Really Upset

[gregken77]

Hello everyone,
I went to my doctor this past friday to have a fill down and found out something thats got me worried. I have a 10 cc band and with this 1 cc that he added on friday that max's the band fill level. I have about 140 lbs to lose still. Im probably going to loosen up some ---right? How long does a fill usually last you guys? I mean a fill where you reached good restriction level ---how long did it last you? Well the only small good news I have is that I am too full right now and need an unfill badly. So when I get that unfill Ill be back at 9 cc. I never should have got this fill. Its a learning thing with me. I thought I wasnt restricted well but I really was. Got to talking to the wife after I realized I was way too tight and asked her if I was eating more than normal before this fill. She said honestly I didnt think you needed a fill because nothing had changed. So my bad I guess----Good thing I have insurance to cover the fills. But my whole deal is I am going to be 1 cc from maxed out. Did I have to big of a band put in or something or is this a normal thing? Please let me know what you think/.

Greg K

[christie]

Well, I'm glad you're going to be smart and get that unfill.

I can tell you with me it took a few fills to get to my particular sweet spot. I think I'm there. I got my last fill on 10/21 ( I think.) and I haven't needed one yet. I do occasionally have frustration because I'm one of those that's really tight in the morning but loosen up as the day goes on. That said, I only have myself to blame because I haven't been following the bandster rules, which are so important. I can also eat and drink around the band in the evening if I want to, which is just plain dumb. If I really want to lose weight, I need to follow the band rules of when and what to eat and stick to three small meals and two small snacks. I'm a grazer and at dinner, if I cheat on myself. I can drink sips during dinner and eat more than I should. But that's just making it harder on myself to lose weight.

I think if you are way too tight now, going back to 9ccs will really help you for awhile. Especially if you follow the rules. ;-) Don't freak out. You're still doing great!

[brwneyedbeauty]

Greg~ our bands are a touchy thing. I was filled to much a couple of times and unfilled a couple of times...
I would lose a few and get more put into my band then I would be to tight and then get a little out. My band only holds 4cc and I have 2cc's in mine and sometimes I feel to tight and other days not enough. Some days I feel I can eat way to much and then other days I can barely eat. Not sure why that is. I do know the days that I eat chocolate (I can eat way to much chocolate) I feel I eat to much. When I eat (normal ) good food I fill up and I'm good. Chocolate is my down fall. I have firgured out if I eat chocolate after I eat a meal it will not stay down. but if I eat it first it goes down way to easy. I thought after 2 1/2 years this would be easy but for me its not. I still fight the urge to want to eat... ok I'm rambling sorry..
One day at a time;)

[Annie Laurie]

Christie: I am so glad I read yours, brown eyes and Greg's posts. I was feeling very frustrated. I have had one fill of 3cc, but do not feel restriction yet. I am still very new to this, but reading what you guys have said has reminded me to be patient. I feel hungry which is not good. I have to be careful not to eat junk. There are times I do not know what to eat and cheese sticks and yogurt gets boring. Ack! Any words of wisdom would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[brwneyedbeauty]

some things I like. Almonds,cottage cheese, V8 juice, I love protein shakes with frozen fruit (smoothie). Anyone else have any ideas?

[christie]

I'd say lean dense protein. Why not have a turkey patty or a small portion of steak or chicken if you can tollerate it. It fills you up and gives you the protein. Snacks don't have to be vegetarian. They just should not be junk food.

[Annie Laurie]

Nuts and fruit sounds good, I do not know if I can have fruit. I was told no fruit in the beginning, but if there are blended it might be o.k. thanks

[Annie Laurie]

thanks, good suggestions, all

[Want_2_B_Free]

Hey Greg, You have made a great point. You have a 10 Cc band and are at 9 Cc. What happens once you lose 100 lbs and the band loosens up? I would ask the Dr next time you are in. Get an idea so you know what to expect from the band. I know you can put as little as .1 Cc, so you may have more play than you think.

[gregken77]

Monte--Actually Im filled to max right now. 10 cc's and it was a mistake. I realize now that tighter is not always better. I should have stayed at 9 cc's I mean I cant even drink water until about noon and then I am constantly drinking until bedtime just to stay hydrated. It hurts to eat---I mean every meal is hurting me. This sucks bad. Anyway I cant take off work again so I am toughing it out until friday (my day off) to go back and get the unfill. Its a heck of a way to lose weight. Man I got on the scale and I have lose 8 pounds this week already. Im just not able to eat more than 4 or 5 bites before I get the hurting uncomfortable feeling that last about 30 minutes. Uggg! I would suggest to you new guys to go slow on your fills. When you first reach restriction then each following fill should be very conservative. I didnt know this so its a learning process. Maybe I can help someone not to have to go through what I am going through. See I had good restriction---In my mind I thought yeah its ok but I was eating without any discomfort and could eat alot faster than when I first got the fill. I look back now and realize this was not a bad thing. My portion size had not increased and I wasnt getting hungry. It had been 4 weeks and I just assumed I needed another fill because I had lost about 20 lbs. Those fills last a good while when you reach good restriction I am finding out. Anyway just thought I would throw that out there.

[Want_2_B_Free]

I know Friday is only a few days away, but be careful. You don't want to slip the band and have to start from scratch again. That would blow big time.

[MoOrLess]

I agree with Monte. Be very very careful - you CAN slip your band.

I didn't realize you had so many adjustments that you were near max amount in your band. I'll say this - "my" surgeon said he will NEVER fill me up to the 10cc point - maxing the band out. He said better safe than sorry -- and won't take a chance of inflating the band too much.

Monte is probably right on the mark -- small - tiny adjustments of .1 or so will give you more restriction when it is needed. In the meantime - keep doing what you are doing for now and get that 1cc (or even a bit more) back out. I say MORE than the 1cc because you probably have swelling now from being too tight and a little more out will help the stomach and band calm down a bit.

Let us know how things are going after Friday's adjustment. And your wife is smart -- sometimes others can observe our behavior better than we can - so keep listening to her!

[Greenbaypackerfan]

Mo,
You are correct on having more taken out at the moment becasue of sweling.
Greg you are normal and doing what we all have done at some point in time. We all are different and what is right for you may not be right for me. Or what is good restriction today is like wow I can eat anything tomorrow. I try my best to live for today and today only while looking at the prgress over time. I have a 13 cc band with only 6.5cc in it but when I was at 7cc I was too tight. Or Dr has a band in his office that we can "play" with on fills and unfills ... We put it on our thumb and adjust the band. You would not beleive the pressure a fill makes on your thumb and if you realize that the pouch has no bone in it one can understand much better how 1cc or 1/2 cc etc makes such a difference.
Try to remember that this is not a race. It is better for your body if we lose the weight slowly. The neat thing is as we lose it stays gone.
Looking for your update friday

[gregken77]

Oh My Lord one more day of this crap and its over. This has been a week from hell. I am freakin weak from lack of food. I go in for that unfill tomorrow at 10:30 and I will post some results from that visit on here monday. (Im off work tomorrow) I was eating beans---trying to eat beans for lunch just a few seconds ago and got to about 3 bites before the gurgling starts and then the uncomfortable pain ---I am sick of this. Was walking out to the truck after work yesterday and the sky started going dark. I nearly blacked out. Anyway just letting people know what happens when your stupid and get filled to tightly. My advice is get it back out asap. Dont wait a whole week like I did. I didnt have a choice. Anyway just exausted today and felt like unloading a bit. This is a good place to ramble I guess. Hey on the bright side I bet I lost about 10 pounds on the new starvation diet! ha ha I only weigh when I go to the doctor so will be interesting to see how much came off this week. Maritess said she could actually see me lose weight this week. Said my cheeks look sunk in and I look sort of unhealthy. Im sure Ill get that back when Ican eat normally again. I upped my multi yesterday. taking two a day until I get some of this fill out. Ok Ill stop!

[newlifeat57]

Greg, I hope that all went well with the adjustment. It is going to be hard waiting to hear about how you are. I've been there, as so many of us have. Be kind to your pouch and take care.

[MoOrLess]

uggg Greg - you are so right - waiting a week is INSANE! Do your homework - find out which hospital ER has "trained" staff to do fills and unfills...no one should have to wait a week (nor should) to have an adjustment done. This is the kind of stuff that causes bands to slip - and I can guarantee your wife CAN see that you aren't healthy this week -- we dehydrate easily and if liquids were hard to get down too - well you just might be dehydrated. Take care of yourself and report in when you can. Hugs!

[sassy46545]

Greg,
your original question was, I believe, "what happens when you're maxed out?"
First of all, I've been told a 10 cc band actually holds anywhere from 10 - 11.5 cc.
However, at that point, I don't know the answer. Did you ask your doctor what happens then? I mean, I can't imagine just having the band in there, at full capacity and not having restriction (thinking ahead here).
good luck and don't forget to share your information!

[Greenbaypackerfan]

Hi Greg,
You know it is monday morining and I am getting ready to go to work but I have checked all weekend to see how your unfill went and still no posting from you? Whats up buddy? dont you know you cant let us hang like this? (I am picking on you ) Where are you? is everything ok? I am sure you are doing much better and had taken the time to enjoy your weekend. Post when you can.

[gregken77]

Rich---sorry to leave you hanging bro---Well I am like the last person on earth that does not own his own computer. I have just never seen the need for one. I work on this thing all day long and the last thing I want to do when I get off work is turn on another stinking computer. Oh thats no excuse really---Im just weird. Ive never owned a cell phone---ever. ha ha Anyway all went well with the unfill. Oh its good to be able to eat without pain again. I lost 10.2 pounds in just one week on the new starvation diet though. I was sort of happy about that. What a way to lose it though. Anyway everything went well and I actually talked with a few new patience in the waiting room. I could see that familiar scared look on there faces. gave them this web sight and said it saved my life. They said they would be checking it out. Anyway everything is back to normal with me. The restriction level is perfect for me now. Im happy with it. Im alittle tight in the morning for about an hour but thats been pretty normal for me so far.

[PattiDi07]

Yeah!!!! So glad it went well!!!! Lesson learned???

[gregken77]

Yeah seems like Im always learning those "hard" lessons. Anyway I post them for everyone to see so hopefully sombody otu there doesnt make the same mistake. Take those fills slowly. If you do get to tight get it out as soon as possible. Im just lucky I didnt cause something bad to happen. My doctor sort of jumped all over me. Told me not to ever do that again. Anyway ----

[MoOrLess]

not that we like a doctor jumping all over us - but GOOD - this means he cares a LOT and is on top of things!!! Your relationship with your adjustment doc is as important as the band itself!!!

You're so right Greg - sharing is how we ALL learn from one another.

[Greenbaypackerfan]

Greg I am happy that the unfill worked good. Life would be easer if we did not have to live the hard lesson but without the hard lesson we don't have anything to compair to. Keep your posts coming you are helping a lot of people

[christie]

Rich---sorry to leave you hanging bro---Well I am like the last person on earth that does not own his own computer. I have just never seen the need for one. I work on this thing all day long and the last thing I want to do when I get off work is turn on another stinking computer. Oh thats no excuse really---Im just weird. Ive never owned a cell phone---ever. ha ha Anyway all went well with the unfill. Oh its good to be able to eat without pain again. I lost 10.2 pounds in just one week on the new starvation diet though. I was sort of happy about that. What a way to lose it though. Anyway everything went well and I actually talked with a few new patience in the waiting room. I could see that familiar scared look on there faces. gave them this web sight and said it saved my life. They said they would be checking it out. Anyway everything is back to normal with me. The restriction level is perfect for me now. Im happy with it. Im alittle tight in the morning for about an hour but thats been pretty normal for me so far.

It only took me once. I had the same experience. It was like my gut actually turned inside out. Couldn't even keep water down. I only tollerated it for two days. I was afraid of dehydration! SO...now I learn to live with less than "perfect" restriction and remember that I have to work WITH the band. I have to eat the right things, exercise, take vitamins and drink lots of water. It can't do all the work by itself!!!

I'm glad you feel better!

[Mloukas143]

Greg you are just about as stubborn as I am lol. I am close to my max fill too...but right now my restriction is pretty good depending on the food that i eat, so you are right about that: take it slow, i won't be so bummed now when i get a small fill next time, don't want to experience the discomfort that you felt! Thanks for sharing.

[newlifeat57]

Greg, I'm so glad that you have some relief. You know the old story....been there, done that..... So I can really relate.

My last fill was sometime in Oct. I thought I had an OK restriction, but in reality, I was a little too tight. So what did I do?? I ate slider foods. I didn't lose weight and I didn't gain weight. I wasn't miserable, but I wasn't eating healthy. It wasn't until just after Christmas that my restriction lessened a little. Now I want to go back for a slight fill, but am a little hesitant, especially after reading what you have gone through. I will be calling tomorrow to see if I can get a tiny little bit put in, and see what they say. Maybe they won't, but I'm going to try for a tiny bit.

Thanks for putting it all OUT there for us to read. Your experiences reminds us (newbees and oldies, too) to have patience--this isn't a race, and to eat the way we are supposed to--the bandster way. Take care and keep posting I love to read your posts.

[Firedoc19]

Hey Greg - Did you ever ask your doc what happens when and if you ever hit max fill and still have weight to loose? :crazy:

[gregken77]

Well the guy who does the fills said he can fill me to 11.5 cc without the doctor. If I ran into trouble and needed more restriction the the doctor would have to see me and do the fill. The doctor would have to approve going above the set fill level for the band. Its set to fill safely to 11 cc but can be filled up to 13cc. The problem is that this band is suppose to be fit to your size stomach and supposedly if you went over 11 cc you risk erosion ect. He said he has had some patience who there band just didnt quite fit and the did go above the set max. But I thing the surgen has to verify that the stomach is indeed smaller its suppose to be and that it can be filled over----Its the doctors call. I hope it never comes to that though. I dont think it will actually.

[Mloukas143]

Filling the band past the maximum fill makes me think that the band will pop like a balloon, or something bad..it gives me bad vibes. be careful

[MoOrLess]

well I'd be hard pressed to let a doctor "over" fill me, ever. My surgeon said it just doesn't bode well for the band to be filled that much and he isn't about to experiment and find out.