Losing_It_In_Texas

I was banded a little over a year ago and have lost 95 pounds. I haven't had a fill for probably 4 months....I am currently at 7.9cc in a 10cc band and just all the sudden, out of the blue, I am having trouble even swallowing liquids. It does go down but not not without sitting for a second or 2 or 3. I haven't had a true stuck episode in months then 2 nights ago this started happening. I don't know what is going on.....has anyone had this happen?

I don't have PCOS but I had to crush some medication that I take right after surgery that was down right NASTY so I'll tell what I did and maybe it will help with yours. I talked to a compounding pharmacist....the people that actually make up certain types of prescriptions from scratch and she suggested using peppermint extract and a sweetener called Stevia Extract (just a couple of drops). I wouldn't call the end result tasty but it definitely took the bitter taste away so I could tolerate it. I would crush my medication in a small glass, add only enough water to make it drinkable, couple of drops of peppermint extract, two drops of sweetener, stir it all together, and VOILA!! She also suggested a drop of Hersheys chocolate syrup after the mixture if it leaves a bitter aftertaste. I hope these tips help you!!

Thank you!! Sounds like you are doing great also! My surgery was Sept. 22, 2008....nearly 8 months ago. Keep up the good work. :purplebananna:

I have a 10cc band with 8.4cc's in it presently. My last fill was January 9 and I haven't needed another fill yet. My weight loss has slowed down to between 4-5 lbs per month the last two months whereas the first two months after my last fill I lost 9 lbs each month. I'm just curious what everyone's fill level is that is around the same time post-op as me. Thanks for your input!!!

I think it will depend on your level of restriction as to what types of things you will be able to tolerate. I still haven't attempted bread after 7 months cuz I'm afraid to. I have eaten small amounts of Pasta a few times but mostly I don't even try the things my doctor said to stay away from. You should be able to eat MOST regular things down the line if you take small bites and chew very well, but for myself I have eliminated fried things, really fattening things, rice, and bread. I think you will find that as you lose weight and have good restriction that you won't crave the fattening things so much. A healthier way of eating will become normal....at least it did for me. Best of luck to you!

I hope I will find out more at my dr's appointment but I was hoping to see if anyone else had ever had that same problem. It always helps to know that you aren't the only one experiencing something odd like this. Maybe someone will see this and say "WOW, it happened to me too".

That makes sense. I guess it will be the same at the end as it was at the beginning with finding the right restriction to then STOP losing weight.

Thanks for both your replies Jachut. The puzzling part of the nosebleed is I haven't ever had one before and now I've had gushers two times in a row. I'm sure its due to the PB episode but its very scary nonetheless especially since it started while I was vomiting and at that very instant I wasn't sure if I was vomiting blood or what. I quickly realized that it was coming from my nose but not before it scared the dickens outta me.

My extremely fickle band has been off and on tight over the last few weeks, subsequently I have gotten stuck twice and had 2 fairly bad PB episodes during which my nose bled, well actually poured is a better description. I called my doctor and while he didn't say it was considered normal, he did it was not uncommon. So here I am, asking my fellow bandsters if it has happened to you? Thanks for your help!

I've still got about 24 pounds more to lose, but people have begun asking me "how do you finally stop losing weight" and I don't have the answer. I haven't really pondered that question yet but so I will have an answer next time, I hope someone on here can tell me what you know about it. It seems like a really good question to me because every time I am asked that, I try to think about it and cannot come up with any reasonable way to explain it. Hopefully someone will be able to explain it to me. Thanks!!!

I would have never believed that this pose would help get things unstuck until I tried it myself as it seems counter-productive to getting food thru the band. It works for me 99% of the time which I am thrilled about, but I don't understand the mechanics of it and would very much like to hear anyone else's theories about how or why it works. Do you think its that it forces air from the bottom of your stomach up thru the band opening thereby dislodging the food???? It really does work if you haven't tried it.....for me anyway. I have to do it at the first inkling of 'stuck' and sometimes it takes a couple of times but the majority of the time it is successful. My husband teases me that it looks like I'm getting ready for a race....so he says "runners on your marks"!!! Wise guy....LOL! Anyway, if it works for you too I'd like to hear your take on how you think it works. Thanks in advance!!

WOW!!!! Maybe I should have asked how long between fills when you HAVEN'T reached your goal weight yet....like around 6 months post-op which is where I am. Some of you have gone a long time...a really long time and are still losing...I'm impressed and it gives me renewed hope!! Still I am curious about the folks not yet at goal...like me.

I'm just curious about this because I had my last fill the first of January and I'm beginning to think its time for another one. I've never gone more than a month without needing a fill and am wondering if its normal to go 3 months, or longer, between fills and still be losing weight. Thanks for your input!!

I am asking because today is my 6 month mark and this month particularly I have been losing slowly, or more slowly than the past 3-4 months. I haven't needed a fill since the first of January so that may be the problem. I still feel fairly tight (some things get stuck) but I am beginning to get hungry much sooner between meals than I have before. So I'm just curious if those of you who have been banded at least 6 months are still losing 8 lbs or so a month or have you slowed down? Is it unrealistic to expect to keep losing 8+ lbs a month like I have been all the way to the year mark? Thanks for your input!

I know the price will probably vary but I'm just looking for a range. My doctor doesn't use fluoro unless HE thinks there is a problem. I had my surgery 6 months ago today and I think I would like to have my next fill done with fluoro just to make sure everything looks good. My normal fills are free for the first year so I'm just hoping to get some price ranges so I'll be prepared for the cost. Thanks in advance!!

I ALWAYS get them if I have eaten too fast. I used to think it was a sign that I was full, but when they started happening after the first or second bite I knew it was becasue I had eaten too fast.

Yeah, I think you are right that the closer you get to the sweet spot, the less fill volume it takes. I'm just getting panicky that I will be completely filled before I have lost all the weight I want to lose. I am hoping also that the fills I have from now on will keep lasting me a few months like this last one has. I'm beginning to be able to eat a little more each week...for the past several weeks, so I think it'll be time for a fill within the next month or so. Thanks for all the good answers...best of luck to you all!!!

I just don't understand what happens when you are filled to the max....do you stop losing then? I am currently at 8.6cc in a 10cc band, my last fill was on January 9 and I was banded on Sept 22, 2008. With 6 months still to go before my 1 yr bandiversary, I am concerned that I will run out of room for fills long before the 1 yr mark. Just wondering what happens when you reach that point and concerned I will stop losing when I do reach it. Any help is appreciated!

The first couple of months I was losing 9-10 lbs a month, for the next couple of months it slowed to 4-5 lbs a month, then after my fourth fill when I got good restriction it was around 8 lbs a month. I still have weeks that I'll only lose 1 pound, then the next one I may lose 3. Thats pretty much where I am right now....I'm averaging 8 lbs a month. I try not to let the weekly numbers discourage me and look at what I've lost over an entire month as my average. Best of luck to you!

*bumping* cuz I still need help!! Thanks in advance!

I felt exactly like you do for the first month after my surgery. You have to remember that you did have major surgery although it was probably only day surgery. And if you are exercising now (which you probably didn't before, like me) you are still getting used to your new lifestyle. I thought I was going to die that first month (not literally) but I was so damn tired. It just takes time. Before you know it, you'll have more energy than you know what to do with, which still suprises me to this day. Just keep doing what you are doing (you are doing all the right things BTW) and it will soon all fall into place. Good luck!!!

My band has always been fickle but now it totally seems to have a mind of its own. I'm 5 months post-op and have had 4 fills for a total of 8.6cc. My last fill was Jan 9 and was really tight for the first 3 weeks but I waited it out because it always loosens up quite a bit (sometimes too much so). Beginning the third week, I was quite comfortable with the restriction.....eating 1/2 cup and staying satisfied for 4-5 hours which was great and has lasted me this long. Now, for the past few days I've been feeling even tighter (struggling to eat the entire 1/2 cup) but then after a couple of hours I'm hungry again. So what I'm saying is the restriction/tightness seems more so than it has, but the hunger is coming more quickly than it has been. Thats the part I don't understand. Has anyone else experienced greater tightness a month and a half after a fill? Normally when I start getting hungry sooner than 4-5 hours after a meal, it means I'm ready for a fill, but I feel really tight already. I don't get it....hopefully someone can help, I'd really appreciate the input.

Hello.....I had this page bookmarked as something I was thinking of getting due to the same problem you are having....you might want to check it out!Keep Warm Dish - ElderStore

I swear by dried apricots, which is what my surgeon recommended. I was suffering from terrible constipation immediately after surgery and tried all the usual suspects: MOM, Benefiber, Dulcolax etc, etc....then asked my surgeon and he told me about the apricots. I would caution you to cut them up into 1/4 pieces if you are restricted at all...they can be a little tough from time to time, but I assure you they will work. Good luck!

Oh wow, thats perfect....thank you!!