BonnieFM

Hi! Yes I think we all have had the same issue, we want it faster than they can give it to us..... SOOOO Relax it might be the next fill, or the next, but it will happen, & the slower the better to teach us paitence & control over what we put in our mouths. You are doing super!! Down over 60lbs so far!!! Keep up the good work, & get a couple more fills.... you are fine!!

Hey take it easy...did they not tell you it was a slow process?/? Really you need to really learn to eat slow, small bites, & take some control of your bad habits, before the band starts working. IT will, but it takes time, I had a lot of fills I was up to 9cc before I even started feeling any restriction & over 1 year of fills.... this is something they don't point out enough to us newbies...but it can happen this way & I am here to tell you it did for me. You are still just starting on this journey. BREATH, relax....control what you can, & keep putting one foot in front of the other. It will happen & you will be ready for it when it does. Try to eat less of the stuff you know you shouldn't. & eat more of the good stuff, then you can't beat yourself up so bad. I had the surgery twice, over 30 fills & unfills before I got to the good zone. & I have lost over 100lbs now, but it was a really long journey for me, I know how much you want to scream at the next person who tells you that you need to have patience.....but that is the best advise for right now. But that being said when you have over 8cc's & still feel no restriction then you will need to be more worried....but not yet at only 2 fills. & even before I felt restriction I had other signs that it was starting to work...burping....not starving all the time...not loosing a lot of weight but not gaining any more either. SO KEEP YOUR HEAD UP! Trust the jorney....take it easy on you!!! & just do the best you can each day, & know that it will get better & easier w/each fill.... GOOD LUCK< & may your Journey be shorter than mine!!

Wow, I can't believe you have 9cc's already. It took my dr.'s over a year to fill me up that much...but I too was over 10cc's before I felt any restriction. Do you have any signs the band is working? does it take longer to be hungry? Do you have to drink slower?? Burping alot when you do eat?? Cause if you have any of these, I would just say hang in there.... it will come. Unfortunatly they don't tell us before hand but some of us need to be almost over filled to feel the restriction. However if you don't have any signs the band is ok, then you should start talking to your dr. about doing some tests to see, 1 if it is in the right place...2 was filled properly or missed a fill.....3.I don't even know, but this is what they finally did for me after a year of me crying.... I know how bad you feel...really. but after my second surgery they got the dang band in properly & it still took over a year & I am not sure how full my band is now....I had to stop keeping track of the cc's cause that was making me nuts!! Mine is working now...2 & 1/2 years later... I hope yours don;t take as long...but try not to beat yourself up so much now....just do what you can be pro-active & assertive w/your doc. Watch what you eat. & give it some time....15 weeks is not very long, I am sure it took longer than that to put it on. I know you are dying to get started, but from what I have read on here, it is better to do a slow fill, not just jump up to restriction. Some are lucky & it seems to go smoother & quicker for them. But just count your self in the "special" group, cause you are & however long it takes, it will happen for you too!! i

HI I was 47.5 bmi & I have finally lost over 100 lbs....it has been slow....frustrating....time consuming...sometimes painful...but still some how worth it. We are all different...maybe yours will go smoother....but it is a choice you have to make, no one else. I wish someone would have told me more of the bad things that may happen, before surgery, but if I would have known what I know now, I would go thru it all again to get here. Also I have been hearing about a 3rd choice where they just make your stomach smaller & don't remove any intestines, so not quite as radical as bypass surgery. This way is also faster than the band. But it seems to me that myself & all the friends & family that I have that have had either surgery, all end up in the same place eventually....(the band is much slower, which is helpful to people like me who really need to learn how to behave, & are slow to learn but good luck w/ what ever you do!

Well I was at over 10 cc's before I even felt any restriction & this took about 1 & 1/2 years.... try real hard not to worry about the "number" it will just make you nuts. Everyone is different, have you noticed that you are starting to go longer w/out feeling hungry? I felt that before the restriction/green spot! You have to work at it too, it is still just a tool....I know I hate that line too! & really LOOK at your numbers! Pat yourself on the back. YOU have lost almost 60 lbs since May & that is crazy fast...I know it is hard, but your band is working & you are obviously working hard too! r

Hey, I was exactly where you are now....& I can tell you my doc's kept filling me, saying he thought it is ok to overfill the band, that some people need it. I am now over 11.5 (?) & it took me till over 11cc to even notice any restriction but the last few months have been finally what I have been working for!!! I am now down about 95 pounds total. I think it still takes more will power than they let you know it will....but when you get real restriction, it is much better!! I am what I call normal person hungry, now not starving. I think a lot more about what I am eating, & how much...I don't know if we should ever stop thinking about that... I can only eat about 1/2 cup of food at a time, but I also have to be mindful to not graze & eat all day. I know when I first start getting hungry I drink a large glass of water, little sips at a time. This helps make it to the next meal. Get your doctors to keep filling till you get restriction.... also be aware that they can & do miss the port sometimes, it could have a small leak, ect...so before you get too low, & blame your self more than you should, & get a pile of un-needed tests, try to have them remove the fluid & measure how much they get out & then add it back, my doc's did this in one visit, & found it did have the number we thought was in it .....it was almost a year after my 2nd surgery till I even began to feel restriction...& I loved it & kept pushing my doc's to fill it more, till I was overfilled...then I could not even keep down water, had 2 more unfills & have been at the same fill now for 3 months & still loosing!! up till now I was having a fill every 4-6 weeks for the last 2 years....I wish I could tell you exactly how much I have in now, but "the number" was making me nuts!! So I had to let it go, for my sanity... And so what... others are feeling restriction at 4cc's....Maybe we are just special, try to not beat your self up too bad! I know I was thinking...dang" I can't diet, & keep it off...hell I can't even make this surgery work," talk about feeling like a looser (and not the good kind). But really, hang in there, you might just be special, like me! ; )

updated my ticker :D http://www.tickerfactory.com/weight-loss/wmNiLBR/

Yes! Leslie above says it well! I wish I would have had more of an Idea how this worked & how I can help it & hinder it....it has been a rough ride...but finally working for me, or should I say I am finally working it!! A little tighter is good, just don't let that get out of hand either I know, it was hard for me cause I got too tight, but the weight finally started dropping & I so did not want to stop it. My band was too tight & just keep getting tighter...till I could not keep liquids down, & I pushed thru that for a day or so even before I called the Dr. Not smart on my part, I had 2 more unfills & now am finally doing it right. Small meals less that 1/2 cup & drink as much water ( unless I am really hungry I drink a protein shake) as I can in between, it really does help keep the hunger down. I make sure to not eat anything 3 hours, before I go to bed. That is the long & short list on how it works for me, I have only met the elephant once but that was enough!! & I too just stood up & walked around that seemed to help. Good luck... go slow, you'll figure it all out! Three years....& I have now have had 2 surgery's countless fills & currently have 11.75 in 11 cc band I have lost 85 lbs so far.....40 to go!! Finally light at the end of the fat tunnel!!!

Well I was over 10 cc's in a 10cc band before feeling restriction for the first time, so I can tell you it may take quite a bit more to notice any real difference, it could also happen w/the next 1cc, I think that is part of the problem. This is not the same for everyone. Or even the same from one fill or unfill to the next. Last month I got a fill of 1cc & felt slight restriction & then 3 weeks later I could not swallow Water. I went in & they took out the 1cc, & 1 month later I had gained 6lbs, had no restriction....so I went back & they put the 1cc back in & now I have very slight restriction restriction again???? I am over filled, but my doc, thinks he can over fill by another 1 or 2 cc's. This just scares me. Nothing about either of my surgery's has gone well or easy. I am loosing again, down about 60 lbs since last surgery.......but more me & better choices then the band. I wish I would have been warned about more of the bad things that can happen, they said they would put the band on, I would eat less, & loose weight..... All I can say is make your doc listen, be firm till you get to the "sweet spot". It does help eventually, but be advised, it may be a while.

Yes, well I don't know about sense... but it seems 1cc can make all the difference. I am not sure exactly how much i have in my band now ( it was making me nuts cause I am now over filled by at least 1cc ) But for the first time have some restriction. The mornings are the tightest for me & I can eat alittle more by dinner, but finally able to feel full w/only 1/2 to 1 cup of food. (yippie) I also agree w/the others you do have to have the last say about what goes in your mouth...some days are better than others. I don't think you have to wait to get Fluid back in. I just got 1cc removed 2 weeks ago & got it put it back in on Thur. I had a kidney stone, & my period, & I don't know if it was the combination or what but I was having the trouble same as you, (also at about 3 weeks after my last fill) vomiting, not able to keep my pain meds down or anything for that matter. & with a kidney stone you are to drink alot, & I couldn't even keep Water down... I went in crying I really didn't want to have it taken out. I have been having a lot of trouble w/the band...( my first surgery the Dr. put the band around my fat pad & missed my stomach completely, so I went thru over a year of fills w/no change or restriction, talk about feeling like a looser! & not the good kind. The Dr went back in 13 months after my first surgery & relizied his mistake & susposedlly fixed it but now I was almost 13 months again, over filled again & was FINALLY having real restriction for the first time!! If the kidney pain wouldn't have kicked my butt, I would probablly still trying to figure out how to not get any fluid taken out..... I know nuts...but I really wanted this to work!! It has also taken a long time for me to realize how much it is all about what I do that will matter. Not just the band! It did not get me to where I was 3 years ago at 303lbs!! It did not get me to where I am now at 60lbs less...I have to believe it will help me, to make this journey a little easier.... now at looonnnnngggggg last! But GOD knows I have to keep on it....it is up to team Bonnie!! Me & my band. GO Team GO!! I got my 1cc put back & am having wonderfull restriction again... So today is good. I did like you too & put back on 6lbs after my unfill. I really beat myself up for that...finally was loosing weight, & then I can't take it & unfill, & fill my face...every meal was like my last... I say go back & have them put all most all back in, & you will probablly like the last time gradually get tighter as the 2nd week goes on & be at the BLESSED SWEET SPOT at long last! At least that is what I am hoping for me So I will hope the same for you!! Go back tomorrow...your doc should fit you in pretty quick! Don't wait!

I have 10.5 cc in an 11 cc, & am having only the slightest restriction. I think I have lost some weight since this last fill but not much... & I too am scared to death that I went thru this surgery 2 times, for little results.....When I am sleeping I sometimes wake up chocking on bile, my thoat burning. I don't know what to do, I have been so depressed I can't even weigh myself anymore. Has anyone ever been un=filled & then refilled ??? Any chance for better results w/the 2nd re-fill?? HELP!

Right now I feel some restriction but I can still eat more than I should. Bread, Pasta etc no problem. If I eat properly (i.e. follow the rules) then I'm satisfied for 3 or 4 hours. I guess from that I should be happy, but I want to not be able to eat bread or pasta! Feel like I'm dieting!! I know, I guess we should be happy nothing gets stuck....but after all the trouble, money, & time I was wanting more from the band. I choose the band because it could be adjusted over time, but no where in the journey did anyone say my adjustments might be all used up before I ever even felt any restriction!!!! I am glad for some restriction, cause finally loosing some weight....just expected there to be more & how will this work over time???? If my stomach continues to strech & I have no more fills???? This is the very frustrating part for me..... I too can eat anything, just not lots of it now.

Thanks for the bit of hope! I do have the realize band...I really wish they would have warned me this could happen.... thanks!!

I have already had over 9 fills on my last surgery, I currently have 11 1/2 cc's in a 12 cc band, & for the first time have restriction. My dr. has been telling me to not worry that some people need to be this filled for it to work.....I am looking for anyone else in the same boat....or better yet hit their goal weight w/no restriction till filled this full too. I have been holding on by the tips of my fingers for 2 years now & have lost weight, but mostly because of moving & restricting myself.....but am really disapointed in the band so far....just looking for hope. THERE WILL NOT BE A 3RD SURGERY!!! My dr. says he is not afraid to overfill the band, but both his partner & nurse practictioner say only 1/2 cc left.

I have had at least 15 fills split between 2 surgery's & have now for the first time restriction, the bad news is I have 11 1/2 cc's in a 12 cc band so I am about out of fills....has anyone else had this much touble??

"> I burp all the time now too, I never used to at all. I have began to take it as a sign I am done eating, but I continue to burp sometimes for hours after I have stopped eating... I really don't know why!!