Lindsay

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It depends where in Canada you are. It's been discussed in this forum quite a few times - try doing a search. I know in Ontario, it's NOT taxable, as Gastric Lapbands are not applicable.

They do offer broth, but it's sometimes not broth, and you end up picking out the chunky stuff. I know when I was at hotel, they didn't really have a full grasp on what I was ordering from room service. Communication break down (I speak very little spanish) and the OCC had just started bringing clients there, so they weren't familiar with that I needed. I'm sure it's a lot better now. Not knowing if you're traveling by plane, trying to find CLEAR BROTH at the airport was literally impossible.

I didn't go for the shopping. The mall was terrible (IMHO), and nothing was worth dragging home. - broth cubes - crystal light on-the-go packs - try and find ones with protein. - jogging pants & tshits. Anything baggy. - magazines! - a laptop is super handy, too, but of course, not essential. You'll be doing a lot of sleeping, so just bring comfy clothes, and a few pairs of thick socks to keep your feet warm.

I'm waiting until I've reached my lowest goal weight, but also been able to maintain for at least 6 months.

Everyone thinks I'm being 'mean'. LOL .. no one gets the larger point, which is what I was getting at.

If 2 out of 3 people had signatures like that .......... it's a usability issue. nothing personal, fug.

I don't have a slow system, and my monitor is huge, which is another reason it's so freakin' annoeying ... I don't want to see huge photos every time I click on a link to visit a thread. it's improper forum etiquette, to have monster signatures. Before/After pictures, IMHO, should be saved for the gallery or your blog, both which are readily avail in this forum.

don't worry - you'll have full connectivity!

Can you put a stop to these? they're so freakin' annoying ... having a series 500x500 picture series of someone's weight loss ... they're just too BIG and really slow down the loading for each thread! (specifically RevyD) I've never seen such massive signatures, in all of the forums I'm part of. That's why there's a GALLERY section. UGH.

Very common. You're not eating much that needs to be broken down - hence nothing to poop out!

Oh you will! Just give your body a few months to recover. and remember that your fills (&restriction) will probably be done in little steps.. that was the most frustrating part - tiny little fills, and i barely had any restriction for the first year or so. But it was a blessing in disguise, as it forced me to really work on the psychological aspect behind my over eating. Make sure you keep me posted on your progress!

1. I believe it's CLEAR liquids for the first 2 weeks AFTER surgery. Clamato and/or tomato juice is a no-no. As a side note, you may find it gives you heart burn. You'll want to avoid anything spicy after surgery, for at least a few weeks until you figure out what you can get away with. I know I had terrible heart burn, and was very sensitive to a lot post surgery. It also doesn't have much in the way of nutritional value, so I'm aim for something a bit higher in protein, to help with your energy levels. 2. Itchy incision = it's healing. It's just fine to use Vit E on it. That will help with the scar, as well. 3. I had BAD BAD heart burn & gas. I found GasX strips worked, and ended up taking something for the horrible/severe heart burn, which really only lasted a few weeks. To help with gas, keep movin' - you'll find walking helps a lot. 5. Powder fibre supp to clear liquid. Hope this helps!

celery is fine. Carrots, no go. Stick with very very low carb veggies: onions, celery, cucumbers, lettuce, broccoli & cauliflower, green/red/yellow peppers, asparagus, brussel sprouts. I think that's about it! But it's a good list

I burp A LOT now. To the point where my sister says it's annoying .. and gross. I thought I hid it well, but i guess not. My boyfriend is completely used to it, but I do know I burp a lot, or I'd have so much air in my stomach, it would be painful. I do the 'force' burp to empty myself ... and i think it's one of those side effects that's extremely common.

whoohoo! awesome! are you paying for this modification surgery? PM me with the details, please

I'm coming down with a cold, and noticed port pain. When my immune system is down, i feel like that 'area' is more sensitive than usual.

I don't need to snack anymore with the band ... but i also don't buy nor keep crap in the house. I get far too tempted. So I don't buy it.

I had weird phantom pains at the port location for almost 8 months. Then all of a sudden, they just went away!

hm. where did you get your fill done? at the occ??

I'm developing this problem too. I can't lay on my left side without it pressing up against my ribs. And it's almost fully visible on the surface of my stomach. Let me know when/if you get a response.

oh wait! I have one of those lumps, too!

I just don't understand why you'd want to spend more $$ on appetite suppression. Isn't that the purpose of the band ?

That is probably true! I paid everything up front - I didn't want to carry any large amts of money with me. So I paid for everything before i left.