brianb

I've had my 2nd fill this week on Monday.
I'm up to about 5 cc in a 10cc band. I just attempted to eat what I ate the day before my fill & I vomited for the 1st time half way thru. I was attempting to eat a small salad with fat free dressing & a turkey sloppy joe sandwich on a whole wheat thin. needless to say I'm staying away from any bread & salads. I was ok eatin the sloppyjoe alone... did I do something wrong?

I'm having a hard time stopping myself from eating too much and keep getting full. Recognizing the soft stop is hard. I think I need one more fill. I'm hoping this last one stops my mental hunger. I'm terrified of stretching my pouch. How easy is it to stretch your pouch? I wish I knew more about the lapband before I chose it. They just kind of flew me into surgery and now I'm learning as I go. I still love my band though!

I'm new to surgery, but theoretically you should be able to eat anything if you chew it into tiny pieces. That being said, many people have a problem with bread, Pasta and rice- anything the expands or is sticky. Dry chicken can also be the devil.

I'm now at 8ml - fills been taken very slowly because I fly a lot due to work and the Dr says its better to take fills very slowly.
I'm losing weight slowly even though I haven't concentrated too much on my diet. I've lost 40lvs since January. My BMI has gone from 38 to 32
So the band is not a miracle device but it does work
I'm still able to eat anything? Does anyone know if what you can eat as you get more fills??

I had the band on the 11/1/13
I lost about 12 and then put on 2 before my first fill if 4ml which takes my band to 7ml. So I was also thinking that it was a bit disappointing that I had started to put on weight and it was almost as if the band was not there. But I've been told this is normal and that its just time for me to have the 1st fill after surgery.
I have to say that I haven't been able to keep anything down post the 1st fill yet except cold liquids so my stomach must be quite swollen. I'm hoping that it gets better

I was banded march 2012. I am down almost 90 lbs. I had a fill in January that put me in the red zone. They removed the fill. I was ok at my February appointment and didn't need or want a fill. Last month, I felt I needed an adjustment (since ice been on a plateau since January). They gave me .2, I can't tolerate anything more than that. Anything more takes me right in the red. Anyways,,,, I've always been tight in the morning, coffee is my morning beverage of choice always. I have trouble with tiny tiny sips for about the first 2 hours in awake. About 4 hours after I'm awake, I can comfortable eat oatmeal and nothing else. Breakfast is usually about 10 am. lunch comes at noon and usually I can eat my lunchtime meal. After lunch my band is really open and I'm totally in the yellow zone and constantly hungry till about 6 pm. About that time, I'm in that wonderful green zone. I tighten up almost immediately as soon as I lay down.
My first and second meal have to stay on schedule... If I don't have my lunch on time, it's Soup the rest of the day or I have to start over with oatmeal. If I go more than a few hours without eating... I close up.
I've never had symptoms of being too tight. Besides the over restricted, nothing is getting through this baby bandster hell. No night cough, reflux, weight gain... Nothing.
At my last appointment last week, they did a swallow, due to my appointment, I skipped my noon meal and of course I was over restricted. The barium was sitting right on top of my band. I had a tiny bit of dilation but not enough to warrant a complete unfill or even a partial unfill which shocked me. She put me on the 2/2 as if I had a fill and said to come back if I had anymore problems.
Before being banded, I had really bad reflux. Once I was banded it completely disappeared. There was NO hiatal hernia repair either. There are times I feel burning around my band, but nothing like the reflux I experienced post-banding.
I'm finally losing again, being 4 lbs the last month! Not much, but so glad I'm on the losers bench again.
Has anyone ever experienced this kind of fluctuation between zones? What have your experiences been?
Mine are:
No more than .2 at a fill
2-4 weeks before I'm adjusted to the fill
Extreme morning restriction
If I lay down more than 5 minutes, I'm super tight. After 30 minutes... It's as if I'm at my morning tightness.
I have to eat on schedule
Any recommendations?
It's really hard to keep a newborn eating schedule and I live in constant fear of eating!
As long as I stick to my schedule, the PBing is maybe 4-6 times a week.
Thanks for any input!

I had the liquid diet as well. It was pure hell!
The first week was horrible. I kind of adapted after that a bit. Ate tons of Jello (this was the only solid I was allowed) and drank gallons of crystal light. Also slept a lot to help pass time.
It's worth it though. You'll be glad when you wake up from surgery knowing you did everything you could do to make things a success.

Cannot possibly understand what is happening to you or your body,...but in my case....
With my last fill, which was only 1 cc, that actually did the trick for me....BUT it was rough to say the least..like you said, for me almost 2 full weeks...and everything was fine when I left the Dr.'s office, and for 24 hrs after....
But I came very close to flat out calling my Dr. to get a unfill....could not eat anything substantial.....
Now I am not suggesting this to anyone, just my story....
I stuck it out, determined to get it...I was of the impression that it was ME that had to change, and not the band....mind you, it was a gamble....and yes I did stress about everything I ate, as I have to stress about everything I do if I want it to be perfect....
Then suddenly, as if by magic...it all leveled out and everything has been fantastic since then...2 years ago....no more struggles....definitley in the Green Zone everyday since then....I don't have to think about what I am eating anymore...it all comes natural, from forming new habits....but it was a learning curve....
Was it because I adapted and finally learned I needed to eat differently? (probably) And stay away from those risky foods? (still do)
I think about what would have happened if I did get that unfill...I don't know....would I have yo-yo'd up and down? never getting it right?
Or was it because I was not giving the band adequate time for the inflamtion to go down but continuing to force myself to eat? I don't know....I may never know....all I do know, in my case, is I am glad I stuck it out.....I have now lost all the weight I possibly can, having a very low fat %. Dr informs me I am finished with my weight loss, and any further weight loss would not be fat, but muscle.(unhealthy, REAL starvation mode)
And yes, the band is TOTALLY in control of my life...I would not have it any other way because I have tried many times to loose weight and failed...I needed surgery to correct that....in control with permanent life change....

I understand your frustration....really, I do. BUT, even though it wasn't easy for me to get to this point, it's definately worth it in the end. I've had mine since Sept 09....getting to the correct adjustment only recently. And loving it. Best wishes!

.2 cc's can make a big difference....when you are close. My last two fills, with fluoro, were both .2 cc's.
http://www.hoab.org/fluoroscopy-machine-st-louis-missouri/

For me.....from my experience. If you can, request a fill using fluoroscopy. It took me forever ( more than two years ) to reach the "green zone" too....for a couple of different reasons. And I've never had an unfill due to being too tight.
I'd never have gotten to this point without the fluoro. It CAN be the difference....once again, my experience.

Can't speak for other people, and won't guess your situation.....
I have been in the Green Zone for 2 years now, No Hunger, Portion Control, Steady consistent weight loss till nothing left to lose....no additional fills needed since that 2 year mark....
I speak and listen to people who at some support groups and many people have said they thought they were there only to find they did need another fill....then eventually it became fixed, and a every day part of life....
The band is a constant...it does not change, does not get tighter or looser....but our body's fluctuate all the time....

This is just my personal experience with a slip:
Last year, I started having severe nightime reflux - so bad I'd wake up with brown gunk (sorry if it's tmi) on my pillow. Went to my primary care and he gave me Prilosec. Finally after being miserable for 4 mths (was afraid band dr would unfill me), I had an xray - I had a slight slip. He did partially unfill me. nIn the last year, I gained about 30 lbs.
2 mths ago, I started having severe abdominal pain for 4 days. At midnight, I could't take it anymore and went to the ER. After a ct, I was diagnosed with a herniated band - wasn't just a slip anymore. My band had totally made it's way down my stomach till my stomach was protruding over it. They totally unfilled me and told me I'd need a revision.
Awaiting a sleeve revision now.
So, I think for a slip, you'd have more symptoms than just not being able to keep something down. But, I've heard of some people with no symptoms at all, just ability to eat more. If you don't have relief by say Monday, I'd give your dr a call. Just in case. Good luck!
Marci

How deep can he go? Generally it is attached to the abdominal wall muscles....below all the skin and fat layers...deeper than that would be very painful indeed when getting a fill....
When all the belly fat is gone, and there is nothing left but a thin layer of skin, then it will be very noticeable. Especially if you belly is tight and hard from all those crunches....
My port is so noticeable...it is large lump...looks like a horizontal lollipop, the stem being the tubing which you can also see very clearly....a one armed blind man can do an adjustment....

I haven't posted in a while, busy with work and family.
I have now completed 2 5k walks, first one was 51 minutes, second was 45 minutes! I am so happy I can do this! My glucose levels are very stable for the day after exercise, I might cut my metformin by half next visit to the endocrinologist.
Yesterday was my third fill appointment and I didn't lose any weight this time, but my clothes are still fitting looser. The doctor said that's good. I need to work on smaller portions, taking time to chew properly and waiting enough between bites, having minor stuck episodes due to not following the rules. I also need to work on my exercise(45 minutes 4 times a week) and sleep 7 hours or more.
I got 1cc more (puts me at 4cc total in a 10cc band) and it was a late appt, so I was on Protein shakes last night.... Should have continued that today too. I had some Greek yogurt at Breakfast and it went ok, but I tried cottage cheese and had a stuck feeling for about 20 minutes. I finished my cottage cheese later and ended up not hungry for like 5 hrs.
I hate being rushed to eat while at work, it messes my whole day up.
I also feel like I'm not getting enough calories a day. I think I'm in storage mode with 700-1000 calories. I got a fitbit one activity tracker last week and hopefully it will give me insight on how much I should be eating. It's going to be weird getting my calories and keeping portions at their smallest.
Still limiting sugar and carbs, but want to incorporate complex carbs into my diet to control glucose spikes.
Seems this fill has me cutting beef from the diet. It's a food that just doesn't work for me anymore. My BP and cholesterol will get better for it.

Sorry it hasnt worked out for you but if you believe as you state, "Some people can starve themselves and not lose weight" you are always doomed to fail. Take a look at people who are truly calorie-deficient (Africa, concentration camps etc - no fatties!) I always thought I was starving and not losing weight and then I got my band - when restriction was good and I could not eat as much I lost weight...simple as that. That's what the band does, but what I have to do is not eat the stuff that slides through like ice cream or chocolate. If I ate those all day I know my band would 'let me' gain 100 pounds!

I appreciate the honesty. I'm consistently overweight, however. Doesn't matter what I try to do to cut back or exercise more. I'm always between 20-40 pounds more than where I should be. Just so happens I'm in the middle presently. I would have to be about 19 pounds heavier for my insurance to cover it.

Typically its 3/4 to 1 cup of food per meal, but check with your doctor.

I either "sigh" or "hiccup". Also, make sure you're measuring everything. If you're eating the correct amount, you shouldn't reach the point of being in pain. I learned this lesson all to well
But to clarify, I don't always sigh or hiccup. So measure, chew chew and chew.

I had my first fill a week ago & I have not figured out how to tell when I'm full until I'm in pain. I eat very slowly, chew very well, take small bites & all that. It takes me about 20-25 min to eat. I have been focusing on my stop signal & nothing noticeable has happened.

Sorry you experienced this, One of the things is that after having this surgery your stomach needs time to heal after being thrown around and banded. My doctor told me that is why you need 6 weeks post-op to let things heal, I can't imagine why your doctor thought you needed to be filled already especially to 3cc? I'd ask him/her next time you see them. Glad your feeling better.

I'd have to say no, and it's different for everyone I would get a fill, could drink half a bottle of H20 in office and then the day after feel the restriction to the point of being too tight. went to liquids and if the feeling passed great ,if not then I'd get an unfill. It's NEVER a good idea to stay tight, go for the happy medium. Being able to eat small amounts, with a steady slow weight loss.
Aspirating or Vomiting is NEVER a good option.
I

I had my 5th fill today. There was a new person doing my fill, let me just say... I left in tears and in so much pain. She couldn't find my port, kept pushing and digging around. I felt these electrifying pains shoot from my port, down my side and to my hip! It's was horrifying! I kept telling her it hurt, she finally got someone else who finally found my port. I've never had this happen before. During my last fill I was told that during this fill I'd have the fluoroscopy done to check everything out, but ONCE again they said maybe next time. I have NOT had a X-ray since the day of surgery. Should I demand a X-ray next time? I'm concerned...

Im at 10.5 cc and im still hungry..

I had my surgery 9/2012 and I haven't lost weight until now!! I knew it would take longer because I picked realize band and it holds 14cc. Im at 10.5cc. I get full with a few bites and don't feel like snacking!! Now it's up to me to not stretch it and try to keep the restriction!!! Reason I picked realize band is because its not to tight around the stomach. Thanks for reading!!