Not where i want to be

joe7777 · August 5, 2007

Hi out there, i was banded may 4th 2007, so 3 months and a few days ago. I have a midband 9cc. I have 7cc in, at the consult they said that everyone is different, some people need 2, some have had to get upwards of 11. I'm guessing this is one of these murphy's law scenarios where of COURSE i'm the one who's going to need a lot of fill. I feel somewhat restricted, I mean, what i'm eating now is for sure less than before. I wouldnt be full pre-band with what i'm eating now. I just think that i do eat more than i would like. I am going to take the next fills slow. But this is absolute hell...I havent lost ANY weight other than pre-op. It's frustrating because i AM eating less.

If anyone has had to take lots of fill before finding the sweet spot or been through something similar, can you please help me out here, i feel like i'm an abberation, i should be feeling more full or whatever. (the dumb thing is i know the answer to my own question, in fact i would probably answer to someone with the same post i just posted...I just want to hear someone who has gone through this, say what i think they will say.)

Thank you

green · August 6, 2007

Hi to you, Robgoblin. We have both been banded by TLBC. My suspicion is that you are probably someone who requires a fairly high degree of fill but I am curious as to whether you have talked about this with anyone at TLBC. I can tell you that although I seemed to be fairly responsive at smaller fills I did meet a woman while I was getting my third fill who had experienced absolutely zip with a 6 cc fill. She could eat anything including subs and they have the dreaded bread!

With respect to my own experience, I have reached my goal weight but I have always been able to eat everything as long as I chew, chew, chew enough. This means that I have always been able to eat bread and Pasta. The only way the band has worked for me is by curbing the amount of food I eat and by stiffling my sense of starvation. My part in all of this is to make sure that I eat the right stuff. Nevertheless, I did find myself recently requesting a further fill, one that moved me up to 7 cc. This was because my appetite was returning.

Maybe 7 cc is your starting point. You do say that you feel some degree of restriction and perhaps you should live with this for awhile before going for further fill. Of course I might be wrong and perhaps you should get another fill ASAP. Have you talked to the fill nurse? Are you making a point of eating carefully? This is the second part of the trick - Portion Control is the first. And are you losing weight?

juliegeraci · August 6, 2007

It took me a long time to reach the right fill level so don't be discouraged. I have been banded a year and I'm only down around 58 lbs. Its been really slow. Now I have correct fill level and can only eat 1/4 cup of food at a time. I know I have hit my sweet spot now. Keep going in for fills until you get the right fill level.

Bullwinkle · August 7, 2007

Robgoblin - I'm so glad to read your post, because I feel exactly the same way you do. In fact, you and I were banded the same day -- May 4, 2007.

On the two-week pre-op diet, I lost 19 pounds. Since then, I've gone down then back up -- myriad times. I've had 4 fills, and am contemplating making an appointment for another next week (which will make two weeks since my last one).

I have a little more restriction and PB'd for the second time since I've been banded -- this time the culprit was breaded chicken. Yet, I contend that I still haven't hit that "sweet spot" because I can eat way more than 1 cup of food at a sitting. In fact, I ate about 2 cups of salad with cheese and diced ham and cherry tomatoes for dinner, as well as three slices of hard Swiss cheese, and then 1 cup of yogurt.

And I could have continued to eat.

So.........I guess the best reply to your post is this: don't feel that you are abnormal. Everybody and every body are different. Just keep getting fills until you can no longer eat more than 1 cup of food in a sitting, talk with you doc, and eat what he/she tells you to eat.

I hope this helps.

joe7777 · August 8, 2007

yeah, i'm going tomorow for a small fill ill ask for .5cc Because last time i had a fill i couldnt get liquids down too well for 2 days, and then after i had REALLY good restriction. But then after a week....gone. Back to eating like before....i REALLY want to feel this working. I just want to be at teh point where the scale goes down...i dont care about hitting a plateau...but i mean, i havent gone down at ALL. ARghhh.....hope everything goes well after tomorow. I should know better too...its all about finding the sweet spot, i shouldnt complain till then...but its hard.

jbacher · August 8, 2007

robgoblin, I can relate to your situation. I was banded in march and have not lost anything since then. I havent gained anything but i continue to struggle. i have a 10cc band and have 2.7cc in it. my fill nurse will only fill .5cc a fill. so far i have had three. i feel some restriction some times but can still eat anything in any quantity.

jbacher · August 8, 2007

robgoblin, I can relate to your situation. I was banded in march and have not lost anything since then. I havent gained anything but i continue to struggle. i have a 10cc band and have 2.7cc in it. my fill nurse will only fill .5cc a fill. so far i have had three. i feel some restriction some times but can still eat anything in any quantity. i think that we just need to hang in there and not give up and continue to get fills. at my rate it may take me a while to get the kind of restriction that i think i need. i do try to make good food choices but the scale doesnt seem to move down at all.

take care, keep the faith, it will be worth it in the end.

Joan B

Banded 3/12/07

reno, nv

Daisalana · August 8, 2007

I'm in the same boat, I don't feel like I'm restricted enough yet. I eat 1/2 of what I did pre-band, and my goal is 1/3. I'm even more frustrated because everytime I go to get a fill, they disappoint me. Like Monday, I was hoping to be filled, and somehow I ended up with .5cc LESS than before. GRRRR!!!!

And, for being out this far, I am NOT where I had *hoped* to be. In the month of June I lost 1lb. But I am still happy with how far I've come. I just have to play the patient game (which anyone who knows me can attest, I do not do well).

I have heard 'typically' its 3 fills to get a sweet spot, and then read some people take 5-8. I feel like I too am going to be one of the unlucky ones that will take a while. But I'm going to keep on chugging along.. I did lose 8lbs in July which was a surprise, I anticipated it being another 1lb. So 1st fill did nothing really (1lb loss), but the 2nd fill brought 8lb loss.. despite the fact I felt like it didn't help me, it clearly did.. and the month I lost 8lb was my honeymoon month, wedding food, wedding CAKE.. etc.. so I was pretty happy with that.

Just keep on trucking! :tea: