drowsydad

I just had my 9th or 10th fill. I have sort of lost track. They say I have 10cc filled on a 14cc band. Restriction has been barely noticeable the last few visits. The last two weeks, I actually wondered if they took fluid out, as I was eating everything I wanted and then some with no problems or fullness. Today, I was told my pouch and restriction looked excellent on the x-ray, but they have said that everytime I visit. I really think they are milking me for my money every two weeks. Each fill is $75, so it seems they never fill more than .5cc at a time. Keeps the cash coming in, when they could have filled 2cc-4cc each visit. When I first started going they gave me a few at 1cc. Several of the last visits they have only given .25cc. It is taking forever! Is this normal? I can still eat anything I want. My only limitations appear to be early in the morning when I am most tight. By lunch, it all goes down fine. Hmmm....

So...some of you out there not losing the weight as fast as you hoped after the surgery and several fills? Feeling like a failure? Given up and started eating under your old habits? Gobbling up your favorite foods and binge eating? Ice cream in the fridge or Oreos in the pantry? Soda even in the house? Maybe you stopped getting fills and enjoy being able to eat what you want with light restriction I thought you might be out there...silently struggling...thinking all is well on your part, but the banding support system or LAP-BAND® itself is to blame and has failed you. Sure, let's blame the fills or the people who sold us on this program. Maybe even your doctor or friends. They should of convinced you to go the gastric bypass route for better results. Let's be honest with one another. No one is going to know. Just you and the words on the screen. Ask yourself these questions. You following your recommended diet? That's right...Remember....Protein shakes and healthy meals in between. Smaller portions? No bad high carb foods, eliminating potato chips, ice cream, milk shakes, cheeseburgers, french fries, pizza, Chinese food, spagetti and fatty Mexican food? You just made a funny face. Uh-oh. You eating fast food? How many times a week are you eating out? No, you can't have it both ways. Answer the question. Going to the gym each morning or after work? We are talking real workouts 3-5 days a week. Not just walking around the track once then saying goodbye. You know... real goals and eventually even weights? Seeking help from gym staff to get you started. No, you don't have time for that kind of thing? Just going to eat well and lose it without excercise? Oh...okay. Family buying you food you can't eat if you want to lose weight? Eating it anyway? Just too hard to cook for kids and eat healthy? Spouse doesn't want you to succeed? Or perhaps you do not want to succeed because you are afraid of being faithful if skinny? Or how it might make your spouse feel because they are not changing their habits? Just tired of being on a diet? Can't find motivation? Lack of energy? Depressed because others know you are not losing the weight after surgery? So the final question...why are you finding ways to sabotage your success? You knew what this surgery was about. Now it's time for you to do your part. You are not a miracle person who can lose weight by eating whatever you want and not excercising. You have to put your effort in if you want to lose the weight. It takes you. Look at your lifestyle and make changes. THIS IS NOT A DIET. A diet is something you do for a little while then stop. This is a lifestyle change.This is how you will live the rest of your life to be around healthy and strong. So, set the example for your family and children. Quit blaming others or yourself. It's time to be honest. Face facts. If this is not working for you...are you really working for it? PS: I do not have it figured out. I am struggling. I am failing. I am making poor choices that stack up to cause negative outcomes in weight loss. Most of these questions are to myself, and I know why things have not been working for me. However I know that if I make enough positive choices back to back, they are going to add up to weight loss. I am very grateful for the medical staff who don't give up on me. Thanks to them and a powerful support group tonight, I think I am getting back on track. Feel like joining me if you are in the same place?

It will go fast. Congratulations!

Great news! Thanks for posting this.

I have felt the same way. I had 9cc filled on a 14cc band and the x-ray folks insisted 4 weeks ago I should be able to feel strong restriction and not need additional fills. I left feeling bullied. That being said, I can eat anything I want with no problem. Occasionly I feel light restriction that passes in 1-2 minutes if I eat rice or swallow big bites without chewing. Most of the time, I cannot tell the band is there. I scheduled another fill next week. Hoping it makes a difference.

I have been adding bannana to my shakes in the morning. Any honorable mention for something healthier?

Wonderful! Sometimes it just takes the right people to spark the fire inside of us. Glad you found someone you like.

It is a struggle. The mind games you have with yourself sometimes are the hardest part. Hang in there. Honesty may be the only way we get through this. Best of luck!

It takes time. Hang in there. It could be a few more visits before you have the right restriction. Awesome though that you are on your way!

Hello Everyone, I have been reading everyone's posts, and wanted to say thanks for all the good information during this journey. Figured I would try to pass this information to the next person who is waiting for surgery. These are my experiences so far, so I hope I do not scare anyone. I just want to be honest about what I feel and how things have went so far. I am trying to be very detailed, so sorry if this is a bit boring.:thumbup: I went to St. John's Hospital in Springfield, MO yesterday, March 1st, 2010, at 5:30am in the morning for LAP-BAND®® Surgery with surgeon Dr. Robert Cavagnol. I weighed in at 381 lbs. I was 400 lbs two weeks before after returning from a 7 day Carnival Cruise where I gained 10 lbs. I went straight from eating anything I wanted on the ship to a liquid diet. Not very smart, but the vacation was planned before the surgery and my surgeon felt I could handle the challenge. I undressed my sweat pants and cotton t-shirt, put on the hospital gown, and waited an hour for the other staff to arrive. The registration and lab staff verified who I was, checked my blood sugar, and placed an IV in my right arm to prep me for surgery. I was not sure why we had to be there so early. My spouse and I were tired, but enjoyed the intimate moments to talk and spend quite time together with no kids. I was very nervous about this surgery, as I had lost a friend I worked with a few years before during a routine gall stone procedure. He died in the recovery area very unexpectedly. Soon things started to move quicker. At 7am it seemed like all the staff had come in for their shifts. The anesthesiologist entered my room, gave me an idea what to expect during surgery and gave me some Versed in my IV to calm me, and my surgeon popped his head not too long after for a quick handshake and some last minute discussion on how I would feel post op and promised to talk to my wife Lindsey in the waiting room when finished operating. My wife was then taken to the waiting room, and a male surgical nurse came in to wheel me off to surgery. Once in the operating room, I was given extra blankets that were warmed and given a mask to breath through. The warm blankets felt great! I went to sleep very quickly after that not even knowing I was getting put to sleep. No time to even worry about it. Everyone was very nice and I really felt comfortable before surgery. I even thanked the staff a few times as they really did everything possible to keep me comfortable and calm. St. John's does a great job and their people make the difference. I awoke in the recovery room about an hour later. I was very tired and could immediately feel a large amount of pressure on my chest. It was very difficult to breathe. I went back to sleep for a few minutes before waking again. A female nurse asked how I was doing, and I asked the bed to be raised as my lower back was hurting and I hoped that this would help me breathe. She moved the bed immediately. The nurse also explained the pressure in my chest was the carbon dioxide used by the surgeon to inflate my inner stomach area during surgery so he could see better around my stomach and liver. I was told this pain would last for 1-2 days, as my body would need to break the gas down and get rid of it over time. I felt really panicked about this, as it felt like a small child was sitting on my chest. My thoughts wandered to heart attacks and other scenarios I could dream up. My mind always thinks that way. I wish I could stop it, but oh well. I was over reacting in the moment. I was soon rolled to the room I was in earlier, where I originally undressed and put on my gown. My wife joined me soon afterwards and told me my surgeon stopped into the waiting room to speak with her. He felt things went very well. He told her that my 2 week pre-op liquid diet had helped, as I had lost weight around my liver and made it easier for him during surgery. This was a relief, because I really wanted to succeed with this goal, and it was hard to go from solid foods on my vacation to broth and protein shakes. Probably one of the hardest things I have ever done diet wise, as I really have little to no willpower. I tried to get comfortable in the room, and asked the nurse if I could stand. The nurse there was happy that I wanted to get up. She helped me immediately. Standing seemed to help me breathe as my body weight did not press down on my chest as much. I was suprised how easy I could move around. There was little pain. My wife helped me into my sweat pants and t-shirt and helped me with my shoes. I was asked to pee in the bathroom and not flush by the nurse. Once this was done, they took my wife to get the car, and put me in a wheel chair to meet her at the patient exit and go home. My wife went to a pharmacy to pick up some pain meds, and I slept in the car off and on during the trip home. Once we got to our house, I plopped into a recliner and again could not get comfortable. The pressure in my chest was really difficult to bear. I eventually asked my wife to help me to the bedroom where I was able to lay sideways and sleep. The stomach area hurt as this pulled on my incisions, but this seemed to relieve the pressure I was feeling in my chest. i was glad to trade one uncomfortable thing for something else taht was more bearable. I awoke a few hours later and walked around the house, as the medical staff stated this would help the gas pressure from moving to my shoulder. As the day progressed, the pressure seemed to diminish. Walking did help. I sipped water during the daytime and at night drank some chicken broth. The broth filled my stomach greatly and I began to have horrible hiccups before bed that hurt my incisions. These hiccups moved my whole chest, and there was a strange feeling that I need to burp, but could not. Eventually I was sick and felt better after getting some of the chicken broth out of my stomach. All I can say, is that after surgery, it is very hard to listen to your body. Especially your stomach. You cannot figure out if you are hungry, ill, or just experiencing pressure from the carbon dioxide. This continued into my first day Post Op (today). I woke after sleeping comfortably through the night. I was feeling great, the pressure was mostly gone, and I felt hungry. I mixed a strawberry protein shake, thinking I was allowed to have it, since my discharge instructions stated to return to a liquid diet and asked for 50-70 grams of protein a day. BIG MISTAKE! I was sick as a dog all morning. My stomach was angry, and the milk curdled. Took me a few hours to stop vomiting. When my wife came home from work, she quickly reminded me I was to drink only broth and water until my visit with the surgeon on March 8th. I am also allowed sugar free popsicles. I sipped water for the rest of the day and drank half a can of chicken broth for dinner. Even the chicken broth sat heavy on my stomach and for a while I thought I would again be sick. By the grace of God I have kept it down and was able to type this blog post. The only real problem now is just eating again. My tummy does not seem comfortable and I am desperately trying to listen to the signs as to what it needs right now. I have these strong hiccups that move my whole chest and occur frequently and put additional pressure on my chest and incisions. They last about 5-10 minutes, and are more of an aggregation that painful. I am guessing this too is normal. I am not having doubts about the surgery, but it is starting to occur to me this will be a rough few weeks of adapting. I guess I thought I might be the lucky one, but it appears that I will have to tough it out like everyone else these first few days. I can actually feel the band sitting on my stomach, and it feels weird and heavy. I think it causes the hiccups. I do not feel the port, as some have posted. Not even sure what side it is on. I can sleep on my back and side, get up from my recliner unassisted, and even managed a shower on my own today. I am doing okay with the pain, and really was surprised how little the incisions have hurt. So in some ways I am lucky. I just keep reminding myself all this discomfort will go away and eventually I will feel some sense of normal. I just don't like feeling this way at the moment. I keep thinking about the 4th of July and how happy I am going to be that I had this surgery by then. Hopefully I will be much trimmer and more comfortable with the band by then. As for being comfortable at home, I snuggle with a foam spa pillow that helps when I push it against my stomach. I purchased it at Sam's Club and love it! it has made the difference in sleeping in bed, as I can move it under my feet or back if needed. I also went to BlockBuster and rented a few movies to keep me entertained. One thing that has helped me feel better is getting up and moving. I made a taco dinner for the family tonight, even though I could not eat them, it felt good to do something for them. They seemed suprised I could do it. Tomorrow I am going to walk around the block in my neighborhood for some excercise. It's only 1/4 of a mile, but I know this will be a good goal for the energy I have. Looking forward to the gym in a few more weeks. Well, thats all for now. Feel like I wrote a book, but this has been the last 48 hours of my life. Good luck to all of you waiting for surgery. I hope to see your journey's and success stories here later. Would love to read any comments if you had the surgery already and shared similar experiences. I kind of feel abnormal at the moment. I could use some reassurance that others went through the same stuff and survived! LOL! Thanks for reading. -Chris

I had band fill number four yesterday. Every visit so far I have made sure not to look down. I do not like needles, and seeing them only makes things worse. However this time, I found my eyes focusing on what the technician was doing. When she took the plastic cover off I about screamed. That needle is HUGE! I never feel it thanks to the Lidocaine, but the visual appears to represent a medically approved stabbing. If you are weak in the knees when it comes to big needles, do not watch or attempt to look. I now have a total of 7cc in the 14cc band. I can eat anything I want. No issues with bread. I had some trouble with rice a few weeks back, but no issue since. My weight during the last visit showed I lost 5 lbs in 2 weeks. I was amazed by that. Fill number five is scheduled in two more weeks. I wonder how many cc's it will take. I am guessing around 10cc I should be getting close to the green spot. Anyone with a 14cc band need more than 10cc? -Chris

You lost 3.8 lbs in one week? Well, that is wonderful news!!! What am I missing? More importantly...what are you missing? I think you may be mentally setting yourself up for failure. We do this sometimes. Gives us a reason to give up, because this is so hard. We are not comfortable and facing the challenge is so much harder than eating whatever we want. Think about the progress you have made. You are winning the battle. PLEASE! You must stop being so hard on yourself. Learn how to love yourself again and allow this transformation in your life. You are worth it, and you are doing amazing! Acknowledge this and keep losing that weight! Great job! You are a winner.

Can you feel any restriction with 4cc? My Lap Band Fill technician will only give me 1cc per visit now. I can only go once every two weeks for a fill. I am also impatient because every fill sort of leaves me dissapointed when I hope it will be the one. They say that one day you will go in and after the fill, everything will change and eating will be difficult. The restriction just appears suddenly and the benefits begin. I am very curious at what point this will happen with a 14cc band. Best of luck! Let me know when it starts working for you.

I recently went to a Lap band support group and the folks who spoke mentioned only how strong they were. They never cheated, never felt the desire to eat bad foods, and never felt hunger after their surgery. At first, I thought I was a freak. I could not relate. Sure, the surgery was not too bad and I quickly recovered, but daddy still likes to eat. A few weeks post op and I was hungry just as before. These folks were talking about losing 50 pounds before their first fill. Not me. What they were describing felt more like a competition to "one up" each other, and find out who was more perfect. I was too scared to mention that my experience was different and that I was having a hard time with my diet and my first few fills did little to help. I just sat their vey quite nodding my head. I have been reading about "Bandster Hell", and I can honestly say the guilt is the torment. You tell so many people about your choice for surgery. You work hard to get there and recover. Then you wait, and wait, and wait...hoping that restriction comes. Hoping the weight will start to drop so you can justify the choice. Especially when some people you know think you were lame for having surgery and don't mind telling you Lap Band is the easy way out. Family, friends, and co-workers ask how things are going 8,10,and 12 weeks later post op. You feel like they are questioning you because they think you have failed. You feel you have failed. Losing 5 pounds just doesn't seem like enough after going through so much and paying so much money. Then the support group you go to hoping for comfort decides to only talk about how well things went for them and how strong they were with willpower. I get it! You are amazing and lost weight fast. Doesn't happen that way for everyone, and if you are so perfect, why did you need the surgery in the first place? I know they mean well, but really...be honest. This is hard. It is not easy. Be human and tell the truth about the night you struggled with ice cream, dodged going to the gym for the first time over a week, or wondering if people were judging your success based on bypass results of someone they know. A support group is for people being real, open, and honest. Felt like a church ladies social with gossip and bragging. On better news, I had my 3rd fill this week. I will be having #4 on June 1st. With a 14cc band, this could take a while. At 6cc now. I know years from now this period of the game will seem less dramatic. However it seems like no one talks about this "Bandster Hell" period where you go crazy waiting for change. Oh well. Thanks for listening to me rant. Until next time. -Chris

I appreciate the comments and am so glad I am not the only one who feels this way about the experience thus far. Ironically the day after posting I felt restriction for the first time eating rice too fast during my lunch break. I had to laugh at myself during the whole uncomfortable episode, thinking to myself "well...you asked for it". The pressure did not last more than 10 minutes, but I was so happy about it. This was probably just a mild precursor to the real experience of a green zone overindulgence, but I was very grateful for a sign that the Lap Band is actually there.

I was also scared to death about stretching my pouch. After my first few fills, I asked the staff running the x-ray machine if they had seen this happen. They mentioned it occurs mostly after you have tight restriction from several fills. Not so much when you are still trying to get to that green spot. They also said it would be very painful to eat that much and have it sit there after every meal to expand/stretch the pouch. I was relieved to hear that I was okay. I am sure you both are fine. Thanks for the post.

Thanks for the comments. I had my 3rd fill and I think I am starting to feel a little restriction. Mostly when I drink water too fast. Food however, I can still eat whatever I want. I have gained a few pounds now, so I am a little down about that. On the upside, the band fill tech said I was getting much closer and would notice much more with each passing fill. My next fill is on June 1st.

Had my second fill Tuesday. They added 2cc for a total of 4cc. Still not feeling restriction. They say this is normal since they used a bigger band. Might be a few more fills. I feel impatient. Mostly because I am not losing weight. Just maintaining the 30 lbs I have already lost. Diet is an issue. Working on it, but old habits are tough. Especially when eating out with the family. I have been eating fast food salads if we end up at some place where we need food fast. Skipping diet soda and being very good about sticking with water. No carbonated beverages. I have not had a beer since two weeks pre-op. Sometimes I really miss it, but staying true on that goal. Went to a micro-brewery and felt out of place with my ice water. I have scheduled my 3rd fill in two weeks. Hoping that might be the moment I can feel restriction. It would be a relief to know things are working. I feel like maybe something is wrong, though I know it is all in my head. I get panicky that I will not lose weight, and everyone who knows I had the surgery will see me as a failure. The x-ray tech that administered my fill said that she could see good restriction. She even showed me the narrow passage where the band was. It just seems odd that it can show up on the x-ray, but I can still eat whatever I want as quickly as before the surgery. I am trying hard to chew 30 times and not drink water with meals. Easy to forget sometimes. Better get some sleep. Bye for now. Chris

I relate to the frustration. Do you ever feel like the hardest part about this experience is waiting? Like you know where you want to be and how you plan to get there, but you have to wait so much for the medical part at each stage? I need to be patient, but sometimes I just feel like the fills could be bigger. Especially the first two. Waiting for restriction after surgery is really hard. Not to mention you wonder what people are thinking about you since you are not losing weight very quickly. Someone asked me at work if I was having issues with my band. It was kind of embarrassing to have to explain the process. I suppose many people just think it is the same as Gastric Bypass. Sometimes I wish I did not tell so many people I had the surgery. Thanks for your post. It gives me hope. :cursing:

That is awesome! Congratulations! I was banded March 1st, 2010 and with the liquid pre & post op diet lost 20lbs within 3 weeks. Since then though I have had very little progress and my hunger is back to normal. I have no restriction after the first two fills. I have my next fill (#3) scheduled Tuesday and am a little frustrated. I was hoping to have more help with things by now. Of course, I have also lost momentum with my dedication and need to play by the rules. Did you notice a big change in progress after restriction? How many fills did it take before you were stopped from normal eating? I am curious if anyone else questioned if Lap Band was the right decision between the first couple of fills. I would feel more confident if the restriction was there stopping me from my bad habits. I kind of feel like a failure so far.

That is tough. Especially during this time of transition. This surgical goal is going to be a major part of the life you deserve. Make sure you focus on it even more so than before, and let someone in to lean on. You should not go this alone. We all need support. Open up, find someone you can depend on. Invite them out for coffee. Be honest, and ask them to sponsor you during this effort. You are going to be alright, and your future husband is out there waiting for you on the other side of this.

Had my second fill Tuesday. They added 2cc for a total of 4cc. Still not feeling restriction. They say this is normal since they used a bigger band. Might be a few more fills. I feel impatient. Mostly because I am not losing weight. Just maintaining the 30 lbs I have already lost. Diet is an issue. Working on it, but old habits are tough. Especially when eating out with the family. I have been eating fast food salads if we end up at some place where we need food fast. Skipping diet soda and being very good about sticking with water. No carbonated beverages. I have not had a beer since two weeks pre-op. Sometimes I really miss it, but staying true on that goal. Went to a micro-brewery and felt out of place with my ice water. I have scheduled my 3rd fill in two weeks. Hoping that might be the moment I can feel restriction. It would be a relief to know things are working. I feel like maybe something is wrong, though I know it is all in my head. I get panicky that I will not lose weight, and everyone who knows I had the surgery will see me as a failure. The x-ray tech that administered my fill said that she could see good restriction. She even showed me the narrow passage where the band was. It just seems odd that it can show up on the x-ray, but I can still eat whatever I want as quickly as before the surgery. I am trying hard to chew 30 times and not drink water with meals. Easy to forget sometimes. Better get some sleep. Bye for now. Chris

Perhaps the 4th fill will make the difference. I just had my first fill and felt nothing. Hearing you mention your first fills did little worry me. I feel impatient and a little frustrated because my diet is progressing back to bad habits and I signed up for this because of the restriction. I am getting my diet back in check, but I really want the band to assist with the full feeling. You are not in this alone, so I am glad you are reaching out. I think things are about to turn around for you. Don't give up. :confused: