and I've seen the promised land.

This post is for anyone who has the band and is wondering why its working for everyone else but not you.

I was banded Nov 13 by Dr Ortiz. The surgery went perfectly. The clinic was clean and comfortable. The staff was kind and competent. I felt great.

But the day I left the clinic I was starving. The next day was my flight home. Through a series of unfortunate events I ended up being at airports or on planes for the next 14 hours. There are no protien shakes in airports or on planes, and as I mentioned, I was starving. So I started eating mushies. I made a half hearted attempt to get back on the protien shakes when I got home, but it didn't work out.

When I went for my first fill Dec 15 I weighted 1 pound more than I did on my surgery day. I was dissapointed, but I had found some posts sharing similar experiances, so I was not yet broken.

I got 1.8 cc in my 4 cc band. Tried some broth for dinner & threw it right back up. Whenever I tried to eat for the next week I PBd. I was starving constantly. I felt like a ravenous hyena who had been banished from the pack and was not allowed to share in the kill. Desperate. (On the bright side I had lost 8 pounds in 8 days)

So I began the battle with the band. I used wine and hot tea to loosen it up. Whenever I was having a loose day I ate as much as I could. I ate things that I could always get down like chocolate and nuts and I avoided meat and veggies because they were more challenging. I learned to chew everything into liquid and then I could eat as much as I wanted. I was still PBing at least once a day, but it was worth it. I was no longer able to sprint binge, but I could win the gold medal in endurence binging.

Then I won the battle. By week four much of my restriction dissappeared, and of course, I was still constantly starving. I got on to a November bandster's thread and saw how everyone else had lost 20 to 30 pounds. What the hell was wrong with me. I was two pounds over my surgery weight and was on the road to slipping my band with my stupid PBing. What a looser.

So I decided to get another fill. I was kind of afraid because I was PBing so much I thought I might be too tight, but I had to do something.

Two days ago I got another fill to 2.5 cc.

I have not felt a moments hunger in the two days since the fill, and I haven't PBed either. I think I may be too full because I can only eat a couple of tablespoons of food at once and I even have to drink slowly. But I know now that this is going to work. It is just all about getting the fill level right.

I feel full now in a mechanical way, based on pressure in my stomach, not in the warm endorphin way I use to. But I feel new endorphins now that cause a kind of dizzy euphoria because I feel like everything is going to be alright.

Happy at last in bandland.

Leslie

and I get HOPE from all words I read. Anything is better than being where I am right now, 360 lbs.

Leslie, thanks so much for sharing that. I admire your courage.

Thank you! YOu answered a question that I've had for a month or so now. My weight loss looks good on paper, but I've been pretty much plateaued for two months now. Yet, I still pb at times. That made me think that a fill wasn't a good idea. If you pb, you must be tight enough and getting another fill would only cause more pbing (seems to me).

I bet I'm not the only one who is confused over the pb/fill connection.

Thanks again!

Fill level is very important. Hopefully it will continue for you. Isn't it nice not to have hunger!? I don't have hunger and I love it.

Really!! I was banded by Dr. Ortiz too on Jan. 5th, 2007. I was told you have to wait 6 weeks to be filled. Did he fill you at 4 weeks? I still have restriction, but am just curious. I also loved the experience!!!

LeslieM: Initially a sad story, but I always love a happy ending THANKS for sharing your story.

What I think was really hard for you was your initial airport journey experience. What a shame the surgery/clinic did not make sure you were ok for something to eat/drink?

I've been fortunate my band has worked right from the start and not once have I had to experience PBing. CONGRATULATIONS, and good luck on your weight loss journey.

I'm still in the Honeymoon phase, I'm losing regulary, very rarely hungry and I eat now to sustain life. food has finally lost it's control over my life and to be honest I love the feeling, not to be consumed about eating. I'm still constantly planning my meals, I've just gone onto mushies from liquids 5 weeks post op. But food just does not taste the same anymore. I wonder if the secretly destroyed my taste buds at surgery lol. Short of sounding like someone who just found GOD. This band is the ebst thing that ever happened to me and I recommend it to anyone who wants to lose weight. At the time of making my decision, I had no idea it was going to change my life so dramatically. Thankfully for me its an exciting change

CHEERS and Good Luck to all on "our" weight loss journeys"