not yet restricted

restrict2008 · June 19, 2008

I have 7.5cc in my 10cc band and barely feel restriction- can eat whatever and however much i want- the NP at my doctors office looks like she doesnt believe me

is this abnormal?

I was wondering if half of it could be in the tubing

HeatherO · June 19, 2008

I think it is possible that you are not restricted yet. When I had 6.8 in my 10 cc band I did not feel restricted. Another 1.5 cc's and I was up to 8.3 and I have perfect restriction.

Our bodies are all different and some people need large fills while some need no fills at all. My doctor was also skeptical that I wasn't feeling much restriction, added in the additional 1.5 cc's and said I would probably be back in quickly for an unfill. However, I found that it has been the perfect fill for me, I am losing steady and I am not ready for another fill although I have been at this fill level for about 2 months now.

If I were you, I would schedule another fill as quickly as possible and ask that they withdraw the current Fluid just to get the current volume and make sure you really have 7.5cc's in your band. That will at least rule out any Fluid loss. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds a week, are hungry quickly after eating and can eat large volumes of food, you probably need another fill.

restrict2008 · June 19, 2008

thanks, she pulls Fluid out each time- she didnt think i had a leak. I have been losing weight the same way i did in the past- but the other night i was out with friends and I ate way more than i should be able to without any PBs, pain, or anything...

sometimes i worry about dilitation- but my doc's office wont give me a barium swallow.

HeatherO · June 19, 2008

It is good that she is checking. At least you know what you have.

Something odd happened to me a couple of Friday's ago at a dinner party. We had steaks on the grill, some veggies (I skipped the rice and corn on the cob). We had variations of pies and ice cream for desert. Well, the steak was medium cooked but it was the best steak I have had in a long time. It was moist and soft and perfect. I swear I ate a couple of bites of veggies, but over the course of about 40 minutes or so, I ate the entire steak (maybe 10 ounces) and I was comfortable doing it. It felt like not being banded. Most days I can't get but maybe 4 ounces down, a bite of potato before I get uncomfortable. I also had a small sliver of pie with a spoon full of ice cream an hour or so after dinner.

Anyways, this did not make any sense to me. How can I eat so much at one sitting out of the blue and not other times? At first I was worried about my pouch being stretched but I have watched closely how I felt after. I still have good restriction 90% of the time and I don't tend to overeat since I stop eating when I am still comfortable.

Is it possible that we can just have an occasional fluke where the band is extra open? Steak is not a typical food that I could possible overeat without paying consequences for it.

aubrie · June 19, 2008

I typically don't have a problem with steak. A good quality juicy one..... But chicken breasts and pork chops? I tend to have to really work at them. the texture of the meat is different. It's almost like it swells the longer you chew it. It evolves into a nasty ball. I guess it's just to dry. I LOVE steak. Thank God I can eat it. I got stuck on my first bite of pork chop last night, but two nights ago I ate a good hefty steak. Go figure. I know what you're saying. It puzzles me too.

kbinaz · June 20, 2008

I needed 7.5 ccs in my 10 cc band to feel restriction. There is no right or wrong - you need to have as much Fluid in your band as you need to get restriction and nobody can determine how much that is. Needing more fills doesn't make you a bad person - trust me, I know! And I can assure you, when you get restriction you will know it! I honestly didn't think I was ever going to feel it, I thought maybe I was immune to it! I thought it might be a rumor! Then....voila!!! There is was! And it was a very good day! That's when I finally started losing weight. Oh, and FYI - as you get closer to having restriction, very small fills can have very big results so don't be surprised if they only give you .5 ccs or less for your next one - you are likely very close to your sweet spot so be careful. You don't want to be overfilled. That is miserable.