Need reassurance about when I will feel restriction

[michiganer 0]

Hi all. I am feeling a small sense of panic that I will never feel restriction. I have a 10cc band and had 6cc in it until yesterday when I had another 1 cc in it. I told the doctor that I still have not felt restriction and I can eat a lot of food without chewing no problem. I feel like a normal person. The reason I have lost this much weight is because I was stopping myself from eating too much (which I could have done without the band). The nurse said you have to train your mind to think that 5oz of food is satisfying. I don't know how to do that when I don't feel full and I am hungry. I want that 'full' feeling that you are supposed to get with the band. They said the max they will put in my band is 9cc and at 7cc I will feel it now. I am on liquids until tomorrow so I won't know for sure but I am beginning to get paranoid that my band will get to 9cc and I still won't feel it. Please reassure me!! Like many of you, I felt like the band was my last hope and if it doesn't work I don't know what I'd do. I'm down a good amount of weight but I want it to keep coming off. Please tell me you have had the same experience and that I will feel restriction soon! :smile:

[sadate 0]

I feel the same way!!!! I stop myself too, but my weight fluctuates awful does yours? I feel like i had this surgery because i would lose and gain back and now i am doing the same thing, im paranoid too!!!

[Southern Missy 1]

Michiganer,

I can't reassure you but I can certainly identify with you. I went back Monday for my 3rd fill and have right at 6 cc in my 10 cc band. At least 2 hours after eating, I am starving and am able to pretty much eat anything I want to as well as eating way more than 1 cup of food at a sitting. I have had a few occasions lately where chicken will get stuck if I swallow too big of a bite but that is all. I have pretty much just been using self-control when it comes to food but am scared that I won't be able to hold out with that much longer. Luckily, I have been faithfully exercising so I have been losing albeit slowly. My doctor said after Monday that he thought I could wait a couple of months until the next fill but I have already scheduled an appointment for next week. I really don't think I'm at my "sweet spot" yet. Hopefully someone will see our posts that can reassure us all! :smile:

[michiganer 0]

I am a little reassured that some people are having the same problem but I was hoping someone out there could tell us that this happened to them and it took more than 7cc to make them feel restricted. Did anyone have to get 8cc or 9cc in their 10cc band before they felt it? What happens if I never feel it? Is that possible?

[Kat817 19]

I am sorry I cannot give you that reassurance, I have the old band....it holds a max of 4cc.'s

I just have a question for you. When your Dr. does your fills, does he/she withdraw the current fill level, then refill, or simply add additional saline?

My surgeon, withdraws my fill to assure us he is "in" and also to make sure I am not losing any significant amounts. Some people do have slow leaks in the tubing or the band. They use a product called omnipaque for this--it is like the slime they put in bike tires--it is a thicker Fluid that does not flow out if there is a small leak.

Perhaps you could ask about it? You can do a search here on the site for omnipaque, and see if any of those mentioning it were having the same issues you are.

Sorry, I was not the voice of reassurance you needed---just wanted to toss an idea out.

Good Luck!!!

Kat

[mediummike 0]

There is a thread on this site that shows when people have finally felt restriction in a 10 cc band. Many people (forgot how many) did not feel restriction until after 7 cc's. I myself did not feel any restriction until 6 cc's the WOW - there it was. It is an individual journey and many will tell it takes patience to reach your sweet spot. I have seen many times on this site that even .1 cc can make all the difference - hang in there and keep doing what you're doing (stopping yourself, chewing, eating slowly, etc..) as this will all make sense once you do get to your sweet spot...

[michiganer 0]

Thanks for the replies. My doctor usually pulls out the saline to check the level then he puts more in. I will ask about the product you mentioned though. I guess I am just getting nervous because I am worried that the band will not be a 'tool' for me if I don't feel restriction. I will have to keep limiting myself to 5oz of food and be starving the rest if my life. I think that the band means so much to me that I get a little irrational and panicky. I guess I could be like a few other people that needed 8 cc's to get to their sweet spot. Thanks again!

[deb512 0]

I was banded in april and had 1cc then on June 5th, I had 2cc's added. I felt no restriction at all and was starting to fall into old habits. Yesterday, June 9th I had 1.6cc's for a total of 4.6cc in my band. Yesterday was liquids only and I was fine. Today was solids... It took me 45 minutes to eat a scrambled egg. At lunch I had 2 very thin slices of deli ham and it got stuck. I panicked for a minute or two, but knew I was breathing and could speak, but I was unable to swallow my saliva. I stood this way for 25 minutes until the food passed the band. I had a 1/2 cup of chicken noodle Soup afterwards and am now afraid to eat dinner tonight. I would think with all you have in your band you should be full but everyone is different.

[judeloren 0]

I am so glad i am not the only one!!! I am at 7.5 CC and can eat whatever i want. I too was very worried but i did get up to 8 cc and that was way to much so i had some taken out... aparently way to much taken out. Going for a fill tomorrow but my weight loss is not moving.

[minpinmom 2]

I went to the Dr. yesterday for a fill, he checked my level, I haven't lost any. I had 2.6 and he upped me to 3 I have a 4CC Band! So I am at 75%. I will know in the next week if I have any restriction. My Dr. requires a Barium Swallow before your fill - the gal doing the xray said my band was very open. She showed me, but it was like finding a baby in one of those ultrasounds! I think I know what she was talking about, but I wouldn't bet my life on it!

Anyway, my Dr. had originally planned on using a large band, but when he got in there, he said the upper part of my stomach was very thin. So he chose to use a 4CC. He said I am one of the very few people he has ever seen that is this full with no restriction.

For some reassurance - he has done over 5000 bands and said he has never seen someone that he couldn't get as tight as they wanted.

I hope this one was my magic fill! I will let you know in a few days when I get to try real food again.

[michiganer 0]

Thanks Minpinmom. To hear that your doctor has never had onyone full without restriction is a relief. I think that I may be getting there, just more slowly than others. The poster above you said that she wasn't restricted until 7.5 ccs. So I still have an option. I have been doing mostly liquids since my fill Monday and I have lost about 6lbs. I know it is because of the liquids but I just want to get moving. I also want to give the fill a little more time to work so I am holding off eating solids for a few more days. I will let everyone know if I am restricted when I eat. Thanks!

[michiganer 0]

Well, I ate some food the last two days and I don't feel restriction :party: Everything goes down really easy and I don't even chew that much. I kind of swallowed some big pieces just to test it. I guess I will have to keep restricting myself and I will have to wait until my next fill to hope this works...

[Alfie 58]

Well, I just got a fill this past Friday. I am now at 7cc's in a 10 cc band. Well, this morning my husband and I went to the diner and I had 1 scrambled egg and a cup of grits. I was satisfied but not totally full but enough to grab control of my appetite. Also, it was a bit more than a cup because the grits was close, if not actually a cup then the egg made it maybe a cup and 1/4. The band is working for me as a tool as I have more control but I believe another .5 fill may bring me to the "ever elusive" sweet spot.

Regards,

Alfie

Edited July 13, 2008 by Alfie

[mlemlr 0]

I'm having a lot of the same problems, Had my banding done June 2007, lost 45 lbs in about 7 months, then I got a fill that restricted me too much and everything I ate, even some soft stuff made me throw up. I had to complain, so the Dr took some out in the office, I haven't felt restricted since then and I've have 2 fills done in the last couple months. I almost wish I was back to where I was before he removed some in the office. I asked him at the last fill if these things leak, he told me it was fine, put in over 1cc and said I would feel it this time, NO, NOT, I still don't feel it and can eat almost anything. I get full feeling fast but it isn't no time at all and I'm hungry again. I'm panicking also. I hate to think a person goes through all this and then back slides.

[judeloren 0]

Yeah i tried regular food today expecting... hoping to be back to restriced but if i am it is not much i ate two taco's for lunch no problem. so now i also wonder if i will go several more fills before i feel anything.