JennHB

Me too, I feel sooo much better since my unfill, I don't like waiting 3 weeks to go back but if it makes me better and back on track than so be it. It's nice to have this forum to share stories, here I thought I was the only one. I am glad you called OCC and had it confirmed before it was too late. You will feel sooo much better! I scheduled my re-fill for October 16th at OCC and cant wait to see what the band is actually SUPPOSED to be like. Thanks everyone!

I had the same symptoms as your friend, turns out my band was too tight and if she is PBing all the time that is probably why, she is probably starving herself. She should get it looked at. I got mine loosened just this past Saturday adn already my depression, low energy and everything else was almost cured after one good meal! I was sooo low all the time prior to this and as with your friend, the side effects became normal to me and I just figured thats what being banded was supposed to feel like. I was wrong. Maybe you can suggest she see her doctor to check on it.

The only thing other than what everyone else said, is that I would be prepared with some gas ex or milk of magnesia in case you have gas pains post-op. I was one of the lucky ones with severe shoulder pain after surgery, I could walk, jog and was back at work 2 days later and could do anything, but it was my shoulder that was the problem. I think only 2 out of 8 in my group got it, but better to be prepared than not. Good luck! Welcome to Band Land!

I had one waitress take my meal off the bill because I didn't eat very much of it and she didn't believe me when I said "no, I really liked it, I am just full!" LoL. I tipped her well

Congratulations, it is normal to have fear. I went around "saying goodbye" to everyone close to me before surgery "just in case." LOL I was home before they even realized I had the surgery.

Your band might be too tight, I just went through something similar. I would have it checked. If it is too tight, you wont lose weight.

I am glad to hear you are losing weight again! I am soo ready to get back on the "band" wagon! I was sooo sad when they took it all out but had to remember that it is my health I am messing with here! Just since having it out I have had soo much more energy and feel so much better mentally and physically. And since I was used to eating so little for so long, my portions are still limited to Lean Cuisine size. I am glad I am not the only one out there and that you have had sucecss since going through this.

I will try to keep this short, but when I got my fill of 3.6cc's (4cc band) in April, I knew it felt tight. I told the fill Dr. that it was a little tight and even my surgeon Dr. Martinez wanted to check on me before I left to make sure it was ok. I could feel the water they gave me go through my band. I was partially exctied thinking "if it is tight, I am going to lose weight faster!" so I told them I think I was exagerating and that it was fine and I left. For the last 4.5 months I have been sliming almost every day or every other day. Since there are some times when I can eat a normal size meal, I thought the sliming was due to my not chewing well enough or eating too fast. After time it became normal for me to eat two bites of a meal, slime, then have another 1 or 2 bites and be done. I know that lookingback now I htink WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING! but the desperate side of me was like "its my fault for not chewing well, and the less I eat, the more I will lose." Well I have not lost 1 lb since my fill in April. I have been virtually starving myself for the last few months and since I cant eat I have been filling up on liquid calories like smoothies, gatorade and juices to "feel full" without ever actually being full. I went to OCC this Saturday and the handsome, sweet fill Dr. I could tell wanted to shake me and say "what are you doing?!?!" He told me my stomach was inflamed, that my band is lucky it hasn't slipped but if I wouldn't have come in, it would have. And he said I was stretching my pouch and my band was so tight I am lucky i ahve been able to get som food down. All because I thought "if my band is tight, I will lose weight faster". Boy was I wrong. Now I have a completely empty band, I have to have malox with every meal for 5 days to help repair my stomach lining. The good news is, the fill Dr. said that my stomach should be repaired in 3 weeks, and I can go back and they will give me the # of cc's that will hopefully be my "sweet spot." The reason I am posting this is so that others dont make the same mistake I did. I was not honest with OCC and even though I knew my band was tight, I was more afraid of them taking some out and not losing weight. I remember leaving and there was a girl in the lobby who was like "I am so jealous you got so much cc's" and looking back I wish I would have thought more about the consequences rather then just the weight loss focus, because the truth is, if your body is starving, it will hold on to all of your fat cells. Hence, why I have not lost any weight. Hopefully my journey will begin again in 3 weeks and I have learned from my mistakes. If your sliming or PB'ing often, go get your band checked, it is not normal!

I had my surgery in January and I am only down 24 lbs or so. I had my second fill in April and went form 2.2 to 3.6 out of 4cc's. I know my band is too tight because I slim ALL the time. I am going in this Saturday to have some taken out, I dont know if I am not losing because I dont eat enough, or what but I am ready to start losing more!!! Hopefully my sweet spot will be found on Saturday! Oh... and since I am an expert slimer, sometimes if you eat too big of a bite or get something stuck, I think your stomach tries to create saliva to help it down or something because all I have to do it sort of tichten my stomach and its like a large amount of saliva comes out. Its like watching a kid spit to the ground and spitting it back up and it is all intact. It is thicker than regular spit. I have come to enjoy it because it usually works if I have something stuck, it is more frustrating when you feel like there is nothing you can do. hopefully after Saturday I wont do it anymore. I am glad I revisited the board, I figured everyone was doing it as often as I.

If you go to Dr. Ortiz's office they are $100. I had my surgery in January and have had two fills a few months in between eachother, and I was told I was done. I think I have a little too much in so I am going down there this weekend to get a little taken out cause it is to tight, this will cost me $30. The fills cost more if you go to a local Dr. and dont live near TJ, I am in southern CA so driving to TJ isn't much for me as far as travel, but if your flying in, I would include the flight, plus arrangments for the office to pick you up in your budget. You may be better off going somewhere local, but I would suggest going to TJ at least for your first one so they can check and make sure its all good.

My shoulder pain was AWFUL!!!! And it took almost a month to go away, at one point I went to the emergency room it hurt so bad and I needed pain pills to deal with it. I still get the gas pain in my shoulder, not nearly as bad but it doesn't stay long and if I fart I can almost literally feel it traveling from my shoulder to my butt (Sorry for the TMI) but no one really gave it to me striaght after my surgery. Good luck! I tried EVERYTHING that was suggested but in reality, laxatives or anything to help pass gas worked the best.

Erica, I did my research, booked my surgery and then told my boyfriend and family. I booked it two weeks from when I scheduled. If you give them too much time and it is something you really want to do, you shouldn't give them too much time to talk you out of it. In my case everyone thought it was drastic, but respected my decision because they knew 1. I have tried everything else 2. Obesity is rampant in my family genetics and 3. I had done my research and knew what I was getting myself in to. Hopefully you will have the same luck. Jenn

I drink with my meals also, not because I am thirsty but sometimes I get full off 1 or 2 bites and I try to push it down because I know I haven't eaten enough. Some would say my band is too tight and the only reason I haven't gotten some of my fill taken out is because at other times, I can eat a whole meal with no problems. I have been at the same weight for 3 months now and haven't lost anyhting since my last fill which was a big one. I dont know what to do, if I take some fill out, I will eat alot more often, but if I dont I should expect to slime at most meals. I would say I slime at least once a day, granted I do need to get better at chewing... I just feel like even thought I know I am doing everything wrong, I dont know what else to do... I feel like I am not losing weight because I dont get enough food in. So I drink to push the food down. I should call Dr. Miranda

I used mymedicalloan.com and was approved. I dont have the best credit so I have a higher % rate than you will probably get. In the end my loan will end up costing me $3000 more than the actual surgery costs, but I am using student loans to pay it off quickly so I dont gain too much interest. In the end it was worth it because if I did it out of pocket in the US it would have been $12,000+ more instead of $3000

I am one of those who is effected by hair loss post banding. I am taking GNC's Hair Skin and Nail formula now, and havent been taking it long enough to notice a difference but I keep having people recommend that I take prenatal's. Has anyone tried that? any success? Thanks!

I am only 3 months post op and had not had any carbonation until I had a mimosa recently, I was one of those who had EXTREME gas pain in my shoulder for weeks after my surgery. Sure enough I felt some pain in my stomach after drinking 2 sips. That was the end of it for me. I think the carbonation has different effects on people. I used to drink sooo much beer that I put on so much belly weight I am happy to be getting rid of. If it doesnt bother you and you have a frosty cold one every now and then, then I dont think it will be a problem. I just know I couldnt do it, cause of the shoulder factor.

I had a BMI of 32 also, I weighed 199 my day of surgery and my goal weight is 140 so I have 60lbs to loose. I think it has been worth it so far, the only frustrating thing for me is that my weight is going down alot slower then those that have more to lose but it is slowly but surely coming off. I had surgery January 2nd and I am only down 10lbs but in the bands defense I have had no real restriction until my 3rd fill which I had a week ago and now I finally feel the effects of the band and am eating so much less than I used to, the eating better part is where I need to hold up my end of the bargain. Even though I was basically eating crap food between the end of my 21 liquid phase and my third fill, I never gained any weight, which in my mind is worth having the surgery, even if I only make it to 160 or 150 at least I know I have the power to never be back at 210 which was my highest weight. Its a process but I would say it was worth every penny that I will be paying off for the next 32 months! haha

Darn, I was thinking 5-6 lbs a week. LoL! Oh well. )

Hey all, I was reading the post about suggestions of what to eat in a day and I am curious to know what is the normal amount of food you eat once you have hit your sweet spot. I JUST got my second fill on Saturday and I went from 1.6 cc's (originally he put 2cc's in but I guess some slipped out over time) and I had NO restriction, so he put me up to 3.6cc's. I have a 4cc band so I cant imagine getting more in there, I am tight in the morning time but can still eat about a cup of grapes and fruit slowly, which is what I had this morning with no problems. For lunch yesterday I had a cut up chicken breast with some chopped up egg and tomato and ate that fine, I would say it would have filled a cup and a 1/2 to 2 cups if I put it in a measuring tool. But at night i am tight again. I could not eat more than 1/2 of a hamburger patty last night (no bread) My portions are so inconsistent, what should I aim for? A cup? A cup and a 1/2? I thought I would be down a few lbs after a few days but I am at the same weight as when I came home on Saturday.

I am going in for my 2nd fill on Saturday (April 11th) on my first fill I got 2cc's and I can eat as much as I could after surgery. I hope this one is more effective. I still get shoulder pain when I eat too fast so I am hoping I will get more used to chewing slower and more thouroghly. I am still in training. ) I didnt realize some us us have different size bands, well those of us who went to OCC anyway. I wonder how they determine who gets what?

I thought our bands are 4cc bands, how could you have 4.4cc's now?

Hey Jennifer, I had gas pains as mentioned above, I just go tmy fill a week ago and noticed that I get shoulder pain when I eat too fast, it seems to be managable and definitly not as bad as it was post op...hope that helps a bit.

I had serious gas pain in my shoulder when I got banded, I looked to this message board and most people said 2 weeks to a month. It was exactly 2 weeks and 4 days for me. I was on a pain killer from my home doctor everyday and it was REALLY bad. It doesn't sound like yours is too bad so hopefully yours will go away sooner. I tried heat packs, walking, tea, gas x, phazyme and basically everything anyone recommended. But the only thing I believe made a difference was Milk of Magnesia, you are in the bathroom quite often but it is worth it. Good luck!

Lapband was my first surgery also. It really was a piece of cake and the only pain I was in was gas in my shoulder for a few weeks but my tummy felt good. Once you are there and meet a few of the other people having surgery that day in the lobby, you will be more at ease. I went last in our group (there were 8 of us) so for me it was good to see those who went early and already had the surgery walking around eating otter pops. The scariest thing for me beforehand was being put to sleep, but when it happened I remember the nurse telling me to think of a sexy actor, I didn't even have time to think before I was out, and then i woke up in my room. I couldn't believe how quick it kicked in. It was great.

3.2cc's seems like it would be really tight since we have a 4cc band, or its that normal? I got my first fill at OCC yesterday, he put in 2cc's. What is the average total cc's for peoples last fill? I am wondering what to expect for fills 2 and 3. Also how long did you all wait to get your second fill after your fitst, or does it all depend on heating habits. Do people get up to a full 4cc's. Anyway, Good luck, I'm glad you are feeling good!