amberd910

After my first fill, 4 cc, I had better restriction then for about 3 weeks then I knew it was time for another fill. I could eat a house! LOL. My dr did 2 cc's this past time and I am still hungry in-between meals. I can still eat a foot-long Subway grinder and want more! The fill went fine and there are no problems with my band. I have a 14 cc band. Do you think that might be the problem? The 14 cc band might be too large so I might need more fills to get to my "sweet spot"? I go to see my dr again on Wednesday and I am going to let him know that this last fill (this past Monday) did nothing for me. I havent lost or gained ANYTHING in 3 weeks because thats how long it's been since I have needed a good fill! I am getting so frustrated because I am trying so hard. Anyone have any advice on this?

I just dont stay full for long off of protein. I love chicken and can eat it all the time, same with fresh turkey meat from the deli, but they dont keep me full for long. I know we are "supposed" to stay away from carbs, but if I throw in a med sized potatoe and have that I am full, and for much much much longer. I tried talking to the dr about this and he was pretty ticked at me for eating carbs and yelled at me to talk to the nutritionist. I dont like talking to her since she is a "quack" and has no clue about anything! Insurance doesnt cover private visits with her either. I just dont like being yelled at by the dr, it's not like it's a Double Cheeseburger!

I sure did because it allows you to order smaller sized portions at restaurants. There is a clause on it that states this person cannot eat large quanitites of food and please allow them to order smaller portions. It works great at restaurants! I can now order off the kid's menu at restaurants. At Chilis they have a great grilled chicken on the kid's menu and it's 1/2 the price of regular portion and it's still a really big piece! But it's a really good card to have anyways becuase if you are ever in an emergency situation it tells the emergency folks that you have this device. It has your name, the size of the band, surgery date, dr's name & # Just thought I would share in case everyone didnt know about the patient ID card from Lap Band

-You will have swelling in your stomach after surgery. Even though you will be down some weight I was not able to fit into jeans for about 1 month after surgery because my stomach was swollen. -You probably will be constipated and very gassy after surgery for a few days. You wont having much intake of water/liquids/etc and your incisions will be sore so it will be hard to push out your gas. Plan on walking to help with this.

I had my first fill 4 1/2 weeks post-op. My dr is pretty aggressive with fills......

Sounds like acid reflux to me. I had the same symptoms when I forgot to take my reflux meds and my band was too tight. I got a little (.5 cc) removed and back on my meds and I feel 100% better

Don't forget most chain restaurants you can order food to go and they dont know if you are taking the food home for yourself or a child (ie Chilis, Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday, etc). Also, if I were ever denied using the card, I would simply get up and leave and not give them my business at all. I will go someplace else that will allow me to use it. Most likely you are with someone when you eat out who will order normal portions so they are loosing their business as well. Most managers are understanding. If the waiter/waitress gives you a hard time, ask for the manger. HTH

Not sure if anyone tried these yet, I think there are 4 flavors. I really enjoy the Acai-Blueberry-Pomegranate - and for the whole bottle there are 20 calaroies. And it has 250% of my vitamin C and 20% of the daily Vitamin B that my dr wants me to take :redface: So thats even better It's a nice change to plain ol' water or crystal light, etc.......

I called the dr's office today after lunch time since I knew on Friday's he only works 1/2 days and I didnt want to be SOL. So his assistant was like he wants you to come in immediaetly. So I took my lunch break at work and went in and I was his first patient (yay) so I was in and out in 5 mins. He put the syringe in my stomach and let it do the work and 1 cc came out, which is what he put in yesterday. He said bascially that tells him it was over filled. He said it is very dangerous to have it over filled. It can endanger me and my health and also cause harm to the band. So he took out .5 cc since he put in 1 cc yesterday. So I sat up and immediately I felt the difference. I didnt even realize it but I was having trouble swallowing my own spit! So I drank my 2 "shots" of water and they actully went down and no burning or burping feeling unlike all day today. So I feel a zillion times better. So I never want to be overfilled again. That was awful pain. So now I know and hopefully now I am in the "Green Zone" since before I was too loose and then too tight so where else can I be but just right?

If you go to the LapBand website you can find info on dr's in your area or you can call LapBand directly and they can tell you certified dr's. I see Dr. Benbrahiem out of Midstate. He also does to go Wallingford. He is a good dr but he doesnt take any crap. It's his way or no way. His rules or none. You have to be in his program for a MIN of 6 months, most of the time thats with any of the dr's because that is for insurance reasons. My surgery was scheduled in November and was canceled because insurance denied it and the appeal days before surgery. Talk about being depressed and gaining weight! My insurance changed and it was approved and I had surgery in December, 2 days before Xmas. I was miserable for Xmas but it is a life long changing event. Just remember to KEEP YOUR HEAD UP! I went into Dr. Ben's program last June (June 08) and expected to have surgery right away but that is not the case. There are requrements that must be met to make sure you are ready and serious. As Dr. Ben says, you didnt become obese overnight so dont expect the weight to come off overnight either. If you want, you can PM me. I'd be glad to talk. Remember, try and stay positve. It's easier said then done, thats for sure, but trust me, it pays off in the long run.

I think it is, but it's so hard to tell if I am just not chewing well enough. I had my 4th fill yesterday. He added 1 cc, so I am up to 9cc in a 14 cc band. I was ready for a fill becuase I was hungry after 2 hours and not eating like I should which was my sign I was ready. So, now, when I eat, I am in pain! Maybe I am not chewing well enough? I had turkey and cheese for dinner last night and did ok with that. But for breakfast I tried Special K cereal and couldnt get but a few bites down because I was uncomfortable (maybe the milk going down with the cereal)? Also, right now, I have been trying for a 1/2 hr to eat an apple for a morning snack and thats bothering me and I never had problems with apples before. But I was still able eat my popcorn for a snack last night with no problems. Anyone have any insight?

There are natural sweetners in it

Thanks! I used to do a Protein Shake in the morning and have a banana for a mid-morning snack but I got bored of those after 5 months, lol. So maybe that is what I will try again tomorrow and see how it goes. My dr says normal foods after a fill are fine. He says just listen to your body. He was only going to do 1/2 cc in my last fill but did a full cc and told me yesterday that if I started "choking" to call him and get back down there before 4 :redface: Thank god I didnt choke, LOL

I just knew it was going to happen with this fill. I got my third fill yesterday and I finally feel restriction. So today I am chewing my "chunky" mashed potatoes. I just knew that one piece was too big but it was too late, it was swallowed. I felt it sit there, like a rock. I though OMG just take me now, dont make it end like this! I tried to cough, nothing. Tried swallowing a few more times, nothing. Raised my arms over my head, nothing. I got up and walked around the house for what felt like an eternity. It only took about 1 to 1 1/2 mins for it to unstick itself and I felt it pass thru and that was a feeling in itself. And let me tell you. I think from now on I am just going to mash all of my food up and forget ever trying to chew again, lol. Agh, the joys of the band. And to think a month ago I questioned what getting stuck felt like. Someone said "oh you will know" and trust me, you will know. Thats for sure! :smile:

After a fill my dr sees you back in 1 week. If you are not doing well, he fills you again. If you are doing well, then he leaves you alone. I am the same way with my band, it loosens over time. My first fill was fine for 2-3 weeks then one day it was just "loose" feeling. 2nd fill did nothing. This 3rd fill has made a world of difference for me. I feel like a new person! :smile:

My dr did another fill on me today. My last fill was last Monday, 2 cc. He did 2 cc today as well. They had me drink water before I left and I felt a difference, much tighter. He also had me drink another glass of water before I left the hospital (thats where his dr office is) to make sure the adjustment was ok. So I was eating dinner at my mother's tonight and I noticed that I was really full off my food (yay)! I didnt take much. But my question is, when I started eating, I was chewing really well (carrots that were mushy) and when they were going "down" I almost got like a "heart-burn" type feeling for a few mins while eating. Does this mean I am eating too fast? I did slow down as I ate more and ate the pork chops after the veggies in case the meat was too rough but the meat went down fine, as my salad did too. Or does this mean the band might be too tight? Just wondering? I now have 8 cc in a 14 cc band. And mention to add about my other post about having 6 cc with no restriction, my dr said that yes, the band size does play a role in how quickly you can feel restriction with some patients.

Those were Dr Ben's exact words to me today! LOL! Heather, it's possible that you are taking in too few calories because you are burning off what you are taking in your body is starting to store the remaing calories/fat of what you are eating. I found that when I eat really well and work out like crazy, nothing. Then for 2 days I dont eat so well and then bam, down 1-2 lbs it seems, all because the calorie intake was higher. Try eating a few more calories and see what happens. I bet your body is starting to store the "fat" you are taking in becuase it's not much at all. Oh, and you are doing weight training as well so using those muscles burns tons of calories and using those muscles we need high protein/calories to repair the muscles from those type of workouts and again, if you are not taking in enough your body is basically starving itself for them and storing everything.

I am 24 from Southington too! I had Connecticare insurance (I just recently cancelled). Have you called to makre sure that the LapBand is a covered benefit? I was told by Connecticare that is not covered what-so-ever. I had CHN as my secondary insurance and they covered the procdure 100% but because they were secondary they would get billed second. So anyways, Connecticare ended up paying out over $10,000 for the surgery and it wasnt even a covered benefit! The didnt cover the actual "surgery" but covered the anesthesia, room and board, etc and all that other stuff. Most insurance companies have approvals within a week. But they do have up to 30 days to approve or deny. Each company does have it's own guidelines on what you need to do prior to surgery as well.

I just had my third fill today (8 cc total in a 14 cc band). I am just starting to really feel the restriction now. My dr also informed me today that with some patients the band size can play a role in how fast you do feel restriction. Oh, after my first fill (4 cc) I did feel some restriction for about 1-2 weeks then it just disappeared one day. I knew it was time for another. You will get there. I just "got there" today

Am I eating McDonalds everyday, NO? Am I eating Subway everdayday? NO. I am giving you a portion size that I can eat. And do I eat all the bread, NO. Maybe I should be more specific. Do you know my workout routine, NO? If you have a problem with the way I am eating them maybe just dont reply to my post. My dr says that breads are fine as long as well chewed and in moderation (I eat bread about 1-2 times a week). So know your facts before "laughing" that I am trying "so hard" to loose weight. I have been in my dr's program for 8 months now so I have the "state of mind" for the band. :tt2:

In 1 week I have not gained 1 oz nor lost 1 oz, seriously. Not 1. What can I do? I was banded on 12/23 and had 1 fill on 1/14 of 4 cc. I feel really no restirction but eat much smaller portions because I know it's healthier for me. I see the dr the 17th so I know that will be my next fill. I am wondering if I am not taking in enough calories or if it's because work has been beyond busy (we have been buying out smaller dealers) and I havent left my desk in days (sometimes I forget that I have to even use the bathroom until lunch time)! So I am not up and moving like I am used to. I am also am just too exhausted to even get up to get to to the gym and play around with my 3 year old like I have been 2 weeks ago. I feel awful for that. I am just so fried with work. Anyways, here's my run down of my meals. Here's a run down of a "typical" day. Breakfast: 7:30 am - 8 oz skim milk/1 scoop protein powder (18g) Snack: 11:00 am - small handful peanuts (snack) or banana (whatever I grab in the morning) Lunch: 1:15 pm - Weight Watcher Meal (usualy dont finish it becasue I have to get back to work and I am full) & 1/2 Cucumber or 2 oz cheese cube Dinner: 5:30 Cucumber or Salad with Cheese & Turkey w/Low Fat Dressing (I def make large salads, just like if I did not have the band but I love salad and cant stop from eating it and without the restriction it's hard, at least it's not McDonalds, LOL)! Or Can of Chicken mixed with 2 tablespoons of low fat Mircale Whip ("fake" Chicken Salad") and some low fat Wheat Thins or 2 oz cheese cubes......

It gets easier. It does. You were just banded and it takes time. I am almost 4 weeks postop and been out of "bandster hell" for almost 1 1/2 now and since then my life has returned to almost "normal". Well, since I am seeing the weight start to drop off I know that this "thing" was the right decision. Your time will come to realize that to. Best of luck

every dr is different. If you read on LapBand on their direct website, it states that letting the Diet soda go flat is ok. The carbination can cause your stomach to increase with gas. Other drs say small amounts are ok. Ask your dr is the best bet. Not listening to what everyone else on here says about it. Not everyone is a dr on the subject. If I take a sip with carbination, I immediatlely burp. So if I am in dire need of a diet coke I stir it for 3 mins and let it go flat. Thats to warrant off the caffine headaches. But for the most part I have given up the diet coke. Since you cant eat and drink together anymore you dont really realize how little you will consume......

Poodles, I also sit and look at my boyfriend (who refuses to go to the dr and he is def gaining weight) who can eat! And I am thinking to myself man, look at him eat! The other night we went out for pizza. By the time I ate 2 BITES of pizza, he is on his second slice! I ate 1 slice (not even the crust), was full, and he ate 3. I was like wow. It's amazing the food difference intake. What I am noticing is the grocery bill difference! I actully am doing less grocery shopping which I am truly enjoying! So heck, that means I am even saving money!

If you are concerned I would call the dr tomorrow and express your concerns and see if he can get you in sooner. I had my first fill done under fluroscopy to make sure the band healed properly, to see how tight it was and to see exactly where and how the port was facing to make it easier next time I need a fill.