Hi, all.

I'm two weeks out of surgery (March 17) and I'm feeling no restrictions and I've lost no weight.

I believe I've ready many people talk before about this being normal until their first fill, but I just wanted to make sure. I had no fill at the time of surgery so I'm just waiting until my first and trying to be as good as possible. I'm eating a combination of mushies and light food that I can chew as much as possible, but I just don't feel that anything is being "held up."

Right now I'm just starting to second guess everything. "Remember that time that I tried to lay on my stomach... did I dislodge anything?" "How about when my nephew pushed on my tummy.. did that move anything?" LOL...

No apparent restriction until your first fill is fairly normal, right?:thumbup:

Hi-

I am 8 days out and I am not really sure if I have 'natural' restriction due to just the placement of the empty band......lucky for me that I don't have any appetite either!

I asked the Dr. during my one week visit yesterday and he confirmed that he did not fill my band during the surgery.

I was able to eat about 1.5 cups of blended Soup yesterday, but I can't seem to get down more than .5 cup of cottage cheese today. I am not really trying to push it since the dietitian was really strict about not eating more than 0.5 cup of mushy food during a mealtime. (I just started on mushies yesterday).

The only hold up I feel is if I swallow too big of a bite of food or gulp of Water. I get a real tight feeling in my upper chest for about 5-10 seconds until I can feel the liquid or mushy sliding down. I used to be able to drink a 20-oz bottle of water in 5 gulps now takes me more than an hour to get it down with little sips.

I am almost hoping that I can remain this way and not have to get my first fill that is scheduled for the 20th. I am sure that I am still just swollen from the surgery, but this is kind of nice right now. I just don't want to PB, slime or throw-up!

Right-- it is natural not to have restriction at 2 weeks, post op. So that's the good news. The "bad" news is that you may not have restriction after the first fill either. Some people take 3 or more fills to find their "sweet spot." (this is according to stuff I've read on here, and from my doctor.) But you *will* get there!

Yeah - not trying to be the bearer of bad news here. But, it could take 3-4 fills until you feel restriction. I had surgery Feb. 8th...2 weeks later, no restriction. After my first fill...restriction for about a week, then NOTHING. I got my second fill today, so I'm hoping for just a smidgen more restriction with this one. However, I'm not expecting it until the next 2 fills - ugh!

The call is Bandster Hell for a reason! I feel your pain.

I just posted about this same thing a day or so ago! I was banded March 16, had my postop check March 31. Most of what people think is restriction (according to my doc) the first couple weeks after surgery is really just the fact that you have a lot of swelling in the tissues. I apparently healed pretty quickly, because while I am never really hungry, I was like you - I could drink down a Slim-Fast or protein shake, followed with a bottle of water, etc., without any discomfort at all. So on day 15 post banding, since I wasn't feeling anything at all, I got my first fill of 2 cc. I still feel no different at all, although when I failed to chew really well I did have a "spitting up" episode yesterday morning. I don't feel full when I eat, but I don't feel hungry when I don't. I'm just trying to eat the meals they've told me to. At this point I'm having trouble imagining what it must feel like to eat something and know I can't eat any more, but I guess that day will come!

We're pretty much on the same track here, timewise and how we're feeling. It will be fun to watch our progression!

I get my first fill in another week. I'm about two and a half weeks out of surgery. I too feel no restriction and am hungry a lot. However, I can't eat big meals, so no bingeing, which helps with the diet. Any weight I've lost has been through sheer willpower and is just gravy. :bored:

Of course today being Easter, some chocolate has snuck into my diet, but I'm trying to be good!

Oh you guys, thank you! I just wanted to make sure that what I'm feeling, or not feeling, is normal. Now I won't worry.

I did feel the little discomfort for about 5 or 6 days afterwards but that went away so now I'm just trying to be as good as possible until my fills help me along.

Now I just have to see if my doc will move up my first fill from April 26 to a week or two sooner. And, I'll be prepared in case that first one doesn't do it for me.

Thanks again!

Wendy

Hi Guys,

The feedback is great. The restriction varies between individuals. The degree of swelling, the size of band, whether the surgeon inflated the band at all during surgery plus more. Yes it will take on average 4-5 fills to hit the "Sweet Spot" as mentioned.

I would like to clarify one important aspect though. The rule of 1/2 cup of food in total at a meal is incorrect. The key is to take small mouthfuls (no more than 1 tsp) and chew this down to a mush and allow time for it to pass through the band, before you swallow the next. Eating must be pain free.

Once the band is tight enough to control your interest in food you will notice that a small toddler meal with take you about 20 minutes to eat. This is a very positive sign.

Keep traveling towards your goals.

Kind regards

Bariatric Dietitian

Helen Bauzon

Welcome to globalgastricbandsolutions.com.au

I was banded 12/30 and had my fourth fill on 3/30 at which time I got real restriction. You could have months before you get restriction. Don't expect it this soon or you will be very frustrated and depressed like I was. I have lost 7 pounds in the last 7 days so I am finally there but it took a while. BE patienT

Also glad to see similar reactions. I am walking 1-2 miles a day. Eating little besides atkins and muscle milk shakes to be good - but no restriction at all and just a 4 lb loss in about a month. Not happy - starting to doubt the worth of it all. Have appointment for first fill - this Thursday. Let's see what gives.:thumbup:

Some of the hunger is caused by drinking your calories!! Those calories go straight through and do not have time to make you feel satisfied. If you are allowed, you should be eating solid food and mostly protein. This is important. If you are still on mushies, it helps to get protein in there. Cottage cheese, other soft cheeses, very soft salmon, tuna, etc. Carbs make you more hungry. We tend to use those pre made protein drinks, but some of them have a lot of carbs packed in there too. There are a lot that do not, so read the labels and as soon as you are able, eat solid food.

One poster here mentioned wanting to feel full. I had to learn to give that desire up. Even after I got full restriction, I was aware that I was finished for that meal but the full feeling is not even the same as it used to be. I am fine with it now, but there was a while that I let myself focus on that. It wasn't productive, and now I hardly ever think about it.

Focus on the protein and I promise it will get better!!!! Hugs!!!

Hi, all.

I'm two weeks out of surgery (March 17) and I'm feeling no restrictions and I've lost no weight.

I believe I've ready many people talk before about this being normal until their first fill, but I just wanted to make sure. I had no fill at the time of surgery so I'm just waiting until my first and trying to be as good as possible. I'm eating a combination of mushies and light food that I can chew as much as possible, but I just don't feel that anything is being "held up."

Right now I'm just starting to second guess everything. "Remember that time that I tried to lay on my stomach... did I dislodge anything?" "How about when my nephew pushed on my tummy.. did that move anything?" LOL...

No apparent restriction until your first fill is fairly normal, right?:cool:

I'm one week out from surgery (4/6/10) and have lost 16 lbs on a liquid diet. 60 grams of protein meal replacement mixed with water, 1 can of soup (split pea or tomato as I couldn't handle all the salt in the broths), 64 oz. water, and ocassionally sugar free jello, or sugar free popsicles. I did have a hernia repair and seem to feel somewhat restricted and have not been able to get all my required water down as I feel stuffed most of the day. I have to stay on this for 4 weeks.

I must be a fast healer as well. I am only one week post op and it seems each day I feel less and less restricted. I feel more hungry more often. I am sticking to eating no more than every 3-4 hours but sometimes at 2 hours I am feeling hunger. I am still struggling with drinking while eating so that may be it. I am on soft foods now. Still I am eating less.

Angie, I understand exactly how you feel. I am hungry more and more often now, although I don't feel like I've healed at all. I too am on soft foods and they just are NOT sticking with me and I had a hiatal hernia repaired as well.

This not drinking while eating part, is VERY difficult for me!! I drink pretty much all day long, previously, while I ate too!!! So it's hard for me to get in my daily water intake.

Oh well, I go to get my first fill on June 8th, hopefully I'll feel a little restriction then!

Angie, I understand exactly how you feel. I am hungry more and more often now, although I don't feel like I've healed at all. I too am on soft foods and they just are NOT sticking with me and I had a hiatal hernia repaired as well.

This not drinking while eating part, is VERY difficult for me!! I drink pretty much all day long, previously, while I ate too!!! So it's hard for me to get in my daily water intake.

Oh well, I go to get my first fill on June 8th, hopefully I'll feel a little restriction then!

My first post-op is June 11th. I hope it helps. Have you tried refried beans? It stays with me a awhile only I can't handle it very often. Mashed potatoes stick a little but that is a lot of carbs. Hopefully we will both be feeling restricted soon.

I felt restriction initially after my first few fills, but it only lasted a week or 2. The feeling lasted longer on my last fill up to 5.5cc's. I was just increased up to 6.5c's. My Dr. said this is normal and when I get to the optimal fill point the feeling will "last". I did notice after the first couple of fills that I needed to be more careful about chewing my food well.