This is a new one to me!

I was banded on Sept. 21st and after a problem with a referral three weeks ago, was finally set to have my first fill today. I was so excited since I haven't had ANY restriction at all.

When I got there, the NUT came in to talk to me and was so happy that I lost 4 lbs in three weeks that she said I didn't need to be filled because I was doing so well on my own.

She also said that as long as I'm doing so well, I should save my fills because there's going to come a time down the line where it's going to get harder and I'm going to need the help of a fill and I'll be happy I have room left because you can only have so many until you're "full".

I guess I see her point and Yay me! for losing the lousy 4 lbs that I wasn't even happy with, but MY GOD! I GOT THE BAND FOR HELP! I'm hungry all the time and can eat so much.

Any one else have this happen to them?! Just wondering. Haven't read it before.

Tracy :smile:

I know I'm going to risk backlash with this answer but here goes.

I am 7 mos out and have only rec'd 3 fills so far. At one fill appt, I was vomiting once a day and DR said no fill because of that. My tummy needed time to settle down. I was okay with that.

Last time I went, I declined with the DR agreeing of course, that I was tight enough and losing okay and didn't want a fill.

Fills don't always kick in immediately. First fill nothing at all(very common), another fill took 2 weeks to kick in and the last was 11 days.

I am not in any rush to lose a certain amount. My body was telling me I had enough fill to be successful.

There are reasons people don't get fills sometimes. Some Dr's put in small amounts, so you may need to go more frequently. Some put in larger amounts so you can go longer between fills. Everyone is an individual and their bodies react differently. I like having a DR that doesn't treat me like a assembly line and takes a more individualized approach.

I prefer going slower than having to be unfilled if too tight. (My preference..but it's okay, cause it's my journey)

* I would agree with the previous posters that the NUT is not the one to dictate when and if you should get fills.

Don't send a lynch mob to my house......please! lol

Good luck!

I am not in any rush to lose a certain amount. My body was telling me I had enough fill to be successful.

Everyone is an individual and their bodies react differently. I like having a DR that doesn't treat me like a assembly line and takes a more individualized approach.

Sounds like common sense to me...on both your part and the doctor's.

The choice to get a fill is totally in my hands .....When I go to an appointment we sit and talk about how I am going and what has been going on in the previous two weeks and then I decide if I need a fill ), Doc always says that I am doing great but has not ever suggested that I not get a fill (see amounts and weightloss below) We had an interesting discussion about band sizes at my last appointment as I wanted to know all about what type I have how much it holds as I had been reading so much information on here and wanted to get the right information on my band (AP Small) from my doctor and to my surprise she told me about a patient that had the same band and had an amount of 25cc in the band but as it happened the band had not been placed correctly at the time of surgery (by a different surgeon).... anyway she said this surprised everyone so she could not give a real answer as to how much a band will fill to ....... but her answer about fill amounts for my size band is most people hit there SWEET SPOT between 5.5 to 6.8cc.....

Anyway I think the best thing to do is make an appointment to see you doctor and ask all the questions you want answers to and if your not getting what you want from your Doctor you might need to consider changeing doctors like the person with the 25cc..... ( in no way am I suggesting your band is placed incorrectly just a story I thought I would share) :w00t:

Good Luck

I'm with ya Tracy. I was banded 9/3/09 and have lost so much weight on my own (62 lbs) without restriction that my doc didn't want to fill me at all. I went for my first fill on 10/26 and was told I didn't need a fill since I was doing so well on my own. After lots of discussion I was given 2cc's. No help at all since I still didn't have restriction. Went two weeks later and was told I didn't need a fill. Like you, I feel I have done this surgery for assistance and to use the band as a tool. As of now, that's not the case. It's all about discipline (not restriction) I was told to come back after the Holidays so I'll see if I can beg for a fill and get restriction in the new year.

Hang tough! It really feels like our doctors "penalize" us for losing weight without having restriction...so the message is "don't lose weight until you have a fill...."

WOW -this is a mirror of my experience, I have lost 60lb since 9/15 and my doctor will not fill me despite it all being lost through shear will power without any restriction.

He told me he thought I was developing a form of anorexia and had transfered all my pre-op obssesion with overeating onto a post op version of anorexia :wink2::eek::biggrin:

I'm am eating big portions of fresh healthy food, I am still hungry and misarable because I have no restriction.

I feel the whole thing has been a complete waste of time and I am stuck on *another* yo-you diet that I have tried and failed with so many times in the past.:wink2:

Edited December 4, 200916 yr by john47

I have to agree with what someone else said. Find another doctor. I lost 29lbs since my surgery on Oct. 23, 2009. I got my first fill yesterday (12/3). The doctor didn't ask me if I was hungry between meals and didn't care if I was losing weight either. I just got the fill. Honestly I started getting hungry the day before I got the fill. Up until then it was strictly will power and keeping to the portions that I was told to keep to, and eating higher protein foods.

If we could do this on our own we would have never spent the $15000 to get the surgery in the first place. The band is a tool. A tool is supposed to be used. I could possibly understand them saying for your 3-4 fill that you don't need a fill right now because you are loosing weight on your own. But NOT your first fill. That's insane.

Some doctors are just in this for the money. Others (like mine and I'm very thankful) are in it to help you reach your goal.