Genielady

Since my opinion of the Realize Band's RealizeMySuccess web site is not very good, I have decided to use this web site instead. Seems a lot more active and user-friendly. I was banded and had a hiatal hernia, plus an umbilical hernia repaired on November 11, 2009. My first fill on Dec 15, 2009, Second on January 19, and third on Feb 16. I think I am a bit too tight from this one and will let them remove a CC next week. That will bring my total fill to 9 CC's, which I think will be just about right. I have been very impressed with Dr. Smith and my husband also chose Dr. Smith to do his band on January 4. Now, we hope to get much healthier and live longer to see our Grandchildren grow up. I started at 362 in my primary care physician's office in late October and today I am at 316.

To everyone who replied to my message about being hungry and feeling no restriction after my first fill on Dec. 16......crzytchr You were correct. The fill didn't "take". The regular person did not do my fill and the person who did it missed the port. When I went in on Jan 19 for my 2nd fill, the Regular NP at Phoebe Putney in Albany, Georgia, withdraw the Fluid to check, and sure enough, nothing came out. So she put the fluid in slowly and it took definitely took the 8cc's in the 11cc Realize Band to get some constriction for the liquid I was drinking. I am now back on track losing weight. I went back on Feb 16 for another adjustment and this time, I think I am a bit too tight. But I will wait and see how it goes over the weekend. My husband had the Band surgery on Jan 4 and he has lost 46 pounds from Pre-Op Sugar Busters til today. I have lost 40 since my regular doctor's appointment in late October. Men!! :sad:

I am not sure that I told some of you about the two hernia repairs Dr. Smith did at the same time as my Band. I had a hiatal hernia at the top of my stomach and an umbilical hernia from a tear in the muscle wall when I was helping Scott rebuild our deck. My belly button had been an "inny" even after I gained all this weight, til I popped that hernia. Dr. Smith repaired that and gave me my "Inny" back. He also repaired that hiatal hernia and I do not have heartburn or night-time stopped up nose anymore!! That is wonderful! I don't have to use nasal spray every night just to breathe once I lay my head down. Can you tell I am happy?????:redface: After two knee replacements and now this surgery, I'm getting to be an old "hand" at this stuff.

I am not sure that I told some of you about the two hernia repairs Dr. Smith did at the same time as my Band. I had a hiatal hernia at the top of my stomach and an umbilical hernia from a tear in the muscle wall when I was helping Scott rebuild our deck. My belly button had been an "inny" even after I gained all this weight, til I popped that hernia. Dr. Smith repaired that and gave me my "Inny" back. He also repaired that hiatal hernia and I do not have heartburn or night-time stopped up nose anymore!! That is wonderful! I don't have to use nasal spray every night just to breathe once I lay my head down. Can you tell I am happy????? After two knee replacements and now this surgery, I'm getting to be an old "hand" at this stuff.

Today I finally called in and told the NP that I believe this last adjustment was a little too tight. I really didn't want to do that because I have been so slow in losing the weight but I can't eat more than 2 small pieces of carrot without feeling very uncomfortable or throwing up. So I know I can't live a month like that. This past Tuesday's fill, Feb 16, took me up to 10 cc's on the Realize Band that holds (supposedly) 11 cc's. I was at 8 before this fill and didn't really feel much restriction. So we are going to back it down to 9 on Monday and see how that feels. The weight has been coming off slowly, slower than I want, but at least its continuing to come down now. The first fill didn't "take". The NP didn't do the fill and they missed the port. So from Nov 11 (surgery date) to Dec 15 on to Jan 19, I had no fluid in the band at all. Jan 19, the NP did it and it definitely took the 8 cc's to make me have a restriction on drinking the water. But after 2 weeks, the restriction slacked off, so on Feb 16, we upped it. I think I was a little too zealous in wanting it filled to the maximum I thought I could stand. :-) My total weight loss from the day I saw my Primary Care Physician in mid-October, til now is 46 pounds. Only another 146 pounds to go. GOSH, that sounds awful!! Well, at least they are great at Phoebe Putney Hospital in Albany about working with people like me. :-) I have hypothyroidism and right now, my thyroid is acting up again, so another adjustment on my medication is due. I am waiting on Express Scripts to send me my new dosage. Hopefully, when that is corrected, I will be on track to lose about 10 pounds a month. That is my goal. I don't want my skin to fall off my body.:redface: Signing out for this week!! :frown:

Today I finally called in and told the NP that I believe this last adjustment was a little too tight. I really didn't want to do that because I have been so slow in losing the weight but I can't eat more than 2 small pieces of carrot without feeling very uncomfortable or throwing up. So I know I can't live a month like that. This past Tuesday's fill, Feb 16, took me up to 10 cc's on the Realize Band that holds (supposedly) 11 cc's. I was at 8 before this fill and didn't really feel much restriction. So we are going to back it down to 9 on Monday and see how that feels. The weight has been coming off slowly, slower than I want, but at least its continuing to come down now. The first fill didn't "take". The NP didn't do the fill and they missed the port. So from Nov 11 (surgery date) to Dec 15 on to Jan 19, I had no fluid in the band at all. Jan 19, the NP did it and it definitely took the 8 cc's to make me have a restriction on drinking the water. But after 2 weeks, the restriction slacked off, so on Feb 16, we upped it. I think I was a little too zealous in wanting it filled to the maximum I thought I could stand. :-) My total weight loss from the day I saw my Primary Care Physician in mid-October, til now is 46 pounds. Only another 146 pounds to go. GOSH, that sounds awful!! Well, at least they are great at Phoebe Putney Hospital in Albany about working with people like me. :-) I have hypothyroidism and right now, my thyroid is acting up again, so another adjustment on my medication is due. I am waiting on Express Scripts to send me my new dosage. Hopefully, when that is corrected, I will be on track to lose about 10 pounds a month. That is my goal. I don't want my skin to fall off my body. Signing out for this week!! :crying:

Thank you for your morale support! I will try what you suggested at my appointment on Jan 14 or sooner if they will let me. My husband is having the band surgery on Jan 4.

I could just copy and paste what laughnleo wrote, almost exactly, even almost the same dates of surgery and first fill. I have never felt the full-constriction feeling that my girlfriend does, who had the Lap-Band brand band implanted 3 years ago, feels. I lost almost 30 pounds the two weeks pre-op on the Sugar Busters diet and two weeks post-op on all liquids, but have not lost anything since. My first fill was Dec 15 and they put in 8cc's in the 11cc Realize "c" band. I still could eat a full-course Red Lobster meal and feel no constriction at all, if I let myself. I go back on January 14 for a band adjustment but I can't see how 3 more cc's is going to make any difference. If I wanted to starve myself and exercise like crazy just to make some progress, I don't know why I went thru this surgery. Can you tell I am worried?