susieq321

Susan, Chris left to start his own business... the new CFO is Don something and he should be able to help too or any of the new management staff Heather

I have to say treat this like anything else... Kathy is pre op and she is amazing at dealing with and post op issues but Kathy also gets too busy doing her job which is pre op patients... to return every post op call... I have never had an issue with Kathy returning a call.. I have had an issue with Nancy returning calls once.. and I complained.... in email.. in writing. The same as I would if it was any other business.. Nancy and Jill get paid to deal with post op patients that is their career they have chosen at this point.. personally Jill has always emailed me back when I have sent a question, Nancy I have had one issue with... but if this was happening with a car you would be on the phone or writing the manager of the dealership and complaining this is your body it deserves at least as much as a car. You need to tell them that I leave messages and emails and whatever you do and they aren't returned... no one will take care of you if you don't and they will never know this is happening if you don't tell them. Kathy cares so much about her patients, she cares pre signing and post signing but the poor girl has a job to do and she does it she can't do everyone in the clinics jobs that is why the other people have jobs... because it is way too much for one or two people. It seems more than enough for an entire staff. Telling us here you have problems lets you vent but doesn't do much else for you and nothing will change until the clinic knows this is happening and you need to tell the management not the staff.. you need to call the managing director, CEO etc... not the staff, not Kathy, not the girl who answers the phones... management needs to know this, before it will get better. Heather

Kathy always emails me back promptly when I email her... so I can't say much but email info@tlbc.ca and tell them post op you aren't getting the response you need... if you don't tell them this is going on they will never ever know! heather

Nancy can do fills but more than likely they won't do fills out of ON as a traveling nurse because she would have to get licensed in other provinces to do procedures there as a nurse... they might i don't know i never said she wouldn't do fills.... Heather

Alex, Thank you very much.... I think it is funny she never mentions CIBO only Tom.... but still insulting to the other innamed clinics who have been around built surgerical suites etc...

Lisa, It varies for everyone but there are some things that occur a little more often than not... my symptoms are the same everytime it slipped so I will give you a synopsis of mine... if you feel some thing is wrong go talk to your clinic and get a fluroscope. I fly all the time and I have no issues post flying but you might be more sensitive than I am. Slipping - Acid reflux at night that was horrid... (I never get this) - Throwing up when eating nothing - being able to eat masses of food and then the next meal being able only to take two bites -Throwing up when I had a sip of liquids and it was the food I ate for lunch the day before that should have cleared my pouch ages before I knew something was wrong... not what the first time but every time I slipped that happened... Typical are the bad acid reflux at night suddenly when you never had it before and the food being able to eat nothing or suddenly being able to eat masses of it. Good luck Heather

ohh and I didn't see any of the reports and they aren't on the website I am in the US currently just what I read on here.... but I think making a claim like that is not so hot for all the other innamed clinics. H

TLBC offers innamed bands if the patient asks for them or if they feel they are the best choice for the patient, but they find that there are more complications with the innamed bands and the company doesn't offer them the support that other banding companies offer. (I know this first hand from all my complications Innamed was a bitch to deal with and I am so glad they are not my band manufacturer, and yes I talked directly to them as well as the supplier and my surgeon) And I know Ali was in Toronto in affiliation with CIBO they were advertising it and Tom while banded at TLBC is one of the guys who founded CIBO it says so on their website. And CIBO only offers Innamed bands as far as I know I could be wrong. TLBC has a man named Don who is the CFO and before Don was Chris... there could be a Tom there that I don't know of, I am never ever there for any reason, I just know their staff through the functions they hold. There is a Bobby and as far as I know the rest of the staff is mostly females. I am still wondering how the other Innamed clinics who are in the metro area will feel about her claim that Tom's is the best. That is why I am pretty sure the clinic is CIBO.. they were advertising Ali was coming in to talk at their conference. Heather

I know when Kathy travels for conferences she tries to set up support meetings but she isn't traveling as much this year and she can't do fills etc... They are also do a fill session in Kingston I am not sure when but soon which helps all the eastern ON people a lot more.. So I wouldn't be surprised if more and more of these keep popping up all over ON. I am not sure they could do fills outside of ON because as nurses they would have to be licensed to do that as an RN. Heather

hmmmmm... Innamed brought her in for Tom's clinic which makes me wonder... why didn't they bring her in for SWLC's conference they are established with a lot of patients.... are they really that shallow that now they have SWLC locked into a contract for only Innamed bands that they don't care about the clinic anymore and want to seal up the east end business only now... And interesting if she is slamming the other clinics by saying Toms is the best wonder how the other Innamed clinics will feel about that one.... I don't see how a clinic that has done 10 bands personally can be the best of anything I think I will stick to my tried and true Heather

Phone your mexican surgeon and ask them to help you they should be able to phone the band manufacturer and get some details... I have heard SWLC will fill you for 5 years for 5grand no access to their surgeons etc... just fills and I don't know how limited that is. And you now know one of many many many reasons I wouldnt go to mexico

Doddie, I just know they are looking into it and arranging speakers and places etc

" and that is exactly what I am trying to do. I was living in Mexico when I had my lap band done. It is a "Inamed" Lap Band. My own Cdn dr does not agree with this surgery, therefore not an option. I understand exactly what you are saying about our wonderful health care system and I am a proud Canadian. I am simply looking for a well qualified fill doctor in this area with reasonable pricing. I had hoped my fellow Ontario-ians would have some names and numbers. :cool2: If you have an innamed band i would call your mexican doc and have one of his support staff call innamed and have them help you find a doc in ON who can do fills. Innamed has connections all over the place with surgeons so why not try it. heather

It really has nothing to do with thinking Mexican vs Canadian Drs are better or worse but why should they fill you? You choose to go somewhere else and pay another person for your surgery... part of what we pay for in ON is a comprehensive aftercare program which if they accept you for fills they tend to have to give you access too the other portion of the program, you become a patients and once a patient you get access to everything like the websites and resources they pay for us to have. The other issues for CDN docs is if you go to an ON Dr for fills and they do something like pierce the tubing or you have a complication who is responsible for fixing it as per the CDN healthcare system if the DR takes you on for some post op care he is morally responsible for fixing you if you are broken and the ON clinics don't want to take the risks. My clinic used to take on Mexican patients but after fixing a lot of problems including replacing bands for free they said no more. Think of it this way if I get my hair done somewhere and two weeks later the perm falls out I can't walk into another salon and say fix this moron's mistake and expect them to do it willingly for less of a cost or for free most of the will send you back to the place that messed up because of the chemicals used etc. And if you don't want to they will charge you the full price.... I would say find a family Doc willing to fill you or head to the states the only caveat with most US fill centres is you need to have an FDA approved band or they won't touch you for a fill and the only two that are FDA approved are the INNAMED and J&J bands. So if you have anything else call first and make sure they will help you. Good luck Heather

If you figure it out let me know, nothing seems to change in my life but my band it is a fickle bitch as one bandster said... stress, periods, altitudes, who knows... all sorts of things can cause you to self tighten sometimes it releases a day or two later sometimes it just stays tight, mine likes to self tightened and stay together so no biggy. For a lot of people it is stress and periods that cause it to self tighten, I can take all the stress in the world most of the time and sometimes something will set my band off... but then I tend to live a stress filled life that drives mere mortals insane as do most people. As long as you are prepared you should be fine, but as Tracey and I both said the best offense is a good defense so knowledge is power and being informed paramount. good luck Heather

Susan, There will be no Bash this year, the committee after a long discussion decided that because the two main clinics are holding educational seminars for their patients individually and hiring speakers etc and inviting all the bandsters at their clinics to attend for free it didn't make sense to ask them to shell out money for the bash also. We have decided however that we still want to a non clinic affiliated fun event so a group of us are planning a splash party that will be strictly for fun and a chance to band with other bandsters... look for details to be published soon. In the meantime SWLC just held their educational weekend and TLBC is planning on holding one in the fall with their own selection of speakers etc.

I have been eating out since immediately after getting my band no choice.. soup is an awesome option, I like ordering french onion and for a long long time I would order it with no cheese or bread, stews are great too. I also order a lot of appetizers or I tend to talk a lot during if you are talking no one expects you to be eating and they just think you are a lighter eater. Until you are really familiar with your band don't push eating out with strange foods or foods that are known to irritate a lot of bandsters like bread and rice or beef. You can also offer to share an entree with some one just say you are super hungry right now. I would stick to smaller portion sizes and by all means get comfy in restaurants I am in there4-6 times a week at least so it took a bit but now I am great with eating out Good luck H

a PM is a private message

I love my band... I never forget I have it and I have never really hated it... it is what it is.... after 6 years I know it is one of my salvations and graces. I will say there are a few things I miss.. like chugging a beer or a huge glass of milk I can't do it, I miss eating thick crust pizza a few bites and I am full... am I will to change for the things I miss no because I don't miss being 296 lbs Heather

I think you are smart to only have your band doc or someone he trains playing with your fills... but I am over six years out and my last four trips have been to get a defill, I haven't had a fill since 2005 and the only reason I needed a defill was because my band selftightened months and months later... I hadn't seen my surgeon in over a year and there I was getting a wee bit of a defill because it selftightened and with some people it is much worse than others. Just make sure you have a contingency plan. Heather

Guess what? We live in Canada, they can't refuse us healthcare, we are not Americans!:redface: You would be surprised what they can do.. i had a minor minor complication post op plastic surgery in Calgary and the hospital response.... go back to Toronto to your own surgeon to have it looked at we want nothing to do with you.... so don't think it is all roses you can be referred back to your original doctor and Tracey is right they only thing they will do is take the band out of you. I would ask the same question regardless of where I was being banded 1) if there is a complication who fixes it and who pays for the repair (I had 6 band surgeries all complications I knew who was paying) and get this in writing.. 2) what post op support do you get this is more important than you will ever know post op is vital to success in most cases 3) fills who pays how much and when... you might need one fill you might need 2 dozen I am over 6 years out and i still get fill and defills and I have been at goal almost 5 years now 4) if you are no where near your surgeon can they arrange fills in advance for you at another office... they all know the other banding docs in most cases other surgeons and they have relationships with the companies that sell them the band they should be able to help you out 5) what band are you actually getting and what is it made of get a name brand band that way if something goes wrong you have a better chance of someone being familiar with the band type you have rather than some no name type that isn't tested, make sure your band type is approved by the FDA if you are american and Health Canada if you are cdn.. and get your band type in writing as part of the contract. 6) if you are going out of country get it all in writing and make sure the contract is legal in the country you are getting the band in and that you understand what you are agreeing too... usually there is a reason why something is so much cheaper it may not be cheaper in the long run, it may cost you a lot more than you know. I have a friend who worked in hospitals in San Diego and used to see the botched surgerical patients coming back from Mexico for plastic etc and she says she won't even head over for an afternoon of fun anymore never mind get surgery there after what she has seen. This is a foreign country that does not have the same standards as Canada and the US have... some surgeons are great and some are very very bad. Me I would rather pay in Canada and know what I am getting. And I say this as a patient who did it all right and had almost everything that could go wrong go wrong are you prepared to pay to go to mexico for 6 surgeries... I was barely prepared to pay to fly to Toronto for them never mind mexico. Good luck Heather

i prefer not to post my personal cell numbers in this forum email me at susieq321@hotmail.com

I was banded by Dr Yau over 6 years ago I would gladly talk to you but I am traveling right now and in a different time zone (mtn) so a few hours behind you Heather

It might not have been a chunk it might have been too much food.. it is really hard for people who aren't banded to get the whole I just have to move sometimes or I will puke.. tell him it is like thanksgiving dinner or Christmas when you eat too much you feel gross and like vomiting and don't want to move, but you go the extra step to vomiting. People react differently dont read too much into it... one of my best friends stopped talking to me for a few years because she wouldn't ask and I wouldn't tell without her asking me... and she got mad. Who knows it is a private thing to me so I tell some and don't tell others. And you explanation was good, nonbanded people just don't get it.. even my RNY friends don't get it Heather

I can agree but the technical explanation is as I stated if you need it you need it when you read some studies there are a lot of similarities between bulimia and obese binge eating, and anoxeria and obese people with body dismorphic order, so don't discount how close you can be... and possibly needing help to get over it or work with it. We all have issues with food some are easier and some are harder detoxing is a great way to start I did it a few weeks ago mostly I needed to get the majority of the sugar out it really helps to stop it for 7-10 days when you are ready to do it. Good luck, says the girl who is fighting the salt craving demon lately. Heather