I'm struggling-dont know what to do!

Hey everyone! This is my first time being on this site and posting anything..so if I do anything wrong someone please let me know. A little about me, my name is Sherry, 29 from Central KY. Had the Lap-Band done in July 2011. My starting weight was 375, but I lost about 25lbs on the pre-op diet (6 months). Since my surgery I'm only down about 20lbs. Guess I need some help understanding where I'm going wrong. I know my habits and my mind are both pretty messed up..but cant determine what the real problem is. After surgery everything went well. I went back for my stapled to be taken out and was down 10 pounds. Went back 4 weeks later and had a fill. I didnt really know if I had restriction because I wasnt taking any chances..I chewed the hell out of everything, followed every rule, etc. I had a follow up appointment in Oct but cancelled it because of my ridiculous work schedule. I started noticing in November and December that I was able to eat more..I mean a lot more. I am a hard core food addict (hence the reason I had to turn to WLS) and I tried very hard to keep my portions down, but the weight just stopped coming off. After about a month of this I just gave up. I was tired of following the rules and exercising and seeing no results. (I know, completely stupid!) I also did not go back to the doctor because I was embarrassed that no weight had come off. It wasnt until April 2012 that I went back for another fill. I got 3cc's the first fill and 3cc's the second. So I am 6 cc's out of an 11 cc band. Everything went fine for about a week or so, I finally felt like I had a band inside of me..but that too quickly faded out. So here I am Jan 2013 and havent been to the doctor in almost 10 months. I have an appointment tomorrow at 9 am for another fill.. I am dreading what they are going to say and think! I feel like a complete failure and have just thrown all of my rules and stuff out the window. I can eat as much as I want and never have any kind of restriction. So here are the things I feel about my situation.

1. I should have kept my appointments and continued to get my fills.

2. I have 6 cc's in my band and should have some kind of restriction by now. Most of my friends who have the band have had little to no fills and lost 100lbs in 6 months or so. I know I shouldnt base my progress on them, but it makes me feel bad for needing extra fills?? (I realize how ridiculous this sounds..believe me)

3. I am afraid that maybe the band just isnt for me, but also realize I havent really utilized it at all. I have convinced myself that I will never have that restriction and Im afraid to get a fill and nothing happen..and then I'd really freak out.

I honestly cant imagine what it would be like to literally be full on such a small amount. I cant eat exactly as much as I used to be able to too..but tonight I had 2 pieces of pizza with no problem. I can eat them pretty fast, no problems with big bites..etc. I know a big part of my problem is I need to get back to following the rules. But just really need some help with feeling some kind of restriction. It was a huge psychological thing for me when I was putting in all this effort and seeing that scale stay the same. Please..any advice or any encouragement would help. I know I seem like a spaz, but something has to give. Shouldnt someone who is over half full in their band be having some kind of restriction??

Sherry J.

1)  With the band it is very,very important to see your doctor and have regular, small, fills.

2) When you are having problems, that is the time to see your doctor.

3) You are different that everybody else and shouldn't compare yourself to them

You need to set up regular appointment with your center, find and attend support groups.  Get help and support!  There may be people that could do well with the initial 3cc fill in a 11cc band but, once people go in every 4-6 weeks after the initial fill until the get that feeling.  Than as they lose weight the may need to get tiny once to keep it.

Hey Sherry!

You came here for support, that is a step in the right direction.

These are some things that I think helped me lose the weight I did with my LapBand.

1.)  I never drank with my meals and I waited an entire hour after eating.  I actually set my timer on my oven if I was home.  I wanted to get my water in, but I also didn't want to push my food out of my pouc too soon.
2.)  I have logged each AND everything that has gone into my mouth in the last 5 years.  I am not kidding.  I take calcium chews and I log them.  I take a bite of a cookie, I log it as a 1/4 of a serving.  Everything.  IF you haven't done this already, you should start.  We can sometimes think we are eating a lot less than we are actually eating.  It was an eye opening experience for me.

3.)  I kept close eye on when I ate, what time I finished and when I felt hungry again.  IF I ate my 8 oz of food.  I measured everything.  My doctor wanted us eating a cup to a cup and a half each meal.  I measured or weighed everything.  I was diligent to the point of almost being obsessed with this.  I ate my solid and dense protein first.  If I had space, then I ate my veggies.  Seriously, it works.  Then I paid close attention to the time that I finished my last bite.  Started drinking my water (I drink 84 oz a day) at one hour post last bite AND then I noted closely the time when I got hungry.  IF I got hungry before 4 hours, I knew it was time for a fill.  I had very little in my band, but I also started at just under 500lbs, so my fat pad around my stomach was huge.  As I lost weight, my restriction lessened as it is supposed to and it took a little more to get me to restriction.  I never had an unfill.  My fills ranged from 1ml to 0.2 ml. 

4.)  I ate 3-5 meals a day.  I work nights as an RN, so I am up all night - I ate through the night, ONLY when I had true hunger, but many times,  I ate 4 meals in that 20 hour time frame from waking in the morning, to working all night long and having a bite before bedtime.  There is nothing wrong with feeding your body, but you have to feed it foods that will keep you satiated and foods that will feed your cells.  White and Simple carbs shouldn't be in our diets   They increase our blood sugars - causing it to suddenly decrease, making  us crave more food, even when we are not hungry.

there is nothing to be ashamed of.  We are food addicts or we wouldn't have gotten WLS in the first place.  You may need to seek some therapy to get a handle on it.  You may need to become obsessed  for a while and log everything you eat, every day. 

When I needed to get my head back in the game, which happened a lot during the last 5 years.  I returned to my pre op diet.  My pre op diet was the induction phase of Atkins.  Ultra low carbs, no calorie or fat restriction - it got me back to the starting point many times.

Good Luck!

Pineview says it well! Many need s lot more than 6cc in their bands and without regular fills, the band won't help you. Hope fhe do for can help you today.

The lap band does not work for MOST people until it is properly restricted. Your band is not properly restricted if you are able to eat 1 whole piece of pizza after a entire year, without getting stuffed.

For most when they are properly restricted they get that light bulb moment and it feels like they've eaten a Thanksgiving meal on so little food and they stop eating -- with no side effects of heartburn, or vomiting, you just gently get satisfied and you will have a soft stop like a hiccup, burp, sneeze, or even a sigh, please remember them.

Also pizza is not a good choice if you are seriously about losing weight. You have to be REALLY prepared to change your lifestyle if you are expecting to see the scale move with your band.

Do you know what 1 cup looks like? It looks like a pixie cup, if you are able to eat more than this in 1 sitting without feeling satisfied, YOUR BAND IS NOT WORKING.

You SHOULD NOT be struggling, most lap banders that have GOOD restriction don't diet, the band usually helps them stop eating. 

Did you FULLY research the band before you got it? In the first year especially you SHOULD see your surgeon every 4-6 weeks to follow up REGARDLESS if you need a fill nor not. This way your surgeon can monitor your progress to make sure you are on track with weight loss and if your band is helping you. 

Most people especially with the larger bands NEED MORE saline in the band for it to work, you SHOULD NOT FEEL EMBARRASSED to see your surgeon, your surgeon works for YOU, your band is not working yet, so  it's good that you will see your surgeon today for a fill, and it may take a few more fills if you are able to eat 2 pieces of pizza to get optimal restriction.

Also if you are eating  pizza often you may benefit from a nutritionist, pizza should not be a regular part of your diet, if you expect the scales to move and some form of exercise, like walking daily.

You can't compare yourself with others, some only need 1 fill or none, some people have larger stomachs and the band fits well with little to no saline and they have good restriction right out of surgery but many have to get more saline.

There is NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU -- your band is just not working yet. It does not matter if you have 6cc in your band, it's HOW YOU FEEL, apparently 6ccs is not enough for you.  For some people it takes over 10cc before they finally feel restriction.

For you to be successful with your lap band you MUST see your surgeon often, what if you were too  tight? If your band gets too tight you have to follow up IMMEDIATELY to get some saline removed otherwise it can damage your insides and cause slippage.

This is the biggest difference with the Sleeve and the lap band, with the Sleeve there is no fill maintenance the surgeon calibrate a bougie for you, and you live with the restriction they give you, but with the lap band to be successful and complication free, you MUST see your surgeon every 4-6 weeks the first year, and every 6 months or a year thereafter.

Good luck

 but with the lap band to be successful and complication free, you MUST see your surgeon every 4-6 weeks the first year, and every 6 months or a year thereafter.

this statement is just not true and it sets people up to feel bad about themselves should something happen to their band.  complications can happen, even if you are extremely diligent about the rules, your eating and seeing your doctor on a regular basis.  I saw mine monthly for years because if I wasn't getting a fill, a doctor's visit was free.  LapBand complications can happen, even if you're a good Bander.

 Nana, you just continue to say things that you shouldn't.

What in my statement is NOT TRUE?

The first year with the lap band, it is recommended by the band manufacturer and surgeons to follow up every 4-6 weeks to ensure the patient is following the diet and have proper restriction and ALSO check to make sure the patient is not too tight. 

http://www.lapband.com/en/live_healthy_lapband/about_adjustm ents

Seeing the band surgeon every 4-6 weeks CAN HELP the patient stay complication FREE if their band gets too tight, the surgeon can monitor the patients progress and help detect if the patient is experiencing adverse side effects. You mentioned that you had been having reflux problems for a long time and did not realize it was a problem with your band. If you were an experienced lap bander and if your surgeon was aware of your reflux issues perhaps your problem would have been caught earlier and you could have kept your band.

Again per Allergan the lap band manufacturer, Patients MUST see their surgeon every 4-6 weeks the first year for optimal success

http://www.lapband.com/en/lapband_is_for_you/costs_payment_o ptions/lapband_surgery_outside/

The LAP-BAND^® System requires ongoing care and a relationship with your surgeon and their staff after you have your surgery. In fact, in the first year, you should expect to meet with your surgeon every 4-6 weeks for adjustments, support and medical care to monitor other medical conditions you may have prior to surgery. This care and follow up is essential for optimum outcomes and should play an important role in your decision where to have surgery. Many surgeons outside the U.S. may not offer the level of support and required care that you will need in the U.S. following surgery. And traveling outside of the country frequently for post-operative care is not realistic and would be challenging for many Americans.

You also mentioned that you had "scar tissue" problems that caused your reflux? I've NEVER EVER SEEN ANY STUDIES TO PROVE THIS in the 8 years since I've had my band? Can you prove this with any documentation that is cited to prove scar tissue caused your reflux? The only STUDIES and cited information that causes REFLUX IS BAND SLIPPAGE or esophageal issues from the band being too tight and vomiting.

Here are more links that may help the Original Poster with how to measure her food and what is consider "Proper restriction"

http://drsimpson.net/fills/How-to-know-if-you-need-lap-band- fill/How-to-know-if-you-need-lap-band-fill.htm

http://drsimpson.net/fills/fill_factors/lap-band_fill_factor s.htm

http://drsimpson.net/fills/post-fill/post-fill.htm

Before you respond to my post with your nonsense please have PROOF to backup what you say.

Nana,

You know good and well which part is untrue. 

"Complication Free"  -- It doesn't matter if you see your doctor daily, if your LapBand is going to have problems, you cannot avoid that.  Yes, I admit that it lessens your success if you're not getting regular fills and check ups, but to tell someone they can avoid complications by seeing their Band surgeon is just not right.

You tend to do that all of the time.  Complications happen Nana, I saw my LapBand doctor monthly for over 3 years and then I saw him every other month.  It made no difference, the scar tissue built up and caused extreme restriction and I also had my tubing wrapped around my internal organs.  Tell me how seeing my doctor regularly could have avoided scar tissue?

YOU always speak in absolutes when it comes to the LapBand and as we all know this is just wrong.  Complications with the LapBand cannot be always predicted or always avoided.  I lived that life and I know.

Again, can you provide evidence that your scar tissue caused reflux and vomiting? -- the reasoning for your band removal? I keep hearing this, but in the ole days when people had reflux and vomiting it meant band slippage, I am curious to know since I have not found any studies to prove this.

Thanks for setting that straight.  Some of our doctors are just too far away to even consider that many follow ups, not to mention that every practice has its own protocol for follow up.