TQUAD64

It sounds like you are very close to getting what you want. Congrats and good luck with the surgery.

Learn from it Bella and move on. Don't beat youself up over it. I can assure you there are no Saint Banders here. We have all made some mistakes. The thing is not to repeat it and to move on. Good luck

Hi Jamie05: I have had three fills, of which two were at the doctors office. My doctor utilizes a small needle with a numbing agent and injects that into my stomach. I feel a slight pin prick. No pain. Then she has me do a sit up/stomach crunch while I lay on the table. She pats my stomach and locates the port. She then inserts the fill needle into my stomach and connects to the port. I never see the needle, not do I want to see the needle. Anyway, my doctor takes out the old fill to see what is left from the previous fills. After she measures that amount, she pushes that fill back in and adds more. I never feel any pain. I never have any bruising, and I am not sore afterwards. But again, I have only had two office fills. As far as the fills, I get great restriction for a couple of weeks and then it fades. I have never had a problem after the fill and I have never had food or Fluid stuck. I have a 10cc band, which now has 5cc. Hope the information helps.

isherself, well you have come to the right place for support and information. You might want to heck out the other threads on the forum too. Good luck on your journey.

Good luck with your banding.

I di not spend enough time exercising pre-band. I had back, knee, and ankle pain from the excess weight. Walking was painful back then. No problems now. 30 pounds down has rid me of the back, knee and ankle pain. I exercise 5X a week.

You might want to post on the age threads Age Specific Lap-Band Support Groups (NEW!) - Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum Or on the weight threads Weight Specific Lap-Band Support Groups (NEW!) - Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum

Well, I see my doctor every 4-weeks and can have a fill if I need it during that 4-week visit. However, she did state once, if I needed a fill before the next visit that she would give me one. I have never taken her up on that offer yet.

I agree with the other posters. Follow your doctor's instructions and you should be okay. Congrats on the surgery and good luck with your journey.

Congrats and good luck!

Today: Treadmil @ 4% incline 2.86 miles 55 minutes. :biggrin: My gums are still swollen even with the pain meds and antibiotics. If I am not better over the weekend, I will have to go see the dentist again on Monday.

Hi Allegra: Why do you have to wait so long for your first fill? I hang out in the exercise forum of this web site. That really motivates me. I know that does not work for everyone. But because I work long hours and have a long commute, I cannot go to a gym or meet with a buddy in person. So the best motivation for me is the exercise thread. Plus, I bought a new Ipod and every week I down load motivational songs on it to help me get through my treadmill exercise routine. Oh and the big motivation is that I have lost three pant sizes. I see results and it makes me want to keep my exercise routine going. I did not see results, I would not want to keep up with exercise. Take care,

It is natural to be nervous. I had several surgeries and I still get nervous. While I was in the prep room at the hospital for my band surgery, I thought what would happen if I just put my clothes back on and hightail it out of here. But then I remembered that it took me a year to complete so many requirements to have this surgery. And that I wanted to get healthy. I wanted to live a long and healthy life. And I knew if I did not have this surgery that I would die a young age because of weight related health issues. I had the surgery...I had some complications....And yes the first 7-days post op for me sucked! But I would do it all over again, because the band is giving me the healthy life style that I wanted back. Yes, it is natural to be nervous, but you have done your research and you picked a doctor that you trust. So just go with the process and remember all the reasons why you wanted this surgery so badly. Good luck!

Allan, I could not agree with you more. I use to be so active. Running, jogging, playing sports. I use to have so much energy. Then I gained weight...A lot of weight, which really impeded my ability just to walk. Back pain, knee pain, and ankle pain kept me from doing what I really enjoyed doing. But now that I am banded, I have so much energy. I am active and I exercise 5x a week doing what I love to do jogging and power walking. Congrats on your decision to have the band. You will not regret it. It will give you the energy to get back in the game.

At the center I go to, caffeine products are a big no-no for gastric banding patients. Caffeine is not encouraged for their Band patients either. Their reasoning for Band patients is that caffeine stimulates your appetite. I do not know if there is scientific data to back up that theory. For gastric patients, the acidic contents of the caffeine is not good for the stomach and the absorption issues associated to it. The medical field is not my profession, so this is what I learned from the bariatric center I attend. Anyway, I have always been up front with my doctor. I do coffee and my doctor knows I have coffee. Yep, every morning I have to have my java. I feel sorry for the person who runs across my path prior to my having my cup of Joe in the morning. As a treat, I go to Starbucks and have a skinny latte. It hits the spot and has Protein. But for the most part, I brew my coffee at home and only drink it in the morning.

You really need to confirm with your doctor if he/she wants you on a pre-op diet. Some doctors require it, while others do not. Good luck on your surgery.

Pre-band, I never ate a lot of bread, maybe once every two weeks. We would by a loaf and end up giving it to the ducks at the lake we live on. Post band, same way. We don't eat bread. However, I bought some thin sliced sour-dough bread last week and we toasted that up. Yummy!!! I chewed it really well and had no Band problems eating it. But it really is unusual to have bread at our house.

Lulu at this point, I just want them to pull the damn tooth out. My gums are still swollen. :-( I am going to try to get on the treadmill tonight when I get off work. Just have to see what happens.

But we all have to start out somewhere and build up to the point that works best for us. I never compare myself with others. I always try to out do my last personal best. Not Ceradad or Lulu's personal best.

Well for me it was a matter of portion control issues. I would eat huge plates of food, plus have lots and lots of unhealthy Snacks. Yes, with the band I do get hungry, but I cannot eat as much food as I did before. I use to eat 3,000 to 3,500 calories a day and now I consume around 1,200 a day with a fill. Over the holidays, I would have treats. However, the portions were controlled. As an example, in the past, I would eat the whole 1-pound of Sees candy, but now I am content with one piece of the candy. My band restricts the amount of food I can eat. I am 30 pounds down in two months. I am pleased with my resukts thus far. I specifically selected the band, because the weight loss is slower, there are fewer complications, and it is less evasive. Good luck!

Yes, I would do it over again. I am losing weight slowly Quick recovery time Less evasive No issues mal-absorption My health issues are resolving as the weight decreases I am in control I eat what the same food as before, but a whole lot less of it

I have not had an English muffin, but I do toast up sliced sourdough bread evry now and then. I have had no issues with it getting stuck.

4-weeks for me

My hair fall sout in clumps. Lucky for me I have plenty of it. I take my vitamins, I get plenty of rest and I get more than enough protein in my system every day.