Is this right?

Yep..those fill-a-holics may think they're helping themselves but, to me, its just like you said: using fills as a crutch.  You are lucky you haven't needed a fill.  Myself, it took me three fills to get where I'm at.  I haven't lost any pounds for the past 6 weeks and boy, has it been frustrating...but I haven't been exercising much due to osteo-pain and I had been eating too much frigging SOUP.   It could also be just the normal plateau that happens to almost all of us. I'm being patient with myself and more rigorous with my measuring of food.  Got some cute individual measuring scoops and a food scale.

  I see my doc in a few weeks but even though I'm not losing, I won't ask for another fill because it sometimes takes all my concentration while I'm eating  not to get stuck.  I can still eat most any type of food (just waaay less of it) but I'm afraid I would get stuck too darn easily if I had any more in my band.
I want to enjoy food...not mark certain foods off my list forever.  Thats no way to live,IMO!

Jolena,

To be honest with you I think I have it so set in my head about the band being around my stomach and it reminding me that is all i can eat that is why I haven't gotten a fill. I do get some hunger pains here and there but it' nothing I cant handle .

Between watching my friend abuse her fills and my parents being so generous in giving me half of the money for my surgery and my husband draining out our savings for the other half it makes me feel that I cant fail because so many people went out of there way for me money wise and I would feel awful if I didn't put my whole heart into all this .  I let my parents down once with a boatload of money for college I will not do that to them again

Does any of that makes sense lol ??

It is very frustrating when you dont lose . You dont know how many times I want to throw that scale out the window .   I haven't lost anything for two weeks and you just want to cry. You eat right, you exercise as much as you can and nothing .   My hubby dreads me getting on the scale the last two weeks of the month that is when I get ready to start my period and I retain water and I crave bad foods lol.   I get sooo emotional during that time I sat down on the scales and cried today because I work my ass off doing everything and then nothing to show on the scales.  This is the hardest part of weight loss right there.  If you can make it through this without not eating all the time then you are one step ahead of the game IMO.

Like my NUT told me sometimes it just takes awhile for your body to catch up to us again. As long as we are eating right , doing what we are suppose to be doing , IE drinking water, exercising we will start losing again.  It's so easy to say that to people but when you are in that situation and not losing you just want to tell them to shut the heck up lol, even though you know what they are saying is 100% right lol.

 

"Between watching my friend abuse her fills and my parents being so generous in giving me half of the money for my surgery and my husband draining out our savings for the other half it makes me feel that I cant fail because so many people went out of there way for me money wise and I would feel awful if I didn't put my whole heart into all this .  I let my parents down once with a boatload of money for college I will not do that to them again

Does any of that makes sense lol ?? "

Oh yes you are making perfect sense, girl!    You can have all the tools and knowledge but it all means zip without motivation, right?    You will make yourfamily and yourself so proud, I am sure.

Just got home from work and the whole house is asleep. Hubby getting up at 4:30 for a 48 hour shift!  Woohoo. I am soooooo happy for him. Being unemployed for so long had taken such a toll on him.  We are fortunate that my job was just enough to pay the essentials.  Who knows...we might even go on an actual vacation next year he says. 

I just wanted to tell you, before I got sidetracked, that I really have appreciated all your posts on the board tonight.  I find them helpful and down to earth.  I wish  you lived in Texas!

Have a great night and good luck to both of us that our scale moves down this week.

Steelerfan I am in the same mindset with you.  I was actually wondering if I can forego my first fill.  I lost 30lbs prior to surgery and now since surgery on the 18th have lost 15 more.  The band has made me literally "think more" about what I am putting in my mouth and how much I am putting in there too.  Of course I am exercising.  I do know that exercise I will have to do for the rest of my life for weight loss and for basic health.  Im good with that been working out on a daily basis minus a few days here and there since January  I am basically using this tool as a constant reminder not to over eat.  Im a rather healthy eater, but use to over eat the healthy things too.  Granted this is only week two I am in, but it has went rather smooth so far.  I don't ever want to test the capacity of this band and fear the possible damage I could do by doing just that. 

Robin,

That is what the band has done for me also  . It makes me think about what I'm eating, it makes me look at the pkg to see the nutritional needs on it and if I think its to much I put it back and I feel good . I feel like I'm in control and that is the best feeling in the world right there .

I'm to scared also to overeat with the band. I'm self pay and I like I said in another post I dont have 20 grand to go replace it because I overate all the time, it really makes me think before I eat now because of that .  To me it's just not worth it .   I use the band also as a reminder to slow down and not to overeat . 

Dont get me wrong I have my days where I eat to much and its usually the week before my period and I have to fight so hard with hunger pains. I get extremely hungry a week before my period and I have to fight tooth and nail not to eat lol. Sometimes I give in and sometimes I dont it all depends .

You are doing so well !! Keep up the great work !!!  Im proud of you !!  There was a guy in our support group that talked a couple months back. He lost over 200 pounds and went in for his first fill after 2 yrs !!  

I don't want this to sound at all rude or defensive so I apologize ahead of time if it does...

But with 1.5CCs in my port and only ever seeing my Dr. post op 2 times due to financial reasons I really do not believe I am even close to being a "fill-o-holic". I've been had the ability to eat FULL meals (well over 1/2 -1 cup) for almost 2 years and have not gained even one pound back. I contribute the lack of weight gain because of intelligent food choices, exercise and pure will power. Just because I can eat way more than what is allowed I don't, even if I am starving. I just tend to eat more smaller meals throughout the day which I never had to do until months after I went to 1.5cc.

Example: I would have breakfast, a snack, lunch, a snack, dinner, another snack. While drinking fluids like water, crystal light, and milk all day. Milk on days I felt like no matter what I ate I was still starving.

I didn't have any restriction at all until I got sick and the band obstructed or slipped (I am not 100% sure what is wrong I go in Friday). Since then I've been surviving on Ensure-Plus, broth, and water. I am always hungry but even liquids cause pain and reflux (as stated in a seperate previous post). I know I likely didn't specify the lack of restriction in any previous posts due to the fact I was more concerned about my issue right now.

I could never abuse this band. It was (at least in my eyes) a life or death decision to get this band in the first place. Before the band I was on upwards of 13 different medications per day at 28 years old for high blood pressure, hyper-glycemia, I have lupus and had to take pain pills and muscle relaxers to move, I got out of breath just going to the bathroom, I had constant headaches and the only way for me to have a period was if it was induced via hormone injections. I was being told the weight was causing the hormonal issues but the hormonal issues were causing me to gain weight. I spent thousands on weight loss programs and I never cheated. I was thin all my life until I got pregnant at 22. My twin girls were still-born and after that I couldn't get healthy for anything.

Right now I am not on any medications at all, I have a period every single month, always on time, always accompanied by a headache for which I take midol for the 1st 2 days of it. I have as much energy as I had when I was 19 years old. I simply want to get my band fixed and I'm thinking a little more restriction maybe even take it to 2.0ccs and that should be the added little kick to help me feel fuller longer so I am not snacking as much like when I did feel the restriction. With my eating and exercise habits should get me down that extra 35-45 pounds.

I guess my question is when they repair will they take me right back to 1.5cc or basically do I start from scratch like the first time? I'm sorry if I am confusing people I am readng everyones posts and you all are much more knowledgable about the lapband than I am. At least in the way you all can easily communicate about it where I am severally out of practice.

 I guess my question is when they repair will they take me right back to 1.5cc or basically do I start from scratch like the first time?

more than likely you will be completely unfilled.
don't panic - a slip "can" repair itself & what's odd, after i slipped....1cc fill is all i've ever needed since (think i was at 6ccs ??).

but you do need that reflux addressed sooner rather than later.

Tiffany,

If your band is slipped to the point where it's causing you pain and reflux, it's MOST important that you get THAT taken care of before you start thinking about weight loss.  Believe me when I tell you that it IS life threatening, the situation you're in right  this minute. I went through it myself.

You may see the doctor and have a fluoroscopy Xray to determine where the band is positioned and how fluids are passing through. It will show if your esophagus is dilated and where the band sits on your stomach. It should show how slowly the fluid passes through the esophagus and into the stomach, as well as how long it sits in the upper portion of the stomach.

If the doctor determines that your band is in an incorrect position, he'll either remove all the fluid and see if the band will go back into place (after a period of time) or if it's REALLY in a bad place, he'll recommend surgery to either reposition or remove the band. If it's causing damage, your best bet is removal if you want to avoid further long term, permanent damage. If it's NOT causing damage, you may either be able to get away with a repositioned band, a replacement band (or a revision, if that option is presented to you. Having had one slipped band usually sets up a precedent for it to happen again. Not always... but it is a higher risk.)  

But, they will most likely take the fluid out of your band either way since you're having complications. Any amount of pressure on your stomach when you're having issues like you are is damaging. (Again, I know this from experience, having gone through it with my band.)

If you do end up having to have a corrective surgery, you'll have a period in which you'll need to heal. Then the doctor will fill your band with whatever amount he deems appropriate for you to have some restriction. They access your band through the port, but the saline goes through the tubing and tightens the band. You may find that a very small fill will help you or you may need a lot more than you did originally.  It depends on how swollen your stomach is (and that varies from day to day.)

If the doctor tells you that the band is damaging anything, please consider removal. I just can't stress this enough. I fought it every step of the way because I was under the impression that the damage had been done to my body and if I had the band removed, I'd just get fat again. I didn't want to think about how it was actually killing me. I was VERY attached to my band because I had gone through so much pain and found it very unfair that it was going to fail me. Today... over 6 years from having it removed, I can't even tell you the numerous ways the damage adversely affects my life.  It's simply not worth it.

See the doctor, have him check you thoroughly and then determine the next step. Don't worry about the amount of fill or losing weight at this point. You need to get your health back first. Please know that I tell you this out of care and concern, OK?  As someone who's been there, I know how scary it is, but... health first, weight loss second, please?

Take care. I hope it goes well on Friday.
Nicci

Oh my gosh Tiffany Jolena and I was NOT talking about you .  We  just took something from Lisa's post and started to talk about it that is it .  Lisa mentioning that fills dont make you lose weight got me to thinking about my fgfand I was explaining to Lisa that  is the reason why I wanted to print her post off because of my situation not yours.

I should have made myself clear that I was going off topic and not talking about your post :o(

This was in no shape or form about you . We was doing just general chit chatting and took your post off subject and switched to a different topic .

I appologize as well, I was going off topic and talking to steelerfan, I should have messaged her instead...