thebionicbroad

Cindi, Ii's taken six fills and eight months for me to get to a level of restriction that has stayed constant for more than two days. That puts me at 7.5cc in an 11cc VG band. I finally feel like the band is doing what it's supposed to.

:help:I'm post-vacation and so bummed. I was away for three weeks, and we either had to eat out a lot, or the people we were with were terrible eaters (heavy grease, old food, lots of Pasta and rice, which I can't eat - they hurt), so I ended up eating out some more. I was fairly active, but I came home with a 9-pound weight gain. If that's not bad enough, I CANNOT get back on track. I'm scared to post this, because I don't want a gazillion lectures, etc. I've been banded since December of '06, and I KNOW what to do. Why am I having such a hard time getting back to doing what's right? Could anyone else, who has had this happen, share what toasted their buns back to eating like a bandster? Thanks. __________________

I appreciate the question. For the first time in my fat-since-age-12 life, after losing and regaining about two tons of weight, I had a gall bladder attack (I think), and I am stupefied. Eight months out, still haven't hit the "sweet spot," and my doctor keeps canceling clinic dates to where I have to go 2 - 3 months between fills. I am trying so hard and the scale is doing NOTHING. I'm almost to the point of feeling like the failure I always felt I was in the past. I know that I'm supposed to be upbeat and oh, so cheery, but I'm having a tough time emotionally. AND, the local support groups are mostly by-pass patients. Not the same. Sorry to be so negative, and I really appreciate your asking.

Mal and Derbygirl. I'm following TerriDoodle's advise. I am doing a low-carb kick-start, and I've lost two pounds in as many days. Thank you for reminding me that some of it is Fluid. Mal, ours is an Australian Shepherd, AusBob the Wonderpooch, also known as "Pee Bucket."

Thank you, Terry. I'm in the process of house-breaking a new puppy. I wouldn't dream of being as impatient with him as I am with myself. How bizarre.

It IS driving me nuts. I'm three hours from his office, 90 minutes from another hospital he works out of, and 45 minutes from the clinic. He's a good doctor and a great surgeon. I just wish that I could find some neighborhood "Fill-O-Rama" so that my weight loss would be a bit quicker.

Mal and Julie, Thank you for taking the time to reply and be encouraging. I feel like a thunderstruck mule...it's the carbs, isn't it? That's what's killing me. The people we vacationed with routinely eat old food. For me, with no tolerance for high bacteria levels, after three days, the food is gone from the 'fridge. So I ate lots of crackers and other quick fillers, and am having a tough time breaking that cycle. Thank you for helping me see that. I'm going to do a low-carb "kick-start" and see if I can get those three days. You both rock. Thank you so much.

Sbee, I really appreciate you posting this, because I'm post-vacation and so bummed. I was away for three weeks, and we either had to eat out a lot, or the people we were with were terrible eaters (heavy grease, old food, etc.), so I ended up eating out some more. I was fairly active, but I came home with a 9-pound weight gain. If that's not bad enough, I CANNOT get back on track. I'm scared to post this, because I don't want a gazillion lectures, etc. I've been banded since December of '06, and I know what to do. Why am I having such a hard time getting back to doing what's right? Could anyone else, who has had this happen, share what toasted their buns back to eating like a bandster? Thanks.

Hey Beachee, I have had four fills and am up to 6cc in an 11cc band, and once the swelling from the fills subside (usually within a week), I have no restriction. My doctor keeps cancelling clinic dates, so I'm having to wait 2 -3 months between fills. I gained 10 lbs. in three weeks of vacation (had to eat out...yuk!), and I'm struggling to whip my arse back into shape. Some emotional issues are at play here, too. Anyway, I've lost half of my excess weight in eight months, and I wanted to go slowly to prevent too many aggressive fills too quickly leading to slip/erosion. But this slowly? Hmmm... I'd be interested to know how your fill with fluoro goes.

When a co-worker found out that I was banded, she was horrified. "How can you eat with that band around your waist," she asked me. Snork.

I was banded six months ago, and was told to stay away from bubbles so that the pouch doesn't expand. I took a tiny sip of my husband's Mountain Dew yesterday, and it was bitter. My son's Dr. Pepper tasted downright BAD. I guess that I've lost my taste for them, and frankly, I don't miss them anymore.

TerriDoodle, Your post made me laugh out loud. Great way to start my day. Thank you. (I think I've lost my yen for pizza, though...)

THANK YOU, Argon! I'm an English teacher, and sometimes threads are tough to read without my trusty red pen. LOSE vs. LOOSE, WHERE vs. WERE, THEIR vs. THERE...AAAAARGH!

Deanna, Thank you for starting this thread. And I can say, without a doubt, YES! I'm afraid to be thin. I'm more afraid of being fat, which is why I self-paid the band, but the fear of thin is there. I am not at my "sweet spot," so I can go up a pound or two in a day, even with regular exercise. I've noticed that I can get down to 180, my lowest-ever adult weight, but I won't allow myself to go lower than that. For some reason, there's stress associated with being at a lower weight, and I'm still a stress eater, so... For some unfathomable reason, I'm afraid to let all the fat go. With Phen-Fen, Weight Watchers, and Opti-Fast, I never got below 180. I'm not sure what it's going to take to crack the 180 barrier. Odd.

I go for my 4th fill on Monday. I supposedly have 5cc in there right now. After the fills, I am fine for about a week, and then (as soon as the swelling goes down, I guess) nada zip zilch! I keep regaining and losing the same four pounds, and I'm appalled at how little it takes for me to gain weight. Why couldn't I be as efficient at golf as I am at hoarding calories and packing on the pounds? Grrr... How many fills did it take for you Bronto-banders to hit the "sweet spot"?

Kitty, If you are asking that kind of question, you may not be ready for banding.

I used to eat before I went out to eat so that I didn't eat too much in front of other people. I can wear clothing off the rack in a regular store. I can wear high heels again. I can keep myself clean. I don't feel like a freak at the gym. My mother-in-law calls ms "little." The band has helped me fit back into the human race. Dear God, please don't let this thing slip or erode.

Stacy, I'm doing that, too: A few days after a fill, I'm right back to where I was. The mornings are great, but the evenings? Treacherous. How much time between all those fills your first year? I'm wondering how long to wait before I go in for another (5th). Also, how often do you all weigh yourselves? This may not be the place for this question, but I'd like to know.

<p>My fourth fill puts me at 6cc, and I can feel a difference. Like I said, everything feels great for the first week or so. We'll see. I am out of town on the 24th, and I'd like to make sure that I'm "good" before I am in Virginia for that week. We will have to eat out for every meal, and I'm nervous already.</p>

Tink, All good things come from God. An addiction to any substance is destructive. Evil destroys, while God creates. If the Band helps us break an addictive and destructive behavior in a way that isn't also addictive (example: Methadone addiction to replace heroin addiction), I believe that, used in moderation, it's a good thing. I know that I've lobbed my anti-depressants out the window since I was banded in December of '06. This band, for me, is truly a God-send.

Cindi and MarcyD, Thank you for the feedback and the info. My fourth fill was yesterday, and I'm at 6cc. There's some restriction, but not as much as I would like. I appreciate the advise to take it slow, and I didn't know that the VG band has "ribbies." Good to know. I appreciate the positive attitudes, and it's nice to know that others have the biggie-band. My doctor uses that band a lot, because he thinks it's the best to work with. Thanks again.

My doctor, Milton Owens, works out of Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, but I don't know his prices, as all fills are included in his program. I know that he'll fill other surgeon's patients, though, and he's good. His web site is Coastal Center for Obesity. Hope this helps.

Hey everybody, I was banded on 12/11/06 by Dr. Milton Owens from San Pedro, CA. I have a mongo VG band, 11 cc, with 5cc in so far. I've had three fills, and no sweet spot yet. When I get the fill, and there's swelling from the adjustment, I'm fine. As soon as the swelling goes down, I have very little restriction. I don't regret one moment of this, as I'm a self-pay and highly motivated to make this work. My starting BMI was 35, and according to the charts, I'm no longer obese (yea!). No rice, tortillas, Pasta, bread, popcorn, bubbles, pastry-type crusts, pretzels, etc. They are not worth the pain. I haven't PB'd, but I've wished I had. *erp* Anyway, I have so far to travel to get to the doctor, and no one I know has been banded (all by-passes), so I think that some on-line support is called for. The Banded Bionic Broad :clap2:

Thank you for the warm welcome, and good luck on the 1st!

He's my surgeon, too, and I'm thankful for his attitude. He's not an "out-to-make-a-buck-only" kind of surgeon.