Took nine months-is this normal???

[mstwash 0]

I've read that some dr.'s prefer to completely fill then withdraw to proper restriction for people that are prepared to go all out. Maybe some dr.'s think that their patients need to "step up" gradually to restriction so its not to much to handle at once.

[justiceaim1 0]

Didn't do too well today. Very emotional (Aunt Flo is about to visit) and I ate a bunch of slider foods and chocolate. I'm so bummed. I only ate healthy for four days and I messed it up already. I think that subconsciously I try to fail at eating right for some reason. Weird. I'm not going to worry about it though. At least I'm not physically hungry anymore. I just have to fight the bad habits that I've taken years to develop.

Hope everyone is doing well and having a good day. Thanks again for all of your advice!

-Amy :thumbup:

[justiceaim1 0]

I've read that some dr.'s prefer to completely fill then withdraw to proper restriction for people that are prepared to go all out. Maybe some dr.'s think that their patients need to "step up" gradually to restriction so its not to much to handle at once.

My doctor told me that the reason he does it gradually is because, when they first started doing the surgery in the U.S., doctors used to fill it up all the way directly after surgery but that they had a high incidence of bands slipping due to a lot of vomiting and problems like that. They do it gradually now so that the body has time to get used to this foreign object inside of it. I thought that was interesting.

Take care- Amy :thumbup:

[justiceaim1 0]

OP, are we separated at birth??? I can sign my name under each of your posts in this thread. With the exception that I've got my restriction at 9.5cc in 10cc band. If you search my posts you'll see how much frustration it used to cost me.

Hi remodelingme,

Dumb question: Am I "OP"? I'm not too informed in all of the abbreviations people use nowadays but I think you're talking about me? Hee Hee Hee! :thumbup:

I read your posts and I can definitely relate to what's happened to you. Especially where you mentioned that at one point, you thought you had a leak because you'd feel restriction at first and then three or four weeks later it would be less. I can completely relate to that. It makes me think that I've stretched it or something but I know that I don't stuff myself at all. I'm very careful about it. I'm worried it's going to happen again and I'll lose my restriction. Every time I get a fill and I think I have good restriction I think, "OK, now this is finally going to be it for me." Then it goes away and I do the whole thing over again. Getting my hopes up every time. Do you think that we made a mistake having this surgery done? I have my doubts right now.

-Amy :sad:

[Tish5632 0]

Yes, this has sort of happened to me too. I was banded 7/4/09 (in MX) and I didn't get decent restriction until I had 7.2 ccs in my 11cc band. (Which didn't happen until late January 2010) It took 6 1/2 months to get decent restriction and now since I've lost a little weight, I need another - which is how it works. For me, I think the slow progression is good because it's allowed me to make permanent changes to my lifestyle. As much as I don't want to admit it, if I had started out in the beginning with great restriction, I would have lost most if not all of my weight I needed to lose by now, but I think I would have found ways around the band too. I usually start off good, but lose my way after awhile. This way seems to be working really well, and I don't feel "cheated", so I will stay with the program. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!

[RavenClaw779 2]

It is such a relief to read everyone's stories. I had my first fill last week(2.5cc/11cc band) and actually feel less restricted. As a result I've gained 3 pounds and find myself reverting to my old eating habits i.e., grazing on "forbidden" foods. I keep praying for guidence and am coming to the realization that maybe this wasn't the right choice for me - maybe I should've gone for the GB. NTL - I have to deal with the hand I dealt myself, so I'm trying to crack down on my bad behaviors and accept that this is going to take time. And I'll keep reminding myself that this is just a "tool".

[Ilovebeagles 0]

It took me 8 months to achieve good restriction. I have a 14 cc band and have had 6 adjustments. I kept thinking something was wrong too! But my surgeon assured me otherwise.

He said sometimes it does take awhile to get to this point and many fills. For fills 1-4 I didn't notice much of a difference at all. On fills 4 and 5 it was great for the first 2, maybe 3 weeks and then back to almost eating a house and hunger returning soon after eating a good bander meal of dense protien first.

On this last fill, # 6 (not sure how much he put in this time; doesnt' matter to me as long as it is working!) I'm really noticing great restriction for the first time and it is wonderful! Up until now it was more like dieting because I was hungry a lot of the time, now I stay satisfied for 4+ hours after eating and am not so very hungry when I do eat. That alone helps me to make much better food choices. When I'm starving I tend to grab anything and try to eat too much.

[momof4monkeys 0]

I had my LAP-BAND®® 7/6/09 and I've had so many fills I've lost track. I would feel restriction the first few days after my fill but then it seemed to go away and I don't know why.

The other day when I saw my doctor again I told him that maybe this LAP-BAND®® thing isn't working for me. I had 7 1/2cc in my band and I could still eat an egg mcmuffin. I have never thrown up or PB'd, never felt nauseated. I can eat absolutely anything including bread. I asked him if he could fill it to the brim. He helped me sit up after the needle was in my port (didn't really hurt, just barely) and had me drink Water while he put the saline in until I could feel that it was blocked and the Water stopped. Then he withdrew a little until I could feel the water go down. I'm at 8 1/2 cc now and I'm finally feeling restriction. I think my band only holds 10cc! I don't understand why my experience happened like this. He just said that everyone is different but that he's never put this much in any band before.

I had originally lost 34lbs within 3 months of the surgery and it seemed to be working but maybe I stretched it or something. I thought I was pretty careful but I have no other explanation. I started to get discouraged and eating bad stuff again and gained five pounds back.

Now that I had this last huge fill I'm able to eat 1000-1200 calories a day and make really healthy eating choices. I've been eating lean turkey lunch meat w/berries and a few slices of cucumbers. I'm just confused as to why it all happened like that but at least it's working now. Has anyone else had a similar experience? I feel like I'm abnormal.

I don't think your abnormal. I have a 10cc band and it took me about 7.5-8cc to feel restriction. I know someone who has the same band as me and had too much restriction at 3 cc's. It's different for everyone. My band slipped once and I had to have Fluid removed, but everything is now back to normal and I have probably about 8 cc's maybe a little more in my 10cc band and have good restriction. Not too much restriction, I can drink water just fine and even rice!! Good Luck I wouldnt worry if I was you, your doing great.