jeannebs1

He told me since my BMI was not extremely high that alot of times you need alot in your band to feel restriction. Has anyone else heard this? I had a lower BMI and my surgeon told me the exact same thing. My surgery was on October 22, 2008 and I currently have 8.4 cc in my 10 cc band. Although I feel some occasional restriction I can definitely eat more than 2 cups of food at a time! However, there are SOME foods that are starting to give me some trouble, like asparagus (anything but the tips), Pasta, English cucumbers with the skins on them, etc. Athough I am not losing any weight, I am at least maintaining (which is far better than what I was doing before the surgery). Of course, if I exercised more it would be far better! The thing is, don't lose faith, but most importantly don't beat yourself up!

:thumbup: I had another fill today which (according to records) brings me to a total of 8.6 cc in my 10 cc band. I was able to eat my soup tonight with no problem and continue to drink my Crystal Light as I have previously. However... my throat has been making a growling noise, and it does it quite often! My husband can even hear it when he is next to me! Has anyone else experienced this? Is it possibly related to my fill?

Oh, my heavens! Do you mean that I am normal? It is just so strange because I don't ever remember having that feeling before this last fill. And you're right.... it is a cross between a gurgle and a growl. Did anyone experience it before having the band, or is it just a "band thing?"

I hope this is that ever elusive sweet spot (I've been there before).:wink: Alfie - I hope it is for you, as well. I am envious! By the way... my nurse practitioner recommended that IF I thought I might be too tight immediately following a fill (but still able to get down liquids) to take some liquid Motrin for two days following the fill in case my stomach was irritated, which would temporarily apply extra pressure against the band (or at least that is my interpretation of the reason). I look forward to the day!

Right now, I can tell that I'm tight but I will try to avoid getting and unfill unless necessary. I certainly hope you can ride this out. If you can keep down liquids and mushies, I'd say that you are in the place that I am trying to reach! When I had 8.4 filled in my band a little over a month ago I couldn't keep down Water (including saliva). I really tried to wait it out, hoping that things would loosen a little, but instead I guess I actually aggravated my stomach/esophagus and made things worse because nothing could relax. They removed 1 full cc. and are now trying to move me back up incrementally - .2 cc at a time. No restriction yet and I am now at 7.8. Hopefully my next fill will bring me to at least some type of restriction. Good luck!

I have 8.2 cc in a 10 cc band and still do not feel restriction, although I believe I am getting close. Since I started with a lower BMI than most, my surgeon had warned me right before my surgery that it would probably take much more for me to feel restriction. Still, I guess it is better to sneak up on it!

I regretfully have just had the same experience. I had 7.4 cc in my band and went in for a fill because I had yet to experience any restriction. The nurse practitioner gave me an additional full cc to bring me up to 8.4. I slowly drank my cup of water and once again felt the familiar disappointment of no restriction. As I drove home, however, I started to slowly slime. Since this was my first experience with anything like that, I really didn't know what it was. I only knew that I had to empty my mouth quickly or else I felt I was going to drown! I decided to "wait it out" and see if things would loosen up. Unfortunately... it didn't loosen up and I then had the entire weekend to contend with constant sliming and PBing. I couldn't even swallow my own saliva without sliming even more. On Monday I had them remove .4 cc. I once again drank the water and had no problems... until I got home. It all started again! It is horrible not to be able to drink anything, not be able to sleep because you wake up in the night coughing and choking, not to even be able to speak sometimes because so much slime and phlegm is being produced in your mouth! I had another unfill today (-.8 cc) because I didn't want to go through another weekend like before. I ended up losing 11 pounds in less than 7 days. (Mostly water weight, I would imagine.) It was an experience I hope never to repeat.

How interesting to read your post! Our situations are very similar. However, I have a 10 cc APS band. I, too, have very little fat around my stomach (most of my weight being at my waist and below) and my doctor told my husband and myself immediately following surgery that he predicted it would take me much longer to reach restriction because of this. Well - he was right. I had 7.4 cc in my 10 cc band and felt absolutely no restriction. The surgeon also told me that all of the bands can actually hold much more saline than the designated size of the band and he has put in more than 12 cc in a 10 cc band on "a couple" of occasions. I went in for my 6th fill yesterday. This time (after expressing my repeated frustration at having to pay for so many fills and still not feeling any degree of restriction), the nurse practioner gave me 1 full cc, bringing me to a total of 8.4 cc in my 10 cc band. WHEW! I am now in the red zone... but absolutely refuse to have an unfill, at least for right now. If you have been banded within the last year, it would be interesting to know why a doctor would use the old band (with some reported problems) as opposed to the new, improved bands.

I attend two different support groups here in North Austin. One of them is a social group that meets every second Wednesday at TGI Friday's at La Frontera. We just sit around and socialize as we eat. The restaurant always breaks the bill into individual checks for us. I also belong to a support group at True Results that meets the last Thursday of the month. We meet at the True Results on Parmer Lane. They are great and welcome everyone!

I am so discouraged. I had my third fill this week for a total of 6.3 cc in my APS 10 cc band. I still have no restriction at all. As a matter of fact, if it were not for the 5 scars from surgery, I wouldn't even know that I had a band. I realize that I have a lower starting BMI than most people, but my numerous comorbidities (including severe acid reflux that was corrected surgically due to a hiatal hernia) made me a good candidate for the band. The surgeon told me immediately following surgery that the band was "just spinning there" and that I would probably have a difficult time with the post-op diet since I wouldn't feel restriction. But 2 months and 6.3 cc later I am still left to my own inner restraint/willpower, which has totally gone by the wayside. When I go in for a fill the nurse practioner always withdraws at least 1 cc to make certain she has correctly accessed the port before adding any more. This time I begged the surgeon's office into letting me come back for another fill in 2 weeks (they will only put in 3-5 cc each visit), but I am really wondering if perhaps I was really not a candidate for the band and it will never inflate enough to give me any restriction. Has ANYONE had or known of someone with a similar issue? This is REALLY troublesome, but the office's response is one of, "Oh, well... you can't compare yourself to others." I realize this, but COME ON! 6.3 and nothing?

Dear Linda --That is a MAJOR bummer! Do you suffer from acid reflux at all? When I had my lap band surgery the doctor saw that I had a hiatal hernia (quite large, actually) and repaired it on the spot. Since then I have not had another episode of acid reflux (thank heavens!). I am so grateful that it was repaired and I hope that your situation can be rectified, as well. I would assume that the repair can be performed laproscopically. I did not realize that a hiatal hernia could negatively influence the effects of the lap band, so I am very blessed that my hernia was repaired at the time my lap band was seated. The surgeon even gave me a picture of the hernia (before and after repair - very interesting!) as well as a picture of the lap band. He predicted at that time that I would probably take longer to reach restriction than the majority of his patients since I did not have a lot of fat around my stomach. (I carry my fat lower on my body.) Unfortunately, I now have 7.4 cc and am still not feeling restriction, although I know that I cannot gulp my Water the same way that I used to. Did you have a lower starting BMI? That appears to be a pervasive theme here. Good luck and best wishes to you. I hope that all will go well with you!

Lulca - Once again, thank you for sharing your personal experience with me. I truly appreciate this. I am going to stop feeling sorry for myself and put my head back into the game. You're right... this holiday season is not the time to beat myself up. I need to realize my new beginning. However, any words of wisdom from you will always be welcomed! Thanks!

Lulac - I can't tell you how comforting to read your response! I just KNEW that I was alone in this adventure and, like my husband once said to me, "I guess it's not going to work for you." I will be going in for another fill in 4 days and they will be doing it "under fluoro." Did they use fluoro for you to get you to your magic set point, or did you continually get .5 cc each time (like my doctor's office says is the max they will give after the first 2 fills)? I was NOT very good at making wise choices over this Christmas break since I have been so frustrated and, dare I say depressed, about the lack of assistance I have had over the last few months with the band. I have unfortunately been gaining back the weight that I lost pre-surgery. You have given me hope, however, and I truly appreciate our input. Can you give me any more information as far as your particular journey with the band? What was it like whenever you finally felt some restriction? Was it something like, "I THINK I feel something this time," or did you actually know without a doubt that your fill had helped?

Jane and Heather - Thank you SO much for responding to my posts. I was certain that something must be wrong with me, my port or my tubing since I still feel no restriction at 6.3 cc. I truly felt that I was alone here. I guess misery loves company because I feel a lot better knowing that you both had no restriction at 6.3 cc, either! Jane - have you lost 41 pounds with having little-to-no restriction from your band until recently? I have lost 14 pounds (since before the actual surgery) but have started regaining some of that within the last 2 weeks. In any event, all of your posts have given me some hope! I shall try to be more patient. Thank you!

You are all exactly correct. When I go in for my next fill in 2 weeks I will (1) make certain that they do it under fluoro/Xray and (2) will ask the nurse practioner to withdraw ALL of the saline FIRST to make certain that there isn't some type of leak in the tubing. If all is as it should be, then hopefully she will give me enough fill so that I can feel something. Even though I have not been eating enormous portions of food lately, I have been eating the wrong foods because it is so plentiful this time of the year... and I am so HUNGRY! Thank you so much for your comments. Good ideas!

I feel absolutely nothing when I eat and can eat whatever and how much of anything that I would want. I have been trying very hard to "eat as if I had restriction", but that went out the window about 2 weeks ago. My first fill was done under fluoro and the technician said that everything looked "beautiful." The last 2 fills have been done by palpation. The nurse practioner routinely withdraws some of the saline before replacing and then adding more, so she definitely has accessed the port. Major bummer!

How interesting! I was banded on October 22 and I have/had the same issue as you! At my 2-week post-op appointment the nurse practitioner mentioned that it is not uncommon for a stitch to work its way through to the outside of the skin, but I was advised not to worry about it. Well, that exact thing happened a week later and it left a little hole in the incision that became infected - really red, oozy and angry looking. I was given a 7-day prescription for antibiotics and told not to use Neosporin or any other type of topical ointment. The incision is finally starting to heal. I'm glad I saw the doctor when I did or else I fear it would still be infected, sensitive and yuck.

Has anyone who is self pay had their fills covered by their FSA plans? At least then I could buy the package deal in Jan. when I elect coverage for the year and then pay it off out of my check pre-tax for the rest of the year. I am a self-pay also, so I used the balance of my Flex Spending Account this year for reimbursement of my surgery. I only needed to FAX them a copy of my "Letter of Necessity" from my primary physician since I had several medical comorbidities. My surgical group will also write me a receipt for my fills ($100 each fill) to send to my FSA after January. The FSA was very quick to reimburse me. It helped take the "sting" out of the price!

I would DEFINITELY go on the cruise. I am certain the chefs can prepare you some fabulous soups. The staff is always so accommodating on cruises, I wouldn't doubt that they could make you some fabulous and delicious dishes! Enjoy!

Julie.ann - I LOVE your Avatar!!! May I ask where you got it???

Monday night after a full, long day at work (following a retirement reception for our bookkeeper and I didn't eat any of the cookies or drink the punch - yea for me!), the question is what to fix for dinner that will still satisfy my mushies diet and satisfy Jeff, also. We came up with the idea of a baked potato. I can have my broccoli cheese soup on the top and Jeff can have the beef stroganoff from last night. What a huge success! Finally something that really satisfied my appetite - at least for a while. It is really getting difficult not eating food that requires chewing. I had some Malt O Meal this morning, and although the flavor was good, something that mushy doesn't stay with me for very long. It will be interesting to see what the doctor (or physician's assistant, probably!) will say on Wednesday when I go to my first post-op visit.

Monday night after a full, long day at work (following a retirement reception for our bookkeeper and I didn't eat any of the cookies or drink the punch - yea for me!), the question is what to fix for dinner that will still satisfy my mushies diet and satisfy Jeff, also. We came up with the idea of a baked potato. I can have my broccoli cheese soup on the top and Jeff can have the beef stroganoff from last night. What a huge success! Finally something that really satisfied my appetite - at least for a while. It is really getting difficult not eating food that requires chewing. I had some Malt O Meal this morning, and although the flavor was good, something that mushy doesn't stay with me for very long. It will be interesting to see what the doctor (or physician's assistant, probably!) will say on Wednesday when I go to my first post-op visit.

I believe you have missed the point of my original (and second) post. I absolutely agree that there are no absolutes with the band. As far as making sweeping statements, I believe I mentioned that myself (and my other friend) both had HIATAL HERNIAS and therefore no saline could be put in the band during the surgery as is customary by many surgeons. Please, please, I was not meaning any harm nor was I trying to make anyone upset with my post... only sharing what my surgeon told me would happen and confirming that what he told me was true: merely having the band does not necessarily cause restriction. I do not understand how that was interpreted as a sweeping comment. However... perhaps we should move on to another topic...

I was banded on 10/22, as well. I went back to work on Monday (that was a tough day!), but the next two days were MUCH better! I am still on liquids (full liquids, though) and won't be able to be on "mushies" until next week. I am often hungry but I'm keeping my eye on the prize, so to speak. I have only lost 11 pounds (including the pre-op diet of high protein/low carb) and trying not to get discouraged, especially since there is no restriction at all in my band due to the additional surgery of the hiatal hernia. As far as pain, I seem to be like the majority of us in that we have discomfort around the port area. Although I can "sort of" lie on my left (port) side, it is not very comfortable and I don't want anything to touch the skin there. Everything else seems to be coming along nicely. I hope everyone else is dong well, also!

So not true. There are people who go months without their first fill because there is ambple restricition from simply having the band on their stomachs. It was 6 months for me. So not true for you, perhaps, and not true for some, but according to my surgeon as well as my own personal experience, the band curently has no effect at all on the feeling of satiety at this time. When one has a hiatal hernia the surgeon does not put in the normal 2 cc's of saline at the time of placement. The ample restriction often felt after surgery (again, according to my surgeon) is a result of this small amount of Fluid in the band and not the mere fact of having the band on their stomachs. One of my colleagues had her band placed approximately 8 weeks ago. She had a fair amount of restriction following surgery. However, another friend had the surgery about 4 weeks ago (with hiatal hernia repair) and she has no feeling of restriction, either, because fluid could not be put in the band.