I think somebody else might have already posted this - but when is everyone's first fill? Mine's next Tuesday! eeek

Oh no. I'm so sorry! I hope it passes quickly. I will definitely be careful after my fill. Thank you so much for sharing.

I'm not exactly sure of my first fill date yet, but it will be in about 2 weeks or so I imagine. For six days after my surgery on November 20th, I couldn't do more than take a few sips of Water and even that caused pain and reflux, plus spasms in my diaphram. I went back to the clinic to speak to the nurse and it turned out I needed a de-fill, so she removed 3.4 c.c.'s from my band (I wasn't even aware anything had been in there!) Since then it's been pretty much smooth sailing and I'm now onto soft foods.

I met with the nurse again this past Monday for my 2-week post-op appointment and she said I was doing fine but quite likely would need a fill when the time came since my band is now completely empty. She asked me to give her a call next week to book the 4-week post-op appointment and possible fill.

I can't say that I've been having any hunger pains; although, I must say mentally I've not been very satisfied with sticking to no more than 1 cup of food per meal. It just doesn't look like very much, and my brain is telling me I couldn't possibly be satisfied with that, yet my stomach seems to disagree. So... I've been trying to listen to my stomach and ignore my brain until I get accustomed to this. The not drinking for 1 hour after meals is also very hard for me and takes effort to remember! So much to adjust to.

I wonder if there will ever be a time when all this will become second nature?

Initial Consult: November 8, 2007

Surgery Date: November 20, 2007

Banded by Dr. Mumford, SWLC, Mississauga (Canada)

Hi everyone. I'll let you know what my diet is for fills:

Day of fill - liquids until two hours before fill - and then nothing ingested

After fill:

liquids two days, pureed food two days, soft food two days, regular food.

Well, I'm not actually on regular food yet because I'm still technically in the soft food stage, but that's what my doc said to do. Yet again, another difference in diets. What is WITH that? I'd be way more comfortable if there was a common theme across the board with all doctors. I don't GET this at all!

I think they base their diets on their experience with their patients. For example, just before I was to meet with the nutritionist, I heard my doctor tell her to change the post-op diet and move full liquids to the second phase, leaving Clear Liquids for the first two weeks. I heard him tell her that too many of his patients were having trouble too soon.

Some of us follow the diets to a T and some stretch things a bit. I'll bet that some doctors make the diets more conservative so that those who stretch it will still have fewer problems. I've certainly read plenty of posts on this board about people who got a fill and immediately ate regular food and got stuck or PB'd, which can cause swelling, causing them to PB again. After a few days of this, they go back and demand an unfill.

The gradual approach makes sense to me. I don't know what my doctor's post-fill diet is but I'm such a wuss, I'll probably do the same as your doctor advises!

Another report on my 1st fill...day after. I believe my problem yesterday with the pain was probably the spicy curry. I ate yogurt and Protein in the evening with no problems...of course that was mushie. The curry was very runny with some vegies that I chewed spitting out the skins on the peppers. The tofu was soft. The only no-no besides the spice was about 1/4th cup or less of rice I put in the curry to not have to drink it like a Soup. So all in all, I believe it was the spice.

I definitely feel the extra 2 cc's along with the 3 I already had making my 10 cc band 1/2 full. I can tell I need to take smaller sips of coffee than before. Breakfast was my usual cream of wheat which I really like and is convenient to make at the office. I haven't even thought about being hungry since the fill. I think I may be getting closer to what I want but will have to wait until the swelling goes down. If not, I've the next fill in two weeks.

Take care.

My first fill is 12/13/07. I am nervous, but what a way to start the New Year! Does anyone know how long it takes before you don't feel your port? I sleep on my stomach but can't due to the discomfort of the port.

nygirl - I have a king-size pillow and I sleep with it kind of facing my body. So when I sleep on my tummy, it's kind of half propping my tummy where the port is. If I don't sleep with a pillow, I can still feel it. It feels like it's bumping my ribs and is uncomfortable.

I have a feeling I'm going to be one of those people who's going to be hungry for 9 months before proper restriction. I need another fill! aaaaaaahhhhh!

Hey Linda, you're doing really well despite your hunger. I have my first fill next week but still feel reasonably tight. As I've said before, as long as I eat on time, then I don't have too many problems. I also noticed that if I eat a hard protein in my meal, it does make me full. I'm not big on meat so it's not often I have been doing this. I mostly have beans, eggs & cheese. I just hope that a fill won't start giving me yukkie PB etc problems.

Lindata, thanks for the tip. I seem no to be losing weight, only holding my current weight pending my first fill. I am eating very little. I really hope that the first fill makes a difference.

I was banded on the 16th and will not get my 1st fill until 1/9/08.

I still have restriction but find myself not eating much because im still afraid... Hopefully the fear with start to dwindle soon, because i really dont want to be afraid to eat. :hungry:

I had my first fill this morning. Gradually, over the past five days, I realized I had no restriction, and could basically eat anything I wanted. My weight loss had come to a stop. So, my doctor's appointment came just in time for me. I'm not sure how much the doctor filled. After he finished, he asked me to drink some Water, and then left the room. I had my water bottle with me, so I took a couple of swigs, having forgotten about small sips, and WOW! I jumped to my feet and tried not to panic, as I could feel the water immediately welling back up. I forced myself to be calm, and the water moved down pretty quickly. Since then, I've been able to drink the liquids with small sips.

My doctor says two days of liquids, two days of pureed foods, then back to soft foods. I'm feeling a very light sensation of heart burn, but I think that's just because the fill irritated my stomach.

Lindseyann2u, thanks for the info. With any luck then there will be some relief when I get my first fill 12/13/07. Now I can eat whatever I want. I am hiding in my office as co-workers have donuts out for the office.:faint:

I am definitely going to need a 2nd fill. With my 10 cc band being now at 5 cc's I can eat way too much food. It didn't take long to settle down after the fill. I believe others on the VG 10cc band say the differences between 6.0 to 7.5 are amazing. I'll probably be at 6 with my next fill which is 12/18/07.

However, I am not as hungry as I was before the first fill. I am trying to eat only solid meats and veggies. I had yesterday's left over chicken strip for Breakfast and I wasn't at all hungry by lunch. That is a plus!!

Take care.

wantoloose-

You and I are on the same track weight loss wise I was banded on 11/6. My doc scheduled my first fill for 1/3/08 because I was having some restriction and that I had lost 30 lbs in a month. I am getting a bit more hungry; as well but still losing. I can't figure it out because I went to real food this week and have lost 6lbs. I went from 800 calories to 1000-1200 and I am losing. I don't know what is going on but my body must love this "Band".

My fill is December 11th too! I am only eating 3 times a day and one jello snack. But I am almost eating 2 cups. Everyone can see how much weight I lost,but I don't think I lost more than 12lbs. since surgery. We'll see on Tuesday, can't wait.

Good luck to you guys!