FinallyFree0812

Going in to see my Dr for a fill today. I plan to BEG him to put in at least 1 cc. I only have 2.5 cc's right now and I know when I first started my journey, he put 3 cc's in on my very first fill.

Just remember, the band is not going to MAKE you lose weight. It is there to help. I would cut out all bread and walk at least a mile every evening. Are you drinking sugary drinks?

My band was too tight back in November and I had started gaining my weight back due to not following the rules and being too tight. My lowest weight was 154. He took out 1 cc and it felt as if I could eat anything. I started gaining FAST!!!! He then felt like we needed to take all the Fluid out and start over. Right now, I only have 2 1/2 cc's in the band and I am still gaining. It's a very slippery slope. Once you screw up, it's so easy for it to get worse. I cleaned out my closet of all my size 10 and 12's today. That motivated me. I'm going to try to start walking at least 2 miles a day and following the rules to the letter. My weight today: 192. Very disappointed in myself!

Dr. Turton did my surgery. He is in LaGrange, GA.

Your Dr. sounds like he is really paying very close attention to your case and situation. I think you should follow his advice and see what happens. What he is saying makes sense to me.

I HAVE NOT HAD THIS HAPPEN, HOWEVER: From everything that I have read, that might be a signal that there is a problem with the band. You need to go to your Dr. and let him look at it.

Everyone is different, but when I had my last fill I was the same way. I am only able to eat about 5 or 6 bites. No more than that. If I do, it comes back up. My pouch is small now, but I had a hard time only putting a little bit on my plate. I had to stay on liquids for a couple of days, then mushies for another couple of days. I am still only able to eat about 5 or 6 bites and the Dr says that is normal. I haven't had anymore fills in months and I don't think I will need one.

Find a surgeon that specializes in the band.

Believe it or not...... there will come a time when you are no longer obsessed with the band. You WILL lose weight, but this is a slow process! I wish I could tell this to all the newbies....... RELAX...... IT WILL HAPPEN!!!!!

You should still be swollen, and you probably have gas still. Just relax. Only take very small sips, very slowly.

I have told most of my family members and 3 of those family members seem to have a problem with me now. The mother knew I wasn't telling everyone, but kept trying to "out" me by making comments on Facebook about it. I deleted her. I had no choice because she just kept doing it. Some family members who made it clear to me how disgusting fat people were do not know either. Only close friends know. I'm sure other people can guess I had something done.

I hope the band lasts for a very long time for me, but if I have to go and have something done to fix it or even replace it, I will. I wonder who has had their original band for the longest on here without having to have some sort of surgical repair or replacement?

I think that everyone fears the band won't work for them. I have had a very positive experience from the band. I don't know what your depression stems from, but I did get a little depressed after my second fill. It only lasted for a couple of days though. The only reason I got depressed is because I was saying goodbye to some old friends (burgers, steak fingers). If your depression is as severe as you describe, I hope that you are on some medication to help. Do you think losing the weight is going to fix the depression?

I believe that with anything there are positives and negatives. What is a big problem to someone might not be a big deal to someone else.

My negatives are:

1. Esophageal spasms

2. Wanting to eat dinner out but knowing that I will be sorry if Im not really careful

3. Getting food stuck even after I know that I have no business eating that food

4. Explaining to people that even after all of these things I still feel that it was completely worth it.

5. Having my kids say "Mom you're making the face - are you going to throw up"

My kids do the same thing to me. "Mom, are you stuck?" Or worse announcing it to people who don't know I have the band. I eat too fast and take too big of a bite and wham! I don't enjoy going out to eat with friends anymore because they look at me like, "Oh...... are you ok?" Even the ones that know I have the band don't understand that I'm not anorexic or bullemic or anything. My husband always wants to go eat fast food which has nothing to offer me. No more buffets either. Going to big family dinners is not fun either. People think that you don't like their food or something. Every occasion seems to be all about food.

With all that being said, I am very happy. Especially when I slide into my size 10 jeans and my husband tells me my butt looks good!

I would be more than happy to help you through all this. I had the band placed 10/25/2010. Ask anything and I will tell you anything you want to know. I was 216 when I started and am 158 now. I'm so happy now and was very depressed before I had it done.

I agree with everyone else. I remember feeling the same way you do back then. Keep this phrase in mind at all times.

"This too shall pass". You will be fine. The weight will start to come off and your eating will increase. Please give your body a chance to heal. This is a long journey and you are just beginning. Listen to your DR and RELAX!!! It will happen! I was banded Oct 25, 2010 and I'm still losing. It's slow but steady.

Don't stress yourself over this. A friend of mine doesn't even own a scale for this very reason. The only time she weighs is when she goes to see her bariatric dr.

I think that some of you are thinking this has to do with will power. After a few fills, you physically cannot eat some of these things. You swallow it and it won't go past the band and it has to come back up. It has nothing to do with will power when it comes to steak and such. I cannot eat steak no matter how much I chew. I cannot eat bread. It will not go down and it hurts to come back up.

I have friends and family that I have been giving my clothes to. Now I am in a size 12 and if I continue to lose, I don't know who I will give the clothes to. I guess Goodwill. I buy all my clothes at Goodwill now because I don't stay in them for very long. The Goodwill I went to while in SC had a closeout rack with clothes that came from Target. I bought nice shorts in every color for $1.50 in a size 10. That gives me something to work toward. I love being able to dress a little more stylishly now. They don't make cute clothes in plus sizes!

I eat most of what I ate before the band. Some things literally won't go past the band anymore. I have been banded for 14 months and am now 160 lbs. I can't eat roast, bread, steak, hot dog weiners and possibly some other items I'm forgetting. But I was able to eat a lot of those things through the first few fills. I am very tight now. You will have much better results if you don't eat everything you ate before, but I have never been a fan of "the right kind of foods". I consider myself successful and so does my Dr, but it is all trial and error. Some of my banded friends still eat bread. It varies depending on the person. Good luck with your journey.

I promise you are doing nothing wrong. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. There is no need to worry. I did the exact same thing. I'm 15 months post op now and 160 lbs. It WILL happen. As long as you follow the rules, you have nothing to worry about.

Not only do you have to worry about the calories, but they say NO CARBONATION because it causes the pouch to swell.

What about just plain Club Soda??

No calories but is this an option or no? I love to drink club soda and lime and it's like a faux cocktail when I go out. No calories but it tricks me into thinking I am having a vodka/soda/lime but without the vodka and no calories.

Or are the bubbles way too much?

I am at the VERY VERY VERY beginning stages of this journey and just going thru the beginning process of insurance so this is all new to me. Thanks in advance!

For me, that is what happened. I was banded October 25, 2010. I was able to eat normally for the first few fills. I didn't get any real restriction till the 4th fill. You will get restriction, and then it will loosen up again as you lose weight. I promise, I was feeling the same way you were. You will go through losing and then not for a couple weeks. Don't get discouraged. The time will come when you are a year out and you will be celebrating I started at 216 and now I am at 164. Just relax and enjoy the ride. It'll happen. I promise!

I would have to pick C. I eat just about anything I want to except things that have a lot of bread. It just won't go down. I can't eat burgers. I can't eat pot roast. I can't eat sandwiches. Other than that, I eat pretty much what I want to, just a lot less of it than I used to.

Ok.....so I know you aren't supposed to drink carbonated beverages at all, but I'm a very bad girl. I would like to know how many of you drink carbonated beverages regularly? And has anyone personally had a problem with band erosion? Like I said.... I know I'm not supposed to, but .....