still waiting

Hi All - wondering if anyone else has had this problem and how they have overcome it. I had a lap band in Nov07 after a stapling 20 yrs prior. I have lost 2 kg since the banding. I have been back to the surgeon 5 times since then for top ups - today will be number 6. Last time he went pat his comfort level on the fill and I could barely get fluid down for 3 days (lost 3 kg in those 3 days and put them back on when i started on small amounts of solids in the next 2 days) but by 2 weeks post fill I am back to eating nearly a full meal. I have virtually no restrictions. The surgeon last time withdrew all the fluid at my insistance to see if I had a leak and he was able to withdraw fliud from the band. Had xrays and the band is where it should be. I eat sensibly with a treat every couple of days - I am type 2 diabetic so I can not go too mad and the blood sugars are good so the food I am eating is not the cause just the amount has not decreased. This surgery was a last ditch effort to try and loose weight to help improve a severe back injury.

I have no idea what type of band I have - I know it holds 14mls of fluid max and surgeon said his confort zone is no more than 8mls of fluid which I am at now. Yesterdays top up has made a difference I have noticed the restrictions today. I will post again in this thread after he fixes the problem.

Hi Coastie Every time I see a new doctor they check the thyroid levels - this has been happening since I was a teen - and I hve moved a number ot times - they are always fine. I went back to the surgeon yesterday and guess what I have a leak as I had 4 mls in the band instead of 8mls. He topped me up back to 8 mls but this time at least I can drink Water. I dont drink cordial and have 1 small juice a day to take liquid Vitamins. I go back in 2 weeks for another check to see how much Fluid has leaked out and I have a booking to go to surgery to find the leak and repair it. It has only taken 3 visits to convince him that there was a leak.:eek: Now I may get a resolution and start on the weight loss journey!

I have pretty much a zero tollerance to exercise - with chronic back problems and I have never been "average" size. Reducing the amount of what I can eat by surgery was the last resort for weight loss. I know alot about nutrition and weight loss as I was a Diabetic educator before I had the back problem. The problem is my band now has nearly 10 mls in a 14ml capacity band and after each tightening I have restrictions that last at most 3 days, then I can go back to a nearly pre banding amount of food. My big questions is - is the band faulty because this is not the result that the posts I have read here or that friends who have had the surgery have had. I am looking for anyone else who has had this problem and how they sorted it out as I have floated the idea of the surgeon replacing the band which he has refused to do.