Does anybody else have a problem trusting their fickle band? One of my doctors thinks I'm rejecting my port tube, which will most likely lead to erosion - but nothing can be verified till I have an edoscopy. Naturally, I lost restriction last week, so I was sure I was dying (or badly eroded.) But then I have to remember that I've had days with little restriction in the past, and my restriction has always returned in a couple days. Well, I just ate lunch and got down 2 large eggrolls and too many cheese and crackers. Big mistake since Madam Restriction came back and now has me really tight in my ribcage.

Why can't I just trust my band till it gives me a reason not to? Is this typical, or am I getting closer to the rubber room with each passing day?

Can't go to rubber room till after next week lisa. I don't do well in thats setting...Always afraid they won't let me out. LOL Watch to many movies I guess.

There are time when I feel my restriction is gone and I'll dump in just a bit too much and boom there it is. the false heart attack. I have learned that it is a tool and its there to assist me and when I start tempting fate is sneeks out of hiding and kicks my butt.

Trust it Lisa its not going anywhere.

The other night I made a huge baked potato loaded with cheese. Plus a few hunks of hubby's leftover meat. 4 band meals. I kept eating and eating and could have finished it all, but I tossed some in the garbage. I never did feel full that night and really had to fight to keep from eating. Then today, I got no "golfball" or any other warning, but my lunch is sitting like a ton of bricks. Odd.

I just want a little restriction, I am having a hard time right now with no fill. I can eat everything! UGH!

When you say you can eat everything, what exactly do you mean? Do you eat exactly like you did pre-band, without even noticing you have a band? I wish I could feel what everyone else feels so I know what's normal! Inamed claims you get some restriction from the band alone - that I believe because I can always feel the band in me. There's always some sensation in there. I'm going to give you some really bad advice here, but ya know what brougth my restriction back? Spicy Pork Rinds. Yep, try getting a handful of them down and your band will wake right on up. I don't think there's anything on the planet worse for you than pork rinds, but that did the trick to wake up my restriction. (Oh and let's all thank the Atkins diet since that's when I started eating pork rinds.)

I hear ya Lisa... sometimes I feel like I could eat a horse... then I eat a tiny bite of dry chicken and sit in drooling misery for an hour till it slimes its way down. I have learned to listen and stop most of the time. Ridht now I have very little restriction so I feel your pain too Betty. Tomorrow... fill er up doc... mamma is a few quarts low on slime!

I feel what you are saying Lisa..somedays I can eat and eat and eat and others..food is something I do NOT think about becasue I have so much restriction.! I remember scheduling my third fills since I felt I had no restriction and could eat like a horse..the muinute I hung up the phone from making my appointment which was going to be in 2 weeks from that phone call I had MAJOR restriction all the way up until the fill date..never had my fill..Crazy bands..

I thought the same thing Delarla. About having some restriction with just the band and no fill. But after my liquid and mushy phase, before I got my first fill, I could eat exactly like I could pre-band. I now have a 2cc fill and can still pretty much eat whatever and however much I want. I occasionally get a stuck feeling if I eat to big a bite of bread, but I thought I wasn't even supposed to get bread down. It is very frustrating because I am losing and gaining the same 10 pounds since being banded on 9/24. I am going for another fill on Monday and hopefully I will have good restriction then. I am also wondering what it is supposed to feel like and how you are supposed to know when you are full. Haven't felt that yet.

I have found potatoes very easy to eat, sometimes in bigger portions than usual. I think they go through easy.

I hope your band starts behaving for you soon.

I also have a lot of the days where all i want to do is eat. There are days that food does not bother me and others when I eat is comes right back out. So I to often wonder if the band is working or what

Tuesday night I ate a huge bacon cheeseburger from Whataburger (bun and all) and a few fries. Granted before being banded I could have eaten all the fries. Last night we went to our favorite mexican place and I cleaned my plate, as usual. Of course that was after I had scarfed down a bunch of chips and salsa. Somehow, I managed to say no to the flan, LOL! I almost can't even tell I have been banded.

The only reason I tried a couple pork rinds is because silly me thought they would go down easy, like crackers do. I can eat about 1/2 a dinner roll if I eat slow, but crackers have been no problem. I was trying to watch my carbs, so I tried a couple pork rinds. BUT stupid me decided to TEST my band last night, so I tried a couple more. I've only officially PB'd once since banded, but last night was the worst "near PB" experience yet. I refused to PB. I walked around, cried a little, pounded my chest while hubby pounded my back, then called a Band buddie. Thank God it passed after 20 minutes. But I was really hungry later so I ate some mushy stuff. Anyone want to guess where the pork rinds are now? That's unless Voodoo (my LabDane) got in the trash. Hope he doesn't PB. I can definitely eat more than I did last month, but I still have a little restriction. Thanks for all the input. Potatoes are too easy... that's just wrong since I adore them.

I bought my first enormous cheeseburger last weekend since we were in California near my favorite highschool hangout. It was loaded with chili & cheese. I ate the goop with a fork and some of the meat. I saved it and ate more later, but I didn't eat the bread. And I only ate 5 fries. I was pleased with myself.

Hi Lisa,

Let me give you my take on this: I am gonna get real scientific here! (LOL)

I think certain foods irritate the esophagus and the slight swelling causes us to feel more restrictive. But the higher level of restriction caused by the slight irritation doesnt necessarily affect us until way after the meal and isnt noticed til the next meal. Other things that cause the irritation or swelling can be hormonal changes, how much fluids we drink that day, how fast we eat that day etc... So restriction varies a lot based on all of these factors. So what feels like good restriction one day could be caused by the swelling and environmental factors like the weather, allergies acting up etc and then we go back to the normal restriction level and it no longer feels like it is enough and we need more. I hope this makes some sense to you. I offer the following example:

I had a fill to my band taking me from 2.5 to 2.6. It was fine for two weeks and then I had a bout of allergies and all of a sudden the restriction was too much and I refluxed. Under normal circumstances, I would have been able to handle the restriction, but adding the scratchy throat and a little mucus to the mix and suddenly it didnt work for me anymore.

Sometimes when I have my time of the month, my band tightens up quite a bit and a few days before I am wide open.

SO I guess there are so many things that can affect restriction levels that it is hard to trust that it will be the same everyday. As you get further along in your journey you will find that your body also gets used to the restriction and what you perceive to be a big quantity of food is far less than what you used to eat at a sitting. Last week at Thanksgiving, I was sure that I ate a horse. But when I really thought about it, it was really not as much as I thought it was.

I am sure this information has not helped you one iota!

Babs in TX

334/189/170

-145

6/23/03

Actually, it helps a lot, Babs. Restriction differs for a lot of reasons. If I eat too much salt or drink certain things, I'm tighter. But I know I'm ready for a fill... I've milked my first one for 6 months.

Lisa I did the same thing with the pork rinds. I bought some thinking they would be like crackers. Oh no bad mistake. I pb'd twice and then again the next morning. They are sitting in the cupboard untouched since. I have found that the band is very fickle, one day I can eat something and it goes good. The next time it is like no way. So I don't think we can trust our bands they are just to darn fickle. It really is strange the things I can eat, like the whole darn bowl of buttered popcorn, chips, beef jerky.