celticbanded

I was banded in November of last year. I have had 3 large fills. Only since this last fill do I feel any restriction. So it is frustrating as hell, but when you get that restriction, it makes it all worth it. I wasn’t real happy because out of my banded group, I was the only one who was not feeling anything and not losing. After all, if I could have done it on my own I would have and not needed the band. Last week I had my 3rd fill and with it restriction. The hardest part is to not give up, and keep faith that you don’t fall under the whatever it is percentage that the band doesn’t work for.

Briangie, I agree that is what I did. My American Dr. that I was going to before I got laid off and lost my benefits and had to go to Mexico said to my friend who still goes to him that “Dr. Ortiz is a very skilled doctor who I have worked with in the past.” So I take that to translate to this: Dr. Ortiz is a very skilled doctor who trained me to do what I am doing today. LOL The band confusion is sort of frustrating, but I can deal. I just worry that I might be at my max fill. Thanks for the insight though. I am going to start Googling.

Here is my experience. I have the 11cc band I am told by Dr. Ortiz’ office. I have been filled to 9.4 and only now am I feeling any restriction. I was at 8.4 and felt nothing. (The OCC told my buddy bander that they hardly ever have to fill to an 8.5.) It is my understanding that my band only goes to 10cc. That is what the American doctors are telling me here. I don’t understand why Dr. Ortiz’ office says 11cc when everyone else says 10cc. Here is my concern, because the other fills gave me no restriction whatsoever, it has taken me almost reaching the max fill for my bad for me to feel anything (assuming that I have a 10cc vs. 11cc). What is going to happen when I lose weight and the band needs a fill? My worries are that I won’t have enough room for a fill that will make me feel restriction when I get closer to goal, for I still have the 98lbs to lose. So I wonder why did Dr. Ortiz’ put such a big band on me if my esophagus was smaller. I hope that this 9.4 fill is what will take me to my goal but only time is going to tell. So that is what I learned on my last fill visit to the docs here in the states.

Thanks for the insight. I went back to CVS and now I am trying cough meds and Claritin. This afternoon with the drainage I coughed pretty hard. Now tonight I wasn’t able to eat but 3 tablespoons of the cauliflower that I was able to eat almost a 1/2 cup of at lunch. I did slight pb some tonight after eating about 3 tablespoons. Not bad though, just relaxed and some of the what I like to call “lubricant” came out. (Hate the word slimed.) I didn’t try to eat any more. Because of the coughing, I now have quick sharp pains up and down my esophagus when I burp or try to cough. Liquids go down fine. I am making sure to not cough so hard now that I know that it can cause the band to slip. I just pray I didn’t do any damage today with the coughing. It was hard coughs more than a few times. Enough to make my throat sore. The discomfort though goes down the esophagus to the where I would think the band is. I am trying to recall if this has happened to me before the band, but I am uncertain. I just hope all I did was re-agitate it. It would totally suck if the coughing I did today caused my band to lose position. Surely it isn’t that easy to cough the band out of position or there would be more stories about it. I pray it isn’t. My drainage continues though even with the Claritin. I think this isn't just a passing thing. I have allergies as a rule, and this is something that I will have to deal with on a regular basis....unfortunately. So I need to find my magic wand to make the drainage go away.

Thanks pinkfordyone

Oh darn Google...excessive coughing can cause your band to slip. Ok so will also be picking up cough drops. Now something else to worry about. Darn!

AngieB thank you so much for your suggestions. I am going to get some Sudafed after work. I have been coughing so much today because of the drainage that now I feel what feels like sharp pains down my chest when I drink. I am a worry wart, I know that I have been coughing really hard and it is from that….but now freaked myself out wondering if too much hard coughing will slip your band. LOL Someone please tell me that this isn’t the case…so I can sleep tonight. Just kidding (but no seriously).

Thanks for the insight. I read on another board where someone said they used 12 hr Sudafed. I was thinking I would give that a try tonight after work. On a side note, I am happy to say that the soft cauliflower is going down great. I am eating slow but so far so good. My plan is to get the drainage cleared up and try solid foods maybe mid or late week. I am thinking that I will just not try to eat solid food on my first day of my cycle and especially if I have drainage. It sort of freaks you out when liquid is really slow to pass. The day before yesterday was a really scary day for me. Now that I know, I won't freak so much if it happens again. I will realize it isn't the end of the world. LOL I know, I am dramatic. My goal for now though is to make sure I do not slime for a very very long time (or ever again if I can help it but I am sure that isn't realistic since I am just getting the hang of things).

I got a fill that finally now has given me restriction. I was fine and could drink water pretty good in the office when it was done. However by 2 hours later I felt full in my band and liquids didn’t pass so great. I also have to mention that I started my cycle the next day so I have internal swelling as well as drainage build up. Well food would not go down that next day. I actually slimed about 5 times that day in my attempts (but made sure that I have not done so since because I am worried about band slipage). Just to be clear, I was taking really really small bites of food. Like almost nothing but my band was so tight with drainage and the internal swelling that it wasn’t passing. Liquids were slow to go down as well. I am happy to say that the next day after and today I am able to drink liquids just fine, not gulp but normally. However, I am scared to try food again. I am boiling cauliflower and plan on making it really soft and give that a try. I went to the pharmacist a few days ago and told her my situation and that I needed to get the drainage cleared up. She told me to take children’s Benadryl but take 2 tsp. Well I am on my 3 day and the drainage is still going strong. Any ideas/suggestions on what I should take to dry this up? At this point I am not sure if I am too tight or if this is just bad timing on my part to get the fill when I did. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Amber, like everyone else her I am so sorry to hear you are having this experience. I agree with many that you need to change where you are getting your fills. They are not listening and to me actually assuming. I got a little bit of that at Fill Center of America this last time, but she was able to see that it was in fact just flowing right through. Please don’t give up, just change fill places to one that you feel more comfortable with.

Did any of you get an answer from the Dr.?

Don’t beat yourself up because you will only make it harder on yourself as you get through this process (trust me I know). We are only human….it so isn’t easy. I had a less hard time then the others who were banded with me because they had to cook for family. I am single so I didn’t have to prepare the food and then not get any. Just keep on holding out because when you get to the liquid yogurt you will be better, then when you add in the creamy soups you will be better even more. The hardest part for me was right before solid food phase. If you are having hard times you might want to call the nutritionist and see if you can start the liquid yogurt earlier. As far as what you did with the chewing, I am sure you are fine as long as you spit out the food. I think a few of them in my group had to do that because they would forget and take a bite of something and had to spit it out. There is one thing that is going to be a huge adjustment with this, is that we can no longer eat unconsciously. You might find you are the same as me on this. We have to become aware of everything we put in our mouth. I was such an idiot and addicted to routine that within only the 3 day of eating real food, I went to the movies and was just so happy to be there (it is my happy place) and I ordered my normal combo. It wasn’t until the end of the movie when I was thinking…”she said one of these things I can get a free refill….was it the popcorn? No the soda”…and that is pretty much when the freak-out started for me. The whole “I am not supposed to have soda.” Then the name calling etc… you get the point. Who does that? Drinks almost an entire medium drink of diet soda and it not cross her mind she isn’t supposed to have it? So we all have our struggles. Mine is eating without thinking. You can do this, so keep your chin up.

Thanks Dolittle that would explain it. My next question would be then why wouldn’t the doc use the smaller on all women. Maybe he does bit if he isn't he should know that the Girlies in my group are feeling no restriction yet. We could eat the house and the garage if we wanted. I was just wishing that the band was going to provide restriction right away like it has for the man in our group. We were all disappointed actually to find that we were not feeling what he was.

I am so happy you posted this. I go next week on the 30th for my first fill with them in Austin, TX, and I am worried that they will only try to fill just a little bit. I do not have a bunch of extra cash so I want this fill to be worth the money. I hope to get at least 3cc or what I feel comfortable with (might be less). It would be different if my insurance was paying and I could go get a fill as I needed for $20 copay but it isn’t the case.

You know I was wondering if they put the band in with a fill for the guys but not for the girls. I thought a stomach was a stomach.

In our group we had one man getting the band the rest were women. I am told that the doc told him that men would only need one fill most likely to get their desired restriction and that a woman would need up to three. Well we all were at the same level, except for the man. The first day off liquids phase and we were able to eat real food; he had restriction to the point that it was as if he already had at least 3 fills. So why is it different for a man? If you have insight it would be greatly appreciated.

Ok good, I am glad I wasn't the only one. I hope mine settles down too.

Or you could do a Cape Cod, Salty Dog and there are others. Before getting the band, I would buy the low calories juices and have them with my Cosmos or the before mentioned drinks and I am sure I will do the same now. The hard part is when you are out and cannot bring your own stuff. Then it gets tricky. I have not drank any type of goodies yet with the band, but I think it is going to happen this weekend.

Thanks CLynn, I am actually feeling no restriction whatsoever. Nothing has ever felt that it was not going down like it was before I had the surgery. I am not sure what I was expecting. I was upset to find out when I phased into actual food that other than then the scars on my mid section and my slightly sore port area, I wouldn't even really know I had anything done. I was hoping I would be one of the lucky ones that wouldn't even need a fill....I hear rumors they are out there. LOL

Ever since the 2nd day after getting the band, when I have to burp for any reason it now sets off this hiccup feeling right in the center of my chest. This happen about 95% of the time when I burp. I don’t burp all the time but when I do, it pretty much happens. I can feel actual movement. Something moving up and down and I am actually starting to worry that it might make the band slip. I am about 4 weeks out since I was banded. Does this happen to anyone else? Did it hurt your band placement?

Thanks again so much for the info. Your help is really apprecaited.