Hey 50 & over gang We have a new spot

[Cecy 0]

You have been so successful. I am doing well, but I agree with you, " I wish bad things would come back up instead of vegetables. However, I am learning everyday how to do better and although I dont understand why some things come back up and other days the same things dont, I have learned to adjust and never eat around friends, because the stress of hoping it doesnt come back is enough to cause it to be a problem. They are unaware of my suffering or the cause, but they can see the weight loss, and that is thrilling. I am committed to doing whatever I have to do to get the weight off. I have lost a lot and have a lot more to go. Thanks for writing.

[PangeaOne 0]

I am 71 and just banded in May of this year. Now healed and going for my first fill on the 29th.

[ShereeKim 1]

hi everyone

Thank you so much for the respnses to my post. I have now been back to the hospital and had an unfil of 1.2 and I can't tell you how much better I feel! I think some people cope ok with a tight band but I just felt terrible eating absolute rubbish as I couldn't get anything decent down. I was also experiencing this sensation in my chest that travelled up to my throat and my GP suggested it was because the band was too tight and pressing against a nerve (he gave me the name but I can't remember what it was) since the unfill that sensation has gone too.

Now I can eat well e.g yesterday I had a small amount of brown rice with a tiny amount of chopped steak for breakfast/lunch, later in the afternoon I had a large slice of quiche and for dinner I ate a tuna and egg salad - no Snacks or cravings.

I was banded last August and have lost 70lbs! I know we're all different and for me I would rather lose weight slowly from now on - (the band is for life after all) than lose weight fast but just by eating nutritionally low value foods.

I think the needs of our group are very different to those that are younger - and I want to thank those that set up this spot for us.

Have a lovely day.

Shereekim

(in a surprisingly warm spot in the south of England)

[PangeaOne 0]

I am about to have my first fill on the 29th of June. How it is decided how many cc's they inject. Is it the amount of weight you have or haven't lost or your self report of your level of hunger? Since my surgery on the 15th of June I have only lost 5 to 7 #'s.

[pennreporter 12]

Pangea, it is totally up to your doctor/surgeon. I go for my first July 7 and have struggled trying to locate other banders from my hospital to see how much they do on the first fill. My daughter on hers had 3ccs which I think is what's done a lot but they make sure you can drink Water afterwards to see if you have any problem because everyone is different.

Good luck

trisha

[orea15 0]

The answer to your question is a firm "it depends." Which band do you have? Did your surgeon put in or leave in Fluid at the time of surgery? Are you really hungry, etc.

My surgeons leave the band empty at surgery, so their policy is to put in 4 cc. at the initial fill, which is two months after surgery, and one month into eating solid food per their rules.

The bottom line is, numbers don't matter. There are only three fill levels, too little, too much, and just right.

Sneaking up on your optimum fill level is a good idea so you have time to adjust and learn.

Good luck, and my you find your sweet spot quickly.

[Cecy 0]

Pangeaone,

Most of us did not lose a hole bunch the first month. However, the weight loss picked up for me after the third month. I got mine done at the end of Spetember. I do not know what decided the number of cc's the administer. However, just hang in there, It will get better as you go.

[PangeaOne 0]

Thank you for your encouragement. I have been really discouraged. I am going to cling to the wisdom of those who've experienced this before me. As to the fills, I have no idea what type of band I have or whether there was any saline injected at the time of the surgery. I told the surgeon at the time of my pre-op visit (my only visit) that I had heard that he was using a different band. He was vague and said that they continue to tweak the process. When I go for my fill on Monday I'll ask what kind of band I have.

[IndioGirl55 32]

Doctors do 2 kinds of fills Fluro (xray) and blind (you drink Water as they insert the saline into your band)

IMHO the only real dif between the 2 is that they find your port fast - pple who get fluro fills don't seem to get to their sweet spot any faster then pple who have the blind fills.

My doc does blind fills - he has me lay down - numbs the area around my port then inserts the needle - the 1st time it took alot of poking to find the center and get thru the scar tissue - but the next time it was a breeze.. It didn't hurt cuz I was numb

IMHO the #'s of cc's in your band or the type of band (allergan or realized) doesn't make a darn diff - for you it could take 5 cc's to get to your sweet spot and for some they don't need a fill for 6 months after surgery..

I have always wondered why pple care about the cc's in their band as there is no magic number that's going to work for both of us - we are all diff in what we need..

Each doc is diff - some are agressive some arent' - for some it takes awhile to get to the sweet spot and for others we get there fast (for me it was 2 fills - well really I had 3 but was way too tight and he took all but .01 cc out)

I haven't had a fill in 1.5 yrs and I still have restriction..

When I went in Dec 0y for my 3rd fill he wouldn't give me one cuz I had lost 17 lbs since my last (2 months earlier) but then went again in January 08 and he gave me a small one and like I said almost all of that one was taken out.

Fills can be physoclogical more than physical imho sometime..

[orea15 0]

I'm glad you are doing better. A too-tight band leads to "soft food syndrome" which actually tends to slow weight loss. As you discovered, tighter is NOT better!

[Oregondaisy 2,020]

Having a tight band is dangerous. It's not good for the stomach tissue to be too tight.

Orea is so right. too loose, too tight and just right. If you can't eat like a normally, imo you're too tight. The band is supposed to make us eat small portions, not limit our choices in foods.

[PangeaOne 0]

Just had my first fill. The nurse said it wouldn't really hurt. That's because the needle didn't go into her! LOL I couldn't believe the diameter of the needle!! And it definitely hurt, a lot. Thank God the pain was brief. She said the pain was due to scar tissue. She said I have the Allergan Band. She removed 4 cc's that was in the band and put back in 5 cc's. From now on I can go for a fill every two weeks until I acquire restriction. It's now been 6 1/2 hours and I am starving!! What is that all about? I've had my Protein Drink, drinking Decaf tea. Why am I feeling so hungry? Tell me this will go away. Help!! I never felt this level of hunger since I've had the band.

[JoannMarie 0]

Pangea - what type of food are you eating? Are you on full liquids? Are you allowed to eat "mushie" type food (cottage cheese, casserole consistency)? Or have you graduated to "real" food? You will find if you eat a higher Protein diet, you will stay satisfied longer and have less hunger between meals. If you are still on mushie foods it will be a little harder to prevent the hunger, but you can do it. tuna and/or salmon salad, cottage cheese, other soft cheeses, scrambled eggs, yogurt, oatmeal (the weight control instant oatmeal is WONDERFUL), egg salad, soft fish like baked tilapia, lowfat refried Beans, casseroles that use ground chicken or turkey (cook the chicken or turkey first - then put it through the food processor or blender w/a little broth - then add to your other casserole ingredients like cooked potatoes or sweet potatoes, soft vegetables, a little lowfat canned gravy for texture and flavor, then bake for 30 min or so). When you can eat real food, stay with 3-4 oz protein (beef, chicken, turkey, fish, other low fat meats) eaten first, followed by a small amount of vegetables and/or fruit, and if you still have room you can have a tiny amount of potato or rice if your band will tolerate those (some bands are not potato or rice friendly). Many people cannot eat bread - I can, but have to be very careful, and generally don't have it because I believe it's more important to have the protein and I am full with meat and vegie. NO white bread - if you eat bread, make it whole wheat. You HAVE to think about the nutritional value of your food more than ever before. You will not be eating much, you must be sure you are getting the most healthy bang for every bite.

This all assumes you can have mushies or real food. If you are on full liquids, it's a different game. The Protein Drinks won't do much for keeping your "pouch" full because it goes right through the pouch - if that is what you have to eat now, eat more often. Don't worry about 3-4 hours or anything else like that at this point. Until you are allowed more substantial food, you should not worry about eating only at "mealtimes." When you are hungry it is mealtime. Watch for the "full" signal and stop. DRINK the tea and other liquids all day. After your healing process is done and you can go to soft foods or mushies, it will be safe to go with the foods listed above.

The band will not keep you from being hungry! You will get hungry when your stomach is empty - usually 3-4 hours. The band is a tool that helps you to keep from eating more volume of food at a meal than you should. It's all about Portion Control. You still will get hungry - just have to eat the right foods in smaller amounts - and the band will help with that.

If your doctor gave you any printed information about your eating plan, be sure you read it and follow the instructions they give you. You are only a couple of weeks out and you are in the middle of the healing process. It's not time to think about losing weight - just healing. Ask any questions you can think of - lots of people on this thread and we're happy to help if we can.

Edited June 29, 2009 by JoannMarie

[PangeaOne 0]

Since I just had the fill this morning I am back to Stage 1: two days on high Protein Shakes or blended foods. Stage 2: Soft foods for the next two days and then Stage 3: Regular foods of 1000, 1200, or 1500 calories.

I never have the full feeling but until I had the fill I didn't feel all that hungry. I had a Protein Shake a few hours after arriving home from my appointment but was still hungry. It makes sense that the Protein shake would just pass through. So I guess what you're saying is that until I get on more solid protein I will probably feel hunger. Thanks so much for the valuable information. I will print it off and carry it with me. Thanks again. All of you are such pros as Bandster.

[rustypup 0]

Find another Dr! Your Ins. should be able to give you a list of Dr's that will do it. Barb