Hope41

I have been feeling pain in my abdomen for a couple of months now, some days my clothing touching that area it hurts like hell. It lasts only for few days then comes back in a week or so. I mentioned this to my Dr that is doing fills and he did mentioned that it could be port because Smart Shape surgeons put their ports in the mid abdomen section He did tell me if this continues he will send me in for some scans/tests Banded a year ago

Congrats ruthann-roskiewich-bland on your weight loss and I wish you all the success in the world to teach your goal weight. Reading your story I see myself in your story. It's been a year since my band and took me that long to learn everything that I did about the band and living as a bandster. It would of been nice to learn all this sooner but I see it as a journey not a race Thank you for sharing your story ????

Hi tootyoyo Right now I have 7.9cc in my band and not in the green zone yet and I was freaking out why so much fluid and feel no difference in the last 6 months. At the clinic where I get my fills they only do a very small fills every 6 weeks ( that's the minimum waiting time in between fills ), in the mornings I feel good, not hungry have my 8oz shake and satisfied till lunch. Lunch time small meal(sometimes only a small portion of protein is good for 2-3 hours)but when the afternoon rolls around I can eat anything and everything if I want to. This does not stop even having a snack and a supper in between, it lasts all evening and all night. I asked the Dr that is doing fills to take all of the fluid from my band to double check if I actually have 7.9cc in my band or did some of the fills ended up in the muscle instead of the port. He refused to do it for a reason that my band being settled right now after a year of surgery and if he takes all of the fluid out it migh reposition itself and cause issues later down the road. So I wait another 6 weeks for .1 or .2 fill and go from there. I gave up on getting frustrated for not losing 2lbs every week, yesterday was a year since my surgery not in the green zone yet, lost total of 57lbs since the preop diet and kept it off so I'm in the better place than I was a year ago so it's all good. Don't stress about the volume, I hope it doesn't put you in red zone. One of my coworkers told me in order to fully succeed we need to be s bit on a tight side, it's bad if we get acid refluxes at night but to be a bit tight for certain food we all need that. I know I do as that's the only thing that will help me to change my eating habits ????

Contact Kim Midwinter out East ask her for the letter/receipt and she will get it done. She will contact the clinic you had your surgery at and get it done. Don't forget your family Dr's letter, that's one important document for CRA to accept the claim

I had my accountant prepare my taxes and he warned me that more likely I would get audited. I got audit info end of the April to send all of the receipts, letter from my family dr why I needed the surgery, letter from a clinic that did the surgery just the info of my weight etc sent it all in mid of May and never heard from CRA until end of September when I got my notice of assessment with the refund

They will select you for an audit but I had nothing to hide, it is what it is. Took since April for them to process everything but got my refund last month

I did, wrote off all of it and CRA accepted everything. All depends of your yearly income how much you will get back but sure helped getting back few thousands ????

Hi nurse_mom73 I had surgery in Calgary through SmartShape clinic

Just curious where you got your surgery? I am in Maple Ridge and had my surgery January 2015 at False Creek, and your experience has been the same as mine. I think I have around 6.3cc filled, and losing weight very slowly. Almost nothing in the past few months. clinic seems reluctant about fills.

One question I would ask who ever is doing your fills is why are they doing such a big fills? If you done some research you would find that after 4.0cc the biggest fills they should be doing is 0.2cc Reason why people are having issues is getting overfilled. I'm on 7.6ccs in a 10cc band and never had any issues, my largest fill was 0.4cc the very first fill. After that was 0.2cc all the time

That's exactly how I feel ????

Hi everybody 24 days WFL and I lost 15 lbs after 7 months stall, yes wine was definitely the cause for not losing anything for that long. I knew that was the case but I wasn't ready to quit drinking wine or quit drinking period. Well I invested way too much money and my time to sabotage my success so I told my self this is it, get on with the program and figure it out what's the right path, drink wine and stay overweight or quit wine and get healthy. I chose to get healthy and only when we are ready to make that commitment things will work out for us. We made a commitment to get banded but we had no clue how difficult will be to adjust our lifestyle completely as bandsters. I love support we have on here and it can only get better from here Thank you everyone PS. Do you guys have Facebook page for Bandsters? Would love to join

What is the name of the page on Facebook? I would love to join

Banded October 2014. 9 fills 7.2cc in a 10.0cc band and still not in a green zone, haven't lost a single pound in 7 months but haven't gained any either. Only after last fill I can control hunger for about 3 hours but I can still eat bigger portion than I should. I asked the nurse to remove fluid and check the total amount that's in the band and my Dr refused to do that saying that the band is settled in the spot right now and if he removes the fluid potentially could slip so he told me not to worry I will get there. Patience with yourself is the key, okay I guess I will try to be patient and not to think how I paid 16G for this and wait for a year or so before starts working. I will be celebrating one I hit the Green Zone that's for sure

Hi there Why do you think being tight will damage your band? I heard from more than a dozen people for them the only way to be successful and to keep the weight off is by being a bit tight, not too tight to cause heartburns and coughs at night but to be tight that forces you to pay attention what to put in your mouth. I cannot wait to get there and if there is something that you know that could cause the band damage please share

TheProfessor you are 110% right, if I don't have a drink for 2 days instantly 2 pounds gone but then they come back as soon as I have a drink. Going to strap a set of **** and stop drinking. Have to as there is no other way to it. Like you said we paid 16k for this surgery and we are doing the same habit as before the surgery Thank you for reply

If I could avoid my cocktails I would start losing weight again, my meals do last me 3-4 hours but they are still a good size meals smaller than regular but definitely not as small as they should be. Alcohol is my weakness as after a long day at work I do enjoy my drink How do we not drink alcohol?

Yes I lost over 30lbs in two months after the surgery and that's it. I'm still at that weight today. Green Zone is around the corner I know it

I like it how one lady state it, right now we are dieting until we reach the green zone. Don't stress about it, yes we paid huge $ for this and we want a fast results but take it as this is a life time journey not a few months thing. I haven't lost a single pound in 6 months but I also haven't gain any being its summer and I do like my cocktails so I'm on a plus side already drinking all summer and not worried about getting a plan in the fall to lose what I gained over the summer. I'm two steps ahead already. Green zone will come one day I do believe in that ????

I guess slow and steady is the way to go, yes it sucks that we have to wait a year to be where we need to be but its better than having issues of throwing up and not being able to keep anything down.

Hi everyone, hope everyone is doing great. I was banded in October 2014, with my pre-op diet and first two months post-op I was able to lose a bit over 30lbs. That's where the number is since December 2014, I have not lost any weight since. My band adjustments have been very small 0.3-0.4cc each time so I'm still not in a green zone as the Dr.s here in Canada do not give big fills. I have 7cc in my 10cc band and I'm hungry all the time, I can pretty much eat anything and everything if I want to. My coworker that had the band at the same time she has been tight from the day one and lost 70lbs so far but I know everyone is different so I'm just hoping to get in to green zone soon. It's hard now being summer and camping season not to drink alcoholic beverages but I hope once I get in to green zone that I will start losing again I do workout 4-5 times/week Just wondering if anyone was in the same boat and how did you overcome frustration and started losing again

They don't allow us fills until your 4-6 weeks markups so I won't get another fill for 3 more weeks. One day at a time is all I can do????

I do believe that, we are lucky here in Canada that fills and visits are covered for 5 years but also we paid $16000 CAD which is twice as it cost to get it done in US. What you do we cant make them do any different than what they are already doing

Thank you buttercup

I feel the same way, a year in October I have 7cc in a 10cc band had 7 fills since December 2014, sometimes 0.3cc sometime 0.2cc which makes no sense to me why very small amounts but it is what it is. I have no restrictions at all, if I want I could eat as much and anything I want like I never had a surgery. Have not lost any weight in 6 months but have not gained any either. Working out 4-5 times a week. I hope one day I will start losing weight