fabfatgrl

Good luck Just wanted to offer you some hope for maintaining your weight loss... I was unfilled completely three years ago for my first pregnancy. I maintained 65 lbs of my 95 lb weight loss up until my 2nd pregnancy... and now I'm maintaining a 55 lb weight loss. With little or no effort. Before being banded, I had never maintained *any* weight loss for more than a few days. Seriously. But post-banding, I'm doing better then I'd ever done with any diet...even with no fill. That's going through two pregnancies which is known for people gaining weight. Once again, speedy recovery.

Hi: I was banded in June 2001 and have gone through two pregnancies with the band. (I also started Pregnant Bandsters on Yahoo Groups.) I was unfilled for both pregnancies for a variety of reasons. 1) I wasn't eating enough with a fill to support a healthy pregnancy. The minimum calories recommended for a pregnant woman are in the 1800-2000 kcal range. 2) My surgeon, Dr. Rumbaut, who has banded well over 3000 patients (last time I checked, probably a much bigger number these days) recommended it. 3) It was the reason I chose the band. So I could be unfilled and then refilled after pregnancy. If you are suffering from nausea, I would definitely recommend unfilling as well as excessive vomiting can cause band slippage. Anyway, even though I was unfilled, I maintained a good % of my original weight loss through two pregnancies. I don't regret being unfilled at all and am thrilled that now that both of my boys have been born, and breastfed extensively (each exclusively for 6 months, and then breastfed with additional food for 1 year after that (2nd guy is still nursing), I'm ready to be refilled.

OK... a few questions.... (note it's been years since I've been a new pre-op, so things may have changed)... Did your doctor do the fill under fluoroscopy or just in his office??? If he did it under fluoroscopy, with a barium swallow, then my guess is that the fill amount is O.K. If not, he may just proceed very slowly because he doesn't use fluoroscopy and doesn't want you to be too restricted. Personally, 0.5 as a first fill seems extremely small to me. In my day, the typical first fill was 1.5-2.0 ccs... and even with that, most people would find that they'd be back at the doctors in a month or two for their next fill. You're right... this is a tool. It will work.... but you need to be patient. It can take two-four fills before you find your sweet spot. How's your exercise going?? Do you wear a pedometer, do walk away the pounds, anything?? For me, even when I needed a fill, I found that upping (or restarting) my exercise program often had great results... both in how I felt emotionally/physically and in weight loss.

Thanks Barb. Laura, would you also post your surgeon's info? Is he at Staten Island University Hospital?? Oh...for both of you... do your docs do fills with fluoroscopy, without, or both? I think I need a fluoro and barium swallow, as it's been 1.5 years since I was filled at all. Need to check on the band.