Well I guess I am the first one here! I just got my surgery date and it is set for June 2nd at OHSU in Portland Oregon. I am so excited! It has been a long journey to get to this point and I am so glad to have a date even if it is almost 3 months out. Anyone else out there get a June 09 surgery date?

Edited March 11, 200917 yr by astera

I had my first fill today too, and I was expecting it. I was MORE nervous about the fill than I was going into surgery!!! And ya, they kept asking me if I was hungry and I am like, uh not really, I eat when I am hungry!!! But they say at this point I am not supposed to be hungry! Anyways, I have a 13cc Realize band, he first put in 4cc's, and apparently missed the port, and had to give me another 4cc's, so I have about 4cc-6cc's in me I guess. I was so scared to take that first sip of water my hands were shaking!!! But, sitting here tonight, I feel no different than I did before surgery. I am just scared to push it just in case I do have restriction, and if fear itself is enough for me to lose weight for now, I will take it..

I'm so glad I decided to stop in here tonight. Reading all the posts makes me feel better. I hit my 2 week post-op yesterday, officially able to move on from liquids to mushies. Well, I feel pretty much fine and able to eat normal food. I know I shouldn't be, but I feel fine, so I figured why not? I chew really well, so I figure it's mushy/pureed. (lol...) Now tonight I tried some sushi and while I didn't eat as much as I used to, I still ate more than I should have, and I don't really feel uncomfortable. Sigh.... So this is what "bandster hell" is? I need to be really smart and sensible during this time, don't I? I know once I get a fill (or a few) things will be more like what I expected. Right? :thumbup:

You are basically just running on willpower and following the rules at this point. 2 weeks post-op I don't think sushi and I assume rice is on the list of foods to eat, you are still healing and can cause damage to your band. I would not (and did not) eat anything that was not on the list. You may not have a list, so many doctors are so different, but it really has to be a commitment on your part to let your band help you. It does not feel any different for me now than it did before I had surgery.

Hope that helped!

No, you are right. I shouldn't have had a "regular" dinner tonight. I am going to follow the rules the way I have been so far. I would hate to mess things up!!! Shakes and mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs and yogurts from now on!!! Thanks!

I had my first fill today too, and I was expecting it. I was MORE nervous about the fill than I was going into surgery!!! And ya, they kept asking me if I was hungry and I am like, uh not really, I eat when I am hungry!!! But they say at this point I am not supposed to be hungry! Anyways, I have a 13cc Realize band, he first put in 4cc's, and apparently missed the port, and had to give me another 4cc's, so I have about 4cc-6cc's in me I guess. I was so scared to take that first sip of water my hands were shaking!!! But, sitting here tonight, I feel no different than I did before surgery. I am just scared to push it just in case I do have restriction, and if fear itself is enough for me to lose weight for now, I will take it..

I agree! The fear is enough for me too! I'm glad you made it through your first fill! I'm a nervous wreck about that too but am anxious to really get started having restriction and using this band to help me learn! Good luck with your next few days. I wonder if you'll feel more restriction as you get back into your daily eating routine?

I would hope by the 2nd (in 2 weeks) or 3rd fill (in 4 weeks)..They told me to cancel my 2 week appt if I feel I don't need it, but I am sure I will.. Oh and I forgot to mention, The fill did not hurt at all, a very tiny pinch and that was it, I actually didn't know he had the needle in there until he told me he missed his mark!!!

Today was supposed to be the day I got my first fill. I just found out that my port is flipped. I am going to have to have surgery again . Why me?? :wub:

Has anyone else had this happen?

My gosh, that's a lot of weight since June. How did you do it?

Aww, Darlene, I'm sorry you have to go through another surgery!! That stinks...good luck!!! I don't know anyone that's happened to, but a friend of a friend just found out her 1-year old band slipped, so she needs re-surgery for that....

Stephy, what is your recommended eating schedule for after your fill? Trying to see how it compares to the one my dr gave me...they all tend to be different...I'm on liquids for 2 more days, then switch to real food...

Aww, Darlene, I'm sorry you have to go through another surgery!! That stinks...good luck!!! I don't know anyone that's happened to, but a friend of a friend just found out her 1-year old band slipped, so she needs re-surgery for that....

Stephy, what is your recommended eating schedule for after your fill? Trying to see how it compares to the one my dr gave me...they all tend to be different...I'm on liquids for 2 more days, then switch to real food...

Thanks Gemini... I was so excited the day of my surgery and now I am scared to death.

Today was supposed to be the day I got my first fill. I just found out that my port is flipped. I am going to have to have surgery again . Why me??

Has anyone else had this happen?

Sorry Darlene, that's a royal pain. I'm having my first fill Auguest 11. Hope my ports where it should be. Surgery will probably not be as extensive or difficult to recover from this time. Blessings.

Cheri

Sorry Darlene, that's a royal pain. I'm having my first fill Auguest 11. Hope my ports where it should be. Surgery will probably not be as extensive or difficult to recover from this time. Blessings.

Cheri

Thanks Cheri... I am just waiting for the insurance company to approve the "port revision" surgery. My doctor's office says it shouldn't be any problems with the insurance company and we should have an answer by next week. They also told me the surgery will take about 45 minutes and that my recovery time would be 2-7 days. After my band surgery, I was back to work in 3 days, so I am hoping for only 2 days of recovery.

I was so excited about having my band surgery (which by the way, was my first surgery ever). But to be quite honest, I am a little scared about this one.

Thanks to all of you for your support!!

Ok so I had my first fill this past Monday he put in about 1.2cc and well as I expected with that amount I fell no different. Still no restriction and for some reason this week I have been really really hungry all the time, maybe close to period time I guess I don’t know.

I go back in on the 27th for my second fill and around 1cc more is what the surgeon was telling me, and I can go in about every 2 weeks until I get closer to the right fill, so that’s not so bad.. He said he wants me to get to the point where I am eating a 1/2-1/4 a cup of food and that is all I need. Well currently I am a long ways from that so I guess will see how it goes.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to not overeat and/or indulge in things that I know I shouldn’t. Granted it is better than before surgery but still not anywhere close to where I would like to be. I just don’t like being hungry and craving all of the things that I shouldn’t eat :-(. Does it stop at some point?

And I question to anyone who has had a few fills now and has some restriction, do you get the same feeling of satisfied that you did when eating before surgery? Or is it different? My surgeon said that some people don’t feel full or satisfied they just feel a bit of discomfort at the band site, and that if that does happen you want to stop eating before that point. I am worried that I won’t feel satisfied and I don’t want to hurt anything by accidently eating too much. I have been lucky so far. I have not vomited once or had anything feel stuck, or really feeling anything at all! I hope it changes so I can start utilizing the band because my will power only lasts so long that’s why we did this in the first place right . I know it’s a slow road and that’s ok but right now I feel like I am at a pit stop with a flat tire.

:scared2:

Thanks Cheri... I am just waiting for the insurance company to approve the "port revision" surgery. My doctor's office says it shouldn't be any problems with the insurance company and we should have an answer by next week. They also told me the surgery will take about 45 minutes and that my recovery time would be 2-7 days. After my band surgery, I was back to work in 3 days, so I am hoping for only 2 days of recovery.

I was so excited about having my band surgery (which by the way, was my first surgery ever). But to be quite honest, I am a little scared about this one.

Thanks to all of you for your support!!

I've had a lot of surgeries and you're always a little scared. I pray the the Lord will bless you and keep and make his face shine upon you and give you his peace.

I've had a lot of surgeries and you're always a little scared. I pray the the Lord will bless you and keep and make his face shine upon you and give you his peace.

Thank you!! You are very sweet!! You have made my day with you comments!!

God Bless!!

Ok so I had my first fill this past Monday he put in about 1.2cc and well as I expected with that amount I fell no different. Still no restriction and for some reason this week I have been really really hungry all the time, maybe close to period time I guess I don’t know.

I go back in on the 27th for my second fill and around 1cc more is what the surgeon was telling me, and I can go in about every 2 weeks until I get closer to the right fill, so that’s not so bad.. He said he wants me to get to the point where I am eating a 1/2-1/4 a cup of food and that is all I need. Well currently I am a long ways from that so I guess will see how it goes.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to not overeat and/or indulge in things that I know I shouldn’t. Granted it is better than before surgery but still not anywhere close to where I would like to be. I just don’t like being hungry and craving all of the things that I shouldn’t eat :-(. Does it stop at some point?

And I question to anyone who has had a few fills now and has some restriction, do you get the same feeling of satisfied that you did when eating before surgery? Or is it different? My surgeon said that some people don’t feel full or satisfied they just feel a bit of discomfort at the band site, and that if that does happen you want to stop eating before that point. I am worried that I won’t feel satisfied and I don’t want to hurt anything by accidently eating too much. I have been lucky so far. I have not vomited once or had anything feel stuck, or really feeling anything at all! I hope it changes so I can start utilizing the band because my will power only lasts so long that’s why we did this in the first place right . I know it’s a slow road and that’s ok but right now I feel like I am at a pit stop with a flat tire.

:scared2:

I actually wrote about some of this in yesterday's blog. The post is called Panic. I'll copy some of it here.

I can't get in till August 11. That means that from now until then I'm going to be going on willpower alone.

It's amazing how comforting it was knowing I couldn't eat more than a certain amount without causing myself discomfort. I would feel that approaching fullness and know that I didn't want to PB (productive burp where the stuck food comes right back up with the burp relieving the discomfort), nor did I want to be slimed--think how your mouth starts watering when you smell food or even think about it. You've already started the digestive process, only the extra phlegm that helps wash down and moisten your food overproduces after a BP and there's no room in your tiny tummy so it comes back up while still being produced. Gross, I know. And enough to make you not overeat. Experiencing this phenomena once was enough.

I just about had a panic attack when I actually felt hunger for the first time since before my surgery. I don't know how to handle hunger. Most of the time I avoided it by eating before I felt it. Every diet I've ever been on was made miserable by having to endure hunger combined with cravings. I can remember following good diet advice--don't go to a party hungry, you'll overeat. So I would eat ahead of time and still binge on the party food.

On Oprah, Oprah tends to ask the question what are you hungry for. She tends to go with the emotional eating pardigm. Well, I'm hungry for food. Sure, codependency and ADHD and, for sure, confrontation, all trigger binges in me. But I just plain like food. I love chocolate in just about every way possible. I love spicy foods, whether Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Chinese, or Indian.

If you want to read more or follow more of my journey you can go to IF YOUR STOMACH OFFENDS YOU, TIE IT OFF

Blessings on your journey.