Hi,

I was banded at the beginning of December at False Creek Surgical Centre in Vancouver.

I was wondering if there is anyone else in the Victoria area, who was banded somewhere other than Victoria, and as a result, doesn't qualify for any of the support groups here, but might like to get together and form a support group?

Please let me know if your interested.

Thanks!:wub:

Hiya - I'm up-island just north of Nanaimo and was banded in Everett, WA in Feb. I attend a WLS support group in Nanaimo (gastric bypass as well as lapband) that welcomes everyone, no matter where they had their surgery done. I'm surprised that there are support groups in Victoria that exclude WLS patients simply because they didn't get their surgery done there. Have you actually contacted any groups to enquire? Dr. Amson's office would likely have a full listing of all the groups in your area, and I'm sure they'd welcome you. In the group I attend in Nanaimo there are more RNY patients than bandsters, but our numbers are growing, and support is support, no matter what kind of surgery you've had. Good luck!

Thanks,

I'll definitely check it out. I had contacted their office before I had my surgery but no one got back to me, and I heard that their meetings were exclusive to their own patients, but I'll definitely try again.:scared2:

Hi Su. Yeah, I'm not surprised nobody at Dr. Amson's office got back to you. Their office admin is a mess - in fact it's one of the reasons I gave up on having gastric bypass. All worked out in the end, though - I am deliriously happy with my band and soooo glad I didn't go the RNY route, even if I did have to pay for the band myself. Worth every penny!

In any case, it's possible that the support group offered specifically for Dr. Amson's patients might not accept patients who have had lapband or bypass done by another doctor (Amson only does RNY). However, there have got to be other, more generic bariatric support groups in your area, and it's just a matter of finding them. Hopefully if you can reach someone at Amson's office they can give you some info on that.

Are you aware that there is a bariatric conference going on in Victoria the weekend of March 27-28? First of its kind on the island, apparently. It's called Beyond Bariatrics, I think, and anyone who's had any kind of bariatric surgery can go. Registration fee is $120 and includes dinner Saturday night. I'm attending. Google "beyond bariatrics victoria" and you'll find the link.