Big Bands

[LapBandFan 22]

I currently have an 11 cc band since Feb 2005 and have virtually no restriction after one fill of 4 cc. I hope to schedule one this month. I am hungry too often after eating and can eat way too much as well. I have been rebanded having had a 4 cc band in the beginning (first band surgery) and had wonderful restriction straight out of surgery then and now miss the restriction. Yes, it will take some "tweaking" to get each person to their special spot with the band. Hold on and keep the faith, keep your doctors informed and they will soon get you where you need to be for sufficient restriction, I am waiting for that currently and patience is not a virtue I possess, so I find it hard to wait too.

[Kelliebelly 13]

After my last post I have had another fill since. I had great restriction for a week or so then it was gone. This time it has been nearly 4 weeks. It has taken 6 or so fills and 8.2mls to get some good restriction.

*Note to myself* Ice Cream is always going to go down easily

[*JASMINE* 1]

Hello Everyone,

I was banded on 6/7/05 with a 11cc band. The doc said he had to fill it with 5cc because my stomach was too small during surgery. I also don't really feel like I have good restriction. I can eat almost anything. I can eat a whole sandwich. Is that normal? I was starting to think something went wrong with the band until I read this post. How many calories should I be consuming with the band? I haven't been feeling full, but I have been obsessing over my calorie intake. I try to stay under a 1000 calories a day. But I'm still not sure if I need a fill.

[ecbailey 0]

If you are not sure talk to your Dr. I had two fills before I felt restriction. My. Dr. is not a big advocate for talking about the amount of Fluid he uses; instead he wants to know how I "feel" do I feel retricted? This is hard to know if you have never felt restriction...For me, good restriction has been similiar to the way I felt after surgery. I had too much restriction after my third fill and threw up all night. i could not even keep down liquids! Dr. Ponce adjusted my band the next morning. I now have restriction . My surgery was 3/23/05. I am just now starting to lose weight. Don't give up. The right restiction is critical!

Good Luck, Eliza

[missymaxie 0]

Well tell ya I have had five fills...this time I think it worked...I have 6cc..I have a large band...wonder why they cant figure out if you have a large band ya gonna need more restriction...this is what I sense in reading all these post...wondering if my Doc likes my insurance lol......I do know that a nurse practicioner...who is a friend of mine called the office where I went...and jumped them about it...since she also had the band...and said that it should after the third fill make them wonder if I never lost any weight...and I mean none I had good restriction after surgery and lost...but after that it went all down hill ....no restriction for five months and no weight loss........

[health1st 1]

More info on size of bands

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?p=231130#post231130

[PhotoNut 7]

More info on the bands with capacities listed, comparison pics, and graphs that compare how much restriction each fill gives.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=15216

[LapBandit 5]

I've got a VG as well. My doctor gave me a 4cc fill at the time of surgery. This "fill business" is confusing to me. I haven't had any PB problems or anything and I am embarassed to admit that I am still not sure if I have restriction. Some people describe restriction as almost a "punishment"...chest pains, PB's, sliming, etc. Is that a true picture of restriction? I eat less than before surgery and it seems to leave me satisfied for approximately two hours but I still feel hungry quite often. As well, I can eat more than I expected to be able to do. I am thinking I need to get a fill but I'm a little scared of going too far then experiencing the restriction issues that others talk about. I'm confused!!

[PhotoNut 7]

Being TOO restricted will cause PBs, slimes, and pain.

My Dr's aim is to have me eat three times a day, 4 hours between meals, no Snacks, and not be hungry until it's time to eat. Some days I'm right on targe for that and others I eat more. I keep my calorie intake in the range of 800-1,000 but sometimes exceed that by a little. But since I'm not having any PB problems and I'm losing weight at a good speed, and because I'm not having to struggle to keep from eating more, the Dr has not added more fill to the band. (I have 1cc in a 4cc band).

You don't necessarily have to feel restriction. In fact, I'd say it's best if you don't. Your eating patterns and weight loss should be the guide used in determining your amount of restriction.

[health1st 1]

Lapbandit, something must be working, your weight loss is very impressive. I have the VG. Only 5 weeks post-op, so I am very novice, still crawling. Weigth loss very good. My Doc wanted to give me a fill at 4 weeks and I declined. I get hungry but nothing like pre-banding and I get full pretty easily. I don't have all the PB, vomit, etc. that I hear about and I am so glad. I don't feel painful restriction just mild pressure knowing I am full with very little food. But as Jack said sometimes the band is fickle. Sometimes feeling full with a little pressure comes very fast. I have to eat slow or it may "get me", but the "get me" is very mild pressure, not vomit. I am still learning what food or procedure sets my mild uncomfortable pressure off faster than others. Or maybe it is just being fickle bitch.

[LapBandit 5]

Good, I needed to hear these things. It really seemed to me that restriction is often associated with those negative things (PB's, Sliming etc.) and since I haven't had a problem with these things I assumed "I wasn't doing it right." I like my band. I do feel like I am eating more normally than ever before. I think I may need a bit more just to help me feel satisfied longer so I'm going to see if my doc will give me a fill on Friday at my next appointment. Good info everyone!

[bitteroldhag 0]

I got my 10 cc band filled Friday. Today is Saturday and I'm hungry. After I waited 3 hours, the nurse practitioner dug around in there for some time before she could find the port but it didn't really hurt. But I was hungry today, the day after the fill. Today I ate a whole bunch of soft stuff and I'm supposed to be on liquids. Liquids just don't do the trick. I ate 1 3/4 eggs though the one this morning caused gas, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Or else I had gas already. I have a lot of gas so I'm taking some sort of health food pills the nurse practitioner recommended. Actually I've had less gas so they must work. She recommended food enzymes and lactobacillus. I'm not lactose intolerant, but the food enzyme thing may work. Maybe I have become lactose intolerant with the band. I'm really cranky because I'm hungry all the time. I've been hungry for a month and it's getting on my nerves because I have lost a grand total of 11 pounds. It cost me about $10,000 for this surgery and I expect it to work, dammit. I can't afford to blow that much money. So I'm going to get the thing filled up to 7.5 cc which is what the doc in Monterrey recommends and if that doesn't work, I'll have the whole 10 ccs put in. The idea was to not be hungry which is why I spent so much money. I can be hungry on weight watchers or some other diet. Sorry I'm so grouchy. It would help if my mother hadn't been 86 today and STILL living with me and my dog didn't have bone cancer. Sometimes it's nice to just unload. Tomorrow I think I'm going to fry some pork chops and see exactly what this fill accomplished. Nothing like being self destructive. But I'm still optimistic because I met a lady who had lost 61 pounds in a year and she said she had to have the full fill before she starting really losing weight. She thought she had wasted the money too. So there is hope though I'll probably be pretty grouchy until the magic moment when the band works. Too bad for my poor students. Thanks for letting me unload.

[bitteroldhag 0]

I have the same band as you. I felt nice restriction while the swelling was going down after the op. After that I was hungry all the time again. I had to wait about 5 weeks to have my first fill which was 1.5ml. Dr had also put 2.5ml in during the surgery. I have now had 5 fills and have 7.5ml in. I feel pretty good restriction now. I think I could use another fill but I am not going to until I get this chewing and eating slowly down pat. I am gettin gblockages too much on things I shouldnt be...so i am going teach myself to slow down and chew before I get anymore fill.

Good Luck!

I think your doc is ripping you off. You should have had 4cc in the first fill and then move it up. I intend to get 7.5 in my second fill. I'm cheap though and I have to drive 2 hours to the fill place. I don't intend to mess around with my fill person. But then I'm a cranky old gal.

[LapBandit 5]

It cost me about $10,000 for this surgery and I expect it to work, dammit. .....Sometimes it's nice to just unload.

No problem, Bitter! Let us have it...no one understands the struggle better than other bandsters! I completely sympathize with you. Although I have nothing to complain about...I also can't really say there is much to help prove that I can even feel I have a band! This is a strange little device isn't it?!

But, I'm learning the hard way to become more patient with my body. It's not easy to accomplish but I just do the best I can each day. I didn't catch how long you've been banded? I'm getting ready to hit two months this week. It's been a strange journey so far! But, if we keep trudging along we WILL be successful. Don't lose hope and try not to sabotage yourself if you become frustrated.

Take care and hang in there! :gluck:

[Alberta Deb 0]

Hello

I have the Swedish band (surgery on Feb/06). I think it will hold between 10 and 11 cc. I tried to have the fills done in my home town and wasn't sure they even hit the port. I could eat like I did presurgery. I even gained back 10 of the 30 lbs I had lost. I eventually returned to Toronto for the 5.5cc fill. When I couldn't swallow my own spit that nite in the hotel, I returned the next day and had 1 cc removed. At that time I discovered that 1 of the nurses must have "hit the mark" with 2 cc's because i had 7 cc in there. I had never experienced restriction before. It has now been 2 weeks since the fill and I am still pbing at least once a day. I have had a death in the family since then, I was wondering if that would contribute to my being uncomfortable?