Jim1967

You're probably experiencing 'bandster hell'. It's that time between surgery and the fills where your band is most likely empty or close to it which means all the Portion Control is on you. Band is there but probably not doing much. I went through it. It got better after the 2nd fill but I hear some people take 3 to 5 fills before they hit the green zone. In the beginning I felt I had restriction as well but it was really just my body healing and getting used to the band. Over time I was able to go back and eat the same way I was before surgery and it was a mental challenge to push through 'bandster hell' Hang in there it will get better when the fills start coming but just know it might take 2, 3 or 5. Everyone is different. Good Luck!!

I had to leave in the middle of the show. That was the 28 year old guy who started at 493 right? Do you know how much he ended up losing? You got it. This place is a life saver. I found the key to the liquid diet was finding a Protein shake that I could really enjoy. Good luck!!

I got my 3rd fill today and she gave me my choice of .5 cc or 1cc. I already had 6cc so she didn't want to go anymore then 1 full cc. Slow is good. Like Jean said on #1 every doctor has their own way of doing things. With the 3 fills I have had so far I had no issues, no sickness or nausea. It was easier then giving blood in my opinion. Today she basically asked me how I have been feeling and how long it takes me to get hungry between meals and whether or not I have been snacking. I told her I found myself getting hungry about every 3.5 hours without snacking. In regards to the previous fill it seemed really good the first week but the next it seemed like it loosened up a bit. So with that she said good our goal is to get that first week feeling to last at least 4 weeks. So she offered me a choice of .5 cc or 1cc. I chose 1cc.

Sounds like you're doing great!! Day 3 and 4 were the bad days for me. Terrible gas cramps and left shoulder aching. It's all worth it though!!

Honestly, what you need to understand is satiety because if you over eat to the point of what you perceive as full it could leave you feeling very uncomfortable. With the band you really have to listen to your body because the full feeling you had before the band is not necessarily the same with the band. Almost like a delayed sign to stop eating. I don't know. I am having a hard time articulating what I am trying to say.

Sounds like you are on your way to being among the banded. Good Luck!!

Thanks Jen!! It does feel great but I must admit I still get impatient sometimes. I have to stop and really think about how far I've come in such a short time. I guess when you have 180 pounds to lose after already dropping 83 it tends to weigh on your mind a bit...no pun intended.

yea stuck episodes is not fun indeed. First it just sits there stuck then the uncomfortable pain in the chest and then the sliming. It usually happens if I eat too quickly. Once in a while I will get the hiccups and that is a sign for me.

I took just a basic multivitamin that you buy over the counter. I would ask them to clarify for sure what they want you to take. Post-op I took chewables for a couple of weeks until I was back on solids.

My Doc has me do 24 hours of liquid after a fill then go back to solids slowly experiencing how my band behaves.

This is what my Doc and the folks at the center say as well. I switch to decaf back in April a few weeks before surgery. Figured I had to give it up I might as well get used to it.

I am wondering if there is some type of research data out there that has the successes vs. the failures and what the ratio is between going to a Center of Excellence vs. going to an independent surgeon.

Typically, we are our own worst critics....

So I was one of the lucky ones who was able to get their insurance company to cover the banding procedure. In fact I paid nothing at all out of pocket because I had already reached my max year out of pocket of $1500 due to an earlier surgery I had in March. Yesterday, I got home and in the mail I found a lovely letter from my primary care doctor who informed me as of August 1st I need to either find a new PCP or get a different insurance carrier. Cigna has decided to drop its affiliation with Lowell General Hospital. Cigna requires that PCP be on staff at a hospital they are affiliated with which was that hospital. So I said, great now I need to find a new primary care doctor after 10 years of being with the same one. Now it gets even better as reality sets in and I realize duh, I was banded a Lowell General and my Surgeon is on Staff there. His entire practice is tied to that hospital. So now adjustments, routine visits and god forbid I need surgery again it is all going to be out of network!! As a lot of us know switching Surgeons when it comes to the band is not always an easy task. I am just over 2 months of being in the banded ranks and have only had two fills and I know I need more. I cannot help but be discouraged here but the only bright side I can see is at least I am banded and this didn't happen a week before surgery...... I have contacted my HR dept this morning at work to see if they can look into this a little further..

Sorry, I didn't mean to come across so brash. So much of learning to live with a band is mental. Change usually isn't easy especially if you've been doing it differently for so long. Hang in there hopefully it will get better.

Hi There,, I understand where you are coming from about the intervention. My Mom used to make comments to me about the weight gain but they were more in a chastised (or maybe nagging is a better word) manner rather then sitting me down to have an adult conversation. I love my Mom but she treated me like I was still 13 and refusing to do my chores as opposed to the 37 year old man that I was. I didn't need to hear "oh your getting fat again". I have no children of my own and have no place offering advice but I think the approach to the conversation is huge. Hearing it from someone else besides from a parent would be huge as well. Again, this is nothing but the opinion of a childless 44 year old. You're right though...he has to want to help himself and hopefully that realization will happen sooner then later while there is still time. Thank you for the well wishes and I hope you're son finds his way. **Before anyone judges me I am in no way blaming anyone at all for my weight or weight gain especially my Mother. I just wish I had gotten a real reality check before I got so out of control**

Most of us who got banded it was because we have poor eating habits. If you expected to get banded and keep the poor eating habits then you are in for a surprise and possibly a painful one if you try to eat around your band. Being banded requires a lot of learning and self assessment and forming new, better eating habits. It's not to say you cannot ever indulge from time to time but a change is necessary for success.

Hi There and sorry to hear you're having a rough time. Food you do want is it just bad food or are you having a hard time taking in food because of the band? Only reason I ask is because if the band is not letting foods go down that is no way to live. I guess what I am asking is it a physical issue or is mental?

Welcome!! You're not alone in this by any means and a lot of us can relate to what you're going through. This forum is filled with a bunch of great people. Good luck!!

Thanks all. I am all set. My HR dept straightened out. This is what my HR Dept said: We have been notified of this issue. Fortunately, our employees are not being affected by this change. Even though we are through Cigna, we are part of the Tuft’s platform which means that coverage will remain the same and it will continue to be accepted at your primary care physician’s office and Lowell General. Only people who carry Cigna insurance on Cigna’s platform are being affected. This has been confirmed by our rep at Cigna. Hopefully this eases your mind a little bit. Please let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns. I have since called my PCP and I am all set. No issues.

Miranda and Cazzy both make very good points. One thing you will find there are some people who do great with the band and some who don't. It is a very personal decision you have to make. You can get opinions all day long but in the end that is all it is. Everyone is different. In my case I didn't want to have my plumbing rerouted and since I didn't have any other health issues I decided to go with the band. I have to be honest though and tell you I was very concerned about the band not working for me because I am so big. I was 450 when I was banded in April. So far I have lost 47 pounds since then. Now on the flip side I have had my ups and downs mentally. Because I am so big I feel as though my weight loss is slow and at times wish I did the bypass. Once I snap out of that frame of mind and I look at my numbers and the calendar and I realize well, i am doing pretty good. In short if you want to lose weight really fast the band may not be for you. Even for smaller folks it takes time. I am happy to be banded and I am giving it all I got. Whether or not I will be completely successful is yet to be determined. Read a lot, talk a lot and get all the information you can. You will hear a lot of pros and cons and you need to remember we are all different and our bodies react differently.

You're all doing awesome!! Congrats..