MargieK

From the research I've done, and my own personal experience, getting a fill is more an art than a science. Everyone is different, and you just don't know how a fill will be for you until up to 2 weeks later. If you get overfilled, you run the risk of stretching out your pouch and basically setting yourself back at least a month or two, or maybe even needing surgery to replace the band. It's weird how restriction can come and go. I had all these dreams about losing weight quickly, but then I just got some patience along the way and realized this is a long term solution for me and it's ok if I get started a little slowly. I had restriction after my 2nd fill, and I could have had more put in my band then, but I really didn't want to run the risk of being too tight. I think you have to decide if you want to be aggressive on the fills, and be willing to spend the time and money for an unfill if you need it. Or spend the time and money on smaller fills along the way. It makes no logical sense that I would feel less restriction after my 3rd fill - for two weeks and then suddenly I got tighter. But that's what happened. I'm just glad we budgeted for 3 fills, it made it easier for me to do what felt right and not risk being overfilled. I would recommend making sure you are not bloated before a fill. I made sure I scheduled the fills at the leanest TOM for me, and I cut back on salt and carbs for a few days too. It can be really frustrating when you want to get the hell out of bandster hell, but I think it's good to think about what is best for the long term. Margie

I have been to Dr. Fitzpatrick for my 2nd & 3rd fills and I would highly recommend her. I have to drive 4 hours to Eugene, and I probably would have been at my 'sweet spot' after the 2nd fill, but I didn't want to take any chances being so far away. She has a lot of experience and she knows what she is doing even though she doesn't do the fluoro. I had heard so many horror stories about being overfilled that I was willing to take it slow and now I feel like I am at the perfect restriction. She was really surprised though that I took so little for each fill. I felt so comfortable with her, and she insisted that I call her cell phone if I had any problems that night. I spent the night in Eugene and drove home the next day. If it was convenient for me to go back to the OCC for fills, I would have done that. But now I also feel better about having someone relatively close by in case I need an emergency unfill. Let me know if you have any other questions. Margie

I couldn't bend over from the waist for two weeks after surgery (the pain was intense), but then it got better and better. I had asked Dr. Martinez about this because I wanted to know how soon I could get back to ab workouts. He explained that there will be scar tissue around the port. At first it is hard, and then over time it softens up. I started to ease back into my ab work about 2 months after surgery because it felt like I could. I think Dr. Martinez told me to wait about 6 weeks. I hardly ever have any pain there, except sometimes I think I may have strained the muscles there by doing something and not being warmed up. It also helps me to sit up straight when I 'm working. I'm still hesitating on doing a full pilates class yet, but I think I'll be ready for that in a few weeks - which is about 4 months after being banded. I did have a good excuse for getting out of cat box duty for a few weeks though : ) Margie

I remember I had a really hard time that last week too. What helped me was adding intense flavors. I couldn't stand anything sweet anymore (which is really bizarre for me) so I splurged on some gourmet cream soups from my grocery store, added garlic paste and pesto to soups and combined different soups. I also tried out some gourmet vegetarian soup recipes and then put everything in the food processor and watered it down with milk or broth. What was funny was that I was counting down the days until I could have real food, and then the day before I became almost terrified to eat solid food. I did end up eating scrambled eggs for lunch that day - no problems at all. Margie

Hello, I did not have restriction after my 1st fill, but I definitely had it after my second, with only .8 cc additional. I had my 1st fill with fluoro, but not the second or third. It was funny because the fill doctor (Dr. Fitzpatrick - who I love btw) was fully ready to put in 3 or 4 ccs when she heard I only had 4 ccs in an 11 cc band. She had to keep taking it out, and it took so long that she had to get me another glass of water. FYI - she measured restriction by having me take a sip of cold water and then listening for a little gurgle when the water emptied my pouch. She has had a lot of experience with lap band patients and I think she's the next bext thing to going back to the OCC for my fills. Anyway, my point is that you just don't know when you will get restriction or how much. I got a third fill because if I didn't do it this month then I'd probably have to wait until February because my schedule is too busy in January. I almost cancelled my 3rd fill appt. because I was stressed the week before and I started feeling like I was too tight. I knew I wouldn't need much more (only had .5 cc added) but I wanted to do it because I'd like to lose weight a little faster. I have been losing inches because all my clothes are loose, but it has been a slow process. I'm a low bmi bandster, so I kind of knew it would come off slowly. I haven't had any stuck or pb experiences yet, but I'm pretty good about eating only 1 to 2 cups of food at a time. I get a really big burp about an hour after I finish eating and I'm guessing that's when my pouch empties out. Also, what I found with real restriction is not only do I feel very full after 1 cup of food, but I'm also not hungry for hours later. I was roasting veggies one afternoon and I started snacking on this sweet potato that just came out of the oven. Usually my 3:30 'snack' is 4 oz of juice with a tsp. of benefiber. But the sweet potato was so good I just kept eating it. My usual portion is 1/4 of it with my 4 oz of protein. I ended up eating the whole potato (which felt like a huge amount of food) and then I found I wasn't hungry for the rest of the night. My danger eating time is after dinner, so for this to keep me full for 8 hours was amazing. And this was 3 weeks after my 2nd fill. I haven't had quite a week yet on my 3rd fill, so I don't really know if this is my sweet spot because I haven't been eating that much food at one time. Hope this helps. Restriction really does make a huge difference. I 'd recommend eating as though you did have restriction now, because it will be good practice when it does happen. Margie

Hi, I also have an 11 cc band. I couldn't tell from my card, but I got my first fill last week and Dr. So said I now have 4cc in an 11 cc band. I was banded 9/22/09. I think Dr. So told me the most they usually give on the first fill is 4cc, but he did try 4.5 and then removed that extra .5 - or it might have been an extra .25. I don't remember exactly, I was a bit mesmerized by watching the x-ray screen. I did feel that he gave me the maximum amount I could handle based on what we saw on the screen. I plan on having my second fill after Thanksgiving - can't wait since I have very little restriction (at least as far as I can tell - I'm too afraid to test my limits). It's a hassle for me to travel to TJ, but I found out that the closest Fill Center USA does not do flouro. If I can't find another place then I will be back to see Dr. So. I definitely think it is worth the time and expense to get the flouro. Plus... it's just so fascinating to see how it works. Cheryl, thanks for the advice on requesting the surgical report. Margie

Hi, I was banded on 9/22 and I went by myself. I loved it - it was like a little mini vacation (well, except for the discomfort after surgery between the pain pills). The only regret I had was not taking more $1 bills to tip the drivers. They were all very, very nice. I felt completely safe the whole time and the Marriott room was huge, so I did a lot of pacing around the room after I got back from surgery. I met two very nice women in the lobby on the morning of the surgery. We were the only 3 who stayed the night at the clinic (the other 2 went back to their hotels). We did a lot of laughing- although I can't remember now what was so funny. If you want to talk on the phone or via email, send me a private message and I'll give you my info. I just set my fill appointment for the 27th and I'll be going on my own again. Margie

I just read an article on Sparkpeople about this. They recommend a minimum of 60 grams of protein a day for women. "This requirement will help prevent muscle loss and promote feelings of fullness among dieters." Here is the link: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrit...cles.asp?id=372 Margie

I am also doing pre-op and I read in a couple of places on this forum about Benefiber. It really works to fill me up. The serving is 1 tablespoon, but my body couldn't handle that very well. So now I do a teaspoon once or twice a day whenever I'm feeling hungry. I had vegetable soup for dinner, so I just took another teaspoon right now (8 pm) and I'm sure I won't be hungry until morning. Margie

Hi, Yes, I just checked this with Carolyn this week. Absolutely nothing by mouth for the 8 hours prior to tests and surgery. I was trying to see if I could sneak in a little caffeine : ) Margie

Thanks so much for sharing this, Elain67. I am traveling by myself next week for surgery on the 22nd. You have eased my mind quite a bit. Now my only major concern is being thirsty on the two mornings I have to fast. I'm used to drinking a lot of water in the morning. Did that bother anyone? Margie

Thank you all so much for sharing the nitty-gritty details. I am getting banded on Sept 22 and I'm trying to prepare mentally for the changes this will bring. I really appreciate hearing your stories. Margie

Hello, My surgery is scheduled for Sept. 22. Margie