LindaLouRN

General - for sure.

Sabela- Maybe you should request a copy of your chart from you physician. Good Luck with your new band! Linda

I do not know if this is an option for you, but I have heard of people taking a loan out on their 401K/retirement accounts for the procedure.

blackcherry - Yes, I am 5'1" - and 100 pounds is on the low end of the NORMAL range for my height, but it is normal, not unhealthy. You know, if you can't say something nice - why even say it at all? Seriously. fluffycat - My doc recommended the low-profile band. It was after surgery that he informed it was a 12cc capacity band. Yes, I was once a small woman, but 3 kids and 10 years later I somehow (LOL) managed to gain 60-70 pounds. After countless diets, most of which worked, but I always gained the weight back and then some, I, like many here, decided on the lap band. And, so far, so good. What about you? What made you decide to go to Mexico? How many fills have you had? Do you go to Mexico for the fills? Just wondering. Have a great day. Linda

This Wednesday will mark 3 months since I was banded. I have lost 20 pounds so far. I wish it were more, but I am grateful for what I've lost. I dream of being skinny for Christmas!! Things really seem to be working in my favor since my last fill 3 weeks ago, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed, LOL!

I agree with Jodi, it's time for another fill.

HA HA, I wondered this too when I was first banded. Did I have restriction, was this sliming, my questions and doubts went on and on... All I can say is - when it finally, really happens - you will know because there is no mistaking it, LOL! It will happen and you will say - OH this is what they meant by restriction, sliming, and so on. Good Luck!!

I had no restriction until fill #3, and even then it was minimal. I didn't truly know what restriction was until fill #4. It is not uncommon to not have any restriction this early on. Try not to let it get to you, you'll get there with time! Good Luck!

Also, he may have pre-filled your band before/during surgery with 1cc. So you may have already had 1cc in there and he may have been verifying that there was no leak by pulling back the original 1cc before giving you a fill of 5cc's. Just a thought. Good Luck! Linda

Call the office and ask them how much they put in your band - just tell them you forgot or something. He will have charted it right after your filling, probably while still in the fill room. So they can just pull your chart and tell you. This way you know it is your info for sure. If he really did give you 6cc's I'd wait it out, at least 14 days to see if it kicks-in. Usually, fill #1 is more aggressive than subsequent fills, so he probably did give you 6cc's instead of just 1cc. Good Luck!

If the physician is unavailable she/he has to have someone on-call during that time. You need to call the office back and ask to speak to the nurse - if the nurse is still not in then ask the secretary who the on-call physician is. Seriously, Jerro, if she has gastric content coming up the band is simply too tight and she needs to do something about it today! Good luck with convincing her - your a great guy! Linda

kgloverii - You are so right, I totally feel like my brain has been rewired. I am losing about 1/2-1 pound per day right now and I am loving it!! But not always thinking about my next meal - that is amazing!! Linda

The anesthesiologist and/or CRNA will meet with you shortly before surgery ask them for something for anxiety. This is a common request preop and they should have no problem giving you a little something in your IV to help you relax. Don't worry - you will do great!

Yeah - I got my first fill at my 2 week post-op appointment. I was eating everything without difficulty. My doc does not usually do fills that early, but he thought I was ready and I agreed. I do the Viactiv chewables - Multivitamin and Calcium. They are not very tasty, but they go down easy. Linda

Steph - u better go get your fill so you can bypass that standstill cause girl when we get skinny I am driving down to Waco and it's gonna be Nurses gone wild - clean version, LOL!!! We will party for sure!! lessme - I know how you feel. I felt the same way at my daughter's first birthday party in June. I hadn't lost hardly anything and it was already one month after surgery, I had to see all my family and friends and explain (as I ate my chili-cheese dog) how I was still able to eat everything and needed to get my band filled. They still did not understand, but my family & friends will see the results at Christmas!!! Just rest assured they will see your results in time.

I felt the same way you all do - I was upset thinking I had wasted over $11,000 on something that simply wasn't going to work for me. I even gained weight after fill #2. I felt the little restriction I would gain from fills would slowly go away - so frustrating! But my doc said it's not over until you have 12cc's in that band and I have never had to get to 12cc's to get good results! I remembered that and stayed diligent with my fills, getting one every 2-3 weeks. And it finally paid off!! I have even lost 2 pounds since yesterday! I am super excited for me and for you all - because I know it is coming for you too!! Just please stay optimistic. WeePaula - That post-fill diet sounds crazy - LOL!! My doc has me do full liquids for 24 hours and then slowly resume my regular diet. He wants me to try to eat bread, chicken, steak and when I go back every 2-3 weeks he wants to know how I am tolerating those certain "problem" foods. Every doc is different though. Do you have to wait 6 weeks then between each fill? Even so, you will get there, it just may take a little longer. Try to stay patient - it will happen!!

I had to document this somewhere, because this is huge for me!! I got my 4th fill yesterday and instantly had good restriction. So I woke up this morning and for the first time in forever food was not my first thought. I did not go looking for it, and still am not feeling hungry. It is just so wonderful to feel a sense of control over my hunger!!! Thanks for allowing me to share!! Have a great day bandsters! Linda :thumbup:

Okay guys - hopefully I can be a ray of hope for you all! I too didn't feel any restriction in the beginning. It wasn't until my 3rd fill, and even then it was only minimal or light restriction, but I knew we were getting closer to that sweet spot because I could feel the difference, even though I could still eat a ton of food. I had my fourth fill today - and I can honestly say that I tried to eat some mashed potatoes tonight and was only able to eat 3 bites!!!! This is what I had heard about pre-op but had never experienced. I am very excited. And to be honest with you - the potatoes tasted so good, I really wanted to eat more, I even tried, but then I had to get up and run to the restroom so I could spit all the excessive saliva out of my mouth and I had to wait for the sharp chest (epigastric) pain to go away. I will not push it again - I am learning to live a different life because I am finally restricted. The bad habits I had before are getting easier to break because I physically get sick if I try to continue. The band is forcing me to change my eating behaviors. This is what I wanted and needed the band to do for me because I knew I could not do it alone. So - moral of the story is - DO NOT GET FRUSTRATED, I know how you feel, because I felt the same way - I really started thinking the band was a huge waste of money and that it would never work for me. But I went in every 2-3 weeks for a fill until I found that sweet spot. Stay optimistic, stay on top of your fills and you will get restriction!! Good Luck to you all, I know you will do great!!

Is it normal to be able to eat anything, in large amounts, on most days and then almost nothing on other days? Is it normal that when something gets stuck to do a lot of gagging and mouth watering, but never get anything up? I can feel the pain in my chest and I know that something is indeed stuck, and I will gag for 10-15 minutes, nothing ever comes up, but then I'll feel better. I guess it is just passing through? Maybe I am not quite tight enough? I am scheduled for a fill tomorrow afternoon. What do you all think? Thanks in advance for all your advice!

I didn't really have restriction until fill #3, which I just got yesterday and the restriction was instantaneous. I currently have 6.4cc in my band and have true restriction and I love it and now I can also say I love my band. Before this last fill I was able to eat everything and did because I could, but now I get sick - and it feels horrible so I just don't even go there - because it is not worth the pain. And I am not hungry all the time anymore - HALLELUJAH!! I agree with you - I paid for the band and I want it to work!! I REFUSE to diet, I did that before the band and it obviously didn't work. I felt like some people on here were very judgmental and I almost hit the door. But, I did find a support system in others on here - and that makes it all worth it. Everyone will have their opinion, but you will have to form your own. I personally have discovered that I am someone who has to live on the tighter side of the band, because if I CAN eat it I probably will. I had started to get frustrated too. Especially when there were so many who started losing lots of weight after surgery with little to no Fluid in their band. But stay optimistic and stay on top of your fills - YOUR TIME WILL COME and YOUR BAND WILL WORK FOR YOU. Find out how much you have in your band and how much they are giving you with each fill. I see we were both banded in May and are both from the great state of Texas, if you need a lap band buddy I am here! Good Luck to you!!

Compare Adjustable Gastric Bands - LAP-BAND vs. REALIZE Band The link above may help!

Hiccups are one of my "full" signals. When I get hiccups I know I have eaten enough or even too much and need to stop. It could be different for you, but this is how they work for me. Good Luck.

I have already gained 3 pounds back. I had lost 12 pounds right after surgery, but with no restriction I started gaining. I know I have to give it a little more time, but if this is restriction - I have to say I will need more restriction than this. I just finished off about a half a bag of cheetoes, a large bag - family sized. I was hoping that overeating would be something my band simply would not allow me to do. And I pray that is what the band will do for me, I am just not there. The first fill did not hurt at all, I only felt the pressure of the needle going in. Strange feeling, but no pain. The second fill hurt a little as the needle went in. They spray a numbing agent on the site before the needle punctures the skin, so it is no big deal. The needle is inserted below the port incision site, I was worried about my healing incision, but the port was accessed a good 2 inches below the port incision. I have another appointment in 2 weeks, so if I don't get good restriction between now and then, I'll be getting another fill at that time. My surgeon does free check-ups/fills for 90 days after surgery, so I am trying to find my sweet spot before Aug 27.

You def. need protein - drink protein supplements - and start NOW!