dianegoe

I have my band going on 4 yrs now and this happens to me all the time. Right now I had 1/4cc put in about 2 mos ago and I had very little restriction and for the past 2 weeks and this week especially I can barely get liquids down. My Dr is on vacation until next week and I will have 1/4 cc removed again. Either I have no restriction or I can hardly drink and that seems to be the way the band works, at least for some of us. I have never seemed to get to the "sweet spot" some people refer to. I wish I could because this is very frustrating.

Hi Guys, Haven't posted in a while. I had my port replaced again on February 11th. Had a fill in March and had some restriction for the first time since they emptied it when I was in Spain back in September. Then I went back 2 weeks ago and had another fill and now I have NO restriction, it's like the band isn't even there. I have another appointment tomorrow for another fill. I am so depressed. I have gained about 8# since I got back home in December. You are all doing so well and I have only lost 30# since this whole thing began. I am frustrated. I am really happy for all of you, you have done SO well! I still love this band, and want it to work. I will have him really tighten it up tomorrow. I want to be like you Chrisann where I can only eat 4-6 oz. and be done. I want restriction! Diane:cursing:

I am sorry to hear about your band problems...Makes mine seem small. I hope you recover fast. Diane

Hi Everyone, So I came back from Spain, did not gain any weight, but did not loose any. He still cannot get fluid from my band, I have NO restriction, and I had an x-ray and my tubing at the port is still kinked, exactly as it was before he replaced it September. Can anyone tell me if they have seen a picture of their port? The web site shows it as a gradual u curve and mine is like a ^ so there is negitive pressure when he tries to remove the fluid. I want him to fix it and he said people don't usually have the fluid removed anyway. I told him the whole idea of the band was that if you needed to have fluid removed, you could. He said well maybe we can take out your gall bladder and your insurance will pay for it. I dont have any problems with my gall bladder and think since I PAID THE FIRST 2 x HE SHOULD PAY THIS TIME. I haven't had any use of this band for the past 3 months. I have an appoitment tomorrow to ask outright if he'll pay to fix it. I like the band, and I want it to work as it should. he is afraid to overfill it since he can't get fluid out, but I have no restriction and I want it back. I am frustrated. Any suggestions? Happy Holidays everyone. Diane:mad:

Hi Everyone, I am just making it into November updates! I am leaving Spain and will be back in Tucson midnight Tuesday Dec 2nd. I have an appoitment on Wednesday the 3rd at 10:20 to have fluid put back in my band. I had the port replaced in September and he took all the fluid from my band. It had been way to tight since my last fill in May, and I was vomiting a lot. The fluid could not be removed because the port tubing was kinked, so I had the port replaced and he took all the fluid out since I had to come back to Spain. So...I have had NO restriction since September. I am sure I have gained some weight, but I don't think a lot. My clothes still all fit and I walk alot. I have no scale here, so I won't know until I go home next week. I am kindda bumbed out that this happened because when I had the port replaced I weighed 169 down from 217 when I had it put in in January. I was hoping to be at goal by my anniversary, but now I have given myself until April. I would like to be 145-150 by then. I was up to about 6cc in my band, so I hope he will put at least 5 ccc back in on Wednesday. I think we will have to negotiate. The good thing about being in Spain, no Thanksgiving! So I am sure I saved some calories that day. I am glad we are all doing well. It's hard to believe a year has almost gone by. We need to remember that even if we aren't where we want to be, we are better than we were last year at this time. So, it's a process and it's different for all of us, but we are all healthier and feeling better about ourselves. Diane

Chrisann I have lost less weight than you and I have been really tight for the last 4 mos. We all loose differently, but at least it's going in the right direction. Diane

Ok, here's what happened to me. You all know I am currently living in Barcelona Spain while my daughter does a semester of school here. And I told you I had to go to the hospital last month because I have been very tight since May when I had my last fill. So tight that I vomited at least weekly becuase food got stuck and I could not get it past the band. They have been unable to remove fluid because my tubing was kinked and they wanted to take the band out here. So, I went back to Tucson 4 days after my hospital stay here because I was barely drinking. My Dr. tried to remove the fluid and could not. I had a Barium swallow and x-rays to make sure the band was in place. The band was OK. I had surgery to replace the port and the kinked tubing from the port. This of coarse was another couple of thousand dollars to the hospital plus airfare. But the worst part, he removed all the fluid and said until I healed, the swelling was down and I came back to the states he felt it best I leave it empty. He said, "You won't gain weight because now you know how to eat." They just don"t get it, we all know how to eat. If we could do it, we would not need the band in the first place. When I had my surgery in January I weighed 219# and the other day before surgery I weighed 169# thats 50 # since January. I have not weighed 169 since I was 30. I am so bummed out and scared to death to regain weight. I am trying to go home next month instead of December so I can have the fluid put back in. I need to see if my daughter can stay with a family the last month here. Do you think he will put all 6cc in at once or will I have to build back up a little at a time? He had originally put 3.5cc in at surgery and I only had about 3 fills before it became too tight. I cannot believe it will almost be a year since we all started this journey. Pretty soon we will have to call ourselves the "OLD YEAR KNOCKOUTS":tt1: Have a good week. Diane It does not help that there are more bakeries here than I have ever seen. Every morning I smell fresh bread and pasteries. In the past if I tried to eat bread I'd choke and throw up. Now, I can eat bread, which tastes wonderful, but is very bad. Why is everything that tastes so good, so bad for us? That's life I guess.

Hi Everyone, As you know I am in Barcelona Spain with my daughter for 3 mos. while she goes to school here. On Monday I told you I had lost 10 lbs. But I was not able to eat Monday night, I think it's because I had a vitamin get stuck Monday morning, and maybe it caused swelling. Anyway, I could not eat Monday night, or Tuesday morning, but I was able to drink liquids. By Wednesday I could not get yogurt pass the band. By Thursday I could not even drink water without throwing up so I went to a hospital here in Spain by myself in a taxi. Let me tell you it was not my idea of fun. When I finally found a Dr. who could speak English, he had never heard of the lapband and I was trying to get them to take fluid from the port. Which is near impossible beacuse my Dr. left it so long it's looped twice and has a kink that looks like this ^near the port so it's really hard to get fluid out. So they started an IV and sent me to x-ray where the tech said, "what you have in you body? I never seen that before", things got worse. I go back upstairs and they try oh about 4 times to get fluid out, and then tell me it will be 4 hours before they can get an ultasound to see the port better. I am calling my husband in AZ. to call my Dr. He tells me the Dr. says there are alot of Drs. in Spain familiar with lapband, and I say really who? My husband tells me can't I get a phone book and look. I remind him I am in the hospital with an IV in my left wrist, and the phone book, if there is one, will be in Spanish, AND I DON"T READ SPANISH and my speaking ability is not that good either. So 4 hours later they come back and tell me no ultrasound, in the morning they will do a barium swallow and if nothing goes thru, then they will do surgery to remove the band. I tell them once again to try to remove the fluid, or just open the old incision and pull the tube and draw out the fluid which they say they cannot do. So the Dr pokes me 3 more times and is able to get out about 1/4 cc which is better than nothing. I say I want to go home and she says now I need the barium swallow in the morning. I say give me some water and she doesn't want to and I say well if I can't swallow water, than I can't swallow barium. So she gives me 3 oz of water which I am able to sip. I tell them I am going home. It takes 2 more hours (I went in there at 2pm and now it's 2 in the morning) I am in some kind of holding area with bright lights and very sick looking people and I feel as though I am going to get some weird dreaded disease. So they finally let me leave and tell me to come back in the morning if I am not better. I have been able to drink water, juice and now I am trying a watery protein shake that seems to be going down. I am afraid to eat anything solid yet. Do you think I just caused some swelling around the band when I choked on the vitamin on Monday? I am not going to have surgery here. If I continue to have problems I am going home. But, I have not had a fill since May. And sometimes I can be fine for a week, and other times I have to throw up for no reason. So, it has not been a fun week and yesterday I was scared being in a hospital with people who do not understand me. I have new sympathy for the immigrants in our country who do not speak our language. Sorry for the long post. has anyone had fluid removed from their ports yet. I knew from the beginning this would be a problem because my Dr. could never draw back fluid to see if he was in my band. I had a x-ray taken 2 mos after the surgery and I saw it was kind of kinked and he said it wasn't, but now he says it is, and I will have to have the incision opened up and he can remove the port and fix the tubing and put the port back and then it will be fine. So, if this isn't better I will go home to have it fixed. Has anyone else had this happen to them with food and water not even going thru? What did you have to do? Do you think that now that I can drink, it should be OK? Sorry for the long post, just need your opinions. Diane:redface:

Hi Everyone, First I'd like tosay everytime I come to this site, they seem to have changed the home page. Why? Then I want to say that I went to a gym in Spain today and after working out, I weighed myself and in kilos I was 80.6 Kelos so I came home and did that math and that means I weigh 177#. I am down 10 lbs since moving to Spain 3 weeks ago. I now have a BMI of 30. I can't believe it. I can even wear size 12 pants! I am in heaven. There still is one small problem. I seem to go a few days just fine, then for no reason nothing will go thru this band and I drink shakes. When I go home in December I will probably have the Dr. remove so fluid from this thing because I am tired of being bulemic. I hope everyone is doing well. Diane:tt1:

Hi Everyone!, I'm in Barcelona now with my daughter for the next 4 months. I have not had a full since May because this band is tight and I slime and throwup alot. But, my weight loss has not been great, only about 35#. I think I have lost weight now because all my clothes are loose. I walk every where because we don't have a car here. But before I left I saw my doctor and he said the way my tubing is he probably won't be able to draw out the fluid because it's kind of kinked. So I told him I would live with it until I come back from Spain. I don't feel pain like the rest of you, but there are days that everything sticks. I feel like I can't get it thru the band and I go to the bathroom and kinda just throw it up. I just read an article in Self magazine about Lapband and by pass surgery. One lapband patient said it was like surgical bulimia and there are days I feel like that. My daughter even says are you going to go throw up again Mom. My son says, so was it worth it? But I would have to say I was not able to loose weight before, so I will take the side effects I guess. I hope I am not damaging my esophageous from throwing up, but since there is no stomach acid most of the time, I think I am OK. I am happy that I do not experience pain like you are describing. Just stuck food, sliming and surgical bulimia:) It seems to be worse in the morning and then gets better by the late afternnon. But somedays it's all the time. Maybe once it starts it irritates the band site and then it swells. But you guys have lost way more weight than I have and I know I am not eating a lot. I can't eat bread, red meat. Mostly I have yogurt or cereal or chicken. I can do salad. Sorry for the long post. I hope things get better for you who are having pain. I will be thankful for the throwing up without the pain. I will tell you throwing up in some restasurants in Spain in not my idea of a good time. I have no scale here, so I will be surprised when I go home and weigh myself. I hope all this barfing will be for a good cause. Adios my fellow banders. Will talk to you soon. Diane:regular_smile:

Hi Everyone, I haven't posted in a long time. I've been gone most of the summer. I am frustrated. I had my last full in May and I will not get another one. This band is tight. If I am not careful and chew really well, food gets stuck and I have to go throw up. But while I feel my eating is controlled, I have still remained the same weight. I have lost 35 lbs with the band and I am stuck. I can't say I exercise like I should, but I am not a couch potato. I just came back from a 10 day trip to see my friend. We kyaked 2x 2 hours each time. And walked 3 days about a mile. And still, even after throwing up several days while eating too fast and talking, I am the same weight. I don't gain, but I dont loose either. I have basically been the same for the past 3 months. I don't eat bad, can't even eat bread anymore, am not a snacker, don't eat after dinner, I am feeling like I need to eat less than 1000 calories a day to get the scale to move. I am happy that I lost 35# don't get me wrong. And I have gotten all new clothes and my old ones are way to big. I am wearing size 12-14 when before it was 16-18 and I can wear Medium tops instead of XL, but I am weighing only 35 lbs down from surgery. I can eat more than 1/2 cup, so I don't know if I should get a full. But I really feal if I do, I will throw up even more and the Dr. said it's not good to throw up so I don't know what to do. When I first had the surgery I could only eat 1/2 cup from the swelling and I felt full. Now I can probably eat about 1-1/2 cups, but if I'm not careful, it get stuck and I slime and you all know the rest of the story. So, what should I do? I have my Drs. appoitment on Monday, and I am sure he will be surprised that I am basically the same weight. I am afraid to have a fill because I am leaving to live in Spain for 4 moths with my daughter while she attends school there for a semester. I don't want it so thight that I have problems over there and have no one to go to. I know I will be walking more over there. I really want to weight 145-150 by the one year mark. That means I need to loose another 35# in the next 6 months. Any advise would be appreciated. I have about 6cc in my 10cc band. Maybe 7cc. And there is not a week since my fill in May that i have not gotten stuck and had to go throw up. And then my side left side hurts and I know that's not good for the stitches. Should I fill, not fill,? Eat less, exercise more? I need your opinions. Sorry for the long post. Diane:confused:

Hi Chrisann, Congratulations to you. I have not lost 50 lbs, probably about 35 so far. This last fill I had 4 weeks ago has been tight. I have to be really careful or I throw up alot. I will not ask for fill next week when I see the Dr. I will get official weight loss this month next week. I am in New York right now and just had Carvel too. I did not think to do fat free, if I have another before I go back to Tucson I will. I am so happy for you. You are doing GREAT! Diane

Thanks. He never said to stay on liquids after a fill, and I have never had a problem before. I am trying to just eat mushy stuff. So, hopefully I'll loose a little more and it will loosen up. Diane

Hi Gang, I went to the Dr. for a fill last Thursday. He said he was only going to give me 1/2 cc because he did not want it to be too tight. I had told him I had that one episode of BPing. So I got the fill and then I came home and had a chicken tender that got stuck. Then Sunday, Mothers day, had a piece of bread that got stuck. Then Thursday had 1/2 toasted bagel, BAD Idea!! and was really miserable until it came back out. Last night, I took one bite of my husbands steak and it ended up in the toilet. And, now, I just took a bite of chicken and I am trying to get it down, but its probably not gonna happen. The thing is, I had only lost 2# last month, so that's why I wanted it tighter. And I could still eat most things. Now, with just this extra 1/2 cc I am always getting things stuck. I can drink fine and eat mushy things just fine. But anything like meat, not so good. My husband said I should have some fluid taken out. But, I think if I just do mushy stuff for a couple of weeks, I'll loose some more weight and it will loosen up. What do you guys think?:wink_smile:

Ok guys, Ist I had a 2cc fill on Thursday the 10th. And, it was weird because I had my hand over the band when he put 2cc in. I felt it bubble under my hand when the fluid went into the band. So I know he was in the band. Then last night I ate a chicken finger and I felt it got stuck. I felt that before, but was usually able to kind of burp and it would eventually go down. But last night it was STUCK. And I tried to get it to go down, but it wouldn't and I started to feel that slime and then I went into the bathroom and it came out. Mostly slime, but I felt sooo much better. My husband was worried about me and I was thrilled that the band was there and working. I had a balance bar for breakfast. Then at lunch I had a few bites and felt that happening again so I stopped before it came back up at the restaurant. So, now I HAVE RESTRICTION YEAH!!!!! I love this band. Has anyone else felt the fluid go into the band? I have to remember to chew better, because I wasn't too worried before. But now, I better chew. Hope we all get to where we want to go. Diane:thumbup:

Surgery 1/15/08 had 3cc in a 10cc band from surgery. Then 2cc at 6 weeks out and 1cc a week later because I was feeling no restriction. I get my 3rd fill on April 10th. I am really tring to not drink with meals and it helps me stay full longer and get full quicker. I had an x-ray taken to see what the band looked like. I was surprised to see he left the port tubing so long. It makes a big U shaped loope then comes up and over in a smaller loop where the port is. I wonder why he did not cut the tubing so it lays straight. Has anyone else seen theirs? Seems the fluid would go into a shorter straighter tube easier. I have only lost about 1 1/2#this month. I hope next fill speeds things up. Diane

Hi Ang, I am frustrated too. I just got back from vacation and I don't think I gained anything, but I'm not sure if I lost either. I'll have to weigh at work to be sure. But I can tell you this. I have not allowed myself anything sweet since I had the surgery. No cake, cookies, ice cream, puddings, sweet drinks because I know I am like an alcoholic and if I start, I am afraid I will not be able to stop. This is really hard. I get full quicker, but no restriction yet. But then the other dayI was eating half a sandwich and I didn't chew really well and it got stuck and I had to wait a few minutes for it to go down. I was happy to know the band was there. I am not really hungry between meals, but have to work at not eating in the evening which has always been the hardest time for me. I think becuase in the beginning, right after we had surgery when we were all on liquids and mushies, it was easy. Now it gets harder. I hope when I go in for a fill on April 9th I will get more restriction. But I would not want so much that everything feels stuck if I forget to chew well. It definately makes you slow down and eat slower. I guess we have to remember this is a tool, not magic. And we still have to change our behaviors that got us here in the first place. I want it to come off fast too. But if it comes off too fast our skin will really sag. So, we just have to hang in there. Keep trying and support each other. Happy Easter. Diane

I had surgery on 1/15/08 and had alot of restriction for about 4 weeks. He put 3cc in 10cc band at surgery. I had first fill 2 weeks ago and he put 2cc in and I felt absolutely nothing. I went back a week later and he put another 1cc in. I still really feel no restriction. How long should it take. If I have 6cc and no restrictiction, and only have 4cc left to go, will I get restriction? I am not eating anything that I shouldn't no sweets, no red meats, more protein and veggies, but I was loosing 1 1/2 to 2# a week an now nothing and Im frustrated. Im walking most days. How long will it take till I feel restriction. How do I know the fluid is going into the band. He says it is, but I should feel something? Thanks for your thoughts. Diane

I haven't allowed myself anything sweet since the surgery. I am afraid that if I do then I will crave sugar again. It seems easier not to have any, then have to go thru that again. I just take it one day at a time. But I had my first fill last week and he put 2cc in and I felt no restriction. But I wasn't sure it was in the band. I went back yesterday and he added 1 cc and I feel restriction now. I am going on a cruise next weekend and I told him I do not want to be able to eat alot. So he gave me another fill. I was feeling hungry and I did not want to feel hungry. Now I felt better today. I think we paid a lot of money for this tool and we should make it work for us. If we aren't feeling restriction then we need to let the Drs. know. I just don't know if you get over restricted can it happen days later? I waited a week with no restriction. And as soon as I got the 1cc yesterday I felt restriction. I am happy with the band. I have lost about 25# so far. I do not want to fail again. Good luck to everyone. My Doc gives a little local before fills, so other than a little sting from the local, I don't feel anything. But last week I thought I felt pressure when he injected the saline. This week I did not feel it. So I wonder if it was in my skin last week and not the port. He says no. Diane

I can eat bread. In fact I had my first fill last week, 2 cc's and he said I had 3cc in at surgery. I felt no restriction. I went back today and he gave me another 1cc. I lost 3# in a week, but I am feeling hungry and struggling not to eat. So he gave me another cc and I hope this will give me some restriction. I now have 6cc in a 10 cc band. But I have eaten bagels and crusty bead. The bagels are toasted. I think toast goes down better because you can chew it more. I have not tried a biscuit. I would miss bread. I don't eat it often, but I would miss it. Wasa crackers are good. Have you tried those? Diane

What do we get if we finish or exceed? Lets write Oprah and ask for exercise equipment. Or better still, how about the winner gets Bob Greene for a month:) and one of her personal chefs, and that Nate Guy. All good eye candy! Diane

Hi Stacy, I agree with you 100%. I could eat chocolate and ice cream too. I have not had anything considered dessert since this surgery. I think the band helps you not over eat when you eat, but you still have to make good choices. And if you choose ice cream that melts and goes down easily then you could probably eat a lot of it. I think I am feeling restriction becuase I do have a feeling like food it in the back of my throat or a feeling like something is sitting at my sternum. So I don't want to be too aggressive and have BPing and sliming and other stuff I have read on this sight. I will however when I go for my next fill ask that he withdraw fluid and then put it back so he knows hes in the band. I have been loosing 1-2# a week and I'm happy with that. I cleaned my closet out the other day and gave all my bigger jeans to my sister:) Good feeling to be in smaller clothes. That alone helps to make better choices. Diane

Hi Tweenwaters' I'm not sure. I definitely feel something, when I had lunch today I had a feeling midsternum that could have been restriction so I stopped eating after a small amount of salad. I will wait until Monday and she what happens. I am not over eating, but feel I am doing it on my own. He did not tell me to go on liquids after the fill, so last night I has a small dinner. But I am still happy I did this. It is holding me accountable and I think I will eventually feel restriction if I am not already. But when your Dr did the fill did you feel pressure at the port when he injected the saline? I asked my Dr. if he pulled back the syringe and got fluid back to know if he was in the port and he said you can't always do that with the new bands. But then how would you remove fluid if you had to? So, I'm not real sure, but I guess he knows what he doing:) Diane

I had my first fill yesterday. My band had 3cc at surgery and he put in 2cc yesterday for a total of 5cc. I did have alot of restriction after surgery, but find I can eat more now. I guess it was from swelling. I am loosing 1-2# a week, but I feel it's more from diet and exercise. When I had my fill yesterday I thought I would feel restriction right away, but I didn't. I asked him if he was sure he was in the port because I thought I felt pressure when he injected the saline and did not expect I would feel pressure if he was in my port and not under my skin. He says he knows he was in the port becuase he could feel the resistance of the rubber. So, I'm not sure what it's supposed to feel like. I guess I am able to go 4 hours between meals. I'm not really a morning eater. I usually have a small lunch and dinner. I have not had anything sweet since my surgery for fear I will crave sweets all over again. So basically I guess I am dieting. I do get full quicker, and I cannot eat red meat. So I guess that's restriction. I don't want to be so tight I can't swallow vitamins. How do you know that the fluid is in the port and not your abdomen. My doc does not use fluro when he does the fill? Am I the only one who wonders if its going into the band and not you abdomen? Diane