Now I finally see what all the fuss is about. I think I'm liking the band now - FINALLY! I got my 2nd fill last week, and now have 5cc's in my 10cc AP Small Band.

All I can say is..... YOWZA!!!! I had my first PB, my first true "stuck" experience - and I loved it. Crazy, but true. Don't get me wrong, the pain was almost unbearable, but for the first time since surgery I felt like something was finally done. I was starting to think my surgeon didn't actually put the band in, it was all just a dream or something.

I still haven't weighed myself - I hate my scale and haven't stepped on in weeks. I get sooo depressed when I don't see a change, and my scale and I are not on speaking terms right now. I think I'll get up the nerve to step on in a few days. We'll see.

For those who are experiencing frustration (believe me, I did!!!) - hang in there. There is no mistaking true restriction. You'll know it when it happens. There is a light at the end of the tunnel - dont give up hope. I'm blissfully PB'ing and sliming and all those horrible things we shouldn't do. I'm learning that bread is the enemy and drinking anything while eating is a huge mistake. I think I will end up loving this band, even though we got off to a very rocky start

Re-newed hope is a wonderful thing!

I'm not sure how everyone's fills are done, but thought I'd pass this along. My surgeon requests 4 weeks between each fill (I think that's standard) - however I didn't quite last the 4 weeks between fills 1 & 2. I was sooo discouraged with fill #1, so I just called the office and made the appointment for #2 only 3 weeks out. They did it. No problem at all.

I'm not saying you should sneak behind your surgeons back and set your own schedule. I'm just saying give or take a week might not be a big deal. If you're right at the threshold, make the appointment. All they can say is "no".

Like I said - there is no mistaking true restriction. Once you're there, you'll know what this band is all about. Just getting there is the hard part.

OK, someone please tell me what a "positive burp" (aka PB) is! A burp itself is positive, as you are getting rid of gas(es) in your stomach, which might otherwise give you a tummy ache. Or is this another thing that can't be explained until I experience it myself? So far I have experienced only diarriea (sp?) and since that was a normal condition for me before I had the lapband, I am assuming it is never going away. Which has always amazed me. How can someone have diarriea after every time they eat and not lose weight? Ahhh, the unexplained mysteries of weight gain and loss. Thanks :)Laura

Restriction is undeniable. I thought the band wasn't working for me for the 5 months when fills weren't going in. When they fixed my port and filled me up, there it was!! I didn't believe I'd feel like that. Then it seemed too much, got a little taken out and I was back to not believing I had band in me! I went and got it put back in, and now it's soup & protein drinks for me. If I even look at meat I choke up hah!

Hang in there guys

hatmama....PB is a nice way of saying "vomit." You would be expelling both gas and food with a PB. A PB is usually, but now always, preceded by sliming, which is described earlier in this thread. Neither one is a lot of fun to experience. Rice is what gets me. Oh, and after my second fill, grits kicked my ass. It'll be a while before I try either one of those again.

OK, someone please tell me what a "positive burp" (aka PB) is! A burp itself is positive, as you are getting rid of gas(es) in your stomach, which might otherwise give you a tummy ache. Or is this another thing that can't be explained until I experience it myself? So far I have experienced only diarriea (sp?) and since that was a normal condition for me before I had the lapband, I am assuming it is never going away. Which has always amazed me. How can someone have diarriea after every time they eat and not lose weight? Ahhh, the unexplained mysteries of weight gain and loss. Thanks :)Laura

ok..you went there...haha..so i'm going there...lol. i know it is gross, but i have had diarhea and then have a bowel obstruction in the same hour. my doctor says that a lot of times if you have loose stool that means you actually have a blockage or compaction. i don't get it either..but that has been the case for me..and when i had a complete blockage last week...i was going every day....wth?

HI Laura,

a PB is a productive burp = food comes up when you burp.

Hi all. I had my second fill today. Like many of you, I had almost no restriction with the first fill...I only noticed it when I ate ray celery or carrots. I am on liquids today and tomorrow, but I am thinking that I may be much more restricted, because I got 2cc's, and I can feel air bubbles when I drink even thin things like broth.

I have lost 40 pounds since October 4 surgery date, but I have been stuck at this weight for about three weeks. I am ready to lose my second forty!!! I'm so glad to be restricted before Christmas....even though my husband thinks I'm crazy. He thinks I'm going to miss eating all the Christmas yummies. I'm so excited to lose more, I really think I'll be ok.:paranoid

I would love to put up a ticker, but can't make it work....if anyone could PM me with instructions.

ok..you went there...haha..so i'm going there...lol. i know it is gross, but i have had diarhea and then have a bowel obstruction in the same hour. my doctor says that a lot of times if you have loose stool that means you actually have a blockage or compaction. i don't get it either..but that has been the case for me..and when i had a complete blockage last week...i was going every day....wth?

Usually with a partial bowel obstruction one will have loose stools, it's the body's way of still trying to "go"-it compensates by loose stools going around the obstruction.

It is amazing how so little can go a long way. I had 1cc in my 10cc band, which isn't very much and just had .3cc put in on Tuesday. I feel just perfect. I hope it lasts. I fill up nicely. I can still enjoy any food, I am not hungry in between. If this does me for the duration, I'm dancing.

what is pb'ing?

Thanks kagoscuba, so what I experienced was a PB but, thankfully, I did not slime. That sounds too gross for words! I am so pleased to be part of this forum. I was really worried because with 6cc in my band, I can still eat anything, basically. Have only felt restriction 3 or 4 times. But after reading what everyone else has to say, I know I'm not alone. I will be getting my 2nd fill week after next and I am really looking forward to it. I gained weight over Christmas, which is weird since I ate much more at TG, but lost! My friend is still unhappy about my banding, because he is a "closet" cook and he will be losing his chief tester! Im sure he will get over it, he says he will just have to take more stuff into the office. You know government workers and Marines, they eat anything you put in the break room! Anyway, let me take this chance to wish every one a merry new year. Some of us are just beginning our journey to a new, "lighter", life and some of us are well on the way. May we all meet our goals this new year. Laura

P.S. My friend has promised to buy me a new hat for every 20 lbs I lose. Boy he doesn't know what he's promised yet, I'm looking at 5 or 6 new chapeau's, whoohoo!

I can't wait for my first fill... I have my second appointment on Jan 9th, hopefully they'll give me a fill this time. I'm glad I read this thread, it's hard to put it in to words, but It was said here.

I want the band to tell me it's there, I want my money's worth you know. It's hard to explain to my husband. I have some decent restriction and am losing weight, way slowing down now. I can eat about 1000-1200 calories a day at this point, I get hungry every 2-3 hours, I only eat about a cup at the most each sitting. I'm excercising and all that jazz.

I guess I just don't feel like a true bandster yet. I look forward to real restriction.

Real restriction can be a bit tricky too. Treat every new food or even food you've successfully eaten elsewhere carefully. Case in point...I can eat a couple of dumplings from my local chinese place no problem...went to another place where they were a bit more doughy and almost PB'd on my first one. The rest of the meal was, "Ok, Kurt, small bite, chew, chew, chew, chew a little more, small bite, ect." There is not much more of a hopeless feeling than sitting in a restaurant thinking to yourself, "so, where am I going to spew?" In a bar, ok, I'd be typically tipsy, and I can't be embarrassed of what I remember fuzzily. Stone-cold sober, with my wife and kids, on Christmas Day, having a nice public lunch...not so nice.