Anbody ever feel like this???

[Donna34]

I’m so frustrated right now. I had lap band surgery April 3rd, 2007. I was so excited! I was finally going to lose the weight

for GOOD! And yet, here I sit

almost a year later, still fat and unhappy!

I lost about 37 pounds after

surgery. I lost weight for 2

months, and then it STOPPED.

COMPLETELY stopped! I

haven’t dropped another ounce since!

I knew going into this, that it wouldn’t be a miracle cure. But I just KNEW it would work for

me! I knew if I could just GET that

band, I could MAKE it work for me!!

I have had 6 fills, and I still

have no restriction. It’s getting

really expensive to get fills. $300

a pop! I just don’t get it. I see it on fluoro. The barium goes down, and stops. I “feel†tight, and then I go home and

ALL restriction is GONE.

I am eating solid foods. I don’t

drink with meals. And I might add

that I can eat quite a BIT of solids!

The only thing I CAN’T eat is scrambled eggs! They get stuck EVERYTIME. I guess I could go on a scrambled egg

diet! I bought Lean Cuisine meals

just for the portion control, but after I eat one, I’m STILL STARVING. I do get tight around my period. Then things get stuck, before I even

realize what has happened!

I’ve had people tell me, “You’re

just not at your sweet spot yet.â€

But is that true? I don’t

know. I’ve never felt this magical

thing called “restriction.†I have

felt “STUCK food†and have PB’ed several times, but I don’t know about

restriction. Am I just NOT there

yet, or is this just not gonna work for me?? My cousin and I are identical in eating

patterns, build, even emotions. She

has had her band for 2 years, and has lost 100 pounds. So, I keep thinking , “WHY CAN’T

I??? I have a 4cc band. I really don’t know how much is in

it. I’m guessing around

2.8cc’s. My fill doc didn’t tell me

last time.

I don’t THINK I have a leak. But, I have worried about that A

LOT. My fill doc is going to use

Omnipaque (thicker saline) when I get my next fill. Has anyone heard of this, or had

experience with this?

I don’t mean to gripe. I know this is a great tool! And, I KNOW that you DO have to work

with it. But right now, I don’t

feel like it is helping me at all.

Well, I haven’t gained back the 37 pounds, and I AM happy about that, but

I want to get down to 150. That is

my goal. That is 60 pounds away

though, and I really NEED this band to help me.

Has anyone else felt this way, or

am I some kind of NUT?

Thanks,

Donna

[DonnaK2231]

Hello Donna,

Have you talked to Dr. Ortiz or his staff? could it have leaked? Or maybe you have some hormone or thyoid issues?

I haven't had mine yet, so not the best person to respond, but I feel your pain. I hope and pray you are succesful with your next 60 lbs. good luck girl,

Donna K

[Donna34]

Hi Donna,

Glad to hear you are getting banded! I had a great experience there. I really don't want to sound negative about the band, I'm just really frustrated right now. I've been checked for leaks, and there are none. By the way is your middle name Kay? My name is Donna Kaye.

Good luck with the band!

Donna

[cleo6666]

Thanks for writing that.

I have been banded since July of 2006 and it has been a tough road for me. I have lost little weight.

Most recently, I flew to WA after months of misery and several visits to doctors. All of them, except the last one, told me to have it removed.

I just had a colonoscopy to see if that was the problem...that was fun! They found nothing.

NOW....I have NO fill and I am so scarred that I am going to start eating and eating and gain tons of weight.

My challenges now are to work out more and eat less. Exactly what I was doing before the band.

I don't regret getting the band. I just don't know if it was right for me.

Living in beautiful sunny SC!

Michele

[Donna34]

Thanks for writing that.

I have been banded since July of 2006 and it has been a tough road for me. I have lost little weight.

Most recently, I flew to WA after months of misery and several visits to doctors. All of them, except the last one, told me to have it removed.

I just had a colonoscopy to see if that was the problem...that was fun! They found nothing.

NOW....I have NO fill and I am so scarred that I am going to start eating and eating and gain tons of weight.

My challenges now are to work out more and eat less. Exactly what I was doing before the band.

I don't regret getting the band. I just don't know if it was right for me.

Living in beautiful sunny SC!

Michele

Hi Cleo,

I'm sorry you are feeling the same thing I am! I really WANTED this to work for me, and I was determined that I would MAKE it work no matter what. I don't understand WHY, after following all the rules to the letter, I just don't have restriction!! It's so frustrating.

I'm still hoping that the Omnipaque will work....who knows?

What size band do you have, and what is your fill level, if you don't mind me asking?

Talk to you soon!

Donna

[cleo6666]

My band is 4, my fill is "0"

(

[dietingqueen]

Hello,

Been banded three years and have lost about 25lbs - so you have 'beaten' me there. Been there and gone/still going though a bit of what you are going through. Sometimes you have to stop looking for 'restriction' and that sweet spot that others refer to. I've never really had it - only felt that full feeling two times when I needed an emergency unfill so for some of us - it may not really exist.

You are successful - you've lost a LOT of weight and you've kept it off. I've changed my definition of band success - sure I want to lose more weight and now I am working with a local bariatric doctor - (who has a lot of band patients and understands obesity is a 'complex' problem - more of a problem for some of us!)

I'm unfilled due to reflux and even now i am struggling and i mean struggling to not eat.

Has the band kept you for yo yoing and gaining weight? Has the band kept you for pigging out and binging? I for one have to also deal with hunger although I know now being unfilled that hunger is a lot less when filled.

This is a lifelong journey with ups and downs.

If you eat a tv dinner - and are still hungry - try drinking BEFORE the meal - add in a salad or other veges - or more protein and try to ride it out. being a little hungry isn't horrible - sometimes if you focus elsewhere that will help.

Do you really have no restriction - if no restriction you could probably eat eggs.... not saying this to be bitchy sounding but believe me you would feel a difference with no fluid in you -

If possible - get a fill, wait a day, and if not enough - go get some more in - right away - just be careful as a little goes a long way.

Also, try to relax - up your exercise - make good food choices - make sure you are eating solid protein first - etc etc.

good luck.

[Donna34]

"Do you really have no restriction - if no restriction you could probably eat eggs.... not saying this to be bitchy sounding but believe me you would feel a difference with no fluid in you - "

About 3 months ago, my family dr. pulled every last drop of saline out of my band. (unintentionally. She thought she had replaced it, but missed the port) I had no fill for 2 1/2 weeks. I was so hungry, ALL the time. I could eat anything, and WANTED to eat everything. I had cravings like MAD. Now that I have maybe 2.6cc's, I still have no restriction. Am I ravenous like I was with no fill?....NO. So, I know what it's like to have an empty band after having a fill. And I know that having a fill DOES suppress appetite.

When I first got my LAST fill, I had pretty good restriction. I lost 2 pounds, and then it was gone again! Then I gained the 2 pounds back!!?? I just want some lasting restriction, so I can lose weight the way the band was intended to help you lose. I just can't afford to get a fill every 2 pounds.

Another thing that proves that having a fill helps you maintain your weight....

My cousin has lost 120 pounds. Her doctor was VERY aggressive with her fills. I think she bordered on being TOO TIGHT most of the time, but she lost quickly. She had lost all the weight she wanted to lose, and was happy, so he took a tiny bit of saline back out. A couple of weeks later, she got the stomach flu. She vommitted violently, and repeatedly, and her band slipped.

She went back, and her doc pulled all the saline out. Her band slid back into place, but he still did surgery to add more sutures.

During the period of 3 weeks, (while she had no saline) she gained 20 pounds! She was shocked at how badly she wanted to eat, and how MUCH she wanted to eat. She told me that she was thoroughly convinced that she could keep the weight off by herself, until that happened.

SOOOO, it is a fact that having the band does curb appetite. I'm glad that I can't regain what I lost, as long as I have a fill, but I know I really need to be tighter to get this weight off.

I guess my biggest problem is probably that my fill doctor is WAY too conservative with his fills. Maybe someday I will get there. One time I got a fill of .08 cc's.....NOT .8, but .08!! I couldn't tell I had even GONE for a fill!! I don't consider my band a mistake, or a complete loss. After all, I was on high blood pressure meds before I got it. My triglycerides were high, and my cholesterol looked pretty bad too. Now that I've lost almost 40 pounds, I'm not on BP meds anymore, blood pressure looks GREAT, and my DR told me she was ENVIOUS of my bloodwork. It was perfect!

My health is the most important thing. I want to be here for my kids! So, I do LOVE my band, don't get me wrong about that. I'm just a little frustrated at this point. That's all.

Good Grief....sorry I wrote a book!

Donna

[Donna34]

My band is 4, my fill is "0"

(

I'm sorry Cleo...I meant to say what was your highest fill level? Were you having problems? Is that why they removed all the saline? I honestly believe I would gain my weight back if all my fill was removed. Maybe if you could tolerate it, a small fill might help you maintain your weight more easily.

If I weighed what you weigh now, I'd be so happy, I wouldn't know what to do! LOL

Best of luck to you!

Donna