greytz

Congrats Amanda! Please let us know how you are doing when you feel up to it. Good Luck!

I think it is really up to you and your surgeon. I was banded 06-17 and did not have my first fill until 08-04 but I can tell you that the last week of that was torture. Particularly around two days before. I was hungry as a bear. Once I had the first fill it was so different. I am so suprised at how full I stay and how little I really eat. I have already lost 3 lbs since the 4th. I thought I was eating very little before my first fill but comparing what I eat now opposed to what I ate just before is nothing short of amazing. Good Luck.

Good Luck you guys! Let us know how your surgeries go. I will never again shop in the big girls store. I already quit them. I get the advertising emails and hit delete!

Good for you! Glad you are back on the band and filled. I wasn't rebanded but had my first fill on 08-04. I have a 10cc band and at first she filled me with 5cc's but water wouldn't go down so she took some out and I am at 4.6cc's which apparently is a little aggressive but I am glad I am feeling the restriction. Good Luck!

Hi Tish, You are in what is known as "Bandster Hell" which I just got out of thank goodness. I had my first fill on 08-04-09 and it feels so good. I didn't have hardly any restriction until my first fill and it was so hard to stay focused and be careful about how much and what I ate. Don't give up and hang in there. It is a very normal part of your journey and will pass. Just keep focused on that first fill. It may not give you complete restriction and probably won't but I do have great restriction right now and I am hoping that doesn't change for awhile. Good Luck and keep us posted.

Will one of you post a thread when you find out the answer? I am so curious also. Restless, I felt the earthquake here in Florida LOL. I was filled on 08-04 with 4.6 but I feel the restriction. It may kick in even more but I am so full feeling all the time and I love it. I found myself thinking about food all day yesterday though (LOL) even though I knew I was full and didn't want to eat so I didn't. Just a couple of tablespoons for lunch and a couple of tablespoons for dinner. It was awesome.

WooHoo to you! Yeah! It is such a great feeling when you can fit into something you couldn't before. Congrats!

Yes. It is for nausea. But ask your doctor and see what he says.

Good. Let me know what he says. He may be able to call you in something at the pharmacy like liquid phenergan.

Diva, that sounds really drastic. I got my first fill yesterday and am on 24 hour liquids, 24 hour mushies and then solids. I am burping some too. I am having to be very careful not to gulp. A whole new learning experience.

I think if you don't have a good idea of what to eat and what not to eat, you should seek out a dietician, nutritionist or someone that can help you with that. And they can tell you the proper calorie intake for your specific needs.

I do measure my food but I guess it is because I am insecure about figuring out how much to put on my plate right now. Maybe, after I am a veteran at this I will be better at it but right now it keeps me focused and paying attention to not only how much I am eating but what I am eating also.

Hi Chellz. Welcome in! This is a great forum to learn about other bandsters experiences. Be sure to go to a seminar and talk to a surgeon to learn firsthand what to expect. It is so different for everyone that you can get dizzy thinking about it in those terms. Your doctor will know your specific health conditions and risks and will be able to better prepare you for you upcoming journey. Boy, it would be tough to be around models and the like all the time. I also love make up, hair, accessories, etc. A girly girl. Good Luck and keep us updated.

I have always slept on my side in the fetal position. I toss and turn alot and go from side to side. I have never had a problem with it from the first night. Hopefully, you can find a comfortable spot.

Hi Erin, I wouldn't think you should still have nausea. I had a real problem with it in the hospital and then a couple of days after I got home, but I would think you would be rid of it by now. You may want to call your surgeon and tell them what is going on and ask them what to do.

Well, I don't mean to put a damper on things but my surgery itself was not without its complications. When I first woke up in recovery, I had major nausea. Even though I advised them in advance that I get that way and they put the stuff in my IV, it was really bad. I had been in recovery so long they finally put me in a ward just for patients that have not all the way recovered. I was there for about 3 or 4 hours while they gave me morphene and phenergan to try to stop the nausea. Finally, it stopped and they put me in my regular room. Then, it was fine until I got home. I kept getting sick, the sweats, the chills, it was bad. After a visit to my PCP and talking to the band surgeon, we figured out that I had stomach flu which was just horrible. Finally, after all that cleared, it was great. I got my first fill today and fell really, really good. It was so worth it even though I had the problems. Just wanted to give another perception about the surgery. But, now I am so glad I did it, I wouldn't have it any other way. Good Luck and let us know how you are doing.

Yes, this is all normal but I think you want to be prepared. You are just about to enter "bandster hell" and you will probably get your appetite back full force f you are like a lot of us. I got my first fill today and it feels so good. I was starting to get very hungry for the last few days and really had to try hard not to overeat. Hang in there and good luck!

Congratulations on your appeal win! That is a feat in itself. I know it is difficult and causes you to be impatient waiting, waiting, but just think, you are on your way now and hopefully, you can stay focused until your surgery date. I had my first fill today and I had been waiting so long it felt like forever until that fill. There are little burdens all along the way, but to me it is so worth it. Good Luck and let us know when your surgery date gets scheduled.

The singles are already portioned out and I do weigh my meats. I do the smaller plates and weigh the meat because I had a tendency to put to much on my plate. I bought a small digital scale and leave it on my countertop. I put the meat there just before I put it on my plate. The scale has a sleeve that just lifts off and you can put it in the dishwasher. It isn't really difficult at all. I guess it is like anything you have to get used to it. Now, it is like second nature to me. It's kind of like the regular weight scale for me. It keeps me focused and I pay more attention. At least for now. Once I get used to it, I may not have to weigh the food as often. But for now, it is what I need to do for me. LOL:smile2:

Yeahhhhhh for you!!!! Kartman, that has to be a great feeling! I am so happy for you and I know you have been looking forward to this. Give yourself a BIG pat on the back for me! I am 14lbs away from onederland! Can't wait!

A trick my doctor's office taught me that might work for you. Just a suggestion. I bought some small appetizer plates and child size flatware. I also buy the frozen singles packets of veggies like peas, corn, brussel sprouts. I weigh out what I am going to eat and only put that on my plate. It looks like a lot more because it is on a smaller plate. It really helps.

I am also a person who has great difficulty with liquids and have all my life. After I was banded, my skin began to get really dry particularly my face. I had never had problems with my face like that before and freaked out. I discussed this at length with my surgeon and she emphatically stated that I must get them in. She made a suggestion and I used it to ensure I do just that. I made a schedule for myself that fits in with my day. I have to literally think about it in order to do it. But it really helped me. Also, I bought a bunch of bottled water and started carrying a bottle with me where ever I go. I sip it all the time now. I wasn't easy but it keeps getting easier for me. When I get really bored with the water, I add the single packets of crystal light to it. Not all the time, just sometimes. I hope you can figure someway to ensure you get the fluids in.

I have said over and over on my posts about one thing or another that working with the band and my determination and will power are a definite state of mind. For me the whole experience is not just physical but about where my head is at when I make the choices I do. I agree that the psychothreapy idea makes a lot of sense. It is so important to feed your mind the right things as well as your body.

I know it is really difficult but I made a pact with myself during the first part of my losing stages not to even go to a fast food place or chinese. It is just to inviting and risky. I was addicted to McDonald's regular hamburgers. I haven't had one in ages. I don't even want one now. I am so focused and want so much to lose this weight that I am just determined to make the band work for me. I think the fact that I have lost some of the weight already has really helped. The inches are the biggest loss for me and it feels so good to have my clothes start to get too loose. I hope for you that once you begin to see the weight come off, that you will have a stronger will power. Good Luck and keep us posted.

Hi Mary, Congrats on your impending band! While this is a wonderful support site, I think what they intended for you by support group was to find one in your area and physically go to it. It is usually headed up by a medical professional of some sort. Mine is led by a psychologist. Please double check with them and see if that is what they meant. Good Luck!