Questions about my dad...

tboofy · April 2, 2007

My dad had lap band surgery done back in October. He has had at least 6 fills since then and doesn't seem to be even remotely full. I can't think of any foods he can't eat, and he accidentally finished off my mom's soda the other day, said it caused him no problems, then asked her to bring him one the next day (she said no). He can eat steak, oranges, pretty much anything he wants. Last time he went in for a fill, he told the doctor he thought he was "close to full," so they only did a half fill. I think he has anxiety over getting totally full. They told him he got an extra-large band, but it seems like it is taking forever to get it full, and he's about convinced himself that it's as full as it needs to be. He's lost about 35 pounds, down from 400 in October, but most of that was in the beginning, and I don't think he's lost anything in at least a month. He eats out of bowls that hold four cups (usually he fills them with about 3/4 full of Cheerios or stew or something like that), and I saw him eat a hamburger, a hot dog, and a piece of pie in one sitting the other day. This is not a full band, right??? Has anyone else had a huge band that took forever to get full? I'm starting to wonder if something isn't wrong and the band isn't constricting at all.

Any input would be appreciated. I don't know how to convince him that his band is NOT full or to ease his anxiety over having a full band. We keep trying to tell him he won't starve to death (I think he's afraid of always being hungry). Thanks.

juliegeraci · April 2, 2007

Your dad shouldn't be able to eat more than a cup at a time. He is consuming way too much food. He should only be able to eat a very small 2 oz portion of meat at a time as well. He definitely is not tight enough. He needs to be honest with his surgeon. 5 months to lose 35 lbs is not very good.

lisah25 · April 2, 2007

Any input would be appreciated. I don't know how to convince him that his band is NOT full or to ease his anxiety over having a full band. We keep trying to tell him he won't starve to death (I think he's afraid of always being hungry). Thanks.

I think he's way too loose. Properly adjusted, he shouldn't be able to eat anywhere near that much.

Could you make some kind of a deal with him - where he agrees to be honest with the surgeon, and get a good fill. Live with it for a month or whatever, and if he doesn't like the results, or feels hungry or whatever, he can have it loosened. I understand how he might be feeling, but a tighter band will make him less hungry, that's the point.

ReneBean · April 2, 2007

I know exactly how that feels... I didn't get much restriction until I went to 8.8 cc's and now, at 9.2 I feel pretty good.

It has nothing to do with the number of fills - but with how your Dad actually feels.

I did a couple of things to keep on moving, though.

1) I got small bowls. I got these bowls that only hold 2 cups. That seems surprisingly small after a normal bowl - and I never fill them all the way up.

2) I exercised.

3) I ate as slowly as I could and chewed everything practically to liquid - even when I didn't have the best restriction.

4) I ate as many solid Proteins as I could and avoided mushy stuff like chili or cottage cheese. solid food fills you up faster - even with less than perfect restriction.

So, has Dad been PB'ing? Does his doc fill under flouro? or Blind? I had about 6-7 fills before I got any restriction - but that was under flouro - they were fairly agressive with them, since they could "see" what was going on in there. If there is a fill center in your town - maybe you could take Dad there for an adjustment.

As far as not being able to eat more than a cup? For me, that's a load of nonsense. I CAN still eat pretty much anything in pretty large amounts - but I am not COMPELLED to do so. I don't really ever get "full" - but I try (and I stress TRY) to stop eating when I no longer feel hungry. There is a world of difference between "full" and "not hungry".

So, get Dad on the treadmill, bike or elliptical, and get him another fill - preferably under flouro. Don't panic about the number of fills - or even about a month with no weightloss. How much has he lost since surgery? Lots of folks report a plateau at about 50-60 lbs... it may just be his body adjusting to the new size.

Try not to bother him too much about what or how much he is eating. Nagging, even loving, gentle nagging, only makes it harder to do what he has to do.

Hugs!!