How the Lap-Band actually works, fills and refills

Thanks Misstyln
he water thing is my biggest issue. 1 hour before and 2 hours after a meal -- and it's time to start the 1 hour before again. How do you get the water in. I'll try the ice cubes. Thanks again.
Nance

The thing that helped me with getting fluids in was to get a couple of those HUGE mugs that 7-11, ARCO and Wal*Mart sell. They hold from 48 to 64 ounces, and are insulated and have lids. Every morning I start by filling one of those mugs with a liquid, usually Crystal Lite or Kool-Aid and lots of ice.

I make sure that mug is within arms reach for the rest of the day, and I sip constantly from it.

That was a learned behavior for me, and I initially used a digital kitchen timer, set to go off every five minutes. Every time the timer beeped, I had to take a drink.

After a while, that behavior became integrated, and I no longer had to use the timer to remind me to take a sip.

Hello Wendell,

It's official ... I'm a cyber stalker! I think I just joined this forum to find you. I read a post earlier today that broke my heart. A guy from Washington state having troubles early on. I thought YOU are the only person who truly understands and can speak to his needs. Please forgive me if I'm intruding, but I know you have a great big heart. Can we talk?

Wendell, I want to thank you for taking the time to share your journey with us. I was banded on Oct. 23, 2007 and I have been experiencing feelings of failure. I do not feel any restriction and I have all ready had 2 fills, I have really been upset about the whole thing. But you have renewed my excitement about the bands sucess. Thank You!!!

I had my surgery June 1, 2006 and I am really upset about the whole deal. I have been in for so many fills that I can't count. I go in she puts too much , so I go back she takes too much out. Guess who is paying $200.00 a shot. Is there some happy medium? I ask to talk to Dr and he is always busy and if I go somewhere else ( if I can find someone else) they won't see me again. I have so much indegestion that I even went to er to see if my gall bladder was bad. Everyone else I talk to say that they don't have but one or two fills. What should I do?

Coyote: Have you thought about Fill Centers USA? If you're paying $200 a visit for after care, I'd find someone who was more responsive to your problem. I know the fill centers can be a little expensive initially, but if you're not getting adequate care, you're throwing good money after bad.

Maybe if you post your city & state someone here may know of another doctor you can see. Or you can contact the fill center and see if there's one in your state. Fill Centers USA - Weight Loss Surgery - Bariatric Surgery - Gastric Bypass Surgery - Lap Band Surgery Information and Support

Best of luck,
Judy

I too have been having troubles with my band... won't go into it here.

But a friend suggested a web site that was "back to basics" after bariatric surgery

It's a 5 day get re-acquainted with your band and get better restriction...

www.5daypouchtest.com

Also, you didn't mention your eating habits... Are you Pouch Packing and not following the Bandster Eating rules... just curious.

Could you please tell me why a fill has a delayed response. I understand that it can take a fill or 2 to work but I want to understand why the delay of weeks to work.

I have never experienced that. When I get a fill, I can tell the next day how it's going to be. I have heard of people that don't feel the restriction
for a couple of weeks. That does seem very odd to me. I wouldn't have a clue why that happens.

I know that the normal weight loss is 1 to 2 lbs. per week but my question is....if your body is used to eating huge amounts of food (bad food) and then goes to liquids and soft foods and good foods...why wouldn't the weight just fall off. If you are eating alot less calories and exercising why don't you lose faster? I am due to have surgery on March 20 and just wondering.

I know that losing slow and steady is best, but I am just curious.

Well, for many of us we weren't holding steady at our higher weights while eating so much; we were actually gaining weight all the time.

I think also for many of us our activity level goes down right after surgery, so we are burning fewer calories. Plus, it is very easy on the liquid diet to drink high calorie liquids, so even though we aren't eating anything we are still taking in a lot of calories.

I lost 12 or 13 lb from the time of my surgery until my first fill 7 weeks later. Most of it came off in the first week or two. I didn't gain weight, but it didn't fall off after the first week, either.

since then I have lost around 10 lb per month, most of it coming off in the week or two after a fill, then the loss rate slowing down for the next few weeks. But everyone is different, as we have all said many times before. You will just have to figure out what your body is going to do with this new tool, and learn to work with it.

I have never had that "delayed" experience you speak of.
When I get a fill, we have to go drink 500 ml bottle of water within 30 mins. or the fill nurse will NOT let us leave the clinic.

Now we can only go for fills every 2 weeks(minimum) but if I have 10 cc band and my 1st fil is 5 cc's I felt restriction right away. It disapaits in a few weeks then I go back for 2 cc's then 1 cc etc.... until I reach a restriction consistantly that STAYS>>>>

IMHO

I got banded on Oct 23 2007, I lost 30 pounds after the surgery. Since Decemeber I have not lost anything!! I have a fill on Jan 7, and I just had a fill last week. It does not make me feel full. I can eat anything what the hell is going on? I have no tool inside me working? I thought it was a tool to help with weight loss it is doing nothing. HELP!!!!!!

Isvadala
I had my band put on the 27th of Nov. I lost 20 lbs right after and then nothing. I play with 3 lbs. up and down. I had one fill the 12th of Feb. I still am not loosing weight either. I am making an appointment today for another fill in about 10 days and hope that works better for me too. I was told sometimes there is a delay(a restricted feeling) with the band fills that I do not understand. Why would it take a couple of weeks to work? Good luck to you. K

I promise...it sometimes takes time to kick in. I can't begin to explain it, but for me, 7-10 days later there's usually a big difference. If you've waited a couple of weeks and are still hungry less than 3-4 hrs after a SOLID FOOD MEAL...can eat more than 1 cup of SOLID FOOD, and have not lost 2 lbs. per week, you should be a good candidate for a fill. Just keep getting them till you start loosing consistently.

I think we are so impatient and read all about the very high losses we forget what the "norm" is. For example Kathy719...You've lost 20 lbs since end Nov. right? That's an average of 6.6 lbs per month so far. If you keep up the same average loss (don't worry about the big gaps if you're following the plan)...you'll loose around 60 lbs. in your first year. If you had a total of 139 lbs to loose, then you would have acheived more than 1/2 of your excess lbs. in the first year which is expected. I was told that anything more than that is the exception, not the rule.

I say you're doing fine! Don't worry about the number of fills. Remember, you are loosing fat inside as well as outside where it's visible. As you loose fat and inches, the band adjusts. That's why we need the fills. It can become loose or simply shift allowing more food to pass. Most of the surgeons only stitch the band to one part of the muscle, so the other 90% of the band can move around.

Picture our band as an innertube slid over the top part of an egg shaped balloon. If you move one side of the innertube up and down, the shape of the opening lets more air go in the top or the bottom. More space at the top means more food can fit, means you'll be hungry sooner. Poke a tiny pin hole in the balloon and innertube will be looser, letting the balloon move up and down more (lets more food slide through). Since we don't know exactly what's going on in there, it's no use trying to compare ourselves to everyone else.

I've had 14 fills and will go get another till I loose on a consistent basis. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want. You've gone through a lot to get where you are and you want results. Just don't expect more than what was outlined to you before the surgery or you'll feel like it's not working. Keep us posted, I'm sure things will turn around. Think long term!! :)