Very Concerned NEED ADVICE PLEZ!!!

keepinfaith · November 6, 2008

Hi everyone it has been awhile for me but everything is going ok my question is I was banded March21,08 as Oct. I have lost 57lbs very happy and I have had 5 fills which is now 6.5cc in a 14cc band but my 4th fill was my best I lost 14lbs in a month with it when I got my 5th one my Dr. tried to put in 2cc and couldn't well he tried 1.5 still wouldn't work finally he was only able to put .5 cc in very upset and not I have no restriction at all I stay hungry constantley like I have no band I have came off of my Depo shots thank the Lord so I don't know whats wrong why could he only put .5 cc if i lost 14lbs with #4 plez help.

HeatherO · November 6, 2008

You should schedule another fill appointment. At the very least, contact your fill doctor and let them know that there is a problem. It seems unusual that you had more restriction before your last fill.

It very rarely happens, but does happen, that the last .5 cc's was not injected into the port properly. Did your doctor test your Fluid level by first extracting some into the syringe to see how much you have currently?

keepinfaith · November 6, 2008

no he didn't that I know of I do not think my dr. does that I think he goes on what he had put in the last time, I am going to him wed. as scheduled but I am eatting everything I am so terrified that I am gainning weight I look in the mirror everytime I pass by it and tell myself look you have gainned weight, I do my best about eatting but when I think that I am gainning weight I want to eat more I know that I am an emotional eatter but I have no restriction could I have lost more weight with eatting what I feel like is so much????

HeatherO · November 6, 2008

no he didn't that I know of I do not think my dr. does that I think he goes on what he had put in the last time, I am going to him wed. as scheduled but I am eatting everything I am so terrified that I am gainning weight I look in the mirror everytime I pass by it and tell myself look you have gainned weight, I do my best about eatting but when I think that I am gainning weight I want to eat more I know that I am an emotional eatter but I have no restriction could I have lost more weight with eatting what I feel like is so much????

Well, you have a little bit of time before you go to see him again. When you go back, ask him to check your volume . . . it is not an unusual request and is standard. This also helps to show if you have any potential leaks and is very simple for the doctor to do.

In the mean time, if you are hungry and it sounds like you are, eat but do so in a healthy way. Have your normal standard meals . . . but allow yourself a big serving of veggies (non-starchy, corn and potatoes are too high in carbs if you eat a lot of them).

Stick with salad or other veggies that are healthy and low in calories. Lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, onions are all great for you and will not impact your weight in any significant sense because they are so low in calories. Be really careful of too much Salad Dressing that is high in calories. Pickles are only 5-10 calories, if you like them, you can eat just about an unlimited quantity without much impact. Brocolli, cauliflower, zuchinni, etc are also healthy if you cook them in a way that doesnt use a lot of fat/oil.

Cauliflower can be steamed and blended in such a way that it is almost the consistency of mashed potatoes . . . if you add a butter substitute and a little salt & pepper or low-cal cheese, or even some parmesan cheese . . . this can really satisfy cravings.

I have been banded for a long time now . . . and have had occasions where I am super tight and super loose. Following the strategy of finding healthy things to eat when I am extra hungry has kept me losing steadily since banding . . . I highly recommend it. Also, you don't have to feel guilty about it which tends to be a trigger for some of us to overeat.

You can get through this . . . you just have to have a plan on how to handle the times when your band is not working for you. :rolleyes2:

Please let us know what happens next Wednesday.

judy2291 · November 6, 2008

Although I agree with Heather, I really think you're looking at this all wrong. First, you lost 14 pounds in a month, and 57 pounds in a little more than 6 months.... congrats! That's right on track with having a band. Secondly, if the doctor could only get .5cc in your band (before you closed off completely), what makes you think it's a bad fill? I'm convinced that a lot of people with bands walk around with them too tight, and this can cause erosion. Do you want to lose your band altogether? A band isn't suppose to choke you into not eating.

I hope I don't sound like I'm scolding but weight loss with a band goes up and down, determined by diet and exercise. The fourteen pounds you lost last month is a lot this far past your surgery. I could understand 14 pounds during the first month but unless you're really counting calories and exercising like crazy, 3-4 pounds a week sounds like starvation. Half that amount would be good progress for any bandster.

Please try not to be discouraged and don't take offense at what I have written. I've seen too many people lose bands because they try to lose by tightening, and tightening the band even though they're losing weight without more fills. Remember it's a tool....

Blessings,

Judy

keepinfaith · November 7, 2008

ok I just called the Dr's office to see if I could bump up my appt. to mon. and they told me know they were booked mon and to just keep my appt for wed ugggggg I am as school teaching and could eat a horse I mean no restrision uggggggggg all I want to do is eat wanted and earlier appt. so I wouldn't do to much damaged grrrrrrrrr feel like the worlds biggest loserrrr:frown::thumbs_up::frown:

amoroxy · November 9, 2008

ok I just called the Dr's office to see if I could bump up my appt. to mon. and they told me know they were booked mon and to just keep my appt for wed ugggggg I am as school teaching and could eat a horse I mean no restrision uggggggggg all I want to do is eat wanted and earlier appt. so I wouldn't do to much damaged grrrrrrrrr feel like the worlds biggest loserrrr:frown::frown:

What did you find out from your doctor? I am having the same exact issues. My band has stopped working and I have no restriction. When my 10cc band was at 3.75cc it was perfect but then I went in for another fill and it didn't work. My doctor took me in and gave me a fill under xray to make sure it was filling correctly and it was. I am so upset. I can not stop eating b/c I can!!!! HELP!

Jachut · November 9, 2008

I agree with a couple of things above, first and foremost I think you need to be realistic about what a healthy rate of weight loss is and you also need to be realistic about just what a band can achieve - if you need a fill due to hunger then you do, but you have to do a lot of the work yourself as well.

Also, you cant keep having big fills. The more you have in your band, the smaller the fills get, in the end very very tiny fills can make a big difference.

As to pulling out the Fluid to check how much is in there, the doctors in my clinic are trained NOT to do that. Prof O'Brien believes that doing that routinely is what causes the irritation that leads to so many overfill issues and the need to baby the band with liquids to mushies after a fill. I get filled on top of what I have and ONLY if I had a reason to suspect a leak would the Fluid be withdrawn. Not doing it is definitely not negligent practice.

If they withdraw all your fluid before filling you its entirely possible there's less in there than you think. Also, maybe they missed with the .5cc fill. And coming off your depo shots could have made a HUGE difference, hormone levels affect the band markedly.

Hope you figure it out.