Banders - Please could you give me some advice.....

[I will get there one day!]

Dear All

I was hoping that some of you more experienced banders would be able to offer me some of your invaluable advice.

I was banded on the 13th January - I paid privately. I have a lot of weight to lose - 11 stone or so.

Since I've had my op I've felt like I've been left to my own devices and feel a bit disappointed that the assurances of support etc from the dietician have come to nothing. That said, I am focused and determined to succeed. I've lost approx 20 pounds so far but to be honest that was all in the first 4 weeks. I've lost nothing since. I kind of feel at the moment that my band is stopping me gaining more weight but it not helping me lose any.

I have a 10-12ml band. I had my 1st fill after 5 weeks and felt very little, if any restriction with 5ml in. I therefore rang up 2 weeks after and had a 2nd fill of another 1ml.

Since then my restriction is really variable. I have been sick a couple of times after eating bread and rice otherwise all foods are fine. On the other hand I felt it really gurgling this morning when I ate a yoghurt. I can still eat quite a lot and certainly more than I thought I would. I am therefore having to use loads of willpower to stop me bingeing otherwise it will defeat the whole object of the band. Sometimes I feel that I just want to keep eating and eating until my body tells me stop to kind of prove the band is there. That's not working though.

I assume it's just up to me to ring up and arrange another fill. Before I do, please could you let me know your views. Is this usual? Is it normal to have 3 fills within 10-11 of surgery?

I'm just really desperate to get the stage where I can start losing again otherwise I'm going to get disheartened.

Please, please could I have some advice.

Thank you so much for your help.
x

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

Dear All

I was hoping that some of you more experienced banders would be able to offer me some of your invaluable advice.

I was banded on the 13th January - I paid privately. I have a lot of weight to lose - 11 stone or so.

Since I've had my op I've felt like I've been left to my own devices and feel a bit disappointed that the assurances of support etc from the dietician have come to nothing. That said, I am focused and determined to succeed. I've lost approx 20 pounds so far but to be honest that was all in the first 4 weeks. I've lost nothing since. I kind of feel at the moment that my band is stopping me gaining more weight but it not helping me lose any.

I have a 10-12ml band. I had my 1st fill after 5 weeks and felt very little, if any restriction with 5ml in. I therefore rang up 2 weeks after and had a 2nd fill of another 1ml.

Since then my restriction is really variable. I have been sick a couple of times after eating bread and rice otherwise all foods are fine. On the other hand I felt it really gurgling this morning when I ate a yoghurt. I can still eat quite a lot and certainly more than I thought I would. I am therefore having to use loads of willpower to stop me bingeing otherwise it will defeat the whole object of the band. Sometimes I feel that I just want to keep eating and eating until my body tells me stop to kind of prove the band is there. That's not working though.

I assume it's just up to me to ring up and arrange another fill. Before I do, please could you let me know your views. Is this usual? Is it normal to have 3 fills within 10-11 of surgery?

I'm just really desperate to get the stage where I can start losing again otherwise I'm going to get disheartened.

Please, please could I have some advice.

Thank you so much for your help.
x

hi nicola, this is just typical of a private providor, i can probably guess which 1 it is but i wont type it on here, ive heard so many people say that after they have took your money and had the op, there false promises of good after care, ie dieticians, councelors ect, is little or non exisitant,a freind of mine waited 4 weeks for an advice phone call from her service providor, so i rang that providor telling them i was interested in private banding to test these guys out, them not knowing im banded already took my details ect, (my own bit of detective work as they p*ss*ng so many people off latley),every 2 days i had a courtesy call from them all polite false rubbish, i eventually said after a few weeks, im allready banded why dont you spend more time looking after the patients that exists already with follow up calls instead of ringing me 3-4 times a week chasing money, i called them gold diggers and hung up.

any way it sounds like you have some restriction there, the reason you will get gurgling from the yoghurt in the morning is because the pouch has been in sleep mode over night, as the day goes on the food and drink that passes thro the pouch relaxes it more, and thats why its easier to eat the more the day goes by.
what food choices are you making ? try to choose a more filling food like a baked potatoe with baked beans or tuna/mayo, a smaller portion of some thing like that would be more satisfying than mash and veg. you maybe do need another small fill to give that extra restriction, but also after discussing your day to day food choices with a band dietician. your providor will also tell you if its to soon for another fill as you have had them real quick after surgery.

i hope my comments have helped.

liz x

 

[I will get there one day!]

Thank you Liz - yes your comments have really helped me. I've been eating the type of foods you suggest but feel like I could keep on eating. I think I will ring the dietician again and ask for some advice and follow up and a small fill.

Thank you again - I knew I could reply on you to help me.
x

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

Thank you Liz - yes your comments have really helped me. I've been eating the type of foods you suggest but feel like I could keep on eating. I think I will ring the dietician again and ask for some advice and follow up and a small fill.

Thank you again - I knew I could reply on you to help me.
x

if your not getting the full or getting the restricted feeling in the pouch after eating these suggested foods then, it must be going straight through the band hole which isnt giving you any sense of portion control, so i do think your right and could do with being a little tighter.

i hope you get sorted soon.

liz x