What are they? I am getting myself more and more confused the more i research...thanks!

The surgeon inserts the band around your stomach "deflated" like a flat tire (there are several videos in this forum that could really help you to make more sense of the whole thing) generally they wait til 6weeks or so post op before doing your "1st fill"

and you have a port in your abdomen the dr takes a long needle and sticks that port and inserts saline that inflates your band. This makes your passageway for you food smaller. they inflate it as needed depending on how much you can eat and how much weight youre losing.

I hope this helps. I will be going for my 3rd fill next monday and really hope it is my "sweet spot"

What are they? I am getting myself more and more confused the more i research...thanks!

A fill is when you have saline solution inserted into the band so that you decrease the opening to your stomach. When your band is placed there is an inflatable part that is between the hard part of the band and your stomach. Tubing connects that to a port which is sewn to a muscle (mine is just under my left rib). WHen you get a fill, a special needle is inserted into the port and saline solution is injected into the port and travels down the tubing into the band. By filling up the band you reduce the size of the stoma (or opening to the stomach). THink of this as creating a funnel. Right now you have a funnel with a HUGE opening. As you get fills the funnel gets smaller and smaller. As you can imagine, the smaller the whole the LONGER it takes the food to go down. Your sensor that tell your brain it is full are in the upper part of the stomach, so the longer your food can stay in the upper area of the pouch the longer you will seem full.

I hope this clarifies!

ahh, I understand now! thank you soooo much, I can't wait to see if I am approved! thank you!