I had the surgery Oct 17. I lost about 20 pounds prior to and while on the preop diet. I lost another 10 during the weeks immediately following surgery. I wasn't sure what I had in my band after the surgery, if anything. Every now and then, I'd get the hiccups while eating and assumed I was one of the lucky ones who would get this soft warning to stop eating. All seemed to be going well but I was starting to notice I could eat more and more. I was so anxious to get my first fill on December 3rd. My doctor removed everything from the band (he said there was 2cc in my band after surgery). He didn't say why he removed everything and I should have asked but didn't. He then gave me 3.5cc in my 10cc band. I drank Water in his office with no problem so I went home. I followed the liquid diet for a couple of days after the fill. Well, it didn't take me long to figure out that I have no restriction at all and my weight is creeping back on. It seems I can eat whatever and as much as I want if I allowed myself. I would never know I had a lapband at this point. My follow-up is January 7 and I'm so afraid I'm going to gain all that was lost prior to and immediately following surgery. Is this my bandster hell? How could I go from having 2cc and sometimes feeling restriction to having 3.5cc and no restriction at all? I wonder if I should call my Dr and see if I can get in sooner to have more added? I realize weight loss with the band is slow and I accept that. I'm just a little discouraged because I have absolutely no restriction during this holiday season.

cant speak on the fills part.....

i just wanted to say..just because it is the holiday season, do not let that be a option to go all out.....def enjoy the food, the family and the time of year but reality is, the holidays are regular days...the sun comes up and the sun goes down..and 3500 calories ate or drank is a pound....and if we eat/drink more calories than we burn off, we will gain......fill or no fill....whichever WLS one has or does not have.....

you can choose to your allotted amount and make good choices

and ENJOY this time of year......

hang in there.....getting discouraged solves nothing...staying positive works

Call them -- maybe they can fit you in....and don't worry, you just need to get your band where it should be and you will be on track again. Best wishes!

What you may have been experiencing in the beginning that you were calling restriction was actually swelling of the stomach. Now that that has gone down, true adjusting can begin. But the band isn't going to necessarily stop you from taking in food, that isn't what restriction means. It will assist you in limiting your food if you stick to the right foods and help keep you from getting hungry as soon. It is a tool afterall and you still have to do a lot of the work, though I have heard those who don't agree with this so this is just what I've observed for myself and also what my surgeon has instructed me to expect.

As for the hiccups, also not the same for everyone. I get hiccups with my first bite. I also get them when I drink now. Look for your soft signals, they may not be the same as everyone else's. Mine feels like a "bubble" forming in my stomach. First sign of this, I quit. I can't quite describe the bubble, I just know it's there. I had a fill Monday and I'm still waiting to see if this is the "green" but I'm thinking maybe.

Thanks, all, for taking the time to respond. I didn't mean to make it sound like I'm eating everything in sight because I have no feeling of restriction. I had to attend so many classes before Kaiser-P would approve me for the surgery, so I know that it is just a tool and that I'm the one doing most of the work. But, obviously I got the lapband because I needed the tool to help me because I was unable to lose weight on my own. I'm just disappointed that the tool isn't providing me any assistance right now. I guess I just need to be patient about the fills and have faith that I will get to the point where the band is a beneficial tool. Right now, it isn't doing anything for me. I don't plan on going on a holiday binge, but I will be glad to go for the next adjustment and until such time as I feel it is helping me, I guess this is my bandster hell.

I got my lapband for the same reason , years of trying diets and loosing and putting it back on , I also realise it is just a tool but even so some of us will still have times when we struggle , I am doing the same , my dietition told me following surgery I would never need to go on a diet again , that may be true , at mo my weight has stuck and that is frustrating , my personal hell bandster style .

If you are having problems, as another person said see if they can fit you in for a fill before Jan 7. But, you know how much you should eat, try sticking to the plan. best wishes, Karen...aka..kll724

Yes, this is Bandster hell. It can and usually does take more than 1 fill to raise you above Bandster hell. It took me 3 fills and 4 months to leave that phase and I only lost 12 lbs in the process. From fill #3 on, my life has changed.

The amount of saline in your band means nothing. Why? Because some people need no fills and some need 13.9 ccs to find the green zone. Each of us have different anatomies, different sized stomachs, different stomach lining thickness, different placements of the band.

No harm in asking for an office visit sooner. I did it twice and glad I did. We all want this journey to launch and no reason to sit back and wait for it eh?

tmf

Edited December 20, 201312 yr by 2muchfun

I think you need to call the dr also. I just had fill #3 6 weeks out from fill #2 and the NP told me if I feel like I'm losing restriction before my next appt to come back. So you can absolutely go back early. You don't want to lose your momentum. I know what you mean about not wanting to go through the holidays with no restriction. I haven't lost anything in 2 months, but when i went to the dr last week I was congratulated for maintaining. So I guess that's something. Happy Holidays and I hope things are better soon!!

Just to update, I did call the Dr and was able to get in today instead of on Jan 7 for my follow-up after my Dec 3 fill. I was able to eat over the holidays and did eat more than I should have. I was so afraid to step on his scale this morning. I thought for sure I would have gained 3-5 pounds but, to my surprise, I was down 1 pound. It doesn't make sense to me that I lost because I know I ate more than I had been eating right after surgery but I'll take it and run with it. My Dr is very conservative with fills he tells me so he added .75 to my already 3.5 filled band. So, I'm at 4.25 right now. He wanted to see me in 6 weeks so, I guess I'll see how this one works out. Happy New Year! I'm excited for this new start.

Yippee! I think we are in a very similar place -- almost there and determined! Hope this is it for you, the magic zone.