Hi everyone !!

Just a couple of notes of interest that I wanted to pass along....

For those of you that attended the last North Vancouver meeting, you heard about Dr. Arsneau at St. Pauls Hospital doing fills for Vancouver Bandsters. I have just spoken to another lady that has seen him for a fill and he confirmed to her that he will take patients that were banded by any Dr. This means that if you are in the Vancouver area and are looking to have your surgery in Ontario or Mexico or the USA an finding a fill Dr was your big concern, it looks like he might be your guy !!! :thumbdown: I would probably call ahead just to confirm it for myself but I'm pretty cofident in telling you this news !!!

The sencond bit of news is that it looks like there will be another support group starting up for anyone that is interested. The lady starting it is named Geri and the first meeting will be Saturday, Oct. 11th at 11am at 3339 West 41st. It is open to all of those who are already banded as well as anyone looking into it, regardless of where or who your surgeon is. Her email is geri_webre@yahoo.ca for more info.

Quick add-on.....as usual our North Van support group will be on the 3rd Wednesday of Oct. (the 15th) at Lion's Gate Hosp. I'll post again closer to then to give you all a reminder !!!

All the best to everyone !!!

Patricia

Happy Thanksgiving everyone !!!! :smile2:

I wanted to post now with the meeting reminder in case I don't get another chance between now and Wednesday. I've got family in towm for the long weekend, and as well as that I have to work sunday and monday.....and then work the polling station all day tuesday !!! Don't know how I manage to get involved in all this stuff !!! :thumbup:

So....we will be meeting as usual at LionsGate Hospital on Wednesday evening, Oct. 15th at 7pm. As always I will be a little early.... To the couple of new people that have posted recently, please feel free to join us !!! We're an easy-going group of people who like to get together to help each other with problems we may be having and to answer each others questions.

All the best to everyone and have a great weekend !!!!

Patricia

thanks for the reminder Patricia. I'm definitely planning on coming. see you wednesday :thumbup:

I will try to make this group meeting as well. I've recently decided that lap-band is the way for me to go, and am leaning towards Dr. Ortiz in Mexico for the surgery. I'm glad to hear, from reading this thread, that there is a doctor locally (Dr. Arsneau at St. Paul's Hospital) that is doing fills, as that is probably the biggest concern for me, in terms of getting aftercare post-surgery. Anyway, I hope I'll be able to make the meeting tonight, as this is a huge decision, and although I'm excited to have made it, I'm nervous as hell! I have an appointment with my family doctor tomorrow to inform him of my decision to have the surgery, and I'm nervous about what he will say, especially when I tell him I'm considering Mexico.

it was great meeting everyone tonight at the group. thank you all for being so open. i'm feeling more inclined to do the surgery.

FYI: NWWLS is having an info session on Saturday in Surrey. I don't have the details right now, but just check out their website and i'm sure you'll find it.

I'd like to thank you for the very exciting meeting tonight. It really solidified my decision in getting the band done. I loved to hear everyone's stories, and appreciate the diversity in everyone's experience with the band. I'm also happy to hear there were no regrets! A special thanks to the tall lean woman who let me feel her port!:thumbup:

A great group and I'll look forward to attending again for more information to take with me on this journey.

Best regards,

K

I had a great time meeting everyone tonight as well. It was inspiring to see so many people having a great experience with the surgery and I'm looking forward to taking the plunge myself.

Thank you to Canadagirl33 for the information on Dr. Arseneau. I'll be sending him an email shortly. Hopefully it works out that we have a fill person here in Vancouver.

Canadagirl33 - sorry i couldn't make last night meeting. Any fireworks? Kidding.

For Dr. Arsenau, you need a referral, correct? You just can't call him up.

Thanks

LOL..... no fireworks !! At least not before I ran out the door so that I wouldn't get stuck behind that darned road closure !!! ~Sigh~ It will be so nice when I don't have to worry about it anymore....

As far as Dr. Arseeau....I'm honestly not sure if you need a referal. I recieved a letter from NWWLS 2 weeks ago (snail-mail no less !!!) with all his info on it and all it stressed was that he likes the first contact to be done by email. I think you should just shoot him off a mail and see what happens. richarda@interchange.ubc.ca

As far as the meeting....sorry you couldnt make it, but we had a few newbies !!! Was a lot of fun, especially letting them all grope my port !! I'm glad you ladies decided to join us, I really enjoyed meeting you all !!!

Anyhow.....it's almost Survivor time !! Yup, I'm an addict !!! Have a great nite everyone.

Patricia

I sent Dr. Arseneau an email, but got an auto-reply saying he's away until Nov. 10.

I went to the NWWLS info seminar in Surrey today, and thought I'd pass on the details.

It was very informative and I'm so glad I went. There was a powerpoint presentation led by one of the surgeons. She answers pretty much every possible question you could have. There was also a couple staff members there who've been banded themselves (one is the psychiatric nurse with whom you'd do the psych eval.). They give you a folder full of all sorts of info about the surgery and the center.

Here's what I learned:

1. Total cost of bariatric banding: US$ 17,810
   
2. the cost includes adjustments/fill for 13months following surgery
   
3. Consultation cost: US$260 (cost goes towards surgery cost)
   
4. Consultation consists of a 90min nurse consultation, a 60min surgeon consultation, and a psych evaluation (they can all be done on the same day)
   
5. you can do all your blood tests, etc in vancouver and have them fax it over
   
6. Fills can be done in Bellingham or with Dr Arseneau in vancity
   
7. they've done over 3300 surgeries (only one death)
   
8. the doctors have staff priveleges at the Evergreen Hospital (in case complications arise)
   
9. there is no wait list. after the consultation, it is simply a matter looking at the schedule and seeing what works for you.
   

so those were the highlights. if you're in doubt about whether you want to this or not, i really recommend going to one of these info sessions (regardless of whether you'll do the surgery in the states or not). it's free and they offer them once or twice a month. i've decided to do the surgery as a result. now i just have to figure out where to do and how to find the money.

Thanks for posting this information Babe! I would have gone to the seminar myself except that I had a scheduling conflict. I was told there is another one on Nov. 15.

And congratulations on deciding to have the surgery!

I have a question - I am quite frustrated as the weight loss has not gone as fast as I would have hoped for. I was banded in November 2007 by Dr. Leung and only lost 50 pounds so far, and yes, I have been bad and I admit it. But I really need to lose 50 more pounds and am totally motivated again. My husband was banded too in July 2007 and he has lost 110 pounds and is close to his goal. However, we think that I can eat way more than he can - so I think I need to go for another fill, as I only had 3 and the last time I had one (5 months ago) Dr. Leung told me that this was the tightest he could go but I doubt that now. I need to have it tighter so that I will eat less. I am just dreading it to go back to him to get a fill as I know he will give me s....... that I have not lost more than 50 pounds in almost a year. I guess I will have to get over this, as I really want to lose more and need to lose more.

Well, I did make an appointment - so I will get the speech with only eating 3 half tea cups a day........... I know - I know...........but it is hard.

Did anybody out there experience the same trouble?

Thanks,

Gerdi

I have a question - I am quite frustrated as the weight loss has not gone as fast as I would have hoped for. I was banded in November 2007 by Dr. Leung and only lost 50 pounds so far, and yes, I have been bad and I admit it. But I really need to lose 50 more pounds and am totally motivated again. My husband was banded too in July 2007 and he has lost 110 pounds and is close to his goal. However, we think that I can eat way more than he can - so I think I need to go for another fill, as I only had 3 and the last time I had one (5 months ago) Dr. Leung told me that this was the tightest he could go but I doubt that now. I need to have it tighter so that I will eat less. I am just dreading it to go back to him to get a fill as I know he will give me s....... that I have not lost more than 50 pounds in almost a year. I guess I will have to get over this, as I really want to lose more and need to lose more.

Well, I did make an appointment - so I will get the speech with only eating 3 half tea cups a day........... I know - I know...........but it is hard.

Did anybody out there experience the same trouble?

Hi: First off, don't get down on yourself that you have "only" lost so much weight. Everyone looses weight differently.

Secondly the band is a tool to help yoU supress you appetite but you still have to eat healthy.

Third: Not everyone looses weight the same - typically men loose faster than women. LOOSING WEIGHT IS NOT A RACE.

Now, as for eating, three cups of food a day is obviously not good enough for you. My clinic tells me to eat 4 oz of "hard" Protein every 3 to 4 waking hours. So have your Breakfast, in 3 or 4 hours have hard protein (something that makes you chew) thereafter. If you have enough fill, you should feel a tightness in your pouch, or a hiccup, even sneezing to tell you that enough has been eaten.

Track your food intake for a few weeks then go and see your nutrion expert for advice on where you can improve on your protein. For instance Peanut Butter on stone wheat thins at 3:00 in the afternoon is my protein with a cup of hot tea. PROTEIN IS WHAT SUSTAINS YOU OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

I have been loosing roughly 1/4 to 1/2 lb per week since my band. I have 5.5 ccs. You have the rest of your life to loose all your weight and the old saying, you didn't put it on over night, don't expect it to come off overnight.

If Dr. Leung won't give you more fill, then he probably feels you are not eating in a healthy way. Ask him what he would suggest or his nurse may be able to help you. Present them with a copy of your eating patterns as well.

There has been a recent study that indicated people who tracked their food lost weight and kept it off where people who did not track invariably tended to not loose as much or didn't loose at all.

Hope some of the things I have said helps you find your solution.

Well, I do know all that stuff, eating protein, etc. etc. I am doing that, I eat right, but maybe still a bit too much which makes me think that I do need another fill. Well, I have made an appointment for another fill and I hope that this will do the trick then. As I said before my husband can eat much less than me, so I think it is a matter of fills. I also have not much respects for Nutritionists as there expert opinion about food and what people need is very different than the advise I get from Dr. Leung, however, don't get me wrong, I think Dr. Leung is right for sure - we really don't need much food as we have enough fat to recycle, those are his words, ha,ha. He does not belive in protein shakes and other stuff people come up with and I totally agree.

Anyhow, it is always hard and difficult as right now it is also the season when people want to eat more..........

cheers,

Gerdi

Well, I do know all that stuff, eating Protein, etc. etc. I am doing that, I eat right, but maybe still a bit too much which makes me think that I do need another fill. Well, I have made an appointment for another fill and I hope that this will do the trick then. As I said before my husband can eat much less than me, so I think it is a matter of fills. I also have not much respects for Nutritionists as there expert opinion about food and what people need is very different than the advise I get from Dr. Leung, however, don't get me wrong, I think Dr. Leung is right for sure - we really don't need much food as we have enough fat to recycle, those are his words, ha,ha. He does not belive in Protein shakes and other stuff people come up with and I totally agree.

Anyhow, it is always hard and difficult as right now it is also the season when people want to eat more..........

cheers,

Gerdi

Yes it is very hard but even more so when someone you are living with is reaching their goal faster than you. I know how that hurts even if you know you shouldn't let it.

As for more fill because you are eating a bit too much, more fill may be the answer but then maybel less would be the answer. For instance, if the food can't go down to the stomach too quickly the pouch will stretch and allow you to eat more. Some times a smaller fill allows the food to go down a bit quicker, but you get the full feeling sooner as the "unstretched" pouch signals you sooner.

Have you tried the five day challenge (I think that is what it is called). You basically go back to the Protein Drink and progress into whole foods over time. This allows the pouch to shrink back.

Anyway, if any of these suggestions strike a chord and help you, I would be pleased, but hopefully Dr. Leung with be more helpfull. Take care and good luck