dman3998

It's not called "bandster HELL" for nothing. gets better when you graduate to real food. then you just have to work with the band and you will be fine.

You most likley have no restriction untill your 3rd or 4th fill. I totally agree with you on the eating however you can do that for long term and eventually you will eat stuff you should not. you are also not getting the nutrition you need to be healthy. for you I would suggest you make a plan on what to eat for a Breakfast, lunch and dinner. then eat the same thing for a few weeks. get into a habbit. by having a fixed menu, you dont have to decide what to eat and will not be temped to make bad choises. then slowly add a few different meal options until you get well into your weight lose journey. when you start to feel the sucess and look at food as needed to live instead of comfort you will be on the path of food rehab and recovery.

I happen to have a different view. if you didn't have "will power" you could not have lost 26 lbs so far. I think we all have MORE than average will power. It just cant overcome some times the physical addiction we have. Same addiction that druggies and alcoholics have. The only thing wrong with you is you have to recognize your addiction! and learn to manage it. I am still trying and failing on a regular basis but you cant let it defeat you. tomorrow starts out perfect with a clean slate. You can do it!

That is even harder for me than the food choices, I HATE to exercise but I will say it gets easier the more you do it and it helps in many more ways than just burning some calories.

The band or any gastric surgery does not fix your head. only you can do that. WE are all addicted to food the very same way a person is addicted to drugs or alcohol. there is no cure only management. you have to totally look at food as a means to stay alive and not for comfort or to make you happy. I am working on it and fail on a regular basis but have to keep trying. the Band is only a tool to help you with your Quest. hang in there you can do it. dman

I was banded July 2010 and for the first 3 fills I was getting more and more restriction. on the 4th fill I was great for about 3 days then nothing. no restriction at all. I had a Barium swallow xray and it "looked" like a dilated pouch but I had no other symptoms and no restriction. I had surgery yesterday to see what was up and he found the band was unclasped. so he pulled it out fixed all the scare tissue and repositioned it. but the same band back in. so I am now hopeful it is good and will work properly. I would think after 5 years it would not be your problem. but you just never know. dman

Just got my 3rd fill, 10.25cc in 14 band and after I got back on solids, is seems like I have less restriction than before. The person that did the fill really jabbed around the port "looking" for it for a long time. I am almost convinced that she poked my tube and caused a leak. I went from 7.5cc at the 2nd fill and she added 2.75cc. after the second fill I HAD to eat slow I would pb very easy too from eating too fast or too much still got hungry after 2 hrs or so. Now I can gulp water and eat without thinking about it. I still can PB if I eat really dry chicken or ham but I think I am less restricted. getting bummed as its been since July and I dont feel like this band thing is helping much, just making every day suck. and I am not losing much lbs either. the question is, is it possible to have a fill and feel like you have LESS restriction? it doesn't seem right.

No sweat, no problem at least so far. I am really starting to like my doc too. at first I was not sure about him but at this point he is top notch compared to some of the yo-yo's you hear about. This first fill was great, he found the port and had the needle in me before I knew what happened. He had me sit up and drink Water as he was filling untill I had restriction, then he took out a little bit. I have 5cc in a 14cc band. I am thinking that is pretty good for the first time. He says he wants to get me to the sweet spot ASAP. I am all for that, none of this "sneaking" up on it 1cc at a time. He is pretty conservative on most stuff too like I am not suppose to be back on reg food for 5 days. but He says the band is not helping and doing its job till it is filled right so he wants to get it right quick. He says 5 weeks before next one. Now after all the time and effort it seems like things are getting under way.

Just got the 2nd fill, 7.5 in 10cc band. I am concerned I will never be "just right" because right now in the morning I have restriction can eat and drink but VERY slow and get full in a few bites. but as the day wears on my Lasix (Furosemide) kicks in, I dump Water big time and by lunch I can eat about anything. still a little slower but not really any restriction. So the problem is if they get it so I have restriction at supper and all evening, then Am I going to be choking and unable to eat or drink anything at Breakfast? I am thinking this is so. Must be others with a similar issue. a lot of us take it for BP and other problems. What can I expect with my 3rd fill comes up in about 3 weeks?

I was told 1/2 - 3/4 of a cup per meal depending on how the band formed the pouch. I am at 2 fills and 7.5cc and am about like you, pretty much can eat till it hurts. but no restriction except on not chewing or eat too fast. from what I understand the next fills will be much smaller and make a bigger difference sometimes a little as 1/2cc can be too much. my next fill is in 2 weeks so we shall see.

got my second fill today, I think I GET IT now! I got another 2.5cc for a total of 7.5 in a 10 band. I dont think its the sweet spot but I can no longer chug Water, have to sip it slow. In a few days will be back on full solids and I suspect I will have to eat real slow. bout time, this could work!

second fill today been 5 weeks since the first one. I got 2.5cc more so now I have 7.5 in a 10 band. I think I GET IT now! I have restriction, dont know how much yet but I can no longer chug Water. have to drink it slow. I suspect when I get onto solids in a few I will be close to the sweet spot. I can get another fill in 3 weeks so I am hopeful for some lbs falling off in the fall. not sure I like it, but the weight going down should be enough compensation to feel justified.

It's 9pm, had a good dinner but the demon cravings are creeping in the dark recesses of my mind, taunting me. telling me I didnt eat that much today I need a munch, a little salt, a little sweet, a little chocolate, a little crunch. I go to the frig, what is edible without much effort?? carrots - naw no flavor, sugur free Jello? well only as a last resort. Protein drink? YUK! ---cheese stick! yum! 2 bites and its a distant memory.....The demons are in full swing now twisting my stomach in knots, gotta find something, gotta find something. I'm NOT really hungry cupboard doors are flying open - close - open again did I miss something, gotta eat, no, YES!...STOP!.... BUT wait!.... AHA! in the pantry a half a bag of chips! not a wise choice, but hey I can eat just one chip and I will be OK. You all know the rest of this story, and the remorse and guilt. to bad there isn't a morning after pill for overeating. Yes the demons are always there waiting in the shadows for your guard to drop a fraction of an inch and they jump in and attack. My band is right now like a dull sword. I can beat them with it but to hack and slice them out I need it sharpened, I need the sweet spot. 2nd fill is next week, with one fill I have 5cc's and no significant restriction. I guess that is why it's called bandster HELL. battle ON! we will win the war! it's a process it's a process it's a process it's a process it's a process it's a process it's a process it's a process

Does anyone have a technical explanation why some bands get tighter after many weeks or even months after a fill? and you need to get a small unfill? This seems very odd that this would happen. I understand immediately or even up to a week or two because of swelling. Maybe if you gained a lot of weight back, which would be against any concept of the band to begin with.

I suspect that the compulsion to eat is partly a learned habit, which has to get "unlearned" there is of course an emotional aspect but I am thinking that with the help of the band we can UN-learn the habit part and only have to deal with the emotional part. sounds good on paper anyway......

For me the scale is judge and jury, my mentor and friend. I will explain. I KNOW that I vary day to day with Water and misc. SOO, if it goes up and down a few lbs each day I do not sweat about it. but I do keep track of "trends" if it goes up then not down as far then up and not down as far I know I have to get my crap together and re-dedicate get back on program. IF it goes down and not up as far the few times before I feel encouraged. and try to do even better. I also take into account fit of clothes, if they are getting loose but no move on the scale I figure it's redistribution and is good but lbs is lbs. unless your going for muscle mass, it's got to come off and I am still putting in more cals than I am burning. So the moral of the story is: The scale doesn't lie and keeps you honest. IF it's going down you are doing things right.

You would be one of the lucky ones that have the proper restriction with just the band installed. 99% of everyone else needs a fill or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 to get the proper restriction so not to feel hungry all the time only eating 1/2 cup of food. That is great!!!! keep it up Your surgeon is back on the OK list, there a bunch it would seem that ARE morons and dont understand anything but the fees they get for the surgery.

Super, you are doing very well! but I would tell your surgeon he is a moron and ask him what HE is smoking? If you could lose weight and KEEP it off, you would not have needed the the band to begin with. keep up the good work but you are losing weight by will power and when that runs out you will need a filled and properly adjusted band to get you over the hump and all the way to your goal and KEEP IT OFF permanently. There seems to be a bunch of stergeons that just dont get it. Maybe I have it wrong and will take my licks if I am wrong with thes view point, but I know I tried everything before and was not having any LONG term success and it gets harder the older I get too. That's my story and I am sticking with it!

Hey Isa Bella, I only have 4 days on you. had no fill at surgery but at my 1st fill 3 weeks ago, I got 5cc's on a 10 band. I have been having a hard time with "full feel" too. it seems to take at least an hr before I really "feel" full and by then I am over full. no restriction of course. I need to eat like it was full restriction but I can't. I do know WHY I over eat, just cant seem to control it. SO I am patiently waiting for my next fill. it is in 2 weeks and I know it will not be the sweet spot but will be 1 step closer in the process.

never tried it but it makes sense, it increases blood flow to many organs. if it increased the flow in the stomach too, it would swell and get tighter under the band.

You say you were banded on June 14th? How many fills have you had? are you at the "sweet spot" the proper restriction? I was banded on the 15th of July lost about 30lbs so far but most of that was 2 weeks pre and post Op. I have had (1) 5cc fill in a 10 band and still have no significant restriction. I am not even hoping to lose more till I CANT eat even 1/4 of the food I used to. I suspect if you did an honest calorie count you are still too high for weight lose. It's a PROCESS, It's a PROCESS, It's a PROCESS, It's a PROCESS, It's a PROCESS, It's a PROCESS, It's a PROCESS, It's a PROCESS, It's a PROCESS, It's a PROCESS, It's a PROCESS, It's a PROCESS, It's a PROCESS, It's a PROCESS, It's a PROCESS, It's a PROCESS, I have to keep telling myself that every day good luck

You mean instead of thinking Darth Vader was in the room with you :thumbup: can hardly wait!

Not over thinking, just that is all you have to think about right now. I dont mean that specifically but until you have your surgery, all you have to think about is what about this and what ifs. At every step a new set of problems, questions and things to worry about come up. I am in the bandster hell phase with 1 fill, no restriction, still hungry and wonder what the hell I am doing. I just keep saying to myself all the time it is a PROCESS and need to be patient. It has worked for so many before that have the same issues with food as I do so I am confident I will be successful eventually and everything will work out. back to your other question. The sleep study is to establish additional co-morbidity factors. if you are overweight you probably have sleep apnea and stop breathing many times/hr at night. I have been on a Cpap for this for over 10 years and am very much looking forward to getting rid of it. IT SUCKS BIG TIME. but I dont get a good sleep without it. if they determine you need on now but are going to be losing weight permanently, I would consider using O2 temporally till you dont need it any more instead of getting the Cpap machine.

it is HIGHLY probable that after your 1st fill, if the doc does it right, you will know the difference I can practically guarantee that after your 2nd you will get to experience all the joys of eating too fast not chewing enough and getting too large of a piece down. from sliming to a full bore PB! :smile:

Been on solids for 5 days now so that is not the problem. I have read sometimes it takes a few weeks to "feel" it. I do not understand this as the band gets tight the second it gets pumped up with the saline. so how can it take 2 weeks to feel the effect?