Cocoabean

Hi everyone! It seems this "new" restriction level is staying with me. I am listening to satisfied signals better and stopping eating. Even though it is about half what I was eating before. I have room to lose a few more pounds. I am not getting stuck now, and that was my biggest concern. Solids Proteins are going down, and staying down. It is just so strange that it would happen 6 months after my last fill. I've heard of fills kicking in a few weeks later, but months? Strange! Anyway, just wanted to pop in and say hi! I owe, I owe, so off to work I go!!

It is a rapid emptying of the stomach, for whatever reason. Here's a link with further info: http://www.aboutgimotility.org/site/about-gi-motility/disorders-of-the-stomach/dumping-syndrome

"Regular" people can experience dumping-like symptoms. My surgeon says band patients who've experienced it before may experience it after. But not because of the band. I've gotten dumping symptoms all my life.

Hi everyone, I am doing better. Got slightly stuck today (made a bad choice at lunch). But I stopped eating and it went down. We went to a Mediterranean restaurant and there were no explanations of the dishes on the menu..so I had to guess. Not feeling as tight as I have been. Maybe it is just this crazy changing weather!

I am 4 years post-op and haven't kept track, I think I had 3 fills, 1 slight unfill, then 1 refill the first year. 3-4 sounds average, but it will depend on your surgeon (how much you get per fill), what band you have (how much it will hold), and how you react to fills (some people are very sensitive and need to go more slowly than others). It is a lot to consider as self-pay. But just consider, if you are not willing to maintain your band, it is not worth considering at all. It's like having a fancy sports car with an empty gas tank or a blown engine. It won't get you anywhere. One won't cost you much to get you on the road, but the other will cost you quite a bit. Either way, you have to pay if you want to get moving.

I am not the only one with pickle problems!! So nice to know!

Wow, my surgeon never had a problem finding my port. But I don't have a lot of belly fat. My first couple of fills the amount was up to my surgeon. After that, we discussed amount. By that point, he figured I knew what a tiny fill would do to me. Even at that, he'd let me know if he thought I was asking for too much. So basically what I am saying is, you can ask for more, but ultimately, the decision is with the provider. My surgeon was conservative (but not that conservative!) He said he'd rather I creep up on the green zone than blast through it.

Best wishes for a quick surgery and speedy recover! Keep us posted.

Ditto what the others have said. Plus, how many CCs you have doesn't matter. It is how you FEEL that matters. If you are eating solid Proteins, able to eat large portions and big bites without issue, and getting hungry every couple of hours, then you probably need a fill. Definitely see if you can find a doctor closer to you for a fill. There is no point in having a band if it is not fine tuned.

Desk job here. I was off one week, half-time the second. I caught a cold about the time I was in the hospital. I had surgery on Friday, by Sunday I was starting to feel a scratchy throat. That did not aid my recovery. I was planning to return full-time the second week, but I was so drained, it could not happen. If not for the cold, I'd probably have been fine the second week.

I was in for about 11 hours.

The biggest question that comes to my mind is with a BMI of 38, do you have any co-morbidities, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or sleep apnea? If not, you might not qualify. Most insurances require at least one with a BMI less than 40.

You don't have to use protein shakes. My surgeon does not want me using liquid containing calories at all. He wants all my calories to come from food. Talk it over with your nutritionist.

Dahlia, same with me. I was not given a strict diet to follow. Basically, if it hurts, don't eat it. Don't eat junk, don't eat brainlessly. I try to stick to that plan as much as possible. I don't eat chicken breast because it almost always gets stuck. I can eat steak if I cut it up small and chew it well. I don't think I've ever gotten stuck on it.

After my last fill, I have trouble with pickles, of all things! I keep trying them, and they keep getting stuck. My dog, however, loves them. He takes what I don't eat. I do fine with cucumbers, but pickles, nope.

I don't know...let's give it a try! Yum!

Welcome to LBT, so very sorry to read of your trouble. Glad you found a new doctor, and are getting things checked. Please keep us posted as to what you find out. Mostly I hope the new doctor is able to help you feel better soon!

Love the lettuce wrap idea. I don't do low carb, never would have thought of it. DOH! But heading for summer, it sounds very refreshing. Plus my band has been tight lately, I think it will make a great option for me, too. Thanks Honk!

Ooohhhh, real food!! Sorry for the lecture then. :-) Yes, crackers are a good choice for not getting stuck. Also toasted whole grain bread goes down well. But remember, little bites, chew well, wait in between bites to be sure all is well.

As counter-intuitive as it sounds, weight loss tends to stop when we are too tight. It sounds like an unfill is in order for you. Hope you feel better soon!

Are you on mushies? If so, then crackers are not mushie food. The stages of food progression are there for a reason. Although I know doctors vary on this, each doctor puts us on what he or she has found in their individual practice to be best. During the healing phase they want our stomachs to grind as little as possible and they phase solids in slowly to keep the grinding to a minimum. Adding in cruchy/more solid foods means that your pouch has to grind more to make it go down. This puts more pressure on the stitches put in place to anchor your band down. I remember that hunger, but I also knew I'd be horrified to get something stuck, and have to go to my surgeon to have it removed or my band loosened because I could not follow his instructions.

Yes, all my expectations were met. I lost all my excess weight in two years and have maintained it for two more. I am very happy with my decision. One big thing to consider as a self-payer for lap band is the aftercare. Fills cost money. Many surgeons cover fills for a year if you are self pay, but I am 4 years out and had 3 fills after the 1 year mark. Right now I am considering a slight unfill. Those can cost up to $200.00 per visit. Plus my surgeon will not do a fill without an Upper GI after the one-year mark. Will your insurance cover that if it is for a band? I think they will, but I am not sure. If there are any complications and re-operations required, you will have to pay for that as well. Which is true of any of the weight loss surgeries if you are self pay. The band is not a set-it and forget-it procedure. Gastric Bypass and Vertical Sleeve are once you are over the initial surgery. They have a higher early complication rate, and other factors to consider, such as malabsorption with bypass. I don't mean to be a negative nelly, but there are losts of costs associated with lap band than just the initial surgery.

Dahlia, sounds like your restriction is PERFECTION and you are working your band well! Keep up the good work!

Lellow, glad your surgery went well, I am sure you can't wait to get refilled. Ok my fellow veterans...I need some advice. I am so good at dishing it out...but here I am asking I had my last fill in September. It has been a good level for me, a bit on the tight side. I have looser days and tighter days, as we all do. The last couple of weeks I have been getting stuck more often. My habits haven't changed. The only thing I can identify is perhaps drinking less Water, so a bit of dehydration, I am pushing water now. I just took my morning meds, they are sitting like a rock..you know the stuck burn? My plan is liquids today, let things calm down, maybe again tomorrow. Can dehydration tighten up a band like this? I am tossing around a slight unfill, which I don't want to do, since this just started...but dang, I don't want to cause a slip with all this stuckage, you know? Thoughts?

If you cannot tolerate solids, I doubt that is what your surgeon wanted. Solids are what keep us satisfied. If you are too tight, you resort to sliders which will have you taking in more calories because you don't stay satisfied for long. You should be able to eat 2-3 oz of solid Protein at a sitting. If eating solids is painful, you are definitely too tight. If you can eat 2-3 oz of solids and a small side, then you're doing ok. If you find yourself resorting to soft foods like yogurt or Soups because solids hurt, then consider and unfill. I was overfilled for a week at one point. When I got stuck on mashed potatoes, I knew it was too much. Sure I lost 7 lbs in a week, but I was in so much pain, it wasn't worth it.