niki

Fills can be very tricky. People react differently and sometimes a fill can take a couple of weeks to kick in before you notice any difference in restriction. I had six fills in 2,5yrs, still have 20kgs to loose, currrently habe 8,5cc in a 10cc band. Never felt that «sweet spot», maybe next time. niki

I don't think there's an 1cc band... Next time you see your doctor ask him all detailed data on the type of band he's thinking for you and write it down. Afterwards you'll be able to research here at LBT and at Inamed's site for more info about it. Do lots of research and read as much as possible. You'll find some previous posts here on the type of questions you should take with you to your doc's appointment. Your doctor is the best person to enlighten all those questions you'll be wanting to make. Congrats for your brave step! best of luck, niki

You should go and have an honest talk with the doc about the band. Try to convince him and show him that you are pretty conscious of the effort the band will demand and that you don't mind even if it takes quite some time to loose that extra weight you need. Do lots of research here at LBT and try to make a list of all those reasons why you consider the band is ideal for you, instead of the bypass. Take that list with you when you go see your doctor. That will help you showing your doc that you're very focused on the band and that you have well thought about pros and cons. God knows how hard this is being for me to loose weight. I started with a low BMI of 35 and I am loosing very, very, slowly. I have my band for 2,5yrs. and even so, I still believe that's the best thing I ever did for myself. What if I take more time than most banded people to loose weight? that doesn't mean the band is a failure or that I'm giving up this fight. I'll get there, it will just take me some more time. Hang in there. No use getting depressed in advance and a good talk with your doc might make all the difference. best of luck, niki

I would be having a word or two with the doctor who did the surgery in the first place. It is his responsability to make sure the port is well placed and accessible to perform fills whenever needed. If the port is properly placed fills can be done even without under fluoro (that's how my doc did all my 6 fills, he just feels it with his hand and when he locates the port under the skin he get's the needle in at first time, real smooth, no pain really). If we weren't fat we would not need to have this band in the first place! That's a lame excuse from the other doc saying he has trouble accessing the port because of fat!... If there's nothing wrong with the band (no erosion, slipage or similar) why doing a sleeve? it doesn't make much sense to me. Give the band a chance before considering something else. hope things will work out. niki

Unless something goes wrong (slipage, erosion, ect) there's no reason why your band should be removed. Once you reach your goal you still have to work hard to keep it, if you remove the band your stomach will immediately tend to go back to what it used to be and consequently you will start over eating again and regaining weight. niki

Everybody is a different case and our bands react differently from one person to the other. I eat grapes and never had any problem whatsoever. Same goes for lettuce or any other kind of veggies or fruit, bread or pasta. It all goes down without problem (I just have to be cautious not to eat too much and to chew well...) niki

Don't worry, nurses and docs are very used to that sort of question so just go ahead and ask one of the nurses what you should do. in most cases they'll just put a pad (BIG) between your legs and that's it, it's nothing much for them, they've seen it over and over again. niki

I have a bad scar on the port area and it will not go away (always had problems with keloids) but I really don't care, I'm trying to focus on all this weight I still have to loose and that's being a hard battle for me during the past 2,5yrs. I've been banded... I guess I'm proud of my scars and hopefully they will be a reminder of what I used to be and what I'm hoping to become someday. niki

This doctor of yours can't be serious!!! I've been banded for 2,5yrs. and there's NO WAY you can feel the band. I can feel my port with my hand by touching it, in the beginning it's a bit strange knowing you have it there just under your skin, but you can't see it really, it doesn't hurt, there's no bump under the skin, other people can't see it. He's probably trying to scare you out of it. niki

It's normal to have that type of pain in the port region, particularly during the first couple of months when all that area is very sensitive. With time and experience you'll soon learn which positions are not suitable for you or make your port hurt (bending over the kitchen counter, the sink, bath tub, picking something up from the floor, etc). niki

Why don't you call your surgeon and tell him how you feel? even if he's too busy you might talk to some assistant or a nurse who might guide you better through this stage than any of us will. Everybody here has a different post-op diet but I guess you'll just have to follow what your doc tells you, after all, you came all this way and took this major step to change your life, so he's the one you've trusted already for having this band, isn't he? hang in there. there will be difficult times along this journey but we have to live one day at a time. niki

Gosh, that's wonderful!!! You must be very proud of yourself! Congratulations!!! Can you give us an idea of what is your daily routine? I mean, your food choices, other exercises apart from running, ...? It's very encouraging listening to success stories like yours. I have my band for 2,5 years and still struggling each and everyday against weight becausing my loss is so annoyingly slow. I'm wondering what am I doing wrong, or if there's something else I should be doing besides the correct food choices or going to the gym 4 or 5 times per week. niki

Don't worry too much or too soon. Your band is still quite recent and you have a long journey ahead. Remember that the band is there to help you out, it's a 50/50 job for the rest of your life and you have to put in your share of effort and work so that it works well and smoothly. No use comparing your loss to your sister's or to someone else - trust me, I know how frustrating that can be because we end up thinking that everybody else is loosing at a faster pace and so much more than we are and then we start wondering there's something wrong with the band... Remember that each person reacts differently to the band and there's nothing wrong with that. It's just annoying if we loose slowly (which is my case) but at the same time that will allow time for your body to adjust to its new reality. Do lots of reading and research here at LBT and you'll find many useful «tricks» that will help you out with your band. Watch out for the correct food choices and try to exercise more. Also, people with lower BMI tend to loose more slowly. All the best, niki

L8BloomR - there are different types of bands (you should find here at LBT further detailed data on that, I'm not sure of the link) but you hve for instance Inamed's LapBand (which I think is the one most used in the US and quite common in Europe too) that can hold 4cc or the one with 9cc; you have also the VG-Vanguard (which usually is a 10cc band, or more, up to 14cc I think); you have also the SAGB-Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band from Obtech (up to approx. 9cc), and there's also the AMI-Austrian Agency for Medical Innovations with the 10cc or the 12cc Ami Band (the one I have takes up to 10cc and I'm currently with 8,5cc). There might be others, but these are the ones I took note from reading about them. From reading about it, I think that these bands that take 10cc or more, are harder to find that ideal spot of restriction, if compared with the ones with 4cc, for instance. I believe that most people with 10cc bands or more, have to go through several fills till they find their «sweet spot». My doc is very conservative with fills (never does more than 1cc, usually it's 0,5cc each time) and it's taking me ages to loose weight... :phanvan niki

Hang in there, guys! These 10cc bands(and others with 12 and 14cc) are quite tricky to reach the «sweet spot». My band is a 10cc as well, not a VG, but an AMI Long (Austrian). I had 7 fills during these past 2,5 years and I'm currently with 8,5cc in it. Loosing weight has been quite difficult and very, very slow (approximately 11 kilos/20 pounds). I go to the gym 4 or 5 times a week, take long walkings, do the right food choices, and even so, it's been a hard fight against weight. In any case, I'm not giving up, I still believe this band has been the best thing I did for myself. Tenacity and courage for you all. niki

Hang in there! Our brain is always playing trick on us and I can assure you that after 2,5yrs. with my band there's no miraculous solution for that, besides lots of will power and tons of effort. Loosing weight has been a constant struggle for me, I'm loosing very slowly and after 6 fills still didn't reach my sweet spot. On the other hand, this band has been the best thing I did for myself and it's my last hope. It has to work, I have to make it work, can't give up now. It's been a long journey, but worth it. niki

I'm with 8cc and still don't feel much of a restriction. My doctor is very conservative with fills (usually no more than .5 /1cc at a time). This is taking a huge effort from my side to keep loosing instead of gaining weight. I have to remind myself all the time not to eat the «wrong» stuff and I'm sure I'm eating a much bigger quantity than I should. I'm going for another fill next week.

Not easy at all this journey with the band. I have my band for 2yrs. and 6mths.and still have a long way to go. I think that unbanded people really have a hard time understanding it (they always come up with the «easy way out» crap...) so I rather not even discussing the matter with them, why bother? On the other way, the other very few people I told, they all know a story they saw on the news or read somewhere about this person that had the band and lost a ton just like that, in a couple of months... - of course this sort of thing makes me feel that maybe there's something wrong with me or I'm a failure because I'm loosing at such a slow pace... Oh brother! when FUKITALL pills become available on the market, I guess i'll be buying lots of those. niki

I had my surgery 2yrs and 6mths ago. My band takes 10cc, and I'm currently with 8cc in it. Had 6 fills and still did not reach that «sweet spot». I've been reading and researching a lot and seems that with this type of band it is harder to find ideal restriction. Loosing weight has been very hard but I still refuse to consider myself a failure. My doc keeps reminding me that if it took me so many years in my life to get this obese, I might as well spend a few more in loosing it, even if it's going away in baby steps. Besides, this being such a slow process, with some effort and lots of exercising, I'm allowing my skin to adapt just fine and avoid too much damage (boob job will be needed but the rest I guess it will be fine). niki

See it from the bright side: good for you if you found out still on time that that doctor is a total jerk!!! you don't want to be in the hands of someone like that! walk away and get another doctor! niki

I think it's still too early to know for sure if you need another fill or not. People react differently to each fill and some fills may take a few weeks to kick in while others may be noticed right away. I had six fills and still did not reach my «sweet spot» but my doc is rather conservative and says it's better to go slowly as I don't want to have the nasty experience of being over filled. niki

I know I drink much more than I used to but I think that's also because i'm exercising so much more (I sweat like crazy at the gym). I drink not only plain water but also lots of green tea and herbal teas. niki

My doc always says to stay on liquids for a few days (a whole week if possible) after a fill. It's not a good idea to try eating solid food for now, I would leave it at rest for some extra days and stick to liquids (some broth should be ok). Try not stressing out too much as that affects your band, too. I can never eat if I'm too agitated or stressed out. If that golf ball sensation is still there after a week, you are probably too tight and need to take some of that fill out. niki

I had six fills and in each and everytime I did it my doc took the liquid all out (they check if there was the same quantity they had put in last time or if some is missing) and put it all back in with an increase. It's really a very weird sensation... I'm with 8cc on a 10cc band. my doc does it without x-ray, he's very experienced and he get's the needle on the correct spot on his first try, no poking around... niki

I have my band for 2yrs and 5mths and I still eat everything I used to, just is smaller portions, and evidently I try to make the correct food choices - that's where will power comes in and we all know how sometimes it's hard to stay on the right track... nevertheless, I can eat without any problem bread, Pasta, chicken breast, etc. Nothing ever got stuck (fortunately!), never had a PB, no slime, nothing, it all goes through smoothly. The band is just a tool to remind you that you have to control the quantity of food you eat in every meal. The quality of that food you eat is something else, it has to be you and your head to make the good choices and eventually, you'll get to know new types of food which are much better for you and your health. Bread and pasta are OK if they're in a small portion, but they're not OK if you stuff them with tons of cheese, butter, bacon, or similar... Keep reading posts here at LBT, do lots of research, go to your class, the more information you get on the matter, the better. best of luck niki