Hi -

I had my first fill exactly one week ago...I was able to eat a grilled cheese w/no problems. So today went to have a little more added and now it hurts to eat. I can drink very very slowly and it took me an hour to finish a yogurt. Is it common to be tighter right after a fill? I am just concerned since my dr.'s office will be closed Thursday and Friday. Any past experiences and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Is it common to be tighter right after a fill?

Um, yes. That's how the fills work. They physically tighten around the sutured part of the stomach.

Thanks, Plain, for a completely unnecessary sarcastic reply. It's awesome when someone responds in a way that clearly is intended to make you feel like an idiot.

As a moderator, what you SHOULD have read was her asking why the tightness began a week after a fill and not immediately.

As for my first fill poster, it was tight the first day then loose then tightened again after a couple of days. Just be careful and slow with your eating.

Best of luck to you.

Salome: Thank you for clarifying what I was asking - I appreciate your kindness. Yes, I was curious if it loosen's up after a day or two.

Plain - The sarcasm is impressive....someone must have forgotten to pull the stick out of your ____ . Otherwise you have a very dry sense of humor that must leave you slightly lonely.

Thanks, Plain, for a completely unnecessary sarcastic reply. It's awesome when someone responds in a way that clearly is intended to make you feel like an idiot.

As a moderator, what you SHOULD have read was her asking why the tightness began a week after a fill and not immediately.

As for my first fill poster, it was tight the first day then loose then tightened again after a couple of days. Just be careful and slow with your eating.

Best of luck to you.

Well, I'm a completely unnecessarily sarcastic kind of guy. As a mod, I try and answer posts that have zero responses. When I answer these, I can only go by what info the poster types. So as I read this, I'm thinking:

Ok, this is her 2nd fill. On her first she has no restriction.....then another fill one week later, she does. Then she asks "Is it common to be tighter right after a fill". My answer to this seemingly simple question is the most straightforward and basic answer I could give. Because instead of calling her doc's office, she asked here.

I think you misread her post. She was not suddely tighter one week after her fill. She was suddenly tighter immediately after the 2nd fill. So, it's not that I mind being scolded (I usually deserve it), but I'd rather be scolded in an accurate manner.

Salome: Thank you for clarifying what I was asking - I appreciate your kindness. Yes, I was curious if it loosen's up after a day or two.

Plain - The sarcasm is impressive....someone must have forgotten to pull the stick out of your ____ . Otherwise you have a very dry sense of humor that must leave you slightly lonely.

San Diego Mom, I do have a very dry sense of humor. Also I had forgotten to pull the stick out of my _____. And yes, I am a lonely sad little man. As explained above to salome, I tried to answer your question based on what you asked. In general, with major concerns, it's best to phone your doc's office, or go to the ER. Any advice on the internet is a little suspect (Even this advice, I guess). So....sorry if I hurt your feelings. If you ask very specific questions, I will give as specific answers as I possibly can....or won't answer at all, if you prefer (I answered yours because you had zero responses, that's all).

OUCH...

When I had my second fill, I felt a little restriction and then about a week later..BAM! I was Really restricted. It was good and lasted about 3 weeks. I had my 3rd fill yesterday and I feel the gurgling again. Somehow it's kind of comforting, knowing that the band is doing it's job. I am anticipating a repeat performance of my last fill and it will tighten up a bit in a few days. Life with a LapBand is full of surprises!

Um, yes. That's how the fills work. They physically tighten around the sutured part of the stomach.

"um, yes. That's how the fills work." Is the icky part of your response.

I would not have liked the response either.

"um, yes. That's how the fills work." Is the icky part of your response.

I would not have liked the response either.

Ok, I cry "uncle"...

When I had my third fill, it hurt when I ate. I gave it two weeks and it didn't get any better. I went for a slight unfill and was fine after that. I think am ready for a slight fill now, but I definitely know what too tight is! Good luck to you.

Maybe its me, but I think everyone is just a little too sensitive here. Maybe everyone should lighten up a little.

Fills are sometimes fickle for different people. Even my fill doctor said that they do not require liquids after a fill because some people get restriction immediately and some people settle into restriction days or even a week later.

Some of us can even get no new fill and have our bands tighten and loosen unexpectedly over time with no obvious explanation . . . if you are anything like me, I have a sensitive stomach which is affected by many variables unrelated to banding.

San Diego Mom,

It is possible that you may have gotten a double whammy in that your first fill started to kick in right when you got the second fill. I have also had fills tighten up over a short time.

However, you might be OK with this fill level if you take it easy moving to different foods as long as you can safely get in enough liquids throughout your day (warm liquids might even help to loosen you up). How much of a fill did you get the second time around?

Maybe its me, but I think everyone is just a little too sensitive here. Maybe everyone should lighten up a little.

My sentiments exactly . . . I agree 110%.

Let's all lighten up over the holiday weekend, I don't think anything said here was meant to be hurtful.

Just wanted to sya that you look fabulous and congratulations on your baby news.. I see you here answering alot of questions and you have been extremely helpful to everyone. I had my surgery oct 16 and due for a fill on dec 3rd. Right now I have no restrictions and am working solely on willpower and this is where it starts to wane. I have gone off track slightly, but have gone right bsck on and lost 20 lbs so far. But, I can eat regular foods and it scares me. I dont know what to eat. Can u give me an idea of what you have been eating that has produced steady weight loss? I would rather have 2 shakes per day and one meal, but my nutritionist doesnt recommend it. I would appreciate any ideas from you and anyone else. Thanks.

Just wanted to sya that you look fabulous and congratulations on your baby news.. I see you here answering alot of questions and you have been extremely helpful to everyone. I had my surgery oct 16 and due for a fill on dec 3rd. Right now I have no restrictions and am working solely on willpower and this is where it starts to wane. I have gone off track slightly, but have gone right bsck on and lost 20 lbs so far. But, I can eat regular foods and it scares me. I dont know what to eat. Can u give me an idea of what you have been eating that has produced steady weight loss? I would rather have 2 shakes per day and one meal, but my nutritionist doesnt recommend it. I would appreciate any ideas from you and anyone else. Thanks.

I started off with shakes as well in the early days . . . but at that point I stopped losing and my fill doctor said not to do the shakes because I was defeating the purpose of the band and making it harder on myself. They told me shakes will never make me full if I am not tightly restricted and it is too much of a "diet" to try and keep myself satisfied in this way.

I stopped the shakes and my weight loss picked up. I would occasionally eat light yogurt for Breakfast and maybe half a piece of fruit sometimes (1 - 2 times a week), but mostly I would just have two eggs cooked however I felt like at the time coupled with a little low fat cheese. Sometimes I would eat cottage cheese.

lunch would usually be Protein like salmon or chicken or eggs if I didn't have them for breakfast with veggies of some form (salad, steamed, etc).

dinner would also be a protein, but generally I would spend a little more time at dinner cooking it in a way I really liked. Sometimes I would saute beef with mushrooms with spices with a little tomato paste and Water. Sometimes I would pan-fry salmon with fresh dill and accompany it with some plain yogurt mixed with dill and cucumber. Sometimes I would brown little chunks of chicken breast with a veggie. Sides were always veggies of different sorts, but I avoided starchy things like potatoes or corn.

By sticking primarily to Proteins first, I got full quickly. Veggies are almost like free foods . . . I ate as much as I wanted when I was hungry. This really helped me through times of minimal restriction because I would eat as much as I needed to feel full, but they were healthy choices and I could still lose weight. I would consider my diet a modified low carb and it helped me to keep losing. I didn't snack and avoided any carbs that were not whole and unprocessed. Nothing pre-packaged or chips, Desserts, breads, rices, Pasta, etc.

I also started off at 800-1000 calories the first month but found I lost more consistently at 1000-1200. My weight loss has been steady in that I lost every month . . . but it was always plateau, lose a little, plateau, lose a little more.

Thanks for your quick overview of how you eat Heather. I was banded a week ago today and am suddenly finding myself very hungry. I know I must stick to the liquid diet but it is helpful to know that a normal, easy to prepare diet is ahead of me.