Hi all!! This might sound like a dumb question... but when do you actually begin to "feel" the band?? I'm 2 weeks post-op, just beginning soft foods, and don't feel any sort of restriction. I'm just wondering when I will begin to realize it's really there and working?? It's kind of surreal at the moment, I mean, I saw the x-ray and all, I know it's there, and I can feel the port... but other than that I have to remind myself that it's there and one day (soon, I hope!!) I will know it...

Thanks much,

Laura

I remember this feeling well. I couldn't feel that anything had changed, yet it also felt like *everything* had. I decided I needed a physical representation of what had gone on inside my body so I bought a charm bracelet to wear every day. Ever time I lost ten pounds I would by a new charm for my bracelet- a charm that represented how I felt about those ten pounds. Once it was an airplane- for it felt like a journey, another time it was a bottle of wine charm- for when I felt like I needed to take time to get used to things.

The first time I got something stuck I all of a sudden had another feeling inside me and I didn't feel like I needed the charm bracelet anymore. I still have it, with five charms on it.

Megan

After the first fill for me.

I felt it there when I recently came down with a cold at 3.5 weeks out and tried to take dayquil liquidtabs. Holy COW did I feel it! Yipes. I could literally feel it go through the band (once it decided to go through).

Other than that, I don't notice it's there. I'm not overcome with hunger ever and I'm only having 3 Protein shakes and a mushy dinner (at almost 5 weeks out), so I suppose I must have some sort of restriction because I'm not hungry.

I didnt feel it either AT ALL..

you miht need a fill first

Love your Avatar Lori, you're not an expat Aussie by any chance?

I only feel mine when I don't chew enough or my band doesn't like what I'm eating. Otherwise, I feel my band in my head, LOL.

I know what you mean, I had my band 13 days ago and I don't feel restriction at all right now, I just had a 1 cup of soup(clam choder) with chunks and it didn't bother me at all and I don't feel full but I don't feel hungry either.

I had a crazy thought process when I first got banded. What if my Dr. never put the band in, just gave me incisions LOL! I couldn't feel the band, just the port. I didn't feel anything the first couple weeks, but I got a couple bites of a muffin down the other day and it got stuck. It hurt so bad, I KNOW I'm banded now! I've had a couple times now where I've eaten something and it feels "funny". Right now, since I don't get a fill for 2 more weeks, I'm trying to learn to chew better. A couple times I've not chewed well enough, wasn't a problem, but I thought right away that I'd better not be doing that!! Karen

tonight I almost forgot to chew and then I stopped and slowed down, I started soft foods tonight and I feel much more satisfied. bread hasn't bothered me, but I only eat a tiny bite at a time

I had my band put in on 9/19. The only time I've ever felt it was when I didn't chew enough, although when going out to dinner with my husband when I went to see him last week, I defintely FELT when to stop eating my fish and chips (well, 2 french fries = chips I guess). He hasn't seen me since before I had the band, and his comments were that I looked better, carried myself higher and smiled a LOT more.

first i feel a 'sensation' that never existed before. (usually stop here)

Then I feel the actual drink or mushie or well chwed food going through in a slow kinda odd way that is hesitant and just not normal..

Then I may get a little tightness in my chest, thats related to that food going through slow like that

I may saliviate too much.

This is as far as i ever go now

Getting used to my first real fiill:

That tightness turns into a uncomfortable pain in the chest.. nothing that stops you due to the pain though. This can keep hurting even if you stop eating at that moment. It passes

This sensation can bother you for qa moment and then you spit up a tiny amount...and its over as fast. Small, smooth spit up,

next is a slime.. This is an instant feeling that you went a bit too far....even on a little bit .... I hate the pressure and feeling have to force my self to slime it out..... sometimes one slime is enough, sometimes it takes three to four slimes to get out half a cup of saliva and specs of food or drink.

Its not so smooth or easy, eyes Water and its alittle violating...

This is as far as i went when i was filled 3 months ago.

It took three weeks to learn what I could or could not tolerate at certain times of the day.... Slime free and happy.

BUT I had complications is the past and this is how that felt.

The food or pills is stuck in your throat...iNothing can make it go away.

You can force your self to slime, slime on your own, and its still there...

It kinda hurts in chest and its a pressure you cant ignore and one inch of bread can take 20 slimes to stop.. A bit of bread with a half cup of slime each time, the slime just slimes out of your mouth, you dont even feel it come out and its so slimey and well hold a towel up to your mouth..till it passes. Your affraid to ever eat again..lol

The above MAY be called a golf ball? Likely called a PB.

A PB (to me) doesnt involve slime... (but it can)

You constantly spit out your saliva cuz you cant swallow it, cuz your like closed. If you do swallow some, you get that pressure and want release and make it come up to feel better, saliva comes up in small amounts.

Swallowing hurts, chest pain, its like nothing is stuck and sliming out.. but your definately stuck deep inside and you wait and wait .. till whatever it is comes up or goes down.. time is all you can do really.

I only did this on pills for 9 hours once and then 40 hours then emergency unfill! I am scared to death of this PB