At the risk of being blasted

[mona-camille]

here in my town so no more driving far away for it. I am now up to 8.5 cc's in my 10 cc band. This doctor DID pull all of the fluid out and he did say I do indeed have the full amount. (I was previously worried that the last doctor 'missed' my port).

What he is concerned about (and is the same thing the last fill doctor I went to in Maryland said) is that 8.5 is a lot! He is very surprised that I don't feel much restriction. I have 'some' but not much. He said if this 1/2 cc doesn't help, I need to have an upper GI to see if my band slipped or stretched or something. I don't think that has happened because the first 2 fills I had were under fluro and it was fine. I do not drink with my meals, I do not stuff myself and I DO follow the rules so I really don't think that is it.

My gut feeling is this...........yeah, might be stupid, but my gut feeling just the same.......... is that the 10 cc band was too big for me. I know that seems weird and Dr. Ortiz definitely knows what he is doing, but it sure seems that way. I mean, if I have little to no restriction now, what is .5 cc's going to do? Ok, I KNOW that .5 cc's can make a difference, but then I am also thinking, doesn't the band loosen up with weight loss? If that is the case, and my band is as tight as it can get, but I have more weight to lose, then what?

Last week, I was super tight and I am quite sure it had to do with stress and I even pb'd twice. But it was only for 3 days and now I am fine.

I just don't understand why I have been on this roller coaster since March with little to no results. And with 8.5 cc's I should feel something.

I did see in another post Lisa mentioned thinking yourself thin and someoen mentioned the Law Of Attraction. Well, I did just finish reading that books and I am trying to change my attitude. I DO believe that has a lot to do with it, but it is not easy changing your personality after you have had it for 48 years. Funny though, I have been trying this...seeing myself thin and I did lose 2 pounds. The first loss in months! So, I will keep that up. Otherwise I have to start saving for another Mexico trip.

[Kittycat]

Hi Mona-Camille,

I feel bad you are struggling with this. My surgeon also told me that as the fat between your stomach and the band decreasing, the band will loosen and you may need more fills to tight it up.

You may have a point about the band being too big, I would contact the OCC for more info.

Good Luck!!

[snowbird]

Mona, my husband is in about the same situation. Banded 10/07, and has had five fills with 8.6 in his 10 cc band. He has some restriction but still can eat at least twice as much as I can at a sitting. He's lost about 65 lb, but has about that much left to lose. He has kind of given up on the OCC fills because the doctor just keeps telling him he shouldn't eat between meals. DUH! He really isn't a snacker like I am, but he can still eat too much at one sitting. He has pb'd exactly once in his entire banded life, and that was right after his first fill months ago. He has had a barium swallow with all fills except the last one, and he has not slipped.

I think for some people there is no restriction until you get to the last one or two cc's. And I hate to say it, but I have read of some people who have maxed out the fill level in their bands and still don't have proper restriction. So I don't have any advice to offer, just commiseration!

[cckcsharp]

I don't think your thoughts on the band being too big are stupid at all. This seems like the only reasonable explanation to me. I feel bad about your situation because all of us chose the band for a reason. Doing it alone wasn't working. Yeah, positive thinking can help, but if that were the answer than we could all lose weight without going through this surgery. And I understand that we cannot rely on the band to do all the work, but if it's not doing ANY work, than what is it's purpose. I would talk to the OCC about this and see what more they can suggest. I don't have a clue how to deal with this, but I am truly sorry for your struggle. I really hope that you are able to find a solution and get the weight loss you deserve.

[Dolittle]

here in my town so no more driving far away for it. I am now up to 8.5 cc's in my 10 cc band. This doctor DID pull all of the fluid out and he did say I do indeed have the full amount. (I was previously worried that the last doctor 'missed' my port).

What he is concerned about (and is the same thing the last fill doctor I went to in Maryland said) is that 8.5 is a lot! He is very surprised that I don't feel much restriction. I have 'some' but not much. He said if this 1/2 cc doesn't help, I need to have an upper GI to see if my band slipped or stretched or something. I don't think that has happened because the first 2 fills I had were under fluro and it was fine. I do not drink with my meals, I do not stuff myself and I DO follow the rules so I really don't think that is it.

My gut feeling is this...........yeah, might be stupid, but my gut feeling just the same.......... is that the 10 cc band was too big for me. I know that seems weird and Dr. Ortiz definitely knows what he is doing, but it sure seems that way. I mean, if I have little to no restriction now, what is .5 cc's going to do? Ok, I KNOW that .5 cc's can make a difference, but then I am also thinking, doesn't the band loosen up with weight loss? If that is the case, and my band is as tight as it can get, but I have more weight to lose, then what?

Last week, I was super tight and I am quite sure it had to do with stress and I even pb'd twice. But it was only for 3 days and now I am fine.

I just don't understand why I have been on this roller coaster since March with little to no results. And with 8.5 cc's I should feel something.

I did see in another post Lisa mentioned thinking yourself thin and someoen mentioned the Law Of Attraction. Well, I did just finish reading that books and I am trying to change my attitude. I DO believe that has a lot to do with it, but it is not easy changing your personality after you have had it for 48 years. Funny though, I have been trying this...seeing myself thin and I did lose 2 pounds. The first loss in months! So, I will keep that up. Otherwise I have to start saving for another Mexico trip.

We used to be able to go to Inamed and look up the band specs,, but Inamed has changed their website and you can't find band info like you used to. But,,, If I remember right, There is hardly any differance between the 4cc band and the 10cc band when their fully filled with saline. The big diff is when they have no saline in them,, the 10cc band starts out with a larger inside diameter than the 4cc band. When saline is injected into each band,, the inside diameter will only close to a certain point. When each band meets their full capacity, they're almost the same inside diameter. This is why patients that get the larger 10cc band can always eat anything after surgery,, the empty 10cc band has a larger inside diameter. But,, both bands will only clamp down to a certain point and that point is almost identical on each band. This is also one of the things Dr. Ortiz decides when placing the band inside of a patient, how much internal fat is around your stomach. I personally had the 4cc band and had restriction from the get go. And all the fills since my surgery have been very small,, example: .4 thru .7cc's,, none of these whoppers that I read about like 1.4cc's in a 4cc band and other fill stories like that. I'm now 19 months since surgery,, had 5 fills and I'm at 2.3cc's total in a 4cc band. But,, every one is different,, some people can handle a big fill and some can't,, some get tighter days after,, some don't. I think alot of patients get in a hurry and want results quickly,,, take small steps and you'll be happier. There's nothing worse than being over filled,, its misery.

[MamaMichelle]

Here's a visual image of what dolittle is talking about:

The 4cc and 10cc band (pretty much the same size opening when fully filled):

[julieburns]

Very interesting last 2 posts. Mona I am sorry to hear of this situation, I am sure it just sucks!!

Work on that positive attitude and hopefully that will help in some way.

I don't understand why you titled this.."at risk of being blasted?". Why would you be blasted?

[momonamission]

You might want to concider doing floro. I would hate for there to be something wrong and you have to have it removed because you waited to long. Honey, this is your body and you do not want to take any chances. I hope all is truely well.

[shadiggty]

I don't think your thoughts on the band being too big are stupid at all. This seems like the only reasonable explanation to me. I feel bad about your situation because all of us chose the band for a reason. Doing it alone wasn't working. Yeah, positive thinking can help, but if that were the answer than we could all lose weight without going through this surgery. And I understand that we cannot rely on the band to do all the work, but if it's not doing ANY work, than what is it's purpose. I would talk to the OCC about this and see what more they can suggest. I don't have a clue how to deal with this, but I am truly sorry for your struggle. I really hope that you are able to find a solution and get the weight loss you deserve.

fudge yeah, spot on post. go see the doctor, and if it's not helping, find another doctor. someone needs to listen to and adrs your concerns.

[mona-camille]

Very interesting last 2 posts. Mona I am sorry to hear of this situation, I am sure it just sucks!!

Work on that positive attitude and hopefully that will help in some way.

I don't understand why you titled this.."at risk of being blasted?". Why would you be blasted?

Because there was just a recent post about getting only 1 to 2 fills per lifetime and that any more than that could cause stretching. I was projecting, assuming that some on here would say I was doing something wrong.

I did speak to Dr. So after the 4th fill and he was thinking I didn't truly have 8 cc's in there, but this fill, they did confirm there was indeed 8 cc's in there. Dr. So said I should go back to the OCC for a check. But, I just don't have the money or even the vacation days from work anymore this year. I guess I am super frustrated because I was banded back in March for crying out loud!

[mona-camille]

We used to be able to go to Inamed and look up the band specs,, but Inamed has changed their website and you can't find band info like you used to. But,,, If I remember right, There is hardly any differance between the 4cc band and the 10cc band when their fully filled with saline. The big diff is when they have no saline in them,, the 10cc band starts out with a larger inside diameter than the 4cc band. When saline is injected into each band,, the inside diameter will only close to a certain point. When each band meets their full capacity, they're almost the same inside diameter. This is why patients that get the larger 10cc band can always eat anything after surgery,, the empty 10cc band has a larger inside diameter. But,, both bands will only clamp down to a certain point and that point is almost identical on each band. This is also one of the things Dr. Ortiz decides when placing the band inside of a patient, how much internal fat is around your stomach. I personally had the 4cc band and had restriction from the get go. And all the fills since my surgery have been very small,, example: .4 thru .7cc's,, none of these whoppers that I read about like 1.4cc's in a 4cc band and other fill stories like that. I'm now 19 months since surgery,, had 5 fills and I'm at 2.3cc's total in a 4cc band. But,, every one is different,, some people can handle a big fill and some can't,, some get tighter days after,, some don't. I think alot of patients get in a hurry and want results quickly,,, take small steps and you'll be happier. There's nothing worse than being over filled,, its misery.

Ok, I understand that and not exactly something I wanted to hear though. I mean, thinking the band was too big was kind of my last hope. Also, you said to take small steps and I'll be happier, but that is tough. I was banded back in March. That is small steps. Thanks for the info, I do appreciate it. Just hard to keep my chin up after all this time and money.

[jena]

> Hugs to you Mona.

I know Dr. O and other people have said that you should only need 1 - 2 fills for the rest of your life, but that all depends on who is doing your fills.

As you know Mona, I have the 10cc band too. I have been filled twice, both by Darlene who was trained by Dr. O on how to do fills. At two fills, I'm already up to over 8cc's. It took you 5 fills to get where I am at 2!

At first, after this second fill, I had really good restriction and my hunger was under control. To tell you the truth, it took so long to eat a small meal, I would just get tired of eating.

Now sometimes I have restriction and sometimes I don't. My weight loss has stopped again. I'm thinking of going back and having a tiny fill. I think that is all it would take, but who knows?

I feel your pain, sister, I just wish it had not taken you 5 fills to get where you are.

Jena

[GirlBarb]

Here's a visual image of what dolittle is talking about:

The 4cc and 10cc band (pretty much the same size opening when fully filled):

Great visual Michelle,

I know this is the wrong string to write this, but I have to giggle when I see you in your suit....just look at how much of the bikini is showing under your (top) and how much bigger the suit looks on the bottom, you must be out of you mind with excitment! You are so beautiful!!

[mona-camille]

> Hugs to you Mona.

I know Dr. O and other people have said that you should only need 1 - 2 fills for the rest of your life, but that all depends on who is doing your fills.

As you know Mona, I have the 10cc band too. I have been filled twice, both by Darlene who was trained by Dr. O on how to do fills. At two fills, I'm already up to over 8cc's. It took you 5 fills to get where I am at 2!

At first, after this second fill, I had really good restriction and my hunger was under control. To tell you the truth, it took so long to eat a small meal, I would just get tired of eating.

Now sometimes I have restriction and sometimes I don't. My weight loss has stopped again. I'm thinking of going back and having a tiny fill. I think that is all it would take, but who knows?

I feel your pain, sister, I just wish it had not taken you 5 fills to get where you are.

Jena

And.....my first 2 fills WERE done by the OCC and only got me up to 5 cc's at the time. And I didn't have restriction then, so I don't see how he can even say that a gal only needs 1 - 2 in a lifetime. Doesn't even make any sense actually.

[Kittycat]

Everyone is different! That's the bottom line. No one can predict how many fills you may need to get to your "sweetspot". Saying women should only need 1-2 fills is not realistic. It depends on how much the doctor puts in, at any given time. I had 3cc put in during surgery, 1cc in July and 1cc in August. I have 5cc in my 9cc and I am doing fine, but that's for now. Things change daily.

Mona-Camille, you need to seriously talk to the doctor and figure out what's right for you!

Good Luck Hon!!

[Willi333]

... here are my 2 cents ....

Having 3 friends back in Germany being banded and none of them had more than 3 fills until they reached their goal (but also lost not more than 4 lbs a month) ... I thought too, that this is the norm.

Thruth is ... we are all different! We (maybe) have different bands with different amount of cc's to fill, different fill provider with different opinions - but so are our bodies.

I lost 51 pounds with 2 fills (3.2cc total in 4cc band), but have 65 pounds to go an sure need more fills to get there. I probably could use a little tweak right now, since restriction has been less in the last weeks.

(for now I just tough it out, since we are in the process of getting things straigthen out for hubby getting banded as well, so I'd like to get the next check up/fill at the OCC).

I do believe that most of us probably need more than 1-2 fills to get to the "sweet spot" and reach their goal.

Mona, please hang in there and if you should not have good restriction with this fill - that doesn't mean that you need another big fill to get there. Maybe it takes only a tiny tweak to do the trick. I know that you are discouraged, but listen to your body and not what the "norm" should be!

(((((HUGGGGSSSSS))))))

[bandgroupie]

I understand from the photos that the bands look similar in size when inflated. But, why does history tell us that those with the larger band will require more fills? Also, I was told by another doctor that he can't believe anyone is still using the VG band?

I'm confused too.

Ok, I understand that and not exactly something I wanted to hear though. I mean, thinking the band was too big was kind of my last hope. Also, you said to take small steps and I'll be happier, but that is tough. I was banded back in March. That is small steps. Thanks for the info, I do appreciate it. Just hard to keep my chin up after all this time and money.

[jena]

I understand from the photos that the bands look similar in size when inflated. But, why does history tell us that those with the larger band will require more fills? Also, I was told by another doctor that he can't believe anyone is still using the VG band?

I'm confused too.

Interesting that the other doctor would say that. The Lapband AP (Advanced Platform) band has only been approved in the states since last summer. It has what they call the "omniform" technology.

Previous to this AP band, the VG band is the latest and was developed for people with a higher BMI, larger organs or more abdominal fat. The VG was the first in the line to use the omniform technology, this means the balloon has ribs or baffles and the band itself is curved.

The AP bands come in 2 sizes, the SMALL is 10cc's and the large is 14cc's. So the small AP holds the same amount as the VG band.

Apparently they have found that the bands that hold more saline are better because they allow more room for adjustments so that you can reach your sweet spot without having to go through lots of fills/unfills to find what's right for you.

BTW, I'm pretty sure the bands in the picture that Michelle posted are the 10cc and 14cc AP bands. The AP bands are the only ones that have the 360 degree balloon. The ones in the picture look like the balloon goes all the way around. The 4cc band has the largest gap and the VG band has about a 60 degree gap.

[momonamission]

Wow. someone has done there homework. And I thought I was the pro on the band. Not by a long shot.

[momonamission]

Wow. someone has done there homework. And I thought I was the pro on the band. Not by a long shot.

[Kim2BSlim]

Mona~

I am so sorry you are so frustrated with your band. One thing I have learned is that restriction comes and goes. Somedays I have it, other days I don't.

[Bobbi]

Mona - So sorry to hear of your issue with the lapband. I have only had two small fills, I have 1.6cc in my band right now. Like eveyone else I have my tight days and not so tight days. It's just a roller coaster ride and all of us are different. I know whatever I say will not help you, but keep up with the new attitude of looking thin, feeling thin and acting thin, it can't really hurt. My thought and prayers are with you.

[wagirl]

I sooooo feel your pain. I was banded in June and I have not lost any weight yet. I have had four fills (going broke!) and am now at 3.9 cc's in a 4 cc band! Now I have only .1 cc left of wiggle room and am very worried that it won't be enough. I am just starting to feel restriction, and the last fill was several weeks ago, so I think that is encouraging. It seems to be getting tighter since the last fill. I have PB'd a couple of times, which I actually was happy about. Not that it was fun, but that the band was actually telling me that I could not eat certain types of food, or eat too much. It is taking me a lot longer to eat in the last couple of days, and yes, like a previous poster, I just give up after awhile. Tonight we went to Mexican with the kids, and I only got a few bites in during the entire dinner, and then ended up having to pull over and PB on the way home! I know it sounds gross, but the restriction was really encouraging.

So I guess I want to tell you that maybe there is hope. Otherwise I have wasted a lot of money and time. Definitely talk to Dr. O, I know that I plan to.

[mona-camille]

I sooooo feel your pain. I was banded in June and I have not lost any weight yet. I have had four fills (going broke!) and am now at 3.9 cc's in a 4 cc band! Now I have only .1 cc left of wiggle room and am very worried that it won't be enough. I am just starting to feel restriction, and the last fill was several weeks ago, so I think that is encouraging. It seems to be getting tighter since the last fill. I have PB'd a couple of times, which I actually was happy about. Not that it was fun, but that the band was actually telling me that I could not eat certain types of food, or eat too much. It is taking me a lot longer to eat in the last couple of days, and yes, like a previous poster, I just give up after awhile. Tonight we went to Mexican with the kids, and I only got a few bites in during the entire dinner, and then ended up having to pull over and PB on the way home! I know it sounds gross, but the restriction was really encouraging.

So I guess I want to tell you that maybe there is hope. Otherwise I have wasted a lot of money and time. Definitely talk to Dr. O, I know that I plan to.

Funny, but I was happy to pb my first time also! No, it wasn't fun at all and hurt like heck, but I was glad because it meant SOME restriction. I did talk to the OCC and all they said was to come back out there when I could afford it and they would check me out. THis last fill I got hasn't seemed to make any difference yet. But on the bright side, yesterday at work 2 different people came up to me and said WOW you are looking great! So, even though the scale doesn't move, something must be shifting.