Hi all! I was banded on 1/9/12 and just had my first fill today (4 weeks post-op). My doctor left me with .5 cc in the band at surgery and my fill today was 2 cc for a total of 2.5. I felt a little queasy right after my visit, but I think that was just the sight of the giant needle (don't be scared!). I've been sipping some hot tea and just really feel "full"! I do have a horrible pain in my left shoulder/side... probably what I get for not having to deal with bad gas pains right after surgery. HA! Maybe I should get up and walk around a bit.

I am curious about where he stuck the giant needle... it was like 3 inches over and 2 inches down from my port site. I figured he'd go straight in at the incision site. Any thoughts on that?

Good luck everyone!!! Keep us posted on your first fill experiences.

Im getting filled Thursday! Super excited about being full. Ive done great losing 25lbs since the 10th of Jan. But it will be nice to have a little more restriction. Our ports are not directly at the incision site so thats why they go in at a different site. Congrats on your weightloss! Are you on clears fill day then mushies for one day?

Good luck Mags! I was on liquids for just 24 hours and then on normal diet. This is my first week on regular foods and I'm traveling for work so I'm eating out. Boy can I tell a difference with the fill though! I was getting full pretty quickly before but now... It's crazy! I feel guilty about wasting so much food, though.

I get my first fill this Friday, Feb 10, 4.5 weeks post-op. My doctor doesn't fill at all on the day of surgery. (The weight loss group is very conservative overall) I feel like I am eating too much now that I am on regular food, so hopefully this will get my weight loss jump started again! I have been hovering around the 30 lbs mark for a week! Not what I want to see.

Amica813, did your surgeon/weight loss clinic give you a card that asks the restaurant to let you order off the kids menu? It is just a business card that says this patient has a reduced stomach capacity and please honor them with a child's portion.

Did it hurt? I'm just nervous about that, LOL. He told me that my port was located below the incision, so I guess that's pretty standard.

Didn't hurt at all! They give you lidocaine injection (feels like a sweat bee sting) and then you don't feel the port needle at all. It was over before I knew it. Filled with 2cc today. I'm definitely full just even on the liquids/protein shakes. I did eat some very watered down cream of mushroom soup and did fine. Tomorrow I'm on mushies. Now I think the challenge will be getting all my water in between meals since I'm full. Hopefully this will last a while.

congrats!! mine is scheduled for March 13...seems so far away, comes out to 5 weeks post op

I get my first fill on Feb. 28th...6 weeks post op I'm not sure what to exspect.

Iryshgreene - I did get the card at my first post-op visit. Guess they figured I wouldn't be at restaurants until then. HA! I haven't tried to use it yet because the restaurants I have gone to only have things like chicken fingers, mac and cheese, burgers, and grilled cheese sandwiches on the kids' menu. There's no child sized grilled chicken salad. And we wonder how our nation got so big!

 

Got my band fill today. Didn't hurt with the needle or anything, but doctor almost made me puke with drinking all the barium! I got 5 cc put in today! I was surprised that he put in that much right off the bat, but we'll see how it goes. I am ready to get my weight loss jump started again. I have been stuck at the ~30 lb mark for a week or so. Lousy thing is that I just got on a regular diet on Tuesday and now I am on a liquid diet for 2 days!

I get my fill this Tuesday, 4 weeks post op. I guess technically it's my second fill. My doc put in 2.5ccs during the operation. I am curious to see how it goes with a bigger fill. I am not in the green zone right now (I can eat too much), but I also don't have a big appetite.

I am filled!! I didn't get any numbing agent, but it didn't really hurt. I was able to see my band and watch how it was working with the fluroscope/barium swallow. The new fill amount seemed to make a big difference with how the liquid went down, so I am curious to see how this all goes when I am back on soft food in two days.

Good luck to everyone who is still waiting!

I got by first fill Feb. 13th under floroscopy (?). It was really awesome to be able to look at the xray and see the barium go down. The Dr. saw ( and I felt ) that my band was too tight so he unfilled some and I could see (and feel) the liquid going down. Before the unfill, I guess that is what it would fill like to be stuck and from that experience I know I don't EVER want that to happen. It's probably inevitable but I am going to try my best to chew chew chew and not eat too quickly. Very weird feeling. I got a total of 3.4ccs. I was on liquids for 2 days and today I am on soft foods. I am down a total of 32 lbs since starting my pre-op liquid diet before surgery.

Hello Fellow January 2012 Bandsters!

It has been too long since I last posted. I had my first fill today and nothing like I expected. The nurse didnt numb me up before inserting the hooked needle into my port. But it was like a sting and it took all of 5 seconds. I got 3ccs today. So the liquid diet sucks, but I know as of Sunday I can move on to pureed foods. I guess the next 6 days is better than the last 6 weeks. My nurse also informed me to not expect a drastic change until after the 3rd fill. Has anyone else heard that? She said I should really feel restriction after my 4th fill. I only have a 10cc band. So I guess I will hold on until April. My wedding is June 16th, so I am ready to get to that green zone.

My next office visit is March 13th. That would be the day I get my first fill if I need a fill.

I will be 5 weeks post op tomorrow with my follow up appointment scheduled for March 8th. My band is empty and I don't think the plan is for me to have a fill on that appointment in March. I hear that my surgeon likes to wait until the following appointment before he gives a fill. Has anyone else experienced waiting that long before their first fill?