bluetigereyes

I have a fourteen cc band, just got my second fill today and I am now at 8.5cc. I'm on liquids for a couple days then mushies. So, cant tell if I have enough restriction yet, but I go back in 4 weeks to see how I'm doing. Just hang in there, get your fills and if needed ask for more than just a cc at a time

Ok, this whole converstaion got me laughing. I cant wait till I have the self confidence to go out and date again. I have been divorced a year from a guy that I thought was about an 8 but the longer I was married to him the lower the number went. He was not a small guy, but not a larger guy either. I have actually been attracted to the larger guys lately because they do not have the chip on their shoulder and they are more appreciative of the women that will take the time to get to know them for who they are. I know that I'm not a 10, and probably never will be, but a good solid 6 is ok with me

I have a 14cc band. My first fill was 3 weeks ago (when the dr had to revise my port due to it flipping) and he put in 6.5cc. I go in today for a second fill. I dont know how much he is going to put in today, since I can still eat a fair amount and still hungry quite often

Congrats! My first mini goal is to be 225, then I will readjust it. Going in for my 2nd fill today, I hope this one gets me closer to that elusive 'green zone'

You are bloated and swollen, It takes a while for all that to go away. I gained about 5 lbs post op from the surgery, the fluids, and the clear liquids and broths are full of sodium. The first 6 weeks after surgery...DONT obsess over the scale, it will fluctuate way too much. I am excited that I can finally get my 2nd fill today, I really need it!

I've had 1 fill (going for my next fill this afternoon)and I can eat whole wheat ritz crackers without any problems as long as I chew well. I cannot eat bread or chicken since it gets stuck (OUCH)

WOW, My doctor has ALL visits post op, including fills, included in the price of the surgery for the first 90 days. He should have been able to do your fills for free during that time. Good luck!!!

at 3-4 weeks is when my hunger came back so fierce I felt like I could eat everything in the house. This is normal! My doctor told me its because the swelling is going down. I have been doing a regular Zumba class, its fun! I thought about getting it for the Wii, but I have too many people living in my house and never get a chance to even watch TV, much less use the Wii. When my friend and her family move out (hopefully soon) there will be 5 less people in my house and I can get back to my normal routines again!

Each doctor is different on how they do fills. Some do them with barium, some do just flouro, and others do it by feel. My doctor goes by feel. I've only had one fill so far, but get my next one on Monday. Since my port flipped shortly after surgery, I didnt get my first fill until 9 weeks post op, and when I got my fill it was while he was fixing my port. So, this next fill will be my first 'normal' fill. I hope I can get more restriction because I know I need it!

The first week, clear liquids. You are not really going to want much that first week anyway. I had Chicken broth, popsicles, green tea (warm) and lots and lots of water and crystal light. I can honestly say, for the first 2 weeks after surgery, I wasnt really hungry at all. But when that hunger reared its ugly head, I could have eaten enough to make up for those 2 weeks!!!

My dr has me keep a food journal for 2 days prior to my fill so he can see how much I can eat. For my first fill, he put in 6.5 cc. I felt the same way as you, like you never had it done. Thats actually a good sign because the swelling is going down and you are getting back to normal. I didnt get my first fill until almost 8 weeks because my port had flipped when I went in at 6 weeks for my fill. I had to have it fixed and he gave me the fill at that time. I go in next week for my 2nd fill, and other than bread or chicken, I can eat anything. I still get VERY hungry at times and I can tell I dont have enough restriction yet. Just be aware, even if you get 4-5 cc for the first fill, it may not be enough. Usually the first fill is the most, then only 1-2 cc (or less) at a time after that. It takes a while to get adjusted to the right spot for you

Your insurance has different levels of payment based on what your employer chose and if you use an in-network doctor/hospital. Typically Aetna will get a "Contract adjustment" of a certain percentage, then they will pay at your policy level. For example, if the hospital has a contract to accept 90% of billed charges, then that 10% will be written off up front. Then your insurance will pay at 80% of the remaining amount, leaving you with a 20% co pay. Here is an example Cost: 10,000 Discount 1,000 Balance 9,000 80%=7,200 your 20% = 1,800 Hope that makes sense

I havent had that "signal" yet. I sometimes get a soft 'stuck' if I eat chicken or bread. This is usually within the first 2 bites. Once that passes, I kick myself, and actually sit down to have my meal, I dont get a full signal. I just evaluate how much I've eaten and make myself stop. I'm going in for my 2nd fill next Monday, and I cant wait to not be hungry all the time

Thats the BEST News!!! Congrats i'm so happy for you!!!!

Thank you for sharing....I have had my first fill (6.5 cc in a 14cc band) and can barely feel restriction. The only time I can feel restriction is when I eat bread or Chicken....then it gets stuck. I go for my next fill in a week, I'm hoping to get closer to that 'green zone' since I am hungry most of the time and find myself wanting to 'graze'. I have been chewing gum when I am hungry just to have the sensation of chewing instead of eating. I have hit the 250 mark and cant seem to drop lower than that. I got to 249 for 1 day, then back up to 250. Its frustrating, my body is just holding on to the weight, even though I have gone down 2 full pant sizes (YAY).I cant wait to see the scale drop again, i'm looking forward to my next fill!!!

Take SMALL bites and chew very well. Also, I have found that certain foods get stuck for me more than others. Chicken and all breads are an absolute NO for me since my fill. I also got my band in December, just just had my first fill 2 weeks ago (due to my port flipping) I have started using a baby spoon to eat with because it forces me to take smaller bites. This was suggested by the coordinator for my doctors office. If you are doing all that and still getting stuck, I would call your doctor and let him know. Are you able to drink liquids ok?

Jenn, I had my port fixed weeks ago, it was a strange experience, but not as bad as I was thinking. The worst part is, my port is now not nearly as deep as it was. I can easily feel it when I lay down. Once I got it flxed and a fill, Things were better. I go in next week for another fill, I know I need it. Good luck with yours. Let me know how you are doing

I went for my first fill today. I am now 6 weeks post-op. The doctor tried and tried and could not do my fill. I am sure going to be bruised in a couple days when the bruising shows up!!!! Finally, the doctor gave up and is sending me for an x-ray tomorrow because he thinks my port is flipped. So, if its flipped, he is going to have to go in and flip my port back over. He said this is a new type of port that he just started using at the time of my surgery, and he has had 2 now that have totally flipped over and a couple that were flipped sideways....mine happens to be totally flipped (from what he thinks). I left the office very upset and frustrated, the doctor was mad (not at me though). I was really hoping to have my fill and be on the road to losing, now I'm just a little down. Anyone else have this happen? If so, how painful is it when they go in to fix the port?

So, I'm now 1 week post "port revision" and feeling wonderful. The incision site had a bruise the size of my hand, which concerned me quite a bit, but after the bruising reached its max, it quickly started turning to yellow. Now it just itches like crazy! I had to take off the steri strips at 1 week because they were itching and irritating my skin, but the incision looks good. I stepped on the scale this morning and was shocked to see that the 5lbs that I had gained, were GONE! YAY!!!! My first fill gave me 6.5 cc in my band (holds 14cc) and I do feel a slight restriction, especially if I dont chew well enough or if its something starchy. In the mornings the band is tighter and I have been sticking to a protein shake for breakfast. By lunch time, I'm STARVING!!! Last night was my neighbors birthday and he invited me to go to dinner with them. So, I ordered a 6oz steak, baked sweet potato, and applesauce. I ate about 2/3 of the sweet potato, most of the applesauce (it was about 1/4 cup), and 1/2 of my steak. This was the first time having steak since I got my band so I was very cautious. I cut the steak into small pieces and chewed really well. I did not have any issues with it getting stuck. I know I ate more than the standard with the band, but I have only had 1 fill so far. I go in on March 5th for my next fill and I hope to have more restriction at that point. I feel great, seeing those 5lbs gone is a great motivator for me. Tonight I am going to my first ever Zumba class with a co-worker. I have NO rythem, so this should be interesting, but Ive heard its so much fun, I cant wait to get out there and shake my bootay, even if I do look like a fool while doing it. haha

I went to a buffet for dinner with my family tonight, we were out running errands and the kids and ex got hungry, so they wanted to go to a buffet. Well, I asked if they have special pricing for bariatric patients and was told they do. So, they charged me the kids price (was like $4.45 with drink). It was nice. Then I ran into the lap band coordinator for my doctor there and told her about that, she didnt even know they had special pricing for band patients. I would have never even thought to ask if it wasnt for this group! Thanks, I saved over $6 just on my dinner tonight!! (and it was great to have a little steak for dinner since Chicken doesnt seem to agree with me and gets stuck)

I had VERY small pieces and chewed alot, just seems that the dryness of chicken is not sitting well with me. Gotta love the learning curve, right? haha

Good luck! You CAN do this. I started my process in 2008 and lost motivation. I finally got my band Dec 22nd. It does seem like a long time, but be patient, this is just a speed bump. Its not the first and it definitely wont be the last. Look to the future....what do you want life to look like in a year, because 1 year from now, you can have your band and be on the road to losing. Keep your chin up!

I just had an issue this week with my mom, she wanted to go to an upscale brazilian BBQ buffet place for her birthday dinner. They charge $21.95 per person....I told her that I would not go because I cannot justify paying that much money when I am only going to eat about a cup or so of food (I've only had 1 fill, and not at full restriction yet). She got very hurt and upset that I was not willing to go there for her birthday, but I dont feel that is fair to me either. The thing that bothers me most is BOTH my parents had gastric bypass surgery (about 25 yrs ago) so if anyone, they should understand. I wish places around here had special pricing for bariatric patients, that would be awesome