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Considering Swlc But Not Eligible For Vancouver



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I had my surgery yesterday with swlc in Vancouver. Great experience so far. I am also lower on the BMI scale. 5'3 and 198 lbs to start.

For me, my decision to have the surgery was based not only on my physical health as I have high cholesterol and am developing other health issues but also on my emotional health as well with the extra weight. That was equally as important in my decision making process. Good luck in your journey.

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I had my surgery yesterday with swlc in Vancouver. Great experience so far. I am also lower on the BMI scale. 5'3 and 198 lbs to start.

For me, my decision to have the surgery was based not only on my physical health as I have high cholesterol and am developing other health issues but also on my emotional health as well with the extra weight. That was equally as important in my decision making process. Good luck in your journey.

Do you mind if I ask what your BMI was? Did Dr MItchell do your surgery? I've been missing Dr. Coburn's phone calls so waiting for him to call back. I would really like to meet with the doctor here in Vancouver at SWLC and talk to someone in person. Please keep us updated on your recovery and weight loss progress. I just got some of my results back and looks like my glucose level is still higher than normal and so is my cholesterol.

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Sorry, I haven't replied to you. I only have the numbers for the SWLC in Ontario, but you can call Dr. Mitchells office in Calgary (Dr. Philip Mitchell) if you would like to talk directly. If your BMI is around 35, you are considered obese (anything over 30 hits that criteria), so I would think you are a candidate for surgery...but, again, provincial guidelines rule, unless you pay for surgery yourself. You sound pretty motivated about this surgery and that is half the battle. So give Dr. Mitchell a call and see if he will see you in Vancouver (he is out there a few times a month to do surgery). Let me know how it goes and good luck!

Thank you! I will talk to Dr Coburn and see if I can talk to someone closer to me in person.

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I had Dr. Woo for surgery and he was very personable, listened well, and answered all of my questions before hand. I think my BMI was 34.5 before the surgery so i must have squeaked by with the criteria, i didn't know there was that rule in place before i heard of that today. I am 190 today but had lost from the preop diet. Also put on a couple of lbs of Fluid since yesterday. My abdomen is swollen. Feel free to message me any time if you want to chat about it.

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I had Dr Coburn in Ontario and he is amazing...highly recommend him and his clinic in Ontario.

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Running_scared...I was a 33 BMI and this surgery has been amazing for me. I had surgery Dec 2010 and reached goal Jan 2011. I would do it all over again. Ina heartbeat. At bmi of 33 I was classed as obese...i'm glad I didn't wait until I was morbidly obese...

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Running_scared...I was a 33 BMI and this surgery has been amazing for me. I had surgery Dec 2010 and reached goal Jan 2011. I would do it all over again. Ina heartbeat. At bmi of 33 I was classed as obese...i'm glad I didn't wait until I was morbidly obese...

It only took you 1 month to reach your goal or did you mean Jan 2012? Good for you! Do we get to see pictures? Congrats!

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Lol I wish only 1 month...let me see if I'm brave enough to post i will say...I really think dr Coburn is tops. Jan 2012 was when I reached healthy bmi.

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I was banded at False Creek Medical here in Vancouver, BC 1 year ago by Dr Katherine Hse & Dr. Corey Ming-Lum. My BMI was 44.3 (266 lbs) and now BMI is 27.6 (164 lbs). It has saved my life! You might want to look at False Creek too. Good luck!

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I just had my band done yesterday March 19th with Dr. Woo thru SWLC but my bmi was 41. You could try looking into False Creek Surgical Centre I hear they have a good surgical weight loss program.

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False Creeks program has supported me 100%. I have had amazing support 24/7!

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Great to hear Dr. Cobourn feedback at SWLC in Mississauga Ontario. I am scheduled for April 4th with him. Very excited!

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Great to hear Dr. Cobourn feedback at SWLC in Mississauga Ontario. I am scheduled for April 4th with him. Very excited!

Enjoy...what a journey it is and you have one of the top banding Drs in Canada as your surgeon. His success Rate with his patients are off the charts.

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Hello

Does anyone know if there is a Privet place to go in Edmonton? If I pay myself do I need to go to Vancouver? I am just looking into all of this..It would be nice to have it done close to home..Please let me know where the best place would be to get this done?

Thank you all,

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SWLS in Vancouver is the closest surgeon for private-for pay clients. There are also some surgeons doing the lap band through the public system, but the wait time might be long.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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