Sept. 2010 Bandsters !!!

[missjoany 0]

Hi everyone!! Yea Brian is back! I know what ya mean by working and working. I hate working nights. I just now got up, and I need to work out before work, but am not even quite awake yet. But if I don't I cant see me working out at 2 am. Try to fit some exercise in there Brian. I found a resistance band workout at Sparkpeople, for the office. I was thinking of bringing the band to work, and maybe get a cuple of the resistance exercises in while I am waiting on the phone. Maybe that is something you could consider, Brian. Yes, I too, was told my face was getting thinner, too. But what about my butt!! Or stand up when on the phone. I have a co worker who once an hour tells me to get up and stretch. Nice to hear everyone is hanging in there. I have had two post op visits and no fill no far. I wanted to go to a support group, but was told I can't join until I have had a fill~ go figure.

[c334466 0]

BUNNY7 good luck with your fill tomorrow! I go for my first fill Wednesday and am a bit nervous too!

[Rambunctious 2]

am a bit nervous too!

No need to be nervous, but hard not to be the first time:unsure:. I had mine last week and it was rather uneventful. Lots of questions. The actual fill process, including numbing, took about 5-7 minutes.

[wanna.b.healthy 1]

Hey Everyone. I've been gone a while -- sick with a nasty cold and feeling a little down. It's taken so much longer to bounce back than I planned. (I was banded 9-29).

Have a quick question. Tomorrow is my first fill. Can't wait as my evenings have been a HUGE battle (often lost) not to eat as I'm hungry starting about 3 until bedtime. But, I'm wondering, do I need to be fasting or any special diet before I go.

I can't remember them telling me anything about a special diet BEFORE adjustments, but did I just forget? I'm not seeing it in any of the literature, either.

I just wanted to double check because if there is and I didn't know it and they can't do the fill, I'd be sooo sad.

Thanks!

[LisaA 1]

hhi all

wanna b this is what my doc puts out.

The following suggestions are good rules of thumb and will greatly increase your chances of getting a good fill.

1. Make sure you are very well hydrated when you come in for your fill appointment. That means at least 6 to 8 full glasses of liquid every day for at least several days before the fill.

(Remember, Water is your friend).

Drink especially well the morning of the fill. If you're flying in, it can be much harder to stay hydrated, so take an empty drink bottle and fill it after you pass airport security. TSA rules state you can bring an empty water bottle past the TSA security check point. Ask the flight attendants for a refill of your Water bottle if needed. They say that every hour you’re in the air, you lose 8oz of Fluid. So, If your flight is 3 hours long, your down 24oz of Fluid. So drink up!

2. Do not to have any solid foods for at least 6 hours before the fill. Don't eat a huge or late dinner the night before. If you're having any trouble (reflux, possible slip, etc) please have nothing but fluids after dinner the night before.

In some cases, food can still be in the pouch for 12 or more hours.

Any food in the pouch will make it impossible to give a good fill, or get a good fluoro.

3. Don't drink cold fluids for an hour before the fill. That will shrink your stomach and give a false fluoro reading, and a poor fill. Room temp fluids are fine.

4. Avoid getting a fill during a menstrual period or a few days before an expected one. During this time, girls are usually retaining water, and the fluoro will not be as accurate, and the fill will not be either.

5. If at all possible, hang around for at least a few hours after a fill. Don't run right back home or to the plane. It takes the normal swelling after a fill 1-2 hours to develop, and by that time you might be too tight and need to come right back.

6. If you fly in, If at all possible, stay overnight and catch a plane out the following late afternoon or evening. If you are too tight, this will allow time to get a small unfill before you leave. This is not very convenient, but sure beats having to possibly return to TJ in a few days, on short notice, in pain, and at high last-minute plane fares! This is "prevention!" Overfills are not common, but they do happen, even under the best of conditions. Be prepared, and think about this overnight stay. Test your fill the next day before you leave.

7. After a fill, please have liquids only for at least 24 hrs. This allows the stomach to rest and heal. Then, a day of soft foods, then back to regular foods. Full liquids are fine, no need for clears. Remember, if you staying over night test your fill before you fly out.

8. Review the eating and food guidelines again before every fill. You’ll need to refine your eating more and more with higher fill levels, and there will be less and less room for goofs. As you reach a higher fill level, you'll no longer be able to "get away" with things you might have before!

9. Please don't get a fill if you are having any trouble with the current level of fill. This means any regular pain, PB or barfing more than maybe once a week at the very most, not able to get enough

calories in, not able to drink enough, able to eat only soft foods or fluids.

More fill will NOT help, and will make things worse. Discuss all this carefully with your doctor. You may even need an UNFILL, to keep your band and stomach safe.

10. First fills are routinely given at 6-10 weeks after surgery, but only as you need them. Many people do, some do not. Your doctor will help you decide if you need a fill, just ask. There is no rush for fills. Too much can very easily get you in trouble, and you end up further "behind" than if you had gone slower with fills.

11. Give a fill at least 2-3 weeks to test it. Some fills don't "settle in" for a week or two, and sometimes more. Your weight loss is what determines how a fill is - not any feeling of restriction, necessarily.

12. One of the most important things in determining if a fill is good is choosing proper band foods. Soft foods, liquids, junk foods, sweets, etc, will never be well-restricted, and will never tell a thing about having a good fill or not. Only solid foods give useful info.

A good test meal is 2-4 oz of solid meat or chicken - be sure it's soft and moist - and about 1/2 cup veggies. You should be able to eat about a cup of food (no less) and this should keep you satisfied for about 3-4 hrs.

13. Plan regular meals. A good fill will keep you satisfied for 3-4 hrs, but no longer. If you are hungry 5 hrs after lunch, it is not because you have an inadequate fill! Regular meals at planned times are important for a number of reasons; including avoiding snacking, maximizing your calorie burn and normalizing metabolism, which is essential for weight maintenance later on.

14. Learn to recognize your "soft stop" sign. Common ones are chest tightness or "fullness", a sudden runny nose, a single hiccup or burp, an eye twitch, back pain, left should pain. All mean the pouch is full enough and we should stop eating, even spitting out the bite that may be already in our mouths. If you do not, you could progress to the "hard stop" - slimming, pb, barfing.

Please remember that good fills are very elusive, even with highly- experienced docs and fill people. There are just too many individual factors involved that the doctors cannot control. Even the fluoro is only a clue, and not entirely accurate - for some of the reasons above.

It usually takes 3- 5 fills to slowly and safely creep up on a good level, and they can be safely given a month apart.

Trying to go faster with a bigger fill is not the solution, and the stomach rebels at big sudden fills. The goal of the first few fills is not to achieve a good restriction, but to gradually get your stomach used to some pressure so you can tolerate a good fill later.

SLOW and GRADUAL is the key!

Going slowly with fills can be frustrating, but is well worth the wait to avoid problems.

[Scarred4Life 1]

Wow... hey guys! I guess its been..oh?? 12 pages ago since I have written last.. Why is that? Before surgery, I was on this thing practically every night - now? Not so much.

I was given new/more responsibilities at work - without extra pay. My son has hit the "terrible twos" stage prematurely.. I am hoping that means that there will be some kind of pay out in the future - like he will start listening to me by age 23 instead of 25. Hahaha!

As far as banded life - From eval to pre-op I had lost 9lbs. From pre-op to surgery follow-up, I had lost 16lbs.. so what? 25lbs total?? Tomorrow I go in for my first fill... which they are more than likely going to put what they took out back in.

They had primed my band during surgery - however, due to swelling of my stomach - it was causing me to choke on Water - and I was dehydrated.. so out the Fluid went - and I was actually able to get in my 64oz/daily.

I tend to favor soft foods, but they leave me hungry. So I tried adding in bread/pasta - as much as I love them, they cause me to puke everytime. I know alot has to do with not chewing my food properly. I try to take my time and count each chew.. but when you have a kids who flys by trying to swipe a knife off the kitchen counter, jumps up into a recliner and stands up and rocks back and forth, tries to ride the family beagle, and can get his shorts and diaper off in half the time it takes to catch him - just to wrestle one back on him.... Yeah - you tend to swallow whatever is in in your mouth to cry to keep him from getting hurt.

I am hoping to have lost atleast 10 more pounds. But, admittedly - I have been less than perfect. I had a bite of ice cream, and luckily have a co-worker who is stronger when it comes to food than I. I am all about moderation, so if I want a taste of something - I feel one bite is okay.. but not a whole serving.. Last week, someone brought in pumpkin Bars.. my favorite. I had a small bite, and handed the plate to my friend/co-worker who is also dieting - she took one bite - and then threw it away. She also *assures* me that the fresh doughnuts that are brought in every Friday are disgusting and swears that she saw the "unkept" office lady handling each and every one of them in the box... It sounds funny, but it has kept the temptation to look at them away!

Hope all are doing well... I have a whiny baby pulling at me. Good night all - I will see you in the next 12 pages. :huh2:

[wanna.b.healthy 1]

LisaA -- That was some of the MOST helpful information ever. THANKS for taking the time to type it all out. I really, really appreciate it. And, I didn't have any of that info. I've spent a little more time tonight looking through my paperwork and did find a small blurb about "if there is a potential for a fill, don't eat solid foods for 4 hours before your appointment time." It was not elaborated on and easy to miss.

Thanks again! I'm sure I will refer back to your post often!

Blessings for being so helpful!

[LisaA 1]

no prob, I didn't type it though, can't take credit, sut and paste from OCC.< /p>

[missjoany 0]

hhi all

wanna b this is what my doc puts out.

The following suggestions are good rules of thumb and will greatly increase your chances of getting a good fill.

1. Make sure you are very well hydrated when you come in for your fill appointment. That means at least 6 to 8 full glasses of liquid every day for at least several days before the fill.

(Remember, Water is your friend).

Drink especially well the morning of the fill. If you're flying in, it can be much harder to stay hydrated, so take an empty drink bottle and fill it after you pass airport security. TSA rules state you can bring an empty Water bottle past the TSA security check point. Ask the flight attendants for a refill of your water bottle if needed. They say that every hour you’re in the air, you lose 8oz of Fluid. So, If your flight is 3 hours long, your down 24oz of Fluid. So drink up!

2. Do not to have any solid foods for at least 6 hours before the fill. Don't eat a huge or late dinner the night before. If you're having any trouble (reflux, possible slip, etc) please have nothing but fluids after dinner the night before.

In some cases, food can still be in the pouch for 12 or more hours.

Any food in the pouch will make it impossible to give a good fill, or get a good fluoro.

3. Don't drink cold fluids for an hour before the fill. That will shrink your stomach and give a false fluoro reading, and a poor fill. Room temp fluids are fine.

4. Avoid getting a fill during a menstrual period or a few days before an expected one. During this time, girls are usually retaining water, and the fluoro will not be as accurate, and the fill will not be either.

5. If at all possible, hang around for at least a few hours after a fill. Don't run right back home or to the plane. It takes the normal swelling after a fill 1-2 hours to develop, and by that time you might be too tight and need to come right back.

6. If you fly in, If at all possible, stay overnight and catch a plane out the following late afternoon or evening. If you are too tight, this will allow time to get a small unfill before you leave. This is not very convenient, but sure beats having to possibly return to TJ in a few days, on short notice, in pain, and at high last-minute plane fares! This is "prevention!" Overfills are not common, but they do happen, even under the best of conditions. Be prepared, and think about this overnight stay. Test your fill the next day before you leave.

7. After a fill, please have liquids only for at least 24 hrs. This allows the stomach to rest and heal. Then, a day of soft foods, then back to regular foods. Full liquids are fine, no need for clears. Remember, if you staying over night test your fill before you fly out.

8. Review the eating and food guidelines again before every fill. You’ll need to refine your eating more and more with higher fill levels, and there will be less and less room for goofs. As you reach a higher fill level, you'll no longer be able to "get away" with things you might have before!

9. Please don't get a fill if you are having any trouble with the current level of fill. This means any regular pain, PB or barfing more than maybe once a week at the very most, not able to get enough

calories in, not able to drink enough, able to eat only soft foods or fluids.

More fill will NOT help, and will make things worse. Discuss all this carefully with your doctor. You may even need an UNFILL, to keep your band and stomach safe.

10. First fills are routinely given at 6-10 weeks after surgery, but only as you need them. Many people do, some do not. Your doctor will help you decide if you need a fill, just ask. There is no rush for fills. Too much can very easily get you in trouble, and you end up further "behind" than if you had gone slower with fills.

11. Give a fill at least 2-3 weeks to test it. Some fills don't "settle in" for a week or two, and sometimes more. Your weight loss is what determines how a fill is - not any feeling of restriction, necessarily.

12. One of the most important things in determining if a fill is good is choosing proper band foods. Soft foods, liquids, junk foods, sweets, etc, will never be well-restricted, and will never tell a thing about having a good fill or not. Only solid foods give useful info.

A good test meal is 2-4 oz of solid meat or chicken - be sure it's soft and moist - and about 1/2 cup veggies. You should be able to eat about a cup of food (no less) and this should keep you satisfied for about 3-4 hrs.

13. Plan regular meals. A good fill will keep you satisfied for 3-4 hrs, but no longer. If you are hungry 5 hrs after lunch, it is not because you have an inadequate fill! Regular meals at planned times are important for a number of reasons; including avoiding snacking, maximizing your calorie burn and normalizing metabolism, which is essential for weight maintenance later on.

14. Learn to recognize your "soft stop" sign. Common ones are chest tightness or "fullness", a sudden runny nose, a single hiccup or burp, an eye twitch, back pain, left should pain. All mean the pouch is full enough and we should stop eating, even spitting out the bite that may be already in our mouths. If you do not, you could progress to the "hard stop" - slimming, pb, barfing.

Please remember that good fills are very elusive, even with highly- experienced docs and fill people. There are just too many individual factors involved that the doctors cannot control. Even the fluoro is only a clue, and not entirely accurate - for some of the reasons above.

It usually takes 3- 5 fills to slowly and safely creep up on a good level, and they can be safely given a month apart.

Trying to go faster with a bigger fill is not the solution, and the stomach rebels at big sudden fills. The goal of the first few fills is not to achieve a good restriction, but to gradually get your stomach used to some pressure so you can tolerate a good fill later.

SLOW and GRADUAL is the key!

Going slowly with fills can be frustrating, but is well worth the wait to avoid problems.

Thanks for the info!! I did not receive anything from my doctor on getting a fill. I have had two post op followups, and no fill yet. I still have some pain where I can feel the port below the skin and have difficulty leaning down. I hope that doesn't mean I have some slippage. Three times this week I wanted to "eat" when I got home from work, but instead I had some cooked veggies and cottage cheese. So far so good! And today, even though I was running around, getting info to refinance my house, I said I had to work out. I started using some hand weights while on the treadmill, and today I didn't forget what I was doing, and stayed on. Guess this compares to walking and chewing at the same time. haha. Well I gotta get to work, ugh! Will catch up tomorrow. I love reading everyone's postings.

[BUNNY7 3]

Well it's my 6 week anniversary of being banded today and my first fill of 4ml. My doc was very upbeat and encouraging and didn't seem to phased when I let out a yell as he was about to put the needle in the port!!! I was just terrified it was going to be hugely painful because unfortunately I saw the needle which looked long enough to do some knitting with. I told him to tell me when he was going to do it so I was ready. So glad I had my husband at my side - it was sore but not unbearable and once the fill was done, I felt totally normal again and went shopping afterwards, armed with a bottle of Vitamin juice and my beloved at my side. I've been on liquids all day and tomorrow morning I'm allowed to test the band by having scrambled eggs for Breakfast. My instructions are to eat for 15 minutes, STOP for 15 minutes and assess as to whether I'm hungry or not. So tomorrow's a new day and hopefully the weight will begin to shift again though he was pleased with the 7kg (15lb) loss so far. The work really begins now in eating the right portions, not drinking 1/2 hr before or after eating and really making every meal count nutritionally - I DON'T want my hair to fall out!!! Wish all you Sept bandsters strength and awareness for the rest of the week.

Des

[BUNNY7 3]

BUNNY7 good luck with your fill tomorrow! I go for my first fill Wednesday and am a bit nervous too!

Hi there - it's over and it really wasn't bad despite me letting out a squeak in preparation for the needle - very embarrassing as he hadn't pricked me yet:blush:. I've noticed on this forum that you guys in the States have the area numbed before you get your fill. Seems like it's a bit wild here in Africa as my darling doc didn't even go there so no wonder it was painful. Oh well, it certainly didn't come close to the injection you get at the dentist. I know tomorrow is your day so here's wishing you well in the next part of the weight loss journey. Thanks for your good wishes. :thumbup:

[BUNNY7 3]

Wow... hey guys! I guess its been..oh?? 12 pages ago since I have written last.. Why is that? Before surgery, I was on this thing practically every night - now? Not so much.

I was given new/more responsibilities at work - without extra pay. My son has hit the "terrible twos" stage prematurely.. I am hoping that means that there will be some kind of pay out in the future - like he will start listening to me by age 23 instead of 25. Hahaha!

As far as banded life - From eval to pre-op I had lost 9lbs. From pre-op to surgery follow-up, I had lost 16lbs.. so what? 25lbs total?? Tomorrow I go in for my first fill... which they are more than likely going to put what they took out back in.

They had primed my band during surgery - however, due to swelling of my stomach - it was causing me to choke on Water - and I was dehydrated.. so out the Fluid went - and I was actually able to get in my 64oz/daily.

I tend to favor soft foods, but they leave me hungry. So I tried adding in bread/pasta - as much as I love them, they cause me to puke everytime. I know alot has to do with not chewing my food properly. I try to take my time and count each chew.. but when you have a kids who flys by trying to swipe a knife off the kitchen counter, jumps up into a recliner and stands up and rocks back and forth, tries to ride the family beagle, and can get his shorts and diaper off in half the time it takes to catch him - just to wrestle one back on him.... Yeah - you tend to swallow whatever is in in your mouth to cry to keep him from getting hurt.

I am hoping to have lost atleast 10 more pounds. But, admittedly - I have been less than perfect. I had a bite of ice cream, and luckily have a co-worker who is stronger when it comes to food than I. I am all about moderation, so if I want a taste of something - I feel one bite is okay.. but not a whole serving.. Last week, someone brought in pumpkin Bars.. my favorite. I had a small bite, and handed the plate to my friend/co-worker who is also dieting - she took one bite - and then threw it away. She also *assures* me that the fresh doughnuts that are brought in every Friday are disgusting and swears that she saw the "unkept" office lady handling each and every one of them in the box... It sounds funny, but it has kept the temptation to look at them away!

Hope all are doing well... I have a whiny baby pulling at me. Good night all - I will see you in the next 12 pages.

Good to hear from you Tiffany - my goodness you really have your hands full so well done for losing so much already despite having so many demands as a Mom. We all need a co-worker like you have during the day - she must be your 'diet angel". Can I borrow her???? I also battle with temptation - my son brought along some gorgeous Swiss chocolate tonight which I have to admit I sampled. :thumbup: It's going to take time for me to refuse that sort of thing so for the moment, I have a 'clean kitchen' with nothing there to tempt me in that area. Hope things settle down a bit with the kids and that you can get some 'me time'.

[Scarred4Life 1]

Thanks, Bunny! I will have to tell her she is my Diet Angel.. I think we could all use one of those from time to time - I will have to see if she is willing to travel, and we will pass her around from time to time. :w00t:

Well... I had my first fill today... I thought they would just give me back what they took out after surgery? Nope. When I wasnt able to keep down fluids - they took 2.5cc's out of my band - today? They put only 1cc back - and he was kind of "iffy" as to whether or not I needed a fill. I lost an additional 8lbs. :biggrin:

So, here we go 9lbs (6mos waiting) + 16lbs (pre-op to surgery) + 8 lbs (surgery to first fill) = 33 lbs total :laugh:

[BUNNY7 3]

Thanks, Bunny! I will have to tell her she is my Diet Angel.. I think we could all use one of those from time to time - I will have to see if she is willing to travel, and we will pass her around from time to time. :w00t:

Well... I had my first fill today... I thought they would just give me back what they took out after surgery? Nope. When I wasnt able to keep down fluids - they took 2.5cc's out of my band - today? They put only 1cc back - and he was kind of "iffy" as to whether or not I needed a fill. I lost an additional 8lbs.

So, here we go 9lbs (6mos waiting) + 16lbs (pre-op to surgery) + 8 lbs (surgery to first fill) = 33 lbs total :laugh:

Oh WOWEE - you're doing fantastically!!!!:hurray: It seems your band is just right for you because if it wasn't, you would have stayed the same for ages. I had my first post fill breakfast this morning of 2 soft scrambled eggs and 2 light crackers. Now I'm waiting for 15 minutes per doc's instructions to see if I feel satisfied :biggrin: .... so I thought I'd drop our group a quick line and see how you're doing. I've decided to keep a food diary again so I'm CONSCIOUS of what I'm eating - I'm always concerned about getting enough Vitamins and minerals! Have agreat day :w00t:

[stateofzen 46]

Bunny, if I didn't get numbed before my fill I would have squeeked too! My goodness.

Last night I had my first dinner out with people other than my husband (a work dinner). We went to a Thai place and to avoid noodles and rice I ordered hot and sour shrimp Soup and a chicken satay appetizer. It was great, and I've got left-overs of both for lunch today. I did have a moment at the end, when I was the only one who got a to-go box (and I clearly had eaten much less than everyone else) where I felt like people noticed but my colleague are too polite to say anything, thank goodness.

That said, only one person has mentioned my weight loss and I've lost about 60lbs (including pre-op)! I think mostly I'm glad because it's a little awkward to have people commenting on your weight and the main reason I haven't told most people is because I don't want them monitoring my weight loss. On the other hand, I'm really super curious if they are noticing or if in their eyes, fat is fat so they haven't noticed.

Exercise is still my nemesis/personal challenge. I appreciate the September exercise thread in the fitness section-- that's some good encouragement for those of you who haven't headed over there yet.