Living With My First Fill...Not What I Expected

stinaNYC · April 9, 2006

I think I've reached that point post-proceedure where I'm starting to think that I'm one of those people who is "the exception to the rule". I had my first fill done about 3 weeks ago (1 cc in a 4 cc band), and I expected to feel a dramatic difference. I was mostly expecting to be able to eat a whole lot less and have slower absorption.

Well, color me disappointed. I am most definitely eating much, much more than the 1/2 cup- 1 cup of food I have been told is what my new stomach pouch will be able to hold. WHat's worse is that I'm not feeling *ANY* discomfort from it.

I still only get hungry 3 times/day (at about 5-6 hour intervals), and I rarely snack, but I am definitely taking in more food than I should...and that I as told I *could* take in.

Am I doing something wrong? Is there something wrong with me? The other frustrating part is that I'm 8 weeks out from surgery and have only gone down from 281 to 268...and I haven't lost any weight for 3 weeks.

I have this nagging feeling that I'm being too hard on myself, but the voice telling me I'm screwing up is louder. I'd appreciate any insight you all might have. :think

Morsaille · April 9, 2006

Well, you aren't alone. You may not want to hear from someone who has lost less than 28 pounds in almost twelve weeks. It is not the spectacular story I told myself, but it is working with me where nothing else has. My weight loss is right on track for 'normal' even though I hoped to be a WLS star. I have had two fills now and am right at your fill level with almost no restriction. If you want to know the band is there... have a bite or two of pot roast in the morning.

I have discovered that I can either eat a whole bag of popcorn or a couple handfuls and either way, I am just as full. I just don't have the restriction to make me stop. Technically I could eat as much as I wanted if I gave myself enough time to chew. On the bright side, the band has helped to reduce my impulsivity so I haven't felt the drive to binge like pre-banding. With luck and another fill or two, we will be on the fast track to slims-ville.

Jammin & Losin · April 9, 2006

Give it time after your 2nd fill you should be able to get morre restriction than you have now!! Hang in there and just use this time to learn to eat slower~ not drink with meals ect!!!! All these things will help you when you do get better restriction. Congrats on getting banded wishing you lots of success!!!

mdrnstudent · April 9, 2006

I am 4 months post op. I got 0.6cc my first fill and felt absolutley nothing. I could eat all the same things as before.I initially lost 12 lbs. I only had lost one pound when Between my first and second fill (approx 5 weeks). The doctors told me I needed to get hard hard on myself, control my portions and exercise. I thought If I can do that than I didn't need this band in the first place. So they went ahead and gave me my second fill of 1.0 cc. So a total of 1.6 in a 4 cc band. I knew the restriction was gonna kick after one of these fill so I decided to go ahead and start eating those smaller more frequent meals and just walking one mile a day on my treadmill. I do feel more restriction now, but only with bread. But at the end of this week I go for my third fill and I have lost 12 lbs since my last fill. You kinda have to get into the band mindset even if you aren't feeling the restriction you thought you would. It will come eventually. Good luck

NurseMichelle · April 9, 2006

Well hello, this is my first post. I have been watching this group chat for months, but haven't wanted to say anything. It sounds like lots of people have a real slow go of it when they get their first fill. Do you feel like you are starving? I am very nervous about starving until I get filled. My date is set for April 28th. I know no-one in my entire town who knows anyone who has had the band. I am an RN and get to hear about stuff like that, but everyone I know has had gastric bypass, so I have very little support. I have decided to go to Dr. Rumbaut in Monterrey Mexico. He seems to have very good credentials and very low post op complications. Has anyone heard any bad things about him?

Elisabethsew · April 9, 2006

Hi Michelle

I am an RN also and only know one other person who was banded. He lost nearly 100 pounds since his banding in July of last year and started out at 350 pounds. Although I can't comment on your surgeon first hand, I can tell you I had read a ton of posts and not one was never concerning him or his skill. Like you, I am very familiar with patients undergoing RNY bypass. Best of luck to you.

lovechunks · April 9, 2006

.
I have discovered that I can either eat a whole bag of popcorn or a couple handfuls

I am not banded yet, but I am under the impression that popcorn is a no-no. You say you are able to eat it? Just curious.

Alexandra · April 9, 2006

Lovechunks, many people find that popcorn is perfectly fine to eat. Everyone's experience is different.

And I was going to say pretty much exactly what Jack said, so I'll just say HEAR, HEAR!! Stina, if you're not hungry for 5-6 hours after a meal, that IS the band doing its job!! Almost all bandsters are able to eat more than the 1/2 cup benchmark amount for a good long while after surgery, and OFTEN through the first couple of fills. But that doesn't matter a whit, if you're eating well (i.e., healthfully), slowly, carefully, and stopping when you're satisfied. If you're eating too much you would know it, believe me.

You're doing GREAT! To not be hungry between decent meals is something many MO people have searched for their whole lives. You are extremely lucky to have this feeling so early on in the banding game. Congratulations!!

stinaNYC · April 9, 2006

God...thank you *so much* everyone for helping to assuade my fears! I feel a lot better knowing that my experience isn't uncommon...I thought maybe I screwed something up! So good to know that I'm not a freak!

I started to wonder the other day if maybe I was chewing my food *too* well...like I'm liquifying it to the point where it's just passing right through and emptying out of the pouch at a rate that's faster than my intake of food, and maybe that's why I can eat more than I've been told I should. Of course, I'd rather err on THIS side of caution... I have, unfortunately, experienced how unlovely the feel of half-chewed pork chop is. Ow.

Jack, you wrote:

If we Define 'to be able' to eat at preOp levels and track over 30/60/89/120/150/180 days postOp we will get differing amounts.....

You're so right about this...I have definitely noticed that my food intake, natch, is SO MUCH LESS than it was, to be sure. When I went in for my consultation with Dr. Fielding in December, he mentioned the half-cup to 1 cup food intake thing and that just stuck in my head. When I haven't stayed in that range (which is most of the time), I start to feel like I'm screwing up and piggin out, when in reality, I'm eating so much less than I used to.

Like last night, I probably ate about 2 cups of food over 45 minutes (pasta and meatballs) and I started freaking out...why was I still able to eat? WHy isn't there any discomfort? Of course A) it's mushy food and I chewed it into oblivion, so it's probably passing through pretty quickly and it's STILL probably abut 2-3 cups LESS than I would have eaten pre-band.

I think I need to work on keeping this all in perspective...thanks for helping me with this, everyone!

Angie C · April 10, 2006

You do not need to starve until you get your first fill. Eat!! But eat smart. It took me 5 fills (3.5ccs) until that hunger feeling went away. Do not be afraid to eat. One fill helps with some and others need several(like me)

But most of all do not be "AFRAID", this is a great journey to be on.

fiveholts714 · April 10, 2006

I get my first fill on Tuesday and feel like I really need it. I had my surgery in Mexico and am not going back for my fills. I am having a lacoal doc do it for $265 including fluroscopy. But I don't want to keep paying that either! I have lost 25 pounds since 2/22. I really need this fill to work! I have waited 7 weeks to get it done. Yes, 25 pounds is good, but I am getting a little sick of waiting for the band to work. I have had little restriction at all from the beginning.

Elisabethsew · April 10, 2006

Fiveholts,

You're not alone in your experience. Once my swelling went down, the full feeling disappeared and I was only banded on 3/30/06. I was surprised when I read that many people did not feel full until 1-3 fills were done on them. I was under the impression that just having the band would result in a full feeling. I'll ask these questions of my surgeon on Friday when I see him for the 2 week post-op check.

Elisabeth