ddow58

Hello! I don't come here any longer because I don't want to hear about everyone's success! LOL. I had port issues and it took my doc 2 years to discover why it wasn't working. Got that replaced and I just can't keep my head in the diet game so I'm not losing at all. I lost a total of about 35-40 lbs. Very disappointing. I got an email alert to your post so thought I would stop in and say hi.

I had a fill on 5/2 which I thought would be my magic one but instead I am now looser than I was before the fill. Actually, I think I am looser than I was 2 fills ago. I am freaking out that something happened and my band has leaked. How can I be looser? I called the doc and I have an apt on Tuesday but was looking for some input. Could there be other reasons for this or does it seem that my band has leaked and I am going to need surgery to fix it. !!!

Hi, everyone! I haven't been around for a long time either. I have the thyroid issue too and weight loss is agonizingly slow. I have had at least 7, maybe more, fills and I still don't think I am at the right adjustment. This has been a frustrating journey. I'm down 42 lbs which is great but a lot less than I thought I would be at this point.

It was good to catch up with everyone.

My dr. is very conservative when it comes to fills. I was banded on 11/10/10 with a 10 cc band and no fills. Then on 12/9/10 I got a 1 cc fill. Then on 1/13/11 I got another 1 cc fill. She only does one cc a month. Is this normal? I don't know if it's good/safe that she's being so conservative with my fills or if she's just trying to get more money by me continually coming back??? I pay her $200 for a fill. I had been considering going to Fill Centers and forking out the $350 if I can get more of a fill, but I don't really want to switch doctors.

We have the same story. I was banded on 8/11 and have had one cc for the past 4 fills. I finally asked him to be more aggressive and he gave me 2 cc's last week and I think that finally did it for me. I am finally losing weight after months of standing still. I definitely feel your frustration. Hang in there.

Great question. I too was offered the choice between the Realize band and the LapBand. My doctor said he had no real preference, so that left it up to me to do the research and make the decision on my own. I chose the Realize band, and here are some of the contributing factors for my decision.

-Low port profile. Also the port is attached using an intra-muscular attachment system....no sutures are used to attach the port to the stomach muscles.

- The "Realize your Success" online. Realize band is the only company with an interactive post-operative website geared specifically toward your individual weight loss tracking. I don't know if LapBand has followed suit with anything similar. I must say it is a feature I am glad to have and I use it almost weekly to track everything from weight loss, food diary, appointments, band fills, photos and tracking reports.

- Ultimately the DR decides what size band you will receive, but as I understand it, the Realize band offers the greatest range of sizes, thus allowing for a more aggressive fill regimen, if needed.

I have seen recently that Realize has had a voluntary recall, due to a possible weak point in the connection between the port and port tube running to the band. Info about that recall is on their site. The design has been changed to reinforce that area.

The choice is yours. Do your research and decide what you think will work best for you. Good luck.

I also have the Realize band for the same reasons as mentioned above. My real decision was based on range of adjustment of the Realize band. The recall will not effect you as they pulled any unused bands and replaced them with the corrected band.

I just got home from my doctors appointment. He said that the pain by my port is probably from exercising. He added a 1/2 cc in my band and said that I have 1 1/2 ccs in my 10 cc band. Thats it!! I thought I already had 1 1/2 ccs in my band from my last fill...guess not ( I had surgery in August and thought that he would of filled it more. He said my next fill will be in 6 months after I loose another 30 pounds!! I am fustrated, but I have to say he showed me a picture that is in my records that they took before my surgery, and its amazing how much I have toned up and lost!! It makes me feel really good ) I exercise everyday and the doc said I am toning and turning the fat into muscle and you can really see it in the picture. So that makes me feel good ) I just wish I could of had a bigger fill. If anyone is fustrated like I was you should find a picture of yourself before surgery and just take a look at it and see the difference from then to now. It does make ya feel good ) I am down 40 pounds and seeing that picture just confirmed how good I really am doing even though its coming off slow.

Hope everyone is doing good )

Really? I thought my doc was conservative. And he won't give you a fill until you lose 30 lbs. You are stronger than I am.

Hey august bandsters-

I don't come her often (i should though!) and i haven't been here in a while but i just wanted to ask...is anyone else as frustrated with this as i am ???

I have had FOUR fills! I was banded August 4th - and i am STILL not getting full....i don't get it. I get stuck WAY too often so i'm trying really hard to eat slower and chew more. But i'm not noticing the amount of food changing. I'm still hungry so often! I can't drink these damn shakes anymore either!

This whole process is making me feel so depressed. I feel so disappointed in myself AND in the band.

I have lost a total of 29 lbs. (11 of that the week before and week after surgery ) 18 lbs in 4 months! that's it!! I wasn't looking for a quick fix but people who know i have this make me feel inadequate, like i must be eating ALL wrong cause i had weight loss surgery so i should be skinny already. It's REALLY getting to me and my emotions

Any words of wisdom?

I am in the same boat. 4 fills and I'm still eating the same amount and not losing. My doc says not to get discouraged that we just haven't gotten to the right restriction yet. I find myself falling back into bad eating habits. It's depressing. After I had my surgery in August my daughter announced her engagement and wedding date in June. I thought, I have lots of time to lose weight. scales not moving but time is and I am the same size I was in August. Do you have a realize band by chance? The doc told me they take longer to get to the right restriction because they hold more. ??

Well I am going for a fill tomorrow and hopefully what happened last time does not happen again. I am really hoping that this fill does me justice. because I NEED it. Wish me luck. And How are you all doing?

GOOD LUCK!!! I go on tuesday. I also hope this one does the trick!

That is what I was doing but then now I just am still hungry. I put a little on my plate will even wait it out then if I am still hungry I just get more. I am eating now probably as much as a "normal" person would eat without the band.

time for a fill!

I was banded on 8/11. I lost 10 lb waiting for ins approval, 10 lbs on the liquid diet before surgery and 10 lbs in the week after. since then I have lost 4 lbs. !!!!!!!!! It's been 2 months!!

I saw the doc today and he said that he was not displeased with my progress!! I told him I was!! He is going to do a second fill next tuesday for me and hopefully that will get me moving. In the meantime I need to get on a better exercise schedule even though he was not concerned about my exercise.

I did find the pain to be so bad that I couldn't get up or down easily. I wouldn't spend money on a chair that you may only need for a few days.

OOPS!! I meant DIDN'T - I didn't find the pain to be so bad. sorry.

I did find the pain to be so bad that I couldn't get up or down easily. I wouldn't spend money on a chair that you may only need for a few days.

I must take an XR (extended relief) medication daily which can't be crushed. It's a capsule which can be opened and contains very small balls. Has anyone had experience with this issue in first days post op, please please share advice.

I use applesauce but Betsy is right about the time release meds.

you can get the gas-x strips. they melt on your tongue.

the stairs worked for me. when I got bad gas pains I would go slowly up and down the stairs - just once - don't overdo. and between that and the gas-x it did seem to help.

So I see the doc on tuesday and hope to get another fill. I have lost 2 lbs in 9 weeks! I don't get it. Very frustrating.

You're probably real close to your sweet spot.

I notice that when I am going past my capacity I start to hiccup or burp. I think I read somewhere that those actions are a sign that you've eaten to your capacity or maybe a little over.

I shouldn't have tried to answer this but that's my opinion

Dee

I have a question for you guys. Ever since my fill on Tuesday I'm burping constantly. Why is that?

I just ate a small piece of pork chop and some purple hull peas. I'm still hungry but I don't want to push it so I'll wait awhile first and see if I'm still hungry.

I burp a lot too especially when I am almost full. I either burp or hiccup.

Protein, Protein, Protein!

I was the exact same as you describe. It felt like my stomach was the emptiest it had ever been and almost hurt from it. It was constant for awhile. My doc also told me little to no exercise for 4-6 weeks because he didn't want to take any chance of the band slipping.

Well, I can only speak for myself, as everyone is different, but now, after I eat about 1/2-1 cup of food I get a feeling in the center of my chest that let's me know to stop eating. The only way I can describe it is a little like indigestion, but not painful. Of course, no matter how much restriction you have, "slider" foods like ice cream, milk shakes, chocolate, etc will go down just fine, so you always have to be aware....the band will not make those choices for you. You will know when you get there...you get very good at paying attention to your body, and the signals you get.

I am getting that feeling now after about 1 - 1 1/2 cups of food and I'm not losing at all. Does it sound to you that I am not at the ideal restriction?

You do have to be careful before you have restriction, and be concious of your portions, but don't beat yourselves up about not losing at this stage. Your body needs time to heal. It took me 6 months and 3 fills to get restriction, but now that I have it, I'm stisified with very small portions, and am not hungry between meals. It's frustrating, but (IMHO) this slow process gives your brain time to adjust to the changes the band causes. Just try to make healthy choices, and continue to "follow the band rules" like chewing food well, drinking plenty of Water , learn how to NOT drink with your meals and getting enough Protein. This way, when you finally have restriction you will be ready and will have already established these habits. Remember....it took YEARS to establish the old bad habits, so it does take some time to learn the new good habits that will make you sucessful. Good luck to all of you....and be kind to yourself during this difficult time.

Thank you for your post. I have been beating myself up. How do you know when you have the right restriction?

Going for my second fill today. SOOOO happy!!

Good Luck, Amanda. Can't wait to hear how you are doing.

This is completely normal! You will begin losing again after your first fill, if you don't you may need a second fill. I have two other friends that had LAP-BAND® and all of us didn't get enough restricition even after the first fill, went back to have a second and I am now at 90 lbs, one of my friends is at 100 and the other at 65. Hang in there, it works!

Oh that is so good to hear. I have had my first fill and have not lost an ounce. How long has it taken you to lose 90 lbs and what are you doing for exercise? I hope you don't mind the questions. :cursing:

I bought some gas defense at Wal Mart. I got 32 capsules for $7.50. It really works but you have to take it every single day.

Digestive Advantage Gas Defense Formula

It's just digestive enzymes.

Thanks!! I'll try it out.

So..... Update for me... I am an amazing 13 wks pregnant.. I was preg when I had LAP-BAND® surg... About 4 wks... Didn't show up on their routine urine test... No clue...and it lived...and looks great....just found out last Tues-Jordan, our daughter, said mommy u have my baby brother in ur tummy... I took a test, and sure enough... went to OB, confirmed via ultrasound... A whopping 12 wks... Turned 13 wks on Mon.. And had a cerclage placed yesterday to hold cervix closed since I have incompetent cervix. I am scared. My son was born at just 24 wks due to incompetent cervix, and died 35 days later... Then w/my daughter I had a cerclage and 6 mths of bedrest. It's crazy..we were on the pill and everything... God has a plan I guess.. For now I am leaving the band alone...no prob eating as of yet...so, no need to unfill at this time.... Pray for us!

OMG!! Congratulations! I will put you on my prayer list. I hope it all goes smoothly!

Is anyone else still experiencing issues with gas? I'm about 2 1/2 months out and the gas pressure/pain that I feel is starting to become almost daily. I literally have to get up and walk around and "toot" as much as possible to help elevate any of the pressure. I've tried the Gas-X strips with no help. I'm wondering if anyone else is going through this and if there is anything that helps?

I have that problem too. I've not been able to do anything about it. I always tended to have a gassy body but now it is worse. Lovely!