NiceWillSuffice

Humm, not sure how far back the good ol days are...BUT... im about 2 years into banding and am still pleased as pie.

I was banded April 2009...14 months later i hit my goal as of yesterday! Slow going but pretty happy. Havent had a fill since before Christmas. Finally figured out what i can and cant eat and how much. I mess up and PB from time to time but not much. The down side to slow weight loss is instead of going from huge clothes to small clothes I had to buy different sizes every few months! still worth it. Went from tight fitting "loosefit" size 40 jeans to size 34 "regular fit". My blood pressure is good too and my energy level and even though it gets hot where I live im not nearly as miserable as I used to be.

its both..fill er up!

3 years? wow. Was it all of a sudden you can eat more? Wonder if you sprung a leak!

You feel this way because you JUST had surgery. Its takes a week or 2 for the anaethesia hangover to go away..plus any pain meds you might be taking and even if none, just the antibiotics can have side effects. Your coming out from under a major cocktail..full of gas, swelling and probably having a deficit of sugar/salt/vitamins, etc. I PROMISE..it will pass and the way you feel 1 week from today will be very different. Not perfect..but different. Its normal in the first month or so to second guess. Wait until you feel great again and realize you have no restriction and can eat anything you want! then you will REALLY second guess the process!!!!..but then its fill time. Its not just a tool..its a process. I'm almost a year in and loving it.

I couldnt handle the Worldwide shakes either and didnt like them. The only Protein shake I like is the 50 Grand Slams from GNC in the red can. They have a powder too, but i dont care for it.

Nice work, soon you will be JWow from NJ! :hurray:

forgot to mention, i didnt lose any..at all.

it doesnt happen to everyone and its not ALL your hair. my docs preop program they say when it thins its from lack of Protein. If you need the band..especially for health reasons dont worry about your hair. a good cosmetologist can do wonders...and you'll be thin/healthy.

Congrats, you are in the BandHell Club. Since Preop & since Jan 15th when you were banded all the weight you lost was from your own work..or post op eating limitations. That rocks. 1 pound is nothing..although I understand NOT wanting to go backward. Just keep fighting until March 8th..then 2 weeks after that the fight might start again. Its a bit of a merry go round until the restriction is dialed in. Be excited. you have a lot to look forward to.

wow nice work! keep in mind you might need to do it again..or even again. Right now it probably seems perfect. Hey, besides losing fat around the band..the fill can cause light swelling making the feel tighter than it really is. After a week or so you get used to it and the swelling goes down and it gets loser. Why would a fill cause swelling? Beats me..BUT..this is the reason my Doctor recommends Clear to Thick to Solid for a couple days after a fill. Some Docs dont. Point is, more fills might be in your future but for today..enjoy the restriction.

If its stuck, you will burp it up. Take a swig of Water and you'll see what I mean.

I had about 8 fills untill it got dialed in. So no, once your fill level is dialed in you wont feel that way any more.

Normal. you need a fill once your doc says its ok. Might need several overtime. But..normal. I think people call this period of time you are in "Band Hell".

Of course!!! you were just banded..fast surgery or not its a prety big deal. It takes a week or more for the seditives/drugs to come out of your body plus I assume you are not drinking caffine, and reduced sugar intake and might be taking painkillers..etc. There are lots of reasons to still be tired..the number 1 for YOU is you just had surgery. It can take 3 months to feel a good version of normal. 1 day at a time. In 4 weeks you will feel nothing like you do today..AND..you will be skinnier!

Hi Lynn, Its pretty normal to need another fill a couple weeks later. It feels tight at first then settles in and gets looser and/or more fat shrinks and it gets looser. Either way, what you are experiencing sounds simply as-if you need another fill. If the band is tight enough, you will not be able to overeat (unless you eat around the band with milkshakes or whatever). I felt the same way at 2 weeks..MULTIPLE times. 2cd guessing if the band even really does anything. Yes readers, i know it is a tool and requires work...BUT the restriction is black and white. It either IS restricting or is NOT restricting. You need a fill. It took 8 fills and mine has been perfect now for months. One time they extracted all the fluid then refilled it. That made a huge difference. I had a 10cc band (or maybe 12 I forget now). Your is much smaller but its only 25% full! As far as pain..where is the pain? In the port hole? Around the port? Constant in your stomach? Only when you swallow? You need to provide more info on that one. My insurance covered the fills..or its included in the overall. Sound like you are paying al-la-carte. Sounds like you still need another regardless. good luck.

looks like im going with Dr. Coon in Riverside Ca. Anyone have any feedback? I met him first day in person. Small comfy happy office. thoughts?

well here is my opinon... In one week I have lost 10 lbs. Is that average? I lost 12 the first week. Which are the best Vitamins to take and what dosage? I was told..and still take a Flinstones complete and a b12. It is amazing how much B12 helps for energy What are the best supplements (calcium citrate or the other, etc) Whatever is chewable from costco. No magic here. Compare calorie/sugar contents then pick. Best chocolate Protein drinks or powder without chalky taste? Hands down..GNC 1000 Grand Slam - premixed in a red can and cold. Its the best. Best tasting clear liquids protein drinks? Have never seen a clear Protein Drink. Any lotions or tricks to prevent saggy skin? didnt have that problem When will I feel normal again? Never..which is good. Our "Normal" is what got us here. Any good blogs or website that could be helpful now that I have the band? You are on the best one Any other good tip you think I should know? Yes, be patient. How you feel will change daily over the next few months. my 2cents.

:tt1:every 2 days it'll get better and after a couple weeks will be a lot better..until now enjoy clearing the room. haha

August 25th is my birthday..i was banded in April so that I could turn 40 on 8/25 being at my desired weight. I will remember all of you getting banded on my birthday too. Its so great so many people are fed up..had enough..and doing something that WILL work instead of all the things that WONT work. Congrats - 8/25 will be your new birthdates too.

PBing I would describe as burping up what you just ate..BUT..its not really down in your stomach so its not really throwing up although a couple times I PB'd and it triggered real vomitting..from the gut. yuk. mostly happens from swallowing a lump (getting stuck)..but also from overeating. The slim is litterly mucus. its gross but usually only happens when your PB'ing or about too

I have had like 8 fills and have not been charged. Sooo, i guess they are either included or billed to insurance but what i do know is I dont pay for them.

if all you eat is crappy food today..you'll lose weight with little effort because you won't be able to eat nearly as much of it. (portion control as 1000 people already said) If you want to lose weight and be healthy you have to pick healthier food and believe me you will want to because you'll be so modivated. it does MORE than take the edge off. Just do it. all you got to lose is weight.

I am 4 months on and i had 4 small and one larger for the port. I am very fair skin and the large one is very visible and the one above the belly button is also visible. the surgen made the cuts in the crease of where the rolls were so they should enhance my six-pack once the weight is gone. haha. I expect the larger scar will fade but always be visible. Looks kind of cool like I got in a knife fight. :w00t:

Barneygirl, I think I can answer this! I have had more than 5 fills and been banded 4 months. So i want to suggest that your band still is not tight enough. I believe the band should be tight enough that even really well chewed food should be a little restricted and fill the "stoma". I had the EXACT symptoms you described 2 fills leading up to my last one. I felt good restriction but could easily "eat around" the band by chewing. This last fill was like magic..at first i was scared it was too tight and it took a few days..but now im dialed in by going tighter. I can even describe how it feels, if I drink a cold thick protein shake I can feel the band..not pain but I feel the drink pass through. That was the magic tighness for me because at that point well chewed NON Liquid food backs up a little. To be clear..it doesnt get stuck but it takes a while to go down. Here is another way I identify being "dialed in"... Say I eat a couple ounces of well chewed chicken. If I take a swig of water I will burp up all the water and the food along with it. Why? Because the food is still trying to go down and water has no where to go so it gets bletched up. My guess is you dont have this experince. You probably either get stuck..or it goes down. Soooo, my infinate wisdom is tighten that sucker up! No doubt someone will reply back and explain why everything I said is wrong - just ignore them.