Hey guys. it's me again (many weeks later!!!) with a question - for anyone who doesn't know me/my story, I live in Dublin, Ireland and was banded in Paris, France about 15 months ago - I am down about 70lbs which feels great but obviously, I could have lost more. Last October I found a band surgeon in England willing to do follow up care and fills etc for me, and went to him for a fill. I have an 11cc Inamed band which had a fill capacity of 9cc - I had 4cc put in during surgery - the fill doc found there was only just under 3cc in my band when he removed all the fluid - I gather this is pretty normal after a year - so he put back in 3.5cc but I was really disappointed to find I have pretty much no restriction still. I have never had that "golf ball" sensation, pb'd or had any discomfort really, but I do drink with my meals often - SO, here's the question - (at last!) - as I have to travel so far and so expensively ($160 for fill, + flight + car rental!) I don't want to get too little of a fill, which will make very little difference - on the other hand I don't want to get too much, and be back in Ireland spitting up saliva - all alone with no medical awareness of the band here!!!

My new doc says he'll fill me to "5cc or 6cc or whatever you want", which doesn't exactly answer the question - I want to lose another 50lbs at least, and do it quite agressively, as I have been working on willpower all this time.... I have plateaued for AGES, and am getting so depressed and despondant, feeling like a big fat failure - I'm afraid to rush into a big fill, and starve myself for the next few months - can anyone tell me what a "good fill" feels like - what is the most we should be able to expect from "hitting that sweet spot"?

Apologies this is so long and boring....I would really appreciate anyone's advice....

Hellooooooooooooooo? Anyone????? Nobody at all here with the 11cc band?

Bright, I have no answers for you .

I just wanted to say that this is a great question to ask - regardless of band type, and like you, I will be waiting to read the results.

Hi Bright.

To fill, not to fill, how much? Where did my fill go? I go through these same questions. Now I'm trying to gear myself up to go back to Mexico to find and fix this leak that Dr McKeen, my follow up doctor here, and Dr. Sanchez, who banded me feel is my problem. Traveling not for vacation is not always fun.

The things I keep telling myself is-This band and me have to work properly for it to work, and someone lately said why have a car if your not going to put gas in it.

I probably didn't help you much and we are all so different. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

I have a large band(AMI)and if I were to count my total fills I'd be at 8.75cc's

Now don't look at that for comparision.

Hi Bright!!

Congrats on your second fill, but bummer that you still feel nothing.

In cases where you do not have easy access to a fill doctor, I would highly recommend a fill under fluoroscope so the doc can see exactly how tight you are before he sends you on your merry way.

If that is absolutely impossible, take some applesauce with you. Have the doc fill you all the way up (close you completely off - you WILL feel that, trust me! I feels like an elephant is sitting on your chest even though you can still breathe!) and then take a spoonful of applesauce - very tiny, because your pouch will fill very, very quickly when you're completely closed off. When you feel the applesauce is backing up on you, have the doc start backing off the fill (removing some of the saline) so that you can feel the applesauce start passing through. You want to be able to eat a few bites, feel it backing up, wait a few seconds and then have room for another bite. Have the doc keep removing fill until you are passing the applesauce, but slowly.

I don't know if he is willing to do it this way, but I've heard the applesauce test is popular among many blind fill docs - a better test than Water, which of course can run through a pretty small opening.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!!!

xxoo

Bright and the rest: A fill is very subjective to all bandsters. Oh and that "sweet spot" phenom is a misnomer. After Lisa and I talked at great length with Billy he dispels the "sweet spot" language. No one can tell when they get to a point where a fill is enough. What if you need to have another fill? What you thought was your "sweet spot" wasn't. So from now on I no longer will use that term. In fact there is no term for that because it doesn't exist.

Be careful with your fills guys. Think of it as a cup. You can only fill it so many times before it overflows. Yeah you can take more out and put more in but WHY would you do this.

I suggest you visit the thread "Dr. Billy Homework" and see some of the suggestions.

Bright if you are drinking with your meals that is why you haven't lost anymore. Well it is one reason anyway. Don't get me wrong you might still need a fill but I wouldn't get too aggressive with it. Maybe only a .5cc then work with the band.

These are just my thoughts on the subject.

Donali has a great idea. Applesauce will be a better test than barium, which is what my doctor uses.

Bright, I've sort of been going through this myself, and want to caution you about something. If you've been used to your level of restriction for a long time, any increased restriction is going to feel like a lot. I was slightly un-filled last November, rested for a little over a month, and now I have a fill that is only .1 MORE than I had before the un-fill. But it feels like WAY more. I'm restricted in a way that I haven't felt since early last summer, and it's taking some serious getting used to. The upside is that all that getting-used-to it has resulted in a loss of about 15 lbs in the last six weeks!

I guess what I'm saying is not to be TOO aggressive. A lot of the results lie in your behavior, which of course you know, and too much restriction is really worse than just enough. And all it takes is just enough to make your willpower rev up to where you need it to be. This isn't the last fill you can ever have, just one more on your road. So get one, but don't go overboard!

Good luck, bandsister!

I just saw Penni's comment about the "sweet spot" and wanted to add my 2 cents to clarify. The "sweet spot" is not a specific number, and of course will vary from person to person. The "sweet spot" is a state in which our bands are working as best they can for us, like saying I've reached bandster nirvana. No one would ask "how much fill should I get for bandster nirvana?" But it's a fair question to ask other people to describe it, in hopes we'll all know it when we find it.

Bright, MY sweet spot is probably a little less restricted than I am right now. (Shhhh, don't tell my doctor I said that!) I love not being hungry and needing only a little food at meals. I'm not PBing because by now I know how to chew well enough to avoid that. However, I still have that one-bite-too-many syndrome from time to time, and sometimes that comes on bite #5 of a meal. I'd like to be able to eat a little more than that. And recently I've had to religiously avoid eating or drinking several hours before bedtime so I don't have nighttime reflux, and I'm not crazy about that.

But if past experience is any guide, as I lose more weight my restriction will lessen. I hope my sweet spot is waiting for me 10 or so pounds from now.

Hey Bright,

Can I first say that u look amazing in ur picture. I bet you are a right looker. I cant give u any advice about ur fill but thanks a million for the Pm. It was very informative. I was banded only fours weeks ago so Im still a rookie. I never thought I would meet an Irish person in here. I trully thought I was the only person on the green Isle that had the band fitted. It makes me feel more normal, no normal is not the right word, not so isolated I suppose. Although It really feels like ur cut off from the medical world in Ireland, like if anything goes wrong who do u go to. Ive been reading up on some of ur posts and lts almost like u feel discouraged about ur weightloss. For GODS SAKE WOMEN U HAVE LOST 70 POUNDS. I REPEAT 70 POUNDS. Give ur self a break. Sure ur grand as we say here in Ireland. In fact u look great. What about the weather here eh? Its been freezing almost every night so this restricts me getting in some excercise in the evenings. I think I might join the gym in college.

Oscar Wilde " We are all in the gutter but some of us are lookin at the stars"

Me " Music the only universal language"

regards from a small little leprachuan counting her pot of gold at the bottom of the rainbow.

Thanks so much for these comments - really helped me - both practically and mentally.

Vera - hubby loved your car/gas analogy! We feel we haven't "used" this band properly yet - and you are right, we ARE all different - it's amazing how many different opinions/experiences I read last night - it's like childbirth!!!

Donali (((((((((I miss you!!)))))))))))) - I haven't had the second fill yet - going tomorrow (thurs) and am v anxious to get it right this time - Love the applesauce theory - someone on Spotlight suggested bringing yoghurt so I will definitely bring one of them....would a Twix work ja think???

Alex/Penni - I know the magical elusive unicorn of a "sweet spot" doesn't really exist, and the nature of the band is, if you find it, it may not last for long - I guess I am just worried about being overfilled, and getting frustrated, end up eating icecream and cookies all day long! I was planning to ask the doc to fill me to 5cc - then someone on Spotlight is at 5cc but has very little restriction - whereas a friend of mine in Paris, is filled to 7cc but is not losing any weight as she's too tight to eat healthy proteins etc - After my surgery, I was completely tight "psychologically" - I was focused and motivated but ate too little and loads of my hair fell out - I have tons of one inch growth all over my head now - and I fair so it's really noticable! I want to do this sensibly yet take advantage of my first 2 years being banded....And yeah, I am really trying to cut down on my drinking with meals - It's just I can't finish a muffin without a mug of coffee.....sigh....

Blacknamaste: (what's with the name???) Wow - you are here in little ol' Ireland too? i had no idea - thought you were english!!!! Wa hoo! Where are you living? Who did your surgery? Tell me EVERYTHING!!!! Yup, it's very isolating here with no band docs - my gp actually told me she'd give me some hypodermic needles & saline, if I ever wanted to do a fill for myself! She said "shur it'll be no bother to you" Irish style! I was like okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay buh bye....!!!!

Thanks for the compliment - I am the largest woman in co meath at the moment so dunno about the looker comment! We should meet up - Are you near Dublin or what?

Let me know xx And I am delighted with the 70lb loss but I'm bloody still 18 stone and can only shop in Evans!!!

Blacknamaste: I was faithfully going to the gym (the National Aquatic Centre in Blanchardstown) until a mini tornedo ripped the roof off it in those storms after christmas! Ireland ! Tornedo! Mad! So I can't go to the gym until the place is repaired! I'm gutted! (not)

Bright,

I have a 11cc Inamed Band. I got it September 29th of 2004. At the surgery, the Dr. put in 4cc.'s. I felt no restricition when it was time to eat real food again. I lost only 8-10 pounds (don't know how many stones that is). Then I got a fill of 1 cc. 6 weeks later and lost only 8 more pounds. ....I was so discouraged.....at my second fill I asked for 2cc's. I live in the US and was traveling to Costa Rica for the fills. He gave me 1.5cc's and I finally have restriction! I am finally losing weight......about 5 pounds a month but it's something. So, total I have 6.5 cc's in my 11cc band. I hope this fill last me a good while. Hang in there, you may need one more fill to have that restriction that I finally felt. (I had no idea what it felt like until it hit me with this last fill). ...........my family is from Antrim and Fermanaugh! Good Luck and keep in touch.

Patty

Thanks so much for that Patty - great to talk to someone with the same capacity band - I really hope this fill works out tomorrow and I get some restriction at last!

Hi Bright i got a SAGB and it holds 10cc...

I have 4.2cc in it at the moment but although i felt restriction initially it has disappeared now and i am going back to LYON to have another fill on 23 Feb.

4.2 was my initial fill 4 weeks after surgery so this will be my second fill, so hopefully it will give me a bit of a helping hand as far as losing weight goes. I have managed to lose 14lbs so far which to me is great as b4 i had the band put in i was gaining weight everytime i jumped on the scales...

Im in the uk but go back to my surgeon in lyon for my fills as i have a flipped port so all my fills have to be under flouro. I like the flouro as i like to see my band is ok and there is no guess work involved as to how tight i am or am not...

love tracey

God i have not been here for ages. Ive been so busy with college and work. Bright Im living in Dublin City centre. Not by choice I might add. Solely because of college.

Did u watch that programme on channel4 about the real da vinchi code. It was good but proved how what a load of rubbish it really was. Its a great book u cannot take that away from it but its pure fiction and documentary portrayed this excellently.

Bandlife is good. I really feel like I am in the right frame of mind to apply this new regime to my life. I think this is vital to anyones success. Maintaining a consistent approach to ur soul and mind. Bloody hell what am I trying to say. Finding the balance thats what it is. I need to find that balance.

I was banded in Mexico. Along way I know but the doctor and staff were great. I did experience alot of pain after the surgery. I was not prepared for this. Everyone seemed to leave the hospital after 2 days or so some even on the same day. WHAT. There was no way i could have managed that. I felt like I went through 10 rounds wIth Mike Tyson. The pain was so bad.

Hi guys - I'm back from my fill in the UK - he removed 3.7cc from my band and put back in 6 - so I am FULL, people!!! The (v nice) doc was really helpful, and was pleased I had proceeded cautiously with my fills, happy to go slower if necessary but suggested I have a tighter fill now to see if this will get my weight loss going again - I have only had soup and yogurt since, so don't know how tight I am until I eat solid food I guess - eating a yogurt this morning was bizarre - my whole digestive system was clanking and gurgling - all new for me!!! Felt like a newbie all over again! The best part was I GOT TO MEET OTHER REAL LIVE BANDSTERS!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it - I was begining to feel like Tigger, The Onliest One, when I met a fabulous IRISH woman in the waiting room - she has lost ten stone (140 lbs) in two years and is thrilled - in typical Irish style she had basically lost the weight and GONE SHOPPING! We're big into shopping here! She has been to New York 5 times in the last year and is thrilled with herself - she took my email address and hopefully we can remain in contact. The other banded person I met was Vicki from WLS (english support site) and she was just banded in December, AND WAS ASKING ME QUESTIONS - like I knew stuff! I almost burst with happiness - the poor surgeon didn't know what to do - he couldn't get a word in edgeways with two mental irish women screaming in the waiting room!

Ah it was great! Such a buzz, and so needed at this blue period of being banded for me!

So hopefully my weight will start moving again and, sorry DeLarla, I may even get a ticker tape to highlight it!!!!