I need your opinion

nickie456 · 09-27-2005, 11:21 AM

I was banded 8-8-05. I have lost 31lbs. I'm very happy with the weight loss.
20lbs was the first two weeks, while on the liquid diet. I had my first fill 9-21-05. I have a 9.75inamed band. If I understand right this band will hold 4.0cc.
I had 2.0cc on my first fill. My thinking was that if he put 2.0cc in it, that makes it half full and I should have great restriction. But I can eat everything that other people on here has trouble with. I can eat bread, pasta, rice. The only thing I haven't tryed is steak. I eat about 1/3 of what I used to eat before the band. Here is my question, My Dr. will add or take out fluid within 14 days of my fill free, after that you have to pay again. So do you think I should have more added?

msdimples29 · 09-27-2005, 12:18 PM

Hi Nickie, I have a 9.75 band as well. It acutally holds 5 cc's. I have over 3 cc's in my band and have pretty good restriction. I am able to eat anything I want. I have not had any problems with any type of food. It is possible that you won't either. But if you feel you don't have enough then I would say have them add some more. Hope this helps.

Jessiebear · 09-27-2005, 01:17 PM

If I could eat anything, I think I would ask for a little more. Let us know what you decide!

Road Queen · 09-27-2005, 01:30 PM

Since you are only eating 1/3 of what you used to, I think you might be good. I wouldn't want to get over filled. I have 1.4 cc in a 4 cc band and that is all I can handle. You also just had your fill 6 days ago - I could handle alot more types of foods right after the last fill (in August) than I can today (5 weeks later). I don't think any of us can make the call for you but eating 1/3 is a drastic reduction already.

shellyj. · 09-27-2005, 01:33 PM

its only been 6 days. i would call and make the appt. BUT make it closer to the 14 day mark.

sometimes fills 'kick in' a week or two later. i know they get expensive, i have had roughly 15-20 fills and unfills..at 150 a piece thats pretty pricey...not to mention i have had 2 under flouro.

i would rather get MORE SMALL FILLS than be aggressive with them. once you get close to restriction the TINIESt amount will make a huge difference.

the road queen brings up a great point! you are already eatin 1/3 less of what you were pre-op. that sounds good to me!

ps...when i was at my perfect level of restriction i could eat bread, pasta and all meats. its all in how you CHEW!

good luck!

MeganA · 09-27-2005, 02:42 PM

Shelly- I'm glad to learn that you've had as many fills/unfills as you have (I'm sure YOU aren't glad it's taken as many as it has!) But I've been struggling with the notion that I need ANOTHER one and what the heck is wrong with me! Oh yeah, the band doesn't work unless you have the proper restriction. Duh! Thanks for the reminder.

Megan

shellyj. · 09-27-2005, 04:34 PM

HEY MEGAN!

lol...its life i guess. they always said if you get to where you cant keep liquids down get an unfill ASAP. i have always done that.

my dr (TN) thinks if you dont need atleast .2 then you dont need a fill. so i went in once asking for .1 and they gave me .3...no wonder i ended up to tight! i told them i would PREFER to pay 150 a shot and get .1 fills then to get overfilled again!

just be careful with the fill amount. dont let them give you more than you think you need! i am a little gunshy when it comes to fill amounts. it just SUCKS to have to start all over from getting to tight.

YES PROPER RESTRICTION IS THE KEY!

michelle

09-27-2005, 04:41 PM

I go tomorrow for my 1st fill. It will be 2 weeks from my surgery date and I want to fill full fast. For the last week I can eat anything that I want - regular food and tolerate it. I need some restriction. I'm still having some discomfort on the area where my port is - so I hope the fill is not very painful - I'm going by myself.

Thank you to all for all of your input.

Kim B
307/294/140
Banded 9/14/05
Methodist Hospital Dallas

ElieMaeHolliday · 09-27-2005, 05:13 PM

I am 3 wks post surgery and am finding that I can eat more than I thought I would be able to and certainly more than I could the 1st 2 weeks after surgery. Is this normal? Is it time for a fill? I lost 16 lbs from the liquid through the 2nd week of surgery and have not lost anything this last week - is that normal?

La_madam · 09-27-2005, 05:25 PM

Quote:

But I can eat everything that other people on here has trouble with. I can eat bread, pasta, rice.

I can eat bread pasta and rice, and have been able to since day one, but just because I can does not mean I do or should

Have you ever read this site?
http://lapbandtransformation.com/Adjustments.htm
Sometimes it is an andjustment in our attitudes and our heads that we need and not our bands. I know ofr me that is the case. I have 1.5 ccs and I have restriction but I choose to eat the wrong foods PLAIN AND SIMPLE! For me restrction comes from the foods I eat. I can eat junk all day long and have zero restriction but if I eat steak or chicken I have restriction, maybe take a look at the foods you are eating and see if you are following the rules of 60 grams of protein a day and hard proteins first, following these two simple rules make a big difference. I would hate to see you have more fill if you havent tried to eat steak yet. , Do you journal what you eat? I started doing this last week on the food journal thread and it is amazing to me how much this helps me to stay on track.Ive been on track now for almost 2 weeks, since posting my food I make better choices. Writing down your food intake you may see that even though you are eating 1/3 of what you ate before, it is not how much you are eating but what you are eating that is the problem. When you eat your bread, pasta and rice are you eating those things last and eating your proteins first, then veggies, then fruits, then those carbs? That makes a difference also. Check out the link I posted here, it may be very helpful to you. Good Luck :)

nanaviv · 09-27-2005, 05:27 PM

I just signed in yesterday. All is so new to me. I signed in to see what you girls thought of your doctors and hosp.. But fills I had never heard of. How often does this take place? And how long over time? It sounds like a lot of maintenance. I live 50-60 miles from Boston where it looks like I would have to go. HELP!!

nickie456 · 09-27-2005, 07:34 PM

Thanks everyone,

La Madam I checked out the sight you suggested. I am eating my protin first, I get all my water everyday. I am having a problem getting in the fiber. I have started taking a chewable fiber pill. I do think that you anwsere my question.
I think I may have been second guessing myself. I do feel that I have restriction, but because everyone that I have been talking with said they couldn't eat bread, pasta, and rice and I could I thought maybe I didn't have restriction.
Does this make any since to anyone.

La_madam · 09-27-2005, 07:57 PM

Ok I apologize..let me answer it best I can for my situation..

I have had 2.5 ccs in my band and was able to eat bread rice pasta and had restriction , you sound like me
We all are so different in what we can tolerate and at what fill level we can tolerate certain foods at.

nickie456 · 09-27-2005, 11:40 PM

La Madam thats what I was trying to say. I'm glad to know that you can have restriction and not PB or vomit and still be able to eat everything just smaller portions. Thanks for all your help. I'm trying my best to follow all the band rules. So far So good. I started exercising today. Exercising has been the hardest thing for me to make myself do.

tomorrowsdream · 10-01-2005, 02:58 AM

You had a great dr. in Mexico, but I don't want to go out of the county and pay $10,500 for a surgery I can get here. Also, you have to drive a long ways to get fills from dr's. here in the states that do them for him. I've heard he is brilliant, but I waited until the doctors here started doing the surgeries and I only have to drive 10 min. Doesn't insurance pay for the fills as well as the surgery. I would think they would.