stevoinfranklin

Well I had to come back to tell everyone about my journey..luckily for me it was not as hard as I thought.

Was banded 2 years ago..weighed 311 pounds before the surgery..got down to 303 the day of the surgery..and now I have stabled out today @ 178 pounds....yup..133 pounds gone..along with my Type 2 Diabetes and a much lower blood pressure.

Did I think I made a mistake at first...duhhh..you bet..those first few long weeks were both scary and

humbling but I was bound and determined to make this work for me.My main reasoning/rationale was

not only my health issues of course...but I was a self pay and every day I told myself not to mess this up due to all the money that I shelled out..lol..it helped!!

This forum was also a lifesaver...I was on everyday scouring for bits n pieces of any info that I thought would help me thru this journey.The main piece of info I would like to share is that..as we have all heard time n time again..IT IS A TOOL..not a miracle cure...you also must shift thru all the info and find what works best for you.WE are all individuals thus we are all different..what worked for me will not always work for you!

We all now know that different clinics have different sets of rules/guidelines..drove me bonkers at first reading about this Dr said yes to this...but this Dr said no..wow!! I shifted thru alot of info and it can be so frustrating and confusing!

Case in point..how long to wait before consuming liquids.The first year I stuck with what my Dr told me..wait at least 45 minutes to an hour before having liquids..set my alarm after every meal..stayed busy until I could drink!!Now I only wait 20- 30 minutes and have no problems at all.Will it work for you..I cannot answer that..but I experimented with everything that I read til I found a solution that I could live with.

I want to tell the newbies to stay focused...it can and will be difficult for some but the outcome is worth all the frustrations and self doubts!!

Do I know the band is still there..of course..I still follow some simple rules/guidelines...but it has become such a daily part of my life and I refuse to go back to the way I was before surgery.

I wish all continued success on your life changing journey!!

WOOHOO...way to go on your success!! NO Sugar Ice Cream for all...lol !!

Just celebrated my one year anniversary..Dr Wellborn in Little Rock did my surgery.I am very happy with him and his staff...everyone there with the exception of him..are banders!! They have all been down our road and make it so much easier to relate to.

I am now down 118 pounds and am amazed on how I have progressed!!

Wish you success on your journey

OMG...this is exactly what I needed to hear and read about this morning....thank you...thank you.

Have reached that dreaded plateau that I knew was coming and did not want to deal with!! The

weight came off fast after surgery (half-way where I need to be after only 3 short months..65 lbs

gone....but now the slow down begins )

i realize now that I need an attitude adjustment along with my next fill....bless you for this great

post.

WOW....sounds like you had Nurse Ratchet !!

I would not tolerate such behavior...I would first ask nicely to speak with your Dr...and if she did not

comply with your wishes...I would go bonkers until I at least spoke to someone higher up than her!!

Please remember that you are the patient (whether self pay or insurance) and therefore you are in

control...not her.

Our journey can be difficult at times and I hope you get this matter resolved so you can continue on

with your great success...good luck!!

I am glad to read i am not the only person who is at 6.5 and needs another fill....i am 9 months out and i had done amazingly well and i go to get a fill and get scolded instead...not a good feeling....the nurse doing fills was rude and chastised me for gaining i tried to exlain and she didnt listen to me...i have said for 3 visits now i think i need a fill and she wont listen i mean i had lost 78 lbs now i gained 10......so what do i say to get her to do a fill...i had one fill after surgery and have gone every 2 months...she says i am at my limiit and if thats the case why am i sttill going there...a lot of tme and money and rearranging my schedule so i can feel depressed and give up.....i hope u dp ell keep me posted on if u get a fill or not......

I think your answer might be found in your last sentence...." I suck at eating right " ?? I was banded on

7/21/11 and have had 2 fills (2nd one 4 days ago)...and I know I am no there yet because I am starting

to feel hungry between meals and feel that I could eat whatever I wanted....WRONG !!

I use to use food as a crutch for whatever ailed me...work...relationship...etc and the next thing I knew

I was morbidly obese....gawd I still cringe when I see those 2 words...I knew I was " heavy" but not those

2 dreaded words...blah !!

My point is you HAVE to change your mindset as difficult as it sounds....you are fighting your band for

whatever reason...you cannot and must not give in to mindless eating...that is what got most of us into

trouble to begin with.

As most everyone here will tell you...and trust me I get tired of hearing it...the band is a TOOL...not a

a magic pill that we can take and poof...bye-bye pounds !! I couldn't lose all the weight I gained...so

I made a commitment to myself that I was going to make the band work..especially since the money

was coming out of my pocket...is it difficult...hell yes...is it a lifestyle change...double hell yes ...lol !!

Please be patient and remember why you made the decision to get the band....most importantly tho

is work with your Dr....each one of is different and each one of us responds differently to this procedure.

Me personally...I will not weigh myself until the Dr does every 2 weeks...we can yo yo some so why

beat yourself up over a 1/2 pound here or there. I do measure once a week and keep a journal...the

inches come off much faster than the pounds I have found and it is so gratifying for me.

Go to MyFitnessPal.com and start tracking everything....and I mean everything you put in your mouth

and you will freak out when those innocent little Snacks or rewards add up to a whole lot of calories!!

I wish you luck my friend...hope this helps you on your journey.....Stevo

I had surgery on 8/17 with my first fill of 3cc on 9/8. I noticed within 3 days that I was eating small portions, but becoming hungry again soon after (about an hour or 2 later). I have seen mentioned a few times that it takes a few weeks for a fill to 'work' and to notice a difference in how much and how often you are eating. I dont really understand that because I would think it would be an instant feeling after the swelling goes down.

After my fill I did 24 hrs of liquid and lost 2 lbs. On Sunday night and all day Monday (yesterday) I could not stop eating, even when I knew I wasnt hungry and was feeling uncomfortably full. Hopped on the scale this morning and I gained about a lb and a half.

Today I have been better with my eating. I've eaten oatmeal for breakfast, had a string cheese for a snack, then a Healthy Choice meal for lunch. (540 calories total).

So, my question for all you out there in bandster land, how long should I wait to go in for another fill? I'm afraid if I a month, I might gain back the rest of the 2lbs I lost PLUS more (because I suck at eating right )

Although I have only been banded since July 21st and had only one fill so far,I felt a need to

respond to your post.

From everything I have read and been advised by my Dr and his staff you will almost always

have some swelling due to a fill or unfill. It is best for most of us to be on liquids for the first 48 hours.

With that said may I suggest sipping hot broth, tea or coffee...especially in the morning...the majority

of us suffer from "morning tightness" and it is difficult to get anything to go down!!

And DO NOT gulp or chug your liquids down...too much air gets in your stomach...thus the painful

bloating and belching which usually leads to puking,which as we all know can be damaging to

the band!

May I ask why you had a complete unfill?Were you tried of the restrictions??

I wish you the best Lee....

Hi,

I was actually banded in 2003 and lost all my weight and decided stupidly to get a total unfill. Well, only took 8 months for me to gain 50 pounds (lots of ice cream). I went back to getting fills the last few months.

It must be so long ago and I don't remember...but I am having so much problem holding down liquids. I was filled 3ml on Tuesday and than went back the next day for an unfill of 1.5 ml. At the office, it showed that "some" Water was going through. I have left the office when NO Water was going through and been fine. But even today, I am having a hard time drinking water or any liquid. My mouth is dry and I feel constantly thirsty. I mean to just sip but end up gulping down 16 ounces of liquid at a time. I just can't help myself from the thirst.

I am actually sitting here typing this with a golf ball type feeling in my throat. I have just cranked about 8 ounces of water at the slowest rate I could. I just have the urge to go and make myself burp up the golf ball feeling in my throat. I have been doing that a lot today. The uncomfortableness gets to me. My question is... Is this normal? Is it just swelling? Should I give it til or past Monday before I go back and ask for more taken out? Will that golf ball feeling go away? Is there anything I should do?

I just don't remember my past fills being this uncomfortable or maybe it has been too long. Thank you all in advance for your answers and advice.

Lee

What type of meat are you eating and are your portions iddy biddy and you are chew chew chewing then

chewing some more??

I can no longer enjoy a strip steak because it is too dense...but my new best friend is a tenderloin...yes

more expensive but not really when I have the butcher cut me a 6oz piece and can usually make 2 meals

out of it!!

Moist meat is usually our friend...no more dry rubbery chicken for me....you might revisit the types of meats

you are eating....hope this helps!

I had a fill about 3-4 weeks ago an my doctor told me to be careful cuz i was really tight. well i did the 3 days liquids and resumed eating as normal. i did notice better restriction and staying satiated longer, but now for the past 3 days i'm having trouble getting down meats. I get stuck/slime and had to force myself to throw up to get relief once. I've heard that sometimes it can take a few weeks to feel the real effects of a fill. do you guys think this is what i'm dealing with?

Has this happended to anyone else?

Understand the hunger pangs...today is my 10th day being banded and liquids can be a pain...

Have been reading this forum since being banded and realize that every Doctor is different when it comes to the does and don'ts. If you can drink it thru a straw you can have it is my Dr's mantra...so I get creative...it's

like trying a new recipe...puree your favorite Soups...thin down mashed potatoes with some broth...anything

different helps soothe those hunger pangs!!

I also now know that this is the ultimate diet challenge....if I want to cheat...I will pay AND I paid way too

much to mess this up!

Stay busy...do little things like clean out that junk drawer (we all have one)...reorganize the closet...in

other words...keep your mind off of your hunger!!

Good luck to all

Thanks for the reply....makes sense about the gum getting stuck....yuk!!

As far as the hard candies i limit myself to no more than 2 a day..guess I better pull out my best friend

sugar free Jell-o when those pangs hit!!

I think a few- say 2 or 3- sugar free candies a day is fine. More than that and those 30 calories start to add up. Also, the sugar alchohols can give you stomach trouble if you have too much. I was told not to chew gum, it would be a huge problem with the band if you were to swallow it, it would have to be removed surgically. Congrats on your recent surgery! Best wishes.

Had my lapband surgery on July 21 and like alot of you struggling now with what I think is hunger pangs as we call them here in the Ozarks between meals(still on liquids).

I have found this site and it really helps to read about everyone's ups and downs...makes you feel you are not the only one going thru this journey.

My question is I have not read anything about gum or hard candies...I'm talking about such items as Werther's

sugar-free coffee or caramel nips @30 calories or less and all sugar free gum.

Having one or the other seems to help me get between meals without knawing on the computer...lol

Any thoughts??

Stevo

I just had my lapband one week ago and I am 60 yrs old...like you I was concerned.

No major problems to report except behavior modification...guess it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks??

Seriously tho...if all your tests blood heart etc are ok...go for it!!

Good luck