Great2BThin

Question about my 1st fill: As you know I just got my first fill on Monday. I can really tell a difference. I have great restriction, yet I can tolerate 2 to 4 oz of solid protein, am full for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, etc. Could I be at my 'spot' already? Or will this too change as I lose more weight and go further down the lap band road? I am loving it right now! And I'm down 2 more pounds since my fill! Oh and I think I mentioned the gall bladder concerns, I have my ultrasounds scheduled for next Tues.

Hi Gina, I had the same senstations with my 1st fill yesterday. Then another gal in the waiting room banded much longer than me said it meant I was too full so i was concerned. So I got 2 more little cups of water and drank them while waiting to talk to the nurse again. She said it was fine and probably just air, to give it a try and call right away if it was too much and she'd unfill me some (I got 3 cc yesterday). I got home and felt that way for awhile but had Beans for dinner and they went down fine, though about half of what I was eating and today added solids and I am doing okay, but eating a whole lot less. So I guess it's working. I do seem to be burping a little more. I've read a lot on the boards about folks burping and hadn't done that before so am wondering if that comes from restriction whereas before I had very little? Good luck and hope you are doing fine now.

Wow Robin, you are doing fantastic, almost half way to goal already!!! That's awesome!!

Ihope they are Skinny Cows!! :huh2: I tried to set an appt for fill #2 after fill #1 yesterday but they wouldn't let me. They said it's easy to get in for future fills as they don't take a half hour explaining everything and I may or maynot need one. I hope they are right if I need it, I will want it NOW!!

Good luck on your surgery tomorrow. We'll be waiting to hear all about it when you are ready! Tomorrow you will officially be a 'bandster'!!

That's for sure!! I hope to keep up with you! Speaking of competivenes, one of the things that keeps me motivated is I have 2 sisters. I see an opportunity to not be the fat sister anymore! That space is going to be vacant in the not so distant future! :thumbup:

Oh cool, do I get a light saber sword or whatever those things were?? I'm trying to learn all I can from all of you further down the road than me. Cause I want to catch you guys at goal!

Good afternoon. Only a few more days, Cathy, you'll get that fill. Are you eating 'slider' foods? Today is day 2 since my fill yesterday and I am feeling really optimistic that this might be the spot! I'm sure as time goes on I will be hungry but right now I'm pretty good. Maybe on the verge of being a little tight but I'm not getting stuck or doing that PBing people talk about (hasn't happened to me yet luckily). I am absolutely stuffed after just a couple ounces of dense protein. They were concerned yesterday about my gall bladder so the surgeons office ordered an ultrasound to check it out. It is scheduled for next Tues. Luckily (?) if I need it out, my lap band surgeon will do it. I really like him and feel at ease knowing that. the notes from the surgery though didn't mention it looking bad, so we'll see. Better safe than sorry I guess. I'd rather find out via an ultrasound that it's bad, than via an attack. Got up early this morning and rode my bike before it got too hot. I sure am out of shape!

Welcome Carol. I am sorry you are having a tough time. I am fairly new to this journey but sounds to me that you are eating too many mushy or slider fulls which isn't using the band properly as those go right through and then you are hungry. If you have a hard time eating denser foods perhaps you are over filled and would benefit from getting a little bit of an unfill. The denser foods will sit in your pouch longer making you feel full longer. Also, how much exercise are you doing? Hope that's of a little help and is just my newbie opinion, if I am off base I am sure someone will correct me.

Well, I'm not sure. Personally I'm not so concerned with getting 1000 calories in, in fact if I go over 1000 I panic. I asked about calories at my fill yesterday and she said not to be so concerned with counting calories as being sure I get my minimum proteins in. I am to eat 5 to 6 times a day about 2.5 to 3 hours a part and 4 oz at a time, she told me that was more important. And 90% of each meal is to be solid proteins. I know there's many different opinions from different docs etc. out there but that is what I go by. Now that's not to say I don't still go to mydailyplate and log my food choices there and see the calories, but I do watch the protein more.

Good morning. Well my first fill is working, down one this morning!!! All I ate yesterday though was a protein bullet while on liquids and then could have mushies last night so had some refried beans. Eggs for breakfast this morning and then at lunch I get to try some solid protein. I sure can feel a difference. I am now going to go out and ride my new bike before it gets too hot out there. Am getting anxious for them to call me to schedule that ultrasound of the gall bladder. If they don't call today I will call and see what's up and make sure I understood right that they were to call me and not vice versa.

I got my first fill yesterday too. Luckily only had to do fluids yesterday. I found it much harder to go back to fluids this time than I did post op. Good luck in getting under the 200 lb mark. You'll get there!

Thats awesome congrats!! I am actually anxious for my next flight just so I can test out the seat belt. I flew to Seattle 2 weeks before my banding in May to take a cruise and the flight was awful. I kept my extender as I never wanted to ask for one again. I can't wait to hand it to the flight attendant and say here I won't be needing this anymore!!

Cathy you can do this. Remember they only put a band on our stomachs not our heads. So we are still going to have to fight that head hunger and old habits. I am hopeful though as we go through this process that will get easier. I got my bike on Friday but have not ridden much. I went that night and Sat. Sunday after church it was too hot and the same excuse is today after I got home from my fill. It's 98 out and I'm not riding in that heat. My fill went good. I got 3cc added. I am on liquids til tonight. Not sure if that's what it is or what, but I am so sleepy. I am supposed to go to a bariatric exercise class tonight, and it's gonna be tough with no food!

Janet, The fill went great. No fluoro and no numbing, but it didn't hurt. Just a little sting. She went over what to expect, my chart, etc. Then stuck me, withdrew the 4cc they put in at surgery to be sure it was all there and it was, then added 3 cc more. She told me I had a 14cc band because they couldn't get the 10cc to fit right in surgery, but it was so big they put in 4cc's so I was a '10cc patient with a 14cc band' LOL So all was fine until I told her about an ache in my right side. She asked if it went around to my back and I said sometimes. They want to do an ultrasound of my gall bladder. Someone will be calling me soon to schedule it this week. Great!! just what I need another surgery. But, luckily if I need it my band surgeon will do it and insurance will pay this time. She said it wasn't that uncommon when you lose alot of weight. Glad all is well with you Janet, I guess you are entitled to a life away from us! ha ha Thanks for remembering and asking about my fill, that meant a lot.

Just got home from my first fill. It went well, a little sting when she poked me. She first withdrew my prefill of 4cc to be sure it was all still there and it was and that was the weirdest sensation. then injected it back along with 3 cc more. She said I am doing great with my loss and losing at a rapid rate. I like that! Only thing I didn't like is she suspicious of my gall bladder, I have an achy feeling in that area so they are ordering an ultrasound to check it out. If it is bad, Dr. Snyder can do that surgery too so I am relieved by tha and insurance will pay for that. Just wish it would've acted up pre banding so i could've had it all done at the same time!

Where's our beloved Janet? She must be out enjoying the sun! Becky, is bread on your mushie food diet list? I know bread is a big deal for me and am told not to have it even on solids, it can get stuck really easy. Be careful, I know there's lots of different instructions from different docs. Kathy, welcome. I am sure you are welcome to join here, Janet has been so gracious to help so many of us. Give her time to catch up and she'll be with you! I am newly banded myself, just 6 weeks ago. I got my first fill today and am doing great. I was nervous before the surgery too. I spent so much time looking forward to it and then as it got closer I got scared to death, that's normal.

I don't see any names in red in the recent update. If you are looking at an older update, whenever Cathy adds new people she puts them in a different color so folks know who is new. Maybe the line up you are looking at is the one when she added you?

I'm filled up!!!! Just got home from my first fill. I found out more of what I have as to band, though my guess was right. I had a 14cc band because the 10cc one just didn't fit right but then the 14cc was too loose so he filled it during surgery with 4cc to make it basically a 10cc band. And today I got 3cc more in it. they are treating me like a 10cc band person they said. I had to drink some water and wait in the waiting room to be sure I tolerated it and I was done. It hurt a little, my port is easily accessible she said though. Now I'm back to liquids for 4 to 6 hours, mushies tonight and solids tomorrow. That's the good news. The bad news is they want to get an ultrasound of my gall bladder. I've had a dull ache on the right upper side and into the back. I guess it's common in rapid weight loss for gall bladder issues? If it is bad, my same lap band surgeon can remove it and insurance will cover that!

Good evening, Well today was a much better day food wise! Calories were still in the 900's but that is a lot better than the 1400's of yesterday! I get my fill tomorrow and I plan to ask her what an ideal number of calories is. I did discover in my pig out yesterday that none of my redlight foods have changed, that being mostly chips. I can't leave them alone. And dang it if they don't go down the band just fine. Almost too fine as I didn't even feel full when I ate those yesterday. I'm anxious for tomorrow, guess just the unknown but after tomorrow I will be an experienced bander with a fill! Well more of a fill I already had a 4cc prefill from surgery.

Hi Kerry, See the thread titled Jazzy June First Fill Line up and folks are posting about their fills like we did surgeries. That seems like a long time to wait. Good luck!

Congrats LMarie!! I can't wait to not have a 2 in front of my weight. The really freaky part was when the 2 because a 3 for a short period of time, but hitting 305 is actually what kickstarted me into action and deciding to be banded so something bad God used for good in my life. I'm now 40 below that number and couldn't be happier. I'm at 265 and in 15 more pounds I will be closer too 200 than 300!! That's my first big goal. Good luck in your wedding planner. That is what my daughter does for a living so I joke that I better get a good deal on her wedding!!

Welcome Nysem1.....(can't remember the rest of the screenname). I don't remember the dr. asking too many questions at the first appt. He went over my medical history, weight, BMI, explained the procedures like Phyl said. When I told him I was leaning towards lap band, he agreed and he drew and X and circled in on my tummy to mark where the port would go. He then told me which screenings I needed (still needed a cardio at that point), when I had that done, I had a preop appt where he explained what to expect in surgery, recovery and I had surgery the next day. Good luck to you in the journey. I look at this as a journey as I am learning and discovering a new life and a new outlook in the process. It's not just surgery and you are done. The band is a tool that works only as well as you maintain that tool and use it. It won't do the work w/o your help.

Oh I wanted to do that helipcopter ride too! But no way was I paying double. there was another excursion, dog sledding, but didn't do it as I was afraid of the weight thing though I don't think it said a limit. I just felt sorry for the dogs pulling me. LOL Our next cruise will be focused on doing those things and hot tubs instead of food!!

I figured out part of my problem today wasn't really hunger, but was more head hunger. DH is always home on weekends, he and my son went fishing, my daughter had to work and I found myself all alone and bored on a Saturday which are normally busy days. My sisters called and we did lunch and I had this "I deserve a treat' mentality. Then just munched all day long on bad stuff. So think it was more in my head than actual physical hunger, but everything I ate went straight down. I feel full fast, but it doesn't last long. I will be better tomorrow now that I know what it is.