Countryheart2000

I have had the worst time with this band glad it out but can someone till me can I you can start eat soft foods ??

I just had my band removed yesterday......How are you doing?

Had my band removed. If was no working for me. I have had problems from the beginning. I have lost no weight. I had band put in last year, still felt nothing,and I had around 4 or 5 cc in band. My surgeon put .5 cc in each fill. For the last month I have had port pain,and my Surgeon went in this morning to look for flipped port, the port had pushed through some of my tissue. the surgeon removed it. I am sad, thought if would work for me. I will be so happy to get back to normal.

Hi everyone. I was banded 3/12/12. So far I have lost 45 lbs. I have felt kind of stalled lately and minimal restriction so I got a fill on Thurs 7/17 of 1cc. Friday afternoon I noticed some itching around the injection site. It about the size of a quarter not sore at all. Looks like an itchy raised red rash. Has anyone ever had this problem. I called the doc on call today to ask if he thought it was an infection. He said he does not think it is an infection. Just possibly irritation from the fill and that it will probably be that way for a week. . According to the PA that does my fills, my port is angled and deep she said. So it usually always bruises and she pushes pretty hard to locate it. No pain with this process since she numbs it first. This time the numbing burned a bit. So I have even wondered if I was having an allergic reaction to the numbing meds. Just looking for some feedback. Trying to not let my mind create anxiety over thinking it is a port infection.

it may be from the numbing medication. I wish my Dr. Use a numbing medication! If if continues call your Dr. For a check. My site gets sore , red, and painful from the pushing. This causes bruising and hematoma.

HI Everyone So glad i found this site and this is my first post so would be so grateful if anyone could offer any advice/answers I am 2 months post op lap band and today went for my second fill, my first fill wasn't to bad, port site tender when nurse was pressing it but the injection done really quick then, but today completely different:( I had an appointment with someone different this time, she was pressing my port constantly and it was so painful, she had the needle in for around 15 mins trying to find the correct point to inject, she had to abandon it then as my stomach was so sore and she made an appointment with another nurse for me in a few days time, gutted i travelled an hour and a half for this done, and as my first band fill was only 3ml and it was empty to begin with so as you can imagine not much restriction and not losing is quite disheartening! What i really need to ask is is it normal for the port to be so tender when getting probed and pushed, it hurts as soon as it starts and is quite unbearable. Is this normal? Thanks so much!

My Dr had a very hard time trying to locate correct spot for my injection port. He really hurt me. I was so sore. After a week I went to emergency room and had to get my Dr t check my stomach. It was so tender and painful with a couple of big knots in my stomach. I was scared my port or band went wrong. He X-Ray my abdomen and my port was fine but he said he pressed around so much I had hemotoma's. He gave me pain meds, and I go for anther fill August 2. I had my surgery August 5, 2013. I have not lost. I only get .5 cc in my band each month. I hope this one will be the GREEN fill!

@@Countryheart2000 how about requesting a fill under fluoroscopy - there are many Banders who insist on that. If he is having to poke seven times then he needs to be able to see better what is going on...... Meanwhile, maybe an ice lack on the port area? I bruise easily and even with just one poke I am usually bruised after a fill. I have had seven fills and am feeling really good about where I am now. My doctor is of the small fills school but as frequent as I needed, so we got me up to speed fairly quickly. Your doc is going to have to step things up.

well, I called my Dr this morning as I ave been so sore and hurting near my port. I was scared that my port gad flipped or something. They sent me to X-ray and my band is good, but I gave a huge hematoma due to the Dr pressing on my stomach and trying to get my fill last week. He apologized and gave me a script for pain meds.

Do you mean .5? .05 isn't even a drop. It would take about 280 fills like this to fill a 14 CC band? I feel for you. I've seen similar posts about super conservative docs who probably cause more failures than succeed just because they drag this out for so long.

I have a 10cc band. I guess I meant to say .5 cc. I don't know what the total in my band is. This was my 6th fill. He will not put anymore at one time. My tummy is swollen from the needle probing. I feel like I am recovering from surgery again. It hurts to bend over. I am wandering if there are any other patients from Dr. Ross in Elli-jay Georgia? He has been very good, with the exception of not aggressive with my fills.

My 6th fill of .05 and I am so sore and swelled. The doctor tried like 7 times before hitting the center of my port. I just hope this will get me into the green zone. I did not lose anything, stayed the same. I am trying, but I am just on a diet until I get some kind of restriction. I can tell no difference. All my surgeon puts in is .05 each time. I had my lap band on 8-5-13

With all the holes they poked in me it would not stop bleeding. My shirt was bloody and I soaked through two band aids. It seems to be slowed way down now, but I had to leave work and come home and lay down and put pressure on it. Thank you everyone for thinking of me and I will let everyone know what happens on Monday. I am hopeful it is just tilted or hard to find and not flipped.

the Dr. Has a hard time finding my port, and it hurts so much. I hate it. it will be one month next Wednesday when I return for another fill, and my stomach is still bruised from last time. I only get .5 of a fill. I still fill nothing..I only have about 2.5 cc in my band. I hope this next fill will be the one. Good luck!

I don't like the 'one size fits all' philosophy. Everyone is different and should be treated thus. Now...if you are not following the rules in terms of what you are eating and how much, that's a different story. If you are, I don't quite know why you can't have a more aggressive fill. OK...no more on this topic....I'm already breaking my own rule in that I never comment on anything fill related as I've not had any. Keep us posted Countryheart.

ok, I got a .05 cc fill today. The dr. Stuck me twice and it really hurt before finding my port. I am on liquids until tomorrow. I hope I get in the green zone this time. I did lose 4 pounds.

Well...yes and no...look at someone like yourself who has not had a single fill and lost over 100 pounds. It's not all about the fill. Much of the band work is the mind set. There is a reason why Dr.'s are conservative. I don't agree or disagree, I think it's all in what you do with the time it takes you to get to that optimal fill level. I think it's time you need to take to get your mind set right, to learn the basics about living with your band for your whole life. To destroy those old habits and establish new ones, to start a new way of eating and living and moving put an exercise plan in place. I am over a year out and I have not lost all my weight, I have been losing conservatively with my band. Why you might ask? Why not go in and amp up that fill and stop eating so much and lose all the weight and get to goal? Isn't that why I got banded? Nope that's not why. I didn't get banded to lose weight or to be thin. I got banded to be healthy. I don't want to have an eating disorder, I don't want to be stressing about food or nutrition or exercise or living my life. I got banded to live. I want to live my life with my band healthy and happy. I enjoy eating foods, and I enjoy not overeating them too I enjoy that life of moderation that I didn't know how to enjoy before. I have not gained a single pound since being banded. Some months I lose more, and some I don't lose as much. Sometimes I am disappointed in myself and I think I could have focused a bit better on the weight loss aspect of it, but then I remember all the things I did that day, that week that month, and I say oh yeah right...that's why I'm burning the candle from all ends and something's gotta give So there is something to be said for conservative. That said..if it's not for you..then sure get your self in there and amp it up. Either way though my friends, you are going to have to work at this. There is not magic to it. It's work, it takes time, it takes commitment and it takes effort. We are all in it together, banded together here we go! It's summa time!!! We can do this!!

thank you".....I needed to hear that. Sometimes my motivation is down, due to not losing.

Oh for God's sake! Why bother putting the band in if you're going to set your patient up for failure. Sweetie...demand larger fills. I mean it. You are the consumer and he works for you. Tell him. Otherwise, you are struggling needlessly.

i asked the nurse, she said he will not put in more than that amount for no one.

I looked back on her history and she has one of those docs who gives .5 CC fills once a month. And, she had some problems with her port site and wasn't able to get fills till the end of January. She's had 5 fills of .5 CC each fill. Lame huh? This is one of those instances where we choose our doc and have no idea how conservative they are? One must conclude that some of these docs get paid by the fill from insurance? .5 CCs is just way too conservative.

hello, yes you are correct on my history. I go in for another fill tomorrow,and I hope I feel something! My dr said that I need to keep track of what I eat for the nurse. I am just so disappointed in myself. I began a strict diet last week and I am hoping to gave lost a couple pounds. I can eat anything, and I feel no difference. My husband is telling me to take the band out, but I will not! It just has to kick in sometime. Thank you for your comments. I hope to have some good news soon. Maybe the .5 cc fill tomorrow will do the trick!

Thank you - great reply. So, you should not feel something at the back of your throat before it goes down? When I drink Water, I feel it go thru pretty easily. Today, I had eggs and I felt full but now 3 hours later, I am hungry. Is this normal? I was banded in Aug 2013 and have not lost any weight since the band. All weight loss was on the pre - op diet.

I also had the surgery last August,and have not lost nothing with my band, all on the pre-op diet.

I was banded in August of last year. I have not lost any weight since surgery. I really did not start getting fills till end of January because I had to have hernia repair surgery at incision site, so I have had 5 fills of one half of a cc each time. I feel nothing. I am so disappointed. I have not gained, because I am trying to diet. I am feeling like surgery was a mistake.....

i think I have about 2.5 cc in my band

Hello everyone, I just had my 2nd fill last thursday and I am not noticing any difference it terms of restriction. I am wondering if it could be a possibility that the nurse missed my port ? Could she just had injected me saline on my belly? I think about that because my co-worker had a fill with her and she missed her port,then had to pinch her again. I was given 1.5 cc so that makes my band at 5.5 CC filled and I just not filling full. I am losing weight because I stop myself and I am too scared i might stretch my pouch . I am able to eat everything, breads, Pasta, rice , meats etc.. I do chew well though and stay fuller much longer than I used to before I was banded. Anyone feels the same way after the second fill ?

I was banded in August of last year. I have not lost any weight since surgery. I really did not start getting fills till end of January because I had to have hernia repair surgery at incision site, so I have had 5 fills of one half of a cc each time. I feel nothing. I am so disappointed. I have not gained, because I am trying to diet. I am feeling like surgery was a mistake.....

Had 4, count em 4 ccs put in my band today! I was so surprised lol. On all liquids for 24hrs of course. Did a barium swallow with the needle sticking out of my belly and things went through fine. Is this a normal amount for a first fill?

i had one half of a cc for my first fill, and also one half of a cc for my second fill. I have a total of 1 cc in my band. I go next week for another fill. I can eat anything, no problem, and I am hungry all the time.

I was wondering the same thing so thank you for the explanations on the green zone. My conclusion is I am not quite there yet but hopefully getting close. Sure wish my doctor was more aggressive with the fills. 5 months since I was banded and I just got my 3 fill. I now have 4cc's in my 10 cc band. Oh well I will be patient. Thank you for the question and the replays.

i am almost 7 months out from surgery. I have had 2 fills of half cc each. I have the total of 1cc in my band. I can eat anything, and I am not losing. I go next Wednesday for another fill........hope it helps...

I had my 3rd fill today two weeks apart. 4th one will be in a month. Just wondering if this is common?

I was banded August 5 2013. I have had one fill of half of a cc...

When I had fills it didn't particularly hurt and my doctor didn't numb me. The last time he found my port had flipped, so he dug his hand in to flip it back. Then he had a hard time getting the needle in. He did the fill, but also said that next time he would do the fill at the hospital using the floroscope (which will show him exactly where my port is and where to put the needle). It sounds to me like your doctor wants you to heal a little bit more before trying a fill again. I would ask him if it's possible to do the fill under the floroscope (or something similar) so that he can get the right spot on the first try. (though you'll have to find wording he will accept without feeling criticized! Surgeons are sensitive folks when their godlyness appears to be questioned). If you are blue and tender, waiting until November makes sense to me. But you'll have to be extra vigilent with your food choices. ~hiddn ps: I didn't look to see when the first post was made. Today November is just a couple of weeks away!

We'll I just had emergency insisional hernia repair yesterday. This is probably why my essential fill was so painful. I have had 3 laparoscopic surgeries and all went through same area at navel, including lap band. It was too weak, and I picked my granddaughter up and it pulled it. I called my lapband surgeon, as he is the one who had did my gallbladder and lapband surgeries. His nurses said he was booked up and I could not get in, I called every day for a week. I finally went to my reg doctor and she said it needed fixed immediately. Sent me to another surgeon, and here we are the next day! I am sore, got mesh put in over weak spot. So it will be at least 6 weeks before I can get a fill. I have half a cc in band, and I have no restriction.

Today was my first fill and I was a little suprised by my nurses reaction to the amount of saline they put in. I have been doing very well with my caloric intake and have not been feeling hungry but I received a 3cc fill today. I am feeling somewhat nauseated and my chest is tight. I am hoping this will pass as the day goes on. I was just taken a back by the nurses comments . She said "I thought you had some restriction, I am surpised at how much of a fill you needed.

I got one half cc for my first fill. I was banded August 5th. I have no restriction and can eat anything. My next fill is dec 18th. My surgeon only does one half cc at each fill.

I had my first fill a week ago. 3cc's. I have been hungry all week even though I have tried to eat 6 to 7 times a day. I didn't expect to be in the green right away but didn't expect to be this hungry. Not to mention the scale is not moving. Ugh...

I was banded in August, I. Have had one fill. Just one half cc. It did nothing, I am scheduled for a fill on Dec 16, but probably will not get it, as I am fixing to have surgery tomorrow to repair a navel hernia. I have tried calling my lap band surgeon for a week, but nurse could not get me in until December 3. I am in pain and a protrusion on my belly button size of tennis ball. So today I go to my regular physician and she sends me straight to another surgeon. She said it couldn't wait. Yes, I have a hernia, as I can push it in, and it is painful. I am really upset that my surgeon could not see me, he knows where my band is. I have had 3 laparoscopy surgeries that went through my navel, so it must b weak. This might also explain why I was so sore and tender for 3 months after my lap band placement. I think my surgeon should have caught this. Anyways, here is another set back, but hopefully things will get better.

I was banded 3 weeks ago. I am to a point that I feel I can eat almost anything without feeling any restriction. Is this normal because I lost my first 16 lbs right away and now just trying to make good food choices so I don't gain the weight back prior to my first fill. I am even getting hungry between meals.

I went through the same thing. I only got my fill Wednesday, because my surgeon could not access my port because of a hemotoma. I was starving, and I had to watch what I ate, because I was scared of gaining back the 24 pounds I had lost. Just choose your food choices wisely, and you will be fine. I went almost 3 months before I got anything in my band. Good luck, and just keep track of your calories and drink water!

I am 7 weeks post op and I got my first fill 1 week ago 3cc). I ate 10 wings and a small salad today I am full but I thought I would not be able to eat as much. I am really concerned because I am not sure if this band works or maybe I have stretched it out (if that's possible). I am currently 260lbs and I started at 280lbs. I have not once had an incident of sliming or PB like I hear others talk about. I can eat anything (bread' date=' chicken, shrimp, steak, etc) I have no restrictions. Is this normal?[/quote']So you has 3cc put in on your first fill? wow! I received my first fill this past Wednesday,and I got one half cc!...I was banded August 5,13.

I also had a successful first fill today! I ended up with 2cc in my band. I can't believe how much quicker I get full now! Doing soft foods today and tomorrow' date=' so we'll see![/quote']tThat is great! I hope we are on our way!

i had pretty much the same thing happen to me. I was banded on 8-5-13 and went one mint halter for first fill' date=' and it was same as you. He didn't want me back until November 6th, but I called and got my appointment moved up a week so I go Wednesday 10-23 for first fill now. I am nervous, because it was painful. I have nothing in my band now. I have not lost any more weight, but I have not gained back the 24pounds I lost pre-op, and after surgery. I have been struggling with hunger, and have had no restriction. I also had a hemotoma at port incision. You may not feel your port, because I thought I vigils feel mine, but it was actually the hemotoma. The port is buried under fat and muscle. Good luck.[/quote']so, I went for my first fill today, and it was SUCCESS! Finally! It was not bad at all. So much better than last attempt. I got half of cc in my band. So far so good. I am on liquids today, and mushiness tomorrow.