Larger Bands take more adjustments?

[karingwiz]

Hi out there

I have the larger band that holds 10ccs or is it 11ccs?

Its abit of a mystery to me but that does not matter.

I dont live near a fill centre so I have to travel 4 hours by car. Needless to say, that means I cant do it as often and I have to plan it.

Most of the people here tend to have the smaller band (4cc)

From what I can tell, the "sweet spot" seems to be between 2 and 3 cc's. If you go over that, then its too tight.

Ofcourse every body is different.

But I was wondering, does it make sense that those of us with the larger band need to get between 5 and 7.5 cc's to be in the same range of 50-75% full.

Can you tell I am an analyst?

I have had one fill and its 4ccs. I have only lost 3 pounds in 3 months (but thats better than gaining 3 pounds).

Now I am going for a fill. I would like to aim for another 2ccs, bringing me to 6ccs.

Is this a good idea?

Karin G

Banded June/2009

Started 191 pounds, now 175 pounds

[magkai1]

I don't know the answer to this. I have the larger band, too, I think.

[Red]

Hi out there

I have the larger band that holds 10ccs or is it 11ccs?

Its abit of a mystery to me but that does not matter.

I dont live near a fill centre so I have to travel 4 hours by car. Needless to say, that means I cant do it as often and I have to plan it.

Most of the people here tend to have the smaller band (4cc)

From what I can tell, the "sweet spot" seems to be between 2 and 3 cc's. If you go over that, then its too tight.

Ofcourse every body is different.

But I was wondering, does it make sense that those of us with the larger band need to get between 5 and 7.5 cc's to be in the same range of 50-75% full.

Can you tell I am an analyst?

I have had one fill and its 4ccs. I have only lost 3 pounds in 3 months (but thats better than gaining 3 pounds).

Now I am going for a fill. I would like to aim for another 2ccs, bringing me to 6ccs.

Is this a good idea?

Karin G

Banded June/2009

Started 191 pounds, now 175 pounds

Karin,

I was banded with the larger band in July. I had 4cc's in my first fill (at the OCC) and today I got my 2nd fill which was another 3cc's. I'm 7cc's total right now. Dr. So was very careful putting in the right amount. He tried 3.5 cc's, but you could see in the Fluroscopy that the barium wasn't going down quickly enough, so he decreased it by .5 and gave me 3cc's. Really, it isn't up to us on how much we get. I have a lot of confidence in Dr. So and I'm lucky the OCC is only a 90 minute drive from my house. But watching Dr. So today really analyze the amount he was putting in and adjusting until the flow through my stomach was just right, confirmed to me that a fill without the benefit of Fluro would be risky. And about the speed of the weight loss...I am losing slowly as well, but I'll take what I can get. Hang in there!

[CatiE]

I have the 11cc band. My first fill was 3.5cc's and I got very little to no restriction...very frustrating. 1 month later, I went down for my 2nd fill and received another 3.5cc...which now makes 7cc's and what a difference! It was just enough and exactly what I needed. It's been almost 3 weeks and I have great restriction and am losing weight.

Be proactive and get those fills as needed...it'll make all the difference.

Good Luck!

[karingwiz]

I have the 11cc band. My first fill was 3.5cc's and I got very little to no restriction...very frustrating. 1 month later, I went down for my 2nd fill and received another 3.5cc...which now makes 7cc's and what a difference! It was just enough and exactly what I needed. It's been almost 3 weeks and I have great restriction and am losing weight.

Be proactive and get those fills as needed...it'll make all the difference.

Good Luck!

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[CALF]

I have the 11cc band. My first fill was 3.5cc's and I got very little to no restriction...very frustrating. 1 month later, I went down for my 2nd fill and received another 3.5cc...which now makes 7cc's and what a difference! It was just enough and exactly what I needed. It's been almost 3 weeks and I have great restriction and am losing weight.

Be proactive and get those fills as needed...it'll make all the difference.

Good Luck!

[/qu

Hi Thanks for the update on your fill and banding situation. I too have an 11cc band with only 2.6 fill. No restriction at all!!!

I'm heading down to OCC next Friday to have my second fill. Hopefully I'll have the same result and success as you!

Love the hats in your avatar!!!

[karingwiz]

Hi Cheryl

You have already lost 50 pounds, good for you, you are making great progress!

I see you have the same band as me, I thought it was 10cc's but you think it has 11cc?

Well, that could explain things abit more.

But, I gotta say, I eat snacks at night, a nibble here and there so my calories are higher than they should be...I do fine all day.

I am being brutally honest, I figure when I start eating snacks at night, I am tired and I should be going to bed.

So, what I am trying to do instead is skip dinner, or have a cup of soup for dinner, and then a small snack if I must later.

That way I dont eat dinner, and then have dinner again with the snacking.

Dont be aftraid to get up to 7ccs, as I had better luck with that, but you are going to the experts, the fill centres where I go are not experts, but they are learning as more of us venture into this.

Let me know how your fill goes, see ya,

Karin

[Trav]

I have the 10cc band, and well I've only had 1 fill, a year ago....3cc's and at first, it was a little rough getting used to, but a year later, I'm fine, and I still have *just* enough restriction that it serves as a reminder to behave, but allows me freedom to eat what I want, and I have had really good luck with it. I'd be the exception to the rule, as some people have to micro-manage their band.

[karingwiz]

Wow Trav, you have done fantastically well, good for you!

Thanks for your reply, I really didnt get much feedback from anyone with the same size band.

I think our bodies are all different. it has to do with the starting weight, your age, your sex and activity level....calories in and calories needed.

Anyway, I also belong to a yahoo lapband forum and I have discovered that you need less and less calories as you shed the pounds and as this happens the stomach area has less fat in it and so you need more fill. So I guess it explains why you are restricted on this one fill where I was not.

I used to eat alot of food and never gain an ounce. Then in my mid 30's that started to change but slowly.

Did you see the posting from one of ours who went on vacation for 12 days, took out her fill as she was having issues being able to swallow and didnt want to have some while out of the country. She gained 14 pounds in those 12 days even though she did the cooking and was careful....what happens over time with food restriction is that as we eat less, our bodies are able to adjust so they dont need as much.

In anycase, I know I am not following all the rules. I still am on Karin's menu plan, whatever I want (almost), just the brakes come on really fast! I eat a few bites of bread. I am not into deserts but I eat cheese, not much but its still high calorie. I have trouble with meat, even though I love it. So I tend to make stews with beans and veggies even some rice/potatoes/pasta and cook the heck out of the meat and then its possible to eat it. It also tastes good (to me) and since it all goes down easy, I suppose I eat too much.

Another great success member just reminded me what the program asks us to do is eat the meat(protein) first, then veggies, and only then if you still can, have some rice/pasta/potato. So our diet is not only low calorie, its mostly protein so that we dont lose our musslle mass. Ah ha! I dont do this as at all. I eat 4-6 wontons or I buy the really small ravioli tins, 200 calories, and I eat that. Now is that part of the plan? NO! So I think I just learned something again that I should stick with the program and it will work as planned.

So, I am going to give that another try...

Talk again later Trav

Karin

[ValleyGirl]

I have to disagree about fluoro providing that much benefit when it comes to getting the right amount of fill. I was filled by Dr. So under fluoro Dec 16th and everything went down fine.. One week later I couldn't even get my water down so what looks good one day, can change very quickly...sometimes withing hours. I wish I knew why that was. There are other benefits, though. It's nice to be able to see that the band is in place, and also there is less chance that the doc could purforate the tubing becaue he/she can actually see the needle going in. But as a way to be sure you get the right amount of fill, it is no better than a blind fill.

Sabrina:)

Karin,

I was banded with the larger band in July. I had 4cc's in my first fill (at the OCC) and today I got my 2nd fill which was another 3cc's. I'm 7cc's total right now. Dr. So was very careful putting in the right amount. He tried 3.5 cc's, but you could see in the Fluroscopy that the barium wasn't going down quickly enough, so he decreased it by .5 and gave me 3cc's. Really, it isn't up to us on how much we get. I have a lot of confidence in Dr. So and I'm lucky the OCC is only a 90 minute drive from my house. But watching Dr. So today really analyze the amount he was putting in and adjusting until the flow through my stomach was just right, confirmed to me that a fill without the benefit of Fluro would be risky. And about the speed of the weight loss...I am losing slowly as well, but I'll take what I can get. Hang in there!

[karingwiz]

Hi Sabrina

Sounds like you have had your share of "experiences".

You have come a very long way though with 90 lbs gone. Good for you!

I agree, I dont think the fluro is that important as long as there is a good process to make sure before you leave, you can swallow. Now that I have had 3 fills, I know the routine. At the fill centre usa where I have been going, they unfill me, then put back what I had plus a tiny bit more. Then while the needle is still in, they sit me up and make me drink about 1/2 cup of cold water. If there is trouble with it going down, you can tell right away. Its not just a tiny sip. If no trouble, they can add more. I know now before I go that I can drink well before I go but it does not explain the issue you have had where you had blockage afterwards. I wonder if it means your band actually moved?

In my little experience so far, the band always loosens a couple days or week after the fill. But again, I have had 3 fils total.

And all our bodies are different.

Its really good to hear all of our experiences and to help each other along.

Take care and keep in touch!

Karin G

[ValleyGirl]

I doubt that my band is moving because it has been checked under flouro twice and both times they said it looked perfect! It is in place and my pouch is not stretched at all. I think what keeps happening is that when I get "stuck" (I still don't chew well), the area gets irritated and the inflamation/swelling makes me close right up. This time around, I have found if I feel a little "irritated", two tablespoons of Maalox and 24 hours of liquids get me back to normal.

Sabrina:)

[Trav]

and the most important thing to remember is that EVERYONE is different. What affects one person, doesn't affect another person in the same way. That's one thing everyone needs to have drilled into their brain. Though some people's experiences are similar, it won't be 100% the same.

[CALF]

Hi Cheryl

You have already lost 50 pounds, good for you, you are making great progress!

I see you have the same band as me, I thought it was 10cc's but you think it has 11cc?

Well, that could explain things abit more.

But, I gotta say, I eat snacks at night, a nibble here and there so my calories are higher than they should be...I do fine all day.

I am being brutally honest, I figure when I start eating snacks at night, I am tired and I should be going to bed.

So, what I am trying to do instead is skip dinner, or have a cup of soup for dinner, and then a small snack if I must later.

That way I dont eat dinner, and then have dinner again with the snacking.

Dont be aftraid to get up to 7ccs, as I had better luck with that, but you are going to the experts, the fill centres where I go are not experts, but they are learning as more of us venture into this.

Let me know how your fill goes, see ya,

Karin

Hi Karin,

I'm back from OCC having had my 2nd fill with Dr.So. And yes Houston..we have restriction!!

I had 2.4 added to my 11cc band for a total of 5cc. Any more than that caused tightness and feelings of discomfort. I have already noticed a difference in feeling full after just a few bites..so it's all GOOD!!

[karingwiz]

that fantastic! Keep me posted as to how its going. Its such a relief when you feel it working, it gives a big boost to our spirit!

I still have issues chewing well enough as I get so much saliva in my mouth it kinda just slips down and then , shoot, too big. So I sometimes gravitate towards softer foods but even now I can have a small piece of bread and it does not get stuck. But if I take a bite of roast chicken or two, right away stuck for awhile. I tend to stop eating and just eat the rest 10 or 15 mins later or even an hour later. Last night I had a very smal piece of steak (filet) and I could not eat it all, with a few pieces of carrot. It was really good, but I let my son eat it as he never asks for seconds and eats like a bird. AT 16 he is almost 6 feet tall but only weighs 125lbs.

Today my mom brought over some home made chicken raviolli in soup. She made the chicken broth and the raviolli is made with ground chicken breast and ginger and onion, so yummy but even so I was only able to eat 2 before being full...but I kept another 2 every half our until I likely had 10. Oh boy, ate too much again. This was dinner! I think this is what they mean how the band is only a tool. I should have stopped after 2 and not had another 2 until 3 hours passed. I am still learning too!

Karin G

[CALF]

that fantastic! Keep me posted as to how its going. Its such a relief when you feel it working, it gives a big boost to our spirit!

I still have issues chewing well enough as I get so much saliva in my mouth it kinda just slips down and then , shoot, too big. So I sometimes gravitate towards softer foods but even now I can have a small piece of bread and it does not get stuck. But if I take a bite of roast chicken or two, right away stuck for awhile. I tend to stop eating and just eat the rest 10 or 15 mins later or even an hour later. Last night I had a very smal piece of steak (filet) and I could not eat it all, with a few pieces of carrot. It was really good, but I let my son eat it as he never asks for seconds and eats like a bird. AT 16 he is almost 6 feet tall but only weighs 125lbs.

Today my mom brought over some home made chicken raviolli in soup. She made the chicken broth and the raviolli is made with ground chicken breast and ginger and onion, so yummy but even so I was only able to eat 2 before being full...but I kept another 2 every half our until I likely had 10. Oh boy, ate too much again. This was dinner! I think this is what they mean how the band is only a tool. I should have stopped after 2 and not had another 2 until 3 hours passed. I am still learning too!

Karin G

I hear you Karin...sometimes the brain tells us one thing when our stomachs tell us another!!

I specifically asked Dr. So about what foods to eat versus ones to stay away from. He advised that each person has to learn for themselves what works for them and what doesn't. He did say that ideally we should be able to eat like any other normal person but just in smaller quantities. I asked him about bread, pasta, rice and he said that some folks can tolerate those sticky carbs and that some can't. He suggested that most of the foods that get 'stuck' do so due to their lack of moisture, the size of the bite we took & our in-adequate chewing.

If you want chicken in your diet as a source of lean protein maybe try it shredded and softened with some sort of sauce such as cranberry or salsa..

I tend to want big bites of food as well..and like you I sometimes inadvertently swallow a bit too much at once and then I pay for it big time....ouch...getting stuck is not fun...

It happened to me at the Seattle airport coming home from OCC just this past Saturday morning..I had to leave the Lucerna at 4:00 a.m to catch my 6:30 flight out of San Diego. By the time I hit Seattle at 9:30 I was really hungry and I went to Wolfgang Pucks for a breakfast pizza. My intention was to have the toppings from two slices and take the rest home to my husband.

Well..after eating only the topping (egg, mushroom, tomato and cheese) from the first slice, I got stuck. Big time.

It was awful!!! Repeated trips to the ladies room only gave me marginal comfort...so I walked the terminal for 35 minutes (carrying the darn pizza box in one hand and my carry-on in the other)..feeling quite green and in a fair amount of pain.

Phew..was I glad when that was over...lol

So...yes..small thoroughly chewed bites are a priority .

It's a learning process for all of us..and it certainly is helpful having each other !!

Hmmmm..the chicken/ginger/onion ravioli dish is making my mouth water!! lol It sounds as though I need your Mom's ravioli receipe! Ginger and chicken is a big favorite in our house...so if you don't mind.......

[karingwiz]

Oh no, sorry to hear that. What an ordeal. I guess they forgot to tell you your supposed to drink liquids for the first day of the fill, but I always cheat abit.

I like soup so on the first day I eat the campbells chicken soup with mini pasta or cream of something, helps take the edge off of hunger and no getting stuck. I am going to admit sometimes when that happens to me, I put my finger in the throat and up it comes and now the pain is gone immediately. I dont strain too much or push too hard to get it all as we dont want the band to get loose and sometimes the blockage is still there but now the stuff on top is gone so as long as you dont have any more to eat/drink for awhile, you are ok. Ofcourse we dont want to do that but once in awhile and in your case, having to leave on a flight, it is necessary. This avoids the 5 trips to the bathroom, you know what I mean.

Here is a link to the chicken dumplings. My mom ground the chicken breast and didnt add the sesame seeds and cooked the dumplings in water. Then serve in chicken broth. Yummy.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Chinese-Chicken-Dumplings-158042

I am late so gotta go, have a great day!

Karin G

[CALF]

Oh no, sorry to hear that. What an ordeal. I guess they forgot to tell you your supposed to drink liquids for the first day of the fill, but I always cheat abit.

I like soup so on the first day I eat the campbells chicken soup with mini pasta or cream of something, helps take the edge off of hunger and no getting stuck. I am going to admit sometimes when that happens to me, I put my finger in the throat and up it comes and now the pain is gone immediately. I dont strain too much or push too hard to get it all as we dont want the band to get loose and sometimes the blockage is still there but now the stuff on top is gone so as long as you dont have any more to eat/drink for awhile, you are ok. Ofcourse we dont want to do that but once in awhile and in your case, having to leave on a flight, it is necessary. This avoids the 5 trips to the bathroom, you know what I mean.

Here is a link to the chicken dumplings. My mom ground the chicken breast and didnt add the sesame seeds and cooked the dumplings in water. Then serve in chicken broth. Yummy.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Chinese-Chicken-Dumplings-158042

I am late so gotta go, have a great day!

Karin G

Hmmmm...that's interesting Karin..the part about souping it for the first day...Dr. So advised me to go back to the hotel after having the fill on Friday afternoon and order dinner from the OCC menu..which is what I did. The theory was that Dr. So wanted me to see how effective the fill was..if I could eat some them it was good..if I couldn't I was to return that evening for a bit of an unfill.

The refried beans & rice went down just fine (about three tablespoons worth) I got a bit stuck with the third bite of the avocado and didn't touch my shredded beef burrito at all.

Since I got some food down I figured I was good to go hence I ordered the breakfast pizza the following morning.

Little did I know that this lap band...she is a fickle one...lol

I know what you mean about relieving the stuck pressure with a visit to the washroom. I have a pretty strong gag reflex .... all I have to do is lift the toilet lid, feel the chest pressure and voila, up comes whatever...

Thanks for forwarding the wonton/ravioli receipe..it looks fairly easy and very delicious!

I'm off to walk the dogs before the next cloudburst!!

Have a good evening

[ValleyGirl]

Last time I went to OCC they said I didn't need to do liquids after a fill but when I went to Northwest Fill Managemet, they made you do 24 or 48-hours of liquids only. Again, every clinic follows different rules. It's not a perfect science, that's for sure. Just be careful with making yourself sick...I used to do that a lot and wonder now if that's what has caused the recent problems that lead to two unfills. I'm happy to report that I haven't PB'd in months. I can tell right away if there are going to be problems and I put the fork down immediately!

Sabrina:)