GC53

Hi Does anyone know of a fill doctor in the North Yorkshire area. Leeds would be good but anywhere around that area. I was banded 18 months ago in Manchester and to be honest don't feel I have ever got to my 'sweet spot'. I don't want to say too much but the surgeon did a couple of fills for me and it felt great with good restriction. Weight loss was good. Then I had a nurse do the next couple for me [think I only had 4 in total] she told me after the third that my band was full and I couldn't have another fill but I was so disappointed she did put a tiny bit more in. I don't feel like I have much restriction at all now and can practically eat anything I want as long as I take it slowly. In fact can eat a huge plate full if I wanted to [but I always stick to a side plate] I occasionally feel like something is stuck and on a recent trip to the USA found that strangely everytime I tried to eat I ended up PBing. Thinking back I guess that was a mixture of me forgetting I had the band and tasting the wonderful food there and perhaps not chewing enough. But once I had PB'd I could usually then eat whatever I wanted. I am a little disappointed - I have been stuck at the same weight for almost a year but over the last week I seem to be gaining almost a pound a day and have put 5 lbs back. I am now terrified that my weight is now going to creep back so would like to find a local doctor to discuss with. I don't really want to go back to Manchester as I wasn't all that happy with their 'aftercare' to be honest. And what with spiralling fuel costs and the horrendous traffic jams would prefer to find somewhere a bit closer. Edit - Actually just seen my signature and didn't realise that I had actually got to 150lbs. So I am now looking at a 10lb gain - worried.

I know. Only I can do it - but it has really helped coming on here and 'chatting' - makes me really want to be able to come back on and say my weight is moving.

I have been banded for 18th months and was told after my fourth fill that my band was now full and I couldn't have any further fills. So I have been 'on my own' since last July and sadly have stuck at the same weight since then. However over the past couple of weeks I seem to have gained around 9/10 lbs which is really worrying. I am going to make a real effort to 'listen' to my band and stop eating when it tells me to rather than the silly habit I have got into of stopping - waiting for that food to digest and then finishing off my meal. I am going to stop and throw away whatever is left and see what happens. If my weight doesnt start moving in the right direction I am going to find a new fill doctor and see what he says. I have lost about 30 lbs from my highest weight but still need to lose about 30 lbs. I am in the North of England

Hi I am from the UK but used to live in SWFlor. we visit twice a year and still are so in love with your beautiful area. When we win the lottery we will come back for sure. I have been banded for 18th months and was told after my fourth fill that my band was now full and I couldn't have any further fills. So I have been 'on my own' since last July and sadly have stuck at the same weight since then. However over the past couple of weeks I seem to have gained around 9/10 lbs which is really worrying. I am going to make a real effort to 'listen' to my band and stop eating when it tells me to rather than the silly habit I have got into of stopping - waiting for that food to digest and then finishing off my meal. I am going to stop and throw away whatever is left and see what happens. If my weight doesnt start moving in the right direction I am going to find a new fill doctor and see what he says. I have lost about 30 lbs from my highest weight but still need to lose about 30 lbs Anavrin - I like you am only 4ft 11ins. and am about to turn 55 next birthday.

I'm sure it won't. In a way my fault really as I just gave up when she told me I couldn't have any further fills. Manchester is a couple of hours journey [on a good day!!] for us so didn't see the point in travelling all that way if I couldn't have another fill. So really have just maintained. Lucky really as I have to admit that I do eat the wrong things because they are easier to get down. And I make wedding cakes and Belgian chocolate cakes so you can imagine!!!!!!!!!! But now that I see the scales going in the wrong direction I am a little worried. I am going to make a really big effort before I find somewhere for a fill. Again I admit that I don't really 'listen' to my band - I get that full feeling and just wait for it to pass and then start eating again - I am going to try throwing away what is left on my plate when I get that feeling and no more treats until I get my weight moving in the right direction again. Also love protein shakes so going to have lots of those. Make my own with soya milk, banana, other berries and a scoop of protein powder from Holland and Barret.

Not sure without checking - but think it is 10cc - and last time I went the nurse said it is full you can't have any further fills - that was last July so I've not even been since. Still have about 2st to lose

Thank you - yes the number would be great although I can probably find it online. I have already had four fills as you will have read and was told I couldn't have any more in it. I am wondering now if it is possible for the fill to evaporate as I don't feel like I have much restriction any more and my weight is increasing. I haven't even got to my goal!!

I was banded in Manchester and I got a card. It shows a picture of the band [not mine just an illustration] and says that I have a band fitted.

I am really confused. I went on Saturday for my fourth fill - was seen by bariatric nurse rather than doctor and she told me that I was at my maximum for my band - apparently I have a 10mil band and I have 4m in it How is this the maximum? Also I had great restriction after my third fill for a couple of weeks - not really lost any weight though as the 6lbs I lost I put back half of it. So wanted a fill so that I had restriction again. She put .02 in - I think just to let me think I had not wasted my journey but haven;t got the restriction I had after my last 'big' fill. So how the hell do I lose this last stone[14 lbs]??????????

Not sure what you mean by that - there is a UK specific group - that is where you are posting now - UK Local Lap-Band Support

I had my band fitted 20 March this year. Have had 3 fills up to now the last one being a big one on 7th July - for the first few days I could hardly swallow my own spit. I lost 5/6 more lbs after this last fill. Thought I had hit my sweet spot but now the restriction is not there and I can eat bread, pasta anything and have gained a couple of lbs back. I am going for another fill this coming weekend. Unfortunately it isn't consistant and some days I can eat anything but the next day eating the same thing I am PBing like crazy.!!!!!!!!!!! What I want to know is this. Is this what happens all the time. The band is tight for a few days after your fill and then eventually slackens [or the swelling after a fill subsides] I imagined that eventually you would have the band filled until you have perfect restriction [the sweet spot] and that it would stay like that and you would be losing around 2lbs a week. Any answers would be really appreciated

Ah that seems to be the answer. Didn't think about losing the fat around the stomach as you lose weight. Actually this week the band seems to be working for me. I have pulled back the weight I have gained over the last few weeks. I had the flu, throat and eye infections about three weeks ago and my diet really did go haywire. I have been really good eating food which I know will make my band work. I have also realised that I seem to get a sign when I should stop eating. It's not a full feeling as I don't seem to get that - I don't ever feel hungry either !!!! so I eat because it is meal time or I fancy something not through hunger. So figures I don't recognise full either. Anyway I seem to everytime I eat get the hiccups which I now am taking as my band saying 'stop eating' Have been doing this since the weekend and I have lot the 4 lbs I regained. So think I am going to cancel my appointment for a fill this weekend [i would hate to have a fill and then have to go back for a defill - I have a three hour trip to the clinic!] and will see how it goes for a couple of weeks. I really must stop with the protein shakes as they obviously slip down far too easily although I do love them.

Had op mid March and have had two fills so far with no restriction at all. Went yesterday for another fill and Dr decided to put more in as I have quite a distance to travel. He first took out all the liquid to make sure I have no leaks and then put it back plus the new fill. He then sent me to drink some Water and to eat a banana - I managed both with no problem at all - he then filled some more - again sending me to eat. I sipped some water OK - could only manage a couple of pieces of banana but decided to go with this as I hope this is the restriction I need. Today I can only just have tiny sips of fluids so not sure whether I am a little too tight. Am quite willing to stay on liquids for a while as that seems to be the only way I can lose any weight at all. Just wondered if anyone can advise. Does the band slacken slightly a while after having a fill [thinking any swelling would go down and also losing weight - would that have an effect on the tightness of the band] If it does get slacker over time I am more than happy to go with this to see - I don't actually feel as if I could eat anything at the moment but wondering if that will change after a few days on liquids /mushies. I now have 4cc in my band [think it is a 10cc band]

Started this thread when I had my third fill on 7th July and it was really tight - so now 5 weeks later and I think I am wanting a further fill - have lost a further 4/5 lbs [it fluctuates from day to day!!] but I am now starting to be able to eat anything again. Bread is no problem at all. I have just had the worst flu, throat, chest and eye infection for the past 10 days so am waiting to recover from that first - not really felt much like eating anyway so have been having soups and protein smoothies. So what I just wanting to say was - yes we feel really tight when they give us a good fill but it does wear off after a few weeks so my advice is to stick with it - stick with the smoothies, protein shakes, soups and mushies and eat very, very, very slowly. Even though I can just about eat whatever I want again I have to eat it very slowly - a big first bit and I am PBing with a vengeance

I am pretty much the same as this. Had a big fill a couple of weeks ago - lost about 5/6 lbs since - but can drink whatever I want, but trying to eat anything really is a no-no. Tried a little chicken last night and was in agony, bent over PBing and feeling really sick. So had a smoothie instead. I seem to be sticking to smoothies, soups and shakes - which I am happy to do as long as I lose the weight. Funnily I can eat bread as long as I chew and chew, vegetables or salad is fine, fruit seems to be OK but eggs forget it, rice no-way. Yoghurts are OK too.

Yes come to think of it I had read somewhere about rice but thought that maybe it wasn't that way with everyone. It is so small I thought it would be a good food to chew and swallow - but wrong. So what does everyone else eat when their bands are a little tight - I am struggling to think of foods that would be 'easy' to eat but which are good for you - I know the bad stuff would slip down easily.

It is now my 8th day since my third and quite drastic fill. Still struggling - I am mainly sticking to liquids but keep trying a little food to see how things are progressing. Yesterday was a strange day - hubby had Beans on toast for his lunch with eggs. Thought I would try a little myself. Couldn't eat the toast or eggs but had a few of the beans. Last night we were out and stopped for a coffee - had half a really small wrap with chicken, salad filling - took me about an hour to eat it but managed it. But very late last night I had the tiniest piece of rice cake with cottage cheese on it. It stuck and it took an hour or more of pain, feeling sick, sliming - it wouldn't come up and it wouldn't go down. Had the same experience again today with some cooked soft vegetables and rice. Tried again a little later and managed to eat as long as I took it so slowly that it took me an hour to eat about a cupful. Think I am going to definitely stick to shakes, soups, liquids etc. I'm afraid at the moment food is too painful. Hope it does slacken off slightly in time. But I guess it is doing its job as I am not overeating!!!

Depends on how your Dr fills. Mine started with only small fills for the first two [i think he put in 1.2 for the first and then his nurse put 0.5 for my second] and I didn't get any restriction at all. So with my third he decided to go right up to 4 and WOW do I know it. The first night and next couple of days I thought I would have to go for a defil as I could hardly swallow anything at all but took it really really careful for the first few days and only had tiny tiny sips of liquids. Today is day 7 and I can manage a couple of spoonfuls of food - can't eat eggs - they just stick no matter in what form - but had a little chicken roll last night along with a tiny piece of cheese which I nibbled like a mouse, today had a few Beans and I can manage cottage cheese. Still staying pretty much on the liquids, smoothies, Protein shakes and Soups but I'm happy to stay with this for a while. I was like you and kept thinking 'how will I know if my fill is too much or not enough' etc., etc., but you do know believe me.

Hi Thanks for the replies. Yes someone else has told me eggs are difficult although they are listed on the list of mushy foods my doctor gave me. Thought they would be easy as they are soft but obviously not. I can now eat yoghurts and last night I nibbled like a mouse on a little piece of cheese and some chicken roll. Tiny, tiny bites and chewed and chewed - anyway they went down no problem so will just have to be very careful and stay away from the eggs. I also had a few strawberries. Cottage cheese is OK too. Thanks again.

I am 5 days past my third fill and this time my doc decided to put more than usual in as I have quite a distance to travel and my weight had not moved since surgery [i did lose 10 lbs on the liquid pre-op diet] I could hardly swallow liquids over the weekend and have stayed on protein shakes, smoothies, soups, for the past 5 days. Lost 5 lbs so thrilled to bits about that but struggling to even eat mushies. Cottage cheese - OK, had a little mushed tuna OK. But tried some scrambled egg at lunch today - I thought it was going to kill me. First time I have experienced the golf ball feeling and also standing over the sink as i thought I was going to be sick. Will it slacken off a little itself or will I have to go for an unfil? Really don't want to do the latter as this is the first sign of my weight moving since the op in March. I have liquid vitamins every morning and am drinking plenty of liquids and milky coffee and shakes etc., as mentioned above - how long can you safely stay on shakes and liquids??

Would love an answer to this as I have a very sore port site at the moment. Banded March 11th - had two fills, second one over a week ago but port site really really sore especially when moving. Stretching is an absolute no-no.

I was banded March 11th in the UK with a low BMI. However I had previous to this had the gastric balloon. Yes it was great - worked and I lost weight - but unfortunately it has to come out after 6 months. I just started to regain all the weight I had lost because when it comes out you are just in the same position you were before you had it put in. You have an empty stomach.

Wondered how you were doing Babyboomer. I had my first fill too on Tuesday 8th - Dr Ashton was fantastic. I seem to have good restriction so far - back on liquids for three days, been on soft foods yesterday and today. Last night after only a very small plate of food I was very uncomfortable. Not really counting calories or anything at this stage. Just eating sensibly and healthily and obviously very small amounts. So hopefully will lose after being stuck for three weeks.

Hi Got my appointment for my first fill 8th May. Don't know if I'm nervous or excited!!! I am hoping for weight loss as I have been stuck at the same weight for about 3 weeks now although have lost 16lbs since being banded so really pleased with the loss. I've not felt really hungry at all - just the odd pang now and again and stuck to the shakes and smoothies and the mushies exactly as told. Just started to eat 'normal' foods this week - had a couple of bagels and also a small bread bun yesterday - bagesl seem to be OK but really struggled with the bread - had that stuck feeling in my chest. Eventually it did pass but it really slowed me down which I guess is good and that is what it is supposed to do. As I am really sticking to this and not eating anything more than a small side plate [sometimes can't even finish that] - so now I can't help wondering how I am going to have any further weight loss.

Hi Home and 'filled' - not as bad as I was expecting it to be. Dr Ashton is a star. Not painful at all and I watched everything on the xray screen. He explained everything step by step. On liquids now for 3 days, then 3 days mushies and then back to normal foods. Hope to see some weightloss now.