lessme

The exact same thing is happening to me. My best friend has said that I am way out of proportion. I have a very large bust and very narrow hips and legs and she has said I am way to skinny in the legs. I a 5'2 and I wear a size 4 pants. She has always been the skinny one and now I am smaller than she is. I just tell her the doctor thinks I should lose another 10 lbs for health reasons. That seems to shut her up. She really hasn't been that supportive about this whole journey. She has taken me to fill appointments but she rarely asks me about how I am doing and she almost never gives compliments. Oh well I am super glad I did it and thats really all that matters.

I've lost about 50 lbs and the fill nurse has said I am at or very close to the right weight. I went from a size 14 to a size 4 or almost a size 2 in pants and a size xl shirts to a size small shirts. I got the band for health reasons and they seem to be pretty well resolved although I'm still on medication for blood pressure and cholestrol. I'm thrilled with the results after 25 years of unsuccessful dieting!!!! I do sometimes still feel big ever though everyone tells me how tiny I am. Good luck to all of you starting your journey.

Please don't get discouraged. Almost everyone goes through this period of distress, worry and feeling like what good is this doing. I was banded in June of 2008 and I didn't lose any weight for 5 months because the fill nurse I had didn't put in ANY fill (she was later fired). When I finally started getting filled I started losing. I have now lost about 45 lbs. I didn't have too much to lose but I had a lot of health issues due to my weight ( diabetes, blood pressure, cholestrol). I have gone from a size 14 to a size 4 in pants and an extra large to a size small in tops. It will happen as soon as you get enough restriction. Now I struggle with distorted body image. Everyone says I am skinny and I still think I am big. My therapist says to take time looking at myself in the mirror in my underwear. So far that has not worked. Good luck and don't be too hard on yourself.

Please, please don't get discouraged!!!The first 4 months after I was banded I only lost 1 lb. That was due to no fill in my band from a bad nurse. Once I got the good nurse I started losing. I have now lost 41 lbs (I was banded June 23, 2008). I have gone from a size 14 to a size 4!!! I didn't have that much to lose but I had major health issues that had to be addressed. I went to the doctor yesterday and they said I may not need to lose anymore weight so I didn't even get a fill. My surgeons office offers free psych counseling and nutritional advice. Even though I'm thin I still think I'm big and the they were very helpful with that. Hang in there, you will lose the weight. There is a slow learning curve learning what you can eat, what gets stuck and when you have to stop. Best of luck!!

I thought I was getting 1cc each month for 4 months. After 4 months I had only lost 1 lb. My surgeon came in and took everything out only to discover I had NOTHING in there. The fill nurse had been fired. He then overcompensated and put 6cc in and I had to come in for a slight unfill. Boy you can imagine my relief when I found out I didn't have any fill in. I of course had blamed myself for not losing any weight and all of my friends who knew about the surgery (only 3) were all starting to think it was my fault. Now I have lost about 35 lbs and am feeling pretty good. Now when I get a fill, the nurse leaves the needle in and I sit up and drink water until I can feel it in my upper chest. Then she takes a little out until it goes down and I am good to go. I am very aware of getting the correct fill. I think I am at 6.1cc in a 10cc band. Sometimes you have to be assertive.

Hi everybody, I was banded on June 23 2008 and didn't feel anything for 4 months even though I was getting fills every month. Turns out finally the doctor took everything out and there was nothing in my band. The fill nurse who was fired (yikes) hadn't gotten it right. I had only lost 1 lb. in 4 months, I was so discouraged. Now I am at 5.7cc in a 10cc band and I have lost 25 lbs. It takes a lot of learning and adjusting to get this right. What I have learned from this process is to be patient, be your own advocate and hang in there. We all did this because nothing else was working for us and I do believe for me this is going to work. Good luck to all of you. I'm down 25 and I have 40 to go.

It is totally normal. I was banded June 23 2008 and I only lost 1 lb for the first 4 months. As it turned out the fill nurse who was later fired had not put any fill in even though I had been in for a fill every month and I thought I had about 4.5 in 10cc band. The doctor came in the last time and took everything out only to discover that nothing was in there. Anyway he put way too much in (6.7) and I had to have some taken out. I think he was over compensating and felt bad that I hadn't lost any weight. Now I have lost about 25 lbs. I guess my point is everybody is different with different doctors, different bodies and different mental states. Don't worry, it does take time to adjust and figure out how to make the band work for you. I'm sure you will do great. Don't be impatient believe me it will happen. Good luck, Rita

I have or had type 2 diabetes before the lap band. I had tried byeta and januvia and did not have great reactions to these 2 drugs. I then got banded mainly because I had this and high blood pressure and high cholestrol. Almost immediately after being banded my blood sugars evened out and now my doctor said I am better and that I don't need to test my blood but maybe once or twice a week. I have only lost 25 lbs but it did make a huge difference. I would like to lose about 40 more lbs. I told my doctor that she should recommend lap band to her patients who really what a cure for the type 2. My little dog has diabetes and he gets insulin shots twice a day. I love him to death and wish I could find a cure for his condition as well. I' m very happy that you have decided to get the band. You will feel such a sense of relief not to worry about the diabetes anymore.

Hi Chicama, From my experience it sounds like you are too tight. Usually if you are having your water just sit there for a while you will need a slight unfill. I know you think you can tough it out but at this stage it probably will stay this tight. Waiting for it to loosen up and hoping to lose weight so it will loosen is kind of futile. I think you will feel better if you have some taken out. I now have 5.6 in a 10 cc band and I feel pretty good but I have had many experiences with a too tight band and it just doesn't get better. Good luck to you.

Oh please--hang in there. I was banded June 23rd and I didn't lose any weight until the last 2 months and now I have lost 17lbs. It took 3-4 months to get my fills right. The first fill nurse said she had put 5cc into my 10cc band but when the doctor checked it there was no fill in there. Then he put too much in and I had to go in for 2 unfills. Finally I got to a good fill and I am finally not hungry anymore. Be sure and stay on top of your fills and ask the doctor to pull all the fill out and put in the correct amount. You might have to be rather assertive. Good luck. You made a big decision for yourself don't get discouraged many of us have been exactly where you are now.

I think you are feeling good restriction. I would be very careful at this stage to eat very little bites. I had my 4th fill and that was 2 weeks ago. I can still only drink liquids and sometimes that is too much and it comes back up. I am going in for a slight unfill today. Yes I have lost 10lbs since this fill but I think I should be able to eat some solids. I waited because I thought my stomach and the band would adjust. I slime all the time and I can't eat. I liked what someone said that the doctors are just guessing when it comes to the fills-- we are the ones that they rely on to tell them how we feel. Good luck to all of us on this interesting journey.

As with many of you I too had a very similar experience. On my 4th fill the doctor realized that I didn't have hardly any fill and I think he felt responsible that I had only lost 1 lb. He put in too much and I threw up spit all night long. The next day I had some taken out. That was 2 weeks ago and I still have been unable to eat solid foods. I think I have lost about 10 lbs. I slime constantly and still throw up sometimes. I am going in for another slight unfill today. I think it is critical for all of us to be at the correct fill for our bodies. I know some people like to be tighter than others so their weight loss is really good and consistent. Other people on this site aren't in a huge hurry to lose a lot of weight really fast and they like to be more comfortable. It might also be a matter of will power. If you have a ton of will power you can have great success with a little looser band. It really is a learning lesson. Hang in there Sassygirl you will get through and hopefully it will just be a blip on your screen in another few months.

Wow, ladybug, my doctor says once every 4 weeks. I really do like your doctor's idea of getting you where you need to be in 3 months. It is my 4th month and I'm still not right. I do think doctors are very different and one needs to be assertive to get the adjustments right. I have found it difficult to speak up if I think the band isn't tight enough or is too tight but I think doctors are discovering that the band needs more adjustments than they thought with some people. It is hard to stay motivated when you don't see the results you are hoping for. Good luck to you, I think you made the right decision.

Wow Snowbird, I loved hearing about the whole families vastly different experiences with the band. It just shows how drastically different peoples anatomys are. What did you mean you were too tight for 2 months. I haven't been able to eat solids for 2 weeks since my last fill. I can still drink water, soup, protein shakes and coffee so I haven't gone in for an unfill. Could you still drink during those 2 months? Did you feel sick? I'm just curious to see if your situation was like mine.

As I said earlier, it took 4 fills and a slight unfill to really feel restriction and since that time I have lost 8 lbs in 2 weeks. The problem is I still can't eat solid foods, they all come right back up. I can drink small amounts of soup, water, coffee and small amounts of my protein shake. Sometimes these also make me slime. I probably need a slight unfill but I was "unfilled" for 4 months so I am glad to be losing now. I have another appointment in about 2 weeks and I wonder if I should just wait until then to see if the band loosens up a bit. The band is tricky and you really have to get it right by even .1 or .2 cc. I really envy people like lapbandtalker who got it right and stayed there until she reached her goal and exceeded it!! Hang in there with the fills it really does happen (sometimes too much).

Hi Ready, I took 4 fills and 4 months before I really felt any restriction. I only lost 6 lbs during that time. The doctor came in for my last fill (a nurse had done my other fills). He said I hadn't lost that much weight so he pulled out the fill and found out I only had 3cc. in a 10cc band. He put in 1 full cc. I went home and couldn't drink water so I came back the next day for a slight unfill of .3 cc. This time I was really tight but I could at least swallow water. I think the doctor felt guilty that the original nurse hadn't put in enough and I hadn't lost much weight. I couldn't eat solid foods for about 10 days with this fill and I have lost about 7 lbs. Honestly what I have learned is you really have to be pro-active and assertive with the band. Don't be afraid to tell your worries to your doctor. I have also decided if my fills don't work I may switch to a fill center where all of their fills are done with an x-ray so they know how much water is going through your band (they charge about $375 for one fill and insurance doesn't cover it). Good luck, be patient and keep on top of your adjustments. Keep the faith, Ready

Hi fellow bandsters--Patunia ---Keep the faith!!!! I was banded June 23rd 2008 and only lost 6 lbs. I kept asking how much was in my band as I had had 4 fills since my surgery. I thought I was up to 5.5. I went in last Wed. for another fill and this time the actual surgeon was in there to give me the fill. He withdrew the fill and then left the room (it took him 3 false poked with a big needle--he was terrible). When he came back he put in 1cc. I knew it was too much and I said it felt too tight. He said that I just wasn't used to any restriction. I went back the next day for a small unfill. The new nurse (I love her) said the doctor had said my original fill was only at 3 cc. and what should he do?? My old fill nurse was fired--maybe because she didn't put enough in. My new nurse was great--she did the slight unfill and was totally reassuring. I said I felt like I had done something wrong because I had only lost 6 lbs and she said it WASN'T my fault.. I think she felt bad that I had gone 4 months basically without enough restriction and only lost 6 lbs and totally blamed myself. Since Thurs. (4 days) I have lost 4 abs. I am still a little tight as I can only eat liquids but it is better than being able to eat a lot and not lose weight. You just need to get the right restriction. You will get there!!!!

Hi Slenerella and Ebeth, I was banded on June 23rd and I have only lost 6 lbs. I am okay with this because I realize it is a process. I am so angry that you doctor makes you feel bad instead of listening to you and really helping you. I agree that he is working for you. I think you should first of all "out" him by name so no one else has to use him. I don't know how you feel about this but I think I might file a complaint with the American Medical Association. The fill center that is advertized here might give you an alternative to this creep. I like this site because it allows people to be honest about doctors, hospitals and fill doctors and nurses. I hope you tell this guys name and what city he is in. I told my fill nurse that her name and the doctors name were on the internet and she suddenly became very interested in helping me with getting my fills right. I think they need to know that there is a check and balance to their conduct and that their business if not their license could be affected. Please let us know what happens.

You should read the thread on inconsistent tightness. I too feel really restricted and then not so much. I have tried to track what I am eating that could lead to this difference in tightness. I agree that 1000 a fill seems way too high. I hope you can find someone who will do it for less. Has your weight loss been consistent or do you gain back weight when you feel looser?

Hi everybody, Yes, all of these reactions are normal. There is one poster on here that I love who took 5 or 6 fills to reach her sweet spot. Some people take even more fills. I just had my 3rd fill and I swear I have less restriction than I did from my 2nd fill. I now have 5.4cc in a 10cc band. I did notice that after my 2nd fill that I did have that delayed reaction that you asked about. In the beginning I didn't really feel any restriction and then toward the end of the 4 weeks (my doctor requires 4 weeks between fills) the restriction finally kicked in and I lost 6 lbs. I don't know how to explain this in physiolgical terms like what exactly the body or more specifically the anatomy is doing during this delay. That is why I am hesitant to recommend that you get more fills until your body has adjusted to this one. Each fill seems to take some adjustment time. We are all in this together-- this gives me comfort.

Hi losefor life, I can relate to your physical condition. My BMI was only 32 when I was banded, but I had a lot of the other conditions. I had high blood pressure, high blood choloestrol and type 2 diabetes. I got immediate insurance approval (BCBS). The proceedure was a breeze but the waiting for it was long and the waiting afterward for the fills to kick in was tough. I was banded June 23 and I didn't lose any weight until just this last month (6 lbs). When you don't have a lot to lose like you it takes longer and LOTS of patience. I think it is good for your family because it aleviates you and them of the constant worry that something bad could happen to you. This is something that you can control when it seemed for so long that you couldn't control the weight gain no matter how hard you tried. I am not sorry at all that I did this. Good luck to you!!!

Definitely submit what you've got. I have Type 2 diabetes and I have BCBS. My BMI was 32 and I have high blood pressure and high cholestrol. The insurance covered the surgery minus the copay. I also included all of my exercise classes and documentation of all the diets I had tried. They only took a couple of weeks to tell the surgeon that they would cover the proceedure.

I agree with Ebonyrose, This is a lawsuit waiting to happen. It is the same intolerance that is shown to blacks, hispanics, gays or anyone else that is seen as different. As soon as they themselves experience it or know someone who has experienced it they may change their minds or not. My best friend never asks me about the surgery, talks about the surgery or mentions it. If I mention it there is absolutely NO response. I am sure she thinks I took the easy road even though she knows I have struggled with this for 15 years. People have a variety of reasons for being judgemental. I think it is time for a really good sensitivity training session where people come clean about their anger. Do AIDS patients deserve it because they practiced unsafe sex?

I weighed 180 at the time of surgery. I was banded June 23rd and have only lost 2 lbs total. I am not discouraged as my fill nurse said you don't have that much to lose ( I had all the comorbidites--High blood pressure, high cholestrol, high blood sugar). The surgery was the easiest part of the whole journey. The slow weight loss has been the most chalenging. I have had 2 fills for a total of 5cc in a 10cc band. I do have lots of restriction in the morning but it loosens up quite a bit by the afternoon. I eat proteins first, then veggies and then maybe a few carbs. I do get hungry every 2 hours and that has been the hardest thing. I do yoga and pilates and walk on the treadmill. I am scheduled for another fill on Aug. 19th and I am hoping this fill will keep me full for 4 or more hours. I can't eat that much at one time but I get hungry quickly after. Good luck and be patient I know its hard to wait when you have invested so much time, money and energy into this.

I think you mean Unjury protein. Just google it and you will get their web site. The vanilla and chocolate flavors are the best. I mix it with soy milk and they are great.