Hi everyone--I thought I'd listen to some advice from one of the other monthly groups and start one master thread in which we have an ongoing discussion/updates. I don't know about you all but I certainly spend most of my time on these boards on the pre-op forum and the general forum, not here. It would be nice to have just one thread to go to once in this forum.

We can maybe start out with introductions?

As for me, I'm going the "online privacy" route for now (paranoid that people I haven't told about this will somehow stumble across me on this site I guess, which is crazy, I know) but I can give you the big picture:

You can call me Penny, I'm 27, single and live in the Washington, DC area. I have a background in politics (which is why I live in DC) but now I'm a librarian which is much cooler and way more fun (trust me on that). Oh, and there's no "Marion the Librarian" thing with me either. One of the things I hear most frequently (besides the cliche "you have such a pretty face") is "but you don't LOOK like a librarian", which is another one of those bizarre backhanded compliments that you never really know how to take.

Personality wise, I'm kind of dorky, big into public radio and books and popular science. Oh, I'm also a little on the paranoid side (as you may be able to tell from earlier in this post). Beyond that I'm just kind of silly and friendly, VERY much so into traveling and I'm an aspiring "green" domestic diva (but that's not going so well).

Two things:

You can put more than 10 cc in that band

The more fluid in your band, the less it takes for a fill to make a difference. Sometimes only a drop or two will make the difference.

So, don't worry... :-)

I just had my third fill on 10/16 and am now at 9.5cc in a 10cc band, which concerns me, because I still don't feel much restriction. I can eat most anything, although I do get "stuck" from time to time. But that is usually my own fault for eating too fast, too big of a bite and/or not chewing well enough. I have lost 64 pounds, though, since my 10-day liquid diet started on 6/21 for surgery on 7/01. So I'm not complaining too loudly. :biggrin: The situation just concerns me for the "long haul" and keeping the weight off long-term.

You may want to ask your doctor about the other fill solution. There is a thicker solution that might work better for you. I have heard they use it when they suspect there might be a leak but I know of one person who didn't have a leak but could never feel a fill so they switched to the thicker fluid which immediately made a difference.

But with or without "feeling" the fill, you've done a superb job in weight loss!

OK, I opened the room for the daily lunch chat. I've lost track and don't remember if it was 11 Central or 12 Central. Anyway, I have to run but the room is up so you may see my name there but I will actually be away from the computer.

It is 12 central.....Hopefully, I will be home tomorrow.

I have another lunch meeting today so cannot make today's 12 central chat room. Someone else will have to open the room today.

Hi all you Butterflies,

I just had my second fill on Tuesday and was thrilled:thumbup:. Lost 42 lbs. since July 24. I have a 10cc band with 2cc on surgery, .6cc on first fill and .5cc on this fill. I know I haven't reached my "sweet spot" yet but I know I'm not eating nearly as much. I read your comments every couple of days and you really give me the support I need. We're all in the same boat, we need to lose weight and this sure beats the heck out of WW.

Thanks for all your positive comments and good luck to everyone. I plan to break the big 200 in the next three weeks. Wish me luck. Good luck to everyone and have a great week.

You'll be in Onederland in no time Quilting Bee! WTG on your weight loss so far. :wink_smile:

Hey all just checking in... I get my second fill next friday.. I cant wait because I seem to be stuck.. the lbs flew off in the first 2 weeks and I have been at the same weight for about 7 weeks. I have been keeping active and last saturday I went for an 8+ mile bike ride.. and I lost the pound that I gained back from right when I switched to regular foods forever ago..oooo its so frusterating!! :blink:well at least the scale hasnt moved in the opposite direction... good to see your all doing well.. cant wait to start losing again....

Hey all just checking in... I get my second fill next friday.. I cant wait because I seem to be stuck.. the lbs flew off in the first 2 weeks and I have been at the same weight for about 7 weeks. I have been keeping active and last saturday I went for an 8+ mile bike ride.. and I lost the pound that I gained back from right when I switched to regular foods forever ago..oooo its so frusterating!! :blink:well at least the scale hasnt moved in the opposite direction... good to see your all doing well.. cant wait to start losing again....

Hi shrinknme. My weight loss has been on a similar path as yours. Keep the faith with me. I'm sure once we get adjusted and the right amount of fill, the weight will start to come off.

Count me in. I have lost almost nothing since surgery. I have been ragingly hungry since they put me on 2 weeks of sugary Optifast preop. I had my hunger down to normal levels before that, but it took me about a year to get there. So far this has been a huge step backward for me. I'm working like the dickens just to maintain. I really hope another fill or three make a difference because otherwise this has been a huge mistake for me.

Orea, how many fills have you had? Is your doctor being too conserative with the fills?

Orea, how many fills have you had? Is your doctor being too conserative with the fills?

thanks Donna and Orea... I think most of us are in the same boat.. and we just have to start getting fills to get over this hump. do they do your fills in front of the flouroscope? mine do and its nice since they can see how fast or slow the barium passes through... we also have 2 docs that do fills. they are husband and wife.. the husband is aggressive.. the wife not aggressive.. she did my first fill.. and although its hard I am kinda glad I have had time to get used to the restriction slowly.. I really dont ever want to PB. but the main complaint I hear about the wife is that she never fills enough and so people have to come back..

the other thing is can you get fills when you need them or do they make you wait? I am self pay and they told me give it 2 weeks and if I am not losing 1-2lbs a week come back in.. and thats exactly what I am doing.. if they make you wait that hardly seems fair.. I find myself playing the old mind games to control every calorie and struggling to lose weight and then I stop and think.. why the mind games? thats why I got the band.. so I called and scheduled another fill....

we can do this ladies!!

I have had one fill that I had to wait 8 weeks for. My next fill is early next month. I knew this would take time, but I didn't know they would effectively undo all of my hard work getting my appetite to settle down and leave me worse off than I have been for a long time. I thought I would be able to continue my weight loss efforts that took off over 50 pounds this year, while I waited for my fills to kick in. I'm really feeling frustrated.

Why such long waits in between? Is this your doctor's requirement? I had to wait 4 weeks for my first fill and then there were no time restrictions. I just self enforced 2-3 weeks between fills because from everything I'd read, it sometimes takes that long for the fill to "settle".

I got banded a couple of weeks before you but I got my 4th fill last Tuesday. Have you talked to your doctor's office and told them the problems you are experiencing? If necessary, call them EVERY day.

I'm starting to get a little concerned for you Orea as I'm beginning to detect a note of desperation/disgust with the band. Please don't give up. If you want, I will call your doctor's office and gtive them hell.

This is for all my July Butterflies:

Are you tired of those sissy 'friendship' poems that always sound good,

but never actually come close to reality?

Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship.

You will see no cutesy little smiley faces on this card-

Just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.

1. When you are sad -- I will jump on the person who made you sad like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile -- I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in.

4. When you're scared -- we will high tail it out of here.

5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining, ya big baby!!!!

6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.

7. When you are sick -- Stay away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall -- I'll pick you up and dust you off --

After I laugh my butt off!!

9. This is my oath ... I pledge it to the end. 'Why?' you may ask -- because you are my FRIEND!

Friendship is like peeing in your pants

everyone can see it,

but only you can feel the true warmth.

Send this to 10 of your closest friends,

Then get depressed because you can only think of 4