viking_girl

1martini, how did the fill go??? SO sorry I haven't logged in for a while.

I had a fill, then a slight unfill... and I started going back to WEight Watchers for the weekly accountability. Weight is slowly on its way back down again,, thank goodness. Now if I could just manage to get out bed and go to the gym!!

The other thing to note is that is you are too tight and not eating enough, you will NOT lose weight. I am fighting that myself right now.

Very glad your cancer scare turned out well... nothing raises your blood pressure faster. :/

Well, I am not as tight as I was, but still supertight. Mostly liquids, occasional mushies, or a couple bites of something soft. Can't get to SLC for unfill just yet thought .... DD is having her first baby today. Maybe this afternoon if I am lucky, but so far, this baby is really just on his own time schedule.

Sometimes it gets crazy at work and I can't log in here, but if anyone does Twitter, I am there @lifeafterband ..... I am in and out of Twitter all day due to work. It always helps when someone pops in just to say -- HOW ARE YOU!

That is really what I need right now.

I was banded in 2009 and did very well for a long time, lost just over 80 pounds.... and then my band started to rebel. Even though I had been in the green zone for some time, suddenly I was always too tight. After that, we never have been able to get this thing right, so it has been a cycle of fill/unfill. I put a lot of the weight back on.

I just had a fill the other day and it is too tight... but it is a two hour drive to get there, so it is very hard to fit it in to a busy work schedule and a super tight budget.

Back in the green zone days, I was following all of the rules and doing everything right..... since then, I have had periods of doing well, and there have also been periods of I JUST DONT CARE.

But this is the thing. My children's father may have cancer. We don't know how that will turn out. But it is more important than ever that I get this right.

I need help.

In a bad way.

Hi viking_girl! Congrats on the lose! Have any of the pre surgery problems changed? BP?

YES!!!:thumbup:

I am diabetic, was on 2 meds prior to surgery and doc wanted me on a third. I was completely off meds TWO DAYS after surgery and my HA1C is now in the normal range.

My blood pressure was high ..... now hovers between normal and slightly elevated.... I have been off all BP meds for several months.

In terms of my health -- the lapband was the best thing I ever did!

Stupid question...my band has been at the correct fill for the past two years...why would it suddenly be tight and need a slight unfill? Does it have anything to do with losing weight?

I am sure every person is different, but in my case.... stress and hormones are usually my problem. I just had a slight unfill today. My nurse... who also has the band, said her band gets tight with air travel.

Long story, but I'm really worried. I've had my band for 3 months and had one fill about a month and a half ago and have had no problems.

Today though, something really scary happened. I was sitting at my computer and out of no where I got this crippling pain in my back. I had put strain on it at work so didn't panic, but then I went to lay down and all of a sudden the pain extended to my stomach. All day my stomach has felt like it's being twisted and rinsed out like the way you would with a washcloth whenever I so much as breathe. I've had that same sensation like when you first get out of LAP-BAND® surgery and your every move is torture, but even more severe..........

Does anyone have any ideas what this could be or any similar experiences? Do you think it's nececessarily band related?

This post is pretty old... can you give us an update on what happened??

I had my surgery last year and I actually planned it for October..... after all the summer time goodness but early enough that I was healed and eating regular food by the holidays. I didn't want to be sipping a Protein Shake while everyone else got the good stuff.

You have been drinking diet coke?????????????? Well I am just envious because carbonated drinks are the one think my doctor has absolutely forbidden. :/

Otherwise, if your band is too tight that can cause acid, and a slight unfill will relieve it.

After a year+ of being banded, I am really surprised by the food that I miss the most -- just plain everyday sandwiches! All kinds -- Subway, Mr. Goodcents, Turkey from home, etc...

It's not even really the bread -- I could take or leave a warm dinner roll with butter (the thing I thought I would really miss!), but a hamburger or a sub sandwich -- SLURP!

I would love an icy diet coke right now!!

I am certain everyone is different, but I have noticed that if I eat just a little bit too much, or sometimes too fast I will get the hiccups. If I pay attention and stop there, I am fine. It is like my warning signal. And the times I dont stop there, that is when I will throw up.

Take your time and do what feels good to you. If you need an extra day, don't sweat it. Right now the primary goal is to let your body heal, nothing more. If I remember (it has been a year) I was on Clear liquids for 5 days before I could add in things like cream Soup.

There is plenty of time later to worry about getting your Protein in.

It is cold and rainy and gloomy here today, so what I will recommend to you: sugar free hot apple cider mix. Delicious and comforting..... fix a mug and sit back to rest and get well.

Thanks for your support!

I've made an appointment at my clinic for the next available date, .......

Su

You betcha... happy to. And I am glad you made an appointment.

Your story makes me very pleased with my clinic...... My first year of care was included in the price of surgery. As much or as little as I need. That includes visits to the clinic, support groups and classes. I just entered into my second year, which costs me $300. Again, for as much or as little as I want.

The nurses provide the care.... I havent seen the surgeon since my follow-up visit following surgery. And all of the nurses have had the band, so they know just what I am going through. I love it. I "only" have to drive an hour and a half. But I have to admit, I love to visit the city, so it is one of my guilty pleasures. :w00t:

But....back to you..... if you dont have support at the clinic, you know you have it here. :thumbup:

[quote

Do you have any recommendations as to how to go about this and what a good fill level is, although i know it's very individual?

I know the best I did nd felt was just before I had my first fill.

I already had 3ccs from the surgery and was losing wieight. I wonder if I should try that again and build from there as neccesary.

I just hope I can get them to do it, but heh, it is my body.

Many thanks,

Su

There is no such thing as a "good fill level" and dont let anybody tell you there is. Everyone of us is different, and the only good fill level is the one that makes you feel successful, without feeling crappy all the time. Listen to your body. The whole point of the band is to fill or unfill as needed. If you need it, get it done. You are absolutely right:

It is YOUR body.

It is YOUR money that paid for the band.

It is YOUR time and money to travel that far to get a fill/unfill.

YOU are the customer. Make sure you get the care you need. :w00t:

You are right to go for the unfill --- I am going through the same thing as we speak. I dont know CCs, but I know I hit what I thought was the perfect spot and I was losing weight very well. Then suddenly, I was going through the same thing...... cant eat what I was eating before, vomiting, horrible pain in my back, and acid.

I had 1 cc removed a couple months ago, and we have slowly been filling me up again and I just started losing again. Then suddenly, I am super tight again. I was up half the night last night either throwing up or fighting the acid. I had .75 removed this morning and I fill SO MUCH BETTER.

My nurse is amazing -- of course, she has the band also. She explained that the stomach is a living organ and changes in it can change how the band feels. For me, hormones and stress seem to affect my band.

I hope your unfill helps. If not, dont be afraid to go for another.

But they do have a lot of other valuable nutrients. I am actually one year post op and I make my Protein Shakes with 1 packet carnation, I scoop Protein Powder and I cup milk. That SF mix sure improves the flavor a lot. :wink2:

Yes, I think the center will dictate what tests they want. In my case, I lived an hour and a half away and they were going to let my primary physician do the tests, but then they wanted the results sooner, so in the end, they did them anyway, which was fine.

I think it would be premature to do testing before the seminar, because every center seems to require something different.

Also, something else to think about.... it seems like you are in a hurry to get this done, but having been there already, do you really want to be on a liquid diet through the holidays? I know I would have had a really hard time sipping on a shake while my family eats turkey.... or having mushies for Christmas dinner. I think early January is a great time for surgery.

I actually had mine in early October last year.... I waited until all of the fun summer things were behind me, and I had plenty of time to get back on real food before the holidays. It worked like a charm for me.

OF course, I do understand if there are financial issues that dictate the date of surgery... just wanted to give you something to think about.

...I know for me, though, when my sinuses are draining a lot or when it is "that time of the month" I am MUCH tighter than normal....or on days when the humidity was so stinking high this summer I could tell a difference too. WIERD!

Hang in there! Hope you get everything resolved.

I am so glad you mentioned that because there have been so many times when I have had hormone issues and get incredibly tight.... especially when my hormones are messed up more than they are not!

I didn't know if other people experienced that..... been on mostly liquids for about a week now...

I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE Sobe drinks..... there is the LifeWater, and and the Sobe LEAN. (Regular Sobe drinks have calories!)

I hate Water, but when it is 100 degrees outside, it goes down with less complaint. I usually buy bottled Water or the gallon jugs though because I can take the chemicals in the tap water.

And yes, I am a recovering Diet Coke addict. I have not had a Diet Coke for almost a year and there are still days when I would give anything to have a good, cold Diet COke.

I have been banded since October and just got a nice case of bronchitis. My doc prescribed an antibiotic that comes in a sorta large capsule.

I am really worried about it getting stuck.... any ideas on how to help it go down well??? I am going to take it with a hot drink tonight and see how that goes. That is.... if I can get some nourishment down first.

Amy

And thank you so much to VikingGirl, you have helped me more than you know. I look for you on Twitter....I totally relate to so much of what you tweet.

amey

Twitter is easier to get in and out of that is for sure.

Have you been eating more? How do you feel now?

Amey, you are not doing a thing wrong, believe me!! Everything that you are experiencing is completely normal.

The restriction at the very beginning comes from internal swelling. As your body heals following the surgery, you will fill a lot less or no restriction.

When I had my surgery last October, I was advised to eat until I felt full.... to allow the band to do its job and tell me when I was full. And yes, back then, I could often eat 2 cups..... but that was still much less than I had been eating and I did see weight loss, just at a slower rate than I am now.

Once I started going for fills, I went every two weeks. Each time, the nurses asked me how much I was able to eat, and filled me a bit each time. Small little changes, until suddenly one day it was just right.

Right now.... if you are hungry, eat!!! Just make healthy choices. If you allow the changes to come slowly, they are much easier to adjust to.

Hang in there, be patient.... time has a way of getting by us and suddenly you will be six months out and loving your band! :smile2:

Amy

Amy (lifeafterband) on Twitter

Oh and a side note, for those juice lovers out there. Of which I am one, but lust after it instead of drinking it because of the sugar, try Sobe Lifewater. The Fuji Apple Pear tastes like slightly watered down apple juice!

The Fuji apple is my favorite and I love it BECAUSE it isnt strong at all -- I really like the very lightness of it!

I don't have issues yet, but it is a constant worry. I was banded a week ago Monday, and that same day, one of my daughters tested positive for influenza A, and a day later,another daughter became ill. We thought she also had the dreaded flu but turns out she "just" has a sinus infection and bronchitis.

Every day, I have been super diligent about handwashing, samnitizing, running the vaporizer in my bedroom, and taking my airborne. I have asthma, soI feel like it is hanging over my head.

The main question I have for you is -- what kind of meds are you taking? I can no longer take OTC cough meds - they are just inefective for me. I also have a good tolerance for RX meds, so my favorite is phenergan with codeine. Given the circumstances, I wouldn't think a doctor would complain about giving it to you, as long as you can handle the codeine.

I am type 2 diabetic, diagnosed 7 years ago. For the first several years, I managed with diet and exercise. Roughly two years ago, I started on meds. Pre-surgery, I was taking 1000 mg metformin twice a day; 45 mg Actos. My BS would be acceptable during the day, but I never could get my fasting BS under control, even when eating NO starchy carbs, and let me tell you, that gets old. My doctor wanted me to add Byetta.... but, it is $230 monthly because my insurance wont cover diabetic meds until 2010 (damn pre-existing conditions!) so I did without the Byetta.

Going back a bit, my grandmother died of diabetes 7 years ago. It was painful. My dad can't forget it, and it KILLS him that I have it now. So, he and my mom approached me about the Lapband, and even paid for it.

I was banded on October 5. Monday and Tuesday, my BS was high, which is to be expected. Tuesday evening though, it was clear down, less than 120 so I didnt take my meds that night.

So surgery was a week ago yesterday, and I have not had meds since. My fasting numbers are great, after meals are great -- I have lost about 25 pounds. It is a fabulous feeling!!

I will wait until December for my next HA1C...I can't wait to see the numbers. Who knows...maybe I will put lab results in an envelope in an envelope and give it to my Dad for Christmas. :thumbup: