SeattleSweetie

Hi there, I'll keep this short, but if you're in the Seattle area looking for a WL surgeon, I highly recommend doctor McMahon. He's my surgeon, and he and his whole team are fantastic. He's got a dedicated insurance specialist, dedicated bariatric nutritionist, and a whole team of support people, nurses, even therapists and psychologists. The ladies who do his fills are super supportive and always available to help you out, answer questions, provide guidance and emotional support, and more. I say all that to point out that if you're a patient of Doctor McMahon, you have tons of support, and are never without someone who can help you. If anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me, I'll be happy to answer!

How to shrink your liver (and increase short-term weight loss) – the low-carb diet I was planning on writing a fairly short and concise post to reply to someone’s question on this in another thread, but I seem to see the same “How do I shrink my liver” or “How do I lose weight quick for surgery” questions fairly often, and unless I missed over it, I didn’t really see a good explanation post anywhere, so this is my attempt to help anyone with these questions… if it turns out someone already covered this topic, then my apologies. One of the fastest ways to shrink your liver to get ready for surgery is with a super-low carb diet. Fat, Protein, salt, and even calories don't matter quite as much - it's really all about carbs. “Why?” Carbohydrates are basically sugar and starch, and they break down into glucose molecules. When used as energy, carbohydrates become fuel for your muscles and brain. If your body does not have any use for the glucose (for those of us who don't do daily weight training, run marathons, or get regular extensive exercise), it is converted into glycogen and stored it in the liver and muscles as an energy reserve. Your body can store about a half a day's supply of glycogen. If your body has more glucose than it can use as energy, or convert to glycogen for storage, the excess is converted to fat. So, the amount of carbohydrate you eat determines the amount of glycogen stored in the liver and thus, the size. *** “How does it work?” A good way to shrink your liver for the short-term is with a diet of less than 30 grams of carbs per day, and preferably only 1/3rd of your day's calories coming from fat. Without eating carbs, you will start draining glycogen from your liver immediately, reducing it’s mass, and as an added bonus, at the same time, your body will start converting fat back into energy and working it off to supplement the missing glycogen (I've lost 24 pounds since May 7th by doing absolutely nothing except going low-carb. A good part of that is, of course, Water weight, but more on that below). Conversely, if you only do a low-fat diet, but continue eating many carbs, you won't get automatic weight loss (or a smaller liver), you will still have to work off your stored fat by either exercising or dramatically reducing your overall caloric intake, because your body does not need to burn stored fat if you have plenty of carbs (and thus, glycogen) coming in to support your energy needs. You must burn 3500 calories to lose one pound of fat, if you go this route. That doesn’t mean you reduce 3500 calories from what you eat now, it means, you have to eat 3500 less than your body actually burns, and if you sit on your ass all day, as I do, your body doesn’t burn much, trust me. I should mention, the goal here isn't to burn a bunch of fat, it's just to shrink your liver by not storing glycogen, and to lose any weight required by your doctor or insurance company pre-op. This diet will help you burn fat the longer you stay on it, but initial weight-loss is mostly water weight. More on that below. (Please realize though, a low-carb diet is not necessarily healthy long-term, see A Low-Carb Diet is Wrong for further explanation) When you start a low-carb diet, you'll probably find that your daily calorie intake also drops, even if you still eat a large quantity of food. That's because a lot of low- or no-carb foods actually tend to be low in calories as well. A huge three-egg (or even four-egg!) omelet filled with onions, mushrooms, bell peppers and cheese will only run you a few hundred calories, and very few carbs (about 5 or so total). “Are there any short term side-effects?” Well, I’m definitely not a doctor, so I can’t tell you ‘no’ for sure. But I can say from my experience this past month, there are only two things I noticed, and both have to do with what comes out of your body more than what goes into it (be forewarned)… The first week or so, I peed more than I think I ever have in my entire life. I swear, I was going to the bathroom once an hour. Actually, I was a bit worried until I Google’d it and found out that this is because glycogen contains large amounts of water, so burning glycogen leads to the release of water and increased urination. Also, I had fairly soft, almost diarrhea-like BMs for the first couple of weeks until my body adjusted. This is for the same reason noted above. Other than that, I’ve had no short-term problems that I know of. No fatigue or lack of energy so long as I kept protein in my diet, and everything else seemed normal. There can be long-term side effects if you decide to make this a permanent eating plan (see this site for explanation), but let’s be honest, none of us want to live a life without yummy carbs forever, right? So this probably shouldn’t be a big problem for us. “Cool, I’ll just stop eating bread!” That's a good start, but it's not good enough. You must research and watch your labels - fruits, many vegetables (squash, tomatoes, corn, etc), milk, yogurt, many other dairy products (except most cheeses, from what I’ve seen, I don’t know why), salad dressings, and any sugar-containing condiments like ketchup, barbeque sauce, relish, etc, all contain many carbs. It's not just about bread and Pasta. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg! One cup of milk is 13 carbs (no, I don’t mean ‘cup’ like the big-a$$ cups you drink out of at dinner, I mean a measuring cup – 8oz)! That’s half your day’s allotment right there. A yogurt can run you from 20-40 carbs, depending on brand. One cob of corn is 30 carbs, a tomato is 5, salad dressings average about 5 per tablespoon, a simple and healthy apple is still 25-35 carbs, and don’t even think about having a glass of orange juice. Also, check the labels on those prepackaged foods advertised as 'low-carb'. By USDA guidelines, they may be allowed to advertise as low-carb, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re low enough for YOU. A "low-carb" ice cream bar is still 8 grams of carbs - nearly a third of your allowed daily intake just for one wimpy little desert that doesn’t even taste good! “Fine, I need to shrink my liver, and I’m going to use a low-carb diet to do it. Well, where do I start?” The first thing to do that will really help you is to start a daily carb count list. This can be a big, dramatic Excel spreadsheet or a simple list on a piece of scrap paper, but either way, it will help you keep track of what you’re really eating, and help you make sure you’re really sticking to your limit. You just need some place where you can write down the number of carbs you’ve eaten for the day so that when the nighttime munchies come around and that gross low-carb ice cream bar is starting to sound really good, you can see that you already hit your carb limit for the day and grab a piece of cheese or a hard-boiled egg instead. I use a fairly simple excel spreadsheet myself, and I only track calories, fat, and carbs because that's really all I'm worried about right now. At the bottom of each column, a “Daily Totals” row has a basic formula that adds all my entries together and gives me a total for the day. It’s simple enough for me and not too much fuss. This is an example of my spreadsheet: (Don’t use my meals here as an example though, I’m still a bit too high on fat, and need to be a bit better at cutting back on it.) The second thing to do is to start reading the labels on everything you put in your mouth – and I mean EVERYTHING! I know it sounds harsh, but remember, this will only be short-term. If you stay on track now, you won’t have to live this way for the rest of your life. Check out the carb count for all your packaged food, and for any fresh or unlabeled food, look it up online. Here are a couple good websites to help you out: Carb Counter on about.com My favorite nutritional guide, Eddie on Everything, is currently down as I write this post, but I’m including it just in case it’s just a temporary glitch and it comes back up. If it does, this is a fabulous resource. Also, don’t forget to include everything you drink on your daily tracker also. fruit juice, milk, hot chocolate, and especially soda can include an entire day’s carbs – or even more! – in just one serving. If you must, at least go for diet/sugar-free soda, but if you can handle just sticking to water for the time being, that’s the best. This is a good thing to train yourself on before your surgery anyway, as drinking liquid calories after surgery can really sabotage all your other hard work and keep you from losing weight. Also, stay away from coffee drinks with milk – lattes, mochas, etc. If you absolutely must have your caffeine hit, drink tea or drip coffee and watch the carbs on any cream and sugar you use. “I can't do this! Everything I like has carbs in it!” Okay, hold up, don’t get too discouraged yet. Remember, this isn’t forever. Besides, there are lots of good things to eat that will keep you on track. You just have to think a little harder about it. Here’s some ideas: Breakfast: A cup of cottage cheese and a hard-boiled egg or two. Scrambled eggs (with just a tiny bit of milk mixed in) or an omelet with some chopped onions, a bit of bacon crumbled in (just watch the fat) or a few slices of lunch meat ham cut up in pieces, a chopped bell pepper, and some shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese mixed in or melted on top. Lunch A 6 oz can of tuna fish with a little mayo, a small bit of relish (watch the carb count on it), some shredded cheese and maybe a bit of diced cucumber mixed in. Eat it like a salad instead of on bread. Shredded or diced chicken mixed with some cream cheese (the 1/3 less fat Neufchatel kind is really good! I like it even better than regular cream cheese) or a couple Laughing Cow cheese soft wedges and spooned onto cucumber slices. Try English cucumbers, they have zero carbs, a thinner and better-tasting skin than normal cucumbers, and very few seeds. Taco salad with no chips or tortilla shell. Use sour cream instead of salsa – there’s more fat, but salsa has lots of carbs. Dinner A big, huge, lean steak with some salad or veggies on the side. Check the carbs on the salad dressing, but don’t think you can’t have any at all. Just make sure you stay within your daily limit. Grilled chicken or salmon with some veggies on the side (just make sure they’re lower-carb veggies like asparagus, steamed cabbage, steamed or grilled bell peppers, etc. Helpful hint – butternut squash is not only delicious, it’s also the only squash with virtually no carbs, so go crazy!) and a sugar free Jello cup or two for dessert. Also, remember, this isn’t famine time. Go ahead and put some butter on your veggies, just don’t go crazy. A quarter-cup of butter isn’t going to taste any better than a tablespoon will. Trust me… Oooh, helpful hint... a company called Walden Farms makes a bunch of no-calorie, no-fat, no-sugar, no-carb, no-glucose condiment type items that actually taste really good! Salad dressings, mayo, fruit spreads, pasta sauces, dessert things like a really yummy chocolate syrup, etc. (The only thing I DON’T recommend is the Peanut Butter. Trust me on this, it’s not good.) They’re a bit pricy, usually about $4 or $5 an item at the grocery store, but if you can afford it, I highly recommend them. They taste really good, and they’re practically nothing but air. When I eat salads, I’m one of those people who likes to drench my salad in dressing. But let me tell you… 4 or 5 tablespoons of regular dressing with 10 grams of fat and 5 carbs each tbs sure adds up quick. Walden Farms is a much happier option for me. Check them out at their Walden Farms Website. The last thing to remember is not to beat yourself up too much. Yes, you really do have to be careful while you’re on this diet. But like everything else in life, if something goes wrong and you fall off the wagon, one bite, one meal, one day, remember tomorrow is a new start. Wake up, start over, and remember than your best effort is better than no effort at all. Well folks, that’s all I’ve got on the top of my head right now. Hopefully this post will help someone out there. If you have questions, or if there’s any big topic that I missed, let me know, otherwise, I wish all of you the very very best on your journeys! ***most of this paragraph was copied from this page. It provided a better explanation than I came up with on my own. This isn’t an attempt to steal someone else’s writting and claim it as my own.

I totally wish you all the best, I think you'll really love him and his whole team!

My first time posting a pic! Only 150 lbs to go!!! LOL

I feel for you! It's horrible being stuck. And being in a public place the first time it happens - horrifying! I felt like I was going to die my first time. The pain is just excruciating. I can tell when I'm about to throw up, cause for the few seconds before, I completely lose the ability to breathe. I try to inhale, and I can't, and then I throw up. Just wretched! Thank God I've figured out how to eat without getting stuck, but it happened a few times before I learned to be really careful. Learn from your first time and be super careful about everything you eat. Hopefully you won't have to go through it again!!! ((((hugs!)))

How to shrink your liver (and increase ST weight loss) – the low-carb, pre-op diet Hope this helps!

I'm glad you guys like the site! It's been fun to make because it gives me incentive to try cooking new things. I'll be posting some crockpot cranberry pork ribs soon that I made tonight! YUM I'm lucky, Pasta still agrees with me at this point, but it has to be fresh-cooked. When I make larger pasta dishes, everything that's not eaten in the first meal becomes lunches and leftovers for hubby. Re-heated pasta just hates me. But it saves me from having to prepare/shop for/cook/think of lunches for him, so it works out well. The one leftover pasta thing I was able to eat was the chicken-yogurt-pesto-pasta that I made. I'm not sure if it was doable because of the creamy yogurt, or cause I cold-rinsed it right away after cooking ro whatever, but that's the one thing that still seems to agree with me. As for bread - it normally doesn't go down real well, but TOAST is still great for me. :biggrin: Also, if you like my site, you'll love this one even better: FoodWishes It's not mine, but it's a site I found quite a while back and really, really enjoy. This has really been the hardest thing for me too. SO MANY TIMES I walk into the kitchen cause I just feel like I need to be eating something. Anything. I want something sweet, I want something salty, I want some carbs, I want some milk or juice. It's horrible. I talked to my PA about it when I went back to get another fill` last week, cause I've really been struggling with wanting to consume everything around me, and she put me back on diet journaling. When I was pre-op, I was journaling everything I ate because I had to be uber-strict about my carbs so I could drastically reduce the size of my liver. After surgey though, I stopped. She thought that if I wrote down every single things I put in my mouth and kept strict count of my calories, it would be easier to motivate myself as well as watch out for my problem areas. I realized I have a strong desire to graze at night after dinner more than any other time. It's like I don't want to go to bed feeling even the tiniest bit hungry or empty. Now that I've realized that, I've started a "process", sort of, to help control it. After dinner, I portion out any leftovers into individual meal tupperware containers for lunches and dinners the next day so that I don't have a big pot or casserolle dish that I can just munch out of. Also, I've started being super-concious about the snack-type foods I have around. I no longer keep bread in the house, and all my snack things are relatively low-calorie easy things, like applesauce, low-fat yogurt, string cheese, etc. It helps having something to go to for a last-minute snack before bed that's only going to run 50-100 calories at most. I get my fix without trashing my 'diet'.

After what everyone else posted... if it still doesn't get better pretty soon, you should consider going to your doctor for a small unfill. Don't worry about 'not having any Fluid in the band'. The goal isn't to have a lot of fluid, the goal is to have the right amount (or non at all) to get you to comfortable restriction. If Water hurts going down and it doesn't get better soon, see your doc, that's not normal or desireable. If it is stress-related tightness or something, you can always get a new fill later when things get less stressful.

I asked this question of my nutritionist not too long ago, and she said to eat soups and cereal as you wish, but just to not drink the leftover liquid after the solids are gone. She said the liquid that mixes in with each bite is fine, it's just guzzling the milk or broth left in the bowl that will help wash things down too quickly.

Yeah, I agree, it doesn't sound quite right. Like Restless said, the doctor shouldn't be "pumping you up" for a surgery, but they shouldn't be trying to nudge you toward one that's more dangerous, a far bigger change to your system, and has a much higher risk of complications, if that's not what you went there for. I agree it sounds like he's got a bias toward GB for some reason. If it's that he's more experienced or feels more comfortable with that surgery, you'd probably be better off finding a doctor who's comfortable and supportive of the surgery you want to have. I would hate to chance going into surgery with someone who doesn't really want to do that particular surgery, and having their mindset lead to some sort of problem...

I also am just cooking for two. When I cook, I make about 4 servings of whatever I’m making. That covers dinner for us both at night, as well as leftovers for lunch the next day. This helps me cut way down on my food bill since I’m not going out for lunch or buying extra, specific lunch-type items at the grocery store. (shameless promotion here: check out my lapband recipe blog. It’s got pictures, nutrition info and hopefully some ideas that you can adapt to your own situation) I cook what you could consider “normal” meals. They always include a good Protein (in a texture I can eat – such as meat cooked in the crockpot, boiled, or baked only till done but still juicy), as well as veggies or fruit and a starch-type side dish for hubby. Typically if I make a side dish of something like boxed Stovetop stuffing or boxed scalloped potatoes, they will actually last for two days – through the next day’s lunch, dinner, and then the following lunch – since I’m not eating them. It works out to a nice two-days worth of side dishes and cuts down on the amount of work to prepare dinner the second night as well. I really never prepare special foods for myself for dinner (just for Snacks and whatnot), I just make sure that some components of my meals are healthy for me to eat. Hubby has absolutely no problem eating like a cow around me sometimes! :thumbup: I just sit and chew slowly while he mauls through a whole plate, and we both finish about the same time and both feel satisfied. It works out well for us. As for friends feeling bad to eat around me though, or eating too much, it’s really not that bad for me. While they eat a lot of food, I just take a few bites of the various things they’re eating. I stay within a reasonable amount of food, but I still get to try everything they’re having and be satisfied in the end. Sometimes it’s hard, but in general, being able to eat the same TYPES of food, if not the same amount, really helps me feel good about it. Of course, this isn’t something I do on a regular basis, so when I go out with friends, it’s not a big deal if I splurge just a tiny bit.

:cursing: Congratulations!!!!

Just be careful with what you eat and make sure you get back on track before surgery. I went into surgery after a two-week pre-op diet (I didn't really do too well on it :cursing:) and my liver was too big for my doctor to properly place the band, so they closed me back up and made me go home and do a 6-week low-carb diet to shrink my liver and then I had to have a second surgery to actually get the band in. It's super-hard to stick to something like this, but just try to remember that this little bit of "suffering" now is going to help make it possible for you to get through the rest of your life in good shape and (hopefully!) happiness.

This isn't a weight-loss specific site, but it's a blog I've been reading for about a year or so now, and I just love it. The guy who runs it (Chef John) is a professional chef down in California and he does short online videos of all his recipes (He's also an about.com food guide and a foodbuzz featured publisher). It's great especially for people who may not be the best cooks cause you can kindof get a better idea for the technique of things by watching. Also, Chef John is rather funny, so the videos are not only informational, but entertaining as well. chicken.html" rel="external nofollow">some-good-frickin-paprika-chicken chicken-chili-or-chile-verde chicken-caesar-springrolls-ultimate-low-carb-wrap getting-under-skin-for-great-big-juicy-breasts turkey-chili-mooooooove-over-chuck garlic-fennel-and-orange-grilled chicken-breasts-with-herbs-de-provence budget-beef-merlot-succulent-beef roasted-pork-tenderloin-with-fresh-plum roast-pork-tenderloin-with-apple-dijon italian-meatballs-lets-get-rolling i-have-met-enemy-and-he-is-me-please black-pepper-crusted-pork-tenderloin Hope you enjoy!!

I absolutely LOVE Trader Joes also! Here are a couple more items for you to try if you have any way to transport frozen foods... Lapband Eating 4 Life: Delicious nutritious chicken strips - straight from your freezer! Lapband Eating 4 Life: Super Easy Cheaty Spaghetti and Meatballs These are really really uber-great. Hope you're able to try them!

I've started a little blog of a number of recipes I've come up with and others that I've just adjusted to be lapband-friendly. It's got pictures and everything! Hopefully maybe this will help also? Lapband Eating 4 Life Hope you enjoy. :cursing:

Agreed, get in touch with your insurance company first - either through their website or customer service number, and ask for the names of any in-network bariatric surgeons or centers they work with. Next, call whoever they refer you to - every bariatric doctor that I have heard of has an "introductory seminar" type event, if you will, that they require all new or prospective patients to attend. It's basically like a sales meeting where they tell you the benefits, the requirements, etc etc. While you're there, you'll get a packet of papers giving you next steps and exactly what to do to get started. Also, I recommend you attend sessions like these with at least a couple of different doctors. You'll get somewhat different info from each one (such as their pre-op requirements, diet, etc), and you'll get a feel for who you really like or which doctor seems the most responsive, friendly, personable, or whatever traits matter most to you. I went to three different seminars before I found a doctor that I really liked. He seemed much more thorough and strict about his pre-op diet and his medical and office assistants that were at the seminar were all very friendly and caring. It would seem to some that they would want to go with a doctor who would go easy and let them get the surgery no matter what, but I wanted a doctor who was more strict and concerned with proper pre-op and post-op diet and whatnot because I felt he was more concerned overall with the general care of the patient, rather than having a lax, 'anything goes' type of attitude just to get patients in the door. The doctor I ended up choosing also had the lowest rate of complications, slips, and other problems, probably because he was so determined to help his patients take care of themselves properly. Overall, it was a great experience, and there really is a HUGE difference between different doctors, so attend a couple of different seminars and go with your gut instinct. I know it will probably take an extra week or two to schedule multiple appointments and whatnot, but take it from someone who knows, picking someone you're really comfortable with is more important than getting into surgery a week earlier. You will be relying on this doctor and his or her staff for so much, you want someone you feel good about. Once you've picked the one you like, contact their office or read through the instruction packet they gave you at the seminar. They will be quick to help facilitate and oversee everything you need to do, such as pre-op testing, evaluations, organize medical histories, etc. More than likely, they'll have certain doctors that they use all the time for various tests, so they'll know who to send you to for everything. When I started the program, I was actually given a checklist of each test and evaluation I needed to have done, the name and contact number for the doctor to do it, and the timeline of which things I needed to do first in order to submit for insurance approval, and then the smalled things I could have done later down the road. Just talk to the doctor you choose, they'll get you going on the right path.

Ahhh... this thread makes me sad. :cursing: I quit smoking weed about 4 years ago in the midst of a "Moral Improvement" or something, and at the same time got rid of a lot of friends who really weren't good for me. I don't miss the friends, but I dearly miss the weed. I guess once you're an addict, your addiction never goes away. Honestly, if I still had weed-smoking friends, I'd definitely start again. Unfortunately though, they were all gotten rid of long ago. No contacts anymore. Plus, the way the economy is now, I'd probably be afraid to start for fear of losing my job (I work in the banking industry) and having to pass drug screens in order to find a new one. Anywhoo, this doesn't have anything to do with the original question, but it just got me musing... :thumbup:

I faked it by telling people I found out I had a thyroid condition and that it was finally being treated. When I started losing weight and obviously having more energy and whatnot, I attributed it to medication and hormone replacement for thyroid treatment. I know, it's not good to lie, and I should 'stand up and be proud' and all that, but that's not how it worked for me. I have a number of people I work with that I don't particularly care for, and I didn't want to feel like they were looking down on me with the standard thin-person mentality of "oh look, she had to get surgery cause she couldn't do it on her own". I kindof chose the thyroid excuse as a way to say "hey look, it's not my fault I'm fat, no one knew I just had a medical problem". Sad, but it was much easier to handle that way and I don't feel self-consious at work wondering what people are thinking or saying about me behind my back. And plus now, when people say I'm looking good and ask if I'm losing weight, or how I'm feeling, I feel really good about myself knowing they're actually happy that I'm getting better, instead of judging me behind fake smiles or something.

Haha. Glad most of you enjoyed! I love this, and I agree, I don't understand what the heck she is doing as the VP nom. Good pick for Obama, bad pick for McCain.

Haha, gotta love it. As posted by John Ridley on Huffingtonpost.com hair on national TV it's an "adorable moment." (Seriously, forget about abstinence only, teach these folks some grooming skills). DTD SAYS: If your pastor rails against inequality in the United States of America, you're an "extremist." If your pastor welcomes a sermon by a member of Jews for Jesus who preaches that the killing of Jews by terrorists is a lesson to Jews that they must convert to Christianity, you're a "fundamentalist." If you're a black man and you use a scholarship to get into college, then work your way up to being the president of the Harvard Law Review, you're "uppity." If you're a conservative and your parents pay your way to Hawaii Pacific University . . . you only have four more schools to attend over the next five years before you somehow manage to graduate (it might be five more schools over the next five years. No one has yet verified whether or not Palin was actually ever registered at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. But, you know how shady people are who ever attended any kind of school in Hawaii). SeanOcali says: If you're 18, white, and get a 16 year old girl pregnant "life happens." If you're 18, black, and impregnate a 16 year old girl, you're a "registered sex offender." If you spend 18 months building a campaign around the theme of "Change," it's just "empty rhetoric." If one week before your party's national convention you SUDDENLY make your candidacy about "Change," that's "red meat." And your last lesson for the day: If you are a Democrat, an Independent, or even a moderate Republican, if you're female, male, white, black, Asian, Hispanic, bi-racial, multi-ethnic, or GLBT, if you're a Jew, Gentile, Muslim, agnostic or atheist -- "Yes, we can!" If you're a pitbull with lipstick from Alaska, "Yup, yup!"

Well, after having to postpone my surgery back in May because my liver was too big and they couldn't get around it to do the surgery, I did my low-carb diet for six weeks and tried again. Honestly, the diet sucked. I stuck to it, but I really wasn't happy. I got so damned tired of eating tuna fish and cottage cheese! During the last week of my diet, I found that a deli in my building where I worked sold these organic bagels that were *just* low enough in carbs (30g each) that I could have a bagel for breakfast if I didn't eat any other carbs at all for the rest of the day. Let me tell you, that is the only thing that got me through, I swear, I was missing bread so bad! So anyway, I went back in for surgery on June 23rd, this past Monday, and it went really well. My doctor told me afterward that my liver had shrunk so much that it was only a quarter of what it was at the last surgery (my liver was really huge before, apparently). So everything went great, I got my band in, they kept me overnight, and released me the next day. My large incision still hurts a bit, and is pretty tender, but it's so little that I'm off of pain pills as of yesterday. Also the gas pains were gone before I even left the hospital. I lost 29 lbs on my low-carb diet and I've lost another 8lbs since surgery (though I hate to see how much that's going to slow down once I'm allowed to eat real food again), so I'm doing really good and I'm super-happy! Thank you guys for all your support before!

There is a whole subforum on the topic of fills. You'll find your answers here - Lap-Band Fills - Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum

I got my first fill today (yay me!) and have a question - I have a 14 cc band, and I found out today that they already put 4ccs in when I was in surgery. So today, I go in and the PA who does the fills asked me how much I was eating and how often I was hungry, and whatnot, and then decided to give me another 1.5 cc's, for a total of 5.5. She said she starts most people out with a 5cc total fill, but since I had 4 already she'd give me the extra half. That 1.5 ccs just doesn't sound like a lot, considering I've been almost as hungry lately as I was before surgery and I'm able to eat a lot of food (I try not to, but the hunger kicks in). So my question is... is a 1.5 cc fill enough to really make a difference in how hungry someone is? It just sounds like such a small amount, it seems like that would barely be any additional restriction.

Thanks and I wish you all the success in the world too! :biggrin: