Had my first fill! Now What?

[lapbandchic73 39]

Well yesterday I had my first fill. And as all of you have said it was painless. It was need to see the x-ray part where I had to drink the barium swallow stuff and I could see it go into my stomach. I have a 10cc band. And they just put 2cc in. I dont feel much restriction. Is that normal? Im still able to eat, I was on 24 hour fluids after. Then today I ate and it wasnt that much. So is that what its suppose to do..Just make me want to eat less. I really gotta get the chew, chew, chew chew thing down. But Im not hungry..guess thats the point. Anyway..1st fill down..Many more to come.

Lapbandchic73

[SandyM 1,956]

It'll prolly take a few fills before the band works well for you. Use this time to practice your Portion Control, food choices and of course chewing and pacing yourself. Too many folks get in a hurry and regret it. Sit back and enjoy the ride, it's not as long as it seems. You'll look back in about 6 months and wonder where the time went.

[lisacaron 5,075]

It can take up to 2 weeks for a fill to settle in so don't worry about not feeling anything. You shouldn't feel it. If your not hungry then it's working for you!!

You should be able to eat everything just want to eat much less of it. Always be chew chew chew chewing the food you eat so you don't have anything getting stuck in the stoma.

Watch your portions and work on your eating mechanics. Staying in the 20-30 min time frame for a meal. Eating a cup of solid food. If you find your eating more then a cup, then you may need additional fills. If not then you may be 1 and done for now.

Best of luck to you while you rock that band!

[ccjll 177]

"What next" - that's a GREAT question LBChic73! I'm on fill number two and although it's a bit tighter than I felt with fill #1 a month ago I'm still not feeling completely restricted and more importantly I'm still feeling hungry. I'm a Protein kind of a girl, so I am eating predominantly chicken, turkey, fish and ground beef - little to no carbs but I'm not staying full - and I honestly believe that the food is going right thru the band.

I have a 10cc band, he filled 4cc's on 1st fill and 2cc's this 2nd fill - and said that it usually takes 6 months to get it right (aka green zone). I can eat more than a cup of food at once - but probably not more than 2 cups. It's making sure that the 2 cups are nutrient rich foods and not garbage that I believe is key. Easier said than done

I can still gulp Water and drink at least a cup in a matter of seconds... I wonder if that is supposed to happen - I guess I expected that I wouldn't be able to gulp - when does that change?

Anyway - good question Lapbandchic73 - I'm interested on hearing more answers, especially from those who are banded 6 months... sure wish there was a search or filter feature to connect with those who are at a certain stage.

Albeit - I know that we're ALL different and our doctors are ALL different too. It still nice to hear peoples experiences.

[lisacaron 5,075]

"What next" - that's a GREAT question LBChic73! I'm on fill number two and although it's a bit tighter than I felt with fill #1 a month ago I'm still not feeling completely restricted and more importantly I'm still feeling hungry. I'm a Protein kind of a girl, so I am eating predominantly chicken, turkey, fish and ground beef - little to no carbs but I'm not staying full - and I honestly believe that the food is going right thru the band.

I have a 10cc band, he filled 4cc's on 1st fill and 2cc's this 2nd fill - and said that it usually takes 6 months to get it right (aka green zone). I can eat more than a cup of food at once - but probably not more than 2 cups. It's making sure that the 2 cups are nutrient rich foods and not garbage that I believe is key. Easier said than done

I can still gulp Water and drink at least a cup in a matter of seconds... I wonder if that is supposed to happen - I guess I expected that I wouldn't be able to gulp - when does that change?

Anyway - good question Lapbandchic73 - I'm interested on hearing more answers, especially from those who are banded 6 months... sure wish there was a search or filter feature to connect with those who are at a certain stage.

Albeit - I know that we're ALL different and our doctors are ALL different too. It still nice to hear peoples experiences.

It's gonna take some time to get to that green zone and it is different for everyone. I am up to 6.5 cc in a 10 cc band and just now starting to feel as if my toes are on the line of the green zone.

It's making sure that the 2 cups are nutrient rich foods and not garbage that I believe is key. Easier said than done (yes that's a BIG key!!!) As you move forward that gets to be a bit easier, I have gone from never cooking a meal at home to cooking dinner nightly for myself and my husband and even my grown kids who now WANT to eat that vs. McDonalds

I work 10-12 hours a day out of the house from 7-7 M-F and making dinners is not the easiest thing to do, but I have worked it into my life.

Gulping is one of those eating mechanics you want to stop doing now before you get to the green zone. You will be sorry to test the band when your close to that zone and you gulp anything trust me. That pain the middle of your chest over a huge mouth full of Water is not fun and the shower you might have to spray right after it is going to make anyone around you angry

Some banders are filled right up to the green quickly. In my humble opinion moving more cautiously is going to be the best overall to learn to live with the band for life and make your life style changes gradually so it's not a shock to the system.

[lapbandchic73 39]

I guess I thought she might fill me a little more than just 2cc. I just dont feel like I get full. But she said that its a slow process.. I want the restriction now. I only ate this morning out of a 6inch Subway egg white/steak flatbread sandwich (which I took the bread off) I only ate like 3 inches of the meat and egg white. I felt full..Im still not hungry and its almost 1:30pm..and I ate at 9:30am. So I guess its doing the right thing. I wish everyone the best of luck.

Stay in touch..Add me as a friend..I need as much support as possible. I live in Missouri..(Jefferson County) and still have yet to find a support group close to me.

Lapbandchic73

[andrea shoeshine 6]

looking forward to my first fill on the 30th ... god knows why and is it sore ? but I've had a really negative day today regarding my band and I know by reading every ones lovely messages and ideas it will get better .. having such a life change and change of routine is difficult but I know im not the only one sailing in this boat x good luck to every one who's going for , post opp and experienced banders,,, its lovely to be able to chat on here with like minded people xx

[lisacaron 5,075]

I guess I thought she might fill me a little more than just 2cc. I just dont feel like I get full. But she said that its a slow process.. I want the restriction now. I only ate this morning out of a 6inch Subway egg white/steak flatbread sandwich (which I took the bread off) I only ate like 3 inches of the meat and egg white. I felt full..Im still not hungry and its almost 1:30pm..and I ate at 9:30am. So I guess its doing the right thing. I wish everyone the best of luck.

Stay in touch..Add me as a friend..I need as much support as possible. I live in Missouri..(Jefferson County) and still have yet to find a support group close to me.

Lapbandchic73

Lapbandchic,

Your doing great, the lapband is not about "restriction" in the sense that it holds food in a pouch until your full and you stop eating. You never want to be "full" with the band. You what to be satisfied and not hungry 3-4 hours between meals.

Reading your posts it sounds like your pretty much there already, even with only 2cc. There are some members here who have had NO fills and are at their green zone and have lost over 100 pounds.

Here is a link that has gone around and I find it very helpful to explain the band and what restriction actually is.

http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

[B-52 7,113]

My first fill was 4 cc's in a 10cc band....4 weeks after that for my 2nd fill...in between I GAINED weight....

2nd fill...things were 50-50...did not gain, but did not really loose either...was ok between meals, but no restriction on how much I could eat.

3rd fill was the charm for me....portions limited, hunger non-exisitant...that was over 2-1/2 years ago, no fills since then...have same amount of restriction now as I did then....

Everyone is different, not a good idea to compare fills wit another...some do fine with no fills, others are different...

Edited January 10, 2014 by B-52

[cheryl2586 3,053]

It's not about being full its about being satisfied between 3 and 4 hours on a small amount of food. This is the time to control your portions and get acclimated to a new way of life. Two cups of food is too much at one time even if it will go down. Once your band is filled to the proper amount, eating two cups of food can back up into the esophagus causing it to dilate which is not good or force food into the band and over time causing erosion of your band. Just because you can eat 2 cups of food doesn't mean you should. Right now is when you need your strength. Its time to practice what lies ahead for you in the future. Some people the band will control the amount of food you eat but for most of us that is not true. The only thing the band is supposed to do is keep you from being hungry for three to four hours. If you get to the point where it stops the amount of food you eat then good for you.

[2muchfun 8,927]

Lapbandchic, my doctor took it very slow and it took me 3 fills to feel some satiety and 6 to get to the green zone. A good doctor will know his patient's limits and some of us need a little more time to acclimate to our new lifestyle. I know I wanted more restriction after fills 1 & 2 but I wasn't really ready for the lapband life yet.

And even after I got to the green zone, I struggled to eat like a Bandster. I ate healthy food but the excessive chewing and small bite size kept evading me. Sometimes it's best to sneak up on the green zone. It was for me.

tmf

[band teacher 1]

This is my first post. I had my surgery on 12/11/13. I lost 14 lbs in the first two weeks. These past two weeks on solid foods, I've been eating just about everything, and far too big of portions, and gained a pound back. So, needless to say, I was looking forward to my first fill and getting restriction to get back on the losing track. I went today, and they put in 5cc, but honestly, I am wondering if they missed my port completely?? I even called back to ask. She assured me that she got it, because she took air out when she first put in the needle. I just noticed that the spot where the bandaid was, is about 3 inches lower than where I think I feel my port. She did say that is common because it shifts from laying down to standing. We did the "Water gulping" method, but I don't know if I really felt anything, or felt it go away. To me it was a whole lot of "guesswork". About 30 mins after she filled me, I went downstairs to the cafe and had Tomato bisque. Easily ate nearly a cup of Soup (8oz) and could've kept going. I don't feel any different than I did over the last two weeks. Is this normal? Could it be possible that they did miss the port?

[lapbandchic73 39]

Band Teacher..I feel the same way.l But my doctor only gave me 2cc. So Im still never feeling full. Went to dinner to Texas Roadhouse..and well..I had to make myself stop..Also could have kept going. So..I also called. She said its a gradual fill. Well I want the restriction NOW!

But update..about two weeks ago..I was taking a shower..and well washing I felt a bump right where my long incision was on my stomach..with a bump. That following Monday went to my doctor..and guess what..a stitch came out. So now I have this bump for the past two weeks. Have to drive back to Kansas ( I live south of St Louis ---4 hour drive)to have my Port Revision done. Surgery date is Jan.28th. 8am. So..really the journey that I was ready to start has been stalled due to a faulty stitch.

Just really feeling set back..

Lapbandchic73

[band teacher 1]

Oh no! You and I seem to be so simliar...in our starting weights, weight lost, surgery date, and end goal. I keep worrying that I have something wrong because I feel tenderness, bumps, not sure what is the port, band or hernia repair. I just ate a can of cream of chix Soup, yes the whole can. I am not full, I had no trouble getting it down. This is after a 5cc fill today? Can that be possible? I'm nervous that these large portions are going to cause damage.

[2muchfun 8,927]

Oh no! You and I seem to be so simliar...in our starting weights, weight lost, surgery date, and end goal. I keep worrying that I have something wrong because I feel tenderness, bumps, not sure what is the port, band or hernia repair. I just ate a can of cream of chix Soup, yes the whole can. I am not full, I had no trouble getting it down. This is after a 5cc fill today? Can that be possible? I'm nervous that these large portions are going to cause damage.

Band teacher and lapbandchic: You two should go back to the beginning of this thread and read all the posts. All your questions will be answered.

tmf