Hi all,

Im looking up for information on the lap band. Could someone please explain to me what are these fills i hear people on about? Are they expensive? Also, how are they put in?

I hope to get banded soon.

A fill is what tightens the band. It's "filling" it with saline. This is what causes restriction (the band tightening around the esophagus).

The band somewhat rigid, but has an inflatable piece of "tubing" on the inside. Filling that tubing with saline causes the band to fit more tightly. Imagine a wristwatch that had a balloon taped to the inside. When you blew air into the balloon, the watch would get tighter on your wrist. Fills accomplish the same thing with the band, only instead of air, they're injecting saline. The saline is injected via a needle into the port. The port gives access to the "balloon" on the inside of the band.

My fills were free for the first year, with a $20 copay per fill (office visit) afterward, but insurance covered my band. I believe my surgeon charges $150 for those who do not have insurance coverage.

Cost will depend on what the surgeon (or whomever does the fills) charges, how they are done (fluoro or "blind"), whether or not you have insurance coverage, etc.

<p>Fill number one on 4/2 Fill number two today 4/23</p> <p>Ok. today @ 2:45 was my post op appointment and 1st fill. I walked in, & they weighed me. I was kind of dreading this because 1. It's that 'special' time of the month 2. I've been hungry 3. this weekend, though I still didn't eat volume wise what I normally do, ate things I shouldn't have, like bread and brownies 4. last but not least, I weigh about 4 lbs heavier in the afternoon than I do in the a.m. Water retention I guess.</p> <p>Much to my delight I have maintained myself at 318.. I was 331.5 on the day of surgery, which means I weighed even more than that before surgery and lost some before because of the hellacious pre-op 'all food is evil so you must drink your meals' diet. So I lost around 20 lbs and have kept it off without gaining any before my fill. From what I've been reading on the forums, some people gain before their 1st fill so HOOfreakinRAH for me! </p> <p>They had a "basket 'o Needles sitting on the desk.. boy that cheered me up and fast. Todd was like... well look honey.. they aren't THAT big...</p> <p>Dr. Morton thought my incisions sites looked great and where healing V well. They also thought my matching tie dyed undies/sports bra and socks were a hoot, I informed them that of course, I wore them for this ever so special of occasions. At this point, they had me laying down on the table in my colorful skivies and it occurred to me that this bragging on my homemade undies was a clever ploy for them to distract me from the bee sting of a numbing shot they administered to the incision on my sternum. I think Todd's fingers may still be tingling... but I have to admit.. it was like a baby bee sting and not one of those big A$$ scary bees....</p> <p>So.. after this he sticks in the saline needle and all I feel is pressure, I was like.. wow, that's kind of weird, he then informed me that he was going to help me SIT UP with said needle protruding from my sternum. uh.... </p> <p>He gave me his hand and helped me sit up.. I didn't pass out or anything! In fact at this point, I didn't feel a thing but I guess my eyes were still bugged out like a fly in a frog pit cause he commented on my expression.. </p> <p>It was kind of weird to look down and see a needle sticking out of me but, it didn't hurt </p> <p>They then gave me a cup holding 9 ounces of water and asked me to sip on it. Apparently the band I have holds 4 thingies of saline (cc's maybe?) and while I sat there drank water and burped profusely he put in 2.2 thingies of Fluid. He seemed pretty happy with how it was sounding and he pulled out the needle and slapped on a bandaid. I was like... 'THAT's IT?" As I predicted, I felt silly for being to worked up over this. It all took about 10 minutes from weigh in/strip down to fill up. </p> <p>I was grinning like a cat in the fish market on the way up front because my stomach had been growling like crazy when I got there and all the sudden.. I was FULL. HOLY CRAP>>>> I went from ravenous beast to pleasantly just ate full.... on 9 ounces of water. NICE. I scheduled my next appointment for 3 weeks from now to weigh in and see if I need more fluid in my band. I am on liquids until wednesday afternoon then I can switch to soft stuff like cottage cheese/apple sauce then gradually at my own pace, work up to real food again.</p> <p>I am ever so slightly sore now where my port is and he said I might bruise a little. I got a Protein drink and some veggie juice for supper and right now I'm full as a tick.</p> <p> </p> <p><p>Ok.. Fill number two was pretty uneventful.. They are v. happy with my progress and say that I am right on track. I'm losing 3.5 per week and they really prefer I don't lose faster than that. I am no longer a BMI of 50+ HOORAH!! I was a 49.8 this a.m. The day of surgery I weighed in at 331.5 and I know in Jan I was around 336+. Today I was 308 so Total weight lost is 32. Total lost from day of surgery 23.5.</p> <p></p> <p>My band holds 4cc's, last time they put in 2.2, today they made me an even 3. Again, this fill made a diff. I was REALLY hungry when I went in. You can't have anything in your tummy so I hadn't eaten yet but when I left I was FULL. </p> <p></p> <p>I have an appointment in three weeks with Morton again and also a nutritionalist. chicken & Tuna don't always go down well (feels like I'm swallowing a v. dry golf ball) & steak is a big pain in the butt to chew. I get really tired of chewing it so I end up spitting it out. This pretty much leaves.. well,, cheese, Beans, hummus, eggs.. you get the pic. SO this makes getting in all my protein somewhat of a challenge. Well of course I could live on CHEESE but that would probably impede the whole weight loss goal...</p> <p> </p> <p>I'm on liquids again for two days then work my way up to real food. I went to the pick yer own strawberry farm on Saturday and bought a gallon of THE MOST deeelish berries EVER. Well Todd's out of town and I can't have any until Wednesday and they were picked Saturday so I'll have to bring 'em to work so they don't go bad. I'll get some more this Saturday. I like to eat them on my salads.</p> <p></p> <p>One of the main differences this time from last time is when the numbing shot started wearing off at work, it started STINGING. I'm still stinging but I guess it will fade. I just put a new Garfield band-aid over the spot and it already feels better. Now if I could just find band-aids with a moose on it....</p> <p></p> <p>I'm going to start tracking my protein grams every day. I need to get in 60-80. This should be fun.</p> <p>T</p> <p></p> <p></p></p>