Banded Together

After over a year and one bump in the road, I have learned that “restriction” is not the main goal. In fact, too much restriction is not a good thing.  I have found that the bit of restriction I have now is enough to let me know I am full, I am drinking too fast—gulping a bit—and that’s all I need to know.  It is not a desired outcome that I am throwing up or that my stomach is trying to push back food I have eaten.  It is not a desired outcome that I have any pain whatsoever.  The only thing the band is designed to do is help me be full.  And so it does.  It’s great!  I can eat anything but I am full at an appropriate 1/2 to 1 cup.  Now, of course some changes I have made to some habits and some thinking, but nothing compared to what I used to do in my long “diet” history.  This is much more sane.  In fact, I am having to unlearn some of that old “diet thinking”. 
http://www.moreoflife.com/forum/smileys/#

That’s a really good point, Paula. I also notice in a lot of band forums, some people seem to be almost competitive about their fills, and I think that is risky thinking. No two people are the same, and the sweet spot might be at 5 ccs for one person and 7 ccs for another. There isn’t a good reason for the 5 cc person to get more fluid because that means he or she would be too tight.

I agree that “restriction” is not or at least should not be the main goal.  By trying to rely on restriction we are not working to change our old habits.  I would rather stop eating prior to my band telling me to stop eating.  I don’t like the feeling that says, “take another bite and see what happens.”  I would prefer to not take another bite and not see what happens.

The other thing with restriction is that too often people feel that they have restriction because they can only eat 2 or 3 bites of something and then they reach “restriction”.  This is not the case.  If you have only eaten 2 or 3 bites of something and then have “restriction” you are probably either not chewing well enough or eating too quickly.  Your body has to have an adequate amount of food and nutrients to function properly and 2 or 3 bites per meal is not enough. 

We need to strive for a healthy body and lifestyle as opposed to a skinny, model thin body.  A size 6 may be YOUR goal, but if you look good, feel good, and are declared healthy by your physician at a size 8 or 10, good for you and that may be where you need to remain.  You want to be healthy and look normal, not anorexic.

To add to this discussion, I remember the following question being asked at every appointment for the year after my surgery: “Are you having restriction?”  I thought that question was meant for the healthcare provider to discover whether I had enough of a fill or not. 

Turns out, I was wrong.  That was not what he/she was really looking for.  In fact, “restriction” may have meant a deflation of some fluid.  I guess my own assumption sort of mislead me to think I needed fills, when in reality I did not.  I “assumed” I was supposed to have this so-called “restriction”, when that was not at all why I was being asked. 

And now that I do feel what I consider “restriction”, it’s not at all what I thought it would be.  Very subtle, very real, and very not restrictive—just a message, a slight feeling of fullness.

Need your help and or thoughts. I had my third fill last Week and it was day 87 to that point I had had ony one problem and I know what that was (beef). New problem I have lost at lease one meal if not two every day for the last 4 days and I am not sure what I am doing wrong. I don’t think it was the food (i had had it all in the past) must be to fast or to big of bites however I don’t think that is the case any thoughts. If this helps the pain comes on fast and 15 min. later it is coming up. ( DOWN 54lbs )

Thanks

Pat H.

Maybe you should go back on liquids for a few days.  Sometimes you can irritate the band and if you are getting sick on a daily basis your band might just be super irritated.  If you still get sick on liquids, you definitely need an unfill as you don’t want to get dehydrated.  If, after two or three days on liquids and solids continue to make you sick, I would suggest calling for a small unfill.  Back in December I wasn’t getting things stuck, but they sure hurt going down to the point that it eventually hurt to breath.  I had .1cc’s removed and it was amazing how much better I felt with just a drop being removed. 

Let us know what you decide to do.

Pat, if you’re still having trouble, definitely give the office a call. It may be a simple matter of being more cautious to take smaller bites and chew them better. The more restriction you have, the more those rules become important.

However, it is possible that you have too much restriction, and you would need to come in for an adjustment. From what I understand, on overfill can be pretty uncomfortable, so it’s probably better to call and have the situation evaluated by your medical provider.

Smiley & Adam,

Thanks for your help, I did the liquids for a day and started doing what I knew I should be, small bites and slow down my eating and all is well now. Let it be said I do know what they mean by restriction now.

Thanks to all

Pat

I’m glad to hear that you are feeling better.  I sometimes like to live with the mindset that “rules are meant to be broken”  but this is definitely not the case in regards to my band.  A.  I spent way too much money on this thing to mess it up and B.  The band has a way of slapping you upside the head when it discovers you have broken a rule, and that can be a very painful slap - if you know what I mean. 

Pat, I just read your reply in my email.  I do have some input on this.  I think you have alleviated your immediate discomfort for a while, but I had the very same trouble.  I just kept thinking it was ME.  But truth was, I was over-filled, just enough to cause periodic problems.  Like once or twice every two weeks at first.  Then I would have the pain and throwing up or foaming.  I would drink liquids for a few days and all would alleviate.  Then it started happening more often.  After four months, I got a wake-up call from my husband who was sitting at lunch with me when it happened again—I packaged up my meal and had him take it home, as I was on my way to work.  But I began having more discomfort and started some foaming, so I called my lap band center and explained what was going on.  They had me get in right then and fit me in.  Turns out I had a prolapse, which was quite a shock.  It was NOTHING I HAD DONE.  It was that my band was too full.  So we went from there.
I URGE you to contact your lap band folks in your area and get some very serious input. 
I got the band bc it is adjustable—and that is what we did, adjust it.  But I waited too long before getting anything done and I needed all the fluid taken out so my stomach could relax and get back in shape.  So go NOW.  Maybe your band can be relaxed just a bit and you can move on more easily.
All is well now with me, but I certainly got in better touch with my band through the experience.  The staff at the Springfield office handled things wonderfully and are more helpful than ever now, as I am much more willing to contact them with any little happening—
Good luck to you, and PLEASE do not continue with the symptoms you are having.  Paula