Elisabethsew

I was filled yesterday for the first time and the surgeon put in 1 cc so that seems about average.

Sue is correct, I lost a ton of water weight pre and post-op and then maintained my weight. I just received my first fill yesterday (1 cc in a 4 cc band) and the surgeon specifically told me that it might take 1-2 weeks before the restriction kicks in. You've only been filled a week and have experienced PBs so it sounds like you should sit tight for another few weeks.

Hi Karen, I had no adverse effects from the esophagram. For people who require a lot of barium (several cups), constipation can be a problem and it is advised to drink, drink, drink.

An IUD will work for birth control but will be LESS effective than the pill in controlling your bleeding. I would definitely get a second opinion if your GYN is telling you an IUD will have any positive effect on bleeding.

For my esophagram, the radiologist positioned me standing in front of a screen and handed me about 4 oz of barium. I sipped it slowly as he watched it travel through to my stomach and that was it... about 10 minutes and was out of there.

H. Pylori is NOT painful and does NOT require a lot of meds. If it's left untreated, it could lead to ulcer formation. All you need is an antibiotic and that's it. Because you can transmit H. Pylori, your husband should also be checked out.

My MD advises 1200 calories a day but that's over 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. The snacks are 100-150 calories each. Of course, fast food, processed food, etc., is all discouraged.

I did not have to have a colonoscopy for my band surgery but I did have to have one to when the MDs were looking to find a cause for my iron deficiency anemia. The prep the day before is not pleasant (to say the least) but the actual procedure was PAINLESS. You're put to sleep via an IV sedative and wake up less than 30-40 minutes later when it's over. I went shopping after mine. Screening for colon cancer begins at age 50 but for people with other medical conditions or a family history of cancer, it's much sooner. DO NOT PUT OFF HAVING CANCER SCREENINGS!!!

I got my first fill and am still here to tell about it. LOL. I think I was more nervous about the fill than I was the surgery but it was nothing. The surgeon numbed the area with a local anesthetic and then put the needle in with a 3 way stop-cock attached. He pulled back as hard as he could to get as much air out and then put in 1 cc of saline (I have a 4 cc band). He then aspirated back the saline into the syringe and several bubbles of air came back. He got rid of the air from the syringe and then instilled the saline and took the needle out. I felt no pain at all. Afterwards, I had to drink 5 oz of water and then I was done. The surgeon put me back on full fluids for 2 days followed by 2 days of a soft diet. I go back to a regular diet on day 5 so I really don't know if I have any restriction or not and I'm not "testing the waters" by advancing the diet sooner than recommended. The stories of PB's, etc. that I read about from others have me scared to death. I weighed the same today (exactly 8 weeks post-op) as I did when I went for my 2 week post-op appointment and that was disappointing but at least it was not a gain. I have to go back to the surgeon on 7/6 and hope to feel restriction with this first fill and kick the weight loss into gear. Thanks so much to all of you for sharing your experiences with me. It made losing my band virginity painless.

Welcome home and congratulations on your new son.

I'm going for my first fill today at noon!!! I'll let you know if I feel anything different after it's done. As it stands now, I have not felt ANY restriction sonce 5 days post-op so I feel your pain.

Hi Sassy, I'll definitely let you know how it went. I am counting down the hours... 12 noon tomorrow and my port loses its virginity. LOL. It's been a long wait (8 full weeks).

Jen, PLEASE call your MD ASAP. As a future RN you know the importance of treating clinical depression before it worsens. Make that call NOW.

The house shown in the pictures would go for about 4-5 million here on Long Island in New York. Sad, but true. Real estate is out of control.

Thank you for all the valuable information. I go for my first fill tomorrow and have not felt any restriction since post-op day 5. I am worried that, because I haven't had any restriction, I will require several fills before I do feel it. I am keeping my fingers crossed that tomorrow's fill is a success.

It's time to get back to the business of losing weight.

It's time to get back to the business of losing weight.

How much you will lose depends on your age, sex, weight and metabolism. My surgeon also required a one week pre-op liquid diet that averaged about 700-800 calories a day. The average weight loss in his patients for that week was 5-12 pounds but a lot of that "weight" is water weight. As your surgeon stated, the purpose of the diet is to shrink the liver to make the surgery easier. Good luck!

If you're having a hard time doing the prescribed diet, call the MD or his/her dietician and explain your difficulty. I hate yogurt so they let me substitute lite ricotta cheese. I was also moved up to a soft diet 4 days early and stayed on that until I could have regular food at week 5. When in doubt, give your MD a call and listen to your body.

As a "newbie" I appreciate ALL the information I can get from "experienced" members. If I can prevent complications for myself by learning from the mistakes of others, I say "thank-you for sharing" and add the new information to my aging brain in the hopes of keeping my band and myself healthy.

As a "newbie" I appreciate ALL the information I can get from "experienced" members. If I can prevent complications for myself by learning from the mistakes of others, I say "thank-you for sharing" and add the new information to my aging brain in the hopes of keeping my band and myself healthy.

I donate to Big Brother/Big Sisters and they are always grateful for whatever they receive. Since childhood and teen obesity is, sadly, on the rise, large size clothing is greatly appreciated by this organization.

Congratulations on your wonderful success.

It sounds like sciatic pain. I believe there is a chiropractor here who might be able to shed some light on your problem. If the pain is too bad, call your MD.

My surgeon has banded well over 1000 people and refuses to give a first fill until 8 weeks post-op. He finds complete healing requires the 8 weeks and has minimal complications from this practice. I would wait until you're a few weeks post-op before scheduling your first fill.