yay 4th fill!

i got my 4th fill today. i have a Realize band that holds 9ccs of fluid and until this morning i had 4.5 ccs after three fills. my concern was the size of my meals.. i could eat a whole piece of chicken and whatever sides like roasted potatoes or veggies and sometimes even a little salad. not good for bandland. so i requested and received another fill.

i took issue, however, with the fact that i didn't see my surgeon once during my appointment this morning! he was there - i saw him in the hallway. but, he didn't do my exam, my fill, or even stop by to check in on me and my progress. a new (to me) man who introduced himself as "edward" did my fill. now, edward had no white coat, and didn't introduce himself as "doctor" but he had a stethoscope... anyway, i was uneasy because i need a large needle, as opposed to a short one, for my fills since my port is underneath some scar tissue. edward told me he's a physician's assistant. i kept waiting for the surgeon to come in but i realized that this edward chap was going to do my fill! i tried to relax and think "if anything goes wrong, there are surgeons in this building if i need them." so, the fill went fairly smoothly - a little longer than i'd have liked, but no continuous poking and prodding. i saw edward take some fluid out before adding the new stuff so i know he hit the port in the right place. whew.

now my tummy is a little achy. not the band, but my actual tummy.. kind of like i got stabbed with a several-inch-long needle, i s'pose.

so this is me... banded

i've been banded with Realize Adjustable Gastric Band for 3 months now. Yesterday I hit my first mini goal; I've lost 41 lbs. Hitting the -40lb mark was a huge milestone for me, as I've never been able to lose that much weight before.


i got stuck on some chicken at lunch today. i was eating too fast, i think. i also think i need a fill. i can eat way, waaay more than i should. i see the surgeon again tomorrow.