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Very Frustrated



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I've been a member on here for a while, but never really posted and/or attended any support groups and I'm starting to think it was a bad idea. So now, I am turning to you guys. Lol.

I have had my band since July 2008 and have only lost about 40-50 lbs. I have followed everything I was supposed to, watched what I eat and I go to the gym at least 5 days a week, but I am always hungry. I currently have 9cc in a 10cc band and can still eat basically anything I want without getting blocked. By anything, I mean breads, steak, white meat chicken...ANYTHING. I'm getting increasingly frustrated with the situation and more so by some people on here that are losing 100+lbs in 8 months. I also have somebody I work with who had it done about the same time I did and has lost 150lbs with little effort and no exercise. It just doesn't seem fair.

I don't really understand why the surgery didn't work for me and I'm not looking for pity, I am mainly just looking for some tips from other people that might have the same problem. The last esophagram I had done (about 5 months ago) showed everything was normal and my surgeon basically says she doesn't know what's wrong and keeps filling it in hopes that it will work. We have also drawn out the Fluid to make sure it isn't leaking.

Is anybody else having the same issue?

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I've been a member on here for a while, but never really posted and/or attended any support groups and I'm starting to think it was a bad idea. So now, I am turning to you guys. Lol.

I have had my band since July 2008 and have only lost about 40-50 lbs. I have followed everything I was supposed to, watched what I eat and I go to the gym at least 5 days a week, but I am always hungry. I currently have 9cc in a 10cc band and can still eat basically anything I want without getting blocked. By anything, I mean breads, steak, white meat chicken...ANYTHING. I'm getting increasingly frustrated with the situation and more so by some people on here that are losing 100+lbs in 8 months. I also have somebody I work with who had it done about the same time I did and has lost 150lbs with little effort and no exercise. It just doesn't seem fair.

I don't really understand why the surgery didn't work for me and I'm not looking for pity, I am mainly just looking for some tips from other people that might have the same problem. The last esophagram I had done (about 5 months ago) showed everything was normal and my surgeon basically says she doesn't know what's wrong and keeps filling it in hopes that it will work. We have also drawn out the Fluid to make sure it isn't leaking.

Is anybody else having the same issue?

You have 9ccs in a 10cc band. Go get another fill. As crazy as it may sound, you may just need a little more. My friend and I were also banded in July '08. I need very little to feel restriction, but my friend banded two weeks before me, now has 8ccs in hers and had 7ccs within the first 3 months of having surgery. I have only had two small fills and will still get tight if I have any added stress. We are just different.

I have lost 93 lbs so far, but I probably started off a lot heavier than you, therefore had a lot more weight to lose. Please don't compare you weightloss to others. You have lost and kept off 50 lbs in the last 18 months. That is great! Heck, if you did that without any restriction, then that means you are a LOT better than me!nJust go back in and get that fill that you need. Sometimes just a small amount makes a HUGE difference. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

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It's weird, because I did have restriction at one point towards the beginning and now it's nothing. I just talked to my Dr. and am going to get an esophagram to make sure everything is alright. We'll see.

And I started at 296lbs, I'm at 251 right now, so I do have a decent amount to lose. It's hard not to compare my weightloss to other people's. I know everybody is different and whatnot, it's just frustrating :smile2:

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It is true... some people it takes less to feel restriction then others... I was banded May 19, 2009. I only have 3.25 CC in a 10CC band..I have a LOT of restriction.. so much so that from one day to the next, I don't know if I will be able to eat or if everything will get stuck.. I was last filled the week before Christmas... I am just sticking it out and doing liquids on the days that are bad... I don't want to lose this restriction but it is also a struggle because I don't want to damage the band... I started at 358.5 2 wks before my surgery, so I also have a lot more to lose and I am down a total of almost 70 lbs including the 2 wk pre-op liquid diet... what kind of band do you have? Realize or lap-band? I have heard people w/the realize band that have needed to be overfilled before they felt restriction.. I'm glad my surgeon used the lap band on me and no the realize... good luck and be proud that you have lost what you have w/no restriction and have not gained it back.. you have more will power then most!!

It's weird, because I did have restriction at one point towards the beginning and now it's nothing. I just talked to my Dr. and am going to get an esophagram to make sure everything is alright. We'll see.

And I started at 296lbs, I'm at 251 right now, so I do have a decent amount to lose. It's hard not to compare my weightloss to other people's. I know everybody is different and whatnot, it's just frustrating :smile2:

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It is true... some people it takes less to feel restriction then others... I was banded May 19, 2009. I only have 3.25 CC in a 10CC band..I have a LOT of restriction.. so much so that from one day to the next, I don't know if I will be able to eat or if everything will get stuck.. I was last filled the week before Christmas... I am just sticking it out and doing liquids on the days that are bad... I don't want to lose this restriction but it is also a struggle because I don't want to damage the band... I started at 358.5 2 wks before my surgery, so I also have a lot more to lose and I am down a total of almost 70 lbs including the 2 wk pre-op liquid diet... what kind of band do you have? Realize or lap-band®? I have heard people w/the realize band that have needed to be overfilled before they felt restriction.. I'm glad my surgeon used the LAP-BAND® on me and no the realize... good luck and be proud that you have lost what you have w/no restriction and have not gained it back.. you have more will power then most!!

I'm pretty sure I have the lapband. Reading some stuff from other people, a lot of them seem to know everything about their bands and I don't know all the specifics. I was actually just thinking about re-reading everything I got after the surgery when I get home from work. Haha.

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I would definately talk to your surgeon... but I would also get another fill...

I'm pretty sure I have the LAP-BAND®. Reading some stuff from other people, a lot of them seem to know everything about their bands and I don't know all the specifics. I was actually just thinking about re-reading everything I got after the surgery when I get home from work. Haha.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
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