Gastric Banding anyone? Mod Note: No Clinic Names

LegacyUser

Hi! All .....I had my band fitted in the UK on the 1st of July at a clinic just outside of Birmingham. At 5ft 5 inch I have gone from 15 stone to just under 14 st 1lbs in two weeks on the liquid diet.....today was my first day I could eat 'soft food' ....I was scared of doing so as I got use to the liquid diet......For dinner I had 100 grams (uncooked) of pasta and felt fine.....I am afraid that I may be able to eat too much....I did not feel full when I had finished nor did I feel starving I even managed a sugar free jelly and 5 chocolate minstrels after .....I am afraid that the band has not worked and I am afraid that the band will not work and I will not lose weight....as my sister could not eat this amount when she went onto food after her gastric bypass surgery.....so I am now worried I may be able to eat too much

seat32

Crispaholic wrote: »

Hi! All .....I had my band fitted in the UK on the 1st of July at a clinic just outside of Birmingham. At 5ft 5 inch I have gone from 15 stone to just under 14 st 1lbs in two weeks on the liquid diet.....today was my first day I could eat 'soft food' ....I was scared of doing so as I got use to the liquid diet......For dinner I had 100 grams (uncooked) of pasta and felt fine.....I am afraid that I may be able to eat too much....I did not feel full when I had finished nor did I feel starving I even managed a sugar free jelly and 5 chocolate minstrels after .....I am afraid that the band has not worked and I am afraid that the band will not work and I will not lose weight....as my sister could not eat this amount when she went onto food after her gastric bypass surgery.....so I am now worried I may be able to eat too much

Gastric bypass is completely different to Gastric banding - you have practically no restriction from your band yet (until your first fill) - whereas your sister started off with a small stomach immediately after surgery.

I keep telling myself not to compare myself to other Bandsters and you definitely shouldn't be comparing yourself to a Bypass patient!

Well done on your weight-loss to date and don't worry about the scales going up a bit now that you're introducing solid food again - it'll head back down again soon.

The period between surgery and your first fill is known as "Bandster Hell" because you have absolutely no restriction from the band so it's 100% up to you to make wise food and portion-size choices.

I read a good bit of advice recently - try seeing how little food it takes to stave off the hunger for 4 - 5 hours, rather than worrying about how much you can eat at one sitting (I'm always worrying about eating too much and stretching the pouch too). I started following that advice by cutting standard portion sizes in half then seeing how long it takes before I get hungry again. If it doesn't last at least 3 hours then I increase the portion size a little. I always have a yoghurt handy in case my portions/timings are off or a mealtime gets pushed back.

I also try to make sure that I'm never absolutely ravenous or completely stuffed full - both are bad situations to be in imho. I usually get a "soft sign" to stop eating - a big deep breath or a hiccup were my usual signs at the start - lately, I've been getting used to serving up smaller portions and not going back for seconds (it's taken me 6 months!).

This seems to have turned into a bit of an essay...in summary: don't be too hard on yourself just now but try starting to instill some good habits that will hold you in good stead later on. Talk to your service provider/read forums or blogs of other bandsters/pm me if you need someone to worry along with

LegacyUser

Thank you Seat 32 for all the advice .....I was just worried that I could eat a lot compared to my sister when she had the by pass.....I am very happy to know that the restriction has not kicked in until my first fill.....saying that my will power is good at the moment I have stuck to everything I was told to do....Luckily I don't have a sweet tooth....saying that I dreamt I took a bite of pizza the other night and in my dream I spat it out......I am delighted I had it done....even though my doctor and everyone else said I looked normal.....but being apple shape......size 12 waist and size 18 fitted tops was getting me down....my doctor said it was my shape due to my poly cystic ovaries....but I had enough.... plus I have a history of diabetes and heart disease in my family so I wanted to lose weight for health reasons.....I tried everything over the last 10 years....I did manage to get to 11st 4 lbs 6 years ago by eating a limited diet of 900 cals a day....but was miserable and seeing all my aunt weighting 15 stone plus made me realise I was fighting an up hill battle......Thanks for all your advice....I will carry food with me.....I have a few parties soon and the whole eating and drinking thing is worrying as I was told not to drink beer? I am glad I had the operation.....I am starting back with the personal trainer this week....I will take it easy but if I could do a 5km charity run at 15st I am hoping to do a 10km run without my face looking like a traffic light

shellita

Hi All,

Well I went for my 1st fill and it was terrible. Nurse couldn't find the port, came out crying and bruised from all the pushing on my stomach.
She told me if the port was turned I would need more surgery to fix it, was left traumatized and scared.

Went back 5 days later and saw the specialist, it took over 30 mins of moving, prodding, pushing, lying, standing, legs raised..... but finally with head raised while lying down she got the port, Thank God.
Again completely bruised and while looking for the port she took out a needle full of blood/liquid. I have more fluid and am quite swollen.

She gave me 2ml so now I am at 5ml.
I am worried as I am still eating a good bit but a lot less then before the band. But still I feel I am eating a lot. I have not been sick and I stop when I get a full feeling in my chest but I can still eat a meal.

I had lost a few pounds on the 1 week pre-diet and 2 weeks liquid, 2 weeks soft but am back to where I was before op.

So now I just want to start losing !!!!

LegacyUser

shellita wrote: »

Hi All,

Well I went for my 1st fill and it was terrible. Nurse couldn't find the port, came out crying and bruised from all the pushing on my stomach.
She told me if the port was turned I would need more surgery to fix it, was left traumatized and scared.

Went back 5 days later and saw the specialist, it took over 30 mins of moving, prodding, pushing, lying, standing, legs raised..... but finally with head raised while lying down she got the port, Thank God.
Again completely bruised and while looking for the port she took out a needle full of blood/liquid. I have more fluid and am quite swollen.

She gave me 2ml so now I am at 5ml.
I am worried as I am still eating a good bit but a lot less then before the band. But still I feel I am eating a lot. I have not been sick and I stop when I get a full feeling in my chest but I can still eat a meal.

I had lost a few pounds on the 1 week pre-diet and 2 weeks liquid, 2 weeks soft but am back to where I was before op.

So now I just want to start losing !!!!

I was told by my doctor that you should lose between 1 lbs to 2 lbs per week, so weight loss can vary. I have lost a stone since my operation on the 1st of July. I was told when my fill occurs even more weight should go. I would check and see that your band is tight enough.

I meet a woman in the clinic who has lost 2stone in 2 months ....her band was too tight and her weight loss was too rapid....she was 5ft 3 inch and 15 stone when she got her op in England and is now 2 months later 13 stone....to me that is far too quick to lose the weight? I am not getting any pain at all when I eat, if anything I am never hungry now and have to just eat every three hours to make sure I don't forget to eat.....saying that I would love a slice of pizza and a can of coke

I am getting my barium swallow on Monday...so hopefully it will go well

Hope your weight loss start now that you go your fill

shellita

Well done losing a stone already, im not losing.

Start at 19 lost 7 pounds on the 1 week pre-diet and 2 weeks liquid + 2 weeks mushy, but put it back on after 2 weeks eating.

I'm eating a good bit and do feel hungry but I am eating probably half what I used to eat. I stop when I'm full and eating a lot of salad & crunchy food as told by dietician, restriction is not really there though. I have not been sick but I guess 5ml is not enough restriction.

Im sickened that I haven't lost weight

And my stomach is still very swollen

LegacyUser

shellita wrote: »

Well done losing a stone already, im not losing.

Start at 19 lost 7 pounds on the 1 week pre-diet and 2 weeks liquid + 2 weeks mushy, but put it back on after 2 weeks eating.

I'm eating a good bit and do feel hungry but I am eating probably half what I used to eat. I stop when I'm full and eating a lot of salad & crunchy food as told by dietician, restriction is not really there though. I have not been sick but I guess 5ml is not enough restriction.

Im sickened that I haven't lost weight

And my stomach is still very swollen

Weight will come off.....they just have to find the right restriction for you...I was told it can take a few goes....so I would call the clinic and hospital and insist on more fill if you are not seeing a restriction... it will drop off they just have to find the right level for you....I find I am aiming for 1 lb a week......to be honest I am hoping for more.....I have been eating foods that make me feel full....pasta , branflakes, potatoes.....I love carbs....but I am measuring my portions before I cook them.....I keep looking at the portion and saying a sparrow would eat more....I find carbs make me feel fuller than other foods...saying that I miss feeling stuffed...before the operation I could binge no problem.....Your doing good the choice of salad is good but there is no way it would satisfy me at all....I did weight watchers and every other diet before and it can be tough not to lose weight.....but what I am doing now is eating something every three hours before I get the hunger....saying that I am not hungry...but I was starving the 2nd week on my liquid diet....I could have ate my arm and could not wait for bed time so I did not have to think of food....I actually felt a bit down as I kept walking into the kitchen and when I would go in I would be like.....what am I doing in here?????? Plus all my friends could eat and none knew I had the operation.

I did not realize how much I ate out of boredom or when I was having a bad day....you are probably retaining fluid given all the liquid they took out of you....you need to go back and get more fill if you are not losing weight.....have you gone for walks etc?

What did the hospital / clinic say about you not losing as much weight as you would like?

You still have to be careful and avoid high calorie things...I could suck bars of chocolate if I wanted with this and tubs of ice cream and never feel full....so you need to eat filling foods.

Go back and get more fill....I hope they find the right level for you soon

neelyohara

@shellita

From my research on bands (and people that I've spoken to) it appears to take some time before you have enough fills to find that golden spot that will cause enough of a restriction to reduce your appetite. Sometimes it can take several fills - it's not something I would worry about just yet. Just keep in contact with the company and keep getting the fills when you can.

You say you are eating half of what you would normally consume and you are feeling full so it would appear that you are getting some restriction which is a good sign. The only other suggestion I would have - aside from having another fill - is to re-evaluate your exercise plan. You didn't mention your current level of activity so I'm not sure if you are exercising on a regular schedule - but if you aren't I'd just point out that the band is really just a tool to help you lose the weight.... 90% of the work will come down to you eating a good diet and exercising.

In two months I've lost 2 stone 5lbs (I had a VSG, my initial BMI was 51 and I'm 6 foot tall so someone shorter and lighter than me would lose weight slower). Now that I'm on the mush/slop part of the diet my energy levels are up but my weight loss has slowed down. I'm not worried about this as the initial loss came down to the following: a 1000 calorie pre-op diet, one week - the operation week - of very little food (I felt lucky to get a full activia yoghurt in) followed by two weeks of a liquid diet.

That's not a realistic healthy diet - so now that my diet is getting back to normal, and as I said my energy levels are up I'm increasing my exercise.

After losing 2.5 stone in two months I'm absolutely fine if my body wants to plateau for a week - I know I'm doing the right thing and that the losing will start again soon.

(FYI as Seat mentioned there is a period between your op and your first fill where you have zero restriction so don't feel too bad at not losing - while the band was in place it was effectively useless at that point.)

Unwilling

Hi - I recently read an article about a hypnotherapist you dupes your mind into THINKING you have a gastric band!
I thought this was pretty ingenious. I never had time for such tripe before but having personally experienced hypnotherapy to quit smoking after 15 years, I'm thinking this might be a cheaper and less invasive option!
I know it won't be for everyone - but maybe for someone sitting on the fence it could be an option!!!
The guy is in the UK and is opening up a second clinic to cope with the demand as he is so successful.

Good luck to you all

LegacyUser

shellita wrote: »

Well done losing a stone already, im not losing.

Start at 19 lost 7 pounds on the 1 week pre-diet and 2 weeks liquid + 2 weeks mushy, but put it back on after 2 weeks eating.

I'm eating a good bit and do feel hungry but I am eating probably half what I used to eat. I stop when I'm full and eating a lot of salad & crunchy food as told by dietician, restriction is not really there though. I have not been sick but I guess 5ml is not enough restriction.

Im sickened that I haven't lost weight

And my stomach is still very swollen

Hey Shellita

Just wondering how you are getting on since your first fill?

I have mine on the 11th so just curious as to how you have gotten on since your fill....hope all is going well

emmajayne

Hey,
I had a gastric band fitted in April this year and I'm finding it hard to find a drink I like when I go out, as I can not have fizzy drinks the only solutions are wine or a short and fruit juice which i would not be a lover of.
Can any one give me any ideas or tell me if it would be ok to have tonic water??
Cheers

emmajayne

hey
dont get down about it it's all trial and error til u find the level of fluid in your band to suit u. I had my band fitted in april and to date i have lost 2st 10lbs. on average now i am losing 1lb a week, its hard but it will be worth it when i reach my goal i still have 5 stone to go. the key is to eat crunchy foods and not soft if i want a pig out day i eat soft then go back to crunch and that works for me i'm still losing at least 1lb a week better that putting on and walking is fantastic i try walk every day or go on th cross trainer if i dont get out and remember what they told u in your consultation it will take 18-24 months to reach your target u dont wanna lose it too quick and end up with saggy skin so trry stay away from pastas and potatoes like lasanges spag boll shepards pie they just run straight though i have had 3 fills and am only now starting to feel some restriction and could still eat a good enough portion but when they get it right u will be flying.. best of luck

LegacyUser

Hello everyone,

I have an appointment next week to get a gastric band fitted. I am a size 18-20 and I am nearly 16 stone. I am 22 years old and I have been battling with my weight all of my life. I have tried dieting, Reductil, Xenical going to the gym, going to weight watchers, going to salsa slimmers and getting hypnotized. I now feel if I ever want to be thin and healthy that this is my only option. I was wondering does anyone regret getting the band done?
Thank you in advance

Hunnybeeluvvin

Hi guys, I'm new here and need to talk to other people who have been banded recently as I am considering having it done myself. I have about 70lbs to lose and even though I have lost it many times before I know i cant keep it off and am looking for a longterm solution. I have already been for a consultation with one Hungarian company in Ireland who have recently went bust (it was very well documented) and had the good sense to back out of it just in time, Im glad i listened to my gut feeling (pardon the pun) and have since found that many other places are offering the same operation for less than half the price. He was asking for 7000 euro and there is a very well reknowned surgeon in Belgium offering the procedure for 4100euro and that includes your hotel, taxis and accomodation for your travel companion. You pay for your aftercare seperate but it still is a huge price difference He is meant to be very good and I have heard wonderful things about him. I priced this surgeon through a clinic here in Dublin and they wanted 6900 :eek:for nothing more than ringing him!! And they were still asking for 150euro for each fill.. do the maths!!
Now I have discovered a clinic in DUblin I was wondering if anyone has heard of them and has anyone had a band done there?? Love to hear from anyone!!!

tbh

hey hunnybee - welcome to boards we don't allow companies to be mentioned on thread, this is to prevent those companies signing up to boards to advertise themselves, which happens, a lot. My suggestion would be to stick around for a while and get to know people and later on it'll be easier for you to ask these questions (once you're more established )

shellita

I paid 7,000 for mine in June with an Irish company and had my surgery in the UK.

It is well worth it to pay the bit extra and have your after care included.
I see the dietician every month and get my fills.

I had to see the specialist 3 times after surgery as I had some pain and blood pooling which is common.
Also my 3rd fill I was over-restricted = not nice, was vomiting a few days so when I rang they brought me in straight away to relieve it.

They let me ask all the questions I want and make sure I'm doing well.

You wont get that without after care.

Really am so happy I got the surgery but if you believe some sites 3 days recovery is all you need they lie. I was 2 whole weeks out of work and very hard to sit up, couldn't bend at all. Had to get my sister to shower me.

I would suggest if going abroad stay an extra night or 2 in a hotel to rest before travelling. The hospital where I got mine done the nurses were brilliant but flying home I was crippled when I got to Dublin airport.

I only started going the gym as they suggest 3 months no exercise after the op so my weight loss is slow but thats a good thing. Feeling & looking so much better. Only down 1 stone since op but (I'd a crash last year so back was v.sore) but my back is already sooooooo much better.

Go with a long established & reputable company whichever it is

celticfan32

I would just like to share my gastric band procedure with everyone. I had my band fitted on the 13th August 2010 in Dublin. After my operation, i got an infection and had to stay in hospital for an extra few days. When i cam home i was put on antibiotics and a nurse had to dress my wound every day. For the next 5 weeks i didnt feel too good and one morning when the nurse was dressing my wound, the tube of the gastric band came out through one of the bigger incisions made during my op. I had to return to Dublin immediately and meet my surgeon. He told me he would have to take the band out and due to the severity of the infection, he could not fit the band again for at least another 9 months. To say i was upset was an understatement, so i had the band removed just over 2 weeks ago. During the 5 weeks with the band in, i lost over 4 stone weight, which was amazing for me. I dont want my reply to stop other people from getting the gastric band fitted, cos its only a small percentage of people that get an infection. I was just one of the unlucky ones. I am going to struggle with my weight for the next 9 mths but i know deep down, i will need the band fitted to help me with my weight loss.

tbh

a reminder: posters are not allowed to post names of companies or links to websites. No exceptions.

celticfan32

Ok tbh. I didnt mention a company, only what part of the country i had my band fitted.

tbh

celticfan32 wrote: »

Ok tbh. I didnt mention a company, only what part of the country i had my band fitted.

sorry celtic, that wasn't aimed at you at all - there are a couple of deleted posts on the thread. your post is grand, I only wish they were all like that

Hunnybeeluvvin

celticfan32 wrote: »

Ok tbh. I didnt mention a company, only what part of the country i had my band fitted.

How dare you mention a country!!! WE could all be sued within an inch of our lives by the Belgium government :eek:

Hunnybeeluvvin

tbh wrote: »

hey hunnybee - welcome to boards we don't allow companies to be mentioned on thread, this is to prevent those companies signing up to boards to advertise themselves, which happens, a lot. My suggestion would be to stick around for a while and get to know people and later on it'll be easier for you to ask these questions (once you're more established )

WHATEVER

tbh

Hunnybeeluvvin wrote: »

How dare you mention a country!!! WE could all be sued within an inch of our lives by the Belgium government :eek:

I haven't a notion what you're talking about. Nobody mentioned anything about countries. Given your hissey fit, however, I think the forum would be better off without you.

shellita

SO the thing is I am due my 4th fill but after my 3rd fill was so restrictive ( I was vomiting for 4 days so they loosened it) im scared the same thing will happen again.

I have not been eating too much but I am able for a childs portion of dinner and I am quite happy with that.

I did rejoin the gym but I have a new boyfriend and work is busy so haven't been much. Will try to go more often.
I do see the weight coming off but its Very slow, only about 1.5 stone in 4 months but I am still quite happy and as I said need to exercise more.

Im so glad I got the band

tbh

shellita wrote: »

SO the thing is I am due my 4th fill but after my 3rd fill was so restrictive ( I was vomiting for 4 days so they loosened it) im scared the same thing will happen again.

I have not been eating too much but I am able for a childs portion of dinner and I am quite happy with that.

I did rejoin the gym but I have a new boyfriend and work is busy so haven't been much. Will try to go more often.
I do see the weight coming off but its Very slow, only about 1.5 stone in 4 months but I am still quite happy and as I said need to exercise more.

Im so glad I got the band

great to hear it shellita, let us know how you're getting on.

Rachelmay

Hi ,
I am very new to all this so im just going to share my experience and see what comes of it.
I was fitted with a band on the 25th of October this year in Belgium .
I seem to have had a dream experience I had no vomiting or infections I had two rough days , the first being the day I traveled home the flight was horrendous and the car journey home was tough , but I spent a few days in bed reccuperating and Im on top of the world now . In my first week I lost 13lbs or 7kgs . Im in my second week now and I have been careful about what I eat usually no more than 200mls of soup etc , loads of juice and I had a treat on my birthday (halloween) of a maxi twist .
I just hired a fitness suite from a local hire company as it costs less than gym membership . I may be getting ahead of myself but I figure exerise can only help . Plus I really dont want saggy skin.
I don't think I realised how much my weight actually affected me until I got the surgery I knew I was fat but for years I have tried to convince myself I was happy that way , dieting never really worked as my self discipline is minimal . But I was lying to myself !! My husband has noticed a huge change in me already my attitude is now hopefully .
Im 31 and for the first time in my adult life I feel hopeful .
If anyone is reading this and doesnt know whether the surgery is for them . Ask yourself do you need help ? Its not a bad thing to ask for help .
If you need help then do it . If you think you can do it on your own , then fantastic you have your answer.

I did it . Im happy . And I would reccommend it to anyone who's mental health is suffering due to weight issues .

lucy_lou

Hi Rachelmay,
Thanks for sharing your experience and well done! My mental health was a big issue for me too & have suffered several bouts of severe depression in the past. I don't think my weight was the only factor in this but it did play a part.
I had my surgery this week last year & have just lost my 6th stone! The weight has been coming off slowly but surely & as I suffer from PCOS too it was neigh impossible before to loose weight and keep it off. I feel fantastic at the moment!
One thing that may help you on your journey Rachelmay is to check out some of the youtube video blogs from other lap band patients. There is one particular channel I like to watch from a girl called bandedwendy. Her accent is a tad annoying but she talks a lot of sense and sometimes if I feel a little 'offcourse' I watch some of the videos to get me motivated again.
Best of luck & keep us posted on your progress!

Dublingirl89

I had a Gastric band fitted last april with<SNIP>
He is a lovely doctor and hospital and staff are lovely
I do think a lot of people take this decession to easily like I did and I probably didnt need to take such a drastic measure because while I was a bigger person I wasnt morbidly obese I was just under obese.
I think people need to read my side because I was so worried I couldn find anyone that said the same was happening to them
I think people should know that I was more than capable of eating 4 days after the surgey when I asked the doctor I was told it was becasue my stomach had healed very quickly and the band was empty. So it was filled up by 3mls and I could still eat exactly the same ammount as before the surgey with no bothers
Next time I went to the doctor and explained this My band was filled another 2.75mls
and it has been hell. If a drink a mouthfull of water it gets stuck and comes straight back up, when eating I can eat about 2 spoonfulls mashed potatos if im having a good day
thers some days when i take one bite of food and I start belching uncontrolably and heaving
When I was looking at information before having the surgery people said they just felt full and didnt need to eat anymore, I never feel full even when i eat and start to feel sick I dont feel full its very depressing I cant even eat an apple. so even healthy food cant go down
I understand this surgery has done wonders for people and change there life and I would probaly still recomend it to people who think thers no other way I would just say to try everything in your power before you resort to surgery.
I would never have been aloud to get the surgery in the uk or ireland and wish I hadn't I will probaly never have the money to get it removed and from time to time the port protrudes from my stomach and other times when i sit down its rubbing off my ribs.
I will be getting most of the fluid removed from my band next friday and i can not wait to eat any kind of meal
I do not mean to discourage any of you from getting the band I just wanted people to know its not always perfect

lucy_lou

Thanks for sharing your story dublingirl89 & sorry that you have had such an terrible experience. I can't believe that any surgeon would operate on you when you quite clearly didn't need a gastric band given that you weren't even classed as obese! Your story just demonstrates the importance of choosing a local surgeon who will work closely & regularly with anyone considering surgery. You might have to pay more to stay local but at the end of the day it's your health!

neelyohara

@dublingirl89

So sorry to hear your story.

I think it was negligent of the doctor to give you a band if you didn't even meet the criteria of being obese.

If there is a positive side to the story it's that the band is reversible. You can get it deflated and you should be able to return to your normal diet.

Don't despair... when the the band is deflated you'll feel a million times. I know people who have deflated their bands when they have reached their goal weight and they never had them removed. They just sit there. If you do have a problem with the port you can get it removed sometime in the future when you have the finances... but honestly, when you get it deflated you'll feel so much better.

The best of luck