MMDLynn

:frown:Okay Guys - this is the perfect thread for me. I'm need some help please!!!!! I was banded in Sept 08, I had a fill in Oct and was not restricted and only lost a few pounds so my next fill was in Dec. This time the fill was very tight - and I had problems eating and drinking. I would throw up or pb after almost every meal so I waited 30 days thinking that I needed to concentrate on eating more slowly, chewing slowly. By Feb I was still having a problem so I didn't go back to the Dr - I changed the foods I was eating and began to eat more soft foods like, Soup, chili, Beans - less meat. I cannot eat chicken prepared in any form, baked, broiled, nuggets -etc not able to keep it down at all. I finally called my dr and he suggested that I come in to see him. He didn't want to take any Fluid out but he can't seem to figure out why I'm not losing any weight. It has been 3 months since my 2nd/last fill and I only lost 3 lbs. What the heck is that about -something is really wrong here - why did I get the band?! I have PCOS so my hormones are out of balance and I know I have metabolic syndrome - I'm not getting enough Protein or keeping it down, so my hair is falling out by the hand full and my nails are brittle and breaking - plus my skin is like sandpaper. I'm constipated and miserable, afraid to eat for fear of PB'ing - won't go out to eat at all for fear of spontaneous pb. At home only eating 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup once daily of soup or yogurt, chili, beans. I cannot eat eggs or chicken, meat other than ground turkey in chili. I also pb when trying to eat 1 or 2 spoon fulls of egg salad, chicken salad or tuna salad. Mr Dr. reluctantly did a slight unfill today - very tiny amount removed. I'm still afraid to eat, but I can drink fluids without any pbing, so hopefully I can start eating without an issue. Now I don't know what to do -eat - I need to lose weight and It's not coming off! I thought at 6 months I would have at least 60lbs gone..... Should I only consume liquids for a few days and wait to move back up to solid foods? I just don't know what to do. 6moths post surgery and I've only lost 26lbs.....that's 1 pound per week overall -but 23 of those pounds were lost during pre-surgery liquid diet and the first month post surgery. The last 3 months I only lost 3 lbs - something is wrong here. Can anyone here help me??????:tongue_smilie:

I have PCOS and had lap band surgery 6 months ago- however, my weight loss has been extremely slow on 27lbs total (this is including the 2 week pre-surgery diet & weight loss). I'm fully restricted, even went back in today to have some saline removed as I have been having trouble with all foods & beverages for the past 3 months. I immediately throw up after eating only 1/4 cup of food or liquid. I don't know what to eat or how to eat and my hair is coming out by the hand full, I'm assuming to a lack of Protein intake. Women with PCOS also suffer from metabolic syndrome due to the imbalance of hormones. I'm not on b/c pills but I'm still taking Metformin for the insulin resistence. Yes everyones hormonal make up is different so the severity of the symptoms of PCOS vary. My endocronologist supported me having the lapband surgery - but I was not prepared for the extremely slow weight loss -only 1/2 per week.

Hi Twiley, Yes I had a really bad sinus infection that caused major problems with eating both day and night. I was banded in Sept 08 and I caught a cold the a few days after my second fill first week of Dec 08 that turned into a really severe sinus infection. I would take a bite of any food item and immediately throw up. I had a lot of post nasal drip whenever I would lay down and would wake up nauseated - as my pouch was filled with mucus. My surgeon suggested that I come in for an complete unfill if my symptoms didn't improve. He also suggested that I drink a citrus fruit juice-grapefruit or orange in the morning to help clear out my pouch -then I could drink tea or coffee. It was also better when I could eat and keep it down if I ate hot mushies like chilli or Soup or mashed potatoes. However any pork, chicken or veggies would immediately come back up after 2 bites. I've only started to feel better/clear sinuses a few days ago so I'm still strugglig with when & what to eat. I've had no problem with liquids just food items. I havent' had the unfill yet as I'm hoping things will improve moving forward. However if I continue on this path for another 10 days I will have to go back to have a partial unfill.

:thumbup:Okay I got my first fill this morning and I'm down 20lbs officially (that includes 1 wk pre-op diet). I was expecting alot of pain from the injection since I am not needle friendly but it wasn't bad at all! I received 2cc's and I am stuffed! I could barely drink the cup of water my doctor gave me. He says he fills the band as tight as possible first then he had me sit up with the needle still sticking out of my stomach. He then gave me water to drink and he removed salin until I could comfortably swallow the water. That left 2 cc's in my band. My initial reaction was immediate burping but not like I had to throw up, it was like I had a huge air bubble in my esophagus. I couldn't drink another teaspoon until 3pm when he told me to try some soup and if it went down without any problems I could resume my regular diet. However, if there any PBing or regergitation, I needed to come back immediatly to have some more saline removed. I think I'm okay though. I hope the weight starts to drop now, I'm so ready to be out of the 3's and into the 2's on my way to 1-derland!:smile:

Thinks are not moving for me I've only lost 8lbs. and I've been at a stand still the last 2 1/2 weeks. Whats your diet & exercise like? I'm really stressed out because i thought I should be losiong more than this and I don't know what I'm doing wrong....can anyone help?

I'm not sure if this is the right answer of not, but I think it's because the stomach is so small that the food that you consumed was either not chewed enough to pass through the esophagus and into the stoma to be broken down and pass into the small stomach pouch. You could also have a stomach that is full already and this last bite took you over the limit. The reaction is the same - hiccups (generally), a tight feeling in your chest/esophagus. Then you have this need to throw up, but it's something you cannot control - you don't have that mouth sweat reaction (at I don't) one normally felt -pre-band when they were nauseous. You feel this immediate mucus production in your throat/mouth and then the hiccups start followed by the up chucking of the last bit you tried to consume. It's almost like your body is making room because the pouch is too full and since the food nor the water/beverage can pass through, your body's natural "fight or flight" /self-protection reaction kicks in - if it can go down, it has to come up & out. In the beginning I think we all have a hard time realizing just how small the stomach has been reduced to and how much it can truly hold. I also think the hunger pains are part mental (old habits die hard) and part meal choices. If you are only consuming- liquids, soft mushies (pudding, Soup, oatmeal, cottage cheese), these are passing through the stomach pouch probably within 60-90 minutes tops. If you are drinking while eating mushies too, you are forcing these semi solids through the pouch even faster. This means your body is sending signals that you're not full, i.e. - feed me, so you stay hungry. Well anyway - that's my take on it based on conversations with my surgeon. I just so anxious to get my first fill on Thurs this week so I can start dropping more lbs. I've basically been at a stand still for the past 2 weeks. No gain and no loss. 7 lbs lost pre-op 2 week diet and 8 lbs post-op since 9/02/08. I'm getting really impatient though.

Hey Debbie - how much weight did you lose between your surgery date on 9/23/08 and this week?

Yes he is great - did you lose weight before your first fill or did you lose and then stop? I'm so concerned the scale is causing major drama for me. I've only lost 15lbs over the las 8 weeks - I had surgery 6 weeks ago, so this weight loss includes the pre-op lbs. lost. I thought for sure that by now 8 weeks into this project I would have lost twice this much. I'm eatin the way I was advised ...the only thing I am not doing is hard core exercise. Anyone out there able to share their weight loss results between surgery and first fill. Also weight loss after the first fill and how long between the first and second fill? I'm dying to hear. Thanks Mitri

Hi Kathy, I'm in the SW Suburbs-Brookfield, but work in the Rolling Meadows. Were you banded locally? Has your surgeon/Dr. explained why your loss is so slow? Are you working with a Bariatric Nutritionist? My weight loss is slow as well, I've been banded 5 weeks and go for my first fill next week. I lost 7lbs during the pre-op diet but I've only lost 10lbs since surgery so I'm a little disappointed. My surgeon told me that he was not concerned if I lost any weight at all prior to my first fill. He said the weight would start to drop after the fill and that I would know when it was time to get another fill if I had 2-3 consecutive weeks with no weight loss. He also warned me that the average loss with the band is only 1-2lbs per week. Are you exercising? What are you eating daily, do you keep a food journal/log? If you want to talk or need someone to walk share the journey I'm here!

Not all facilities include fill fees with the surgery costs, so don't go in expecting that. Should you change facilities your fees/costs for each fill will probably not be covered.

You're right Kiz, I meant not to drink with meals and each meal should keep me full for 4-6 hours. When I see people post weight loss of 25-30lbs. during their first month post OP - I have to wonder what am I doing wrong.

Hi Nina, you've lost a great amount of weight - how much of your 28lbs was post op? What are you eating daily? I'm so confused I'm trying to get some answers as to why my loss is so slow.