Denisemcse Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 Hi: I was banded August 10 and had a 4.3 cc fill (VG) in September. I'm going back friday for another fill. I cannot tell you how defeated I feel - I had originally lost 18 pounds, but since the fill I've actually managed to GAIN 4 pounds. I'm ready to chew body parts I'm so upset. I have felt some restriction maybe 1-2 times....and it was momentary. I am constantly hungry and I can eat 85-90% of what I ate pre-band. I'm praying that the 2nd fill will make a significant difference. Mentally I expected the first fill not to matter, but living it is another matter. We keep pouring money out for no results.....gets very frustrating and some follow-up counseling or phone calls from an English speaking person at the clinic surely would be motivational if they could say "it's normal".....or "just hang on - the 2nd fill is coming".....or something. So - we shall see.....right now I've pissed away a LOT of money. I had my initial surgery in July (I've written extensively on other posts about my experience, if you're .... I have restriction some of the time, but oddly enough not most of the time or even regularly. I may have NO restriction the very next meal after PBing!! I can't seem to make rhymn nor reason of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWMarc Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 Funny thing, I get an error when trying to reply to Denise's message. (Quote) Hi: I was banded August 10 and had a 4.3 cc fill (VG) in September. I'm going back friday for another fill. I cannot tell you how defeated I feel - I had originally lost 18 pounds, but since the fill I've actually managed to GAIN 4 pounds. I'm ready to chew body parts I'm so upset. I have felt some restriction maybe 1-2 times....and it was momentary. I am constantly hungry and I can eat 85-90% of what I ate pre-band. I'm praying that the 2nd fill will make a significant difference. Mentally I expected the first fill not to matter, but living it is another matter. We keep pouring money out for no results.....gets very frustrating and some follow-up counseling or phone calls from an English speaking person at the clinic surely would be motivational if they could say "it's normal".....or "just hang on - the 2nd fill is coming".....or something. So - we shall see.....right now I've pissed away a LOT of money. (End Quote) Denise, I know exactly were you are coming from. I was gaining and loosing 5 lbs for 3 months before my second fill and I'm still not loosing as fast as I want. However, I think we need (at least I need) to examine if I'm using the tool the way it should be used and not eating around it. Ask yourself, am I drinking before, during, or after eating? That's one of the hardest things for me to fight. Am I eating anything mushy or will melt into liquid calories? I've always had a weekness for mashed potatos, soup on cold days, and ice cream any and all times of day. Finally, am I exercising at all? I asked myself those questions and I didn't like the answers. I still don't like the answers but I know I have to keep working at it. I saw the following on another band forum. I need to change my mind set from finding out how much I can eat to how little I can eat. My girlfriend really hit home a month or so ago. She said "You spent all this money on this band and you're not even trying to use it the way you are supposed to. You are literally waisting your money." That thought does more for me to get back on track when I get off. The band is a tool not a silver bullet. We need to just keep working at it. Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemcse Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 Ok sooooo.... How much fill do you have now - after your 2nd fill? When was your 2nd fill? How much have you lost since? At what point did you begin to lose Funny thing, I get an error when trying to reply to Denise's message. (Quote) The band is a tool not a silver bullet. We need to just keep working at it. Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nita57 Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 Denise, Remember that the VG band can hold 10cc of saline. It may take a couple of fills to feel restriction. Be happy you are able to have them done in TJ. Most Drs. in the U.S only give go 1 or 2 cc at a time. Dr Ortiz's office will try to get you a good level in 2. As for you frustration, you should back track and read all of Chelley's posts. She has had an incredible journey to find restriction with the VG. Don't give up..everything you are going through at this point is NORMAL for this band. Good Luck!! Nita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelley Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 Partial restriction is ................. just ............. miserable. For any of you VG banders who can eat more than a few spoonfuls of food per meal, get another fill. After 6 months of sufferring and loosing the same darn 20 pounds a few times over, thinking I'd ruinned my band, and beating myself up for another failure .... I found all I needed was another fill. I currently have 6.2cc in my VG band and suprise, suprise ... the barfing daily stopped because I now have the level of restriction that screams STOP before I barf. Pain is an excellent behavior modification tool. Chelley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil McDonald Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 Hello, I got my first fill on Nov. 1st, about 7 weks post-op. I had a local doctor do the fill with fluro, but no barium swallow. He was pretty agressive and got me up to 6cc on the first fill. The restriction was just about right. I had a couple problems last week, the restriction was correct, I just needed to chew my food better. Half way through the second week, I feel a bit less restricted, but still enough and I have learned how to eat with the band. I have been eating about 1,500 - 2,000 calories a day since the fill. No significant weight loss yet, but it will happen if I stay at this level of food intake. The only food I have had a problem with is a bite of really tough pot roast. I have been able to eat everything else including bread as long as I chew it to mush. The fill doctor said that I would probably end up with about 8cc eventually, but it is wise to work up to that. Having had a couple problems with food getting stuck last week, I agree that the first fill should be enough to teach me how to eat with the band, once I get that down without any problems, then I will get another fill if I need one. I hope everybody else is having good luck with the VG band, let us know what level of fill you have so we can all compare notes. Take Care Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWMarc Posted November 13, 2006 Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 Ok sooooo.... How much fill do you have now - after your 2nd fill? When was your 2nd fill? How much have you lost since? At what point did you begin to lose I have 2.8 cc. However, I wouldn't be surprised if I had much less now also. I don't feel the restriction I had the first few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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