DaChanginQueen

Sounds like you're not getting enough calories during the day. A protein shake for breakfast and a 220-320 cal lunch that you may eat only half of is not enough..of course you're hungry at night. Try eatting a bigger lunch and a nice dinner and then you will know it head hunger..which is a whole other talk show! LOL Also try having some prepared snacks in the fridge that you can grab easily or have another protein shake at night if you have to have something. Getting enough water in through the day is huge...sometimes we think we are hungry and we are dehydrated.

Everyone is different of course but I have no problems with nuts or cheese. I eat them regularly. You do have to chew everything very well and slowly. Sometimes even well chewed things can sorta backup so to speak...especially the first bite for some reason.

The best advice I can give is to not waste alot of energy feeling guilty. Quitting smoking is hard. I quit smoking 15yrs ago. I went on a health kick..stopped carbs..sugar..caffiene and nicotine at once. It threw my body into shock and I started having panic attacks. Not smart..lol You're doing the pre-op diet and trying to quit smoking at once...it's gonna be hard but you WILL get thru it. Just try to not be so hard on yourself if you slip up ..3 cigs are better than what you were doing and some people need to taper down. The first 3-4 days are the hardest because your body is withdrawing but after that it's a mental addiction..the habit of accually smoking after eatting..while driving..with coffee etc. Cut yourself SOME slack..you're making big changes for the better!

I didn't get numbness in my legs but I had dizziness after fills and my Dr told me there is a nerve that travels the whole ength of the body called the Vagus nerve..it's near the stomach and travels down the legs also. Maybe it's this nerve being affected in some people resulting in the leg numbness. Just a thought!

It's totally normal to feel nervous before surgery..I think it would be weird not to! If you have done your research and are comfortable with your decision then try and put the possible risks out of your mind and concentrate on getting thru that dreaded liquid diet..lol There are risks to ANY surgery but this one is less than most. If you follow the rules your Dr gives you the risks after the fact are less also. There are people that have complications but there are also tons of people that don't. Good luck and keep us posted

To be honest I have never been satisfied with 1/4 - 1/2 cup of food. I think if you are eatting protein first and are staying satisfied for about 4hrs and are still losing weight then don't stress about only eatting a 1/2 cup. It sounds like you have perfect restriction and are following the band rules about protein 1st etc. There are soooo many complications that can come of havng a too tight band. If you are losing weight and staying satisfied between meals I would say leave things the way they are until you notice that you are getting hungry too soon.

The best advice is to not worry so much..it's usually never as bad as you imagine. Easier said than done I know. My Dr doesn't even numb the area first and it's very tolerable. She gets the needle in..adds saline and then I sip water, with needle still in and she adjusts according to how fast the water goes down. Once you get thru the first time you'll feel better about it.

Depends on what they are testing for...not all tests require fasting.

I think I would question the insurance company. The makers of the LapBand suggest 6wks post-op so who are they to make you wait. If we could do this on our own we wouldn't need the LapBand in the first place..Insurance companies make me mad...Grrrrr lol Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease so call them and see if you can get them to budge on that 3mnth thing...point out that the manufacturers say 6wks post-op.

Why have you not had a fill since surgery? The lap-band cannot work for you without proper restriction.

To confirm a slip you will need an X-ray..if it's a minor slip removing saline and waiting a couple weeks may work..for more serious slips surgery to reposition it may be necessary. Hopefully if you have a slip you have caught it early enough and simply unfilling and going on liquids for a period of time will make it slip back into position, it does however make you more likely to slip again. Good luck to you and keep us posted!

Acid reflux is one of the symptoms of band slip. I would definately get it checked to rule this out. Acid reflux left unchecked can damage the cells in you're esophagus and lead to cancer.

1.5 cc's is a big fill...I was getting fills like that. I have a 14 cc band and it wasn't until I got to 11.8 cc's that I got great restriction. My fills going forward will be more like .5 cc if that. You're getting close and maybe with you're next fill you'll see! Good luck!

If you think you stretched you're band then go back to liquids for a few days...I would say you just need more of a fill...as you get closer to capacity the smallest fills will make a big difference.

Hiccups are a signal to stop eatting..called a "soft stop". If you stop eating you will be fine. If you ignore it and continue to eat you could risk getting stuck, get a pain under the left ribcage from overeatting or at the very least you could stretch you're pouch. There are other "soft stop" signals. Everyone is different of course. It's all part of listening to you're band!

This is tricky..It really depends on you. The band is doing it's part but it can't take head hunger away. If you feel like you cannot get control over it then maybe some aversion therapy could work. I think I would really try hard to figure out a way to keep yourself busy and see if you can control it before getting a fill. You have great restriction and having a too tight band comes with a whole other set of problems! Good luck with whatever you decide!

Im glad you're OK. One thing that helps when you're band is tight is to drink something warm before you eat. It helps relax things so you can at least get some nutrition.

You should definately start with getting to the Dr for another fill! Waiting to fix the "head" stuff first makes no sense. That will be an ongoing process for ever...use the tool you chose. Go back to the basics and don't go without SOMETHING in you're stomach in the morning. Alot of us are tighter in the A.M. so have a Protein shake at least (I have a hot coffee flavored Protein Drink to loosen things up a bit). If you go without you will only be setting yourself up for over eatting in the P.M., when the band is not as tight. Going for a fill and full liquids for a while will kick start you and shrink you're pouch a bit also. I know you know all these things but sometimes in the "thick" of things we tend to over complicate things in our minds...It's really just as easy as going back to the basics and just taking a step in the right direction! Good Luck to you and keep everyone updated on you're progress :smile:

Definately go and get adjusted again...don't feel funny about it. That is the nature of the lap-band. It's all part of finding you're sweet spot!

It sounds like you are still not at the best restriction yet. I felt the same way early on. Just keep getting you're scheduled fills until you are satisfied with 1/2 - 1cup food AND are not hungry for 3-4 hrs. It happens so gradually. I have a 14cc band and have 11.6cc's. It was only with this last fill of 2cc's that I finally think I found my sweet spot. Not only is the amt of food drastically reduced but I never feel hungry anymore. I do feel a little weak if I dont eat all day but I never get the stomach growling hunger that used to drive me to the fridge. I know it hard to stay positive till you get there..I thought I had a cast iron stomach and would never get there..lol If you are hungry eat but make good choices and keep track of calories..you WILL get there!

I learn something new about the band all the time! When I went for my last fill my Dr told me that now that we we're getting really close to good restriction she wasn't going to take all the fluid out before adding saline as she did every fill in the past. She explained that each time you take out and refill the stoma shape will change..in other words the way the stomach gathers inside the band can change each time you unfill and then refill. So basically you can unfill and fill again with the exact same amount and feel a different restriction. It makes sense but I had never heard or read anything about this until my Dr explained it to me recently.

I did'nt feel queezy after my fist fill but I did feel dizzy for the rest of the day. I asked my PCP and he suggested it may be related to the Vargus Nerve that runs the length of the body and close to the stomach. I don't know but it only lasted a few hours and hasn't happened in fills since then.

They can feel it because of experience but also they will withdrawl some fluid out to make sure. My Dr commented one time the she can feel the needle go in and hit the metal , the back of the port. But I think withdrawling fluid is proof they are in the port.

I noticed a BIG difference from 10cc's to 11.4 cc's. I think the best way to explain it is that I am satisfied with much less food and I stay satisfied longer. I have to eat MUCH slower. With me the first bite is the hardest. I can actually feel it going thru the stoma and it hurts. Once that passes I can eat another bite and not have discomfort unless I dont chew well. I'm not measuring but I think I eat a bit more than a cup but make sure it's protein first. I don't feel full when I stop..just satisfied. I dont wanna feel full ...I hate that feeling and it will stretch your pouch out anyway. Good luck with your next fill...let us know how it works out!

Just checking in on ya...How did you're fill go??