Too Tight or is This Band-Life?

[Leenerbups]

Hello everyone,

I got my second fill 3 weeks ago, and for the first time have restriction, so I'm not sure what is normal or not normal.

Upon waking in the morning, I have to sip liquids or they "hang" a bit. Hot tea is what I drink and that goes down fine. I can't eat anything solid until lunch, after a few cups of tea. In the evenings, I can eat fine.

Is this too tight or just normal band weirdness??

[Kathy]

Many many bandsers can't eat first thing in the morning. I usually just have coffee anyway, but liquids sure don't "hang" a bit. I'm notoriouslly "not tight" though. If you are able to eat well at lunch and dinner, and your hunger level is good (not hungry, but not starving) then I'd leave well enough alone. Just make breakfast a protien shake a few hours after hot tea. You'll lose more and need another fill before you know it. Work it while ya got it! It doesn't sound like you are too tight, unless you start PBing meals.

And that's what I got to say about that. :)

[Jachut]

Its normal band life for many people. I couldnt tolerate it personally, I need the energy of food in the morning.

[Kathy]

Hey Leener, I was at handbell practice tonight and we were messing with our bells, making sure the clanger was lined up with the notch, blah blah and someone said "it sounds like a cowbell" and I yelled "we need more cowbell!!!" and the guy beside me cracked up. He loved that skit. And he's an elder in my church! Just thought you'd get a laugh. :D

[Maryb]

Sounds normal to me...congrats on a good fill!

[Leenerbups]

Thanks all, I appreciate the comments, it helps me to find my way.

Kathy, that is too funny.We are spreading "the gospel of the cowbell"! hehehe

I sing in my church choir too, and I'm going to see a bell concert in a few weeks, I love them so.

[foodstampchamp]

I'm a little worried. I have finally hit restriction for the first time in the almost 6 months I have been banded. the thing that worries me is that I am 3.9cc filled in my 4cc band. I'm worried that when/if this ever loosens up with weight loss that I will not be able to reach restriction as I am pretty much at capacity now. On a lighter note. I am loosing !!!!! gonna focus on that right now.
Unforuntately I had to change doctors which also meant I had to change cities. I was driving 4 hours to Reno to get filled by a nurse who was not ever sympathetic to my plight. She was worried I had stretched my pouch which I thought was impossible to do if you have never had restriction. I am now traveling to Salt Lake City Utah, which is 4 hours the other direction. I was referred there by Fill Centers USA and after my first visit I have reached my sweet spot. And everytime I go I will be seeing an ACTUAL DOCTOR. Which I prefer. He was wonderful, sympathetic, and super nice. His name is Dr. Muse. He is in Salt Lake City on Highland Drive. I would reccomend him for anyone's aftercare.
P.S. My pouch was not stretched in the least!!!

[Stitchy]

My fill nurse says that it is possible to fill a 4cc band with more than 4 cc. It doesn't hurt it, but you don't want to get too carried away.

[Poodles]

Thank you for posting that this is normal. I am doing the exact thing after my last fill. I can drink a shake in am, two/three bites of something soft for lunch, and about 3 oz of something for dinner.

[Leenerbups]

I've had to learn how to eat with the band all over again since my last fill, which gave me restriction for the first time.
I've experienced PB's 2-3 times a week and acid reflux. I don't think I'm too tight, I just don't think I know what I'm doing.

[aaamom]

What you describe sounds very normal to me. This is how I have lived my life for the past two years. You will get the hang of what to eat/not eat and WHEN you can eat.
How is the weight loss going? How have you been????

[Goannabanda]

Sounds normal restricted life to me. Until I've sipped a warm drink in the morning, liquids "hang" a bit too. I often wake up thirsty in the early hours, and have to sit up in bed sipping for 5 or 10 mins, whereas in my pre-band days I could just gulp down a cup of water and bo back to sleep.

I find it's best not to drink anything colder than tap water within 20 mins or so of having a meal.

I can usually manage about 1/2 cup of a soft breakfast. If I wait longer, I can manage a little more, or harder foods. Lunch and dinner vary from 1/2 to 1 cup, if I don't eat between meals. Sometimes I have morning and/or afternoon tea, and if I do, the snack and next meal would both be about 1/4 to 1/2 cup each.

[kebsa]

I find the same sort of thing, only fluids in the morning or very sloppy oatmeal, I'm better with warm fluids- lunch time I can only manage soft stuff eg consistency of thick soup or baked beans ( about 1/2 cup) then at my evening meal I can manage a normal meal- still needs to be moist, better warm than cold and I can mange about 1 to 1 1/4 cups. My swallowing is affected by ms so that limits me a bit more but this is life for me now, rarely pb. I think your comment about having to learn how to eat is very true- every time I have a fill/adjustment I go right back to square one and don't move on until I am safe with the first one- its like re testing my limits each time- this way I pick up if there is going to be a problem early. Teh basci rules and guides post fill are only gudlelines, each of us needs to find out how we fit into the rules, and how our bands work for us. its jsut another part of life now!

[paula]

Leener, Im am truly glad to see you. How have you been??


About the reflux, please get some meds for this. That reflux crap is nothing to play with, k?

[Kathy]

Hey Leener, I think I'm now doing the same thing you are, but I don't want to get unfilled! I have gined mega-weight since quitting smoking, almost 20 pounds! and I guess my band has now tightened. You know how it loosens as you lose? Well, it appears it tightens as you gain. :(

Anyhow, my morning coffee hangs up a bit, and I PBd pretty good today...fish sandwich, chewey bread, not good, ouch, soft mushies the rest of the day. :(

If I slow down, take smaller bites and be a good bandster, I think I can manage fine. For the first time in a long time, though, I'm having to really behave. Maybe now I'll lose again. Heh. The irony.

Good to see you...:hug:

[Jachut]

I'm completely the opposite way around, wide open all day and tight at night.

Which is a pain in the behind, because I need another fill but am afraid of it. Not being able to eat solid food at night would be severely limiting socially, not being able to eat a solid breakfast wouldnt be anywhere near as big a deal.

[kebsa]

I quite agree Jachut, I have not problem with being tight in the am, in fact I was never a breafast person so this fits well with me- I sometimes wsh I could eat more at lunch and less in the evening but I can live easily with the way things are- it feels more normal at the moment that it has for a long time

[Jachut]

I just figure I can eat now at night at this level of fill, enough to handle dining out etc. If I have to go tight for eight weeks or so just to get to my goal, I guess I can live with that, then have some fill out.

But something tells me lap bands dont always behave so perfectly and logically, lol.

[PhotoNut]

I agree that being tight in the mornings is normal.

I agree that PB incidents are typical when you're having to relearn things after a band adjustment.

However (and I know some will disagree and that's ok) I dont agree that acid reflux is a normal thing to live with and mask with meds.

Acid reflux is a pretty good indicator of being too tight. If you are only experiencing it after you go to bed at night, then I'd ask if you eat or drink within 3 hours before going to bed. Dr. Cahn tells us over and over again that drinking and eating before bed is a sure fire way to cause the reflux problems. With snug restriction, it will take up to 3 hours for food and liquid to empty from the pouch. Before that happens though, if we lay down flat, all that stuff in the pouch is going to be obeying gravity and trying to come back up the esophagus - thus the reflux.

If you aren't eating or drinking during that three hours before bed, and you aren't eating a lot of acidic type foods like orange juice, tomatoes or garlic and spices, and you are still experiencing the reflux... I would get a tiny adjustment, a slight unfill.

There is no reason to have the band so tight that we have to medicate ourselves in order to live without pain or discomfort. A small adjustment might eliminate the reflux, help avoid complications from being overfilled, and allow you to eat a small bandster portion of a well balanced variety of healthy and enjoyable foods.

[NotSoFunny]

LEENER!!! I am so glad to see you here!