Onederland - Confessions of a Slow Loser

[live2canoe 1]

I am writing this to help new bandsters. I read a very similar story when I just starting on my journey, and it helped me a great deal. I thought I would 'Pay it Forward'

I've posted my stats, with weights and dates and fill levels in my signature. You can see that at this point, more than 6 months after surgery, I've lost about 27 pounds. There are many, many people on this board who have lost this much just in the two week liquid phase after surgery. For quite a while, I would read everything on this board, but I wouldn't post, because I didn't feel like I had anything worthwhile to add.

I did not have any restriction after surgery. I lost 10 lbs on the liquid phase. I was hungry - and I could eat anything! I waited and I went for my first fill 6 weeks after surgery - a very aggresive 2.0 cc's. I still didn't have any restriction.

I waited another 6 weeks and went for another fill - I still hadn't lost any more weight. This fill simply brought me back up to my original level of 2.0cc's. It seems that it is common for several cc's of the first fill to 'become part of the appliance'. Still no restriction.

Over Thanksgiving and Christmas I actually managed to gain 2 pounds! How discouraged was I? I felt like such a loser - and not in that good lapband kind of way, either! I was a self-pay, and had flown to Mexico, spent over $9,000 and I still wasn't losing weight. Just one more weight loss attempt I was going to fail at. I was glad I hadn't told anyone about my surgery - I wouldn't be able to explain why I wasn't losing weight, and I would be embarrassed.

Then, on December 29th, I received my 3rd fill, and I finally began to see what everyone was talking about. I began to experience restriction. Not too much - but enough that I could hang of eating without a PB or the dreaded golf ball in the chest.

By my 4th fill, in February, I had lost 8 more lbs - not alot mind you, but it was a loss. I was beginning to feel like maybe this thing might be working after all. With the 4th fill - BINGO - that was it! The fabled 'sweet spot'. My band is working like a charm and I am working my band.

A few things to keep in mind:

When people say that the band stops you from eating too much - they're right - what you need to know is that if you eat too much it HURTS! The band is not subtle and it can be very frustrating. There are times when you are truly, legitimately hungry and need to eat, and the band won't let you.

If you have restriction right after surgery, you're lucky, but don't expect it. Remember that it takes between 3 & 5 fills for most people to feel restriction. I guess I am exactly average.

Also remember, most people don't start to lose until they acheive restriction - again, I am average.

And, most people lose between one and one and a half pounds a week with the band. Average again.

I gotta say, this far after surgery, and so many fills - average feels pretty darn good!

I hope this story helps someone.

[New Hope 37]

KIm, good for you! So glad that you didn't give up and hung in there. You're doing great!

[Shegill 0]

Kim.

I think it's great that you posted, because your message is so important and new (and even not so new) bandsters need to hear it. No matter how many people achieve instant restriction after surgery, there are just as many of us who do not. And I think that no matter how much we read about the multiple fills and the patience that will be required before many of us begin to feel any different, or begin to lose any weight, we all hope so badly that we will be in the 'lucky' group that a long period of no weight loss makes us feel like big old failures.

I know that was true for me. I had my surgery in February 2004 and it was easily July and my 3rd fill before any significant weight loss began to happen. When I finally got to the 'sweet spot' the weight really started to come off, but not before I aged about 10 years from stress and worry and despair. I was ready to throw myself in front of a train. I'm amazed I lived through it.

It is such a hard time, the months after surgery. After all the hard work of deciding on the surgery, finding a surgeon, fighting for insurance or deciding to self-pay, all the special dietng and testing and pre-op liquids and then not to lose any weight? It seems like God's worst practical joke. I wish there were a way to tell people: here is this great surgery but the thing is, you have to wait at least 6 months before you'll see any results. Then, if you are one of the lucky ones, you'll feel as though you've won the lottery, and if you're not, then you won't suffer unduly from the long gap between surgery and restriction.

Anyway, Kim, I'm so glad you are finally feeling on track and losing. Thanks again for your important post.

Sheila

Banded: 2/2/04

270/199/170 (or 160, but that would be, like, skinny!)

Edited to add: This is a brilliant post on the spotlight health board from the famous and beloved Robin (Coffeewench) concerning the dreaded pre-fill stage. The only amendation I would make to it is that this pre-restriction stage can last for 2 or 3 fills:

http://www.spotlighthealth.com/common/Forum/posts.aspx?m=1&sb=25&tp=41802

[I'llsucceed 1]

Great post Kim ! So very true that slow weight loss should be celebrated like any other weight loss. Your skin will thank you for it! Not to mention ...Hello any loss is NOT A GAIN! Horrray!!! So glad your doing well & it was a very nice "pay it forward"

[Alexandra 55]

Kim, thanks for sharing your story. You're right that it's SO IMPORTANT to hear for newbies and even not-so-newbies. The band is a tool that simply does not work unless it's tuned up right, and that tuning can take some fiddling. But that's the beauty of it!! We're all different, so it makes perfect sense that finding our own custom "setting" can take a little fiddling. I'd be very uncomfortable with any procedure that was one-size-fits-all (since we all know from painful experience with clothing labels, that one size most definitely does NOT fit all!!).

[HarleyNana 10]

Wow Kim, that was a great post. I agree we do tend to beat ourselves up if we don't have a loss each week.

After a fill that missed my port, a .75 fill, and then an overfill, with a unfill 10 days later, it can get very frustrating. I'm due to go for another fill April 13. I've considered going back earlier due to the unfill, but like you said, " There are times when you are truly, legitimately hungry and need to eat, and the band won't let you", those reminders make me hesitant, but that is what the band is all about.

Good job Kim.

[Zoe 6]

Thank you so much for posting your message, Kim. You're right -- everyone hopes they'll be one of the lucky ones that loses a lot of weight without much restriction, but most of us have to get more than one fill before that happens. You've done LBT a big favor by telling your story. And congratulations on getting to Onederland!

[live2canoe 1]

Thank you all for the kind replies. I do feel like I am finally on the right track.

Zoe, you're one of those I was referring to as having lost a great deal of weight right off the bat. Look at those stats. You were banded a whole tweeks before me, and you've lost 55 pounds!! Wow!

And look at Pat - just banded in December and already down 32+ pounds.

Alex, of course, is a role model for all of us.

Anyway - although I am envious of those of you who have experienced rapid weight loss - I'm on my way and I don't feel as though I'll ever have to look back.

[marsha 0]

Kim,

Thanks for posting this. Even though I'm not a newbie, it helped me a lot to read this! As you can see by my numbers, I haven't lost a lot either. I struggled after my 2nd fill because I thought I should be losing and that I must be doing something wrong. I actually had restriction after my second fill then about a month after, it mysterously (sp?) left me. I thought it was just me. I finally broke down and went for a 3rd fill. The doctor told me that quite a bit of my 2nd fill had leaked out!!! (It wasn't me after all!). To think I spent all that time waiting and blaming myself! He refilled me and BINGO...I've got restriction. Now I'm just hopeing that nothing will leak out or it will be back to Mexico for a port/tube replacement. So far, I'm good and loseing again! YEAH! I still wouldnt give up my band!

I'm glad you're losing again! You're on your way!

[Zoe 6]

Hey Kim, I also started off 40 lbs. heavier, with edema in my feet and ankles! I was lucky (if that's the right word) in that I had no appetite for two weeks after surgery, so I did lose a lot in the first month. Anyway, enough about me. You're doing great!

[live2canoe 1]

Oh my gosh, Marsha! That must have been VERY frustrating. I hope you don't have a leak like our dear Vera!

Can you get a fill under flouro to make sure?

It would suck to have a band that didn't work like it was supposed to.

Let us know how your fill goes.

[Esmeralda 2]

Wow, I feel the same exact way you did, and after reading your post you inspired me to wait and I will too get that "sweet spot" feeling everyone is talking about!! I am scheduled for my second fill on 04/16/05.

Good luck!!