catfish87

Great ride Terry! Sorry about your wife's eyesight going bad....HAHAHA!Question...have you heard of R2R ? ( Ride to Recovery ) Check it out sometime. I'm gonna try and make one this fall or next year. Great events!

Nothing nutritious in them, but I have some of the Ruffles 1/2 calorie made with O'Lean occasionally. I've heard the O'lean doesn't set well with some people, but I don't eat a whole bag of them at once... a handful or so a couple times a week. I've told my NUT I probably won't ever give up chips completely, but even the amount of chips are limited by my band....now. Everything in moderation.

Definately speeds mine up too! I'm eating upwards of 2000 cal/day on average since the weather turned, and steadily losing. I am getting in about 3 or 4 days of cycling a week now. Still gets too dark to be cycling 2 hours outside after 12 hour day shifts....won't be long though til that changes too. Did you decide on that Garmin? I think T.Pops has the premo version of the one I got. LOVE it!

I've been banded going on four years now. I got tired of dieting, so I got fills. I NEED the restriction to help me with portion control. I'm at a very happy point now as far as restriction goes. 8.8 in a 14cc band, although everyones number of CC's isn't really the issue. What it does for you is the real issue. I CAN eat MOST foods. I don't eat some foods, such as soft bread, red meat that is tough, and pineapple, as they can be problematic for me. What I do now, is try and make good food choices (most of the time), and let my band helps with the portion sizes. AND EXERCISE.

AMEN! I myself can flucuate at least 10#'s from morning to night...depending on water intake, exercise, etc. Drinking a half gallon of water is upwards of 4#'s...I suggest looking week to week, not day to day for real numbers. I do weigh daily, but only for an idea if I need to up fluids even more.

Congrats on your accomplishment! Awesome job!

Your doc can tell if it's leaking just by checking volume of fluid. Thats Easy! They cannot however check to see if it's providing you correct restriction just by the amount of fluid.

Lots of good info from the posters before me! I'd add a couple things. #1. WHEN your doc did your fill using Fluoro, you lost 50#'s in four months....pretty darn awesome! Thats above the norm. #2. Now that you have lost weight, you state your doc is now only adding .3cc's per fill, and you can't feel ANY difference/restriction. You didn't say if your doc is still doing your fills using fluoro, but considering you state he won't add more than .3cc's, I suppose he's not. Seems like a great idea to me, if you get your fills done like you did when you lost 50#'s in four months....with fluoro. There are other benefits to it besides getting you to adequate restriction. I would have NEVER got to restriction without fluoro...read my story, or PM me for details. I didn't / wouldn't / couldn't ( take your pick ) control my portions WITHOUT restriction. Thats why I chose the lapband. Its adjustable. And its working for me, now that I have to really slow down and chew, chew, chew. And I have absolutely NO heartburn/reflux.. I'm not advocating being in the red zone...just very good restriction. It works for me. Hopefully, you'll find that same zone soon. Best wishes for your continued success! Heres a link to my surgeons Fluoro page and the benefits of it. http://www.hoab.org/fluoroscopy-machine-st-louis-missouri/

I probably eat fish too often. At least several times a week. I haven't been a big fan of talapia, but those sound good! Thanks for the heads up.

No..certainly not for me. I've not "thrown up" since banded over three years ago. PB yes, but never any blood. I think you should make a call to your doc.

A very good post with some VERY good points. Sometimes when I read the posts in this particular forum, I ask myself why those who aren't experiencing difficulties, are so vocal in support of the band, IN A COMPLICATIONS FORUM. There are PLENTY of support forums. I try to NEVER, EVER let the poster's name determine whether I "like" a post or not. I've read helpful post from people who have no complications, like myself, and from people who have had issues with their band. I wish you much success in your future with OR without your band.

Congrats on your loss! About two weeks after my last fill, I thought similar to you. Was I too tight? I didn't have any heartburn/reflux, or any other of the symptoms I read about on here, but it was uncomfortable/got stuck at times if I ate too fast or didn't chew really good. Now I think I was still adjusting to even slower eating and chewing even better. I read a lot of posts on here where folks get a fill, and within only a few days or a week, they are back at the doc for an unfill. Then a short time later they are back to needing a fill. It may be necessary for them. For me, I just had to adjust my habits....not my band. I need the band for portion control.

I know its not good to assume or guess, but I will here. Since a different doctor will be performing your fills than did your installation, I will ASSUME/guess...that he/she will do the first fill using fluoro. That will allow them to see correct placement, and to make sure all looks well. Then, they will probably adjust your band to provide SOME restriction. It may be they will only fill a very small amount the first time or two, to see how you tolerate/adapt to restriction. Then again, you may have a doc that just fills a set amount, no matter how much restriction it provides. Hope for the first scenerio. Take a look at this link if you have time: http://www.hoab.org/fluoroscopy-machine-st-louis-missouri/

Have you ever tried biking? For me, its the best "exercise" ever! Love it. The calorie burn is really good for the time, once you get your heart rate to a good point. I started slow about a year ago, maybe a mile or two at a time. In a years time, you'll be amazed at what you can do. Think a medium priced bike, go into a cycling shop and see all the different kinds, try a couple out on a test ride around the lot. Maybe AFTER deciding what type/size suits you best, look around. Craigslist and used cycle shops sometimes have good deals on them. You don't have to spend a small fortune on one, but get one that fits you.

Congrats! Well Done! You are doing amazing.

Advice, directions, suggestions, information around "drinking" while eating seems to be evolving all the time. A lot of the newer information I see/read suggests that the food only stays in your pouch/above the band for less than a couple of minutes. I believe this. I can feel the food passing through mine now at times. While drinking to wash food through to allow you to eat more seems detrimental, I don't understand IF the food has already passed through, what it could hurt?? But I'm me and certainly no doctor or expert...

I'm not sure how much they are adding at each fill, but how many cc's are in YOUR band, is really not the issue. The issue is are you in that green zone? Doesn't sound like it to me. If you have a conservative fill doc, adding a small amount per fill, it could take lots of fills to get to that proper restriction. Or, there could be other issues. Think of this: without using fluoro to SEE your restriction level, if just by chance say your band had come undone/unsnapped, your doc could put as much Fluid in it as possible and you wouldn't have restriction. Not trying to say this is your issue or scare you, but it happens. I know first hand.I'm not sure what your costs are for fills, but heres what I know mine were/are. Before my surgeon started using this wonderful option, my insurance was billed $300 for each fill I went in for. ( doc visit, nut visit, adjustment, etc. )Now, its $600 for each appt. BUT, I no longer need fills! So you can either pay a smaller amount many times, or a bit more less often. My experience only, and YMMV

Depends... How much are they adding each time? Are they filling blindly or using fluoro? You can find lots of folks on here who have similar #'s of fills. It may just take a small amount more, before you will get to that magic zone. WHEN you do, its wonderful! I believe everyone should have at least some of their fills using fluoro, it'd be nice if all were done that way, but it is more expensive. Fluoroscope fills can SHOW, NO GUESSING, how much restriction you have and if everything looks good with the band. Maybe take a look at this if you have time. http://www.hoab.org/fluoroscopy-machine-st-louis-missouri/

Awesome job! Congrats on your success!

I'm three and a half years post band. I have had ZERO band troubles, not one. I didn't even give 100% effort like a lot of very successful folks on here do, and yet I am still down over a hundred pounds since surgery. And still losing. This little device has turned my life around! I just let it work its magic, now that I am in that wonderful "green zone". I can do anything I want now. I feel better than I ever remember.