MaggiesMom1999

I have 10.5cc in a 10cc band. I, too, worry about what will happen "later". I am 15+ months out and have lost 115 pounds but still need to lose at least 30 more. But the big goal, of course, is to not GAIN anything back even if I never lose another pound. So far, still pretty good restriction, but what happens later? Leigh

I also had 4cc's put in during surgery then 4cc's at my first fill (6 weeks). I then had 1cc, .5cc and .5cc for a total of 10cc's in my 10cc band. My last fill was in mid November and until the last month or so I have continued to lose weight. I have lost a total of 105 pounds since 6/21/08 so I'm happy, but I still need to lose another 40-50 pounds so I'm not so happy. My surgeon assured me that the band would actually hold more than 10cc's so not to worry, but of course I worry. My next appointment is 7/2/09 which is also my bandiversary and hope to get a "tweek" at that time to get me started losing again.

I had 4cc in during surgery, then 4cc, 1cc, .5cc and .5cc for a total of 10cc in a 10cc band. He did my last fill in November and verified the 9.5 before he added the new fill to make 10. I have, of course, SOME restriction but I can still basically eat anything and everything. I have lost nothing in about 5 weeks but I have another appointment in 10 days and will ask for a small fill. Hopefully, that will jump start things.

Good luck to you! I am from Robertsdale, Alabama, just "over the border" and I had my band in Mobile on July 1, 2008. I have lost 85 pounds so far, but I need to lose another 65. Do you know if they offer any support groups in Pensacola? It is just as close to go to P'cola as to Mobile for me and I really enjoy meeting and talking with other WLS folks. Again, good luck!

Doc put in 4cc during surgery, then 4cc at 6 weeks post-surgery, then 1cc the next month, then .5 the next month and then .5 the next month. He did not give me a fill at my monthly visit last week but I know I will need one next month. I can tell a difference but I really am not "restricted" yet.

Hi, I had surgery 7/1/08 and have had 4 fills (plus the 4cc he put in during surgery) and am now at 10cc in a 10cc band. I still am not restricted BUT I have lost about 78 pounds through portion control. I saw my surgeon yesterday for my 5th after-care visit and he said he wanted me to wait one more month because he "had me right about where you need to be". So I will go back on 1/22/09 and probably get a small fill. I don't exercise very much but I try to walk at least 15 min most every day and more if I can. Just hang in there. Leigh 320/296/242/170

9.5cc in a 10cc band and another fill in 2 days.

I have had 3 fills, plus the 4cc put in during surgery, and am now at 9.5cc in a 10cc band. First fill 4cc at 5 weeks post surgery, second fill 1cc 5 weeks later, then .5cc 5 weeks or so after that. I have my next appointment in 2 days and I will need another fill probably bringing me to 10cc. My doc keeps telling me that there is still plenty of room for additional fills and that smaller and smaller fills will make a big difference from here on out. I hope so.

I am at 9.5cc in a 10cc band and I go for my next fill this week. I anticipate a .5 fill and hit the 10cc mark this time. They keep reassuring me that there is still room beyond the recommended fill level so that I can still have adjustments later and that the need for fills gets smaller and smaller as you go, sometimes as little as .1cc can make a difference now. I will see what happens Thursday. Leigh

I was banded 7/01/08 (started pre-op liquids on 6/21 and lost 24 pounds as of day of surgery) and have lost a total of 72 pounds! I will go a week or two or three bouncing around the same 3 pounds and then it will finally stay off. Then the same thing over again. I really don't feel that I am "restricted" yet and I have had 3 fills plus the 4cc put in during surgery for a total fill of 9.5cc in a 10cc band. I go in next week for another fill. I HATE drinking Water and want my diet cokes back! I also have to force myself to get any exercise at all, mostly walking. So I am one of those people who needs a "hard stop" from the band ---I need it to forcefully control the quantity I eat and I'm not there yet. Leigh

Anyone have any good tricep exercises that will work for a beginner? My arms are really looking bad. Even my flab has flab! I need some suggestions on a good exercise and how many reps, what weights, etc. I also have a bad right shoulder so I have to be careful of that. Thanks for any suggestions. Leigh

I was banded 7/1/08 and have had 3 fills plus the 4cc's that he put in during surgery, for a total fill of 9.5cc's. I do not feel restriction. I have been losing very well up till now (nearly 70 pounds!). I am now at the point where most of my diets fail, I get bored and give up. My next appointment is 11/20 and, since I am so close to capacity (10cc's) I had thought to not have a fill this time. But I am eating everything in sight so that idea has gone out the window. I NEED a fill, desperately. I am also concerned for the long haul, two or three years, say I feel the need for another fill, will there be capacity for it? I went into this for a lifetime, I just hope it works that way for me. Leigh :thumbs_up:

I started my pre-op liquids on 6/21 and had surgery on 7/1. Beginning weight was 320, day of surgery 296. I currently weigh 250. I have had 3 fills, plus the original 4cc's put in during surgery, for a total of 9.5cc in a 10 band. I still do not feel that I have true restriction but I have been able to follow the rules well enough so far. From here on out will be the true test for me, I can usually stick with anything for 3 or 4 months then I fall off the wagon. I, too, feel like it has come off faster than predicted but I'm not complaining. :eek:

According to my experience, that was a "stuck" episode and most folks call the food sliding out a "PB" or "productive burp". That full feeling you are describing is food getting stuck trying to get into the pouch. This happens to me a good bit, because I don't chew well enough or take too big of a bite and I know I still eat too fast. Sometimes, even though I know I have chewed that bite of food to smithereens, it still happens. Never, ever, continue to eat past this feeling. You must immediately get rid of the "stuck", either up or down. I usually get it up and out but some people have told me that room temperature pineapple juice will help to dissolve the clump and help it go down. Once that is gone, you may continue to eat if you need to. Just my experience.

I'm at 9.5cc in a 10cc band and have the same issues as you describe. Most of the time I don't feel full for at least 30 minutes past finishing the "appropriate" portions. so during that 30 minutes, I am a walking time bomb --- wanting to eat everything in sight. So far I have held in pretty well but I worry about long term. I know how I am and I can usually stick to a diet for 3 or 4 months but then I fall of the wagon, big time. I have just hit the 4-month date. I have lost 65 pounds and I am very pleased with that. But I want it to stay off! I do not feel restriction. I still get hungry often. And I HATE drinking water. I have been drinking the "at least 64 ounces" every day and I HATE it. I want my diet Cokes back. Everyone keeps telling me that my band will hold a good bit more than 10cc, that 10 is just a "recommendation" but I don't feel happy that I am so close to the recommended "full" point and still don't have restriction. Thanks for listening to my venting.

I'm not from your area but there are several people from Ft. Worth area on the LapBandBuddies group at yahoo. You might try there, they have a lot of great info.

I am finding that I am eating more and more lately also. My surgery was 7/01 and I have lost 64 pounds, with which I am very pleased. I am also off all diabetic and blood pressure meds since surgery so am much healthier than I thought possible this soon. But.......I am now reaching the point where I always get bored and revert to bad habits and am having to fight harder each day to stick to the program. The last time I lost any weight, about 30 pounds in 2004, I lasted about 3-4 months and then the holidays came and I gained it all back plus a few. So I am concerned. :smile: I wish to luck and success with your efforts! :biggrin: Leigh

Hi! I was banded 7/01/08 by Dr. Snow at Mobile Infirmary. Started pre-op liquids on 6/21 and had lost 24 pounds on day of surgery. 2nd fill was last Friday 9/5/08 and I have lost 50 pounds total. Only another 100 to go! Better still, I have not had any insulin injections or blood pressure meds since the surgery! Leigh:thumbup:

I have Tricare Prime, south region. I went to the seminar at the end of February and had my first appointment with the surgeon in March. I filled out my part of the paperwork (weight loss attempts, etc.) and had my doctor send in my records and FINALLY got the surgeon's office to send in the paperwork to Tricare in late April. Approval was on line in about a week from the time they mailed it. But I needed to lose more than 150 pounds, have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and have had two spinal surgeries so I had plenty of comorbidities. Had my pre-op surgeon visit and GOAL class on 6/6 and scheduled surgery for 7/01. I did not have any psych eval, no EGD, just the regular pre-op blood, urine, EKG and chest xray. Started pre-op liquid diet on 6/21 and had lost 24 pounds by 7/01, day of surgery! First check-up was 07/10. First fill was 8/08 and he put 3.5cc in 10cc band. Have lost 43 pounds as of today (8.5 weeks since beginning liquid diet for pre-op). Tricare has been great, no problems. I had to pay the hospital $25 and pay my $12 copay for each office visit. However, my surgeon's office told me that Tricare will NOT pay for fills and I had to prepay for 6 of them ($600) prior to the surgery. So my visit on 8/08 was the first of $100 visits. If anyone can cite "chapter and verse" where I can find indication that Tricare DOES pay for fills, I would love to see it. Oh, I forgot to mention that I have not had a blood pressure pill or an insulin injection or diabetes pill since the day of my surgery! All under control! :smile2: Leigh Dr. Snow / Mobile, Alabama 320 / 296 / 277 / 170 highest / day of surgery / current / goal

My surgeon's office told me that Tricare does NOT cover fills and I had to prepay for 6 of them prior to the surgery.

Banded on your birthday? What a way to celebrate! Good Luck! Leigh

Another online group that I joined recommends pineapple juice, room temperature, to help you get unstuck. Supposedly, when you have an episode you can take just a small sip or two of the juice and it will help to dissolve the "lump" so that it can move on. I have not personally tried this but several people swear by it and keep the small cans of pineapple juice everywhere---home, office, car, etc. I have only had one stuck episode and it was terrible but only lasted about 5-10 minutes. I will definitely try the pineapple juice next time. Leigh

I was banded 7/1/08 and had lost 24 pounds on the 10-day liquids prior to the surgery. After that it seemed to stop. Even that first week when I ate nothing--and I do mean, nothing!--I didn't lose anything. Finally, after a couple of weeks I started losing again and it has been really slow but steady since then. I'm up and down every day but over all I lose the 1 to 2 pounds per week that they recommend. And I'm not exercising very much. But I envy you, I would almost kill to be 199! I started at 320 and am down to 282 and have 107 (at least) to go. Good luck and don't get discouraged. Leigh Alabama :biggrin:

You can also use myfitnesspal.com to log your food intake and exercise. Very helpful! I was banded on 7/1/08 and had lost 24 pounds on the pre-op liquid diet. I have only lost about 6-7 pounds since the surgery (3 weeks). I was supposed to do full liquids until 7/10 (my first re-check appointment) but I did have some pureed foods before that. Then I could "legally" start pureed foods on the 10th but I pretty much went straight to regular food, just cut up really small and chew, chew chew. My calorie intake varies from about 800 to 1500 (only once that high). I am also gradually increasing my walking time. Best of luck to all! Leigh 320/296/290/170 highest/day of surgery/current/goal

Hello, all! I have been lurking and reading for a couple of weeks now and very much enjoy all of the information. I was banded on 7/1/08 and had lost 24 pounds on the pre-op liquids. In the first few days after the surgery (while on Clear Liquids which equals "nothing") I lost another 6 pounds. After that I have lost nothing which is a little discouraging but I'm still hanging in there. My next appointment is 8/8/08 and I hope for my first fill then. I am going on vacation next week which should prove interesting. I am in south Alabama and was banded by Dr. Snow in Mobile. Good luck to everyone! Leigh 320/296/290/170 highest/day of surgery/current/goal