The Time has come...

[A1ikou]

I have booked to go and see my doc on Tuesday evening for my 3rd fill. I have been holding off on this for some time because I am still losing weight, even though it's slowing down some. I expected that to happen after 6mths anyway.
So why now? Weelllllll...I'm not restricted yet at all. As long as I am careful with my bites and chewing, I can eat what I want and basically as much of it as I choose. But generally speaking I choose not to eat very much. I do have bad days though. The thing I'm missing is that full feeling. After my other fills, I could have eaten virtually nothing all day and I would not have felt in the slightest bit hungry. I ate because I had to and this for me was a huge plus and why my band is working for me I think.
I am an emotional eater but since I've been losing my mood has been basically stable and so no binging (a couple of times in 6mths aint bad).
Now, I feel hungry. not immediately but after an hour or so of eating and I want my full feeling back. So, I'm off for a 3rd fill. I hope it works fine and that I get back what I want without ending up too restricted which I would hate. We shall see!

[Kathy]

Ali, at this point, it probably won't take much saline at all to increase your restriction. Be careful! You are doing so well! Over 90 pounds lost! WOW!!!!

[MoOrLess]

If hunger in an hour makes you crazy - go for it girl! I agree - from what I have read - with Kathy - a little goes a long way at this point - but I know you have a great doctor so it should go well for you

[A1ikou]

With one thing and another I haven't managed to go yet but the big day is finally tomorrow. I have an 11am appointment at the clinic where I had my op and I'll see what the doc has to say about things in general (and if I can understand him :rolleyes: ). Update when I see how it's going and what happens to my weight...

[diva girl]

Good luck, Ali.

[A1ikou]

Well wasn't that fun!!!!!!!!!!
Went through Athens in a txi to the centre (I like looking at the shops!). First we were told that my surgeon wasn't there and it was one of his team. OK so I went in...how many fills have you had? How long apart? What can you eat?
I am generaly happy with the care I have had here in Greece but docs are still of the "You don't need to know everything" mentality. So, I 'guess' I have the big band and I have no idea how much is in it...neither did he really. He said he was gonna make it tight and he did! So tight I immediately couldn't swallow anything - water, my spit...all stuck. :rolleyes: :sad: :eek: So, I knocked on the door and said "Oi this hurts" (Well words to that effect anyway). He called me back in and took out half of what he'd put in initially. I felt better immediately. Drank a glass of water and came home. Liquids for three days now, so we will see.
Fills are free and doctors are nice enough but sometimes I wish I knew more about what was going on.<sigh> That's Greece for ya!

["T"]

Yeaaaaa Ali I'm so happy to see your ticker. WOW you are almost there. This fill should be the one to get to the 100 pound mark. Go Ali, Go Ali YEAHHHHHHH

[A1ikou]

Thank you kindly! I've been on liquids and I'm hungry but not starving...I have kept off the scale so far but will check on Sunday. I am so interested to see if I finally have restriction when I eat because up to now I have had none whatsoever.

["T"]

Well Ali you are to be applauded if you have lost 93 pounds without restriction:clap2::clap2::clap2:

[shackdog]

Hey just wanted to say yo and good luck with the fill.

[503-250]

I'm glad to see you posting after your fill trauma...

I finally have some restriction, but I'm weird about it right now...I wish there was a light that goes on, or a gauge...I guess im a tech geek so it makes sense to me that way rather then feeling. Personally, I would prefer to just have a iron clad fact as a solution, but then I wouldn't be adjusting my behavior I guess.

[PhotoNut]

Heyas Ali :)

Be sure to go very slowly when you start adding regular food back into your diet. I noticed that I lost a lot of my bandster-type common sense during the time I was unfilled, and then after getting filled again I charged head on into a meal without taking time to really examine how the new restriction was going to affect me. Consequently, I had some painful moments. Test out each solid food you eat. Take a bite, chew it well, and let it go down and stay down for a couple of minutes before you take another bite. And take another bite of the same food before moving on to something else. That way you know for sure how you're going to do before adding in more. Make sense?

You also might find that once you are eating solids again you feel like your restriction goes away. Its an odd phenomenon that does occur but often if you wait a week or so, you'll see that things do level out and you'll have a better idea of how much restriction you really do have.

Lordie, my grammar and sentence structure stinks today. Good luck following all of that! I hope it helps. Keep us posted on how it's going, ok?

And what an adventure you're living in! Fills in Greece?! Oh to be so lucky! :)

[A1ikou]

Well so far so good! Saturday I tried yoghurt and tuna with a little mayo. All went down fine but I realised from the first moment I knew I would have to go back to lapband rules one and two:- eat tiny bits and chew, chew, chew. I had gotten used to pretty normal size bites but not anymore.
Sunday I tried some pork and a little baked potato. Again the food went down but had to be real careful with the meat. I also, for the first time since banding, had a sign from my band that 'she'd' had enough...never mind what I thought!
So, right now I'm happy because this is what I wanted. I think I have done and OK job without restriction so far but now I need my band to help me a little more by not letting me overdo it and that is what she seems to be doing.
The one thing I have learned so far is that we are all so different and react to fills in many unique ways. I am writing my experience just as an example. to any newbies considering fills, you will find your band will do what 'it' wants and you just go with the flow!!!

[Kathy]

Ahhh, restriction! Good for you, Ali. Be careful and enjoy! :lol:

[shackdog]

Yep need to follow the rules and then success is in the cards, no one wants the pain or other stuff that goes with overeating

[A1ikou]

Had a miserable day today :sad: I drank a protein shake and had a coffee during the morning with no trouble at all. Then I decided a bowl of the chicken and vegetable soup I'd made yesterday sounded just the ticket.
I got down 2 small spoons before I realised I was stuck...waited for a pb and soon it came. But it didn't end there. I wasn't in pain, whatever was stuck was stuck low down. I pb'd a second time and felt better. Ha! then realised nothing was going down...not my saliva- nothing.
I walked around, breathed deeply and threw up whatever I swallowed every 5mins or so. Called hubby who was on duty in his pharmacy and asked him to find me a doctor. He did...7 calls later. the emergency doc said do what you're doing and try and sip something warm...I did and it came straight back.
After about 40mins of this doc called me back and said come down and I'll unfill you...
Then a burp and I felt a 'little' better. I sipped some water and it went down...so I kept sipping. I drank 24oz and doc said OK leave it...liquids for 2 days for sure and if this happens again then an unfill for sure.
I'm generally having trouble now with the 1st solid thing I eat each day but no way was I ready for this. Still, it passed, I'm fine again and we will see what tomorrow brings.

[Kathy]

Ugh, Ali! How miserable! Do be careful. I know, you *were* careful! Egg Drop Soup is the ticket at times like these. Keep us posted!

[Stitchy]

See, Ali? She has you in training! And you will do it her way! You are doing things right, though. Go slow, tiny bites and listen to her.

Keep us posted.

[A1ikou]

Well she beat me down today and I had to have a .5cc unfill. Woke up this morning and once again I had problems with water. It was going down but gurgling etc and I had too many hiccups. So, I called the doc and he said I could go over. He took out the cc and I drank some water straight down.
I've stuck to liquids today since I 'threw up' so much yesterday but will try something solid tomorrow, just to see. I feel better and have gotten all my daily water down no problems. Next time I go for a fill/unfill I'm going to ask they take all out, just so I know where I'm at. The guesstimate system is just that and since I see different docs each time, I need a card or something so they all know where I'm at...me too!
Watch this space lol.
What I do love about the band is that most problems we come across are reversible...even at worst we lose the band but remain healthy so all in all I still love my fickle, female band!

[Neal R.]

I understand. I am at the exact same place. I scheduled my next fill for a week from Tuesday. I am still loosing, but only because I am making good choices. I am not happy about the amount of food it takes to not be hungry, but I am filling up on veggies after my protein foods so the weight is still coming off. Where I get the will power - I don't know. Lord knows I didn't have before getting the band. Anyway, I hope to get good restriction fromt his fill. I have never had great restriction. I have never gotten stuck or PB'd or anything like I hear others talk about. I know those aren't good things and I do want to avoid them, just saying I have never been real tight with my band and would like to feel better restriction.

[A1ikou]

I have decided to go and get a small fill again before Christmas. It's hard to think about how you can go from being so tight to so open in .5cc! I am not sure if I want to try again where I was or just have a teeny tiny fill. I'll ask the doctor when I get there. Since I've been on a plateau for a while now I also think that unless I end up so tight that water won't go down I will persevere with a real tight fill for a while until the band helps me get my habits back on line too.
So, lets see what next week brings!!!

[Idahobeauty]

Best of luck to you. It is amazing how so little of a fill can make such a huge difference. Keep us posted on how it goes.

[A1ikou]

Well after much humming and ahhing and not being able to get things sorted for one silly thing or another, I'm off for a fill tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous because I'm already tight mornings and night times but during the day I can eat waaayyyy too much. So I figure I'll stick to shakes and water morning and night and eat during the hours I know I'll be Ok. Well, after my four days liquids only I will!

[sallyjo]

Hey Sweetie-Hope your trip was great. You go and get that fill tomorrow and I am going Friday to get some taken out. This one has gotten so tight until I can do nothing but liquids. Six weeks later---go figure. Love ya:nod:

[A1ikou]

Greek doctors are so stubborn. As I've mentioned I now get free fills for life but this guesstimate system is driving me NUTS. I told the doc I saw that after my last fill I got so tight I couldn't get water down and then had an unfill that went the opposite way and left me wide open. So what did he do..put back exactly what i'd had taken out instead of the little less I'd asked for. His logic was that the band rarely does same thing twice?!?!?!?!?!
Anyway I drank some water and it went down Ok and I have been on liquids since (Fill was Wed 3rd). Mornings are really tight and after that it's slow going. Stil, I will see how things are with food before I go back, after all I DO need to curb my eating and a pretty tight band is what I need right now...BUT
The morning I was going for the fill I noticed that I felt 'sore'. As I was drinking my water I could feel it going through the band and felt a little sore for about 10seconds afterwards and then it stopped. The doc said not to worry and that being on liquids for 3-5days would help. It's now Sunday and it does feel better but I confess I'm anxious.
What if pouch was swollen and now that I've filled it tight it can't calm down and relax? I've had no reflux or anything but like all of us I get anxious about hurting myself or my band. I am going to try some soft food this afternoon and then something more chewy tomorrow and see how it feels. If there are no pb's and no soreness I think it'll be ok but I am still tempted to ask doc to see what's going on...any thoughts anyone?

[kebsa]

:eek: "His logic was that the band rarely does same thing twice?!?!?!?!?!":eek:


That's the strangest thing I have everheard!! Does he think that the band has a mind of its own??

[HeatherGurl]

I know from personal experience that worrying if your band is too tight and stressing out that something may be wrong, will actually make it tighter. I know it's easier said than done to not worry too much, but keep an eye on it and take it easy. You may need that tighter fill to get where you want with your goal. Not too tight, but the tighter in the morning, and slow going during the day. As long as you are getting in the stuff your body needs.
Good luck Ali!