I was banded on 1/3/06 and have lost about 20 pounds. Most of that was lost in the first 2 months after being very sick after surgery. I had one fill in Feb. Was scheduled again 2 weeks ago and wasn't able to make it to my appt. (My doctor will only do fills once a month and only on one particular afternoon.) If you can't make that date, you have to wait another 4-6 weeks. Anyway, I feel like I can eat like I always have. The only difference is that I have PB's when I eat too fast or don't chew well. I am going for my next fill in a few weeks. Will the fill help me to stay fuller longer? Or will I just have a harder time getting my food down? That's all its doing for me now. I read about all of the success stories and it makes me feel like a failure once again with this weight loss battle. I wonder if maybe I should have had gastric bypass surgery instead. :(
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Well I can't answer too much to what a fill will do, I am still to early on my journey. I can say that your doctor should be more accesible. I can e-mail mine or make an appointment anytime. I would make an appointment with him and discuss how you are feeling. Maybe he can guide you. Or maybe you need a new doctor that has more time for his patients. Not everyone can fit their life to one day every 4 weeks for fills, What about emergency unfills and the like. Maybe a more seasoned person can help you more. Hang in there though, I would say give it a year before making any big decisions.
Hi kimmy
I was banded on the 17th Feb, and lost 16lbs, What you are feeling is normal, and believe me when I say you have done very well, i come from the UK and know some people who put post op weight back on because they cant control what they eat....thats why we need the band, so you have lost weight a kept it off ...a bonus.
I have just had my second fill, and boy do I know it. so this is restriction. I know this could be gone tomorrow, because it can take a while to hit that 'sweet spot'
Remeber this band is like a guitar that has no strings...it might look good but it aint working till its got its string.
Since saturday I have pb'd 6 times, before this I had only done it once. Everytime you have a fill you have to re-ajust, what you had yesterday you may not be able to cope with today. I could eat crumpet before my second fill....I wont be eating it again. This is the pit fall of the band, but this pit fall is going to help you get where you want to be. Stay in there girl.
Angie
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Dont regret the past
Embrace the Future
Lapband 17th Feb 2006
the day the rest of my life starts
hang tight until you can get another fill. what you're experiencing is completely normal. i definitely went thru it. but once i got to my 'sweet spot' i literally have only been hungry a handful of times in the past 2 months. it's an amazing feeling. i know a lot of people don't think it's right to put your fill levels on display because everyone is different. but the reason i put mine on there is because it took several tries to get it right and i always found it helpful to know that. best of luck!
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band date 11/14/2005
dr. christine ren, nyu hospital
1st fill: 12/13/05 - 1.5cc
2nd fill: 1/10/06 - 2.4cc
3rd fill: 2/7/06 - 3cc
4th fill: 3/14/06 - 3.6cc
unfill: 3/15/06 - 3.4cc
5th fill: 8/22/06 - 3.8
228/175/150
Firstly, don't feel like a failure, you're probably not optimized on your fills. However, and this was the stern news I got from my doctor "you need to start looking at food differently" - and indeed he was right. He further stated "do not try to eat as much as you can, you eat the little bit and then you STOP".
I needed a completely different concept on food, because at times, I feel like I can eat more - so I purposefully choose really small containers, and take really small portions - it's my new mindset.
I got this tongue lashing after being banded almost a year ago and being stagnant in my weight loss. I had also begun drinking ALOT OF Mocha's. Because I ate so little, I stopped my protein and opted for mocha's. IT didn't work - and I knew it didn't work, and I still did it!
Anyhow - I'm back on track, losing again (but still afraid to weight myself) - everything is loosening up (clothes wise) and I feel that hope again.
So don't be distressed, there is no time limit on losing the weight. You'll get your rhythm, you'll get optimized - everyone loses at different rates, don't judge your success based on their success.
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Banded June 2005
Started 241
Currently 185
Goal 140
This procedure gave me something I couldn't get from anything else I tried or did.
It gave me hope.
My doctor told me that the first 6 months you will learn what you can and cannot eat and learning how to eat as well(slowing down and chewing good). I was so used to putting food in my mouth and never tasting it, two chews and down it goes. It also took 4 fills before the hunger feeling really went away (3.5ccs). Most of the time one fill does not do it. Do not feel like a failure. You have just had surgery and it will probably take time to lose this weight. Make it a journey, keep a journel, take your measurements and celebrate you milestones ( whatever that maybe for you) Also go to support group meetings if they are avalible to you.
That's just the way I was before my fill. Eventually I could eat anything. It may have been hard to get things down, but I could get them past the band if I wanted. Now that I have a good fill My pouch stay full longer AND I can't eat certain food like bread. So it is a mixture of both. You really need a fill.
kimmy, are you eating hard protiens (like chicken) first, then veggies, then whatever else, if you have room? Are you drinking with meals? Take a close look at your food before running off for a top-off. Go to the Fills Forum and find the Sticky with Fills info. There's a link to a lapbandtransformation site that's helpful. Sorry, I can't copy/paste for you, but if you have trouble finding it, post here and I'll dig better for you. Anyhow, since you now have time to figure it out, take a minute to consider. Too tight is not good. But if you need a fill, by all means, don't miss that next appointment! Good luck.
I read about all of the success stories and it makes me feel like a failure once again with this weight loss battle.
Hello Kimmy,
1st of all its toooo early to judge yourself as... failure! your lose weight rate its very good and normal. You must have some patience and when you will get your next fill everything will be better. I still believe that
Gastric Bypass is for people with bmi more than 50 and i could never take
such risk! You have not just a chance to lose your extra weight.. its a fact! you will lose your extra weight!! thats for sure! dont panic cause you lost your app with the doctor.. if you are that impatience you can find another doc to make the fill! you re doing very well! dont lose your faith
that easily!
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