health1st

Even with no fill there is restriction. Have you ever held a lapband in your hands. If you look at a lap-band you can see that even not filled there is a very small opening, depending on the band, about an inch in diameter. Then picture your stomach is inside the band. That makes the opening even smaller. With the stomach inside the band and the band (unfilled) my guess is the hole is at the most 1/2 inch and in most cases much smaller. I still have restriction. It also makes sense on why the band is so fickle, filled or not. The slightest irritaion make our stomachs swell and the hole gets smaller. It may change day to day.

Check this out - long-term bandsters with fill problems. Another reason not to get a fill!! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=22031

Still a newbie here and this is just a thought, please don't flame me. I 55 and have had obese issues all my life. My mother-in-law is 85, no meds, normal weight, eats healthy, walks everday.... said to me: "I always eat my big meal at noon, a small meal at night and I always to go to bed a little hungry!'" I smiled at her but inside I was like YOU"VE GOT TO BE KIDDING@!! Go to bed a little hungry. That was like telling me to cut off a finger every night before I go to bed. BUT I started to think about it and I don't like to be hungry, not even a little. Hence being obese and the band! I know it is "our" collective problem but maybe "I" need to adjust my attitude a little and get a little hungry once in a while, or maybe even real hungry, and know I can eat a little protien and IF I wait 15 minutes, the hunger goes away. (IT IS SO HARD TO DO THAT! but it works) Since being banded I have gotten to know what real hunger is vs head hunger. Mostly I am head hungry! Just a thought!

Kabeerah, I'm up for it. I do need accountability. Not so much for XXX pounds lost but for what I am eating. By the way I do have restriction even with no fill! I ate some cherries last night, 12 of them and didn't PB or anything but I was definetly uncomfortable! The volumn of 12 cherries is a lot so what was I thinking? I WASN"T!!. . . .just some old mindless stuffing food in my mouth.

I am very grateful for this board. I learn so much and the support is great!

Hello May Bandsters: I am so thankful for this board. I've learn so much and it helps to hear others experience. The experience is so individual. I have 9 pounds to go for the Sept challenge. It was mid-Sept right? I went to see my Doc today to discuss a fill. (I am still a NO FILL) And he said "if it ain't broke, why fix it" and suggested more dense protien, 5 small meals a day and see him in 2 weeks. I've never PB'd or slimmed and I don't want to. I just don't tollerate that kind of thing at all, so it keeps me honest, most of the time. I am trying to increse my exercise and that is going pretty good.

Oh, yes. My Doc said 4-6 ounces of protien per meal. So 1 cup 5-6 times a day of protien really isn't that many calories. You are probably doing 6 cups now, you'll be doing the same, just spaced out.

When I was first banded I was "nearly" religious with the 5 small meals a day, mostly protien. As I started to add foods, I just stopped doing it. I was pretty much eating like a normal person, just not nearly as much as I used to pre-banded. BUT for the next 2 weeks I'm going to try the mostly protien, 5-6 meals and see how it goes with the hunger. And see if I contintue to lose weight. I do get a lot of exercise for a fat girl, so I think I need more calories at times.

Saw my Doc today and l had lost 5 pound in 3 weeks so he said "why fix it, if it ain't broken!". I thought for sure he was going to push me for a fill. He also said that the latest stats show that 30% of bandsters in Australia lost weight WITHOUT ever having a fill. ALSO, that I need to be eating more protien. 5 small meals a day, mostly protien. I have not been doing that. So I'll focus on that and see how it goes and see him in 2 weeks. I think we are told to get a fill at 6 weeks and we assume were are SUPPOSE to. And my Doc is learning too. I am so grateful for this site. Kabaleeh, keep up posted and do what is right for you!

The heating pad works. I had stabbing pain (agree like a red hot poker) especially when I bent over. It did some gardening TOO SOON, bending over a lot! He said I'd irritated some nerve endings and they were letting me know to take it easy. It went away in about 5 days but I thought I was pretty tuff too!

I have a 10cc VG band with NO fill. 15 weeks postop Just saw my Doc today and I had lost 5 pounds since I was in 3 weeks ago. About a fill, he said don't fix it if it ain't broke! If I eat the foods they suggest, dense protien 5 times a day, I really am not hungry. I've been eating about 40% protien, sometimes less, the rest vegtables and sometimes stuff that I'm not suppose to eat. So I'm going to try his food suggestions for 2 weeks and see how it goes. My Doc said stats show that 30% of bandsters in Australia never need a fill. My opinion: The band helps us lose weight, it isn't meant to do ALL the work, we have to work with it. Overfills can really be uncomfortable as well has hazardous to us. Leona, from my experience, I had to stay hydrated no matter what. Try to sip a little all day or you'll get very weak and can end up in the hospital on an IV to get you back to square one. When I had a slipped band I got dehydrated and was on an IV for 5 days! Of course you have to eat too. Have you tried Isopure from GNC? It is liquid protien, real easy on the stomach. It worked real well for me post-op. Eveyone is different, you may not need a fill. Take care of yourself.

I think it is a great idea to hear about all the people who have no complications! I'd love to see that. I'm happy with my band and I do get scared when I hear about problems altho it sure helps me to avoid some of the pittfalls that way. I'm glad we hear about both sides.

I"m a NO FILL and I can totally relate! I'm with you Kabberah. (as usual) I am NOT afraid of the needle. I can live with that. When I finally went in for a fill they couldn't find the port and poked at me for 20 minutes and I never got the fill. So I waited a few weeks and still lost weight but I am hungry at least part of the time and can eat most anything. BUT I had serious complications with surgery and I don't want to be too tight and end up with ANOTHER slipped band. I see my Doc this week to talk about all of this and I guess he'll try to do a fill, again. However I'll request it to been done under flouro this time. I think I'll ask for .5cc, do you think that is too little?? I have a VG 10cc band.

Did you like the powder or the pre-mixed? Both? How about the bars?

So for the closet full of un-used protein drinks. .. .I've found the local food bank/donation likes them as long as they are unopened, even if individually package. Someone can use them.

Jack: anticipitory esphoigal spasm!! I never knew there was a name for it but I've had it for years. I'd choke on nothing like I swallowed something down the wrong pipe only I didn't. A drop of water would set me off like I couldn't breath. I haven't done it for a long time but I used to a lot. It seemed to be in my head!

I'm am NO fill so far. Went in for a fill at 11 weeks but they couldn't find the port (no flouro) so I figured I go without for a while longer. WHAT I eat definetly determines how "tight" I am. If I being careless, eating the wrong things and too much it seems I can eat anything. Then I get back on the program, do mostly liquids for day or two then start eating right and surprise, I feel full on less and the weight starts coming off again. If I leave out refined sugar completly the cravings stop. That's a really hard one for me. Of course, my band being somewhat fickle, sometimes it doesn't matter what I do, but in general, when I follow the food guidelines like Photonut said, it works and I feel better. It is also such a easy way to eat I don't have to think about it too much except not to overeat.

Cathy, you may want to put your experience in Life after Lap band removal. The more information we all have, the better. SO Sorry you had to have ithe band removed BUT so happy you are feeling better!!! Stay in touch. Barbara

All that vomiting has to be hard on your stomach. I find the Isopure protien drink that you get at GNC very nice to quiet the stomach. It is almost clear, good nutrition, and usually easy to go down. It doesn't taste too bad. If my stomach is giving me a fit (nothing like your are describing tho) I try Isopure for a few days.

Mouse, great input. My Doc was pretty aggresive with fills. I have a VG 10cc band and he told me to get a fill at 4 weeks. I was concerned it was too soon and read some things on this board and decided to wait. I am so glad I didn't just do what he said. I wanted some "help" with weigh loss, NOT all the band. So I don't have a fill yet, and I have a sensitive stomach so I still have some restriction. It is individual and the band effects us all differently. Good advice to wait and see how it goes, how we feel, what we can eat. And get to know ourselves with our new tool. Very smart advice.

At least the surgeon didn't operate sick! That might be worse for you if he isn't 100%

Dolores, also.....you were fortunate that your GP at least knew something about the lapband. My GB just said "I don't know anything about it" and when I gave her literature, I don't think she had any interest in knowing more!! I need to change GP's.

Dolores: I think your Doctor is giving you very sound advice. There can be serious complications and I had them. Even so, I'd still get the band again if I had to do it all over again, complications and all. You know what they say about hindsight being 20/20? I was so desperate for a possible solution to a lifetime of emotional and physical pain about my obesity, I didn't want to ask some questions or even worse I didn't really want to hear the answers. The questions I didn't ask that I wish I had: (and I was a self pay) What does the selfpay actually cover? (Everyone says how simple the surgery was is and is usually is but!!! not for me.) Does it cover a 2nd surgery if there are complications? HOw many days in the hospital does it cover? What if there is slippage and blockage? Does it cover the test to determine what is going on? (My Doctor said errosion can be very serious if the fluids from the stomach get into the body cavity and in my case it would NOT have been slow. Everyone is different!) What happens if there are problems right after surgery? What about several months after surgery? Who pays for it? What does it cost to get fills under flouroscope? How many lapbands has the Doctor done? (any less than 250 and I might be concerned) How is the Doctors followup support? How many times can you go back to see him if you have questions before he starts charging you? What are HIS/HER statistics for errosion and slippage? Removal or replacement? The lapband surgery is relatively new and they really don't know for sure what happens in 10 or 20 years to a lapband. I had a second surgery and my Doctor was very good about working with me and the hospital reguarding charges. I was very lucky. He wanted to be sure it wasn't going to break the bank! My bank. Best wishes to you!

I love riding my bike, it feels so freeing!! I couldn't barely go a block when I started and now I can ride a few miles and a few hills. Sometimes I worry about my big butt sticking out (altho smaller now) but mostly I just dont care. I am riding with the breeze in may hair it feels great!

Glad to hear it, I have (I mean HAD) lots of hair but it is looking pretty thin right now. It has to be the surgery and maybe for me not eating much for the first few weeks. I've lost weight before (100 pounds fast) AND never lost hair!