hello all,

I was banded 16 weeks ago. I have had 3 fills. the first one they put in 3 cc's the second they put in 2 cc's the third they put in 2.5. The month following that fill I lost 7 lbs! I was so happy. So when I went to see the NP, I told her I felt restriction, but I didn't feel "quite there" yet..you know in that green zone...so she put in another 1.5 for a total of nine.

After getting that fill, it is very hard to take pills, but they go down if I take them 1 at a time, and I noticed my weight loss has halted, and after reading similar posts on here, I think I know why. I am resorting to crap because it goes down easy, and am probably getting little, if any protein at all in. crap being all the crap I'm supposed to avoid, graham crackers, oreos, chocolate, and frozen yogurt and cereal, I have been living on healthy cereals, but yet still cereal b/c it goes down so easily.

So maybe I was in my green zone at fill #3 and I just wasn't familiar enough with my new body to realize it. I mean I did lose 7 lbs in 24 days thats over 2 lbs a week so maybe I was in my green zone,

Also, does anyone have problems with fluids going down? Seems to me water would just go right through the band, but for some reason, i can only take really small sips, and I feel like this is hindering my fluid intake. Sometimes on school days, I will go till 4pm and realize I have only had about 12 ounces of water. It doesn't make sense why any amount of fluid would have trouble going down. Is this a sure sign that I am too tight?

I don't spit up or froth much, but that is because I have been avoiding any foods that would make me do that (although it has happened about 3 or 4 times just since my fill on march 25th) but I do get the "stuck" feeling a lot and that pain in my chest before the bolus of food travels down to the stomach.

I dunno, it seems to me that if the 7.5 was working, and the 9 is not working as well at all, I should get unfilled, but I just wanted peoples experiences. Did people who went "one fill too many" have the same experience? did you have trouble "recognizing" your green zone when you first got there, or did you just know. I know they give you all the criteria for when you are in the green zone, but if you have never been there, isn't it hard to judge when you are there and not just say, i think I need another fill?

I guess it boils down to, if I'm finding it so much of an effort to eat the right things that I have to eat around the band with the wrong things, then I;m probably overfilled? or maybe just lazy? I have no idea, please offer some insight.

thanks,

Carlie

It could have be that you didn't need 1.5 for your last fill. It seems a bit aggressive to me. You may need to be somewhere inbetween those two points.

I totally agree with Sara... get in for an adjustment as soon as possible for your long term health and well being.

Mimi

I'm just one more person who thinks you're too tight.

For me, I tend to gain weight if I'm too tight. Eventually I resort to soup, chili and ice cream. I would have 1 cc removed and see where you are. If you can't eat solid protein, you are too tight! I did the same thing you did, but with much smaller amounts. I really didn't realize how much restriction I had until I got another fill and was too tight. This band life is really a huge learning process and it varies from person to person. I think you're learning alot quicker than I did!

Cindy