It's Been a Year and I'm Still All Here

[Davyna 0]

Hi there, I posted on the forums for a while after I got banded almost a year ago. Then, in about July I suppose, I kinda fell off the bandwagon. Losing weight with the band got harder and harder. I could eat way more than I thought I'd be able to eat. Admittedly there were times I used that to my advantage. I rarely felt any real restriction, even with a third fill and my doctor insisting that my band was almost to the point of being "too restrictive." I lost a total of 20 pounds post-op before I plateaued. Now, almost a year later, I am 4 pounds over my surgery weight.

Part of my problem is, I have concerns about my doctor's level of post-op attention. He quit working with the fill center he was contracted with and now he does his own fills without barium or xray. To be honest I don't even know what my fill level is (it is higher than the amount listed in my sig). Back in Sept when I saw him last, he wanted me to start writing everything I ate into a journal. Well I finally started doing that about 4 weeks ago.

I still feel like I can eat too much in one sitting. Definitely more than the 1 cup I was told would make me feel full. I was hoping the band would make me unable to do this. It hasn't. And now I don't know if I should go back to my doc or if I should try and find another doc.I really liked the fill center before I stopped going there, but I'd have to change doctors to go there. I'm pretty embarrassed, to be quite honest.

[Kat817 19]

Maybe going back to the other Dr. at the fill center you like would be the way to go. They know the other Dr. left, and would understand that you simply prefer fills with fluoro...and maybe the new Dr. could provide a level of aftercare that is more acceptable.

Sounds like maybe you need to just "start over". I saw this link in a thread I am in all the time, that might be a good plan for you---let me go see if I can find it...

here ya go...www.5daypouchtest.com. It seems like it is very similar to a fast forward course in beginning banding!! It is actually wrote for the Bypass patients, but it works for us too---besides the whole re-routing thing!

I hope you get someone willing to help you put your band into working order again!

Keep in touch!

Kat

[Davyna 0]

Thanks for responding Kat. I looked over the 5 day pouch test and I am uncertain as to how doing that for 5 days would ensure to me that my pouch is still working. It would be nice to know it is working for sure.

I have indeed wondered if maybe I have dilated my pouch. I figured, however, that if I had done that, there would be some type of discomfort that would lead me back to my doctor. Is this not the case? Could I have dilated my pouch and not even known it?

About a month ago I started going back to Weight Watchers. So I am currently on a diet program. Down about 8 pounds actually. But thanks for the idea. I know I should go back to a doctor, even if it's a new one.

[Kat817 19]

It is my understanding that often a dilated pouch does not have any pain associated. A sudden ability to eat more, or a sudden lack of being able to eat at all often times signals a slippage, but a dilation is usually just shown by the ability to eat more than you should be able to by the way the band is put in place.

I hope you get some answers from someone more trained and knowledgable than I am....sorry I am not much help!

Good Luck---keep me posted!

Kat

[Davyna 0]

Well I guess we'll see. I scheduled an appointment to see my doctor on Thursday (Valentine's Day no less). He sent me over to the fill center, where I will be sure to get an xray.

So I will let you know. Thanks!

[Davyna 0]

Hi again Kat, just keeping you posted. I had the barium swallow done today. It revealed exactly what I was thinking... despite what my doctor had said at my last visit in September, I had very little restriction. Other than that everything was fine, no pouch dilation or anything.

So I went to my doctor's office after that and he gave me another fill. I didn't even bother to ask how much, I'm afraid. But... that afternoon I had some thick Soup and for the FIRST time ever... I couldn't finish it. I mean, I had just a few bites and I was unable to eat anymore. About three hours later, I was indeed hungry, and I ate about 1 cup of the thick Soup. I felt as if I had eaten about 2 cups of a really dense food. I felt really really full!! :mad:

I am hoping this is related to a newly achieved level of restriction for me, and not just post-fill swelling.

We will see.

Thanks for your support Kat.

[Kat817 19]

Yea!!! Restriction, it might not be your sweet spot--but at least you know you CAN achieve restriction!! I agree, I hope for your sake it is not post fill swelling, but knowing your band is good and healthy, then it just seems you may need to continue the fills. I mean if you feel the restriction, even if it were swelling---you KNOW it will close down---and work!

I know people with a lot more fill than where you are! Hang in there, you will make it!

Hope this one lasts for you!

Keep me posted as to how it goes. I will check back with you---I think my Valentines dinner drinks have gone to my head!!!

TTYL~~

Kat

[Davyna 0]

Hi again Kat,

Well the day after I wrote that last post I started having symptoms that I was overfilled (reflux, painful burping, not being able to eat much). My doc ended up having to take 1/2 of the fill out, and now I feel right back where I was: able to eat too much. It's funny how much a couple cc's can make a difference.

Today I have my last free barium swallow from the surgery center. So we'll see how much restriction I really have now. Will probably end up getting another fill soon, I suspect.

Will keep ya posted.

[Kat817 19]

It is truly amazing what a difference a simple .01 or .02 cc's can make!!! hope you find a good spot for you. Let me know what the barium swallow shows.

Kat

[Davyna 0]

I think you're right.

The swallow showed I need a fill. Sigh....

I went to see the lap-band nutritionist today, and I'm glad I did. Since I'm going to have to get another fill it seems, she'll be able to give me a sensible post-fill diet.

[reqgoddess 0]

Davyna,

I plateue'd in JUne/July. I got an overfill in June, so then in july, they had to take some out. Then I was doing alot of travel for work, and went to greece and then had 3 deaths in family. So, i didn't go back to doctor until january. Bad news was i didin't lose anything from July to January. Good news is that i didn't gain any. My doctor couldn't believe it, but i was exactly the same weight as I was in July. I was embarrased to log into here for all these months. But I am glad i did. BTW, I did need a fill. he gave me one and in february, i went back and had lost 3 lbs more, not much but a start. I got another fill that day and have lost another 3 lbs thus far. It is frustrating because I really thought I would be close to done by now, and here I am , not even half way. However, I am on my way. You are on your way. What was happening to me was that I could only eat a little bit but for 2 hours so therefore, I could eat a whole chicken breast and potatoes and veggies. So, once he put in the fill, it has been better again. Now I have to get off my butt and excercise again. That is something I had stopped doing and it was a bad move. Here's to being back!!!

[hybeam54 0]

wow...you sound like me or I sound like you!!!! same scenario...afraid to get a fill after the October fill(0.5cc) too much, 2 day stay in hospital....but eating too much and no weight loss....

[bunnykin4u 0]

Hi there... dont fret darling. I was ina bad band place too for a long time, but was it was coupled with pain. I would go and see your fill doctor/nurse/surgeon and ask them to ASPIRATE your band. If you actually have any Fluid in there... this is how much you have in your band. I think probably that you have no fluid at all... either because the band is leaking through a damaged tubing, or that the fill doc is not hittng the port correctly. What ever the case is, when you dont have fluid in your band, you can pretty much eat what you like. My port and tubing came apart and I had 4 fills and wondered why I regained the 25 pound lost after initial banding. It was 8 onths down the road when I got so sick of gainign weight and stuff and feeling like an absolute faliure that I went to the trouble of travelling back to the foregin country where I had my band done to find out if I really was going to be a fat git for the rest of my life, and that I was doomed to fail, or if by any chance somethign was actually wrong with the whole set up. Seriously, dont feel bad, ashamed or anything. I am dealing with being in EXACTLY the same space as you, but after having my band fixed in November I am now 32 pounds down again and into uncharted weightloss waters... this band does work... and trust me if you ACTUALLY have fluid in your band, then you seriously know about it. Its impossible for me to eat 'normally' let alone like I used to eat which was terrible. Get yourself a new doctor, because you are worth it, and your band is worth it. Its probably screaming out at you to get it looked at and the symptoms you have (no weight loss) are a clear indication that its not right.

As soon as you get it fixed one way or another, then you will see the results I promise you. I am currently annoying myself with thoughts that my band will break again, but its ot goign to. And if it does, its not be thats the faliure, its the device/ and or doctor.

We have spent so many years feeling terrible and guilty and like a faliure on the weightloss front, and like me I expect you thought this was the answer. I used to feel sick reading other peoples stories of weightloss and great band news... I mean at first i was great, as it motivated me, but after a while it just made me sad and I felt worse than I did before I had the operation. It just felt so bad that I couldnt even have a medical solution to this problem and that that was just my luck as always, but it wasnt my fault. It was the device broken, and the doctors fault that he didnt notice for 8 months and kept filling me into my stomach cavity... how bad is that!! Its their fault, not yours. If you are eating too much its because the band aint working honey... If it was, you would not be able to eat much trust me. There is also another sure sign that things are not right because your doctor says you are almost at being too tight point... I bet he has NEVER aspirated you band right? Mine didnt do that either, and when he actually DID try to, he got nothing out and made up some crap about how sometimes you cant get it out. Well since then I have changed my doc, and it gets aspirated every time without fail... after all thats how they check they got the right spot... especially without an x-ray! Darling, go to a new doc and re open that window. draw a line under the last year (God i know how difficult that is trust me... still working on it!) and get your mind ready for weightloss! Please update this and keep me informed. I feel for you... especially as you are a FEB 07 bandster. I was banded 14th Feb 07... wasnt till 9th November that it was fixed and wasnt until my 'first' fill in my fixed band in January that I started losing weight.

Hold in there, and go get it sorted.

hugs

Bunny in England

www.weightloss-expedition.blogspot.com