First Fill

[ja9va 0]

Kt I live in Virginia, US. It is 90's here! I live about 45 miles outside of Washington D.C. It is a very humid and sticky area from May - September. Not always fun! New Zealand sounds cool, but I am not a snow lover!

Lor Thanks for the positive Post! I think eating slow and taking breaks is the hardest of all! I have problems with some foods getting stuck, like chicken and fish, and I am not always sure if it is the food or my eating patterns.

Visit to my Nurse/Doc today...FILL, not until week of July 23 or the following week!! Heather as you can imagine, I was wanting it today!!! My nurse that is the specialist in fills is on vacation next week and not sure what her week she returns looks like. I will get a call with the date! She feels I may have some in there, that sometimes the doc puts some Fluid in to start, just a little. She thinks this because I can't eat chicken, fish and other things so she feels I have some restriction! Booohooo. I want a FILL!

I really need to up my activity, exersice. That will help my weight loss and my motivation... but we all know that.. we just need to DO IT.

Happy 4th of July !!

[hottytoddy 0]

I saw my doc in the OR again today, so I got to cancel my appt for this Thursday. (It's sooo wonderful that I see him at the hospital every week!!) He told me to call and schedule my first fill to be done at 8 weeks. I called and was going to be out of town, so I scheduled it for 7/23 (which is at 7 1/2 weeks). Then I remembered that after a fill you have to do a couple of days of liquid/mushie stuff, so I rescheduled it for the next monday 7/30. That puts me at just over 8 weeks. I want a fill ASAP... but the thought of going out of town the day after my first fill where I will be attending several group meals and NOT be able to eat anything they are having AGAIN (my last vacation was at 3 wks postop) was OUT OF THE QUESTION!! It scared me a little to be out of the state for the first 5 days after my first fill.

Oh well... at least I have a date to look forward to!!

[ja9va 0]

Heather I understand your thoughts of waiting until after a trip. My son's wedding is this Saturday and I really did not want to have a fill until it was over. Then the end of July I had this leadership conference to go to for a week and I decided not to go, thinking I would have a fill and need that adjustment time, well, now it may be after that time frame. It looks like I will be filled around the same time as you! either of those two weeks. We can learn together!!!

My vacation to the Beach in SC is not until the end of August, so I hope to be down at least 10 or more lbs by then! And experienced eater.

[hottytoddy 0]

Janine,

Glad to know I have someone on the exact leg of my journey! We will run to the restroom with the "deer in headlights" together!! lol

[toniteach 0]

Thanks for all of your support and honesty! I feel like on the main post everyone is constantly talking about how wonderful the Protein shakes are, and staying under 800 calories a day, and being full off a TINY amount of food... that's just not been my journey thus far!quote]

Amen, Sister! I could have written that word-for-word! It's pretty sad when I go out to eat with my "unbanded" friends and I'm eating almost as much as they are, and I've had a fill! I've just chalked it up to I'm not going to feel real restriction until that 3rd fill and that's that! So, I'm going to have to be patient and know that it'll be not until around Sept/Oct 'till that happens!

Does that sound reasonable, or cop-outish? Like I should be doing more now? What do you think?

Uggggh!

:cool:

Toni

[SimplyMe 0]

I'm going for my first fill tomorrow....but I have to say I am already feeling restricted!

It's really amazing how is it so different for everyone.

My doctor had installed the new band on everyone he did surgery my day of surgery but me. He said it would've literally slipped around....too big. He put the "small women's" "generation 6"...(I was a little dopey....I'm going to ask him again tomorrow!) But I haven't been in "Bandster Hell" yet! I am so sorry that you have to wait longer for restriction! That has to be discouraging!

Like yesterday I ordered a hamburger happy meal.....took the bread off...ate the meat patty and maybe 7 fries and was full.....

Can you eat a lot right now?

I'm wondering why amounts everyone is consuming......at about 4 weeks out?

[dawneb 0]

Hi all,

I really like this part of the thread because it let's me know that I'm not the only one who's hungry. I'm three weeks post-op right now and I'm pretty sure that there's no restriction. It's a little hard to tell because I'm still on a clear liquid diet but with two Protein shakes a day. My doctor is really strict with his diet. We started on clear liquid 10 days pre-op and are on it for 4 weeks post-op, then 2 weeks of pureed then 2 weeks of soft, then a fill and regular food. YIKES!!!! I've been pretty faithful even though I'm starting my 6th week of Clear liquids. I will be so glad to have some kind of food. The good thing is that I've lost pretty fast. I'm down 27 pounds since June 2. That's the only thing that keeps me going.

It's hard when I hear many people talking about eating regular food already. It makes me wonder why he's so strict, but he does have a .04% complication rate since 2003 so I guess maybe that's why. He hasn't had a band slip in a very long time. His weight loss percentage is also higher than the national average. Even so, please God let this liquid stage end quickly!!!!!

[SimplyMe 0]

dawneb....I will say that when I got to solid foods.....I felt the restriction....not on mushies or liquids. So you're doing great! I'm impressed!!!!!

[mjsafari 0]

SimplyMe - I agree, on mushies and liquids, I didn't feel like I had any restriction, but on solids I do. I had a pork chop yesterday and WOW, was there a definite stop and I was full for a long time. I have the new band also. My husband has the new band and didn't get his first fill, because he has so much restriction. He is down 56lbs since preop in May.

Janine - I am sorry you are having issues with meat. That is what seems to keep me full, so I am glad to eat it!

[toniteach 0]

Hi all,

I really like this part of the thread because it let's me know that I'm not the only one who's hungry..... We started on clear liquid 10 days pre-op and are on it for 4 weeks post-op, quote]

Hi Dawn,

All Doctors vary a tiny bit on their pre and post-op instructions, but this sounds a tad-bit extreme! I'm sorry you are so hungry. I'd be climbing the walls. No, I'd be past mushies and on to food by now!!!:guess

Good luck, Sweets---let us know if you need (extra) support!

Toni

[dawneb 0]

Thanks for the words of encouragement. It does help to hear from people. Also, just knowing that I only have 5 days til the next phase (pureed) helps alot. It doesn't seem like there is much difference between pureed and soft foods so I might end of mixing them up a little bit. Example, cottage cheese chewed a "million" times is basically pureed, right?

[bandanna 0]

:)thanks for sharing, I feel like, I'm in the same boat as most, not much

restriction going on, but I go for 2nd week check up today.

Your posts really help me! THANK YOU:kiss2:

[SimplyMe 0]

Well....had my first fill....1cc....wasn't quite ready to hear liquids only for 5 days!!! But Oh well! Guess that shouldn't be a problem!!! Kinda excited....nervous....about starting to eat again.....Anyone have experiences with eating after first fill?!? You'd like to share?

[ja9va 0]

Simplyme I am jealous! We were banded the first day and my first fill is not until July 31!!You will need to keep us posted to help prepare.

Heather My fill is the day after yours!, July 31. I can't beleive it is so long away, but I have a date!

Missy I just ate some shredded pork barbeque, but I had barbeque sauce and coleslaw on top of it that wet it down. I ate it over 30 min in small bites. I do beleive I ate to much, but it went down ok! I just think regular grilled or baked chicken alone will not work. The nurse said to make fajita chicken, it is moister. I will need to try it.

It is such a strange feeling at this point int he process, because unless you get food stuck you don't even know you have the band. I really have to keep it in my head at all times! Does anyone else feel that way?

[wombat712 2]

I'm still getting used to this message board thing. I was banded 06/25 and I get my fill next week at 4 weeks post op. I've been allowed mushies since the second day but I stayed on liquids for the first week because it was more comfortable.

I can't say that I feel any restriction but I force myself to use a small salad plate for all of my meals and I only eat how much they tell me. I have gotten hungry inbetween if I didn't get any Protein. I'm only allowed eggs and fish :-( I really would like some meat!! It makes it very hard to eat with my family when I have such a strong restriction on my diet. I've lost 15 pounds and was hoping to have lost 20 by my fill. I'm not sure that's going to happen. I'm very dizzy these days; not sure if it's lack of food, blood pressure, blood sugar, or just an inner ear issue.

I've been reading that people aren't feeling restricted until their 3rd fill - is that correct?!?! My doc does use the flouroscopy so I'm hoping for more accurate fills. I have to drive 5 hours to see my doc in Houston so I certainly don't want to be going back very often.

Best of luck everyone getting to our first fills!!

Gen