I was very nervous, but turned out to be pretty simple. The only thing is that I don't think I got enough of a fill! The doc filled some and had me drink water to see if it went thru, it always did. A few times i felt a little bit of what felt like a bubble in my throat but no feeling of water being stuck. I thought the bubble feeling indicated a need to stop, so I took 4.4cc as good enough. So, I had a junior frosty on the way home, skim milk later in the day and mashed potatoes for dinner and guess what?! I AM HUNGRY! Grrrrr..thank goodness for me it's only an hour drive for a fill, but I have a feeling I will be heading back up there next week. I am so mad at myself! :thumbup: What the heck was I supposed to feel to know I was tight enough???

You need to eat real food, not sugar based drinks, milk and soft mushies. Fluids should always go through the band, mushies pretty much go through too but can back up a little, solid food is a whole different story. You were right to stop when you did or you may find yourself going back for an un-fill because believe me, if you cannot swallow anything without bringing it back then you are going to do damage to your band as well as get swollen around your stomach again and then they have to take more out to allow the swelling to go down. You'd get dehydrated too.

You're on a learing curve and you need to take it slow and feel your way and eat real food please.

The only reason I ate those things was because the Dr. said all I could have liquids and mushy stuff although maybe not the best choices.:thumbup: Well, yesterday I went back to solids and still absolutely no restriction. I was just surprised that for a first fill if 4.4cc I feel nothing. That sounds like a big first fill to me. For breakfast this morning I had a packet of instand oatmeal and I feel satisfied. Now I am just curious to see how long before I feel hungry again. Yesterday I was very hungry between meals. Seems as though I feel more hungry now after the fill than before. The trial and error part kinda stinks, but again, I definitely don't want anything to go wrong and risk hurting myself or the band. I will be calling ASAP tomorrow to go for another fill.

I am very curious about your Dr.s fill process. It looks like you have had 3 fills in June and one in July. I am heading for my 3rd fill next week, so I'm getting 1 a month so far.

You said your Dr. just kept filling until you told him to stop? Is that his nomal process? Wow! Haven't heard of that till now. How are you doing with that? Your weight loss is fantastic, how are you feeling?

Keep up the good work!

I am very curious about your Dr.s fill process. It looks like you have had 3 fills in June and one in July. I am heading for my 3rd fill next week, so I'm getting 1 a month so far. My doctor, Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum is amazing! He is wonderful at letting his patients help be a guide. After sugery the next 3 months worth of visits are FREE. So, he didn't turn me away when I didn't feel restriction and kept coming back. Nice thing for me is that he is only an hour away. Can't image having to go to Mexico or pay $250 for each fill. After the 3 months, fills are only $25. He is very reasonable and very experienced which is why I chose him.

You said your Dr. just kept filling until you told him to stop? Basically yes...He puts in tiny amounts and has you gulp water to be sure it goes down easily. When you feel different and it slows down or won't go down then he takes some saline back out. He says he wants his patients to be able to gulp water with out feeling uncomfortable or stuck. I think his method is awesome, but of course, if you are a newby, then you don't really know what you should be feeling the first few times, so I told him to stop before I really needed him to,but didn't want to risk getting stuck or being uncomfortable. I absolutely think I am at my sweet spot for now. As I lose more, who knows, maybe I'll go back to tighten things up more. Is that his nomal process? Wow! Haven't heard of that till now. Yes, this is his normal process. I know of other people who go in and the doc doesn't listen to what they feel like they need, the get a set number of cc's and away they are sent. I can only imagine how frustrating that would be that the doctor wouldn't listen to their patient if they aren't feeling good enough restriction. How are you doing with that? Doing AMAZING!Absolutely the BEST thing I have ever done for myself. Dr. Kirshenbam is an amazing man too and should be commended for allowing self pay patients to have the chance at a healthier life style. I paid $9875. and would most defintely to it again. Your weight loss is fantastic, how are you feeling?

Keep up the good work!

Thank you! Thank you! I feel super awesome. Everyone around me commments daily about the changes they have seen so quickly. The people who ridiculed me for having the surgery are now either 1, so jealous they have finally just shut up, or 2 they are asking for the Docs name and number. Everyone who needs this surgery deserves it. I hope as time goes on more and more insurances will make it easier to be approved and/or that the self pay will become more and more affordable for those who also need and deserve it.:thumbup: Since May (3 months) I am now down 44 pounds with only 36 more to go. The more I lose, the more motivated I am.

That is awesome! I don't know yet how much of a difference me telling my Dr's center how hungry I've been this time. I'll find out Tuesday! LOL! I guess I'm not doing too bad considering I don't get the option to get filled the way you do, but I am nervous about getting any kind of restriction, I've started gulping water again... bad, bad, bad!

Keep up the good work. You seem very happy and excited, maybe you should cheer up a little. LOL! I'm SO pleased that such an upbeat person is a May Bander!

Thank you for sharing!

So, I take it that this is your first fill? Let me know how it goes and how your doctor does it. It's very interesting to hear different people's experiences. Seems like every doctor does things slightly different and gives slightly different advice, before and after being banded. My mother-in-law says her doc gives her a predetermined amount of a fill and then has her gulp water AND eat crackers. Not sure what her docs thoughts are on the whole cracker thing, she isn't even sure, as she never thought to ask...but always interesting to know the varying details and explanations. Good luck! (Oh, and the being able to glup water really is a GOOD thing. The sipping thing has caused me to stay a little dehydrated because I can't sip, sip, sip all day and hurts like heck when you are thristy while working out at the gym and try too gulp. If I drink to fast now the water gets stuck like there is a bubble holding it up and then when I cough it comes squirting out like a gyser.:wub:)

Not sure who you are asking... but will answer anyway.... it will be my 3rd. I eat and drink right up to my fill. Then I'm on thick liquid for 24 hrs.

It's a quick process, go in, get weighed, tell the PA how hungry I've been, get teh fill, sip water, off I go. Once the PA is in the room (they even assist during the operations), it takes all of 5 minutes.

At the most. They have been doing it so long they use two fingers to find the port and put pressure on either side, put the needle in, and presto changeo, it's done!

Yes, I was talking to you :thumbup: So, I was more curious to know if they don't have you drink water as they are doing the fill, how do they know how much of a fill to give you? OR do they just say this visit you get __ cc's and that's that.

I am thinking it's a set amount depending on bmi and weight lost since last fill. Like I said, they've been doing this for quite a while, and they are a center of excellence. I will ask today, just to know.