Updated September Bandsters!

[tillykins 0]

I'm here, banded 9/21 and feeling great. I have lost 13 pounds but I really want to wait as long as possible to be filled . I have never vomited or had gas pains. If it were not for the full feeling after about 4 oz. I would wonder if I had the surgery. Good luck to all the September banders.:bounce:

[NM Sunshine 1]

tilly

you've done great on the weight loss. Wish I could do as well. I go past the 4 ounce limit and get stomach pains later. Never vomited or BP'd but have had lots of gas pains.

[tpagern 2]

where is everyone? How are you doing??? I am starting to eat regular foods so I think I better get back to the healthier foods ! I love my band ! What is everyone eating after the post op diet? Are you still losing??

[NM Sunshine 1]

tpagrn

stopped by to say hi. I'm in that miserable place where the stomach swelling is gone, I feel no restriction and am hungry like before.

I've gained back 5 pounds.

Next Thursday 10/25 I get my first fill.

[darr5380 0]

I thought I was the only one that felt this way. I am 4 weeks post op and my old habits have reared their ugly head. I asked about a fill and the patient coordinator said I wouldn't know this early if I need a fill or not. I was wondering if any of you have scheduled a fill yet. The earliest for me would be after week 7 and only after I have been on my "lifestyle diet" I am very frustrated because I feel like I do need restriction to be successful. I lost 10 lbs the first 2 weeks and have gained back 5lbs. Ugh! Is this normal?

[Gone4Now 4]

I've read that it's called Bandster Hell. I had my first fill on the 12th, and it's been a lot easier. I'm at a point where I don't really get hungry. I still WANT to eat, but that's my head talking. My typical day is a shake in the morning (Atkins or SlimFast Protein) and a yogurt/small snack mid morning, Soup, sandwich or potato at lunch (depending on where I am and what I'm doing), small snack mid-day and then nibbles of whatever the family is having for dinner. At the end of the day, I feel stuffed. But when I look back on what I ate, it's really hardly much of anything. I can't finish 1/2 of what I start. Before the fill - I could, and did some days, eat anything I wanted.

It does get better!

[tpagern 2]

had my fill at 5 weeks. slimed once. i am starting to feel hungrier this week, food doesnt last as long. My wt has slowed but I am not worrying until a couple of fills. I can tell I am losing inches !! It is very hard to eat 1/2 cup of food when you KNOW you can eat alot more but you dont want to stretch the upper pouch... I have to remind myself to stop eating at every meal !! But... this will get better everyone says it. Hang in there. WE CAN DO THIS

[tpagern 2]

oh yea... no nibbling or snacking... the band is suppose to keep you feeling full... dont keep putting little bits of food in there, it just goes on thru it.

[Btlbailey 1]

I feel better knowing that I'm not the only one feeling this way. I go for my first fill tomorrow ... I hope it makes me feel more restricted as well because

I do not feel restricted at all and I've gained a few pounds back myself. I want this to work soooo bad. If the first fill will only be a few cc's then I don't know :help:

I know the band is a tool and I need to do the work ... which I had been doing so well but now I feel like I did before surgery. It's frustrating ! We will see what happens tomorrow. I am still so sore in the port/incision area. I am afraid this needle is going to painful ! How was the first fill for everybody ?

Carol

[NM Sunshine 1]

My doc wanted to do my first fill at around 2 weeks. I put it off because I didn't have much hunger at two week post band. When I decided to get a fill, I had to wait a few weeks because of cost of airfare and doc was gone until Oct 23 anyway. I'm due to get the fill this Thursday, the 25th. I fly to the San Diego airport. Airport is open now but may not be Thursday.

I eat regular sized meals now. Cannot feel any restriction. If that causes my pouch to stretch, I'm in for big trouble.

[poohlvr 0]

I too am very hungry all the time. I still am trying my best to eat 4-6 oz at every meal and eat my Protein first, and all that good stuff. I go back and forth between a couple pounds. I am still at a 20 lb loss as of this morning and even though I was told not to go to fast, I started working out again yesterday morning. I feel great, no pain or discomfort. I am doing the Leslie Sansome - walk away the pounds dvd's, so you know they aren't "too" hard. It is walking with a little arms, kicks, and knee lifts. I feel wonderful and hope that helps me lose more weight. I don't get filled until December 20, I HAVE to do this on my own for now and am scared to stretch my pouch out too!

[Time4Me 0]

What has your doctor told you about stretching your pouch? I am curious because I feel like I could eat a horse, but I also am afraid to eat too much because I don't want to stretch it out. On one hand the doc. said it is very difficult to stretch it, but on the other hand he said the end result is feeling like you need another fill.

This is definitely harder than I thought it was going to be!

[tpagern 2]

understand ! I feel like I could eat as much as I use too sometimes, :heh: more so as the day goes by. I really want to lose too and I have to keep using the tea cup saucer to eat on or the 1/2 cup plastic bowls. Baby spoon helps a little too. I just know that I am not getting enough fluids, I dont have time ! I was told I could stretch the upper pouch, dont want to mess with that, hope I havent already done that. If I dont chew something it will get stuck ! At least it did about three days after my first fill. I still fill a bone stuck feeling sometimes so I must have restriction of some kind. I go in Nov 20th for my next fill, cant wait to eat a couple of bites and feel full and stay full !!!! Everyone sound NORMAL to me and what I have read on here. LET LOSE LOSE LOSE !!!:whoo:

[darr5380 0]

It is definitely much harder than I expected. I am alos curious about pouch stretching. I did not get any saline put in with my surgery, so I just figured it was normal to be this hungry after the swelling went down. I imagine our band is loose right now, so more room for food. I sure hope I get restriction after fill. Sometimes I feel like I overeat, resulting in shoulder pain. I hope things get better.

[Lucylu 0]

Hello everybody. I haven't posted in a while and I see that many of us are having similar experiences. I was banded on 9/26 and go in for my first fill tomorrow. I too feel no restriction at this point. I have really been watching what I eat and exercising so that has helped but I am so looking forward to the band giving me that extra help that I so desperately need - especially with the holidays right around the corner.