slimmap

Thank you. I am afraid that I might need an unfill. I wouldn't mind too much if I could get a slight unfill. But my doctor will probably give me a complete unfill like last time. I really don't want to do that. But if this acid thing doesn't improve pretty soon, I will not have a choice. Thanks about my mom. She is getting out of the hospital tomorrow. Thank God for the nurses. They were fantastic to her and to my family. Pam

Hi Allie. Thanks for getting back to me, I appreciate it. I was banded June 16 last year. You have done a great job losing 137 pounds! I've lost 92 pounds. I have another question for you. Did your problems start shortly after a fill or not? That is my concern. I had a fill 10 days before my problems started but that is also the day my mom fell and broke her hip. I only have 3 cc's in me. Thanks again for any help. Pam

Hi Spudgirl. I know what you're talking about. I have to be really careful or I end up with the very same problem as you. Now know this. I am NOT telling you what to do. I am just telling you what the doctor has told me and what I have figured out, you know, experience. I have to be very careful and measure the prescribed amount of food for each meal or snack. I do NOT just eat until I am full. We cannot do that anymore. If you are eating more than the amount measured, then you are probably stretching out your pouch. I have done that a time or two and it is really scary how much food I can pack in if I am not vigilant. And that is what we have to be if we want to succeed. I am almost one year out from surgery and I still have to remind myself of this on some days. On days when I am stressed out and I just want to eat and eat and eat, I chew gum. Lots of gum. I chew and smack and am probably obnoxious. But it works! My jaws are moving and that is what I really want more than overeating. Am I always successful? No. But kind people from this web site have told me this information and now I pass it on to you. Here are two things that you can try that will help shrink your pouch back to a smaller size so you can eat just till you are not hungry anymore. You can do the 5 day pouch diet. Try researching it at this website and on google. It is awesome. Or wait until your next fill and be VERY CAREFUL to follow guidelines. It will all work out okay for you. But you do need to stick to the measurement guidelines the dr gave you. I am only supposed to eat 2-3 ounces at a time. Some people eat one to one and a half cups.That is a lot. But check it out and talk to your dr. I hope I have helped a little and not gone on too much. Good Luck! Pam

I don't know what is going on with the amount of your fills. That is really weird! But as far as the partial unfill, I do know. It is really really hard to deal with. I was very hungry when mine was done. I ate everything I was supposed to but it didn't matter, I was still hungry all the time, just like you. I gained some weight during this time, got very upset about it and called my doctor's office, begging for a fill. But they told me I had to wait 6 weeks! It was crazy that I had to wait that long, but they said it was something about healing for a specific amount of time before I could have another fill. It was very hard but I made it. You will too. If you've gained any weight (and I hope you haven't) it will come off the first few days. I was very relieved about that and wanted to pass that along to you too. So, good luck. You will do great. Pam

I do not think it will hurt you. I have been using the Unjury protein shakes, per my doctor's suggestion. They are okay tasting, and are full of protein. Atkins shakes taste okay, too, but my doc doesn't recommend them due to the high fat content. Talk to your doc and find out what else they recommend if you don't like what you're doing right now. They should work with you. Good luck.

"Own it, accept it, get back on track" . If you ever make this saying into a poster, I will buy it. If I was the type to get a tatoo (I'm not) I would have that tatooed on my hands so I would have to see it before I shoved food I didn't want in my mouth. Thank you. Keep on writing. Sincerely, Pam

:blushing: My hair is falling out. It is really thinning and of course it is on the top which is most noticeable. I started taking Biotin yesterday. My big question is...how long does it take on Biotin before you start to see your hair come back in? And will it always be like this? Will the hair loss thing always be a problem or is only for the first year? I would really appreciate it if I could find out what is going on. Thanks. Pam

Thanks everybody. You are all blessed with having thick hair. I have this stringy, fine blond hair. It does make sense what you've said. And I do need to remember the protein! How could I forget that??? Well thanks. I had my surgery in June and noticed it starting to thin out sometime in the fall. Hopefully it will stop soon! Pam

Well first of all you have lost 45 pounds. That is great. It has not been easy but you did it. That said, it sounds like you are getting close to your "sweet spot" but not there yet. Is there another dr affiliated with your dr so maybe you could see that dr instead of the one you are seeing now? Your current doc doesn't sound like she is trying to work with you. Have you told her how you feel? It may not change anything but it couldn't hurt. I can only say that you may have to really speak up for yourself. If she says things about you sneaking m&m's that is a real insult and I would tell her so. If you get a fill and within 2 weeks you still fill nothing call her up and tell her that it isn't working. Ask her what she suggests. I know how hard it is to stand up for yourself cos a lot of us overweight girls just have that problem. But you are a new you now. If you don't speak up and try to get some satisfaction she probably will continue to treat you the same way. Also, I have found what I eat makes a big difference in how long I can go without being hungry. I try to eat foods that "stick" with me for a while. I really like diced chicken breast with a little mayo and just about a half an ounce of fat free refried beans. I can go for hours and I haven't eaten 300 calories! I have hunted around on the internet and on this site too for food ideas. Also, is there a nutritionist affiliated with your dr who can give you an idea of what may help as far as foods that keep you full longer? I am just trying to think of things that will help you. So many people have helped me in the 7 months since I've had lap band, I want to help now too. Let me know if there is any thing else I can do to help. You are not alone. Hang in there. I will keep my eye out for your postings and try to help. Pam

I wish my doctor had only taken a little out of my band. He practically drained mine! Now I am stuck for a month with no restriction. But I do have to say that I no longer have those dreadful symptoms.

2 weeks ago I had a fill which ended up being a big overfill. I couldn't swallow, my throat closed up on me, I would burp up huge amounts of acid at night so I couldn't even sleep. It was a pretty scary thing. When I went back to the doctor he told me what I already knew. I needed an unfill. I begged him to only take out a little bit but he said that I needed to heal and was going to take out half of my fill. So now I only have 3 cc's in a 10 cc band. At first this wasn't a problem. But as I started to feel better I also started to get really hungry too. I'm afraid I will stretch out my pouch that I have worked so hard to keep tiny. I am not due to go back to get more of a fill until March 4. Does anybody have any helpful hints as to what to do so I don't overeat and stretch my pouch? I have gained several pounds and freaked out about that, too.How do you deal with an unfill? Thanks to anyone who can help. Pam

You are going through exactly what I was going through last week. I tried to ride it out for 10 days. But it just got worse and worse. My throat spasmed and closed up. I would get acid so bad I couldn't even sleep. I couldn't drink. It was horrible. So I went back to the dr and he said I had to have an unfill. I asked him to take out as little as possible but he said that I would have to heal from this overfill. So he took out half of my fill. I was at 6.5 cc's and now I'm at 3 cc's. The first few days I barely noticed anything. But after the third day I finally could get liquids down again without a problem. All the throat and acid problems are gone. It was such sweet relief I didn't even care about the unfill. But now I am getting really hungry again so I have to make a post about that to see if anyone has any suggestions until I can get refilled in 3 more weeks. Good luck. You just have to get more of an unfill I guess. Let us know. Pam

I had my surgery 4 months before you and had my first unfill yesterday. I didn't want to do it but am so glad that I did. Talk to your doctor. But know that he will probably suggest to do an unfill. I was where you are now. For some crazy insane reason I had him tweek me and give me a very small fill again. Then the big problems started for me...throat closing, bad acid, vomiting. So I wish I had done this unfill instead of a fill. It really does sound like you have too much in you. Good luck and let me know what happens. Pam

Hi Wendy. I just returned from my visit to the doctor today for some of the same things you are experiencing. I didn't vomit quite as much as you do, but it was pretty bad. Plus I had the acid real bad when I laid down at night to go to sleep. What sent me running back was the tightness in my throat...very scary. Anyway, he told me that all of these are classic symptoms of an overfill. I know, those are dreaded words. I truly did not want an unfill, but went along with what he suggested.I had 6.5 cc's in a 10 cc band. They took out half. He said it may take a full month for my body to heal. Then we can re-evaluate how much of a fill I should have. But I felt better immediately after the unfill. Almost all of the acid has stopped. They explained to me that the opening to my stomach is very small and there isn't anywhere for the acid to go except up...as in vomiting. I hope this helps some. I know how scary it is to be going through what you are going through. Just call your doctor and talk to him. Let me know what happens. I care. Pam

:confused:I just wanted to say that I went to the doctor today. I was way overfilled. He said that the tightness in my throat and all the acid I have been getting were classic symptoms of too much in my band. So he took out half of my fill. I guess that has me at about 3 cc's or so in my 10 cc band. I was sort of bummed that he had to do this, but it is a lot better already. I still have some tightness in my throat, but nothing like I did. I imagine since this is the same day he did my unfill it may take a few days. But I feel so much better already. He said I should come back in a month and we will reevaluate how much more of a fill I can have at that time. Sounds reasonable to me. Again, thanks to you who responded to my post. Pam

I am a bit concerned since I had my fill one week ago today. I was pretty close to my sweet spot when I went in for a small fill. This was the first time they did not have me take some sips of water, and I felt okay, so I said nothing. I have been struggling all week with difficulty and painful swallowing as well as PBing a lot. I should have called my dr but I was afraid they would take too much out in an unfill. And I live out in the middle of nowhere. It takes so long to get to the dr. Plus, I felt a lot better today. Then around 7:00 pm my throat started feeling really tight. This happens sometimes but usually does not have me too worried. But tonight it feels like my throat is about ready to close up on me. I can breathe just fine. The tightness in my throat does not affect my breathing at all. But it is so tight I am sort of worried. It is just such a weird feeling! I am most certainly calling the doc tomorrow morning. But has this happened to anybody else? Is this a dangerous thing or just one of those really annoying things. I'd really appreciate anybody's input. Thanks. Pam

Thank you for responding. I am going back to the doctor Friday. It is not as bad as that night I posted my concerns, but it is still there. I appreciate you guys answering because I was really scared. Pam

I am wondering if I have had too much in my last fill. All I can get down are liquids. If I take too big of a sip it feels like I'm being stabbed in the chest. It stays like that for about 10 or 15 minutes. If I eat anything it comes back up. If I drink anything after 7:00 pm I am up all night burping up water. I know, it's pretty gross).I am on day 6 since my fill. (Am 7 months out from surgery). I was wondering if I should wait it out another week or call the doc for an unfill. I am worried they will take out too much, also. Does anybody have any insight out there? Thanks! Pam

I was wondering if anybody knows about this. I am due to get a much needed fill in 3 days. My concern is that I've had a pretty bad head cold. I'll have been on antibiotics for 7 days by the time I get the fill. But will they even do a fill if you're sick? I have to drive an hour one way just to get to the doctors and don't want to be turned away. Does anybody have any thoughts or comments on this?

To Sue and everybody else who added to this post, I want to thank you all. I was going to put out my own SOS cuz I am in the exact same situation. I did pretty good up til the week of Christmas. Then I gained about 4 pounds and have not been able to get it off. Now I am afraid that I will gain even more if I don't get a hold of myself pretty soon. I work in a school setting too. It is very difficult as there is always something or somebody tempting you. I like the advice about just thankiing that person and not taking the gift. I WILL eat it and eat it until it is all gone. So anyway, my question was how do I get myself back on that wagon that I thought I was going to be back on? Cut out bad carbs, stabilize my blood sugar...anything else? I really need to do this before I slide completely back to my old ways. It's REALLY SCARY to be in this place! Any more advice from anybody? I could sure use it. Thanks to everybody. Pam

Oh boy! I had such moments of panic! I was so afraid that I was going to die either during surgery or the week after. I prayed so hard! I asked everybody else to pray for me too. Six months later my friends are still laughing. They said that I was really "freaking out". I wasn't aware I was acting that crazy. Just follow your doctor's directions. They specialize in doing surgery on obese people. You will be fine. I have to say that the scariest time is when they wheeled me into the operating room. I truly thought I was going to start screaming in terror. But the nurses were so kind. They deserve a special place in heaven for their kindess. They tried to reassure me. But by this time I was pretty close to a meltdown. So they asked me when I wanted to receive the medicine to knock me out ( that's not what they called it, but I cannot remember the name). The next thing I remember is another nurse asking me how much pain I was in. (None!) I survived ! The rest is history. I am six months out and have lost 60 pounds. You will do fine. Sometimes a little fear is healthy. It keeps us on our toes. The first 24 hours after surgery I had to walk a few times up and down the hallway. It is all a blur as I was so heavily drugged at the time. But they will tell you what to do for aftercare. By the way, what do you teach? I am a full time substitute teacher. Anyway, good luck and let us know how you do. Pam

I'm a jumpin' too. This is the year I will lose more than 100 pounds. How are you starting? I already told my family to either eat up all of that junk food that is in this house or I will throw it out. Not having it in the house to take "just one bite" will make this long journey a lot easier. By the way, Babs, what is a port revision? Why did you need one? I too was banded in June of '08 and my port is sideways. So I was just wondering what a port revision is. Anyway, Happy New Years everybody. And let's get this weight off!

Wow! You have done super ! I was also banded in June and have barely lost 60 pounds. How did you do it? What did you eat? How often do you eat? I just want to be losing more than I have and it would be greatly appreciated if you could tell me what you did. Thanks, and Happy New Year. Pam

Dear SueSue, Like the others said, we all have serious issues with food. That said, I wonder if you've talked to your doctor. It could very well be that you don't have good restriction and you just need a fill. Wouldn't that be great if that was all it was? I too have diabetes and have to be careful of what I eat. I find that is really only possible when I've had a good fill. Speak up! Talk to your doc. This is his profession and he will probably have some direction for you. All I know is that I wish you the best. And you are not failing. You just need some direction right now. We all do. Something else I have found is this: When I start to give in to my cravings, it usually causes me to have even more cravings. So then I eat what I was craving and I find I am just eating anything and everything. As hard as it is, just try to not do it. Easier said than done, I know. I still have 150 pounds to lose. But if I have good restriction, it is a lot easier. Those Protein shakes really fill the belly up too. I know they are not what we necessarily want, but they do help get things under control. That 5 day pouch diet helps too. Good luck! I hope I haven't rambled and repeated myself too much. I just want to tell you that you are not alone. Pam

It seems that way. Nothing ever does seem to go as smoothly as I'd like. But as far as fills, I've learned to speak up for myself. If you do not like your dr, by all means find another one. I don't know where you live, but even if you have to drive a ways to find the right fit with a dr it would be worth it. I have to drive more than an hour to see my surgeon. He has a terrible personlity, but he is just so darned good at what he does that I tolerate it. When I had my first fill it seemed as though nothing had been done. He told me I should give it at least a week before I felt anything. I didn't feel like I'd had a fill at all, so he had me come back for another fill. Keep in mind I had to take off work, drive more than an hour to get there, and then wait more than an hour to be see. But it was so worth it. I lost about 10 pounds in 10 days and have kept it off for a month so far. And hopefully more weight will keep coming off. What I'm trying to say is that we have to stand up for ourselves. If we don't like something we can speak up and say so. We paid them. They have to provide the service to us. Something you may want to try is calling the hospitals in your area and ask them if they can recommend somebody to you for a fill. It's worth a try. Your regular dr may even know of a dr you can try. Good luck and let me know what happened. The fill is sooo important for our success. You've come this far, might as well go the distance. Good luck!! Pam