PAMMIE

MY TT SCAR IS JUST ABOUT NOTHING NOW AFTER ALMOST 2 YEARS

YOU JUST LOOK HOT HOT HOT!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! >

GREAT POST MISTY!!! YOU LOOK AWESOME SLOW AND EASY WINS THE RACE, CONGRATULATIONS AND KEEP US POSTED ON THE "WORK"

THE BAND "TOOL" FOR MYSELF IS A LIFE COMMITMENT, EATING HEALTHY AND TAKING CARE OF ME

I BUY WATER IN SAN DIEGO AND BRING IT OVER. EVEN THE BOTTLED WATER, IF YA READ THE LABEL IS BOTTLED IN MX. I USED THAT TO BRUSH MY TEETH

THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR LOVE =D>

THE OCC HAS PHONES YOU CAN USE. AT THE HOTEL, I COULD GET A U.S. TOWER LINE OUT ON THE PATIO. WHEN ANYONE CALLED ME, I DIDN'T ANSWER AND CALLED THEM BACK ONCE I KNOW I WAS ON A US TOWER NOT A MX TOWER LINE

THE OCC DRIVER WE GAVE HIM, $50.00, THEIR WERE TWO OF US AND THE BELL HOPS I GAVE $5.00 EVERYTIME HE HANDLED MY BAG

HI REGINA, I'M JUST ON THE WEST HILL OF AUBURN, FW AREA AND USE http://www.northwestfills.com/ AND I HAVE NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THEM. THEY KNOW HOW MUCH FILL TO PUT IN, THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS. I HAVE THE SMALLER 4CC BAND AND MY SISSY HAS THE LARGER 10 CC BAND WHICH HOLDS MORE SALINE. WE'RE GOING UP ON THE 17th FOR A FILL IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN US. ON AT NW FILLS, READ THEIR WEB SITE, ALOT OF GOOD INFORMATION ON FILLS. THIS IS A GREAT POST ON FILLS: The following suggestions are good rules of thumb and will greatly 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 - If you fly for a fill, While you're on the plane, also take home 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. ANY food in the pouch will make it impossible to give a good fill, or get a good fluoro 3. Don't drink COLD fluids for an hour before the fill. That will shrink your stoma and give a false fluoro reading, and a poor fill. Room temp fluids are fine. Let the ice in your drink bottle melt and hour before a fill, 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, and the fill will not be either. 5. If at all possible, hang around for at least a few hours after a fill. Don't run right back home or 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 and need to come right back. 6. If you fly in, 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. Full liquids are fine, no need for clears. 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. As you reach a higher fill level, you'll no longer be able to "get away" with things you might have before! 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 VERY 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. Discuss all this carefully with your doc. You may even need an UNFILL, to keep your band and stomach safe. 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 very easily get you in trouble, and you end up further "behind" than if you had gone slower with fills. 11. Give a fill at least 2-3 weeks to test it. Some fills don't "settle in" for a week or two, and sometimes more. Your weigth loss is what determines how a fill is - not any feeling of restriction, necessarily. 12. One of the most impt things in determining if a fill is good is choosing proper band foods. Soft foods, liquids, junk foods, sweets, etc will NEVER be well-resticted, and will never tell a thing about having a good fill or not. Only solid foods give useful info. A good test meal is 2-4 oz of solid meat or chicken - be sure it's soft and moist - and about 1/2 cup veggies. You should be able to eat about a cup of food (no less) and this should keep you satisfied (NOT "FULL", but simply "satisfied, not physically hungry". for about 3-4 hrs. 13. Plan regular meals. A good fill will keep you satisfied for 3-4 hrs, but no longer. If you are hungry 5 hrs after kunch, it is not becuase you have an inadequate fill! Reular meals aty planned times are important for a number of reasons, including avoiding snacking, maximizing calorie burn 9which = wt loss) and normalizing metabolism, which is essential for wt maintanace later on. 14. Learn to recognize YOUR "soft stop" sign . Common ones are chest tightness or "fullness", a sudden runny nose, a single hiccup or burp, an eye twitch, back pain, left should pain. All mean the pouch is full enough and we should TOP eating, even spitting out the bite that may be already in our mouths. If we do not, wqe can progress to the "hard stop" - sloning, pb, barfing. Please remember that good fills are very elusive, even with highly- experienced docs and fill people. 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. The goal of th first few fills is NOT to achieve a good resticrion, but to gradually get your stomach used to some pressure so you can tolerate a GOOD fill later. SLOW and GRADUAL is the key! Going slowly with fills can be frustrating, but is well worth the wait to avoid problems.

The following suggestions are good rules of thumb and will greatly 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 - If you fly for a fill, While you're on the plane, also take home 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. ANY food in the pouch will make it impossible to give a good fill, or get a good fluoro 3. Don't drink COLD fluids for an hour before the fill. That will shrink your stoma and give a false fluoro reading, and a poor fill. Room temp fluids are fine. Let the ice in your drink bottle melt and hour before a fill, 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, and the fill will not be either. 5. If at all possible, hang around for at least a few hours after a fill. Don't run right back home or 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 and need to come right back. 6. If you fly in, 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. Full liquids are fine, no need for clears. 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. As you reach a higher fill level, you'll no longer be able to "get away" with things you might have before! 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 VERY 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. Discuss all this carefully with your doc. You may even need an UNFILL, to keep your band and stomach safe. 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 very easily get you in trouble, and you end up further "behind" than if you had gone slower with fills. 11. Give a fill at least 2-3 weeks to test it. Some fills don't "settle in" for a week or two, and sometimes more. Your weigth loss is what determines how a fill is - not any feeling of restriction, necessarily. 12. One of the most impt things in determining if a fill is good is choosing proper band foods. Soft foods, liquids, junk foods, sweets, etc will NEVER be well-resticted, and will never tell a thing about having a good fill or not. Only solid foods give useful info. A good test meal is 2-4 oz of solid meat or chicken - be sure it's soft and moist - and about 1/2 cup veggies. You should be able to eat about a cup of food (no less) and this should keep you satisfied (NOT "FULL", but simply "satisfied, not physically hungry". for about 3-4 hrs. 13. Plan regular meals. A good fill will keep you satisfied for 3-4 hrs, but no longer. If you are hungry 5 hrs after kunch, it is not becuase you have an inadequate fill! Reular meals aty planned times are important for a number of reasons, including avoiding snacking, maximizing calorie burn 9which = wt loss) and normalizing metabolism, which is essential for wt maintanace later on. 14. Learn to recognize YOUR "soft stop" sign . Common ones are chest tightness or "fullness", a sudden runny nose, a single hiccup or burp, an eye twitch, back pain, left should pain. All mean the pouch is full enough and we should TOP eating, even spitting out the bite that may be already in our mouths. If we do not, wqe can progress to the "hard stop" - sloning, pb, barfing. Please remember that good fills are very elusive, even with highly- experienced docs and fill people. 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. The goal of th first few fills is NOT to achieve a good resticrion, but to gradually get your stomach used to some pressure so you can tolerate a GOOD fill later. SLOW and GRADUAL is the key! Going slowly with fills can be frustrating, but is well worth the wait to avoid problems.

A GAL AT WORK HAD THIS SURGERY DONE SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL BILL FOR THE SURGERY AND SUPPLIES JUST CAME IN AT $67,000.00 (DOESN'T INCLUDE THE DR BILLING) THE SUPPLIES ALONE CHARGED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY CAME TO $21,000.00 UNREAL FOR JUST A 24 HOUR STAY AND LAPAROSCOPY SURGERY!!!

THANKS ROBIN, I'D HEARD THINGS WEREN'T WELL OVER THE WEEKEND. MY SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO KITTY AND HER FAMILY AT THIS VERY SAD TIME

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

THAT WAS THE END OF THE TWO HOURS. CHECK NEXT WEEK TO SEE IF HE LOST IT

RE: Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has had there band filled with a thicker solution other than the saline? THERE WAS A GAL HERE THAT HAD A THICKER SALINE PUT IN BUT IT'S BEEN YEARS SINCE I'VE SEEN HER HERE. I'LL SEND OVER A PM TO SEE IF SHE CAN'T ANSWER YOU

YOU LOOK GREAT!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

RE: I knew that vomiting was a sign of a slip, but I do that all the time PBing ALL THE TIME ISN'T GOOD. PURGING ISN'T WHAT THE BAND IS ABOUT. EATING SMALLER HEALTHY PORTIONS IS THE KEY TO LONG TERM SUCCESS WITHOUT HURTING YOURSELF OR THE BAND REMEMBER, IF YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR BAND, IT'LL BE A TOOL YOU CAN USE FOREVER, NOT SOMETHING YOU'LL USE FOR THE NOW AND RISK A POSSIBLE SLIP I KNOW PEOPLE ON THIS BOARD HAVE SLIPPED, HAD THE BAND REMOVED, AND ARE NOW TO EMBARRASSED TO POST ABOUT IT

AGREE WITH YA HERE, I'D BE IN FOR AN PARTAIL UNFILL ASAP

MY DR DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY PORT WHEN DOING MY TT GOOD LUCK TO YOU IT MADE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE IN MY LOOK AFTER HAVING IT DONE. JEANS, SLACKS, EVERYTHING LOOKS BETTER

THAT'S A REALLY GREAT, HEALTHY PLAN STICK WITH IT AND YOU'LL BE A HAPPY LOSING WINNER

IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE A SMILING FACE

INTERESTING I THINK THE BODY TENSES UP WHEN YOUR COLD. JUST NOT AS RELAXED AS YOU USUALLY WOULD BE

IT IS INTERESTING READING POST LIKE THESE KNOWING WHAT I'VE LEARNED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. IT ALL TAKES TIMES, JUST LIKE IT TOOK TIME FOR ALL US TO GAIN THE WEIGHT, IT TAKES TIME TO TAKE IT OFF.... THE HEALTHY WAY

HOWDY KELLY I'M COLD ALL THE TIME, NEVER REALLY WARM TILL I TAKE A HOT HOT SHOWER IN THE EVENING

FILL INSTRUCTIONS BY FILL MANAGEMENT The Lap Band fill (adjustment) is the effect the band has on decreasing your appetite. If you are less hungry then you eat less and will lose weight. The word restriction is a misnomer. When fluid is added to the lap band it causes the food one eats to stay in a pouch for a longer time. This releases a neurotransmitter to the brain that says you are full for 4 hours. This is a fill. To feel restriction is not good and can lead to other problems, like Gastric Reflux, heartburn, PB (projectile burping) and band slippage (rare). How much fill should I get? It is important to understand that the tissue in you gut is like the tissue in your mouth, it is very sensitive and swells very easily. Everyone is different; a good fill for one person is too tight for another person, or not enough for the next person. The initial adjustment post operatively should occur at 6 weeks or later, and 1-2cc of Normal Saline (for the 9.75 or 10 cc band). The larger band (11CM and VG) adjustment os 3-4cc. Regular reviews (4-6 weeks) are recommended with weight and clinical status measured. If weight loss is 1 pound per week over the period and patient is following bandster diet guidelines then another fill of normal saline is added at .2 to .5 increments. If the weight loss average between visits is 2 plus pounds per week no fill is needed. If the weight loss averaged between 1-2 pounds and the person feels hungry and found it difficult to comply with the dietary guideline/portions. Fluid is removed from the system if there is symptoms of excessive restriction or obstruction, including excessive sense of fullness, heartburn, regurgitation and vomiting. Fluoroscopy is needed for evaluation of band placement and/or port placement. It is important know that the fluid in the band never adds up, it is always give or take 1 cc because fluid hides in the tubing or in the band.