4th fill coming up....

Bullwinkle · 07-27-2007, 06:35 AM

.....on 07-31-07. This will be fill #4. I do have SOME restriction, but I can still eat more than 1 cup of solid food at a time. This is what I had to eat for dinner last night:

1 1/2 cups broccoli/cauliflower/carrot medley, cooked, with fat-free cheese sauce

1 1/2 cups plain, fat-free yogurt sweetened with Splenda

6 gingersnap cookies, no fat

And I could have continued to eat, but I stopped because I felt guilty.

So, I'm getting another fill on Tuesday.

I should add that I've lost 2 pounds since my last fill two weeks ago. So, that's a plus. Like I said, I have SOME restriction, but not a lot. I shouldn't be able to eat all of that food in one sitting at this juncture.

maryrose · 07-29-2007, 09:52 PM

gosh...that seems like way too much food.

I can get a lot of yogurt down, but the 1 1/2 cups of veggies and the cookies...that's a lot.

I can't even look at a cookie right now.

DebLPN · 07-29-2007, 11:47 PM

We should be getting 60-80 grams of protein a day. Looking at what you listed for supper, I hope you made up the other grams at earlier meals.

vegetables- 1/4 cup has 1 g of protein
low fat yogurt- 1 cup has 7 g of protein
1 ounce of low/no fat cheese has 7 grams of protein
gingersnaps-i'd venture to say has zero

If I ate for supper what you listed, I'd only have gotten 23g of protein. Where did the other 37 minimum grams come from? 57 if you go to the maximum grams?

Hard proteins will stay with you longer giving you a better sense of fullness. Yogurt is tasty to me,,but as far as staying wth me and making me feel full,,nada. Gingersnaps,,,,nada,,useless carbs. I'd worry more about the protein count than I would about the fat count. That's why my surgeon and dietician stress: Proteins FIRST,,veggies SECOND, carbs,,,only if I have room for them. For ME,,when I was eating the wrong things,,I never felt full. If I eat in the order and amounts I'm supposed to ,,I'm full. That's just my take on it.

banded 1/29/07
Dr Ken Cleveland-CMMC-Jackson, MS

2cc/4cc band

Bullwinkle · 07-30-2007, 02:21 PM

I'll reiterate:

Quote:

I shouldn't be able to eat all of that food in one sitting at this juncture.

My point in posting was to state just that -- that I shouldn't be able to eat that much food in one sitting.

TRANSLATION: I don't have restriction even after 3 fills.

I wasn't asking to be raked over the coils for not eating protein, et al, and I certainly don't need to be shamed into "eating right", and you did just that when you said:

Quote:

For ME,,when I was eating the wrong things,,I never felt full.

Don't you ever wag your finger at me again.

I troll these boards looking for posters who experience the same problems I do after being banded, and I glean hope and support from their answers. Perhaps someone else out there who has had 3 fills without restriction will gain hope and support from my posts, and perhaps will think, "Well, see there? THAT person has had 3 fills and still has no restriction. I'm not a lost cause after all."

After I have my 4th fill tomorrow, I will report about my level of restriction, if any.

TracyinKS · 07-30-2007, 09:25 PM

Bullwinkle: I just had my 3rd fill today.... I have 3.50cc in my band that holds 4cc's......... until today I had 2.75 in my band and I did have decent restriction until 4 days ago.. and then it noticeably loosened up and if I listed all the (food porn) I've been able to eat..... well... lets just say your meals would be ANGELIC.. :) Seriously though...... we are all different and we can all tolerate different foods... everyone has their own path... and hey if nacho's with rotel chees happens to be on mine then SO BE IT! I've been really bad on my water over the weekend and I pay for it by being swelled up....

I will let you know how my 3 rd fill goes.... and if in 30 days I'm ready for another.............

Good Luck on your journey!

DebLPN · 07-31-2007, 01:07 AM

Bullwinkle,,,I apologize that the tone of my post offended you. I would never intentionally try to shame or finger-wag anyone. Thank you for calling me on the carpet. I will be more careful in how I say things from now on.

Bullwinkle · 08-01-2007, 06:24 AM

I got my 4th fill yesterday morning. But before that, I asked how much I have in my 10cc band and was told:

1st fill = 4cc
2nd fill = 2cc
3rd fill = 1cc

Then she said, "But since the tubing holds some saline, you've probably got 5ccs actualy IN the band."

So, she pumped another 1cc in and then said, "Now you've got a good 6ccs in there."

She also reassured me that restriction and the "sweet spot" WILL happen for me.

Since I was on liquids yesterday, and mushies today, I'll not find out how good my restriction is until tomorrow.

Scorpio · 08-08-2007, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullwinkle

I got my 4th fill yesterday morning. But before that, I asked how much I have in my 10cc band and was told:

1st fill = 4cc
2nd fill = 2cc
3rd fill = 1cc

Then she said, "But since the tubing holds some saline, you've probably got 5ccs actualy IN the band."

So, she pumped another 1cc in and then said, "Now you've got a good 6ccs in there."

She also reassured me that restriction and the "sweet spot" WILL happen for me.

Since I was on liquids yesterday, and mushies today, I'll not find out how good my restriction is until tomorrow.

My 4th feel was when I was able to tell the difference and my weight started to drop again. I was banded on Dec. 11th 2006 but I have only lost 25lbs and that is mainly because I do not do like I should and actually sitting down emailing this out makes me think I need to be doining what I should, my biggest down fall is icecream, I do pretty good with everything else. I missed my fill, I will go back for my 5th fill On Aug. 17,

sisterfunkhaus · 08-08-2007, 07:17 PM

I've had FIVE fills as of today and this is the first time I have ever felt tight at all. I was going to a place closer to my house with a shorter wait room time and after four fills I had lost zero pounds in one year. Today I went, my actual surgeon looked at my band for leaks, etc, then took the liquid out. He said there was very little in there. Then he filled me. OMG I felt it fill. I feel so full and tight now. I can keep liquids down, but yikes. I've never felt like this. I think my other fills were no good for some reason. I know it sounds strange, but he said the same thing. He said I should feel the band tightening around my stomach and feel tight after a fill if it's done right. My doc is the top doc in Dallas. <br /> <br /> I'm very upset at myself for letting it go this long. He told me I should of come sooner too. Anyway, aside from my personal story, I think you should feel restriction after three fills. I didn't. I'm still not sure why. But I sure feel tight now. We'll see how it goes in a couple of weeks.

marknjen · 08-09-2007, 05:46 PM

I have had 2 fills and only have 1 1/2 cc in me --and let me tell you I can relate to no restriction. Pretty much I Can eat what I could before which means I am hardly loosing. even gained 2pnds this week, but Dr refuses to give me more than 1/2 cc fills at at time.

Bullwinkle · 08-14-2007, 06:07 AM

I'm glad to hear that there ARE other people who don't have proper restriction after X-number of fills. Well -- not GLAD that they don't have restriction, but glad to hear that I'm not the ONLY one who doesn't...

I had my fourth fill 07-31-07, as stated earlier. Although I do feel more restriction than before, I am still able to eat more than 1 cup of solid food at a meal. I've do eat slow, putting my fork down between bites, and make sure that I eat tiny bites. For example, we went to eat at a Chinese restaurant and instead of the three platefuls of food, as was my norm, I ate a total of half a plateful -- albeit very slowly. But, still -- that's more than 1 cup of solid food.

And I have discovered that I cannot eat a Little Debbie orange cupcake without it nearly getting completely stuck if I eat it too fast, so that's a good thing. I'll never eat another!

So, I am going for my 5th fill today. I want to be able to say that I am losing the recommended 1 to 2 pounds per week, and that I am only physically able to eat 1 cup of solid food at a meal.

Perhaps this will do the trick and find me at my sweet spot -- finally!

SPEED RACER · 08-14-2007, 10:24 PM

Deblpn,

It Took A Lot Of Guts To Write What You Wrote And You Should Be Proud Of Yourself For It. If You Hurt Someones Feelings It's Nice To See Someone Own Up To It I Give You A Lot Of Credit. Now That I Said That. I Know How A Lot Of You All Feel. I've Been Banded Since 11/06 And Have Lost Around 30lbs. I Had My Last Fill 3 Weeks Ago And Felt Awesome But Now Back To Eating As Much As I Would Like But Stopping Because I Feel Guilty. Has Anyone Out There Had A Fill Again In Less Then A Months Time? And, Also How Do I Put All Those Pretty Designs And Colors On My Site?

Thanks,

Speed Racer

Bullwinkle · 08-15-2007, 06:49 AM

Actually, Speed Racer, I appreciate DebLPN's reply in that she listed very good information regarding protein, and I refer to her post quite often. The only thing that upset me was her tone in shaming me. She apologized and everything's okay now, so let's move on.

I went for my fifth fill and the doctor reiterated what DebLPN said about the protein. My problem is, I don't know what protein to eat. She told me that I'm eating around the band by eating soft foods and that I need to eat protein. I'm still struggling here and getting very frustrated about what protein I should eat. I mean, should I eat a hamburger pattie? A chicken breast? A can of tuna? I dunno....

I ate cottage cheese last night and I know that's protein, but I also know it's a soft food so I guess I shouldn't eat it any more.

Again.........I dunno.......

Sara Mos · 08-15-2007, 04:42 PM

Hi Bullwinkle,

It took me several fills to get a restriction too. I was banded in April this year, I had a 10ml band inserted.

1st fill = 4mls
2nd fill = 4.5mls then he did another fill straight after of another 0.5mls
3rd fill up to 7.5mls 12 days ago. I now have a restriction finally, so my weight loss has kicked in again, but several months I didnt lose, mind you Im trying to be good now (re what I eat) Im desperate to see the scales going down now.

Sara

pjrugby · 08-15-2007, 05:10 PM

HI everyone.
thanks for the interesting thread.

can anyhow help ??

had my band fitted in May.. no restriction.. had first fill. again no restriction. so haven't lost hardly any weight , and in fact been fed up and eating rubbish.. or eating for england as us UK people like to say :biggrin1:.

had my second fill 3 weeks ago.. well i did feel something.. when i ate 'thick' food.. ie meat, boiled egg, bread and rice it felt like it got stuck .. and took a few seconds to pass that hard lump feeling in my chest.. i was so excited to have a feeling.. it wasn't painful but kinda odd, and uncomfortable, i tried so hard to stay 'in tune' with my body, but i could still eat lots if i ate slowly and almost everything would go down.. eating a full bowl of cereal was really easy.

I haven't measured my food in cups. but i know its still a really good amount of food i can eat.

and yesterday,, horror of horror's, that feeling has gone.. i can now eat a whole french baguet (forgive my spelling).. and for lunch i had a pretty big jacket potatoe and salad with prawns.. i only have a little feeling of hardness in my chest.. and not much of a full up feeling, i can still eat 2 slices of bread in a sandwich.

I havent once felt so full up i will pop. or had anything like a pb ?

i don't see how my band could of fell off, on x ray 3 weeks ago it was all ok.. I don't understand how that feeling has gone.. i haven't forced food down myself.. or been sick or anything.

i was so happy thinking i was getting near to restriction. but in the past few days i feel like i have given up again.. my jeans felt looser last week, but this week they have gone back to normal size.

i feel so envious when i hear stories of how people can only eat a tiny amount.. i think it must be so easy to be positive if the band is working for you and you see the weight coming off. but its so hard putting yourself and your wallet through major surgery when not much happens.. i struggle so much not having restriction. i was so much happier last week, and just don't understand how where that feeling has gone.

i have asked my surgeon how much is in the band.. but i didn't get a very straight answer, so have now written to the hospital asking for more information. he said it was a 6ml, swedish band, and the first fil they put in 4.8mls, when i asked how much they put in during the second fill they said about 3 mls.. well according to those figures the band is over filled, and i don't see how that can be. but that also makes me worry , as if its is over filled then there is no room for any more fills and the op has been a failure !!!

oh dear ........ i would like to be a success and have my ticker go down. but its been the same for months !!!

good luck to you all

kind regards