rmalikone

How do people know the bands do not come "pre filled" or "primed". Are you the md handling them? Or the manufacturer?

My advice talk to the educated person, you're surgeon. They should be able to help you some more :-)

Good luck!

You can go to the Lap-Band web site and they say that it has no saline in it when placed in you, but doesn't say anything about what your surgeon will or can do.

Told my adult children and of course my wife was told. The wife was not totally on board but she learned that I was moving forward and surgery was to extend my life (hopefully) for the both of us!

As for my reasoning; will I guess it was fear of failure! Overweight people have failed dieting numerous times!

I also didn't want to go thru - Oh you ain't that heavy, you carry it well, just lose 10 pounds and you will be OK.

Which none of that is true and I needed to get my health in order - sleep apnea, high blood pressure, high triglyceride's, and arthritis. At 57 I needed to do it now!

Not anybodies business but I will determine if I will or won't tell as time go's by.

No, it is manufactured with Fluid in it.... The RN referred to it being "primed". He doesnt add anythjng until your 6 week appt That part I was fully coherent.... They told me at my one week appt

I asked my Doc a couple of days ago and he said that my 14 cc lap-band did not have any saline in it at the time of my surgery!

Another thing to consider is HEAD HUNGER. That's a tough nut to crack. I've have had head hunger my whole life, my folks use to say that my eyes a bigger than my stomach. I wasn't hungry but thought I was!

Sometimes I feel the same about my weight loss but from reading the forum I know that you first have to get to the green zone to make the biggest success. Getting to the green zone is called bandster hell for a reason!

Early it's about healing, and from there you do the best you can. The fills should start to have a impact,but learning the bandster ropes is what I see as the biggest part of the second stage. Finally being at the green zone is the end game . Maybe that's a simplistic view but that how I see it and hope that helps.

I acknowledge that between those stages there are a lot of ups and downs, and work to be done.

Like getting a flu shot with no numbing of the port area. IMO

With only 1 fill I haven't had a problem with anything. If I have an episode it's because of a mistake that I made, to fast or not enough chewing

Are you hungry?

Most people don't feel hungry the first couple of weeks because of swelling around the area that the surgery was performed. That being said; on Clear liquids then liquids is a considerable decrease in caloric intake and results in early weight loss.

Does any of this fit your situation?

I just got filled today and I felt like eating so I did and nothing happened, why are we supposed to have NO solids 24 hrs after a fill?

Because the doctor's think it is better if you don't irritate the area more than what the adjustment has.

Thanks for the replies so far, hoping for more and it seems that hiccup is a notifier.

Mine is not soft... I sneeze violently several times.

Your joking! Right?

I know what you're saying about the band "speaking" and what that feels/sounds like. I'm a few days post-second-fill and I have noticed that a physical fullness is much quicker and easier to achieve. I think it is that sense of fullness in the pouch that people refer to as the band "talking". I've had a couple of situations since the surgery where I've either not chewed enough or eaten too quickly resulting in a very unpleasant protest by my stomach. That's the band talking, too. For me, avoiding that feeling has become a real incentive to pay attention to how I feel while eating and that awareness is having benefits.

I have eaten to quickly and have slimmed and/or stuck, but I have not noticed what a soft full is for me. So hence me asking what other feel.

I did not have to diet pre-op. Now right before my second fill (4 days) I have eaten pizza but I don't eat anywhere near the amount I would or could! Now It's more like a normal person may eat (a couple slices of a small or medium pie). I'm guessing that after my second or third fill that amount will be cut again.

I know what a soft full is, but I don't know how it is suppose to feel. I guess that it may be different for everyone? So could everyone that knows how their soft full feels could you please enlighten me. This could help people at my stage in the process. (which is second fill in 4 days)

I know people who do not have regular 3 ,meals a day, but have maybe 6 healthy Snacks a day...works for them. It all comes down to how many calories consumed in a 24 hr period, versus how many burned....

For me, the band took care of head hunger....I may think I want to eat something...like a dough-nut in the middle of the day for no good reason, but one bite and my band immedialtley slaps me back into reality and I throw the thing away....after doing this 100 of times those head hunger cravings no longer exisit...kicked the habit by behaviour modifiction thanks to the band........plus I am not hungry 24 hrs a day....never understood the "just between Meals" thing...my band is there 24 hrs...not just between meals.

How does the band tell you - what does it feel like? This way I know what to look for as I start getting fill #2 (9/17) thru as many as needed.

Everthing will be fine. You have jump through the hoops, the surgery is next- one minute your awake next minute your banded. Everyone has a bit of nerves.

Yeah it sounds like a NuWave type!

How long did it take to bake the potato's

I get on the scale at the Doctors office and ever week or two.

I had a weight scale problem, went cold turkey and don't have that Jones anymore!

To be honest I am trying not have to count anything or log anything. I've tried that type of stuff for to many years! One of the biggest reason that I don't want to is that I become fixated with food! I think about food (shopping for, recipes, & cooking) all the time!

I have seen people on this forum who don't count and have succeed. Three square a day maybe a small snack. If I have to I will, I'm registered, signed on way before I had WLS!

Are you talking about NuWave type ovens? If so; you will need to get use to how it works and what you can do with it.

I do not recall anyone telling me anything about "Bandster Hell" or needing 3 fills to find a little satiety but then I think I may have had rose colored glasses on during the seminar, nutrition class and I may have blocked any negative information. I too was pretty shocked that it was going to take me 4 months to start my journey. Could have been my bad but since I've had the band I've received some conflicting information/guidance from the nut and the doc. I'm not sure some of these practices really understand how this all works?

Looking back on my travels up to being banded, I think if I had hung around this forum more often I may have understood this band thing.

tmf

X2

Hope you feel better because of what others have posted. As for myself I've only lost about twenty pounds so far and I feel pretty good, would like more weight loss but like I told the Psychiatrist I'll take twenty pounds if thats all I get!

Steak/beef, pork/ham,canadian bacon,turkey bacon,turkey sausage, lamb/kabobs,fish....

Been stuck twice so far and it's not the end of the world, but like sojourner said it does teach a lesson which a stone cold food junkie like myself needs!

I was so glad I could eat at any of the early levels mushy were great after liquids, and soft food made mushy forgettable and so on!