susieq321

I hate it... i have worked in the US for years and i can't tell you how much better it was when my salary was almost doubled with our dollar... but on a bigger note the strong dollar does hurt our economy and the imports to the US we are losing out as their largest trading partner to China more and more this year and last.. but I understand the temptation to shop

I have my big baby lap dog at 75 lbs.... Darby he is a irish Water spaniel... and i have no idea how to insert his picture. But I love and adore him and he loves and adores me. Most days I swear he is better than a man, he falls in love with me everytime I walk through the door and tells me so.

We had three plastic surgeons speak Dr Kraden, Dr Kreidstein and Dr Dupere. They all have experience with weight loss patients and they were all nice. I really personally liked Dr Kradjen. My PS is Dr Sliwin who I wouldn't switch from for love nor money because I really like him. I have heard great things about a lot of PS's. Go with who you really like personally. You will want to have more than one procedure done.

I have some pictures that we will try and get posted. I just wanted to remind any attendees if you have any suggestions for next year on what you like to see or changes let the commitee know. Hope we get to see you next year

1st you shouldn't choose your band... I don't let me Dr tell me how to do my job.. don't guess at his job. Regardless of the surgeon they have a choice of bands even if it is within one manufacturer. And they will look at your body shape, size where you carry the weight etc and then say this is what I have seen work the best with the least amount of complications. I had the innamed band (it was the only one available when I was banded) and when I had complications and needed my band replaced my docs had the choice of any band innamed, midband and swedish and choose the swedish band by J&J Dr Yau felt it was the best band for my body now that he had choice and I was already at goal at this point... Innamed offered me any band I wanted and I turned them down because my surgeon didn't think the second Innamed band would do any better in my body than the first one. Let your surgeon choose... and don't stress it.

My May goals 1) eat better get more fruits and veges and fibre in me 2) get back on track for working out several time during the week 3) hit a trail at least once in and do some hiking in the mountains since I am hanging out in Colorado 4) working on getting the size of the thunder thighs smaller( yes even at goal I still hate the thighs...)

Lila, congrats... I know how awesome it feels... now go keep trying on some of those new clothes do a little twirl and enjoy it...

Becca, Sometimes it loosens up sometimes it doesn't. If you can make it through the weekend try. But if you can't keep liquids down you need to get to a hospitel tout suite.. you can become dangerously dehydrated very quickly. I know several people who thought they could tough it out and ended up on IVs in the hospital... if you are thinking you are having serious problems then you are get it taken care of right away. You should be able to have full fluids no problems always.. and regardless of the fill unless you are staying really tight on purpose you should be able to eat solids in a decent quanity to get nutrition in. Good luck and watch yourself... keep drinking.

As a person who has suffered just about every potential complication and none were my fault!!! I can say clarify with your docs and get it in writing!!!! I have had a tubing disconnect, 3 port flips, 4 band slips one band replacement.. things happen you can't predict what will happen with you. When my docs went in to repair my band slips and take my band out there was no reason it should have slipped all the stitching was in place and it looked perfect but it had slipped badly. I know innamed historically has been fussy about replacing or repairing bands. And yes I can say that from personal experience and from dealing with Innamed/Allergan directly. I know TLBC has never had any problems getting replacement bands from midband or J&J. But clarify clarify clarify and make sure you are happy with the answers.

i tried mederma on other scars it worked a bit.. but look at your skin and you old scars it will tell you how it will heal mine took about a year or two to fade to nothing Good luck

If you are TLBC ask to talk to Dr Yau, I know when I was working in Calgary he had trained several docs out there and had given me names of surgeons in AB who would do fills, no idea of who they are or how much they would charge any more that was over two years ago now but that should help you out hopefully.

I do know of one person who appealed to OHIP directly and I forgot to post this... apparently you have to appeal prior to banding and he did for both him and his wife about a year before they were banded they applied for an appeal. They spent time doing a ton of research preparing their case both pre and post banding about a year after they were banded they had their hearing.. they presented their case and were told no after all that OHIP wouldn't pay for anything with the band. I think the results of the hearing are posted on Canadian Lapbanders, or you can get it on OHIP's website.

If you want to know what it takes to get covered by OHIP it is not simple nor is it in our doctors best interest to have it covered. I only mildly understand the process so I might have some steps wrong I am not in the medical industry but had it explained to me by people who are. And it varies province by province so this is only ON. First you would need to go to the board of people who reccomend things to OHIP it is made up of OMA member or doctors. This is a pretty closed board and they do not consider to much so you kinda need an in with them. So once you get on the OHIP board agenda, you present your case to them for them to consider reviewing the new procedure you want covered and they say nay or yay. Only doctors who perform the procedure can apply to have it covered. Once they say yes they will consider reviewing the procedure you have to go to them with all the research that supports this procedure being covered by OHIP and prove to them it is worth it. And then they decide to cover it usually no is the answer or it needs more research. So if you look at this our surgeons in ON will never ever apply to OHIP to cover it and they are the only people who can apply to the board. It takes cash out of their pockets to get it approved and once it is approved it takes a ton of cash out of their pockets to do the surgery. I know with the RNY they only get paid about $1500 from OHIP and it takes 90-120 days for OHIP billing to go through and costs them money to have someone take care of OHIP billing. They have no incentive ever to go from earning $17 K down to $1500. Keeping in mind the cost of the average band is $5000 to $5500 from the manufacturer and the clinics get a bit of a bulk discount on the bands when they buy mass amounts. The other flip side of this is Dr Yau as a bariatric surgeon has a waiting list so long for RNY that he doesn't even add new people to it. Joffe was up to 7 years I think at one point in time. OHIP doesn't allot money to hospitals based on individual surgeries they alot by type of surgery. So for they alot money to Weight Loss Surgery not to RNY, Banding, VBG, DS etc. So you end up with people waiting 7 years for all the surgeries with no self pay for banding. The third side of the coin is if OHIP covers banding the docs can't do it privately for any self pay patients. Right now the way the Health Canada act is structured you either self pay or it is a covered procedure and you aren't allowed to have self pay on a covered surgery for some people and OHIP coverage for other people it is an all or nothing proposition. So coverage for docs in ON is a massive losing entreprise for the clinics and patients with the way OHIP, Health Canada etc are structured as of today. As I said I might not have this totally accurate but as far as I remember it isn't too far off.

I used to love the isopure whipped mousse protein bars and freeze them!! I loved them frozen they were love in carbs, sugar and fat. I used to buy them in the US and I am not sure where you could get them in Canada but they were yummy chocolate chocolate and strawberry with my favorites.

My fills are covered for life with TLBC and I was badned back when it was 10K but I have gotten quotes when I was travelling in the US and needed an emerg defill... and the costs were incredible, I have a swedish band which isn't approved in the US so number one most docs wouldn't touch me. My favorite was the doctor in North Carolina who was 6 hours away who would change $800 for a fluro defill.. and would not do it without a fluro. The cheapest was a surgeon I knew personally in Florida who would see me for nothing but it was a 12 hour drive. So at that point it was cheaper for me to fly home to Toronto and get a defill for free.

Argon, You are so much better than me.. I thank the lord that when I was banded there was no pre op diet.... Good luck and I hope it works for you, between the gym, yogurt and chicken it should. I found kickstarting my weight loss was almost like being banded all over again for the amount of excitement that it generated within me kept me going strong.

Just a reminder only barely... five weeks until the bash!!!! We are having great speakers and it is always a blast.. If you are booking into the hotel please reserve your room now, as of May 1 any rooms in our block not reserved will be released and the hotel is completely booked for that weekend. Please see our website at www.canadianbandsterbash.com for more information Heather Just a quick reminder that there are only 6 more weeks till the 3rd Annual Canadian Bandster Bash & Bariatric Wellness Conference..... We have finalized our 3 Plastic Surgeons that will be holding round tables for discussions and questions - Dr. Marc Dupere, Dr. Zel Krajden and Dr. Kreidstein. We also have a lapband surgeon - Dr. Mumford and a bariatric surgeon - Dr. Yau joining in the roundtable discussions. We have 2 RNY patients giving a lively speech during our welcoming reception - Julie Janeway and Karen Sparks, and we are thrilled to have joining us, from Obesityhelp Dr. Monica Ganz for the entire weekend!! Only 4 weeks left to register and book your hotel rooms so hope you join us in a weekend of fun and information for all weight loss patients!! Please see our website at www.canadianbandsterbash.com for more information

Just a reminder only barely... five weeks until the bash!!!! We are having great speakers and it is always a blast.. If you are booking into the hotel please reserve your room now, as of May 1 any rooms in our block not reserved will be released and the hotel is completely booked for that weekend. Please see our website at www.canadianbandsterbash.com for more information Heather Just a quick reminder that there are only 6 more weeks till the 3rd Annual Canadian Bandster Bash & Bariatric Wellness Conference..... We have finalized our 3 Plastic Surgeons that will be holding round tables for discussions and questions - Dr. Marc Dupere, Dr. Zel Krajden and Dr. Kreidstein. We also have a lapband surgeon - Dr. Mumford and a bariatric surgeon - Dr. Yau joining in the roundtable discussions. We have 2 RNY patients giving a lively speech during our welcoming reception - Julie Janeway and Karen Sparks, and we are thrilled to have joining us, from Obesityhelp Dr. Monica Ganz for the entire weekend!! Only 4 weeks left to register and book your hotel rooms so hope you join us in a weekend of fun and information for all weight loss patients!! Please see our website at www.canadianbandsterbash.com for more information take care, > > >

I can honestly say most of my friends just don't get it.. they are delighted I am so much healthier but they are naturaly thin work out all the time so they don't get needing the help. I have had people who are morbidly obese tell me they don't need such drastic help or to cheat.. they can just exercise and move more and lose it... that is working out so well that 4 years later they are still morbidly obese. I think you get over the embarassment and the shame quickly. But you don't want people thinking you are taking it easy etc. The band isn't easy you still do all the work. Thinking this is easy is like thinking Oprah has it easy to lose and maintain weight loss, she may have the cooks and the trainers and the equipment but she still has to make the time and do the work personally, you can't hire someone else to do it for you. The band is like that you still need to do the work. Personally if just general people ask me how I did it I say ate better and less and moved more which is very true. I also look at how people react to obese people and people are mean. Keep in mind you are doing what millions of people never would you are putting your money where your mouth is literally!!! I would watch reactions to your weight loss and tell once you start losing selectively.

I think the men need their own little comedy tour, we are bad and banded and on our way down to what the world isn't ready for it yet.. now Mac Daddy which location of the maid were you landscaping in? (downtown or out in the south) And you could all get some manscaping... look that one up and join the metrosexuals (yes you still get to be hetro)

There are pros and cons for both, some people are nice, some are rude, some are your personal police for food, some just don't get it. I told my close friends and kept the numbers who knew down to a minimum. I have told others over the years and reactions are still mixed. Look at your friends, be prepared to be surprised good and bad and choose wisely.

I had to stop laughing before I could respond... I once asked a male friend about this regarding a mutual friend who was massively overweight and I said imagine that you lose the weight and when you finally can see your penis it gets smaller... well much to my surprise he said it just gets bigger as the guys lose weight since there is less fatty tissue for it to hide in.. Yet just another plus to banding and losing weight.:clap2: See the Mrs Yoda and MacDaddy just have that much more to look forward too....

The other option I would consider is doing a high protein lower fat, low carb, low sugar diet... go seriously high protein kinda like the atkins but keep the fat low. I found that was a good way to recover from the damage I did to my body working out and it generally kickstarted my weight loss again. The diet sucks but you can do anything for a few weeks.

Good to know you are doing better Maggie, take it easy and recover well.

I want to wear zip up boots that aren't stretch leather... I have the chubby calves and thighs issue. I have great boots that are all stretch leather though.. I just want to walk in pick up whatever pair of heels I wand know my calves are not to muscular or chubby!!! Never underestimate the power of hot CFM boots