Clohse,

I had pretty much the exact same worries and experiences.

The fill does not hurt as much as you think it will. I am allergic to needles...yes i will admit to the world here and now that I have blacked out two times when poked with a needle before. I was not looking forward to the fills...

To my suprise, my first fill did not hurt at all!! what they do is they make you lay on your back and lift both arms above your head - then you barely fill a pinch - especially if your port is close to the skin. You may feel a little pressure as the fluid is pumped in or out...but its not biggie.

Hope all goes well and good luck!!

Congrats on your band! I was banded on 7/28. The weight loss will come - just stay on track! If you are like me, you were steadily gaining to this point and you have put a stop to that!

As far as fills go, I had first one last week. I am TERRIFIED of needles and it was fine! they did not numb me and it wasn't needed anyways. I told my husband that I didn't feel any pain - just weirdness. Kind of like when you go in for a Ob-Gyn appt or prenatal and they are pushing around your abdomen to feel your ovaries. That is the best I can come up with as a comparison.

Well, I had my second fill on 9-9-10 and it was an over fill which was an experience from H---! However, 1cc was taken out and Lord knows I feel so much better. However the weight will slow down once you start to eat real food. You have to remember those first couple of weeks is not reality of what you will be eating for the rest of your life (clear liquids, popsicles, soft food, etc). That’s just to allow your insides to heal and adjust to all the new changes it has gone through, but once the real foods are introduced back into your system the body tense to hold on to it a lot more. That's why it's very important to take in your appropriate amount of protein throughout the day. I found being as active in everything I do really helps to burn calories throughout the day and take your multi-vitamins daily. The weight will come off. It will be weeks that I see no weight lost and I get on the scale and 5 pounds are gone. Learn not to measure so much according to what the scale says, but the way your clothes are fitting you. These are some things that have worked for me. Good luck.

Thanks for the words of wisdom and encouragement. In spite of how my previous post sounded I am really positive about the band and the changes I'm making. I have already noticed that some clothes that fit pre-surgery are quite loose now. And who is this person that is actually beginning to crave steamed veggies??

You stated your band is completely deflated, you probable have a small amount of fluid in your band. My NP told me that they have to prime the band with some fluid.