Bowierocksme

Teyann, If you think you can or you think you can't, you are right. I guess I am trying to say that we can all imagine the worst and talk ourselves around in circles. I did not have a fill provider arranged here in the Toronto area and the Lapband doctors in the area all want $5,000.00 to take on Mexican banded patients. I went with it anyway and found a fill centre through fill centres USA just over the border not far from Windsor in Michigan, about a 4 1/2 hour drive for me from Oshawa, $349 was all I paid and that included the first fill. Any further fills will be $165 US, very do-able for me and a lot less than the flight back to OCC. I know a lot of BC banded people make the trip to Washington state to get fills. You could network and share a ride with someone from this very forum if need be! Think outside the box and know that everything will work out and be alright. The people on this Forum are AMAZING and helpful and loving with each other. We have all been where you are. Food for thought! KIM

You guys kill me, I am getting a good giggle on from this little exchange! KIM

Note to self, "No pancakes for me." LOL!!! Oh Jann, so sorry you went throught that, it reminded me of a time when I was first married that my Husband made Lasagna. He was so proud of it and when I dug in, I discovered that he had put canned oysters in it! YUK, it was horrible...oh well, at least he tried. Maybe you should do liquids for the next meal or two, you don't think you hurt yourself do you? KIM

Hey Cathy, Hope the fill was great and you hit the "SPOT"! KIM

Diets don't work, you are fooling yourself and living in denial if you think you can do it on your own...look into the stats. Most people who diet gain it back plus more. I know in my truth that this was the best decision I have made in my whole life regarding the care and feeding of ME! I don't mean to offend but life if short, when I discovered the OCC online and figured out that it was do-able from a financial perspective it was like someone up there threw me a flotation device and stopped me from drowning. Yeah, I know I can get a little dramatic, sorry. KIM

Oh for Gosh sakes, I went down there by myself from the Toronto area, no worries, every thing is very professional! I couldn't find a bad thing to be said about the OCC before I went. You have done the right thing, stop worrying about Dr. Ortiz and the clinic and spend your energy on your pre-op and changing your life! All the best, KIM

Hi Everybody, I just got back from my first fill, went to the fill centre usa in Troy MI....the doctor was adorable, her first name is Ivory and that's what she said to call her, how cute eh? I went to stay at my Mom's house the night before and she drove with me, 3 and a half hour drive over the border from Ontario, had no idea where I was going, thank goodness for Mapquest! Drove back to my Mom's and crashed at 9PM, slept until 7 this morning and then drove the last hour to my house. It was a disaster when I got back, teenagers!!!!! She did a blind fill, 2 cc's in my 4cc band. I feel super, I am still on liquids for today and will add food tomorrow. I thought I was gaining weight but I weighed in at 200 at the office and 199lbs. this morning at my Mom's!!! What a great rush to be back in one-derland! I have no hesitation in recommending the Troy fill centre for any one from Ontario looking for a fill Dr. They treated me with nothing but respect even though I went to Mexico....LOL! Cheers, KIM

Hey Trudy, Don't be so hard on yourself. You are down 18lbs and that is a fantastic achievement. Try putting 18 lbs. of butter in a bag and carry that around all day and you will see how significant that really is. Try really hard not to knock yourself, we need to be our own best friends in this endevour instead of beating ourselves up over and over again. I for one am tired of hating on myself. I have tasted enough food in my life and had all the treats and sweets that I could handle too. It is easy to fall back to that old friend "food". Get strong and get mad at that fat, that's what I am trying to do...I haven't lost as much as I thought I would have by now either but each day is a new day and we get to start our lives all over again and make new choices. Hang in there Girl!!! Cheers, KIM

I have got to agree with Julie on this one. I was a smoker but quit back in 1986 and I am greatful that I was able to do it cold turkey. It is really a nasty habit and in this day and age there is no reason for anybody to continue to do it except out of habit and addiction. Most of us are a little obsessive/compulsive or we wouldn't have the issues we have with the need for excssive food and drugs that our bodies don't require to live. I remember seeing a woman on Oprah once who got a gastric bypass and then became an alcoholic because her old drug of choice was no longer an option. I don't mean to sound preachy but I have been in therapy a time or two in my life and I know that addictive personalities will hang on to whatever they can to keep themselves numbed out. If we have to face the food issue through the band, why not face the need to use other substances as well? I have decided to take up some hand stitching work in the evenings to keep my mind of the night eating that made me fat. Just trying to be helpful, hope no one takes offence. Cheers, KIM

Ask for your surgical report, they send it as a PDF file. KIM

Hey there, I had a scrambled egg with onions and green pepper softened in butter, no milk in the egg. Man was it good!!! KIM

Hi Jo, Congrats on making the decision to get banded. Two of my kids just spent the summer in Trenton @ the cadet camp, one on staff and one on the band course. I am in Oshawa. Best of luck and Welcome!!! KIM

Hi Alana, If you e-mail your patient co-ordinater at the OCC they will be happy to send you your files. I had no problem getting them e-mailed, I plan on having my fills done through fill centres USA even though I live in the Toronto area. Cheers, KIM

OK, I'm booked!!! October 9th @ 12:30 pm at the Troy fill centre. Thank God, I know I can hang on until them without doing too much damage! Have a great day all! KIM

Yes girls, you are right! I have had a call today from Fill centres USA to check up on me and I am going to get back to them and book a fill for the 20th of this month if I can get the appointment. I have to drive approx. 5 hours to get to Troy MI but it will be worth it! Glad you like my Avatar Cathy, It is how I have been feeling!!! KIM

Hi all, I am 34 days out from being banded and have been able to eat solids for weeks now...for the last week I have been feeling like I am on a slippery slope and eating for all of the old reasons...Boredom, sadness, anxiety etc. I will be setting an appointment to have a fill later this month but I am feeling out of control now! I am not really feeling hungry but I am eating anyway and the wrong things. I went to visit my Mother last weekend and ate cookies and potato pancakes at the Kitchener market (Kitty will know what I am talking about, awesome market, lots of Mennonite food.) Help!!! I gained a pound on my scale and now I am afraid to even check it again. I know it is still early days with this whole being banded thing. I don't want to let myself down and screw this up! Thanks for listening. KIM

Hey Christina, Give yourself a big pat on the back for taking control of your life and getting the band. I am 45 years old and have wasted a lifetime being fat and using food to soothe my feelings and hurts in life....I have been depressed for years and have just been banded too. I come off of the liquid phase this Thursday and I have got to admit that this last week has been harder than the pre-op and the first two weeks of liquids. I just keep telling myself that it has got to change, there is no other option and my days using food as my drug are over and done with. You go girl!!! You have a 14 year jump on me in enjoying your life. You may need to excuse yourself from these situations for now but as you gain control I am sure you will gain insight into how to deal with them in the future. Cheers, KIM

Hi Kathy! I called Missisauga today and they want 5K to take me on. Troy is only a day trip and the price is reasonable. Fill centers USA seem to have a good follow up program. I won't need my first fill until late October so if something else pans out I will go for it. Just can't swing the extra money to fly back to TJ, it would run me about a thousand dollars for the flight and hotel for a nite. KIM

Hi all, I am going to have to go to the Fill Centre USA in Troy MI for my fill at the end of October, I haven't booked the appt. yet. Is there anyone out there in the same boat who would like to share the ride and split the gas costs? I live Oshawa and would be happy to pick up fellow bandsters between here and Windsor for the company and to help share the cost of the trip. Cheers, KIM

Hi all, Just wondering if there is anyone in the Toronto area who would be willing to share gas and a ride to Troy, Michigan to get a fill. This is the most cost effective option for me and I would be happy to double up with someone. I will need to go during the last half of October and would be able to do the driving. Cheers, KIM

Here is some shocking information about Aspartame, I would think twice about taking in large amounts of this substance. There is campaigning going on to have it removed from the market place. Link: http://dorway.com/dorwblog/?page_id=59 KIM

The slim fast shakes usually have more calories than recommended by the OCC pre-op diet I was sent. It stated that the shake you drink should be no more than 225 cal./shake. That's why I chose my local drug stores generic brand. I know that the Slimfast Optimum shake mix that I have in the house right now is 260 cal./shake. Maybe you should consider the 3 shake a day option for a day or two and see if it moves anything. That with lots of water should do the trick. Cheers, KIM

Hi Amy, Correct me if I am wrong but I remember Dr. Miranda saying that the best way to eat would be Atkins, your food logs have a lot of carbs in them. The last serious diet I was on before deciding to be banded was Atkins, it does work and it worked for me but my emotions got me in trouble and I put the weight back on. I am hoping that the band will be the tool to quench the hunger so that I don't get into trouble. KIM

Hi All, I am home from my adventure to the OCC!!! I arrived back in Toronto late last night and was greeted by my Husband and 3 Daughters. All went well. I can still feel some gas build up in my belly even after a few days. My surgery was Wed. Morning. Feeling a little dizzy today, I travelled all day yesterday, it was a hoot walking across the border with all of the natives! I am now sipping some broth and looking forward to less of me! KIM

Well, the pre-op is really starting to get to me this morning. I fly down to the OCC tomorrow. I am down 10 lbs. by my scale. I have been doing pretty well with nooooooo cheating. I was at the bank this morning to get some American money, I am Canadian, and then I ran into the drug store.....all these shakes are getting to me and I felt that I would soon need to get home and use the rest room......as I am standing in the isle the poop decides it is coming whether I like it or not!!!! I actually had an accident like a 2 year old!!!! HOW EMBARASSING!!!!! Luckily nobody was around and I cashed out standing as far back from the check out girl as I could. The store is just around the corner, THANK GOD, and I ran in the house and straight into the shower ( I still had to sit down to drive, YUK) . I hope this puts a smile on some of your faces today, I am feeling the nerves of going to get the surgery but I am still really excited. This is just the kind of "CRAP" that happens to me. KIM