OK, I need some serious help/advice please

[Jessie26 0]

I was banded on May 25 of this year. I haven't had any complications. I've had 2 fills with no success. I can eat whatever I want bread, Pasta, meats, and I can even drink carbonated drinks. I can still eat the same amount of food as I did before surgery. I weighed 232 in May and now I am down to 197. Let me give you some info on my first fill. My doctor had a tough time trying trying to find my port. He was poking and poking and poking with that needle. He finally got through. Filled me to 4cc. Well about 3 weeks later...still I could eat whatever I wanted with no restriction. So I got another fill. This time it was much easier for him to access. One stick and he filled me to 4.5 cc's which was all I could take because we tried at 5 and I couldn't get the Water down that he had me drink. It's been about 4 weeks since that last fill. I believe that when he was trying to give me my first fill he poked around so much that now my port is leaking and that's why I am still not feeling any restriction. I personally think that my band doesn't have any liquid at all in it right now. OR...another thing I was thinking about was if I had stretched my pouch. Has anyone ever had any problems like I am having? Thanks for your input!

[Hopeful to be full 11]

Just a question, why aren't you following the directions, no Pasta, no bread, no soda??? Just because you can stomach these, DOESN'T mean you should. You could be harming yourself and not even realizing it. Maybe u haven't stretched your pouch, but it you keep eating like this YOU WILL. If you aren't feeling restriction you need to call your doc BUT YOU SHOULD ALSO SPEND ALL YOUR ENERGY FOLLOWING GUIDELINES. The band is not magic, until u get the right restriction you need to use self control to prevent overeating. it's all you baby. the deal is 80 20, eighty percent you, 20 percent or less the band. good luck

[MelindaH 3]

I was banded on May 25 of this year. I haven't had any complications. I've had 2 fills with no success. I can eat whatever I want bread, Pasta, meats, and I can even drink carbonated drinks. I can still eat the same amount of food as I did before surgery. I weighed 232 in May and now I am down to 197. Let me give you some info on my first fill. My doctor had a tough time trying trying to find my port. He was poking and poking and poking with that needle. He finally got through. Filled me to 4cc. Well about 3 weeks later...still I could eat whatever I wanted with no restriction. So I got another fill. This time it was much easier for him to access. One stick and he filled me to 4.5 cc's which was all I could take because we tried at 5 and I couldn't get the Water down that he had me drink. It's been about 4 weeks since that last fill. I believe that when he was trying to give me my first fill he poked around so much that now my port is leaking and that's why I am still not feeling any restriction. I personally think that my band doesn't have any liquid at all in it right now. OR...another thing I was thinking about was if I had stretched my pouch. Has anyone ever had any problems like I am having? Thanks for your input!

I am still preop so have not experienced what you are describing yet. But I would urge you to contac your bariatric clinis for assistance tomorrow. You need to know if your band is leaking.

Melinda

[Jessie26 0]

Just a question, why aren't you following the directions, no Pasta, no bread, no soda??? Just because you can stomach these, DOESN'T mean you should. You could be harming yourself and not even realizing it. Maybe u haven't stretched your pouch, but it you keep eating like this YOU WILL. If you aren't feeling restriction you need to call your doc BUT YOU SHOULD ALSO SPEND ALL YOUR ENERGY FOLLOWING GUIDELINES. The band is not magic, until u get the right restriction you need to use self control to prevent overeating. it's all you baby. the deal is 80 20, eighty percent you, 20 percent or less the band. good luck

I've tried bread twice and first tried a carbonated drink this past weekend just too see what would happen with my band. Thank you for your input. I will take that all into consideration.

[Dave_NW 92]

Jessie, you need to tell your surgeon about your concerns. They can do a reverse-fill, by extracting all the Fluid out of your band. That way you'll both know exactly how much Fluid is in your band. If you expect to have 4.5cc in it, and they can only get out 2cc, for example, you'll know you have a leak somewhere. If they take out 4.5cc or more, then you'll know the issue you're having isn't likely caused by a leak.

Presuming the band isn't leaking, I'd strongly recommend you revisit your daily diet, your calories, your Protein vs. carb intake, and how many calories you're burning off every day. The band will not stop you from eating anything you want, just how often, and how much you eat in one bite. It won't stop you from overeating, or from making poor food choices.

Good luck!

Dave

[NJGirl32 43]

I honestly don't think you have a leak. They use special needles that help to avoidbthat very thing. You have lost a good bit of weight and the fat pad under your band may have diminished and thereby the band simply is not tight. Sounds like you are due for a fill! Good luck to you!

I'd also have to disagree with the oster that said it's 80% you and 20% the band. I would say that might be true prior to feeling restriction, but once you feel restriction the band REALLY kicks in! I couldn't overeat even if I wanted to and there's no way I can eat Pasta or bread and that didn't happen until my 4th fill! Hang in there-your almost there!

[honk 780]

My doctor wants me to be able to eat most things just to eat less of them. I can eat bread and Pasta I just choose not to. I would agree that it sounds like you have lost weight around your stomach and now the band is loose. Regarding carbinated drinks I would stop.

[JayDiBee 1]

I was banded on May 25 of this year. I haven't had any complications. I've had 2 fills with no success. I can eat whatever I want bread, Pasta, meats, and I can even drink carbonated drinks. I can still eat the same amount of food as I did before surgery. I weighed 232 in May and now I am down to 197. Let me give you some info on my first fill. My doctor had a tough time trying trying to find my port. He was poking and poking and poking with that needle. He finally got through. Filled me to 4cc. Well about 3 weeks later...still I could eat whatever I wanted with no restriction. So I got another fill. This time it was much easier for him to access. One stick and he filled me to 4.5 cc's which was all I could take because we tried at 5 and I couldn't get the Water down that he had me drink. It's been about 4 weeks since that last fill. I believe that when he was trying to give me my first fill he poked around so much that now my port is leaking and that's why I am still not feeling any restriction. I personally think that my band doesn't have any liquid at all in it right now. OR...another thing I was thinking about was if I had stretched my pouch. Has anyone ever had any problems like I am having? Thanks for your input!

[lizzy2150 3]

Jessie:

Just doing a little math here--in four months, you've lost 35 lbs. That's a little more than 8 lbs a month, or 2 lbs a week, which is exactly what we're supposed to expect to lose. You say you don't have any restriction, but clearly something's changed, right?

Honestly, it sounds like you're exactly where you're supposed to be. Most of us don't get good restriction until three or more fills into the process. My dr. is fairly aggressive with fills, and I feel very little "restriction" after two fills--I eat bread and Pasta (albeit in limited amounts, and I don't drink soda). I don't eat as much as I used to, though I'm sure I could if I tried.

I agree with Dave_NW (who usually gives excellent advice from what I've seen): tell your surgeon about your concerns, have him check the amount of Fluid currently in your band, and see what happens with the next fill.

Also, if you haven't already, read this: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html. It's the best information I've seen on the idea of "restriction."

Good luck, and keep up the good work!

[njm 0]

Am I the only one on this board who can and does eat every thing - in moderation. As long as i take small bites, chew well and eat slowly, no food causes me a problem. I lost 90 lbs my first year by just eating less than I used to. You don't strech your pouch by eating Pasta and bread. Restriction is great because you're not hungry, so it's easier to eat less. I find I get good restriction after a fill and lose it as I lose weight and then I need another fill.

If your doctor tried to add 1cc and you got stuck on Water I doubt that you have a leak, but as Dave said, check it out.

[Cindy C 150]

Am I the only one on this board who can and does eat every thing - in moderation. As long as i take small bites, chew well and eat slowly, no food causes me a problem. I lost 90 lbs my first year by just eating less than I used to. You don't strech your pouch by eating Pasta and bread. Restriction is great because you're not hungry, so it's easier to eat less. I find I get good restriction after a fill and lose it as I lose weight and then I need another fill.

If your doctor tried to add 1cc and you got stuck on Water I doubt that you have a leak, but as Dave said, check it out.

No, you're not the only one. I can eat just about anything, albeit maybe only a bite or two of some things. Red meat is the only thing that gives me problems. But I probably don't chew it well enough. There are some things that I just choose not to eat...like bread and Pasta.

[bromo 17]

lizzy, that was a very informative link. Thank you.

[roziecakes 20]

No, you're not the only one. I can eat just about anything, albeit maybe only a bite or two of some things. Red meat is the only thing that gives me problems. But I probably don't chew it well enough. There are some things that I just choose not to eat...like bread and Pasta.

Yes! Choice is the key I think. There are things I definitely could eat, but choose not to. We all make a choice when we pick up the fork and put it in our mouth; whether the band is there or not.

[Little Teapot 1]

I was banded on May 25 of this year. I haven't had any complications. I've had 2 fills with no success. I can eat whatever I want bread, Pasta, meats, and I can even drink carbonated drinks. I can still eat the same amount of food as I did before surgery. I weighed 232 in May and now I am down to 197. Let me give you some info on my first fill. My doctor had a tough time trying trying to find my port. He was poking and poking and poking with that needle. He finally got through. Filled me to 4cc. Well about 3 weeks later...still I could eat whatever I wanted with no restriction. So I got another fill. This time it was much easier for him to access. One stick and he filled me to 4.5 cc's which was all I could take because we tried at 5 and I couldn't get the Water down that he had me drink. It's been about 4 weeks since that last fill. I believe that when he was trying to give me my first fill he poked around so much that now my port is leaking and that's why I am still not feeling any restriction. I personally think that my band doesn't have any liquid at all in it right now. OR...another thing I was thinking about was if I had stretched my pouch. Has anyone ever had any problems like I am having? Thanks for your input!

Wow Jessie, my story is SO similar! I was banded May 20th of this year and including the pre-op diet, I've lost 32 lbs. My first fill was horrible. There was a resident with the surgeon learning how to do fills. I should have refused, but I'm a student in the medical field, so I know you have to learn somehow. Long story short, he and the surgeon stuck me a combined 6 or 7 times before accessing the port. The put in 2cc's and I left with an appt to come back in 5 weeks or so. I didn't really feel a difference, which I know can be typical on such a small fill. On my second fill appointment, I was seen by the fill nurse. She was able to access the port right away, but could not pull out any Fluid. I was already worried that the resident poked a hole in my tubing, but she comforted me by saying that with all the poking, he may have gotten flustered and still not hit the port. She put in 2cc's said to come back in 4 weeks and we'd check.

Well, that appointment was yesterday. I was incredibly nervous about finding out if those 2cc's were still in my band. There was a surgeon there to do my fill (not my surgeon). He accessed the port right away. I felt him pushing and pulling the syringe, and then he said "Hm." I looked up and he said, "well, I can pull out what I'm putting in, but nothing else." I started bawling like a baby right there on the table with a needle in my stomach. The doctor didn't seem to care, but the nurse there tried to comfort me. Long story short, he put in 4.5 cc's and said to come back in a month. He didn't even want to acknowledge the possibility of a leak until I brought it up again. He said it's possible, but maybe the nurse didn't really access the port last time. Yeah right, I know she did because she pulled the saline in and out just like he did. If his 4.5 cc's aren't in my band when I come back in four weeks, then I most likely have a leak and will have to have surgery again to repair the tubing. I feel crushed right now

By the way, my fills have never been done under fluoro, but I'll most likely be insisting from now on.

[HolliJ 24]

I honestly don't think you have a leak. They use special needles that help to avoidbthat very thing. You have lost a good bit of weight and the fat pad under your band may have diminished and thereby the band simply is not tight. Sounds like you are due for a fill! Good luck to you!

I'd also have to disagree with the oster that said it's 80% you and 20% the band. I would say that might be true prior to feeling restriction, but once you feel restriction the band REALLY kicks in! I couldn't overeat even if I wanted to and there's no way I can eat Pasta or bread and that didn't happen until my 4th fill! Hang in there-your almost there!

Eh, that's not necessarily true.

My tube wrapped around my port and was punctured by the needle during a fill. I lost all restriction and had to have a surgery to replace the tube and port.