Wendell Edwards

The thing that helped me with getting fluids in was to get a couple of those HUGE mugs that 7-11, ARCO and Wal*Mart sell. They hold from 48 to 64 ounces, and are insulated and have lids. Every morning I start by filling one of those mugs with a liquid, usually Crystal Lite or Kool-Aid and lots of ice. I make sure that mug is within arms reach for the rest of the day, and I sip constantly from it. That was a learned behavior for me, and I initially used a digital kitchen timer, set to go off every five minutes. Every time the timer beeped, I had to take a drink. After a while, that behavior became integrated, and I no longer had to use the timer to remind me to take a sip.

Surgeons choose band size based on the patient's unique anatomy. The criteria is the closest fit to the patient's stomach, with the least dissection of the fat above the stomach. ALLERGAN specifically warns surgeons about over-dissection of that fat, as stomach perforations could occur when doing so.

ALLERGAN introduced a larger band called the APL last year, It appears that you have that band. You're right, it may take larger fills to obtain restriction in that band.

Although I do not have an answer for you about the gas problem, I do want to caution you about retaining a too-tight fill. Relying on soft food and soups indicates a too-tight band. Keeping a too-tight band will increase your liklihood for an enlarged esophagus or pouch dilatation. I would advise you to consult with your doctor, and consider getting a slight unfill.

Conversely, a person with a smaller band may need multiple fills, while a person with a larger band size, but larger anatomy, may require fewer fills. That is why comparing the amount of fill in any two person's bands is essentially futile. Everyone is different. :smile:

Normal is whatever your unique experience is. Normal weight loss is between one and two pounds per week.

I disagree with the B.M.I. ranges. I use a goal SIZE of a men's XL shirt and 38-inch waist slacks.

I gained weight until fill number 4.

This is very good advice. Wait it out, and don't drink anything.

Most people who are morbidly obese do not like having their picture taken. They avoid the camera because the photographs don't lie. That fact can be put to good use before and during your weight loss. Simply put, the best way to document weight loss is not a scale graph of pounds lost, or a size chart of inches lost. The best way to document weight loss is to take photographs before and during the process. I advise people setting out on this journey to take three initial pictures. The recommendations that I give are these: 1. Take three views, front, side and back (That means you need a automatic timer camera or a friend to help you) 2. Take the pictures in the same place every time. A doorway is a great choice, because it helps put a known quantity into the picture. Other good places are in front of a fireplace or another known point of reference. 3. Take the pictures while wearing form-fitting clothes. A swimsuit is IDEAL. 4. Take the pictures with the same camera, and make sure you are standing the same distance from the camera every time. That's why a doorway helps. You can line yourself up in the doorway and use a measuring tape to find the distance to the camera. 5. Take that same set of pictures every month. Front, back and side views. Wear the same clothes and make sure the distance to the camera is the same. 6. Have the "Before" pictures printed out, and tape them to your refrigerator. 7. Have the latest set of pictures printed out, and tape those next to the "Before" pictures. In doing this, you mind has irrefutable PROOF that what you are doing IS WORKING. People frequently do NOT "See" their weight loss, and they become frustrated, perhaps by a scale weight that is not moving, even though their body size is reducing at an amazing rate. This is a great way to "See" your weight loss. The best way to document weight loss is to take photographs before and during the process.

The very best person to ask that question of is your doctor, because only your doctor is qualified to give you medical advice.

The best source for amounts of food that you should eat is your doctor. Eating very small amounts of food is not what the Lap-Band was designed for. Extremely small amounts of food could lead to very dangerous health conditions, so please consult your doctor or nutritionist for accurate and safe advice.

"It is very important to follow the eating and drinking instructions right from the start after the operation. That’s because you must allow the new stomach structure to heal completely and in the right position. It may take a month or more for this to happen. It is important, especially in the early weeks, not to stretch the small stomach pouch above the band. Vomiting can do this, so it is important not to vomit. Vomiting can increase the chance of stomach tissue slipping up through the band." http://www.allerganandinamed.com/pdf/health/94829-12_LB_Patient_Book.pdf It's on page 10.

Your best source for diet information is your doctor's office. Most Lap-Band patients eat 1 to 1.5 cups of food 3 times per day. If you are onky eating 1/4 cup of food 3 times a day, I doubt that your nutritional needs will be met.

That's normal. When a patient is newly banded, swelling of the stomach tissues often provide temporary restriction. When the swelling subsides, effective restriction is removed and the patient's hunger returns. Head hunger seems to be the worst at that time also. While few patients experience effective restriction on receiving their first fill, eventually effective restriction does happen, at which time most patients experience a dramatic lessening in hunger.