Hi everyone,

Well, it's a pretty fine day in London, Ontario, let me tell you. The snow is flying and my heart is, too! I have a sneaky feeling I'm going to sleep like a baby tonight!

After a stressful ride with a Toronto WL clinic (that shall remain nameless - don't want their lawyers after me!), I have:

a) Cancelled my lap-band surgery with them that was slated for December 19th, 2014

Received confirmation that my $1500 deposit would be refunded to me by their Finance department (thank God!)

c) Had a deep and enjoyable consult with the delightful Dr. Cobourn from the SWLC (Surgical Weight Loss Centre) in Mississauga this afternoon

d) Booked with Dr. Cobourn for banding December 18th, 2014. (yaaaaaay!)

Yes, all of the above in one day.

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!

I am almost bursting with happiness and relief. HUZZAH! What a crazy ride that was! I had myself mentally and emotionally prepared for a December surgery, and now it is still happening, only this time with a fantastically reputable centre.

Phewf.

Fabulous!

I'm SO happy you're freeeeeee from that unnamed horror-center. Your Angels were working OT on your behalf!

So cool you were able to reschedule with another surgery- in DEC '14 - a day earlier! wow!

This tells me the Universe has your back on your WLS journey- that now, it's the right place, at the right time.

Best wishes

Hi everyone,

As you may know I had introduced myself as a newbie to the forum a few weeks ago via another thread called "The date is set...December 19th...." however lawyers from the weight loss centre I had originally booked in at contacted me once some alarming information began to emerge and get respectfully discussed on the thread, and things started to get scary for me!

In order to protect myself and my family from legal action, I have asked administrators to delete that thread. It appears freedom of speech is not necessarily a Canadian right, according to some legal teams.

This thread will now tell my story!

Here's my now modified intro that you may have read on the other thread a few weeks ago (this part the lawyers had no trouble with! lol!):

Hi everyone,

I've been following the forum for about 2 years; reading your stories, your successes, your challenges. After much reading and tons of research, all in secret, I made the decision to have the gastric band put in place, and I had a banding date set with a weight loss clinic in Toronto for December 19th, 2014. A few weeks after booking and paying my deposit, some warnings and red flags started to get raised about this place, causing me to dig deeper into the history and current staffing model. After calling the clinic with my concerns, I found myself engaged in a most unprofessional conversation with the Manager, and that sealed my decision to cancel my surgery.

I reported the red flags on this forum, and soon after received a lovely letter from the clinic's legal team asking me to remove the posts. Yikes! Even though I had not personally posted anything slanderous, other banders had, and I was asked to remove those posts. No one wants to mess with lawyers, right? So I simply asked BariatricPal Administrators to remove the thread entirely.

After cancelling with the other place, I had a wonderful consult with a clinic of excellent repute, and now have a new banding date set for December 18th, 2014 in Mississuaga, Ontario. Phewf.

So...Hello!

I'm nervous, I'm excited. I have a supportive husband and a gorgeous daughter in Grade 9 who thinks I'm pretty fantastic at any weight. Lucky me to have these two in my life. I'm a full time professor and in love my students and teaching. So career, relationship and family are all fantastic.

My Body Story:

I am currently 45 years old, 5 foot 6 inches tall, and weigh 259 lbs. I am a size 22. It's only in the past 15 years of my life I have been heavy.

I was a healthy, muscular kid and teen. I was a competitive lifeguard, canoe-trip leader and camp counsellor. I was a happy size 10 in high school. I went to University and did a 4-year undergrad in Arts, also a 2-year diploma in outdoor education. I traveled and adventured across Canada, working outdoor rec contracts: river guiding, rock-climbing, caving. Although I was never an athlete, I was healthy, fit, and flexible.

I fell in love and married in 1999, and in 2000 gave birth to my beautiful Stinkerbell. Up to that point, I was a size 12. Pre-pregnancy my weight was 145 lbs. Post-pregnancy I was 205 lbs. I never lost the weight, despite nursing for 9 months - only gained, gained, gained.

In 2006 I decided to try my first ever diet - Atkins, and was I ever successful! I went from 205 to 160 lbs in 3 months. After 6 months at my new weight, I fatigued of the sheer volume of supplements I was taking each day (24 pills each day ranging from L-Carnitine to Potassium to Omega-3s). I had leg cramps that bordered on excruciating. I started re-introducing carbs and... WHAMMO! The weight returned overnight, and more pounds than ever before.

I don't eat candy or chocolate. I rarely have chips or pop. My addiction is superb food and beautiful wines (lots of both!). My weight has been packed on due to portions (huge!) and the empty calories in Cabernet Sauvignon. Despite my weight, I still canoe trip and camp with my family. I find portages (carrying the packs and canoe across land) exhausting and painful now, where once I found it exhilarating.

My breaking point occurred in August 2014 when I went to buckle my seatbelt on a flight to British Columbia, and struggled to get the buckle fastened. (It was a stress, but I did it!) I was horrified and ashamed. How the hell had I let this happen to me? The decision to be banded was made in that moment.

And now....

I had a full physical with my supportive family Doctor, Rachel. Got the requisite blood work and ECG done 3 weeks ago. Now that I've committed to banding, I am in the process of getting a shopping list together to make my kitchen "pre-op ready".

Deep breaths. Woo!

To the experienced banders, I welcome any and all feedback, advice, tips, suggestions or "I wish I had knowns".

There we go - now we're up to date! Thanks to supporters who have voiced in on the other thread over the weeks! Looking forward to sharing my journey with you. One month from now, I will be banded!

So happy for you!!! Dr Coburn was my surgeon too, you're in great hands!

Yay!

Good for you for sticking with it and getting a new surgeon

So happy for you! That enthusiasm will carry you through. I kept waiting for my excitement to subside at some point, but even a year later I am just so thrilled with everything. Having the appetite monster off my back is such an amazing release. We have very similar stats. I used to be 5'7" and lost a half an inch, and I started at 252. Looked like Mrs. Winnie-the-Pooh. Your superb foods and Cabernet ring a familiar bell as well. I'm happy to report I can still have very yummy food, just in small portions and appropriate intervals. Wine, etc. not a problem for me. My advice is to pay attention to the pant sizes rather than the scale. When the scale wasn't shifting that was when I'd suddenly realize how differently my clothes were fitting. I went from 18L Lee jeans to a size 10L in the same brand. I was glad I started walking ahead of surgery as that gave me something to step right into, literally as soon as I was awake. When I felt like I needed to pee, i took that opportunity to go up and down the hall, a little further each time. At home it was laps around the driving circle. This kicked my body into healing mode, helped release any trapped gas from the surgery, and cemented the deal in my head. I do my part and my band helps me do it. Today I am a walker. I love showing up for myself now! Best wishes -- you are going to do beautifully.

Woo hoo - this is all so helpful! I am so encouraged and inspired by your successes. Two weeks of fluids makes me anxious - actually had a cry last night sharing my nerves about this with my family. My eye is on the prize though - getting to my December 18th surgery date in the best shape possible.

Any pre-op advice for me? I'd love to hear from you!

I bought a Fitbit flex to count my steps and encourage me to move. I am not ready for hard Zumba classes but need to get myself going. I had surgery in Toronto. Everything went well for me. I was very informed with what I needed to do to do to have a successful journey by reading forums and YouTube.

Get up and walk as soon as you can after surgery and GasX and pill crusher. Take the time required to plan eating and meal prep.

While your on your pre-surg liquids, Allow yourself time to mourn the old, obese you, if that's what you need to do. The fact is: as a result of WLS, the old you will 'die' (in a sense). Go ahead and allow yourself a few tears. You are indeed, headed into unknown territory & that's scary!

Don't stuff it or it will show up in another, probably bad, way. Take it easy on yourself & maybe give yourself a nice little (non-food) reward (like a mani-pedi, or a massage) after the first, and then the second, week of fluid-only prep.

Then, rejoice in anticipation of the butterfly you'll become!

You've got this!

I so agree gr8. There was a period of wondering how I would cope without my favorite stress relievers. How my life was going to be different The unknown.

However a HUGE difference is removing the insatiable hunger. Food is just not so important I learned. I don't obsess about meals....It is just what I need.

Big mind shift that I wish for all. So glad I changed my life. For years and years now. It can be done with some help. Best of luck

Julie,

Couldn't agree more. My nemesis was also insatiable hunger, which the band has corrected. And like you, for years now.

I was scared of losing my familiar food-comforts too; afraid I wouldn't find a suitable replacement. In the beginning, I didn't really have to.

My band-journey was during the course of numerous surgeries, so the band wasn't necessarily my main focus for most of my weight loss. It was: Surgery --> laid up --> PT appointments, (no choice / no excuses exercise) --> back to work in a hostile, toxic work environment --> , then another, then another... 8 times over four years.

I just listened to my body (restriction) and did what the ortho surgeons told me to do, made my intermittent fill appts, as prescribed. I was Knee-deep in the medical industry, and I come from a long line of doc avoiders. Oof! Not a happy place.

Every once in awhile, I'd get dressed, look in the mirror, and say wow! THAT doesn't look very good anymore! Way too big! Sweet!

Then, all of a sudden, returning to work after the last surgery, everyone called me skinny. Whaaat? Seemed odd. Still felt like me. I WAS still me! Just lighter; in pounds, in spirit and in mind.

I think that's how it works with the band. Slow transformation over time - fine by me -cocooning (pre-surg liquid diet, first fills), then adding exercise (for me, just intermittent PT), and more fills, and the realization I'm living life sans insatiable hunger! Cool. And suddenly, out pops a butterfly! Amazing!

Love my band! It not only saved my life (Co-morbidities) but made my long ortho-surg ordeal much easier, as pressure on my joints, and pain, lessened. Now, hardly any hip/knee pain to speak of. Fabulous!

Presently, I'm thrust to focus on my band again, maybe for the 1st time. Before that, for the most part, It simply worked in the background. So grateful my band worked like that.

And exercise, need to get back on track with THAT, ok- probably for the first time since banding too, now that it's not "mandatory" i.e.: PT appts.

Do you agree that as vets, instead of fighting hunger, complacency is our new struggle? Are you paying attention, Professor? This is the ghost of x-mas future...

For me, Remembering to self-reward NSV's, remembering to exercise, remembering how many oz (or was that grams?) of protein/diem, Am I still supposed to eat only 1-2 tbsp of carbs, because sometimes, I'm tanking. How many CC's are in that thing? Does knowing really matter? How important is it for me to stay in that band-inflaming, extremely toxic, bizzaro-world I work in? Should I tough it out to retire "early"? Or do I go back out into another scary unknown- a new career? Which ones scarier? (After this past week, without a doubt, it's work).

IMO, Our bands are for LIFE! There will always be struggles and our bands are in it with us. Sometimes we'll be more band-conscious. Most of the time though, it works, unconsciously.

Edited December 4, 201411 yr by NewLife'sGr8

Hearing from you all has been so, so helpful. I have a supportive husband and a great surgeon and a delightful family Doctor who cannot wait to support me in the months to come... but there's nothing like hearing from other banders. Your experience and wisdom is so appreciated.

I start fluids tomorrow. I had "the last supper" tonight - and am feeling elated and joyful having just performed Messiah with Orchestra London and London Pro Musica Choir... the 3 hours of music immersion has sent me into an ecstatic place of bliss! A good set up for tomorrow's start on fluids.

And so - wish me luck, hang in here with me - I'll keep you posted on how things go!

And now to bed....

Good luck. New Adventures are fun!

Thanks MarieMarie!

DAY ONE PRE-OP: It's 8:10 am, December 4th. This is the day I've been dreading/ nervously looking forward two - 2 weeks of pre-op diet starts TODAY. I am sitting in my fireplace room, and instead of coffee I am sipping a "Smart Shake".

The world has not ended! The birds continue their business outside! How bad can this be? I have climbed mountains, lived without electricity or running Water for a year in Africa, home-birthed a baby with no drugs. I CAN DO THIS!

(Right? Oh my god). Gahhhh!

Congratulations ! The smartest thing I did before WLS was to join the YMCA and take a 3x a week swim class, and also started walking on our local trails.. It got me in better shape for surgery and helped with weight loss afterwards. Best of luck !!!