Dawnana

I found a website called mybariatricpantry.com They have tons of Protein drinks and all other stuff. I heard someone talking about this one called CLICK! its an espresso coffee mixed that you mix with milk and can be hot or cold. I think I am gonig to order some of the samples on there and start trying them..BUT lots of different items there including food, Vitamins etc.

I was banded in November 2010, and the standard stuff, not the right fills etc. HOWEVER my Dr is always too busy to meet with me and talks down to me. I have never met with a nutrionist and I still have no idea how to eat. I have been stuck at the same weight for over 4 months now and my port area is buldging and hurting. I have days that I eat all day with some restriction and some days I cant get hot tea down. I am tired of being sick tired of not knowing how to deal with my band and tired of a Dr that wont help me. I cant find a doctor that is near me to take over the aftercare that is not in my insurance network. So basically I am lost, I feel that my dr put this device in me and took off...gave me no tools, no understanding of how the band works. THe last visit I had with my dr, he got stuck in surgery and couldnt see me (after a 3 hour drive to see him). The nurse told me that the scar tissue capsulized around my port area and that was wierd; yet NO ONE has returned my call to help me. SO what do i do now?? ALSO - Where can I find education on how to eat, how my band works, how do I know if the band is broken or not working the way it should/??

I actually just relocated to Tehachapi and need someone to take over my fills as well, so if you find someone let me know!

I am calling the Doctor today, thanks everyone.

Elcee -I have a 15cc band. So yeah its a large band. My doctor makes me drink water while hes doing the fill and has me tell him when it feels full, then he takes out and i have to feel this draining feeling i guess. I honestly feel kinda stupid when he does it, cause i look at him like UMM I think thats it. So I am not sure how I know if its enough during the fill. Hope that makes sense.

I had my 4th fill on 9/1, i went to 12 ccs from 10 ccs, now mind you I can never feel the "feeling" i am supposed to have when I do the fills, its very confusing. But I left there and was on my liquids for 2 weeks. I have lost 15 lbs from this fill and I figured I am at the real spot I should be. When I moved to solids I have thrown up a lot, figured this is my fault, eating too fast, too much etc. Well then last week I got sick, bad cough and aches; I assumed I had bronchitis. WELL now I notice its mostly at night and after I eat....and at night its for HOURS, I am exhausted. During the day though I feel fine besides the not eating still. I am assuming this means I have an overfill. I am trying to figure out if I should just stick it out and stay on liquids till the band loosens or just go get an unfill. I am miserable (mind you its 4am right now!) My husband thinks I should just gut it out, but he is still sleeping :bored:So the question is; is this in my head? Should I stick it out? What if I get an unfill and I was wrong? UGH I am so hating my band right now. :biggrin:

I am going back on Thursday and will find out. I have been able to nibble little things, but at least half of the time I am throwing it up, I am kinda wondering if this is how the band is supposed to feel and I Just never knew cause my fills have always been off.

FInally had my 4th fill, I am 12ccs into a 15cc band. My doc advised liquids for 2 weeks which has honestly been fine. Of course I felt better so I tried small bites of food and I get instantly sick. Is this from swelling? I am able to go on reg foods come Thursday but man i am scared to eat now. How do you know if you are too tight???

Betsy - He gave me a piece of paper of post op diet guidelines and thats it. Basically told me to eat right. Im still not sure what that means. When I asked him or his nurse for the records to send to a local doctor they went on and on about he puts my port in a special way and you dont want a doctor to ruin it etc. I asked them what if i happened to move far away, they said I would have to make the effort to travel to them for fills. Needless to say they offered me a fill now on the 6th of April (my bday) and a different center instead of May. I am just concerned hes going to be mad at me and make it more uncomfortable than it is. I feel like such a wuss about this!!!

I did meet a nutritionist for about 30 mins whose whole goal was to tell me that yes I am eating incorrectly and just get the band. I was thinking of finding a local nutrionist to help me a bit, just have to pay out of pocket for that

I was banded with a large (15cc) band on 11/30/09. I have lost 13lbs which 10 of it was all preop. I have had 2 fills and cant seem to get in sooner to my doctor cause he overbooks and INSISTS on doing the fills himself. I have a total of 8.5ccs in and have no restriction, I mean I can eat like I did before the surgery. I went a couple weeks ago for another fill and my doctor and after waiting 2 hours to be seen, I had to go without getting the fill because I had a babysitter waiting. The next time he can get me in is May. BASICALLY - I am lost, I have had no diet instruction, no understanding, no information on my diet plan. I know they say eat right and exercise blah blah, well if it was that easy I would have been skinny ages ago and not needed a surgery to help me do this. I am slipping into this horrible depression thinking I fought for over a year to have this surgery and get no where. He wont give me my medical paperwork to take to another surgeon to do fills either. So I guess I am curious, how do i get educated, how do i know if the next fill is going to work, how do i get motivated?

Melissa - I am with you!! I can eat anything and everything still, I have had 2 fills totalling 8.5ccs in a 15cc band. I have lost 20 lbs which was almost all preop. I am hoping for my 3rd fill to be the one. I will say it does feel good to know other ppl feel the same as me and I am not going crazy! Lets try to keep in touch so we can get through this thing together!!!

Thank you so much. I am going to try doing that for my eating habits and see if that helps. My sister even said to go on weight watchers and of course im thinking, FOR YEARS I have spent thousands of dollars on every weight loss program in the world to no avail, which is why I had ths surgery so I could for once and for all not have to do that. Here I am several months later looking the same. I am just hoping this next fill is the one.

I am so frustrated. I had my surgery on 11/30/09 I have had 2 fills totalling 8.5 ccs in a 15cc band and have no restriction. I never got a nutrionist or a diet plan from my Doctor, I got a piece of paper that said...try these things. I have no idea what im doing. I am eating like i used to of course they are smaller portions but I have not lost any weight in several months. I think i am now at the I give up point of this band. I have another fill on the 24th and am nervous that it wont work as well. I fought for a year with my insurance to have this surgery and I finally get this surgery and i see nothing changing. I am at a loss.

I just had my 2nd fill and im in the same boat. My Doctor used a large band (15ccs) So my first fill was almost 2 months after the surgery and that was 6ccs..I had no restriction and today he gave me another 2.5 ccs and i feel a little restricted but not very much. This is going to be a long frustrating haul

I have Anthem Blue Cross for LA County Area, they will also not pay for my fills (which I agree is stupid)

OK that makes sense! My doctor mentioned that my hiccups were stretching the pouch and I freaked out, now everytime I hiccup I think im messing it all up. UGH

OK so I am already on solids and I dont feel full. I have the hiccups a lot but since I have been able to eat solids I have gained 4 lbs; which of course is making think something is wrong? Is this normal? I am worried something is wrong with the band. Any ideas?

I am in the same boat!! I dont feel full either..however getting lots of hiccups. I was banded on 11/30/09

Well I was banded on 11/30/09 and I am already on solid food. I dont feel full at all and have for some reason gained back 4 lbs in the last 4 days I was able to eat regular foods. I am wondering if this means I am already needing my first fill? I am worried that something is wrong with the band and its not working. Any advice?

Well I was banded on 11/30/09 and I am already on solid food. I dont feel full at all and have for some reason gained back 4 lbs in the last 4 days I was able to eat regular foods. I am wondering if this means I am already needing my first fill? I am worried that something is wrong with the band and its not working. Any advice?