As requested starting a new thread... feel free to post here the good the great, the not so great, problems, complications compliments etc.

Again this thread is primarily for Slimband patients so if you are reading and not a Slimband clinic patient please do not get upset when we talk about our surgeon and clinic as our best choice and the best choice we see possible.

Heather

woo hoo! finally got time to come back on and see everyone who I have missed chatting with. Things are going well here and my weight is now going down again after a looooong plateau. I ended up adopting another dog to help make me get out for more walks. I am so pleased with Slimband and there efforts to find a closer fill doctor in the area which they have just announced they got one in Sudbury. I met with him and seen Belina and Nancy and got another fill yesterday.

Whats going on with the rest of you ladies these days? Is everyone having a good summer? Whats been your challenges this summer?

Hey Jorja,

I am so glad to hear that you are doing so well! I have been losing slow and steady, I've lost 63lbs so far. The band has its good and bad days...still. But I am used to it now. Congrats on the new dog!

Take Care,

L

Oh my gosh CG!! That is absolutely fantastic!! You look so great in your profile picture!

I went to get a fill this week at the Slimband Clinic and I was told that from now on no one will be told how many cc's is being put into their band to prevent people from being overly 'obsessed' with their band. Does that make sense to you??? Are we not paying customers and deserve the right to know???

I understand their motives but I can't agree with them. It is important to know how many ccs are in the band in the event one is travelling or an emergency occurs, the attending doctors need to know this information. I would think it would be better to tell a patient they must show cause for requiring more fill after the 3rd one. They could state their recommendations but as we are paying for the fills we should be the final decision maker.

I went to get a fill this week at the Slimband Clinic and I was told that from now on no one will be told how many cc's is being put into their band to prevent people from being overly 'obsessed' with their band. Does that make sense to you??? Are we not paying customers and deserve the right to know???

Dosn't make any sense to me.

What is important is how much RESTRICTION you have , not how many cc's are In your band.

But, that being the case.... if you don't keep track of how many CC's are in there how do you know if there is a LEAK or not...

I had a LEAK and they'd put in 9 cc's/ but when withdrawn under FLURo there was only 5 cc's.... Gee, where did the 4 cc's go????? dah... they were leaking out...

as there was a pin prick leak in my tubing.... ( fill nurse punctured my tubing during a routine FILL)

Now what happened to me was UNUSUAL, and they DID fix it no charge... but I was months regaining my restriction...

I'm just in the pre-surgery stage-hoping to be banded at Slimband by Dr Yau in Nov! :thumbup: Any advice for a newcomer?

I'm just in the pre-surgery stage-hoping to be banded at Slimband by Dr Yau in Nov! :thumbup: Any advice for a newcomer?

I wish I would have gotten a contract only because they changed there policies of what was going to be included with my $16,000 so many times.

I'm just in the pre-surgery stage-hoping to be banded at Slimband by Dr Yau in Nov! :thumbup: Any advice for a newcomer?

Congrats!! Dr. Yau is an awesome surgeon, he has probably done the MOST lapbands in Canada.. Daryl RN and Nancy RN will most likely be in the OR with you... they are great... as is Carmella the recovery nurse...

THe whole op takes only about 45 mins... then you wake up (groggy) and go home!.... walk around the block as soon as you are able to get up at home... walking will clear the GAS pain in your shoulder better than anything else.

I have VERY little pain, only took pain meds for the first day, then just tylenol after that... back at work in two days.

Now I am two years out and I can only see the small port scar _____ about that big... pretty cool.

Hello :thumbup:

Jorja, what specifically are you not getting that you wished you had a contract for? I'm dealing with Rosanne who has been fantastic and just want to make sure I nail these stones early on.

Peaches, that's great to hear!! It's nice to hear someone who has done well with it/little complications!! This site is great but sometimes too much reading is a bad thing as you hear so many horror stories with the band from the surgery itself, after-effects, it's lack of working, horrible complications and so on. I'm super excited to get on this and get it working for me Can you FEEL the band inside you? Is the port uncomfortable once healed? I have this thing in my head the I'm going to bump something and it's going to kill with pain lol I read so many things about port flipping too and that made me nervous. I'm going in from the NWT so very little support...not even a fill doctor or nurse here yet!!

Hello :thumbup:

Jorja, what specifically are you not getting that you wished you had a contract for? I'm dealing with Rosanne who has been fantastic and just want to make sure I nail these stones early on.

Peaches, that's great to hear!! It's nice to hear someone who has done well with it/little complications!! This site is great but sometimes too much reading is a bad thing as you hear so many horror stories with the band from the surgery itself, after-effects, it's lack of working, horrible complications and so on. I'm super excited to get on this and get it working for me Can you FEEL the band inside you? Is the port uncomfortable once healed? I have this thing in my head the I'm going to bump something and it's going to kill with pain lol I read so many things about port flipping too and that made me nervous. I'm going in from the NWT so very little support...not even a fill doctor or nurse here yet!!

The fills/defills are the most important. There is a CD Slimband gives to family doctors. Some like it others don't. I do know there is a NWT bandster and if you post you will probably find him. He would be great for support. Also, Slimband has their own website where you can get long distance advice on nutrition, fills, exercise, etc. I am long distance and find this new site not too bad.

As for complications, any surgery can have that. Postings are usually telling the worst case or the best. Most people are in between.

I had a twisted port and it was corrected by Dr. Yau with no problem. Just the cost of going back to Toronto. The port for me has been no problem. I can feel it and sometimes when I sit slouched over, it pinches but for the most part I never know it is there.

I wish you well in your journey and if you follow the rules as set down by Dr. Yau, more than likely you will have no problem. BUT, YOU STILL HAVE TO WORK AT HOW YOU LOOSE WEIGHT. It is tough work but the band keeps you steady when you break down and give in to temptations.

I did not get a contract and I trust Dr. Yau's reputation will ensure I am covered but I have to admit a contract is a great way of knowing precisely what you are covered for. Shouldn't be any problem asking for some sort of information in writing as to coverage.

Hello :thumbup:

Jorja, what specifically are you not getting that you wished you had a contract for? I'm dealing with Rosanne who has been fantastic and just want to make sure I nail these stones early on.

Peaches, that's great to hear!! It's nice to hear someone who has done well with it/little complications!! This site is great but sometimes too much reading is a bad thing as you hear so many horror stories with the band from the surgery itself, after-effects, it's lack of working, horrible complications and so on. I'm super excited to get on this and get it working for me Can you FEEL the band inside you? Is the port uncomfortable once healed? I have this thing in my head the I'm going to bump something and it's going to kill with pain lol I read so many things about port flipping too and that made me nervous. I'm going in from the NWT so very little support...not even a fill doctor or nurse here yet!!

Yes, its good to do all your research beforehand and go in with your eyes wide open. THe BAND does work, but YOU have to do your part too... HARD protien will make you full after 2 - 3 oz. of meat, chicken, pork, fish etc.. then you eat your veg. , then if there is room have some complex carb,... ie brown rice, sweet potatoe etc..

BUT and this is a BIG BUT... the BAND does not stop BAD food from going thru... as a mater of fact... JUNK goes thru the band quite easily... so don't think its gonna keep you from eating Candy Bars, Carmel Corn or ICECREAM....

You have to NOT eat those things... forever!~~

Now to your other question, Can I feel the Band inside me....?

NO, it is placed DEEP inside your abdonimal cavity, behind your liver and infront of your spine... all around the top part of your stomach (esophogus)

Then the tubing loops around inside you and comes out close to the surface , that is wear your PORT will be placed. Just below the surface of the skin somewhere on you tummy area. Mine is just beside my Navel to the left.. I can feel it with my fingers and know exaactly what angle the Nurse needs to approach from to FILL me.

My port is a little tipped, but it has posed no fill problems for me. If it gets completely flipped over.. then its got to be repositioned ( not very common)

When you are eating you will FEEL a fullness, and if you continue to eat a PAIN in your chest, mine throbs if I try to eat "one more bite".... it hurts like someone is STEPPING on your chest.

So you soon learn to STOP when the band tells you to!

WIth every fill, its like learning to eat all over again.. you'll be a little more restricted each time until you find you SWEET SPOT... probably after 3 -4 fills.

Now where are you going to go for follow up and fills??? NWT?? yikes.. do you plan on flying back to T.O. each fill???( could get expensive)

I'd consider GASTRIC SLEEVE if I lived where you do... no fills.. you get the SMALLER Stomach and get full... but once you've had surgery... you'll be restricted... Perhaps Dr. Yau does sleeve as well... I wouldn't be surprised.

Actually, if I had it all to do over again... I would have gotten the SLEEVE... but this is hindsight... Several of my Lapbander friends feel the same way... all the adjustments to fills etc can be a pain in the ass....

That being said I've been at my sweet spot since last March 09 and I havne't had a fill since... Don't think I'll need one anytme soon... unless I get closer to my weight goal... then the band will loosen and I'll need it tightened up again.

As you loose weight, the band gets looser too.

Hello,

I'm a nurse so I work with a lot of nurses and have doctors around frequently. Someone mentioned there is a guy who is banded in the NWT....if you're reading this and you're in Yellowknife, can you contact me? It would be nice to have someone locally to also bounce ideas off of :eek:

I've read about the sleeve and I just think I want minimally invasive so for me it was either this or nothing...so I'm going to hope for the best :frown: That's pretty much why I've asked a lot of questions so I know what to expect and trouble shooting.

Morning everyone

Just wanted to let you know that there is a new fill/de-fill Doctor in Oshawa near Taunton and Thornton.

His name is Dr. Lapena and he was fantastic. I had .5cc removed and for someone that has only been doing this for 6 weeks I was impressed.

Just make sure that they receive the paperwork via the clinic. I was told Nancy would take care of it but when I got there they hadn't rec'd anything. After numerous calls...reaching only voice mail.....a live person had to email Nancy and get the paperwork faxed over.

I must say they have NOT improved getting thru to them in any way whatsoever!!!

My very best to all and especially Doddie on her 38th wedding anniversary today. My love to you and Jim. xoxox

Thanks Donna D. Very nice of you to remember. Hope the weather holds for you in November and we can have a short get together.

Have to admit, the fill nurse is a bit slow on her paperwork which can cause problems. Doctors already have too much paper work and if the cliniic is slow, good probability they will discontinue their association with the clinic. Hope not as fill doctors are hard to find. Maybe someone should take over the paper trail as I have never had a problem with the other professionals. Just a suggestion.

Morning everyone

Just wanted to let you know that there is a new fill/de-fill Doctor in Oshawa near Taunton and Thornton.

His name is Dr. Lapena and he was fantastic. I had .5cc removed and for someone that has only been doing this for 6 weeks I was impressed.

Just make sure that they receive the paperwork via the clinic. I was told Nancy would take care of it but when I got there they hadn't rec'd anything. After numerous calls...reaching only voice mail.....a live person had to email Nancy and get the paperwork faxed over.

I must say they have NOT improved getting thru to them in any way whatsoever!!!

My very best to all and especially Doddie on her 38th wedding anniversary today. My love to you and Jim. xoxox