GregNE

No, Michele, I meant 7.5 lbs. It is an oddity of the VG Band (the large band), that it takes several fills before the band starts restricting. I actually consider 7.5 lbs after 11 weeks to be a small success. I have seen reports of some people gaining weight after VG band placement, before getting filled properly. I did read your post about your ordeal, and I keep it in mind as I get my fills. I do thank you for posting your emergency experience. I truly believe it is important to be aware of the both the positives and negatives of having a Lap-Band. I admire your positive outlook after going through your ordeal. My shrinking will continue, however slowly. I am down 23 lbs since deciding to have band surgery, and down 44 lbs from my highest weight. What is important to me is continuing in the right direction. I did not get fat in a few months, so I do not expect it to go away in a short time either. Hoping the best for your continued success.

Good to have a bantering with you Kevin. I know your job search slowed you down from forum activity, and I can imagine the stress involved. I just learned last week at my employer that our largest contract has chosen to terminate my company's services. That means I am expected to bring in an extra $100,000 per year in profits. Career change may be in my future as well, as an extra $100,000 in profits is a huge barrier. Yes, I feel fortunate that I have not gained any weight through this process. I also expected from the beginning that I would not lose much weight until fill #2. I guess that is why I am frustrated. Fill number two is here, and I expect much more from myself and my band going forward. I know an over-fill would be cause for concern. I will rely on Dr. Romero's expertise to ensure that I will not be over-restricted. I merely was expressing my desire for a level of restriction that will last a few months. I love San Diego, and visiting is a pleasure (especially escaping Nebraska's -2 degree temperatures), but I hope not to have to return every 4-8 weeks. I know this process can be slow, and size 36 501's is a nice vision to aim for. Heck, I look forward to size 40's! For today, however, I discovered a place named Phil's BBQ that is highly recommended for SD. I think I will indulge, as tomorrow I doubt I will be able to get BBQ through my band. Thank you for your advice and support.

Dr. Miranda tells patients to not give up caffeine after being banded. She explained to me that the effects of caffeine are less problematic than the headaches of withdrawl.

It is good to know I am not alone! However, through extreme willpower, I know you have managed to maintain weight loss. Kudos to you and your determination! I, on the other hand, have mostly been waiting for the band to start it's work. While I have lost about 7.5lbs since surgery, I was looking forward to more aggressive results by now. But, at least I am still going the right direction. Restriction is critical for me. I agree, bumping it up a bit is what I need. I guess I will see how aggressive Dr. Romero is willing to be. As long as I can get protein shakes down, I am not concerned about an over-fill. The VG band is so tempermental!

Went for my second fill yesterday, Feb 6th. My first fill was 4.5cc (I have the VG Band). Dr. Romero extracted 4.5cc (yippee, no saline loss!) He added another 1.5cc, for a total fill of 6cc, which I thought was quite aggressive, but I was happy to get a sizable fill. I decided to hang around in San Diego for this fill, as OCC recommends, to make sure the fill level is adequate. Dr. Romero asked me to eat whatever I wanted, as much as I wanted, and if I had no restriction, I could return the next day for a little more of a fill. Well, after my fill, I returned to my motel in San Diego, and tried to eat a piece of pizza. Tried is the key word in the sentence. I was restricted to a level which would not let any of the pizza go down. Almost all of it came back up. After 45 minutes, I drank a cold Iced Tea, which went down. I decided to be a tourist for a few hours, and then upon return to my motel, stopped at KFC. I bought a Rice Famous Bowl (rice, corn, popcorn chicken, and cheese), and a snacker sandwich. Well, I chewed as we are all told, and every bit of the Famous Bowl went down easily. I then decided to tackle the sandwich, which also went down very easily. As a final test, I tried one more piece of pizza, which went through unrestricted as well. Arrggghhh! In all, I would guess dinner was about 1 quart of food. Normally I would not eat this much, but I felt it necessary to confirm my restriction level. I followed the rule of no liquids for 1 hour after eating. This morning, when I woke up, I opened an Adkins shake, and was quite restricted again. Every drink struggled to go down. I also tried a piece of toast, which went down, with some difficulty. Well, this morning, I returned to OCC as Dr. Romero directed I should if there was not restriction. Well, it is a day off for him, I discovered, after spending an hour and $17 to get to the clinic. Arrrggghhh! It appeared there were no surgeries or fills scheduled for the day, so everyone except the admin staff was taking the day off. My flight leaves tomorrow, Thursday, at noon. I was told Dr. Romero can take me in at 800am, which should be early enough to still make my flight. Two major frustrations: 1. Why was I told to return for an additional fill if the doctor was not going to be in the office? Not a big deal, but inconvenient. I am glad he is going out of his way to fit me in tomorrow, and I know errors can happen. 2. Why do I go from severe restriction early in the day, to being able to eat whatever I want in the afternoon? I have heard of morning band tightness, but going from one extreme to the other in a few hours is puzzling. Any input/support is appreciated. I know the VG band requires patience, but how do you find the 'sweet spot' when in the morning fluids are restricted, and in the evening, anything will go down.

Isopure RTD would be suitable for a clear liquid diet.

Well, I did get Uncle Sam to pay for part of my band surgery. Just e-filed my taxes yesterday. My federal refund increased by $1364, and my state refund increased by $434 just from the surgery and travel expenses. So, the government contributed $1798 towards my surgery. Not too bad. I am fortunate, however, that my income level and tax rate allowed me to take advantage.

I am going for my second fill next Monday, but am staying in San Diego a couple extra days 'just in case'. While most over-fill sensation accounts seem to resolve themselves, I want to be close to the clinic in case. However, I think overall things are going to be fine. I noticed at work today my belt has gotten a couple of inches looser. It is the right direction.

I will be in San Diego, then TJ for a fill next Tuesday Feb 6th. I was banded by OCC, and am going for a second fill. Perhaps I could meet with Dr. Ortiz again briefly, and get his approval. It is your board, Lori, and up to you, but the Spam is frustrating, and seeing 3 or 4 new spams and being able to do nothing is frustrating.

I also volunteered to help, as I visit usually a couple times per day. However, Lori told me it was very difficult to get Dr. Ortiz to approve giving Kevin spaminator access, and she doubted doc would ok a second backup. This is how she worded it to me.

Well, I just made plans for my second fill on Tue. Feb. 6th. I will fly into San Diego on Feb 5th, about noon, rent a car, and drive to a border lot on the morning of the 6th. I leave San Diego on Thu Feb 8th, staying in the area for a couple of days just in case there is a problem with the fill. Anyone else getting a fill on the 6th?

Thanks for the help. Finally have my pic up.

I have noticed others with photos (avatar), and Kevin and LoriBecki have updated theirs not too long ago. What is the trick to uploading an avatar?

I am very glad you are ok, and that you shared your experience. I think we all can learn from the positive and negative experiences with the band. I think the possible complications are not discussed enough, so I appreciate learning about them.

Yes, Kristi was my source. Anyway, good to know we get an upgraded port at no extra charge! Hope your weight loss is continuing well, Kristi. Also, great photo!

I think this is the best option for most people crossing the border for a fill. It is so easy, and very safe, and saves a good amount of money.

Excellent information for those of us with the VG band! Thanks. The info about the first 3.5 cc not restricting is especially good to know. Thank you Roger.

I did not know there were different options for the ports. That could explain the difference. I proudly carry my band card in my wallet with the serial number, so I have no doubt it is an Inamed band.

Received a report from a friend; the doctor said the band looked beautifully placed. they showed me xrays of other bands...the bands placed in the US have a much larger port opening and are almost opaque and show up bright on the scan. they showed me 2 other mexico band xrays and the port opening is significantly smaller and the band doesn't glow like the US placed ones. this confuses me since they supposedly are all inamed bands. Just curious if anyone else has been told this when getting a fill in the US. Do bands placed in Mexico differ from bands placed in the US? Perhaps Inamed makes different bands for export?

I think it is a good idea. My only suggestion is, if it cannot be integrated on this board, be sure to have a link on the homepage for people to click to it.

I had the same feeling after my fill, but it 'relaxed' after abut 3-4 days. Even water was difficult to get down. Warm liquids went down much easier. Now not only is the tightness gone, but I know I need another fill. My advice is give it a few days before you worry. Try warm soups, and coffee or tea to drink. It takes a few days for the stomach to adjust to the tighter band. I too thought I was over filled, and worried. The discomfort subsided quickly.

Have you tried the Nature's Best Isopure Whey Protein RTD? It is sold at Vitamin Shop and some GNC stores. It comes in several flavors, and is in the form of a clear liquid in a bottle. I would consider it a protein supplement, rather than a meal replacement, but it is truly different than protein shakes. Also, it is not super sweet.

The two foods that have given me the most trouble are meatloaf and meatballs (well, actually they are the same food, in different shapes.) Cheese has also been a bit of a challenge. Neither steak nor rice have been a problem for me. And breakfast is the most difficult meal for me, as my band seems to be tighter in the morning. And, as we all are told, chewing every bite thoroughly makes all the difference.

If you watch television at all, it is hard to miss the Nutri System commercials. In a nutshell, you get 4 weeks of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks, that are supposed to be nutritionally balanced, yet are portion controlled enough to lose weight. You also get an extra week "free", and the price is just under $300. This calculates down to about $8.50 per day, which seems pretty reasonable, as I spend more than that currently for my food. Being single, and cooking only for myself, the price seems very attractive. The portion control, and balance of nutrients also looks quite appealing. And being banded, it appears to me that the quantity of food per meal is more than adequate to not be hungry. I have a gastric bypass friend that uses Jenny Craig food for convenience, balance, and portion control, but her food costs about $15 -$18 per day, and the meals look very tiny. I was just wondering if anyone else on this forum has used the program before, or considered it. I also wonder if the food actually tastes good. Any positive or negative input is appreciated.

I invented some unusual full 'liquids' when on that phase post-op. I really craved Mexican food, so I purchased an enchilada TV dinner, and blended it with V-8 juice. It did not look appetizing, but the flavors satisfied my cravings. I did the same with meat and bean chili, with tomato juice. Also, for Thanksgiving, I made a mashed potato, turkey, and stuffing cocktail thinned with chicken broth. Tasted great, but again, it did not look pretty.