hi all

I'm new to the forum so I'm not sure if I'm in the right area. I had my operation in April 2008. So far I've had 4 fills--right now I'm at 9cc's (10 cc realize band) and I don't feel any real restriction. I do feel a little (very little) less hungry and don't feel the extreme yearnings quite as much as I had-but generally can eat anything and as much as I want. I really thought that I would feel some restricting signals. Needless to say I have not really loss weight. I try to follow a 4 oz 3 times a day diet but by the 3rd day or so I'm back where I started--starving and eating anything in sight--it's as if I had no surgery. I really feel like a failure. I will be seeing my surgery doctor soon (a nurse usually does the fills) I would like to know:

Has anyone else had this problem?

Is there any other option to fix this besides another surgery.

Edited January 19, 200917 yr by lapband967
incorrect spelling

ok how much have you lost since april? are you exercising any? what are your typical meals? try counting calories I am doing 1200 calories a day. Good luck

:redface:Thanks skyjoe:

That is good advice, really it is. But if it was that easy for me I would have done that years ago and would not have needed the surgery. What I was hoping for was to connect to someone who has had a similar experience:

Has felt no real restriction after having a 9cc fill?

If you received help--was there another option to fix this besides another surgery.

Really hoping to hear from someone with this particular experience. :huh2:

Edited January 19, 200917 yr by lapband967
correct spelling

I'm so sorry you don't have restriction!! I didn't have any until I got up to 7.2cc. I would definitely talk to your surgeon and see what is going on. Maybe (God forbid) you have a leak and you don't have as many cc's as you think you do? Or maybe they wrote down your cc's wrong? This happened to me the last time I went for a fill. They thought I had 7cc's and I was complaining of no restriction. Turns out I only had 6 something cc's in my band. Doesn't sound like much, but it made a huge difference. The nurse thinks the cc's were written down wrong, but I'm going to my surgeon on the 30th to check for a leak. They said if I do have a leak it's small and won't require surgery. I hope you can figure this out and it works out for you!!! Good luck

Amberstar

Thanks for the info. I have just a couple of questions. How did you know when the 7cc were working? What did you feel? What happened if you ate to much? :huh2:

Edited January 19, 200917 yr by lapband967
correct spelling

My last fill was about 2 1/2 weeks ago, now I"m at 7.2cc. And I knew immediately. I definitely CANNOT eat like I used to. My first meal after that fill was 1 egg and 2 pieces of turkey bacon. And I was FULL. It's a different kind of full. I don't feel it in the bottom of my stomach. But I feel fullness and a little bit of pressure in my chest, like "whoa, stop, can't do anymore". Kinda makes it uncomfortable to continue eating after a bit, so I know better and stop. Before this fill, I felt minor restriction, but could still probably eat what I wanted. Not now!

Hi I have 7.2cc in a 10cc band and I am just now starting to really feel restriction. However I can eat just about anything as long as it isn't alot at one time. This is frustrating because I can also eat often and when eating the wrong foods I don't lose any weight. My chest hurts when I eat to much. You will know when you reach that point, you will slime or your chest might hurt or even your back. I hope this helps. Also my doctor always checks to see how much is in my band before adding just to make sure it is not leaking.

grandmasandy

lapband967,

Don't fret....

Get another fill, I was concerned because I was in your same position and I was almost at max recommendation for my Realize band. Well it took me to get to my max recommendation and now I feel restriction. When you are at your "sweet spot", you will know! You have to pay attention to the full alert. Because if you don't, you then get chest pains because you are stuffed! And it doesn't feel so nice! My surgeon suggested before I got to restriction....The 10 cc is a recommendation and you can continue to fill a bit further to get restriction. I too was thinking, what have I done! But after my last fill which put me at max... I am happy with it! Because I am now starting to lose weight and have gotten the restriction, I needed. I have lost 40lbs to date, 10 post op, 20 until I got to my sweet spot, and 10 within the last 3 weeks. So, try another fill and see how that works out! By the way, I had surgery, June 2, 2008. I believe with the Realize band, we lose a little slower if the surgeon doesn't fill our band a bit during surgery. You'll be fine...get antoher fill! And please let me know how it turns out.

Ok I too have the realize band and not until I got to 8.7ccs in my band do I truely have RESTRICTION and as Amber stated it's a different kind of "full" feeling you will know it when you have restriction! And also the full feeling for me is the food stays in my throat so to say it's hard to describe becasue you may be a tad bit different. it basically tells you to STOP no more will even fit in your mouth. You may just need a tad bit more of a fill and you will be like WHOA!!!!!!! Keep us posted!

You also do not want to overstuff yourself and end up with a hernia, This is not good, I had one before I got the surgery.

I was also forewarned about this. I just got the regular lap band and have not had a fill yet but I can tell a huge difference and I can feel in my chest when I have had enough. I can only eat half of what goes on my plate and I stop . I can feel the fullness already, I can't imagine yet what I will feel after a fill. Hope this gets better for you.:thumbup:

Hi, I too have the Realize band, and am feeling the same frustration. Today I felt like throwing in the towel. I am at 7cc in my 9cc Realize band, and don't have a whole lot of restriction. I feel like most of this is will power and obsessive exercise. After my last fill which took me to 7, I felt a little more restriction, but not in the amount that I ate, only that I wasn't as hungry in between meals. Now that seems to have worn off. I feel hungry more. I could probably eat a whole lot if I kept going, but I just make myself stop when I think I've eaten enough. I feel like this will fail, and I will never have true restriction. UGH! It's so frustrating. I read those with restriction only eat 1/2 cup or so. I eat waaaay more than that. I stop before I even feel full. Some that have the regular band and not the realize seem to have way more restriction. I feel like I made a mistake, and maybe I should have gotten the other band. My father has lost 180 lbs, and had his surgery 3 years ago with the original lapband. He doesn't understand when I say I have NO restriction, and the scale is moving so slow. He said he had it from the start, and was NEVER hungry. UGH! What's wrong with me? He keeps saying I don't know what your Dr. did to you? He lives in CT, and me in Virginia. He started at well over 400, and I started at 254 and I have lost about 46 lbs. But.. trust me, it has been a huge struggle. I exercise every single day. I feel hungry alot. The scale is moving like a snail. Only about 1 lb per week, maybe even less. In the last 4 1/2 weeks I've only lost 3-4 lbs. Am I overreacting. I am sooo scared I'm going to get to 9cc on my next fill, and still not have restriction. Any advice??

Edited January 20, 200917 yr by luvmy2dogs

On my last visit to my Dr before the surgery, the nurse asked if I was getting the realize band or the regular one. I told her I had not heard of the realize band, so when the Dr came in the room I asked him about it and he said the only difference was the brand name, Johnson and Johnson make the realize band. He said they do go on a little different but nothing big, he said one of the newer Dr's in the practice only does the realize band, he does both but is more comfortable with the original. I told him to do what he was more comfortable with doing. I did not realize that there was any kind of difference and according to him there isn't.

I did however get the newer version of the original where the pouch that is around the inside of the band now goes all the way around.

Mine also said there was no difference, just read some have more restriction with the other. Like I said, my dad said he was NEVER hungry. I get hungry. It seems like you're having better luck with the original.

I have found that if I am feeling hungry and it's not time to eat or I am not ready to eat, I will drink some water or something and then I feel full for a little while.

I have been a little nervous about getting a fill cause everyone I have talked to in person has said that they throw up, I can't stand that so I have been very careful about chewing anything even close to not soft enough. Eggs and all. I have also made myself eat very slow, just because I don't even want to push it. I have caught myself swallowing bigger pieces and I can feel it going down so then I wait to see if I get sick or not then I finish, Kinda weird cause most of my life I have practically inhaled my food.My Dr also told me not to take any meds that were not chewable,liquid or crushable.My throid med is very tiny so I do not worry about it getting stuck. Thank goodness for those chewable vitamins. I guess He did a pretty good job of telling me everything, of course I asked tons of questions too.

we talked about everything that could happen . I mean all of it. I did not have blinders on. Kinda odd though My port is on the right side but closer to the middle sometimes I can feel it of I bend over, but ya gotta watch out for a hernia too. That is my big concern at the moment, as I tend to heal a little slow. I am excited though cause I want to loose 150 lbs.:thumbup:

I'll try the drinking when I get hungry and see if that works. I don't throw up, and never have. Nothing has ever really gotten stuck. I can eat anything. I have trouble with really dry chicken if I don't chew it good. Not really stuck, but I can feel it and it hurts if I don't chew good. Only dry white breast.

That was one thing the nutritionist warned me about, he said if you go out to eat do not get a grilled chicken breast unless you know it will be soft, he said I would be better off eating a breaded chicken breast that is softer on the inside.

Also with steak I have learned that the more rare it is the easier it is to chew, Filet mignon for example medrare still tastes great but is not dry and card boardy. Practically melts in your mouth and much easier to chew.Of course I will have to share a meal now.LOL My hubby will be saving money..