flowers

When 3 cc's was too much for me, then the doctor started to doubt that I really had a 10 cc band. I had to get a signed letter from my surgeon saying yes it was a 10 cc band and he recommended 2.5 cc, but I already had only gotten 1.8 cc fill by then (total waste of money, pissed me off, she took me down to 1.8 cc). The doctor was saying things to me like maybe I misunderstood and really 10 cc was the diameter, not the size of what the band held and all sorts of things telling me I misunderstood what size band I had. griped me to waste $200. Im guessing from the fill doctors reaction, most people can take 3 cc their first fill. I sure couldnt. I drove 5 hours round trip besides the waste of $200 for my first fill. She gave me 1.8 cc, the typical first fill for a 4 cc band and made it clear she thought I was confused. I felt insulted. Shows ya that doctors dont always know everything.

I too have a 10 cc band and the doctor put in 3 cc, but when she tried the barium test, the barium wasnt going down, so she went down to 1.8 cc, which was zero restriction. I wish she had found a in between number :smile2: I went back and paid another $200 and she put in another 1.8 cc, so Im now supposed to be up to 3.6 cc total. Some people 3 cc is too much in a 10 cc band, even if its more common that most can take that much, I couldnt.

I was pretty casual in my approach, that this isnt a race to the finish, as long as you stay in the race. Dont let all these things get to you, if there is a problem deal with it when it happens. I did get sweets and most of the candy out of the house, still have some here but have been giving away madly, even gave two bags of stuff to my next door neighbor. Dont have anything in the house you know you cant resist. I know your family has to help with this if you live with other people, but surely they can find something else to eat if there is something you just love. Other than cutting down on my sugar, and trying not to snack at night, thats about all Im doing. Im still eating everything else. Losing slowly?? Yes, true. I was a speed demon on my last diet and gained it back. This time trying the slow and sure approach.

I have some Alli left that I was wondering about too. If you get a answer from a medical source, like your doctor, Id like to know too if it would hurt the band. Im losing ok, just curious myself.

That 4 weeks after surgery, no matter if you are doing liquids or mushys seems like it will never end. I hated it. If thats the worst you did, you should be fine. Im eating regular food now again, just staying away from junk mostly. I had a Scholtzey's 1/2 of a sandwich for dinner tonight. I had pizza on my cruise. I might not lose as fast as someone who never cheats, but I wouldnt go crazy either. Just being good 90% of the time.

In the end its your decision. I do find surgeons more often than not recommend by pass, that way they know the folks will lose weight, the problem is they probably will put it on later if they dont stick to the diet and start overeating. Long term I think the band works just as well, its just not as fast in the beginning. We have to keep getting fills until we hit our sweet spot. I had my surgery 7/9, and still not close to getting the restriction I need. Lap band is a longer process, but you wouldnt put the weight back on as easily if you have your fills and get to where you need to be.

The tests should not take that long. It sounds like you just are not wanting to travel back and forth from testing and surgery and stuff? I dont know of anyone who spent 3 weeks with their doctor. Maybe you have a lot of health issues Im not aware of. I went by myself to Mexico. I admit I decided to come home a day early, wasnt much fun by myself when hardly anyone spoke English. Wished by the time I got home I had spent the one extra night. Iv never heard of spending 3 weeks though. At most 2 extra nights to indulge ourselves with some Mexican doctors.

The seminar I went to mentioned all types of surgeries. They also said most insurance plans wouldnt pay for the sleeve, but they will pay for by pass. I heard several say out loud ..... "well that decides it for me".

I use Dr. Stephanie too. Wondering if you would share what it is you dont like?? privately of course, not on the public boards. I saw a post about a place in garland that does fills and wondering about changing to them, or should I stay with what is safe? My only concern with Dr. Stephanie is how small her fills are and my lack of restriction. Iv had two fills of 1.8 cc. She doesnt try to find a in between number, if 3 is too much she goes down to 1.8 cc. While eventually we will get there, meanwhile, Im not getting to hardly a tad restriction. I had nothing after the first fill and twice she assured me I would feel it. I didnt.

I went to a seminar and they too pushed hard for other surgerys. They said things like "will you be happy only losng half the weight you want to lose". They turned everyone away from the idea of lapband and I cancelled my surgery, but after thinking about it, decided it would help me. I can lose with a diet, the lapband is training wheels to keep me from falling on my face and regaining what I lost. Apparantly 50% is the average weight people lose the first year, some lose it all and some dont lose. We had a lady who gained with the lapband in my seminar (to further sway people), who said she was on the road with her job and didnt have time to go get fills, so she had done nothing after she got her lapband and eventually got diabetes on the lapband, so she was there to have it removed and have by pass instead. I think you have to decide if you have the time and will go get fills and work with the tool or you just want by pass, and lose easier at first, but more side effects, if you eat wrong, and you will be in danger of gaining it all back if you stretch your pouch, nothing you can do to fix it, no fills. I know several with by pass who regained all they lost and more.

As some others are asking, how did this lapband doctor have your mom's phone number?? Did you list it as an alternative or some such? Yes, its wrong, and I hope you have set up a time to discuss with him, he owes you at the very least a huge apology and at most he's in trouble if you report him.

Im in Dallas, and lapband is just under $10K here too, and probably as good as the doc in Colorado. Even with the cheaper price here, I choose to go to Juarez, it was a hop on a plane and they take care of you more and longer. I live alone and my parents are elderly, so I wanted the extra care I knew I would get in Mexico to lean on. There were 3 of us on the floor and 5 or 6 nurses and a doctor who came around besides my own to check on me. In the U.S. they often send you home in a few hours and you are on your own. I think it depends on your circumstances. I meet two gals at my fill doctor who had it done for $6K each, and doing well, even cheaper price than I paid. Prices are low in Mexico with more nursing care and after surgery care.

I was nutrisystem with a young gal who tried out for the Biggest Loser who wanted it so bad, had a great personality, early 20s, but she weighed too much. They told her to shed 100 lbs or so and maybe she could try out again. They only pick women in the 200s usually who dont have so much to lose and the losses will show more as they lose. Dont feel bad about picking up your diet on your birthday. (Happy Birthday :wub: ). I had my fill the day before my birthday and realized I would be back on mushys the day after my fill, so I couldnt eat what I wanted for my bithday this year. I just had my birthday Sept 28th, so Im also a Libra. hi, fellow Libra.

My surgeon says he stitches the port to something so it cant move or turn over.

Two fills of 1.8 cc's each in a 10 cc band. Both times the fill doctor tried to put in 3 cc's but the barium wouldnt go down with 3 cc's at a time for a fill. She was surprised and doubted it was a 10 cc band, so I had to get a letter from the surgeon signed for the 2nd fill. I too never heard of only a 1.8 cc fill for the first fill in a 10 cc band. I have some restriction, but would like a little more. Will wait a month or so for the next fill so maybe they can give me a little bigger fill, at least another 1.8 cc. For some reason they are needing to fill me slower it seems like than normal. I saw on the fluoro the first fill and she pointed out the barium just sitting there that wouldnt go down into my stomach with 3 cc's so she removed some of the fill. Just have to be patient they tell me.

I was told cabonation can cause slippage and not to take the chance ... ever. Its the only thing Iv given up. I can eat anything else.

Im pretty sure unless I get plastic surgery, I will be so saggy for yo yo dieting (I was saggy the last time I lost 85 lbs), that this has to be in my future, much as I hate the idea of paying for it or having this painfull surgery. I just want to get into regular sizes. Nothing looks good on me with a big belly and Im still in a size 20 or more. I want to go to regular women's stores and be able to buy clothes again instead of shopping online.

I cant tell any difference in the taste of food. I do know when I diet and stay away from fats and sugars, after a while if you eat something say high fat like a fast food taco, it didnt taste as good as before dieting, but no idea why having surgery would make food taste different??? That sounds wierd to me since there should be no way the band would actually affect the taste of food.

If you eat wrong foods with the band, you wouldnt lose then either. Some get fills so tight they cant eat, but other than that, you will still be able to eat. I can eat anything I want even after two fills. subway subs, pizza, anything, and they told me I probably wouldnt be able to eat. I do sympathize. Every time before I go to a fill and Im eating a sub or something like that Im telling my family, well I might not be able to eat this after the fill, so this might be my last sub with the family. A calorie in is still a calorie out with the band.

I lost 8 or 9 pre surgery and 33 since and Iv had two fills so far. Not much restriction, but finally a tad. I also quit walking a month ago, been fighting a rash I developed when I was walking 4 miles a day in the Texas heat and lost another week on a cruise, so Im not dissastisfied, but wish Id break thru to Onederland already. So close but wouldnt dip that last one pound. Went to the dermatologist today and hopefully this will clear it up or he has to take biospys. PS both my fills were 1.8 cc's so 3.6 total in a 10 cc band, so if your first fill was 3.8 cc's you are more restricted than I am. I wish my fill doctor was going faster.

Just something small I learned from reading diet books, a calorie is not a calorie is not a calorie, they are not all the same. Someone who reacts to carbs or sugars and their insulin levels spike can gain up to 300% more than someone who is of a normal weight who isnt subject to insulin spikes. i.e. that 200 calorie candy bar, or mashed potatoes that spike your blood sugar, that skinny gal she only gets 200 calories when she eats it. If you are like me that same 200 calories can hit you with as much as 600 calories because your body stores the insulin your body produced as fat. The fact that you are so much younger, this may not be hitting you as hard as it hits me. Something to think about. the idea behind low gi dieting is to eat foods that dont spike your blood sugar. Its been proven you can eat more calories a day and lose faster than either doing low fat or low calorie diets. You can easily lose on 1200 to 1500 calories a day if they are low gi foods. Whole wheat, whole grains on Cereal, rice or noodles if you have them at in small quantities. You dont have to eat the way Im trying to eat, Im much older and its harder for me to lose than most people, so I have to eat this way to lose, but it doesnt hurt to understand how food works in the body, knowledge is power.

Well I know each person is different, but I know Im not going hungry. I did find on low gi eating that I could eat 1700 calories in a day and weight would drop fast if it was a big piece of salmon I was nibbling on throughout the day. I was on a nutrisystem diet message board and I am over 50, insulin resistant and all the reasons to be a slow loser, yet when I cooked certain foods and didnt count calories I was the biggest loser on the site two months in a row. I did walk a lot too, but I also gave up any dressing on my salads and ate them plain, there is a lot of fat and sugar in salad dressings. The ones with 0 calories taste like cardboard, so I ate plain salad. Fruit too has a lot of sugar, so I mostly gave that up too, a few berries and SF syrup in a Protein shake I would make for lunch to sweeten it up. I also have a box of SF popsicles I keep on hand and grab one if I want to snack or eat some toasted soynuts, high in protein, when I need something. I know the proof is in the pudding and i put it back on. I did lose 9 lbs pre surgery, I was hitting 248 on my home scale before my surgery in July and even with the one week cruise Im hitting 201 now. So food choices matter more than counting calories, Iv proven it to myself over and over. I want to reach for that candy bar as bad as anyone so I put something else in its place, I dont go hungry and I dont nibble on salads, I nibble on protein. A piece of lean ham I keep a package of. You can have fat free hot dogs, 2 of them are considered a snack of 100 calories and they are filling. I cut them in half and brown them in a skillet with pam. I think with some new food choices, and more protein and get rid of noodles and potatoes and gravy you might lose like I do when I eat right? Im not pushing as hard as I did last time I dieted, this time Im taking my time and having more foods I like, so losing slower, but when I get impatient, I bake up some salmon to nibble on for a day and a day or two later, my weight drops. I want to get thru that 200 lbs number. 8 days ago I weighed in at 204, so Im already down in about a week, one more lb though, gotta make Onederland.

Thanks for your story, makes me wonder about myself too. I just turned 58, so you saying more problems after 50, hmmm. I was banded in Mexico, 10 cc band, but my fill doctor could only put in 1.8 cc and thought there was confusion with my band size, said maybe I misunderstood, it was 10 cc across or another size because she does 3 cc normally as a first fill and the barium wouldnt go into my stomach with 3 cc, so she took me down to 1.8 cc, which didnt give me any restriction. I can eat anything, so maybe I dont have the older age issues you mentioned? At least you gave us something to think about. Im sorry you are having issues with your band and had to be unfilled. I wanted to add that I went to a seminar, 8 of us I think? One had a lapband and had gained weight so wanted it removed and have bypass. The lady leading the seminar lost 120 lbs via lapband, but got reflux so bad, she too had her band removed and had by pass. I was sitting there thinking 2 of out the 9 in the room had or wanted their bands removed? I came home and cancelled my lapband surgery, it sure scared me. I later rescheduled and went thru with it, but those odds are telling.

When you say you have enough restriction without a fill, sounds like you might be one who had some prefill with your band? I dont know how someone could have any restriction just from the band, because I know I woke up from surgery and could have eaten anything then and there. Many fills centers I know do fills on Saturdays, maybe you could schedule it on a weekend when you arent travelling if you get to where you feel you need a fill?