momof4

La Madam - Thanks for your gentle reminder to all of us here that patience is the key to our sanity and weight loss. I do not weigh myself everyday, but during the 6 weeks post op, I was discouraged at not having lost any weight. My doctor was one of those who talks down to you if you don't lose enough weight during the liquid phase. He always compares you (his patient) with his other patients, which is wrong!! Especially since most of his patients are gastric bypass and of course they are going to lose more. Even though my doctor isn't well informed, I'm glad that I have this place to turn to and get the help and advice that I need. Being well informed about the band process and the living it are two different things. I thought I knew what to expect, but what I didn't expect was the emotional ride. Thanks again for the reminder. Tricia H

Ruthie - I was banded a day before you and also had my first fill at the end of July. Like Marimaru said, I too had to find this forum to learn that it wasn't my fault that I didn't have restriction right out of surgery or even after my first fill. My doc didn't believe that fills were needed and after 6 weeks of gaining and losing the same two pounds, I finally got another fill. Since my second fill last Thursday, I have lost 4 lbs. That's the difference between restriction and no restriction. I didn't even have to count calories or weigh my food to lose those 4 lbs. either!!! Good luck, Tricia

Dee Dee - Good luck on your surgery. I will pray for a speedy recovery for you. The only advice I can give you is to expect gas and bloatiness after surgery (especially 2-3 days after). The only other advice I can give you is to walk, walk, walk as much as you can after your surgery and after the nurses say it's okay for you to get up. It always hurt to walk at first, but after the first 30 seconds or so, it felt so good. Best wishes, Tricia

I had something similar happen to me. Not when I was banded, but when I was on WW and lost 25 lbs. in 6 weeks. In my case, I never did stop --not even for a day. It sucked!!! After about 6 months of trying different hormones, etc., my OB/GYN finally gave me a D&C and now I'm regular again. What a relief!!! Let us know what your doctor tells you and good luck. Tricia

I got a fill mid-week last week and finally know what restriction feels like. I lost 4 lbs. last week!!! Yeah, I'm at 181 today!! Now, I only have 4 lbs. to go to meet my goal for the challenge!!! Tricia

First of all, jqpublic, GREAT JOB!!! 92 pounds and not banded is a great accomplishment. I'm proud of you!! Next, I lost the 1.5 lbs. that I gained last week so I'm back at 185 this week. That's 7 lbs. total for the challenge. At this rate, I don't know if I'll reach my goal of 15 lbs. lost by Labor Day. Good luck to the rest of you though!!!! Tricia

My doc stitched my port down in 4 places so he was absolutely sure it wouldn't move and he could easily find it. At my first fill, under fluoro, it took him nearly 30 minutes and I kid you not, around 50 pokes to find it. He didn't say it flipped or anything, but after 4 numbing shots and all of the above, he was frustrated and I am afraid to ever go for another fill. After the novicane wore off later in the day, the site where the 50 holes were was very, very sore and bruised. I'm seriously afraid to ever go for another fill, even though the first one left me with no more restriction than before I had it. Now that you mention it, maybe my doctor didn't hit my port either since I feel absolutely no restriction!?! Anyway, Good luck to you wannabskinny2!!

Christina - Good luck with this fill. It doesn't matter that you put it off, all that matters is that you got it! I hope that feeling of empowerment stays with you because we all know we could use that extra help. You're always so encouraging to everyone else, so I just wanted to say Good Luck to you!!! Stay Strong!!:rambo Tricia H

It's normal to think all the negative thoughts before surgery. This is a drastic decision that we've all made and I think that every one of us wondered if we were doing the right thing, if we would be able to make the lifestyle change or if we'd be the one to fail. I flip flopped back and forth before my surgery. I was sooo afraid of failing again, but once I had the surgery, I've never doubted that I would succeed even when I hit plateaus and was feeling very hungry. It was the best decision for me and I would do it all over again. Good luck to you!!! Tricia

Went on vacation from last Wednesday until yesterday. We went camping in the White Mountains in Arizona. My family and I hiked, danced (at a family reunion), etc. I couldn't eat anything because my restriction in the higher elevation barely allowed liquids, but I still gained 1.5 lbs. I'm up to 186.5 this week. Hopefully it's water weight and will be back down by next Monday. Congrats to all of you though!!!!

I went through something similar a couple of weeks ago. But besides feeling very hungry all the time, I was counting calories and doing very well. I just wasn't losing anything. I started eating meats only. (Not meats, then veggies, then starch). I ate about 4 oz. of meat 3 times a day and if I needed a snack in between, I'd have a string cheese. It's part of the plateau buster plan posted by Donali. After about 3 days of doing this, I noticed that some restriction came back and my cravings went away. By the 4th and 5th day, I didn't even need a snack in between and actually had to eat a protein bar at like 8:00 at night to up my calories above 1000. My protein levels were in the 80's and in 4 days I lost 3 lbs. I know everybody is different, but try that for 5-10 days and see if it helps. It's a struggle I think we've all been through--Good luck!!!

I'm down 1 lb. from last week. I weighed 185 today. That's 7 lbs. total for the challenge. Am going camping this week so hopefully will get a lot of exercise in and not a lot of food!!! Okay--Maybe a Smore or two!?! Congratulations everybody on your weight loss and especially you Penni--WAY TO GO!!!

Sue and Jane - Congratulations to both of you on your success!! Anything over 100 lbs. is more than incredible. Sue, I enjoyed reading your lessons learned. I am finding more and more that your lessons learned are very true. I am fairly new to the band, but figured out that Protein and Water are my buddies about two weeks ago. Once again, congratulations to both of you. YOU ARE PHENOMENAL WOMEN!!! Tricia H

I got my first fill, under fluoro this week because another patient cancelled their appt. so I was fortunate enough to take their spot. My doctor couldn't find my port either. He never said it was tilted or flipped or anything like that, he just couldn't find it. It seriously took him 1/2 hour, 4 or 5 novocaine (sp?) shots and about 50 needle holes before he found it. I could hear the frustration in his voice everytime he stuck the needle in and couldn't find it. It made me feel like I had done something wrong, even though I know it wasn't my fault or his. Finally, he got it and then he turned to me and apologized and said, "I'm sorry, but you have a lot of holes in your stomach." LOL. :nervous

Delarla - You are always the funniest and the most "honest" person on this site!!! I always love reading your posts because they either cheer me up or wake me up!! You have a great attitude about everything--and you have been through more than most of us ever will. When I was new here, you gave me encouragement and helped me to understand my band. I did research on the band itself, but not on the after effects (emotionally). I hope you find a way to get you a new port--one that is healthy from the beginning. You deserve to have this experience free of complications. Good luck!!!

Christina - Thank you so much for your support!! I don't think I need a fill because I'm not losing weight--but because of how hungry I always am and because I can eat white bread, dry Jerky, anything I want since 3 weeks out and I have never PB'd. (From what I hear that's a good thing)!!! I am doing a Protein only diet right now and even though I'm eating more times than I should be with the band, I am trying to keep it to 3 oz. at one sitting. Back to dieting until I get my fill. I have also started taking diet pills to help curb my hunger. I don't want to gain back what I've already lost but I don't want to go hungry all the time either. Good luck to you on your journey and thank you again for your encouragement. Tricia H

Thanks for your comments and help. I just returned from a support group that my doc leads and it turns out that he is very new to the lap band and hasn't done very many surgeries. He was seriously asking the lap band patients (3 of us out of 65+ people) about our experiences and feelings because he's so new. He's trying to learn more from our experience to help his future banders. I do have a good doctor--I believe he's one of the best because he's very meticulous about his work as a bariatric and general surgeon. After talking with them regarding frustrations and everything tonight, I think they're just so new at lap band surgeries that they don't know what's normal or not normal. I also don't think there's a good line of communications between him and his office staff so lines get crossed often. He did mention one patient 6 months out again, but also mentioned that she's struggling too. I never knew until I came to this site that most people don't have restriction until they've had a fill. That was good news to me because before I read that detail, I felt like a failure because I was soooo hungry all the time. Now I know that I'm not a failure, I just need a fill!! Thanks again.......

Okay. Here's the deal. I was frustrated that I couldn't get the same answer from anyone I spoke to in the doctor's office. His office staff does give the information for him and they all told me different things. I just wanted to be able to speak with him, but never could. I know my post came across as impatient, but actually, I have not felt any restriction for almost 5 weeks. I am to the point of feeling desperate. I just came here to vent my feelings because I thought that's what this whole site was about. I have since read other posts pleading for answers and advice, they too felt discouraged and desperate and I was honestly seeking help. I am only trying to stand up for myself and get what I paid for. I didn't pay $17,000 to be hungry all the time, starve myself or return to taking diet pills. After seeing the doctor today, he agreed that I need a fill and told me to schedule it for this week. He wanted to do it under fluoro. Well that was the easy part. Now, I'm getting this run around from the office staff again about the issues in scheduling a fill with him and the hospital and how if he's late then I'll have to reschedule....... and now I might not be able to be filled for another 3+ weeks and that's only if the doctor isn't late on that day.

Decided to weigh today since I had a doctor's appointment this morning and I knew they'd weigh me anyways. I've been stuck on the same pound or two for a while now. When I weighed last Thursday, I was still the same weight so I started the Dr. Fox's plateau buster that Donali posted on one of the threads. I've lost 3 lbs. in 4 days!!!! So, now that I've made the move to Mondays, I'll report on Mondays instead of Thursdays from here on out!! Yeah 3 lbs.--186 and counting!!!! :laugh

Congratulations!!! Based on my experience, today will be the hardest day as far as being uncomfortable from the gas. After my second day, every day was easier. Don't forget to walk, walk, walk--that seems to help get rid of the gas and bloatiness faster!!! Good luck to you!! Tricia H

Thank you all for your responses and concern. I know I sound uptight, but I am more frustrated that I can never reach him. I have to talk to his office clerks of whom one of them is new, and the others all told me different stories about whether he'd even be willing to give me a fill or not. Like I mentioned earlier. He thinks that because he has another lap band patient who is six months out and still has restriction, that I should as well. That's just not the way it works. I am willing to wait if I'm not healed, but I don't want to be filled or not filled based on his other patients' and not my own experience. And actually, he is kind of new at the lap band thing. He hasn't done a whole lot of lap band surgeries, he mostly performs RNY's. I have already made adjustments to my attitude to prepare myself if he doesn't give me a fill. I have started the "plateau buster" that Donali posted some time ago. It's a ten day, absolutely no carbs, plan and I'm still tracking calories in and getting 45+ minutes of exercise a day, 6 days a week. Thanks again, Tricia

Thanks Zoe- I had a similar experience. I went to my OB/GYN and he had a similar reaction to your GP. He didn't really know much about the lap band, but he told me that he was glad that I didn't get the bypass because I don't need to lose 100 lbs. He saw that I had lost 13 lbs. at the time of my visit and asked of my experience and how it all worked. At the end, he thanked me for my information and felt like he could recommend it to patients who asked for his opinion. He was glad that I was open and honest with him so he could pass my experience on to others!! It felt good to not be judged or looked down upon--but thanked!!!:laugh

Doc's office never had the doctor return my phone call so I called back again today. They said he was in surgery all day today and wouldn't be in the office at all so I'm going in to my appointment on Monday and demanding a fill. I paid him for a year's worth of fills and since a fill won't hurt me, I don't see how he can say no!!

Stayed at 189 this week, but I'm happy with that considering I got my monthly visitor this week. My daughter had surgery on her knee, another daughter had a doctor appointment for ear problems and our air conditioner broke--I live in Henderson NV (Vegas) and we've been over 115 for nearly two weeks now, so I'm pleased that there was no gain in spite of my busy schedule. Back to working out and journaling again so should see results next week! Hopefully!?! Congratulations to the rest of you, you're doing great!!!!

Leatha & Angiebell - Thank you for your comments. I feel the same way--I paid him $17,000 and the only stipulation was that I had to wait 6-8 weeks for the first fill. If I was gaining weight, then I could understand assessing the situation, but I'm not. I'm maintaining even though I'm always hungry!! I didn't pay all that money to go on discipline and willpower alone!! I am going to call again today and demand to at least be able to talk to him and not his office staff. I'll let you know how it goes. Tricia H