Allison0927

Great news - best of luck on this journey!!!

i tell basically anyone that i have the band - keeps me accountable just like michael said. maybe i will change my tune if i hit a plateau and people may be wondering why i'm not losing - but so be it. for now i'm losing and people are starting to slowly notice and i'm not going to lie when they ask how i'm doing it 80% diet and 20% surgery! BEST OF LUCK TO YOU AND US ALL IN OUR JOURNEYS!!!!

I had my first fill today too - clear liquids today, solid liquids tomorrow, mushies Friday. I don't know if I could do 2 days of clear liquids - this day's almost over and i'm already dreaming of protein shakes tomorrow! YOU CAN DO ANYTHING FOR TWO DAYS JUST KEEP REPEATING THAT TO YOURSELF!!!!

My first fill is this Tuesday Aug. 9. That will be exactly 5 weeks post-op. Like many before me, I'm on 800 calories per day (per the surgeon) since going to solids and, of course, with a healed stomach i've been really, really hungry - but struggling through it. From many posts i've read - people do not hit a nice restriction level until 2-5 fills or more. My question is has anyone gotten relief/restriction off of the first fill (I know the amount of the first fill varies by surgeon but still...). I guess I'm just looking for hope - as I have been so, so hungry the last few weeks.

Well, had my first fill today! Was supposed to happen yesterday (Aug. 9) but three days prior, I woke up with a dull pain in my torso (not sure exactly from where) and it continued as a dull ache until Tuesday. I opted to wait until Tuesday to talk to the surgeon since I was already coming in then and I hear so much on these forums that the emergency room staff oftentimes have little to no experience with band patients and routinely tell you to go see your surgeon rather than "mess with" the band. The pain was not excrutiating but I still knew something was "off" and I assumed it had something to do with my band since I'm otherwise healthy and that is the only thing that was "different" about me lately. In any event, I suspected the surgeon would not fill me in the office as had been planned after he heard about my pain (and I don't blame him). After going through my symptoms he was perplexed as to why I was feeling pain. The band was "too new" to have slipped or eroded (I was banded July 5) and there was no saline in it at all since surgery - so he did not know what was causing it. At first he said he would schedule me for a barium swallow - but then I suggested a flouroscopy fill and he agreed. Luckily I was able to do it already this morning. I was joking with him Tuesday that I was "starving" and debated telling him about the pain because I was so eager to get the fill. In any event, we did the flouroscopy and he found no problems with my band at all and filled it with 3ccs (I forgot to ask again how many ccs my band holds - will ask next time - I'm assuming 10 or 14 ccs). He did not numb the spot but the needle prick only hurt for a couple seconds so it was not too bad. I'm hoping with a 3cc fill I will feel restriction but only time will tell. I'm on clear liquids today, solid liquids tomorrow, and mushies Friday, after which I can do solid food as tolerated. I'm glad to know there was no saline in the band leading up today as that explains why I have been SO HUNGRY since healing a couple weeks after surgery. I'll keep you all posted after Friday and let you know if I can feel any restriction. BEST OF LUCK TO US ALL AND THANKS FOR THE REPLIES AND SUPPORT!!!!

That is insane for one group of WLS folks to look down on another. I certainly could have had any type of surgery I wanted and chose the band. I'm also a highly educated professional married to a very high earning professional. NO ONE looks down on me and gets away with it (LOL). Seriously - that's just crazy drama. Those people need to get a life. We are all in a unique group who should support one another no matter what type of surgery we had. We have enough occassional judgment from outsiders (lifetime thin people; people who disagree with anyone having the surgery, etc.). I wouldn't give it a second thought if I were you.... BEST OF LUCK TO US ALL IN OUR JOURNEYS!!!

for most people gas x or any other gas meds will not help because the gas is trapped in your torso not intestines - they say to walk - that is the only thing that helps but that never helped me - only time helped. i had the worst gas pain between days 3 and 8 after surgery - after day 8 it completely went away. trust me there's a light at the end of the tunnel - it WILL go away soon - best of luck to you!

Thanks for the good luck and happy early birthday to you!!! Wow - our start weights and weight losses so far are pretty close - best of luck to you!!!!!!

THANKS so much for the additional hope =) i will post after the fill and let you know if i feel any "different" - i sure hope there's at least some restriction!!!

Glad to hear it - you have officially given me hope LOL!

that's great you are recovering so well - sorry about the ankle - but the price to pay for being active - don't stop =)

clear liquor (i.e., absolute vodka) plus water and crystal light/equivalent is the least harmful - least caloric alcoholic drink you can do since diet pop is out and the other mixers (i.e, fruit/vegetable juice) are high in calories. I will DEARLY MISS my light beers - used to have about 7 or 8 every weekend - of course, that's probably why i got so fat LOL. No beer, i have to think, has contributed to my 25+ pound weight loss since the end of june. You couldn't pay me to drink flat beer. Has to be fresh and cold. Oh well -worth the sacrifice to be thin. Best of luck to you!

i think you only do the cathetar if you stay overnight - and the majority of people are outpatient -no cathetar - i was only in the hospital about 5 hours - no prob. No real pain either - just gas pain - but tolerable. You can find out your coverage without having to go to a dr. - just call your insurer. Best of luck to you!

great post!!!! i don't think people fully realize it when writing ones like this but lots and lots of us read it and benefit from your words - even if the majority don't comment. I wish you all the best on those last 15-20 i hear those are the hardest - but you will do it!!!

breads are a no no FOREVER according to my surgeon/nutritionist. maybe drink warm tea/coffee? best of luck to you!!

neither gas x nor walking worked for me - gas hit PAINFULLY 3rd day out and went away completely 8th day out - terrible 5 days but believe me IT GETS BETTER!!!!! best of luck!!

i had cheesecake factory - take out - couple appetizers and split a meal and then a few bites of cheesecake - oreo it was good

i promise the gas will go away any time now - for me it was HORRIBLE and so painful - from days 3-8 of surgery - then poof went away. i personally do not feel walking helps - i did a lot of that and was still in excrutiating pain - but walking certainly couldn't hurt so you might as well.... BEST OF LUCK!

GOOD LUCK IN YOUR JOURNEY!!!!!!!

BEST OF LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!

i have lost only 10 pounds since surgery more than 3 weeks ago - i am on 800 calories a day i should have been losing a pound a day! you're body is in shock and adjusting/holding on to calories as if in starvation mode. sometimes people eat more calories one day just to shake things up and try to get scale moving - that has worked for me a couple times- best of luck!

i gained 4 pounds as of morning after surgery - the next day i lost all 4 pounds - it's all the saline they pump into you - it will go away

good luck - you'll do great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

great job on the scrubs and your progress - i'm sorry about your hair - you're not shallow - you are real - and any girl would be upset. You are so pretty - you will find a way to make it all work!

My surgeon says not to drink 15 mins before the meal and 30 minutes after. I see a lot of people on here saying their surgeons said not to drink until 1 hour after the meal - i had never seen 2 hours until reading this post. Amazing how the surgeons differ on the "rules". LOL