Getting Really Frustrated!!

Hey Everyone,
I am getting so frustrated because I am not making any progress and reading the boards just gets me depressed.  I had my surgery on 6/08, and I have only lost about 40 pounds, most of it during my pre-op and directly after, due to the liquid diet.  I do the proteins, drink tons of fluid, and still I am not making progress.  The problem is I do not feel continous restriction.  I have been back to the fill clinic, and I kept getting such small fills it was ridiculous.  It was only after I read on the boards that I should ask for an "agressive fill" did I feel a slight difference.  And after already throwing over $500 at that clinic, I am feeling a bit, well alot ripped off.  Why does my restriction come and go with certain foods?  And on my last fill they said I could only get .3 more and that was it.  I have an Inamed American Band, 10cm, with a band capacity of 4 cc.  So how much can I get filled?  I am just at the point where I want to give up.

Don't get frustrated! You are doing great just keep up with your program. If there is a Support group meeting near you think about joining in it will help. Good luck  and Don't give up! 
Merrilou

Hang in there sweetie, you just don't have good restriction yet. Is there a bariatric doc near you that would take you on? It really sounds like you need someone who deals with bands rather than a fill center that is only there to make money and quite frankly probably doesn't know an awful lot about the bands and how they work. I do know that all bands hold more than their stated size and if you are close to maximum then you should have better restriction than you do. Do they pull all the saline out and put it back in with the new fill amount every time you get a fill? It is very possible that they have missed the port at some time and not gotten the fill into the band. This is where having an actual bariatric surgeon comes in handy because they can check with a fluro to see just how much is in the band and if the band is positioned correctly. It just sounds like something's not right, you should most likely have better restriction than that and it shouldn't come and go. Feel free to PM me if I can be of any help to you, it is very frustrating to feel alone and to see others with big weight losses. I have lost 60 lbs total and am more than a year out so I do understand your frustration.

I am in the same boat and can understand your frustration. I've actually gained weight since my surgery. I need another fill and can't find a doctor to do it. Anyway, the person who posted before me is right about everything, so heed her advice. However, if you really do have the maximum fill and there isn't enough restriction then the doctor used a band that is too big or didn't put it in the correct place. A flouroscope can help them determine if the band is in the right place and how it's constricting.

Good luck!