Hi, anyone want to chat? Well, my name is Trina and I was banded on June 5. I have a couple of questions for post bandits. 1) how does your doctor perform your fills?, does he/she fill the band with a specific amount and you drink or does he make you sit up after he inserts the needle then fill as you drink to see how much restriction he wants you to have. 2) did anybody's doctor do measurements before? My friend and I did our own measurements and it has been encouraging especially when it seems like your not loosing weight.

I was also banded June 5. I have a Realize Band, I am pretty sure all of this brand holds 9cc. I had a 2cc fill on July 23, and for a day or so I didn't feel hungry, but now I can eat as much as I want, I hate to admit. When I had my fill I had to lay on the table and lift my legs about 6 inches off the table while he felt for my port, it didn't really hurt at all. Then I had to sit up and drink a small cup of Water, which went down easily. I even wondered afterwards if he even hit my port because of my appetite, but so many people on here say you have to have 3 or 4 fills to hit your sweet spot. My next fill is September 10.

Let me know how you are doing.

Wanda

Hi there, I was banded on 14 July this year and had my first fill on 14 August..three days later I tried to eat some Chinese food while on a shopping trip with my daughter and granddaughters. Big mistake was on my second bite with not chewing the celery enough. I am talking a pain that became so intense I was miserable for hours. I was scared to death that the vomiting would do harm to the band. The pain remained for some time after all the retching was over. I was so sick and weak for the rest of the evening...I am still so cautious when I am eating a meal. I still hesitate as to what to eat. I have yet to eat any raw vegetables. It is so important to take tiny bites and to chew, chew, chew. You will only feel that pain once to know that you don't want to have it happen again. When the nurse did my fill, I laid back on the exam table with a pillow in the middle of my back, when I did a crunch she put the needle in my port. I didn't feel a thing. So easy! I drank a small glass of water afterwards with no problems. Of course I don't feel full at all when I eat, guess I will be one of those who has a hard time finding their "sweet spot"! I am under the understanding that it can take several fills before you get to that point though. Just do what you can to eat the right foods and exercise as much as possible. Listen to me giving advice that I should be following...LOL! Keep me posted on your progress. Jodi

thanks for your reply, was gettin a little lonely feeling like a stepchild(lol) I haven't eaten anything that makes me nauseated or makes me vomit, i can eat anything that dont eat me first.

thanks for replying. what is the difference in the lapband and the realize band?

I've had 2 fills. When I went back for the 2nd fill I had started getting hungry quickly. I had lost weight and the doctor didn't want to give me another fill. After some discussion he gave me 2 cc's. I started getting stuck almost immediately. I should have called the doctor immediately...I didn't. I waited 3 weeks...needless to say the doctor was not happy with me. He told me that I could have made the band slip due to the vomiting. I knew this...I just kept thinking that it would stop. The doctor removed 1 cc. I am doing so much better now. I get full quickly and stay that way.

When my doctor gives me a fill I lay down on the table. He tells me to do a partial crunch...finds the port and does the fill. I sit up with the needle still in. I then drink a small bottle of water to make sure it goes down. If it feels like the water is backing up the doctor pulls a little of the fill out.

I hope this helps!

thanks for the info. i will suggest to the doc when i go back about trying it that way because i do not want to start gaining anymore weight. much encouragement and success!