My fill is coming up

[NotSoFunny]

I am scheduled for a fill on the 6thof sept. I am nervous. Not really about the fill itself, but about life afterward. I am pretty open right now so i know i have gotten lazy with my chewing and bite size. I am so afraid I am going to have a pb incident or something. I am anxious to lose some weight, but nervous about pain. I don't like pain. Its evil.

But can I say hooorah that I am finally getting my first fill!!! I was banded on the 10th of July with the Iname VG 10cc band, and had 2cc's put in at the time of banding for stability. I had some restriction, but not much, and now i can eat up to 2 cups of food at a time and it is hard to stay away from large quantities.

[Vegaswildflower]

Really no fill before now,, way to go!!

[Telly]

I'm with you Funny. I am scheduled for my first fill on Sept. 15th. I will be coming into Tampa that night of the 15th, filling her up, then off to my hotel room. I have a conference that I am speaking at in Tampa the next day for Certified Coders :). I would like to meet you Funny.

[Iulizbug]

I live in Tampa too....Can I meet you both? We should plan something together....dinner and/or drinks?

~Liz~

[Telly]

Well, let's do it!

[EmileeKaye]

Ooo, good luck on you both with your fills! You will do great! Wish I was in Florida....someday soon we all have to hang out on the beach in our sexy new suits.

[mysherrijo]

You will all do wonderfully.
My first fill was different because I didn't know what to expect and the second took about 4 seconds. You'll be done and toasting the day with drinks in just minutes. I'll be in Tampa but it's next week. poor me, I miss out on everything. Oh well, good luck and the weight will be pouring off next week.

Good luck guys,
Sherri

[503-250]

4 fills (8.5cc) into a 10cc VG band and still only have minimal restriction.

I hope yours goes easier restriction wise then mine did, but don't worry...it's not painful or bad in any way.

[NotSoFunny]

I will be haaving it done under flouro. I am going through Fill Centers USA. I am hoping that going in with the flouro will help me to get the proper restriction right off the bat.

Telly and Iluliz....we have to meet up!! but we would have to do it the day of the 15th. We are taking off that night to rive to North Carolina for my daughter's birthday party. And I get to meet Pnut while I am in NC too. WOOHOO!!!

You guys pm me and we'll figure out the details.

Sherri...girl if you are going to be here you better call me!! We have to at least see each other for a hug and a drink!!!

[Telly]

Ok, I'm down to meet up. I need phone numbers. I'll be Pm'ing you guys with my home and cell phone number. I can't wait to meet you guys. We should have drinks and dinner.

I am going to request an aggressive fill. I upped my goal to 130lbs. I have 30lbs to go and I figure with a fill, it should be accomplished a bit faster than on my own.

["Just" Paul]

Don't get too agressive. believe me, it isn't worth it.

You all are doing soooo well!

[mysherrijo]

Hi Paul,
You handsome little devil

[Diva]

My first fill is Sept. 13th. We have a choice. There is a fill morning on Friday mornings where you get any of the 3 surgeons, the fellows or the PA. Or you can make an appt with your particular surgeon. I am seeing my own surgeon. I figure he knows his "style" with ports so he is going to do the fill. I have some surgery restriction but I don't know how long that will last. It is so wierd to think that I was banded only 4 weeks ago. Seems longer for some reason.

[NotSoFunny]

Diva I have the same thing, but it has waned. i am still restricted, but not a whole lot. i can eat a lot if i want to LOL

[NotSoFunny]

Well I am nervous. should I eat this morning? am i supposed to eat before going in? Of am I supposed to fast for a few hours before? I am so confused. LOL

On top of it Rob and I got in a huge fight last night, so he is efinitely not coming to the fill. LOL fabulous right?

i wonder if they will see the butterflies in my stomach under the flouro.

[Telly]

Please tell me how it went for you Funny. I'm anxious, curious, nervous...

["Just" Paul]

Well I am nervous. should I eat this morning? am i supposed to eat before going in? Of am I supposed to fast for a few hours before? I am so confused. LOL

On top of it Rob and I got in a huge fight last night, so he is efinitely not coming to the fill. LOL fabulous right?

i wonder if they will see the butterflies in my stomach under the flouro.

No. You should go in with an empty stomach, and don't dring anything for several hours before either. Warm liguids will make the band open up, and cold will close it up, giving you a "false" fill.

Empty stomach is the best. I had coffee an hour before my last fill, and that is the one that caused me a problem.

You'll be fine, don't be nervous, and tel the hubby to get his ass over there and support ya.:amen:

["Just" Paul]

From
http://www.beliteweight.com/ (http://www.beliteweight.com/)

Increase Your Chances of a Good Fill
The following suggestions are good rules of thumb and will increase your chances of getting a good fill.

1. Be sure you are very well hydrated when you come in for your fill appointment. That means at least 8-10 full glasses of liquid every day for at least several days before the fill.
(You really need this amount at all times anyway).

Drink especially well the morning of the fill. If you're flying in, it can be much harder to stay hydrated, so take a drink bottle and drink very often! Those little "to-go" packs of Crystal Lite are ideal - ask the flight attendants for a refill of your water bottle, pop one in, and then you will have plenty to drink. Those little 4-oz cups of liquid they give you during flight are useless.

(Hint - While you're on the plane, also take a couple of those white barf bags –
good to keep one in your purse or car, both now and later for emergencies.)

2. Be sure 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.

3. Don't drink COLD fluids for an hour before the fill. That will shrink your stoma and give a false fluoro reading. Room temp fluids are fine. Let the ice in your drink bottle melt,
and then you'll have room-temp fluids to drink right up to the fill time.

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

5. If at all possible, hang around for at least a few hours after a fill. Don't run right back 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.

6. 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.

7. After a fill, please have liquids only for at least 24 hrs. This allows the stoma to rest and heal. Then, a day of soft foods, then back to regular foods.

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.

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 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.

10. First fills are not routinely given at 6-8 weeks - but only as you need them. Many people do, some do not. We'll help you decide if you need a fill - just ask. There is no rush for fills. Too much can get you in trouble, and you end up further "behind" than if you had gone slower with fills.

Please remember that good fills are very elusive, even with highly- experienced people like The Kuri Team. There are just too many individual factors involved that the docs 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.
SLOW and GRADUAL is the key!
This can be frustrating, but is well worth the wait to avoid problems.

[Morsaille]

No. You should go in with an empty stomach, and don't dring anything for several hours before either. Warm liguids will make the band open up, and cold will close it up, giving you a "false" fill.

Empty stomach is the best. I had coffee an hour before my last fill, and that is the one that caused me a problem.

I think this was my problem, I was worried my fill would be too loose or that I would spasm (like my previous one) and had some coffee 1.5 hrs. before the fill. I was in the next day for an unfill.

Big relax, you are going to do great! Time to put that shiny new band to work.

Are you filled yet?

[NotSoFunny]

OK!!! I AM FILLED! Ihave 4cc in there. 4.5 an 5 were too tight. 6 had me closed off completely. I am on liquids for 2 days, then i am going to reintroduce things slowly.

It was a tough time. the doctor was not really that nice, and on top of it all my port is tilted. boy am i glad i went in to have it done with flouro!! He had to dig around with the needle while i was standing with the flouro machine on to get it in. But I am filled and have a "soft trickle" to the rest of my stomach.

On to the weight loss!!

[Telly]

Oh god! I'm nauseous now. I hate the whole imagery of "Digging around" I hate that thought.

I'm glad you are filled and wow at 4cc's. That's quite alot.

[Diva]

Congrats Funny!
Odd, my DH and I had a fight this past weekend and I actually felt myself getting "tight". (mind out of the gutter people mind out of the gutter!). Then I tried to calm down so I wouldn't be so uncomfortable. It was the most bizarro thing.
I am nervous about the fill so I am so glad you posted on it. I have a 4cc band and the usual first fill for my doc to do is 1 to 1.5 cc.