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Good for you, McLovely!! I remember I was very excited too, once I made my decision to get banded. It's been great, and my quality of life has increased significantly.

Hi Jamie, and welcome to LBT. To answer your question, a fill is done by needle into your port. It sounds bad, but for me, it's been less than nothing. I've had five, and the worse pain has been pulling off the bandage later. I don't even get a bandage anymore, because I've never bled. Good luck with your surgery.

bella, if this one glass of wine is really and truly you're only pre-op diet slip up, and you obviously weren't going to surgery this morning, in my opinion, don't sweat it. If nothing else, take a brisk walk tonight to burn a few of those extra calories that you weren't suppose to take in. If this was something you were habitually doing, or you ate a big slice of cake or downed a milk shake, I'd have a different opinion. Just remember how bad you feel today about it, and hopefully, it'll be a lesson learned to think and plan ahead next time you go out for dinner. Good luck with your surgery. When are you scheduled?

How long is your pre-op diet? Are you supposed to drink Protein Shakes? If so, do you know which kinds you can drink? I also drink a lot of hot and cold green tea. I like V-8, and I drank that during my pre-op, and still occasionally grab one on the go. A warm cup of chicken or beef broth can sometimes hit the spot. SF Jello and SF freezer pops are good too.

I'm sorry about your computer crash. That is such a pain. I followed these instructions in this post to add my ticker. I hope it works for you. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f5/ticker-tutorial-pictures-41782/ I'd definitely like to be added to your friends' list, and I'll be more than happy to chat with you, if you run into any questions or difficulties.

I agree with the others, there are many many different opinions on the optimal post-diet while you are healing. For instance, I was on full liquids for a week (some people have said they are on clear liquids the first week), mushies for two weeks, then regular food. The Realize Band (RB) is a 9cc band. The port has a locking mechanism, but, generally, from what I understand, the band is stitched in place. At least, that's the way my RB was placed. Also, the RB is designed to be placed with no fill. I wasn't hungry at all the first two weeks, I'm sure because of swelling. Toward week four, I started feeling more hunger, but it wasn't close to the "bandster hell" some people experience. I got my first fill at 6 weeks.

I just had my 5th fill last week that brought me up to 8.5cc.

Some, if not most, doctors require some sort of pre-op diet to shrink the liver prior to surgery. Not every doctor requires it though, so if you haven't heard about it, you might want to call and see if you need to do one. There are as many variations on the diet as there are band doctors, it seems.

I can only answer this question: How much broth should I be able to eat? Does it slide right through the band? I was able to tolerate 8 oz of Fluid at a time (that's the size of my shakes, so that's the measurement I have). It depends on how much swelling you have from surgery. I probably could have drank more, but not much. Fluids seem to flow through me pretty easily, but I still felt full from my liquids until it was time for me to switch over to mushy foods. I would just drink as much broth, up to the amount you're allowed, as is comfortable. Sip slowly at first, so you don't accidental overdo it though.

I was able to go back twice at two-week intervals. The second time was under fluro to check to see if I really needed a fill, and I did. The barium went through my band in a swoosh.

Since getting good restriction, I've had one small slice of pizza and was able to eat it without any problem. I've also had a very small white dinner roll, a slice of whole wheat double fiber bread, a little pasta, and a little brown rice. So far, I've haven't experienced any problems, but I am mindful about chewing well and taking small bites. I see no reason to tempt fate.

I have 8.5cc in my 9cc band. I have good restriction. I previously had 7.6cc and the restriction tapered off during the month before this last fill. I'm much tighter now, and I can't imagine being comfortable with any additional fill. Hopefully, this is my sweet spot, and it sticks for several months.

My doctor said to be sure and not chew my food until it's a liquid consistency. I hadn't been anyway, because I wasn't having trouble with food getting stuck, and it made sense to me that I wanted my food to stick around in my upper pouch for awhile. I wish I could remember the consistency he recommended, but I think he said something like a paste.

Erin has done two of my fills, and she hit the spot on the first try each time. I'm really surprised at how quick and easy the fills are. And to the topic of this thread, if anyone is wondering how the fills are with a low profile port, I've not had any problems. I have had five fills, and each one has been right on the mark with the first try.

I had a couple at two week intervals, but someone in a support group meeting said he once had an additional fill within one week. The normal period in the office I go is four to six weeks, if needed.

I guess my incision scar is a good road map, and they just pop that needle right in by feel alone. I've had five fills, and they've never had to make more then one attempt each time.

Thanks, Suzanne. Congratulations to you!! You're almost to goal. Yep, I go to Dr. Brengman. He's such a good doctor and very personable too. I feel very fortunate.

It's been really helpful to me too, luv, to hear how you others are getting along. It's good to know that this is not abnormal. I bet once you get to 8cc's you'll see a big difference in your restriction.

The Realize Band comes in one size only - 9cc. I have 8.5cc in my Realize Band. My fill in December lasted one month (7.6cc), but I had very good restriction for the first two weeks, and then it tapered off. I had a 0.9cc fill last week, that brought me up to 8.5cc. Right now, I feel great restriction, but I don't seem to have trouble eating white bread (not that I do it often, but I had a small piece of roll at a restaurant), brown rice, or other foods that seem to be bad for banders. I've never had a PB, but I did have a little bit of a stuck episode the other day (no slime, just took a minute to get comfortable). However, I feel satisfied with 1/2 cup of food three times/day, and a couple of prunes or a small bit of a banana for a snack. This is where I want to be, I just hope it lasts for long time. I was told that because I'm small (relatively speaking, that is) that it was going to take me longer to get to the sweet spot than others. I also carry my weight pretty evenly over my body, so I wonder if it could be that I don't have a lot of fat around my stomach, which makes band a little looser than those who carry most of their weight on their waist.

1.) Did everyone get a fill every 6 weeks? I was scheduled to visit the doc every 6 weeks for checkups and ended up getting fills everytime b/c my restriction seemed to only last about 4 weeks. I got a couple of fills at two weeks, and another at four weeks. 2.) Did anyone reach their maximum limit in their band at the end of the first year or before? I have a 14cc band and I now have 10cc in it and he said that most people can't tolerate more than that so that means I possibly can't get anymore fills which kind of freaks me out. I'm close to my max fill at four months. 3.) Is there anyone else out there who doesn't throw up when they eat too much? I have never thrown up after eating too much but most ppl on here say they do. I get uncomfortable and feel really bad if I eat way too much, but never throw up. So far, I haven't eaten way too much, but I've never thrown up or PB'ed, although I'm close to my max fill in my band. 4.) Does anyone else's port spot feel kind of bruised all the time? I asked the doc about that and he said it was normal but it's been a year so I thought it was weird. Only very seldom does my port area feels a little tender. I have a low profile port.

Welcome to the board, Jane. Sorry you're feeling sore, but the pain does subside and usually pretty quickly. I can tell you, getting the band has been more than worth it for me. I feel healthier and look better than I have for years. Good luck to you, and I hope that you're feeling a lot better very soon.

Welcome to LBT, Jen. As far as scheduling, I think that varies from doctor to doctor and how busy they are. I would guess the mid range would be around four to six weeks. I didn't have WLS insurance, so I can't answer what you might expect once your approved. Once I decided to have the surgery, I had to attend a nutrition class, get a psych eval, and have a med eval.

I love those 4 oz containers. They're perfect for leftovers and for a quick measurement of food,and the ones I have are microwaveable. Also, since they have lids, it's easy to grab one on the run.

Dotti, I'm very sorry to hear all about your family difficulties, and I hope your husband is recovering well. My condolences to you for the loss of your father-in-law. It's great that you're getting back on the horse, so to speak. ***I'm down 40 lbs!!***

I hope you're cold is better, and I'm glad your fill went well.