Sorry this is long but I have a lot to get off my chest. I got my band in November last year. Almost everything has gone great. No complications, no vomiting not even once. The thing that has not gone great is the weight loss. I readily admit that a lot of that is my fault (mostly recently though) for making poor food choices, BUT I also feel that I was lied to by my doctor.

They told me I would be restricted to eating maybe 3 or 4 ounces at a time. That has NEVER been the case. Right from the beginning I could eat way more than they said, with no vomiting or pain or anything like that. And then I would get hungry again before bedtime which never happened to me before! It has been this way the whole time I've had the band, with the 3 (I believe 3) fills I've had. The doctor has always scheduled the fills so far apart and never given me what I felt I needed.

When I hadn't lost any weight when it came for the last appointment (maybe a month or two ago?) I was so discouraged that I just didn't go in because I was already stressed from other reasons and I didn't want to listen to the doctor lecture me about drinking milkshakes and such, which I did NOT do. I always eat solid foods, and I can't tolerate a lot of sugary sweets without getting sick anyway. He assumes that I do so because of the slow weight loss and he just does not listen. I could eat a double cheeseburger and large fries if I wanted to. Does that sound like 3 ounces? I don't think so. Even if you're eating only sensible foods, it can be difficult to lose weight if you're able to eat almost like you were before getting the band. I mean we got the band because we ate to much am I right?

I lost almost the same amount of weight just doing the preop diet, and that was a huge struggle because despite sticking to the diet religiously it wasn't coming off. I feel like I'm darned if I do and darned if I don't!

I started at 350, lost 18 before I got the band, and then 20 since getting the band. I had to spend $4k for the part the insurance didn't cover, so 20 lbs in 9 months, a good bit of which was spent trying to diet does not make me happy. I just don't know what to do at this point. I hate the idea of going back and him fussing at me because I've probably gained a few lbs back since the last appt. I've always told him I could eat way too much and had no vomiting whatsoever. Do I need to yell it in his ear to get him to listen?

How would you handle this situation???

Find a Dr who gives fills under Floro and get to the proper restriction. How much is in your band now?

your doctor should be on your side! I would go to one more visit and tell it to him straight...and be completely honest! I am sorry to hear that you can't talk to your dr without feeling like the bad guy.....i sincerely hope you can get the restriction you need and want!

I rarely ever only ate 3-4 ounces and wouldn't want to be that restricted long term. I have always eaten more like 8 oz and with proper restriction and good food choices I have been successful at that rate. I eat dense food that stays in my pouch longer. I get fills when I eat more that a cup or I find myself getting hungry between meals. I rarely feel hunger.

Your doctor should be allowing you to have the restriction you need and I would be demanding it. I would also not stand for being called a liar, why would you lie? It certainly won't get you anywhere.

If he does his part and you do your part by eating lean, dense foods (go for natural healthy foods like fresh lean meat, veggies, fruit and dairy...my nutritionists rule is do 90% of your shopping from the outside walls of the grocery store avoiding the processed packaged stuff in the aisles.) and of course daily exercise, there is no reason why this should not be working. That is, barring any metobolic issues which were likely checked pre-op and barring issues with the band (doing a fill under fleuro should answer that).

Sounds like it is time to put your foot down!

I say get another doctor....I know of a friend who has had a similar problem with her doctor and it has stalled her from being sucessful for over a year as well. I don't feel that it is fair for the doctor to assume anything - as everyone is different and will take various amounts of fills to get a good restriction.

YOU are the only one that knows what you are eating and whether or not you feel any restriction - don't let an ignorant doctor deter you from sucess with your band. You can do it - Hang in there and don't let this stop your journey!

Thank you all for your encouragement. I can't remember how big my band is ugh! I can't remember if it's a 7, 8, or 9 CC band. But I do know that I have 4.5 CC's in it currently and that it's around halfway full. I will try to find out if I can get a fill under floro.

Thankfully the director of the clinic has seemed very helpful in the past so I will send her an email with my problems, maybe she will step in and make the doctor listen. Crossing my fingers.

I would request a fluro for sure. One story that I remember our doctor telling us was that he had a patient who had a sister that was banded at the same time by a different doctor. His patient lost like 90 lbs and the sister only lost 20. She switched to him and she said she had no restriction, etc. Come to find out, her band wasn't "locked". When they put it on the stomach, they lock it so that when it's filled, you get restriction. Hers was not locked the entire time, so whenever they filled it, it would open up even more.

I know that I can't eat a double-cheeseburger - Maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of it. Usually about a third is it. I have a feeling you're not getting good restriction.

Don't let him yell at you. Stand your ground. If you're not drinking milkshakes, make that CLEAR and tell him you need a plan, not a lecture.

Ginger

Sorry this is long but I have a lot to get off my chest. I got my band in November last year. Almost everything has gone great. No complications, no vomiting not even once. The thing that has not gone great is the weight loss. I readily admit that a lot of that is my fault (mostly recently though) for making poor food choices, BUT I also feel that I was lied to by my doctor.

They told me I would be restricted to eating maybe 3 or 4 ounces at a time. That has NEVER been the case. Right from the beginning I could eat way more than they said, with no vomiting or pain or anything like that. And then I would get hungry again before bedtime which never happened to me before! It has been this way the whole time I've had the band, with the 3 (I believe 3) fills I've had. The doctor has always scheduled the fills so far apart and never given me what I felt I needed.

When I hadn't lost any weight when it came for the last appointment (maybe a month or two ago?) I was so discouraged that I just didn't go in because I was already stressed from other reasons and I didn't want to listen to the doctor lecture me about drinking milkshakes and such, which I did NOT do. I always eat solid foods, and I can't tolerate a lot of sugary sweets without getting sick anyway. He assumes that I do so because of the slow weight loss and he just does not listen. I could eat a double cheeseburger and large fries if I wanted to. Does that sound like 3 ounces? I don't think so. Even if you're eating only sensible foods, it can be difficult to lose weight if you're able to eat almost like you were before getting the band. I mean we got the band because we ate to much am I right?

I lost almost the same amount of weight just doing the preop diet, and that was a huge struggle because despite sticking to the diet religiously it wasn't coming off. :w00t: I feel like I'm darned if I do and darned if I don't! :wub:

I started at 350, lost 18 before I got the band, and then 20 since getting the band. I had to spend $4k for the part the insurance didn't cover, so 20 lbs in 9 months, a good bit of which was spent trying to diet does not make me happy. I just don't know what to do at this point. I hate the idea of going back and him fussing at me because I've probably gained a few lbs back since the last appt. I've always told him I could eat way too much and had no vomiting whatsoever. Do I need to yell it in his ear to get him to listen? :thumbup:

How would you handle this situation???

Hey Sherry, I hear and understand your frustration. You have not said anything about what you eat, what you drink, your exercise, etc. My understanding of the band has always been that it is a tool to help you eat smaller portions and deal with the hunger issue, as long as the food choics that I made were appropriate and my doctor and his staff helped me to learn what those choices were. You do NOT need to vomit to have restriction, and if you want, you can always outeat your band. You didn't have surgery to learn how to defeat it. At least I didn't. I had surgery to learn how to use the tool to help me and it has. I still can eat more than I want if I choose to, and I can still make poor choices, if I choose to, and none of them have anything to do with milkshakes. If it were me I would make an appointment with the doctor, the nutritionist in the doctor's office and before I go in I would keep a food journal for a week or two so they can see what YOU are doing and help you learn how to work your tool. The final choices are yours. See if this article Lap Band Rules Or How I Use My Tool

can give you some isnight.

Good luck.