VG Band

[nita57]

Why is the VG band topic showing closed? Is it a problem with my computer or did someone decide we shouldn't discuss it? I am going to TJ for another fill on Monday the 25th. I am hoping that this will solve some of my issues. I already have more than 6cc in the band. Is it possible for a person to need to have it totally filled? Then what?. Nita

[RogerF]

Why is the VG band topic showing closed? Is it a problem with my computer or did someone decide we shouldn't discuss it? I am going to TJ for another fill on Monday the 25th. I am hoping that this will solve some of my issues. I already have more than 6cc in the band. Is it possible for a person to need to have it totally filled? Then what?. Nita

Hey Nita,

Glad to see you're out there and still doing well. I don't know what happenned to this area or why the topics were closed, and I don't even see the "testimonial" I posted at the beginning of May when they started it. But some of the threads seem to start going off topic after awhile and it doesn't hurt to start a fresh one.

I found a good page on the Allergan/Inamed site. Near the bottom they have a Stoma Area Comparison Chart (I can't seem to copy the image in here). Because the VG has such a wider range of adjustment, it shows that at about 7cc in the VG compares with about 2cc's in the regular band. Of course this is still somewhat dependant on each persons anatomy, and if us VG's are already "thicker" under the band we probably have a lot of adjustment room to go in the long run. So you're only about halfway to where you can get with it. I can't copy the chart in but here's the page link:

http://www.allerganandinamed.com/products/...d/prodinfo.aspx

Hope that works and helps,

Also hope you are doing well. I need a fill also (locally, next week), but have held steady for awhile. I'm now at a 80 lbs off and 29.9 BMI so I'm only "overweight" now, but have never felt better and am not pushing it as hard. It's also been a lot of hard work to get to this point. Even now I still feel fat, but it sure is a change from where I started.

Still, you're doing great!!! Keep the faith and determination to do what you need to do. It's can be a slow process at times, but once the weight is off then you'll have so much longer to enjoy it. I don't post as much anymore, but I still pop in here to read and I think about you often. Take care.

Roger

[Suze in Central Florida]

Hello! I be new!

I got a 10cc VG Band on 5/21/2007 (Meaning I am nearly 4 weeks post op).

I had a BUNCH of questions about this hardware and I got them answered at a support group meeting last night. Nurse and other surgical staff were there with our files and charts.

I asked specifically why I got the 10cc VG band. First, I got the ole "everyone's anatomy is different, everyone gets the hardware right for them" answer. Then I pressed for my specifics. I am big all over (duh) but I carry most of my excess weight on my hips and thighs - with (relatively) little belly fat.

The fact is, I got the larger band because I also had a very nasty hiatal hernia repaired during the band implantation procedure and there was a LOT of swelling. So much that I don't get my first fill till almost 9 weeks after surgery. The larger band gave me more room to swell and heal. Apparently, I have NO restriction at all right now. And MAN am I hungry and I have been since a week after surgery.

Also, I found out that the 10cc band will actually hold almost 21cc of fill fluid. Turns out that the 4cc band CAN hold almost 8 cc and the 6 cc band CAN hold almost 12 cc. WHO KNEW? And, yes, I clarified and verifed those facts with the nurse about 4 times. It seems the typical sweet spot for 10cc bands is around 6 ccs.

Except for being hungry all the time and feeling I can eat anything in any amount, I have had ZERO problems so far. *knock wood* I have written a journal entry for each of the three weeks since my surgery.

Banded 5/21/2007 By Dr. Mark Fusco, Brevard County Florida

287/275/175-ish

10cc VG Band (currently unfilled)

40 year old female, 5'8" tall.

[nita57]

hey Roger!!

Wow you look great! I am trying really hard not to be discouraged and will continue to plod away and keep tryin...You look like you are almost at your goal so you must be feeling really good.

How is your wife doing since she got banded? Good luck and stay in touch! Nita

[tombourn]

Hey Nita /Roger,

How's things going? Back from Hawaii yesterday and ready to get back on the wagon... should have gotten a fill four weeks ago, but wanted to wait for this trip to be done and over with. For those of you out there wondering, even without the proper fill, it's still almost impossible to gain weight back with the band. Anyway, going for a local fill sometime this week ,hopefully. Going to try FillCenterUSA. Have heard mixed reviews, but with my port so palatable and it being my fourth fill, I'm going to give them a shot.

Training for Marine Corp Marathon in October, out in Washington D.C., it'll be my second and probably last:). Anyway just wanted to say Hi...HI

Tom

Current weight 243lbs

[RogerF]

Nita/Tom/All,

Glad to hear you're both well. I'm hanging in thre. I had hit a plateau a couple of months, but just got another fill and think it should help me get to goal. But I've really felt great where I'm at and only fluctuating 1-2lbs without much effort. After working so hard really dieting and working to get the weight off, it seems I'm just now really learning how the band will work for me in the long-term to maintain.

Nita, don't get discouraged, you're doing super, it can get slow at times, but you're doing fine and continuing to make progrogress. Sounds like a huge success to me!!!! Candy is doing great also, and just had her 2nd fill this week. She's feeling it now and should give her a boost. She's been dieting well on Jenny Craig even after banding(but finally got tired of their food), and is down about 70 so far, so we're both looking good.

Tom, we even made plans for our first trip to Hawaii in October to celebrate, hope you had a good time. I think it has been nice to take a break from not pushing it so hard. Not that I changed back to the old habits. But eating "normal" for awhile and being able to maintain is a good confidence builder too. But I'm ready to make another push at the last 20 now although it is a bit more difficult now.

But keep the faith!! You know what it takes for you, so get on track ond make another push at the next level. What have you got to lose?

Roger

[nita57]

Finally I have my computer working well enough to post!! I went to TJ on the 25th of June for another fill. I am now at 7.5cc in my VG band. What a difference. I have some very high hopes at this point, if I can just deal with the fact that I need to quit eating at the FIRST sign of being full. I can not eat more than 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food at a time, and yet I always want that "one more bite"..ouch...Anyway I am dealing with the head stuff as best I can and keeping my fingers crossed for some big results, finally. I will keep you all informed, and hope that all the VG bandsters will keep the faith.

Nita

[tombourn]

Hey Nita:

Nothing like getting another fill to take us down a few more notches. I got my fourth fill on the same day, but here in Denver this time sans floro. Everything went fine, I think, I should say I know I'm a bit tighter than I should be, but I'm going to try and get past the next week or two... As of this morning I'm down 13 pounds since then, so you can see why I say I'm too tight. I'm just now geting protien shakes and puree'd chicken down.. slow, but its going.

Still have 35-50 to go for goal weight ( Still haven't decided on goal. BMI says I have to be at 184, but I think 200 might be a good weight for me, I'll see when I get there.

Keep up the good work and I hope this fill last awhile.. it is nice to feel full at 1/2 cups of food.

Tom

Current 235 lbs

[RogerF]

Still have 35-50 to go for goal weight ( Still haven't decided on goal. BMI says I have to be at 184, but I think 200 might be a good weight for me, I'll see when I get there.

Hey Tom, you're doing great! It's so much easier to put up with some temporary discomfort when the weight is going off so well. Like you, I'd rather start a little tight and work into it.

I thought I would post here after your comment on deciding on a goal weight. I have also found that to be a difficult target to set. A 25 BMI would put me at 175. I can see I still have some to loose, but it's amazing what being "just overweight" means for your attitude and health. If loosing 100 percent of your excess weight means getting to a normal BMI, then the literature saying most can loose 60-80% of excess is probably about right. For all of us that have been so big for so long, being a bit overwieght doesn't feel too bad. So go for the next 15, and see how you feel. You might even want to have a body fat analysis check done at the gym, I know you're pretty active in your work and BMI doesn't consider muscle mass as well. Of course as guys, we seem to be able to get it off faster, but it still takes lots of work.

Even after coming this far, it also seems almost unrealistic to think I can get to a "normal" BMI without some PS work done. I think that if any of us can get to a BMI under 30 we've been a huge success. For me, this is somewhere I never was in the past anyway. At this stage it's difficult for me to keep the dedication needed to lose much more because the results are slower and the energy, confidence, and compliments now are pretty satisfying. Still, I'll continue to eat right and take what comes off when I can. I'm floating between 206-210 now and still want to see the other side of 200, but life is good and it's not hard to maintain. And I'm three weeks away from having no fast food for a year (now that was a tough goal). But I think of where I was last year at this time (didn't even know about the Lapband) and know I was blessed with this opportunity.

Keep working it, working out, and keep the faith. You're almost there.

Roger

[nita57]

Hey Tom, Roger.

You guys make me sick!!(not really) You both look so terrific! Anyway Tom, when choosing a goal my Doctor here told me to factor in 10-15 lbs of excess skin. I know everyone is different with respect to this, depending on age and activity level.

Hopefully you won't have so much of the Shar pei look as me when I'm done! But I would rather deal with that then to deal with the health issues and the FAT! Good Luck, and I'm with you..trying to wait out what seems like a little bit of over tightness to get the weight loss ball rolling again. Take care Nita

[tombourn]

Nita... 74 pounds lost is nothing to shake a stick at.. way to go girl... and a bit of a confessional.. my pic is a bit stretched, not that i did it, but I definately look thinner in the pic than in real life.. but that is a good motivational tool....

I too am trying to bare with this current fill.. they have me on 36 hours of clear liquid to see if i wassnt suffering from contstant swelling and hence don't really need an unfill....

I've been lucky on the skin thing so far not much droopage and over 1/2 way there so we will see. Good luck keep posting

[CalKev]

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