yosemite

Just for everyone's information: The lap band support group meetings at Lions Gate Hospital have discontinued. Attendance had dwindled in the last year & other priorities came up for Patricia, who began the group initially. I understand there are support meetings held for bariatric patients at Mt St Joseph Hospital, as well as St Paul's Hospital. If anyone can provide information for these meetings, please do.

Hi Patricia, I just emailed you asking about the meeting, then found this thread. I'm sorry the Lions Gate group has petered out. Seems interest was dwindling for awhile. False Creek Clinic is attempting to get one going & keep it regular. They may be looking for a space to meet so I'll pass along the idea of keeping the meeting room at LG. Hopefully they can open it up to all bandsters. Hope all is well with you. Lyn

We just talked about you most of the time, lol. Sorry to have missed you. Might be absent for most of the spring/summer because of golf but it was nice to see everyone doing well. Will try to catch up here once in awhile. Cheers, Lyn

False Creek charges in the range of $16,000. It includes 2 weeks Medi-trim supply for the pre-op diet and one year of care/band adjustments & other consultations (nutritionist, psych).

Hey Shauna...I'm a False Creeker (Creekie?) and will be at the Lions Gate meeting tonight. Hope to see you & everyone else there! Lyn

False Creek Surgical Centre. 8th & Cambie. False Creek Healthcare Centre - Vancouver MRI, Urgent Care and Surgery

Hi Joanne, Good for you in making the decision to make positive changes & doing as much research into the surgery & your doctors as possible. I've heard good & bad things about having it done in Mexico. I'm sure Dr. Ortiz is reputable. I've met others who had their surgery in Ontario, Washington, Mexico, & elsewhere. There are many factors to consider besides the cost like immediate & long term aftercare. What if there are complications after surgery? Losing weight on the band can take time & requires patience. Finding the right adjustment for you can take several fills. Will you be travelling back & forth for fills & consultations with your doctor & nutritionists? I did a fair amount of research as well. I decided it would be better to have it done nearby & narrowed it down to NWWL & False Crk, eventually choosing FC where I had my surgery last December. If you haven't already, I'd recommend attending info sessions for each of these clinics. If anything, it will give you a chance to meet medical staff, give you a chance to have questins answered in person, & help you weigh out the advantages of local or non-local surgery. Hope to meet you at a support meeting in the fall! Lyn

How'd the last support group meeting at Lions Gate go? Sorry to be missing the summer meetings. I'm sure attendance will pick up in the fall.

I don't think we should panic yet about attendance. People come & go, succeed & move on or lose interest. Summer brings more activities, vacation, kids out of school, etc. It will probably pick up again in the fall. False Creek is closer to getting their own support group happening. Perhaps we can combine groups, alternate locations occassionally. Having speakers is a great idea too.

Just know the pre-op is for a short time. It will show you the stuff you are made of for the road ahead. Stock up on patience & perserverance & ask for support when you need it. Good luck!

Hey everyone. Just wanted to let you know I won't be at the Lions Gate meeting tomorrow. I've joined a golf league & Wednesdays are my tee off day. I'm doing well & having a blast. Hope to see everyone in September! Lyn

Sorry I missed it! Summer brings more activities & Wednesday evenings are now booked with my golf league. I'll try to make it another time. Hope everyone is doing well!

Hey everyone, just thought I'd give an update. I had my 3rd fill on March 17th for a total of 5 cc's (10 cc band). I hadn't lost any weight up to that point but I'm down 6-7 lbs the last 2 weeks. Looks like the last fill is making a difference. Hope everyone is doing well. See you at the next North Van meeting! Lyn

Hi Nadia. I'm sorry to hear you're struggling. What is your fill total at this point? I'm sure you know that the band isn't the magic solution. You still have to work with it for the rest of your life to see some success. I've been quite slow in losing weight but I'm trying to be patient in finding the "zone" that will work for me. It's not easy. All of us have pshycological attachments to food. Trying to understand them is essential to get them under control. All of us have an aversion to exercise. I still LOVE food but I know I have to take control and make healthy choices if I want to feel better about myself. Do I always eat right & excercise. Hell no! But I can't give up just because I've fallen off the wagon. If you need help, go and get it! Get counselling, have another adjustment, go for a walk, come to the damn meetings...whatever it takes! Just don't give up. Lyn

I find it hard to believe that you & I are the only GLBT bandsters in the Vancouver area, Timmmers! Hope your support meeting went well yesterday.