Xann77

I'm so glad I found this thread! I think this is what I've been experiencing!

And DEbW -- how long do I stop eating for? Until it passes and then try to resume my meal? That seems to work ok but I'm wondering if that's what I'm supposed to be doing? Or am I supposed to stop eating altogether for a while? Just seems odd to sit down to a meal and then have to end it after one bite.

Ok, so then this might be a silly question, but I think I thought that the food would sit in the stoma/pouch for a while, not go straight through -- like liquids I guess. I don't know, it sort of confuses me! Am I supposed to be filling up the pouch or is the pain of each bite going through the band that's supposed to stop me from eating so much? I though I understood this very well but evidently I dont!

So I take it from reading some other posts that what I'm feeling is a "Golfball" as the lovely term is used?? What am I supposed to do when I get the first feeling of a golfball? Stop eating, slow down? PLEASE HELP ME WITH YOU WISDOM FELLOW BANDSTERS!!!!

Hmm... well since my big fill, I feel pain..not sharp pain, but just real uncomfortable... soudns crazy but it works pretty good!

Thank you!!!! Me too!!!!

Hi Everyone!! Thanks so much for the warm welcome. I'm really excited to be part of your group and I think I really NEED this too. It's so important to be able to talk to people who are going through the same things. I'm excited to report today that I lost 3 more pounds, which makes a total of 6 pounds lost since my first fill about two weeks ago!!! That makes me REALLY happy!! Funny how the scale can completely determine your mood for the day eh??!?! Anyway, I'm going to go all the way back to the first pages of messages and catch up so I can know a little bit more about you guys. Talk later!

I TOTALLY wish I hadn't told so many people. I didn't tell anyone at work but my entire FAMILY knows about it and I feel like they're watching me like a hawk! Got into a big fight with my mom the other day because she was like, "gosh honey, I'm so depressed because when I saw you it looked like you hadn't lost anything at all." I wanted to strangle her. She (and most people) didn't really understand that you don't lose much weight until AFTER you get a good fill! So, here I was a couple months post-surgery and not showing any drastic weight loss... well, I know that's normal, and all my bandster friends here know that's normal... but everyone ELSE does not! The good news is that I got filled to 2.0cc's the other day and I'm finally feeling restriction! HAve lost 6 pounds in two weeks so I'm feeling pretty good now. Good luck!!!!

Ok, I'm in!!! It will be a stretch, but I've been hovering around 222 for weeks now and I just got a good fill so I'm ready to go to WORK. Thanks for starting the challenge!!!

Can I ask you a gross question -- when you PB, do you actually throw up? I think I PB'd last night for the first time, but I didn't actually throw up. I just felt really umcomfortable and ran to the bathroom thinking that I MIGHT throw up and after a few minutes, it passed.

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so jealous!!! In a good way of course :) CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Thanks Tricia! Can't wait to see that scale start to move!!!

Hi! I had my surgery on a Tuesday and took the whole following week off. I'm a corporate lawyer though and was concerned about working very looooong hours once I returned. If you could definitely leave by 5pm every day, then 5 days might not be too bad. For me, the hardest thing was how EXHAUSTED I was... just sooooo tired. I think that's because of being on such a restricted liquid diet following the surgery -- once I got on mushies it wasn't bad. The pain was bad, but definitely not HORRIBLE for me. Almost all of the pain was gone in 4 days or so, expect for soreness at the port site which is common because they attach the port to your abdominal muscle so it's sore. If you CAN take the time off -- then I would give yourself two weeks... it's nice to be able to baby yourself and not have to worry about other stuff. Hope that helps!

Hi! Thanks for starting this thread!!! Well, I was technically banded on 1/31 but since there's no January Bandsters, I'm joining you guys if you'll have me! So... Banded on 2/1/06 Weight was 236.5 on 1/29 Weight was 225.5 on 3/17 at 1st Fill of 1.3cc Weight was 222.5 on 3/27 at 2nd Fill -- only .5 in band (some evaporated!) At total fill of 1.7 now -- going in on 3/31 to make sure there is no leak and maybe get a bit more fill. So, 14 pound total loss so far. Can't wait to *really* start losing once these fills kick in!!! Good luck to everyone!!!

Thanks! 1/2 cup or LESS??? I thought the standard was 1 cup?? I think I'm able to get more than one cup down pretty easily.. but it's only been a few days since my fill so I'll see how it goes. Still so worried that I have a leak though

I'm curious about this one myself. I am super duper freaked out that I might have a leak or something because evidently, only part of my first fill was still in the band when I went back for my second fill. Lots of people on here told me not to worry too much though as it was probablly just the saline evaporating into the air that was leftover in my band from surgery. At 2.4 though, it sounds like you've had a fill for a while and know for sure that there's no leak, so that's REALLY GOOD (lucky you!). I've heard a bunch of stuff on here about your stomach shrinking, TOM issues, dehydration, etc.. and all of that can have some effect on your restriction. Try to go back on really solid Proteins again and see how you do.. maybe you (like ME) are eating too many semi-solids and aren't getting the full effect of the fill. Good luck!~

Hey! Don't get too discouraged! As many people on this site have told me, you didn't gain all the weight over night and you won't lose it overnight either. I think a lot of people (myself included) just want it to start happening NOW and we really have to get it into our heads that this will be a lifelong journey. Try to be grateful that your surgery went well and that you are healing ok... lots of people have problems just healing properly. All I can say is GOOD LUCK! And just because you don't get your first fill for a few months, doesn't mean you can't start ACTING like you have a band... that means exercising, not binging on food (which can REALLY damage your band at this early stage) and trying to eat your Protein first. Just hang in there and don't lose faith!!! Don't think about next month, think about how fabulous you'll look next YEAR!!! suzanne

Thanks everyone! So far so I good I think. I'm now back to eating solids and had to go pretty carefully with my lunch and stayed away from bread. At a business meeting for lunch so didn't want to PB all over the conference table!!! HAHAHAHAHA :):eek: Anyway, I definitely feel something different going on down there but it's not pain or anything... is the restriction supposed to feel painful??

Thanks Vines!!! I'm down with that challenge. I cannot give up until you do first! (which, hopefully will be never)

I'm buminh

So I guess no one has any experience with this? I'm the lone leaker! :)

Hey guys! So it turned out that when she went in to do the second fill this morning, about half of the saline she said she had put in on the first fill was GONE. She says that it's most likely NOT a leak (she ran a few tests -- putting in a bunch and taking out a bunch, etc), but evidently your body sometimes absorbs some of the saline from the first fill. She said this happens sometimes between the first and second fill and the doctor's aren't really sure WHY. Something to do with osmosis, or air bubbles left in the band, etc. I'm just hoping and praying that it's not a leak and that it's just normal! Anyway, maybe something like that is happening to you guys. I'd make another appointment right away. I really hated the thought of wasting time eating away while the fill isn't even working.

Oh my gosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 That's awesome and inspiring!!! BIG CONGRATS TO YOU!!!!!

Hi! Well I went in for my second fill today -- had a first fill of 1.3 cc's a little over a week ago. When she put in my second fill, she noticed that I only had about .5cc's left in there!! So, where did it go!!? She told me NOT to jump to the conclusion that I have a leak yet because evidently this is pretty common (about 50% ) in her patients between the first and second fills. And it's been noted in the medical journals/conferences -- a mysterious disappearance of the first fill. Some people think it has to do with air bubbles being left in your band after surgery... I've heard some people talk about osmosis, dehydration, etc.??? I'm trying really hard not to freak out and worry that I have a leak. When she put in the fill today, she ran three "tests"... injecting it and then pulling it back out again, in order to confirm that the same amount was still there... and it WAS! (thank heavens!). So, at the very least, it's not a major leak... Anyway, she filled me up and I think I'm feeling restriction for the first time ever... my question is, has anybody gone through the same thing or have any information about the possible causes of leakage after the first fill?? What's the deal with "osmosis, dehydration, etc"?? Thanks!!!

I'd definitely ask her to pull the last fill out to see how much you have left in there! I just got my second fill today and I was a bit worried to find out that there was only 0.5 cc's left in there -- a week ago I had 1.3 cc's put in! She told me not to get too worried about leakage yet though because evidently absorbtion of some of the fill is pretty common between the first and second fill (about 50% experience it). Anyway, she took it all out and then added another .9 cc's so I should be at 1.7 cc's now. we'll see!!!!