TxChelsey

I had a fill on Friday, first time in almost a year. The last time I had a fill it caused acid relux so I went back a week later and he took it out. Intstant relief. This time, I got the same .5cc fill again and I have had a sore throat ever since. I don't have the night time gurgling, it is just constant feeling in the throat. I am thinking this is also a sign of acid reflux and maybe I need an unfill again? No problems eating, but refuse to live with this annoying feeling. Advice is appreciated!!

I have had my band for almost 2.5 years now and I lost 60 lbs during the first 6 months and have now gained 50 lbs back. So, in doing the math, that's a total loss of 10 lbs and I currently have a BMI of 56!!! I am utterly defeated and my surgeon is utterly annoyed. I can eat a lot, but he swears I am "tight as a tick" and if I go any tighter I have heartburn issues. I can feel food as it passes through my band and it all seems to be passing very quickly, not slowly!! He says I am stretching my pouch and starting to stretch my esophagus and threatened to take it out if I don't start controlling my portions. Unfortunately, that has never been something I can control. I am not staisfied after 1/2 cup of food and I don't feel satisfied unless I eat a normal meal. And, I hate vegetables, love cheese and pasta and I drink a ton of calories (milk and soda). These are things that just aren't going to change so I think need some malpsorption and some better restriction. Maybe some "dumping" to help me make better choices. I am STRONGLY considering revision to the RNY or the DS. The DS has actually really peaked my interest, even though its very high risk. I am relatively healthy, on no meds, no sleep apnea, no diabetes, etc. But I will certainly not stay that way if I don't lose this weight. Thanks to whoever made it through this rant. I know this sounds like the "Diary of the Fat Lazy Chick that Doesn't Want to Participate in her Weight Loss" but I am keeping it real. I need more help than this band!! I am considering Dr. Daryl Stewart in Denton, Tx as my surgeon. Dr. Hamn is great, but I think he is more of a Lap Band specialist and DR. Stewart does the DS. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Nanook, thank you for sharing your experience in your first post, that is exactly what I was looking for. I am sorry you got sucked into to all the self righteous B.S. This post stopped being about me a long time ago and I feel sad for all the narcsissistic unhappy people. They don't know my story and the anonymity of the boards should not override their sense of politeness and decency. Good luck in your journey.

Wow!! I always find it interesting that people who CLEARLY suffer from food control issues are so quick to point the finger of judgement. I also recall one person commenting that if they were being told they were doing damage to their stomach/esophagus they would definately stop overeating. Really? You were fine with doing damage to your heart, liver, joints, etc. before WLS, but now you are the epitome of health consciousness? I have lost and gained hundreds of pounds during my 34 years on this planet, so there are times in my life when I make all the right choices and times when my will is weak. No therapist in the world is going to convince me that a piece of chocolate cake is not yummy and delicious. But, RNY will give me a pretty severe slap on the hand if I ingest too much sugar, via "dumping" syndrome. And as I mentioned, I have no significant restriction right now so reducing the size of my stomach would certainly help with portion control. I stop eating before I feel full it just takes me more than a 1/2 cup of food to get there. I cannot eat like I used to, but I can still eat enough to maintain my current weight. Lot's of people have revisions and that was my target audience for this post. I would like to hear from other people who have undergone RNY or DS after the lap band. Thanks.

I got a fill a couple of weeks ago, my second in 6 weeks because the first one was ineffective. Everything goes down fine and I haven't had any sticking issues, but I am having acid reflux for the first time since my surgery. It's at it's worse overnight when I am trying to sleep. It's like I feel a small amount of liquid gurgling around and wake up swallowing. I am wondering if I'm too tight as I have heard that reflux is a sign. I was scolded for eating too much and the doctor told me I was starting to stretch my pouch and my lower esophagus. Now I am scared it make be a bigger problem than a tight fill, but it did start happening immediately after the fill. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I think I will be visiting the surgeon next week.

I am sitting in the waiting room sipping my water after fill #6. Fill #5 revealed some fluid leakage and I am now at a total of 3.2 cc in a 4 cc band. At one point I was at 3.75!! Will I ever find a "sweet spot" and actually lose some weight?? I am just going to start going for fills more frequently and being a lot more aggressive. I am the worst Lap Band patient ever!!

I want a body bugg and I have been given the go ahead by the hubby as it will come out of his tax return. But, I am not sure if it is worth the price tag and I'll feel guilty for spending if I can't really justify it. I feel I am always looking for novelty, something to renew my committment to my weight loss. But, I always seem to abandon to whole thing after a couple of months. I have a gym membership, Weight Watchers pass, a wii FIT and a freaking lap band, but I am still engaging in the same old habits. Now, I want a new toy but do I really need it? Please tell me how much you think yours has TRULY impacted your ongoing success. Is it a motivator?? Thanks for the replies, I am sooooo on the fence.

Saturday evening, I started to feel pain deep underneath the general area of my port incision. When I bend or turn too far to that side, it is a very sharp and very intense pain that leaves me holding my side and taking some deep breaths. I have had no pain for a couple of weeks now, until this. It is not constant, and today its not as severe as Sat., but still hurts when I move wrong. I called my surgeon's partner Saturday night (my dr is on vacation) and he said it was nothing. Said I probably pulled a stitch or tore the muscle its stitched too and to relax...it happens. Well, today I called my bariatric nurse and she said I should go in and get checked out to be safe. So I called the surgeon's office and they transferred me to his MA (I don't even know what that stands for). I am waiting for a call back. I am thinking about ripped stitches, flipping ports, major things that would require revisional surgery. But the surgeon seemed unconcerned. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully the MA will call me soon. Thanks.

I am 16 months post op and have lost a whopping 21 lbs. I started with a 50 lb loss but have gained 30 back!! I don't have much room left, but I am going in for another fill Tuesday. I haven't been to the doctor in 6 months because I am embarrased that I have gained. The only thing the band seems to do is make me eat more slowly. I can still eat a lot of food!! I am starting do get that miserable feeling again...anything over 300 lbs is killer! I am so dissapointed in myself and I wonder if I am ever going to be able to lose this weight. Someone give me the kick in the ass I need!

Thanks, Everyone! I have a fill appt tomorrow and a date with the gym.

Thanks, gingerbug! I spent a good amount of time comparing and I ordered the Gowear Fit armband and display today. It was over $100 cheaper than the bodybugg v3 and the monthly subsciption to access the site is half the price as well. It is the same product from the same manufacturer!! I am sooooo excited, I can hardly wait for it to arrive!!

I went in for my fourth fill today and I recieved .75cc. I have a 4cc band and was at 3cc with pratically no restriction. So, now I am at 3.75cc total and this is the first time I "feel" tight. Water is going down fine, along with grits and a WW fudge bar. But I have this weird taste in my mouth and it feels extra "watery", if that makes sense. I can't gulp liquid either, which I have always been able to do. I have a feeling that it is going to end up being too tight when I progress to solids. The surgeon no longer does the fills, and I am having doubts about the aggressive little nurse. What is your first sign of an overfill and how long does it take you to notice? Hours? Days? I really don't want to deal with an unfill and unpleasant isssues. But, as you can see by my stats, I am not progressing well with my weight loss. Maybe this is what I need??

I just had my third fill. My surgeon is an "aggressive" filler and I am at 3ccs in my 4cc band now. I was on liquids yesterday and my first meal was a bowl of cereal, no problems. Just curious where others are at as I am hoping this will be a good spot for me.

Bumpity..Bump...Bump...:thumbup:

I really think I would like to try out the body bugg, but I have concerns. My upper arm is VERY large and I have the whole "hang" thing going on. Will all this extra fat still allow for accurate readings? Is the strap going to be big enough for my arm? And, will I have problems keeping it on, as fat seems to move and shift more than muscle? Thanks.

It is with great humility that I post today, having been gone so long, I hardly recognize the site! I was banded almost 8 months ago to the day and am not doing well. I lost 50 lbs in the first 5 months and for the last three, I have slowly put 10 lbs back on. I have had three fills and am at 3cc in a 4cc band. I have to eat small bites and avoid certain troublesome foods, but if I eat slowly, I can still eat a lot!! I traded my cheeseburgers and sodas in for cookies and milk, as they go down nicely. I have also stopped going to Weight Watchers and I stopped working out entirely! With the holiday season in full swing, I feel like it is only going to get worse. I am disgusted with myself and am ready to get back on track. The support I got on this site was wonderful and I am here to take ownership. Kick me in the ass and show me some tough love! God knows I need it!!

:smile2: What was your level of restriction with your first fill? How many cc did it take to get you to your "sweet spot"?

Everytime I read a post like this I am absolutely mortified!! I had my third fill yesterday (a pretty big one in my opinion, but that's a whole other post) and the only pain was the first little shot he gives me to numb the site. There are no "missing of the port" issues, no pillows, no mini-crunches, and no pain!! I lay out on the table under the flouroscope, his nurse marks the spot he is going to stick, I get the numbing shot, and he is in and out. And that's that, everytime!! He's great and I would not have it any other way!!

Is 50 lbs the magic number? The threshold that I am forbidden to pass? I lost 50 lbs with Weight Watchers a couple years ago, and then the wheels fell off! Now, again, I cannot pass that number on the scale. Something has switched off. I have been breaking all the eating rules and pretty much pretending I don't have a band. I called and scheduled my third fill 2 weeks from today, hoping that will motivate me and get me over this hump. I am also able to eat way to much and I need my little friend to offer a stern reminder that I have had WLS!!! After everything I have gone through, I am monumentally disappointed in myself. The only positive thing I can say is I am still exercising at least a couple of times a week, and I haven't gained. Somebody, give me the kick in the ass that I so desperatley need!

I have said it before and I will say it again...NO FLOURO, NO FILL!!! My surgeon, not his assistant, does my fills under flouroscope and never misses. He also gives me a numbing shot before the big needle. The whole visit is less than 5 minutes. I am absolutely horrified when I read posts like this. You should look for another fill doctor, seriously.

Sounds like sis needs a smack!! Seriously. If my sister ever spoke to me that way, she'd be missing teeth.

Your surgeon will more than likely have a "fill schedule", but there is quite a bit of variation between doctors. My doctor is pretty strict about his schedule. I was required to wait six weeks post-op for my first "mandatory" fill. Then I had to wait 2 months before I came in for the second "mandatory" fill. Now, its whenever I hit a plateau and feel that I need one. My first fill did nothing for me but the second seems to be working well. YAY!!!! Band sizes vary as well, so that will impact your experience. I have restriction on my second fill, but I have a 4cc band with 2ccs filled. The newer bands are bigger and I have read about people having to go back several times before restriction. I have also read some posts from people who never had a fill or waited a long time to get one. But, most of those cases involved some medical issue. Fills are your friend, as long as you don't get too crazy. Good luck with your surgery!!

My surgeon does the fill under flouroscope. He is in and out in less than 1 minute and he gives me a small shot so I don't feel the "big needle". I also like that he is actually looking at my stomach and can see the position of the band. He makes me drink the nasty stuff and watches the fluid go down before he pulls out. I have read about people getting stuck multiple times and being in all kinds of pain. No way!! I don't want anyone just blindly stabbing at me and not watching what's going on inside! I also think it's much easier for him to spot any problems I may be having right away. Maybe it will be okay for you, but if you hate it you might want to check out other fill doctors. Good luck!

I got my second fill today!! :eek: My first fill did not do anything, and others have told me it takes a few and its best to slowly work up to your "sweet spot." I am hoping with this fill I will actually "feel" my band and not be the bottomless pit that I am. I wouldn't expect too much too soon, but everyone is diffierent. And I'm horrified by your fill experience! Were you in pain? My SURGEON, NOT his assistant does the fills under a fluoroscope. He gives me a little shot to numb the "big needle" and he is in and out in about 5 seconds. If I had to get stuck more than once I would have to hurt somebody!! Good luck!!!

Surely this must be the 9th circle of bandster hell!! I was banded a little over 3 months ago (13 weeks) and had my first SMALL fill 6 weeks ago. I have pretty much NO restriction and have 2 more weeks to go until my second fill. This day cannot come fast enough! I feel that overall, I am doing well. I've been working out 3-5 times a week, going to Weight Watchers religiously, and making good food choices, most of the time. But, inevitably, I have those days when I just want to eat everything. This week, I have had 3 of them, including today. Good times! I have had a ridiculous amount of food and am thinking about the next thing I am going to put in my mouth as we speak. Tomorrow, I will be disgusted with myself and go back to the gym and get on track, but it will probably take 2-3 days of working out just to offset today's munchfest. These are the days that have facilitated my colossal weight gain and these are the days I really need a working band!! I don't want to be able to eat this much and I don't want to feel hungry. I feel guilty because I know I am supposed to be eating small portions, and somedays, I'm just not. Deliberatley disobeying doctor's orders and maybe even putting my health at risk!! I assume that because everything goes down and I feel normal, I am okay. Could I be setting myself up for future problems by overeating?? I just want some restriction and I want this day to be over so I can start damage control tomorrow. Who still overeats after going through all the trouble of weight loss surgery?? Apparently, I do. :redface: