Lap Band Fills / Adjustment Info

[anniemay 0]

BJean & DonnaGT

Please don't give up, I am a very slow loser, 2 weeks after the first fill

I didn't feel any restriction but now after the 2nd. fill I can really tell now. Sometimes it just takes more fills and time. Two things really make a big difference..........water and walking, also I try to stick to the South Beach Diet and almost no eating out. Although with this last fill I am not able to

eat much meat at all, mainly Soup. Reread your rules they gave you and

try to follow as best you can, I know it's still very hard but at least you

still have the tool to help. Talk to your dr. again and see what he says.

Good Luck to both of you!

Anniemay:scared:

[bluehill 0]

I don't understand how you can give up on the band BEFORE you have achieved restriction, which apparently you have not yet done. I'm not surprised. My doctor says it takes an average of six fills to get to the right spot.

[Nellie 0]

Please don't give up - it took 5 fills before I felt anything - and then it was almost too tight. Be patient - it took you years to get to the size you are not - take your time and know that it WILL work. I know we all want immediate results but I think it's better for your body to take it off slowly.

I've lost 24 lbs over a period of 10 months (Mar 21,06) and there are times I wish it were more - but am grateful for it not going the other way.

Hang in there - it's worth it.

PS: as for the picture, I had to go to the site, make it look the way I wanted, then copy and paste it into this site...

regards,

Nellie

[BJean 16]

Thanks so much for all your encouragement. I had no idea that the average number of fills to get to the right restriction was 6! That's encouraging.

I admit I'm getting anxious and frustrated. But you're right.. at least I'm finally doing something and even if I gain a little, over the long haul I'll still be ahead of the game. I do want fast results and I guess that's not reasonable. The doc told me from the beginning that this is a 2 year plan. I may be guilty of thinking of this as being like the gastric bypass surgery, and it is not. It's way more healthy and takes some work on my part.

Thanks again for the reality check. I really appreciate it!

[julier 0]

I think you will be fine. For me i was given alot of saline very fast with my first fill. On a 4cc band my first fill was at 2.1 and then 2nd they added .4 to make a total of 2.5

I am so tight that often i choose to have Soup just for a break in swallowing. It makes eating a task not a enjoyable experience. My Doc says i will loosen up but after three + weeks i think i will but only after loosing a bit more weight. I certainly dont have any leaks to worry about:clap2:

So know that at some point you are going to know what this PBing is all about. Hang in there and get to the sweet spot....

[BJean 16]

julier: It must be a real challenge to figure out just the right amount for our bands. I shouldn't be so impatient.

I can't help right now but be jealous that eating isn't that much fun for you. Besides, I love Soup. Hmmm. Maybe I wouldn't love it if it was the only thing comfortable to eat.

Hope things settle down for you soon and you achieve that "sweet spot" that works perfectly for you. I'm headed out for my 3rd fill and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the 3rd time is the charm for me.

[julier 0]

keep in touch and try and get them to be a little more agresive and find out what size band you have and how much they put in.....

[BJean 16]

Julier: I'm back from the doctor and seeing the dietician. He put in .3 ccs. That takes me to 2.1 ccs total.

I am in a program where they do not use fluroscopes for the fill. They err on the side of being very cautious and very slow. They have decided that it is better for us to go slow and change our eating habits very gradually. They also don't want to have to do unfills. They will do a fill every 2 weeks until you've found the right restriction for you. We also see a dietician every 2 weeks and an exercise physiologist every 4 weeks. It's all included in the initial surgery fees. We pay about $18,000 out of pocket. He does not participate in any insurance programs. Also, once a month we have meetings with other bandsters and get tips about how to eat and exchange recipes and ideas. Also, every month there is a psychologist who lectures about some facet of regaining our physical and mental health as it relates to food.< /p>

I found out most of this info about the fills today. It explains a lot why my experience has been so different from many of the bandsters here at LBT.

The neatest thing I learned was that since my last visit - 3 weeks ago - I had not gained like I was sure I had. I came away feeling better about myself and the program. And I'm going to try to not be so impatient and I am going to not feel so bad about myself when I don't lose several pounds every week. I will be happy with 1 to 2 lbs. a week.

Your posts have been good for me and I appreciate it. You helped me get through a very hard couple of days without throwing in the towel. Thanks!

[wild_in97 0]

The dr. I go to in College Station, Texas charges $200 and that's with a

flouroscope and she has had the procedure too, so I trust her!

Anniemay

So, how many fills have you had from her? What size band do you have? How much have you lost? These folks that have had 3-5 fills and feel no restriction sounds strange to me. I felt little to nothing after the first fill, but my second fill has had me tight..........almost too tight. She told me I would feel this fill, and boy was she right. I am finally, after almost 6 weeks can eat a small meal with out giving half of it back to the garbage or the toilet. I just went out to eat MX food with my daughter tonight. I had a tamale and one fajita with not much more than the tortilla, some chicken a little lettuce and some green sauce on it. I had to go to the toilet twice and give back a few bites each time. So, i would say out of the entire meal, I guess I kept about half of it.........maybe. :hungry::hungry:

She told me to come back in 4-5 weeks for another fill.......but I would probably not be able to keep liquid down if I went back and got another fill.

Have a great day.

God bless

Wild...........about life:clap2::clap2:

[anniemay 0]

My band is a 9.75cm. I have had 2 fills since surgery in Aug. and I have lost about 20lbs. not a whole lot but at least I'm not gaining. I didn't gain

it overnight and I have always been a slow loser. I can only eat Soup and

cottage cheese and fruit out of a can, and sometimes scrambled eggs.< /p>

I have trouble keeping it down too, but I am not going to get it unfilled

because with the first fill she took some back out and 2 weeks later I

couldn't feel the restriction, I hope this one lasts a lot longer. I know

I am not hungry all the time now, but I still have the cravings. The only

thing I can't figure out is my nerves are much worse now! Have you had

that problem?

Anniemay:hungry:

[laurigee 545]

DonnaGT & Bjean

I Like Both Of You Started Getting Very Frustrated. I Got My Band On 9/05/06 And Have Lost 31lbs. I Lost Most Of It In The Week Before On Full liquid diet And The Week After On Full Liquid. During The Month Of Noveber I Actually Gained Some Back. I Had My First Fill And It Did Nothing. I Then Went Back In 3 Weeks For Another And Can Finally Tell A Difference. I Got Very Discouraged With Weight Gain. I Do Feel Hope Again But Am Worried That I Already Have 2cc's In My 4cc Band And Have 50lbs More To Lose. All We Can Do Is Just Take One Day At A Time And Hope For The Best. Good Luck To Both Of You!

[Lynn Band 9/06 0]

What is PB'ing? Thank you

[BJean 16]

laurigee: I have lost 31 lbs. too! And most of it just like you did. I have 2.1 ccs in my band and I have another 50 lbs. to lose too! We sure have a lot in common. Or maybe this is normal outcome for the first 3 months after getting banded. I'm trying to get back on the band wagon and after Thanksgiving, it's hard. I can't believe I made it through Halloween without any candy and then Thanksgiving threw me off.

Anyway I'm going to take one day at a time and try to not beat myself up if I goof up. My dietitician said that after about 6 months we will stop worrying so much about regaining the weight. I sure hope she's right! Best of luck to you on your journey to a slender you.

[BJean 16]

Lynn Band: Once you've been here awhile you'll see how everyone who's new asks this question.

PB stands for productive burp. It isn't your normal burp, it's one where you actually spit up something you've eaten. It is usually preceeded by a bout of "slime-ing". I've read some posts that say they actually PB'd at the dinner table without warning. I've only PB'd once. And just after a couple of very small bites of a bran muffin. I got a terrible pain, like a golf ball is stuck, went to the restroom of the restaurant, started developing lots of slime, and then PB'd. Afterwards the golf ball pain went away, but I wasn't interested in eating Breakfast.

Small bites, chew thoroughly and take lots of time eating and you'll probably be able to avoid a PB episode.

[edieparks 2]

I just asked my doctor today about carbonation. He said set a drink out for 4 hours first day and drink it. Then next day for 3 hours......

He said wait for my stomach to tell me when. Could you let your New Years Eve get flat first?

edie