Hello,

I will start with just a quick intro to what brought me here/about me...

I am 25, my entire life I have struggled with my weight, I was a bigger kid yet still quite active until I was blessed with puberty and a large chest which plagued me and my athletic activities all through my teens.

At 19 I had a breast reduction - one of the best things I have ever done! As the years went by my weight crept up and up, a few years ago I successfully lost 50 lbs through Weight Watchers and have not gained it back (yay!), however I have since fallen off the WW bandwagon and have just managed to maintain not gaining any weight or losing any either for that matter. Weight Watchers was great at the time however now, I can't really afford to pay $15.00 every week to go right now. I tried Medifast for a month and hated it but it worked and I lost 20'ish lbs, however due to the fact that I couldn't stand to eat/drink it I didn't do longer then that month and the 20 lbs I lost came back and brought 10lbs worth of friends.

I am currently a member of Curves (signed up a few months ago) and as much as I love the concept of it and the place itself I HATE going and feel miserable before, during and after everytime I go. Yet here I am locked in for $45 a month (hence why WW isnt an option these days) for the next 9 months or so.

I have been eating not so well lately and I know that I need to change it and I have the information required to change it (I kept all of my WW info, etc) and it is something that I am working towards getting better at I dont know why it seems to be such a struggle for me. My boyfriend is amazing he loves me exactly the way I am and thats perfect yet its also hard because he doesn't give me that extra "oomph get your but in gear and eat better shove" that sometimes I need.

I feel like I have been spiralling down lately, I look in the mirror and I want to cry and recently I saw a picture that wasn't taken directly of me but I was in the background walking out a door with my back to the camera and the first thing I thought was wow, is that really me? Is that how I look?

My best friend has had the gastric bypass and we were roommates at the time and I've seen first hand the effects the harshness of the surgery and the after effects and I know that is not something I could ever do (not to mention I could never get the required recovery period off work). She suggest that I check out the Lap Band and find a forum to get some information as it was one of the options that she had looked at before deciding on gastric bypass. I know the Canadian Govt would cover the cost should I chose to do so...

So why the big post? I guess it's more a way for me to just "get it off my chest" regardless of whether or not anyone takes the time to read and respond to my small novel.

Any words of wisdom, advice, info you can give would be appreciated. And is there anyone in the Vancouver, BC area that has had it or is going to have it done? What surgeon are you seeing/did you see?

Thanks for listening.

In need of an emotional and physical overhaul,

Angy :cry

:welcome: Angy,

I am from Ontario and the lap-band is not covered here. We can claim it on our taxes, but we do not get anywhere close to the $16,000 back.

There is a Canada section that you can go through. There are many members from the west and they might have more information if it is covered by B.C. healthcare.

I am happy you are doing your homework on the lap-band. I hope it is the right tool to help you reach your goals.

Can you contact the better business bureau and see if there is something you can do about your curves contract? Maybe contact your credit card company as well.

Hi Lisa,

Perhaps Canada Govt was an inaccurate statement but I know BC medical paid for my girl friends gastric bypass (they even actually paid for her to have it done in Alberta) so I am assuming that Lap Band is covered as well if that is.

I will have to reread my contract again, they debit it directly from your bank account not credit card. I think the only way to get out of it is to either move or have a doctor write a letter saying you can't go anymore (and I doubt my doc would do that).

Thanks for the suggestions though, I will look into that!

Angy

<p>Hi there,I guess we are somewhat in the same boat as us that have yet to get to the surgery point,My name is Trish and i will be attending the info seminar here in p.a. on tuesday and i am so ready for this,i too have been heavy most of my life and yes my hubby loves me for me also but he is thin and can eat aton and not gain,,I would love to get to know you all here on this site,i am addicted to this site and want to learn more ! thanks to you all special people, Thanks Trish</p>:clap2:

Hi Trish!

Let me know how your seminar goes, I need to look into going to something like that in my area.

I'm only just starting my research now then I am going to book an appointment with my doc and see where to go from there.

Out of general curiousity can anyone tell me - once you have gotten your surgeon referral how long is the average wait period for surgery?

Thanks!

Hey,this site has been so awesome for me and i go to it everyday,I didnt know half of the procedure till i came acrossed it here! My family doc gave me Dr.bonnani here in p.a,they said you have to attend the seminar and see if your really wanting to do this,then you go ahead and set up the surgeon appt and he goes thru everything,I think its usally a few monthes before you actually get the surgery ,but it will be worth the wait, Good Luck in your search,trish

So apparently after finding out more information, including speaking to BC Medical I have found out that they do not cover the cost of the Lap Band (although I am almost certain that they used to). They do however cover Gastric Bypass, how does that make sense?

Since I do not believe I could get time off work for a Gastric Bypass I guess now I have to find out some other information.

For anyone that can help...

How much does it cost?/Where did you get it done?

I am so disappointed, it has been one hell of a week for me and finding this out was pretty crushing.:cry

Hi i just joined this site and i too am addicted to it. I will go for my seminar on Sat the 22nd of sept. I'm so excited yet nervous. Just looking for some support.

Hi i just joined this site and i too am addicted to it. I will go for my seminar on Sat the 22nd of sept. I'm so excited yet nervous. Just looking for some support.

Hi I am Bob, yobobby100@yahoo.ca I got the band on Aug. 7 in Toronto at the Surgical Weight Loss Centre. I was 5 foot 10 inches and weighed 353 pounds in July at the consult. On Aug. 7 I weighed 308 pounds and today Sept 18 I weigh 284 pounds. I needed to do this for my health. I am 42 and I was headed for heart trouble or a stroke or diebeties. Plus I have no wife , no girlfriend, no children and I don't go to dances due to my weight. So I needed this for my mental health also.

The band is a great tool for me. I reminds me not to buy whole pizzas or family size bags of chips and cookies. ( which I was eating in one night) I am an emotional eater and an extreme over eater. The band helps me. I know that if I lose the weight this time I will not be able to eat large amounts of food. So hopefully that will help.

I love my band

Good luck to you,

Bob

So apparently after finding out more information, including speaking to BC Medical I have found out that they do not cover the cost of the Lap Band (although I am almost certain that they used to). They do however cover Gastric Bypass, how does that make sense?

Since I do not believe I could get time off work for a Gastric Bypass I guess now I have to find out some other information.

For anyone that can help...

How much does it cost?/Where did you get it done?

I am so disappointed, it has been one hell of a week for me and finding this out was pretty crushing.:cry

I had the band done . Aug 7 in Toronto at the Surgical Weight Loss Clinic. It cost $ 15,000 and for me it is worth every penny.

Thanks for the reply. Congrats on your weight loss thus far! I'll have more to share after i meet with the surgeons!

Hello,

I will start with just a quick intro to what brought me here/about me...

I am 25, my entire life I have struggled with my weight, I was a bigger kid yet still quite active until I was blessed with puberty and a large chest which plagued me and my athletic activities all through my teens.

At 19 I had a breast reduction - one of the best things I have ever done! As the years went by my weight crept up and up, a few years ago I successfully lost 50 lbs through Weight Watchers and have not gained it back (yay!), however I have since fallen off the WW bandwagon and have just managed to maintain not gaining any weight or losing any either for that matter. Weight Watchers was great at the time however now, I can't really afford to pay $15.00 every week to go right now. I tried Medifast for a month and hated it but it worked and I lost 20'ish lbs, however due to the fact that I couldn't stand to eat/drink it I didn't do longer then that month and the 20 lbs I lost came back and brought 10lbs worth of friends.

I am currently a member of Curves (signed up a few months ago) and as much as I love the concept of it and the place itself I HATE going and feel miserable before, during and after everytime I go. Yet here I am locked in for $45 a month (hence why WW isnt an option these days) for the next 9 months or so.

I have been eating not so well lately and I know that I need to change it and I have the information required to change it (I kept all of my WW info, etc) and it is something that I am working towards getting better at I dont know why it seems to be such a struggle for me. My boyfriend is amazing he loves me exactly the way I am and thats perfect yet its also hard because he doesn't give me that extra "oomph get your but in gear and eat better shove" that sometimes I need.

I feel like I have been spiralling down lately, I look in the mirror and I want to cry and recently I saw a picture that wasn't taken directly of me but I was in the background walking out a door with my back to the camera and the first thing I thought was wow, is that really me? Is that how I look?

My best friend has had the gastric bypass and we were roommates at the time and I've seen first hand the effects the harshness of the surgery and the after effects and I know that is not something I could ever do (not to mention I could never get the required recovery period off work). She suggest that I check out the Lap Band and find a forum to get some information as it was one of the options that she had looked at before deciding on gastric bypass. I know the Canadian Govt would cover the cost should I chose to do so...

So why the big post? I guess it's more a way for me to just "get it off my chest" regardless of whether or not anyone takes the time to read and respond to my small novel.

Any words of wisdom, advice, info you can give would be appreciated. And is there anyone in the Vancouver, BC area that has had it or is going to have it done? What surgeon are you seeing/did you see?

Thanks for listening.

In need of an emotional and physical overhaul,

Angy :cry

Hi I am Bob. Age 42 I just got the band on Aug.7 2007 I needed this. I was 353 pounds at my consult mid June. I was a prime target of heart attacks , strokes and diebetes. I am not married,no girlfriend, no children. Plus I don't go to dances due to my weight. So my mental health takes a beating also. I am an emotional eater and an extreme overeater. The band helps me to make better choices at the store. I used to eat entire pizzas and a family size bag of chips or Cookies each night plus my 5 litre a day pepsi habit. I know I can lose the weight but I always put it back on. The band plus some fills ( I have none so far) will mean that I am unable to overeat. I need this.

I love my band.

It was worth every penny. Some people say you can claim it on your income tax. But I don't know. It is too soon to tell.

The band works for me. I was 353 in mid June and banded aug 7 and now on Sept 21, I am 284 pounds and still losing.

Like I said I love my band.

Good luck to you

I completely agree that our provincial coverage is often stupid beyond belief. I went to Mexico to have mine done, but have been quite disappointed by the lack of follow-up care from my doc. Also another issue is that some of the Canadian docs won't do follow up for patients from other countries, so if you do go this route, make sure you have follow up care in BC, or in Washington state or can afford to fly to and fro to SanDiego a few times. If you look at the price difference, $16 K vs $7 or $8K- that buys a lot of flights----but there are trade-offs. On the plus side, many of the docs south of the border have done alot of lap bands- many many more than some of the docs up here.

ANother thing I've recently learned is that my doc used an older version of the Allergan /Inamed lapband- maybe using up older cheaper stock.... i don't know. That was disappointing to learn.

ANyhow, I'm happy to talk to you if you want to connect in a PM.

Short C

So apparently after finding out more information, including speaking to BC Medical I have found out that they do not cover the cost of the Lap Band (although I am almost certain that they used to). They do however cover Gastric Bypass, how does that make sense?

Since I do not believe I could get time off work for a Gastric Bypass I guess now I have to find out some other information.

For anyone that can help...

How much does it cost?/Where did you get it done?

I am so disappointed, it has been one hell of a week for me and finding this out was pretty crushing.:cry