La_madam

Yes you can but if you can do that without pain then you need more fill or to have your band checked for a leak. When I had 2cc's in my 4 cc band there was NO way I could drink with my meals and push my food through without having the most horrible horrible pain and feeling like I was backing up like a toilet.

Happy Birthday Captain Jack I hope you have one hell of a day! Celebrate!

Read this..I hope it helps to encourage you http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=9148&highlight=for+struggling+new+bandsters

All I can say to you is take advantage of the restriction while you can without a fill, you are one of the few. I too had restriction up until 9 weeks post op. Go with it!!!

Have them either your PCP or your Dr. in MX to check for a port infection, I do not mean to alarm you but an infection in your port can lead to the band eroding.As much as an inconvenience it may be to go to MX you need to cal lyour MX doc or go to MX and have them check it out. I know of more then one bandster who had port infections and the all have eroded. This is not something to wait until your insurance kicks in for. This is serious, I wish you the best and hope you get back to ormal soon Who was your Dr.???

If I was to tell my Dr. I wanted my band unfilled so I could eat on vacation I know for a fact he would say NO!!! I wouldnt be questioning my doctor, I would be questioning myself why I would even think of such a thing. When I was a t my tightest, I was stil lable to eat any food, just took me alot longer and I ate alot less of it. Vacationing with the band was the best for me. I could still enjoy food but not gain weight.

my fills took a week to kick in, give it time. ..if no restriction after 2 weeks give your Dr. a call. Many doctors will not give another fill until you have waited 2 weeks between fills.

Great news Babs... When I had my BO surgery I had my 2.5 fill removed...when I went in to be refilled 2 months later he put in 2 and I was tioghther with that 2 then I was with the 2.5, my Dr. says it happens alot ..things shift and most who get unfilled very rarely can be filled to their last fill level, it usualy always less I am happy for you..A new fill is rejuventating, it kind of motivates you all over again..hope this works for you and you start to lose again

If it is bothering you, forward the PMs to a moderator and let them handle it, that is their job.

Bright , I had the best restriction ever when I found out my band was eroded. I was told loss of restriction with an eroded band was a myth. If it were me I would want answers, have you ever had a scope in 3 yrs?

Me too.. Iam ALWAYS freezing..thought it was just me ..this has been one downfall of all of the weight loss. MY PCP told me it is from my iron being too low and my blood pressure being too low. ..I'll take being cold anyday over being morbidly obese

Babs, that is great news...I am happy for you that you finally got some answers. Hopefully this new fill wil lrejuvenate you and start thedownward trend of losing again

This is one rule I continue to do even without my band..I never drink with my meals. I stil ltry to live like a bandster.

In my case I had my band erode. If I want another band all I pay for is the hospital stay, my doctor will not charge his fees again is what I was told, but I am doing great right now maintaining my weight loss for the last 10 months so I see NO new band in my future. I was told by my PCP that if I keep this weight off for a year my chances of keeping it off forever are great.. Every doctor is different, you may have to ask you particular doctor his policies on replacing a new band.

It seems many of you bandsters here did not get the Inamed handbook for your surgeon after the surgery. This book has many valuable info in it..for example the 10 bandster rules.. Here is a link for those interested in it to print from your computer or too book mark and read whenever needed. It is valuable for all bandsters new and old. Even me an eroded bandster..since I am stil ltrying to live the bandster life style I still do my best to follow the rules. http://www.allerganandinamed.com/pdf/health/94829F_LB_Patient_Book.pdf

also some doctors will set their own rules, one of my doctors rules was NO carbonation ever....

The 10 rules are here in the link below in the Inamed handbook you should of gotten fro myour surgeon after your surgery. Just click below and go to page 11 they are on the right hand side of page 11 http://www.allerganandinamed.com/pdf/health/94829F_LB_Patient_Book.pdf

There are a few members here on LBT who have used Dr. Billy, Penni60 is one of them and she loves the man to death, maybe you can send her a PM, she is very kind and will offfer you any help, support and info she can about Dr. Billy

Your choice for the band I think was a very wise one. You are lsoing weight at a much slower pace, but yet much healthier with none of your insides rerouted or cut, you have none of the malabsoprtion issues a GB patient does, none of the dumping issues a GB patient does, none of the worries of your pouch stretching like a GB patient does. All of these things are far more important to me then rapid weight loss. Losing weight slower, you will have less issues with flabby skin like a GB patient does due to their rapid weight loss. Do not get discouraged, it seems like you are back on track and know what needs to be done. For me and many others here the band is the safer way to lose weight. We can not comapre our weight loss to toher regardless if they are a GB patient or another band patient. Be thankful you have your band after 3 years and it still works for you when you work with it. I lost my band after 18 months due to erosion , I was fortunate however to lose over 100 lbs in that 18 months but now I struggle everyday. I have been bandless for 10 months and I am very lucky to have not gained any of my weight back but Iwork at it, I am in Weight Watchers, it is a constand battle..but a battle I will win! Best of luck to you..stay focused and the rest will come Get back to those bandster basics. You can do this!

Glad to hear all went well...hope you are back to normal soon

you are too tgiht when you can not eat healthy solids without pbing everytime, you are too tight when you cant even get water down, you are too tight if you are pbing more then once a week. you are too tight if you have constant reflux, these are all the things I was told by my Dr.

Exactly! If you are not able to eat healthy solid foods without PBing then you are too tight a small slight unfill as little as .1 or .2 ccs removed will make a huge difference.

I am an Ortiz patient also and I did not get a fill at 6-8 weeks either..if you are still losing every week there is no need to get a fill an Ortiz & Martinez will agree.

It has been my experience with birth control pills to gain anywhere from 5-10 lbs ...however everyone is different.

Yoda, this is your stop signal, since we bandsters do not feel that full feeling anymore our bodies give us a signal, yours is the headache..I too had the headache but mine was more like an ice cream headache when I was full..some get a runny nose, others get a slight hiccup and others get a pain in the shoulder...my headache only happened at dinner also, mainly because my meals during the day were much smaller since I could not each much in the a.m and early afternoon, once I opened up a bit my appetite increased which is why I ate more in the evenings which is why I got the stop signal..make sense to you? you might be eating more also in the evening as well..many bandsters are tighter in the mornings then in the evenings and can eat more. I hope this helps, you will here this from other bandsters..some just may not realize what they are feeling is the stop signal...I have spoken to many bandsters who get the stop signal in some way shape or form..