sprtsmom

Hi, I'm 6 weeks post op and just had my second fill...total 1.5cc I live near the NJ border about 15 minutes west of Trenton. Lori

When I went to the Dr.today for my second fill we had a conversation about foods. Since I've been heavy my whole life I always look at foods and see fat vs. calories. vs carbs vs Protein etc. He told me to throw that out the window and just eat. If I want something sweet...have it. If I crave Lasagne...have it. The band will help me to eat small portions. BUT more important then how much I eat at each sitting...is how long I stay satisfied and don't need to eat again. That's how you determine if you need a fill. When I think about my eating habits, it's not that I've been a junk food junky...it's that I eat WAY TOO MUCH of the "right foods." I always needed so much food...in sheer quantity...to satisfy me...even temporarily...that I had to obsess with the calories, etc of everything I put in my mouth. All day today, everytime I picked up something, or thought about what I should eat.. I had to force myself not to dissect what I was going to eat. It will not be easy to change my obsession with food....I realize now that not only did I obsess about when I was going to eat...but I also realized that that created a whole other obsession as well. Lori

You are clearly motivated and following thru with all the things that we all need to do (me included) to make this work. We all have to remember (especially me) that the band is just a tool. One spoke in the wheel! Thanks for the info. Clearly the first thing I need to do is drink more water! Lori in PA

Babs- What a great weight loss. You should be sooo proud. I know that all of us lose at different rates/speeds and have different fill amounts. But I'm curious. What's your fill, and what do you eat on an average day? Lori in PA 7/9/03 239/215/125

I'm trying to understand the "anatomy" of the band. It would seem to me that regardless of the amount of fill, the pouch itself is still the same size. Therefore regardless of how tight the band itself is, there should be no difference of what can go down the esophagus into the pouch as that area wasn't touched. The only difference would be how fast/slow the pouch empties. So why do some foods...like steak..or for me fish...come right back up. Why do some foods "hurt" when they are first going into the pouch? Why does one feel more restricted at different times of the day? I'm so confused. Lori in PA 7/9/03 239/216/125

I am 3 months post op and just had my 5th fill. My doctor believes in going in tiny increments and since he is around the corner and the price of the fills is included in my surgery cost (self pay), I didn't argue with him. I can tell you that I had absolutely no restriction (could eat a whole steak) until my 4th fill which brought me to 2.25 cc's. But eventhough I had some restriction, I could still eat 2 cups of food at a sitting (easily). So this past week I went to 2.5cc's. There is no question about it, there is a big difference. I still am not at that "sweet spot" as I can easily eat 1-1/12 cups per sitting, but we are making progress. The MD told me that at this point each fill will only be 1/8th of a cc, as when you get past 2.5 each 1/8th of a cc makes a BIG difference. So I am going to set up an apt for next week for an 1/8 of a cc and see how that goes. Each one of us want a different level of restriction. I don't want to be able to only eat 1/2 cup, some people like that idea. I want to get down to 1 cup per sitting and if I lose a little slower because of it, so be it. I have to be able to live with the band forever. I think the key word for all of us is "patience." I have to keep reminding myself that I have been heavy forever, an extra month or two doesn't spell "failure." Lori in PA

Welcome to the "otherside." Congrats on your incredible weight loss. Just stay the course, eat slowly, follow the rules, be patient. and the lbs will fall off. Lori in PA 239/215/125

I am 10 weeks post up and have pb'd 3 times. What's strange is that it is only when I eat fish. The first time I ate broiled salmon, the second - rainbow trout, and the third lobster. Each time I ate slowly and chewed. The fish was not dry. 2 nights ago I had hamburger, no problem. Last night I had lamb chops, no problem. This is so wierd. I have to change my complete "diet" mentality as to what to eat. Lori in PA

I had my fourth fill last Friday...I now have 2.25cc's and for the first time I have restriction. I was banded on 7/9 and have never PB'd..that is until yesterday. I notice that I must eat much less...perhaps a cup of food...at a sitting. Now that won't take me from lunch all the way to dinner, so I usually have a snack (healthy) in the afternoon and evening. If the food is dry...forget about it. chicken breast just won't go down. Well yesterday was the first time that I really felt the restriction. I had a cup of chicken vegetable Soup and then I took the first bite of broiled salmon...and OOPS...it got stuck...felt like I had this GIANT burp that was stuck. I had to leave the restaurant and tried to walk around the parking lot to get some relief while I pounded on by chest..as if I was an infant needing to burb. Finally I took my courage in hand and I leaned over and tried to gag...and low and behold...by first PB. It was just like everyone discribed....I feel so apart of the bandster world now!!!! Now my question is how do I know if I have too much restriction. What are the signs? I had previously been at 2cc's with no restriction and now I am 2.25 and am finally feeling something. Should I go to 2.50 or should I stay where I am? Lori in PA

You've lost 42 lbs in 3 1/2 months and you want to speed it up? If I were you I'd keep doing exactly what I was doing and not change anything. Lori in PA

Now that I have good restriction (and my first restriction at all) at 2.25 cc's (4th fill) I find that I have to eat small amounts. I can't eat much even if I wanted to...it just won't go down. So I pick things to eat that I really want...knowing that I can only eat a little bit. For example the other day I was forced by circumstances to pick fast food for Breakfast. I got an Egg McMuffin...knowing there was no way I could eat most of it. I threw the bread away, and ate 3/4 of the egg patty out of my hand. I was very satified....and what was even better...is that a)I would never have an EggMcM when I was on a "diet" and pre-band I would have eaten two! Eating this way allows me to enjoy the foods I never allowed myself while dieting and keeps my total calorie count down and my Protein level high. Just to check myself at the end of the day I have kept track on Fitday of my foods for the last 3 days to see how its going. Curiously enough, each day I have between 60-80 grams of protein and less then 1200 calories. I am not going to be on a "diet" anymore. I will once in a while check myself to see if my protein and calories are in line. I will go to the MD in 3 weeks to get weighed. Lori in PA

Aren't you lucky! Paris! My MD is around the corner - less then 10 minutes from my house. After my consultation the only shopping I got to do was the food shopping. Good luck and have a great time! Lori in PA

I feel like an old pro...and I'm only 2 months out! Do not push yourself to eat if it is uncomfortable. At this point your body is healing. Anything before 6 weeks post up is during the healing stage and you want to give your body a rest. If you don't lose weight during this period, don't sweat it. Whenever you try to eat something..and all of a sudden you have a strange feeling...STOP. Step back..and evaluate...stay on liquids another day...try again..perhaps something different...softer/wetter...try again. Believe me you'll get there and be happier and healthier. Lori in PA

Thanks for all of your advice. I called the MD and cancelled my fill apt for tomorrow. I am going to stay at 2.25 cc's for a month and see how my weight goes. Clearly I am in a place that I can only eat 3/4 cup or so of food at a sitting. It's terrific. I feel so ready to start losing weight. So for all you newbies out there...be patient...it took me 2 1/2 months to feel any restriction at all... I went from no restriction to what seems to be perfect for now. Lori

Calling all women over 40...run, do not walk, to your local ticket company (i.e. ticketmaster) to see if Menopause the Musical is playing in your area. For those in the NY area it is playing off Broadway at the 91st Street Playhouse ( 91st and First). It is absolutely hysterical. Four women meet in Bloomingdales and sing (to 60's and 70's) music about the perils of menopause. I laughed so hard that I had stomach pains afterwards and was afraid I might have moved or flipped my port. There wasn't a dry eye in the house from laughing. Take your mother, sisters, and friends. Don't miss it. Lori in PA

You maybe frustrated re the band, but aren't you glad they found out about your heart problem? No sense being thin if you're dead. Let's all put our priorities right. We all want to look good, but the real reason we are doing this is to be HEALTHY. It seems to me that taking care of your heart problem should be your #1 priority. I know that you are disappointed, but try to look at the bright side of things and keep a positive outlook. All will work out in the end. Lori:)

Wow Donali that is exactly what I was trying to get across. My life has taken a back seat to my obsession with food. I could probably tell you to within 5 calories the content of any food in any size, shape, or wieght. That's nuts. What am I eating? When am I eating? Where am I eating? What's in it, what's not? I just want to eat when I'm hungry, eat what I'm in the mood for, in a reasonable way. The vast majority of my choices will be good, nutritious ones, and sometime slightly less nutritious. But I agree...there are no BAD foods, and I'm not BAD if I eat them at times. So I will eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. AND NOT OBSESS. The band will be a tool that I use to help me realize when I have had enough. Lori 7/9/2003 Dr. Costantino in Langhorne, PA 239/221/125

I was tired for a long time. I'd say about a month. I could take 2 naps a day. But that was the only post op symptom I had. No pain, no PB, no nothing. So I just slept a lot!!! My port is VERY close to the skin. When I lie down you can feel it with your fingers, but when I stand up you can almost see the little bulge if you look close. I guess that makes fills easier! Lori

Alexandra, That's EXACTLY how I feel about it! Hope you're doing well. Lori

From the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep I think about food. I don't want to make it sound as if I don't function, I do. I have a business and I went back to school and now at age 46 am a junior in college. I just felt it was time to stop THINKING about food. What I eat, when I eat, what am I going to eat, how many calories does it have, how much fat, etc etc. I understand that dieting takes thought and planning. But I am so sick and tired of DIETING. I want to just live and eat normally. Lori 239/221/125 Banded 7/9/02 just had 2nd fill total 1.5 cc's

Good points Babs, but I was trying to say that I obsess almost as much about the calories as I do about eating. For me obsession of any kind is no good. I need to change the way I approach food as a whole.

It is my understanding that the basic fill schedule is as follows: 1cc 1/2 cc 1/2 cc 1/4 cc 1/4 cc 1/8 cc etc

This was my second fill in less then a week. Normally the MD makes you wait a week before fills, but since I had no restriction and both of us are going on vacation he allowed me to come back today. This time I watched and learned some interesting facts. The MD inserted this long but thin needle into my port. The syringe was EMPTY. The way he knew that he hit the port was the Fluid in the port is UNDER PRESSURE. The instant he hit the port, the saline started to back into the syringe until it filled the syringe to 1cc (the amount that I had during my first fill.) Then the doctor removed the syringe and left the needle protruding from my stomach (you don't feel anything). He added saline to the syringe so that now it had 1.5cc in it. He reconnected the syringe to the needle (you still don't feel anything) and slowly pushed the saline back in. Then he removed the needle and the syringe and put on a bandaid. I know it sounds creepy but it really was no big deal. He also explained to me that it is less important how much I eat at a sitting as it is how long I can go between meals without being hungry and feeling satisfied. Lori

I had my first fill today, and the MD told me something I thought was very interesting. He said it doesn't really matter how much you eat at a sitting (of course don't gorge) but what really matters is how long you feel full for AFTER you've eaten. I told him I can eat a cup and a half of food easily, sometimes 2 cups. It didn't matter...as long as there were at least 4 hours in between meals. Now of course pre fill I could go about 90 minutes before I was hungry again. I have always been a volume eater...but I tend to eat healthy things..just too much of them. The goal is to eat a reasonable portion and then not get hungry easily thereafter. Lori

Since I was banded in July I feel like an old pro compared to you newbies!! I just want to tell all of you it will be over before you know it and believe me going to the dentist is 10 times worse then this surgery. I had my first fill today and it was also nothing. Didn't even feel it. (without any anesthesia). Good luck to all of you. I'm sure you'll do fine and you'll be soooo happy you did it. Lori