision. I know SWLC patients and they all love their clinic too... I think both clinics will do phone consults to save you an initial trip it is only a phone call and they both will pay for long distance. Before going into any clinic there are some questions I would ask knowing what I know now. 1) fills how long are they covered and if not for life why not? 2) complications who pays and how much and why aren't they covered? 3) post op support what do they offer and how this is very important for new patients to understand and distance patients it becomes even more important. And yes Slimband may have a few vocal patients who aren't happy today but there are a few hundred I know personally who are delighted with the clinic and wouldn't go any where else. Most of all I say go with where you are comfy and if you choose to talk to Slimband ask them about the negative comments and what you have read and see what they say Good luck and make the choice you are comfortable with Heather

The best method is to contact your clinic and see if they have someone in that area who does fills for them and if they know there is a demand for a fill Dr in your area and they know about it they may find it worth while to train one... Not sure who your clinic is, but you could also contact the post op support rep there and ask for help there too good luck fills are important. Heather

Doddie, Thank you for the offer, right now forgive me if I am annoyed frankly I think Cindy is a plant... three posts all negative and meant to stir the pot please that sounds like a rival clinic to me. I was talking to a friends who isn't banded and she actually gave me the idea... I told her the scenario and she said the best offense is a good defense... so it sounds like this person is a plant trying to stir up ill will towards your clinic and like she might be employed by a rival clinic lets face it banding is big business worth a lot of money and as a clinic if I can steer people away from the busiest clinic with the most patients then they up for grabs for the others clinics to make money off of. Was a 50 years Cindy even banded last year who lives in Sudbury? I don't know only Slimband and she does.... and I am guessing based on her accusations of me that the answer to that is no. I have had a very different journey than most, 7 complication surgeries but overall my journey is relatively easy. I just have the need to refocus my energies on my journey. And I will do that however it works for me.. I have been posting on myslimband since it is a different forum and I wanted to try a different crowd than the Yahoo group with a different perspective than I was reading.. and so I came back here too. For me it works to go back to my basics but I also want to add a few things in there and I am struggling with how to add a love of fitness in there... So for now I think I will keep posting everywhere it suits me and sorry if that annoys the people who aren't happy but it makes me happy and just for kicks everytime I read something negative I think I might just find a positive story about Slimband/TLBC from my present and past and maybe even the future as it happens and post that for contrast.... Slimband has done awesome things... they have done a ton for their patients over the years. But there will always be patients who fail to meet their goals and blame everyone else for the reasons why instead of themselves. And I so understand about venting and getting it off your chest I don't understand focusing on the negative. People will post what they want positive or negative... I am just choosing to focus on the good instead of the bad because I know in my life it is how I get to the best places for me to be. Again Doddie thank you I will continue posting and taking what works for me out of this discussion and the others on the site..

Some bypasses are now reversible, not all are and even if your surgeon uses a reversible technique sometimes with scar tissue etc it is not reversible the body changes as we lose weight and some of those changes do not bode well. From what Dr Yau and I talked about a few months ago when I took my mother in for a consult about the bypass and the sleeve he is seeing more and more of his practice become bypass patients who are getting the band over the bypass to help with adjustability long term Heather

Cindy, It couldn't just be that I was offended... go back and read my posts there are 288 of them if you look at my profile. Think what you want I am not here to change your mind. I came back to get support at a time I needed it and offer what has worked for me in the past. Take from that what you want and if you want to think I am a clinic support staff come up and say hi to me next time you are there... And I plan on continue posting read it don't read it.. I am not sure what Slimband did to violate your trust as I said I haven't read all 14 pages and I don't plan on reading them. We all need different support at different times I have hit a low point where I threw out all my rules for about 8 months while I watched a love one die of cancer. So now I need to refocus and for me focusing has been posting on support groups and getting what I needed. When my port was moved in Oct I was talking to Patrick Yau about it and he as my surgeon encouraged me to get back to my basics... I wasn't ready to do it then and now I am. I am sorry you think I protest to much and I am support staff... I hope no one ever treats you when you are looking for support the way you have decided to treat others! heather