AngieM

Thanks. I plan to do that but I also like to "go in" kinda educated if I can. Thanks again for your reply. I wonder if It is just a fill problem then or maybe a dilation? At anyrate I am making my appointment tomorrow.

What does it feel like and what are the symptoms? Sometimes my stomach will feel a burning sensation. Even when I havn't eaten in a while. I also wonder if it is esoph spasims. If you have had these problems please let me know the symptoms and the fix. Thanks so much!

I had the same problem. The doc took out .25 of a fill and I did liqids for 4 days. Now things are fine.

Thanks for being so willing to share. I am almost there too. Are you self pay or will your ins. cover? Do you know how much it will cost you?

Wow I just posted about the same thing! I would hate to get an unfill b/c the weight loss is still soooo slow or none! I am a little over 1.5 out too. Seems we have a few things in common. I am 30 years old and I am now at a weight of 225. I started out at 360 though. Do you have days where you feel like you cant get enough to eat and others to tight for a protien shake? Just last week I had about 2 slices of pizza but now I am afraid to eat/drink just about anything!

This is something I have always struggled with it seems. I have been refluxing at night and last night it was really bad. It seems I sucked some into my lungs and now I have tightness in my chest. Is this a symptom of a problem like dialation or what? I don't know if I am too tight or not tight enough. Sometimes I can get full on 2 chicken nuggets other times I can eat a whole 6 piece! Don't know what to do for sure. There are days I just can not get full and I want a fill really bad but others I feel like I am tight even with liquids. Does anyone else have this problem? Does this sound like a slip or dialaition or somthing like that?

At first yes, you do have to over do it. Then later on you learn how to take a full bite and make it last 5 min! You will loosen up a little after a while too. Don't worry it will become second nature and you won't have to work at it so hard. As for still eating dinner from last night... I eat one dinner for about a week!

You should tell your doc exatly what you want. They after all do work for you. Please keep us updated. I am about 18 months out and find myself slipping into the same patterns as you have. You are SOOO not alone. We hare here to help eachother not judge. Thanks for posting! Let me know how things go for you...

I never could figure out how much restriction was enough till I was overfilled one time. Then I knew how much I wanted to be filled. It is just a trial and error thing.

I the only one out there that has to contort and snap my back in half to wipe my bum? it's TERRIBLE. Any suggestions? sigh:cry

I Had that problem too. And I R E F U S E D to let anyone else do it. What I did was... I took a pair of kitchen tongs (bought them for this project never use them in the kitchen ofcourse) Then I bent them slightly. They reach perfectly. The only problem was the paper kept slipping off the ends. To solve that problem I took a pair of gloves that they had there in the hospital room and I wrapped the ends like rubber bands then washed off the powder. That worked perfectly. I have had some other family members ask to borrow them as they have had various types of surgery. They just get a new pair of gloves and wash them of course. I hope this works for you. I am sure they make something like that in the buisness but I never found them and if they do I am sure they cost more than one dollar!

Do you still have your gall bladder? That is how my attacks started. Maybe the chili set you off. But if you keep getting the pain I would contact your doc as soon as you can about it.

Thank you. Now I will kind of know what to expect. I am calling the Doc tomorrow to find out what he thinks. I feel better going into this more informed.

Has anyone had a dialated pouch or esoph? What were your symptoms? I can eat way more than I should and more than I used to be able to. How do you know the difference between just needing a fill or haveing a stretched pouch. I sometimes eat a couple bites past full but not to the point of PBing. I don't have reflux or any other symptoms. Thanks!

Make sense to me!

So you think that maybe the band loosens like a belt around the stomach? That is something I have been thinking about. Also after this long maybe some of the saline is gone? I remember my last fill there was a little less in there than what he put in last time.

Okay I have a decision to make here and I need a little help from my friends! I have a gain of 2 pounds this month. This is the first gain in about 1 year! The nurse says I need to consider a fill. MY problem is I have 3.25cc in a band that can hold 10cc. I was over filled at 4cc where I couldn't even swallow my own saliva without throwing up. And at 3.5 I was verrrry uncomfortable. To the point of only eating mushie food. Everything went into the processor first. At 3.25 I was able to eat comfortable anything I want and get full fast and stay satisfied for about 3 hours I was losing 2-6 pounds a month.

Now 6 months later I find my portions growing and wanting to eat every 2 hours. In the morning I can only have Water. Not even a Protein shake b/c I am so tight. Then I eat around 11am. About 1 cup of food. I make myself wait till 2pm (want to eat earlier) then have about 1 1/2 cup of food. Then at 5pm I eat with the family about 1 or 1 1/2 cup of food. Then I try to not eat the rest of the night, however at 8pm I am so hungry!(my biggest meal) I just ate tonight...1/3c cottage cheese and 12 wheat crackers...still hungry so I had a leftover 1/2 double cheeseburger bun and all. I usually can not do bread well but now I have no problems with it. And it is taking a lot of will power (not band power) to stay out of the kitchen! (how long will that last LOL)

What do I do? I am at 3.25 and at 3.5 I was very uncomfortable. I don't want to go there again! I sometimes think about a dialated pouch but I am so tight in the mornings!

I also haven't been working out. Do I wait a month and see if that will help. It may help with the weight loss. Not sure how that will help with the hunger? Just don't want to spend the money and effort just to end up with the same fill level I am at now!:help: Thanks!

Okay I want in on this thread! It feels like it will take forever to get all this weight off! I see people starting weight at 240 (my current weight) My starting BMI was 57 (I think) I started at 360. My insurance wouldn't pay for the AGB till I lowerd my BMI to 50. I am glad that you started this thread. Thanks!

Yea the nurse says it is time to adjust my band. But I do have to be a little honest here I do push past full sometimes when I eat about 1/2 cup of food. Depending on what it is. I have a weigh in on Tuesday. If I have a loss I will not go for a fill just yet. I am waiting till I gain to do that. If I am still losing just slower, I will just be patient. And if I start working out a little that might lose better. Just praying for SOME loss Tuesday! I will update then. Thanks guys I love all the advise and suggestions.

I can not decide if I need to go on liquids because my pouch is possibly dilated or if I just need a fill! I don't have reflux anymore so I don't suspect the dilated pouch as much anymore... Just seems I am not satisfied on anything less than 1 cup of food (sometimes more) and that don't stay with me for more than 1 or 2 hours and that sounds like a fill is needed! So if you have had a dilated pouch please send me your advice. I don't really want to spend the money on a fluro exam. I haven't weighed in yet this month but according to my bathroom scale I may be up a couple of pounds this month! Thanks in advance for your advise.

PS I have 3.25 in a 10cc band.

My best suggestion is make sure you are chewing your food until it is a liquid in your mouth before you swollow it. It sounds like that maybe now and then you are getting a too big of bite and/or not chewing well enough or eating too fast on the really tight days. And maybe that is why you can eat a lot somedays. You could also be prone to swelling. If your stomach is swelling it will give you restriction suddenly. Or if you have allergies you could have some throat drainage and that could be filling your pouch (ewww I know but truth) It doesn't look like there is very much fill in your band. I am glad to know you will be talking to your Dr soon. Keep us updated.

PS: And I never work out. Not on pourpose anyway!

Angie you are write! We are neighbors. So Howdy Neighbor. How was your weight loss so successful? did you count calories? work out or what?

Get back. Banded 10/31/2006

356/210/135 I hope

356 10/05

231 10/31/06 surgery date

210 as of today

Surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Genaw "Genious at work!"

Henry Ford Hospital.

Shirley...

Looks like you are doing better than I am! I was banded on the 17th, started at 360 and have lost less than you! I deserve the slow loss though. I eat just awful. If I want it I eat it just like before. It's just that now the band stops me at 1/2 slice of pizza instead of a whole pizza! I have slowed down the loss big time. Did that happen to you or are you still losing really well? Are you following everything like you are supposed to? See, that is my problem. I don't do rules well. The ones I follow are the Water rules. And that is only because if I don't get my water in I pay for it later. I snack too much and eat too much junk. I finish my plate even when I am full. I don't PB much though. Maybe 2x a month. I have 3.25 in my 10cc band. Maybe I am not very tight? I have been tighter though and it feels just awful. Feels like I will PB on a protien shake. (yea well I don't do those anymore eaither. See what I mean? Just awful!){hangs head in shame:o } But I have lost this far and plan to continue to lose even if it is only 2 pounds a month!LOL

Angie: were abouts in Michigan? Gee all these people that I am meeting from Michigan, We all need to meet somewere for coffee, or what ever

I'm sure we would all have a lot to tell each other. Get Back.. Shirley...

I am in Indiana on the border just south of the toll road.

Hi Angie,

You have done great with your band. I am impressed. Are you maintaining now or still trying to lose?

You have stumbled into a great group. Welcome!!!

Oh, I still have a ways to go! I still weigh about 240. My Doc's goal is 208.5 for me.(70% of excess weight) However I would like to be at 197. That would make my BMI so low I wouldn't qualify for surgery. (even with co morbids) But I weighed more than 200 in the 6th grade so I can not quite immagine being less than that! I am glad to have stumbled upon this group. Seems you all are very supportive. I love getting the emails that there is another post!

Thanks for the welcome all! Shirley, I am in Northern IN so we are practicly neighbors I am in the "Michiana" area.