Finally have restriction...but is it too much?

travel_anna · 07-02-2008, 10:28 AM

Hi all -

I went and had a fill on Monday. I knew I was close to that "sweet spot", but since I was still eating about 2-2.5 cups of food with a meal, I wanted a small fill. So I had 1ml added - I'm now up to a total of 8.5mls in my APS band.

Well, on Monday, after I had the fill, I had trouble keeping down yogurt. I was able to drink water and liquid without hiccups or burping or anything.

Now, 2 days later, I am starting to try solids, and I am really tight. I haven't had any vomiting, but I can't eat much. For example:
2 ravioli over 30 minutes
1/2 container of yogurt over 30 minutes
1cup water over an hour.

This seems REALLY tight to me. But I know in the past, after a week or two, my fills always seem to be not quite as full as I first get them.

I'm thinking I should just "wait it out" and see what happens over the next week or two, to see if it loosens up, as it normally does.

Does anyone else have this experience? Do you think I'm crazy and should just go get unfilled now?

Thanks for any advice or stories.
Anna

JaimeSTL · 07-02-2008, 11:19 AM

I had a similar experience with my first fill. I was really tight the first 3-4 days then it seemed to settle. As long as you aren't PB'ing or vomiting, and can eat some and drink, you could wait it out a few more days and see if it settles. If you are really uncomfortable, call right away, since this is a three day weekend and you'd have to wait until Monday. If you don't call, just make sure to eat very carefully, take small bites and chew well.

coolcrystal · 07-02-2008, 02:05 PM

Just remember, not being able to eat very much can actually cause you not to lose weight and other than being completely uncomfortable, it's just not good for you. But, I absolutely can't stand it when people are too tight they can't eat a small healthy meal. It's one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to this band. When I read stuff like this, it really irritates me.. because it's not being responsible... but, I'm just being honest since you asked.

JaimeSTL · 07-02-2008, 04:52 PM

I don't think that's really fair, Crystal. She realizes that she may need an unfill. After my first fill experience, I think it would be jumping the gun to get it after just two days. She might have just had extra swelling or something, and in a few days she can eat better. If she goes ahead with an unfill now, and then ends up losing restriction in a few days, she has to start all over.

I don't agree with being so tight you can barely eat either. It does get better after a little time though, so I see no point to rushing off for an unfill, just to need another small fill in a week or two when the swelling has gone down.

travel_anna · 07-02-2008, 05:51 PM

Hi again -

I definitely know I am right on the edge of being too tight. I am not having vomiting or PB/sliming. I can drink liquids well and I am not dehydrated.

I am more than prepared to go in for an unfill - trust me. I know very well that being too tight is not what I want. Poor nutrition, dehydration, risk of slippage and erosion. I am more than aware...

I just remember from past fills that after a few days the restriction was less. In the past, I really didn't have much restriction after a fill and then no restriction after a few weeks.

I was hoping that other people could share their experience with being at or near good restriction and whether the initial tightness goes down even at these higher levels of fill. If no one has felt that it "relaxed" after a few days when they were at higher restriction levels, I would go in for an unfill sooner, rather than trying to wait it out through the holiday weekend thinking it would relax some.

Again, any stories would be helpful.
Crystal, I agree that being irresponsible is irritating, but I guarantee you that is not what I am doing.

valvinnek · 07-03-2008, 10:16 AM

Anna, if it were me I would wait it out, only since your not vomiting or anything. If you can get liquids down, your not going to dehydrate or anything. I would wait til Monday, if you're still that tight, I'd to the unfill, you know your body. Do what your comfortable with, if its not sitting right with you , do the unfill.

Re: Crystal, that IS one of her pet peeves, but its all in doing things safely and living like a "normal person". We all want to lose weight, and have gone to great lengths to get this far, we just don't want to go from being Obese to Anorexic or trading one food disorder for another. Anna, I don't mean you at all. There are posts all over the place about people being happy that they can only eat two bites of a banana or what not and they are happy with that and that is what irritates Chrystal - people not being healthy and safe about having this weight loss tool that we worked so hard to get.

Good luck!

mediummike · 07-03-2008, 11:56 AM

As long as you can stil eat and drink without being sick or hungry, you should be ok. yes, you will be eating less initially but it is also my experience that the band "loosens up" over time.

travel_anna · 07-03-2008, 12:05 PM

Well - I went and got an unfill this morning.

I just wasn't comfortable not being able to eat. I didn't go into this process wanting to be someone who could only eat 2 bites of food every several hours.

I have never been one of those people who thought "oh great! I can't eat! I'll lose weight faster" - NEVER.

That was never my intention with this post. I was just curious how long to wait to go for the unfill. I ended up answering that question myself...
and went this morning.

coolcrystal · 07-03-2008, 01:27 PM

Right, I was in no way trying to be insulting and Jaime, if somebody is going to ask for our opinions then nobody should get offended if we state them. That was only my opinion. If it was mean, sorry, but that's how I feel.

There's only two things that I hate about the band and this forum.. hearing about the stupid pre-surgery liquid diet people have to go on, as I think doctors who do this are silly because they dont' have to and people who get too tight because they are uneducated on how this band works or they are transferring thier disorder to becoming anorexic..

Now, I don't think Travel Anna was in either of those categories at all. I think she was perfectly aware of the tightness of her band and was simply asking our opinions so she could make a decision. I've read her posts and she is not one of those to get too tight.

People say their fills get loser, but mine actually get tighter after a few days.. there are actually several people on here who's fills get tighter instead of loser. If she was already super tight, then what if it had gotten worse. Only she knows how her body operates and it sounds like she was uncomfortable with her fill level. Even if she had to get a little taken out.. maybe .1cc or.5cc, then in 3 weeks she can get more.. big deal. Three weeks.. I've gone on plateaus for that long.. we've only been banded for 4 months... this isn't a race to lose 100 pounds in 6 months.. we didn't get the bypass.. we got the band.

travel_anna · 07-08-2008, 09:27 PM

Well...bummer...
I got the unfill and now I have virtually no restriction. From too tight to nothing.

Oh well...at least now I know that 7ml is not enough (what I have now) and 8.5ml is way too much.
When I go back in August, I'll aim for a little over 7.5 and see how that goes.

This is going to be a month full of determination and self restriction. I used to be able to "diet" well for a few months, but my weight loss would always trail off after that. I can do this for a month...I know I can.

Officeslave · 07-09-2008, 06:43 AM

Hey Crystal....the only thing about the pre-op diet that bothers me (I did NOT have a pre-op diet.....I had pizza the night before surgery!) is that people who were banded around the same time I was have often lost a LOT more, but 1/2 of that was pre-band. Actually finding out it was pre-band makes me feel a little better because my wl has been slower! I guess I haven't figured out the point of the pre-op diet.

ReadySteadyGo · 07-09-2008, 07:26 AM

That we have different opinions, different ideas, but I love this support group because we always express these different ideas in such a respectful manner.

That being said.

I didn't have a preop diet, and because of that I always forget that people who lost 75 lbs might not have lost it since Feb. and I think. Damn it, whats wrong with MY band.

But at the same time, Good for them to be able to lose ANYTHING without being banded.

Jaime, Crystal, and all my other VV you are doing amazing.

I might be a slower loser, but that gives me the oppurtunity to be inspired by all of you. Thank you so much for continuing to come and post, to speak.

I love you guys.

I gotta stop typing. I want to cry. I must be about to start my peroid. TMI? I don't care.

Ezma · 07-09-2008, 07:45 AM

Oh Ready, you are just so wonderful. Got me a bit choked up there too and I don't even have the period thing to blame for my weepiness. This is a great group. And yes, we do have different opinions and experiences but I think that is what is so helpful for everyone. You can express yourself and see the broad range of experiences.

I did have two pre-op diets - the six month for the insurance and a two week pre-op to "shrink my liver". During the 6 month is was typical couple pounds a month then gained 6 back at Christmas. Ended up losing 18 from that. Then I had the very strict 2-week with just broth, sugar free popsicles and jello and 3 protein shakes a day. I thought I was gonna die. I was starving all the time, going through caffeine withdrawal and wanted to kill my doctor, nutritionist and nurses. I was sure it was ridiculous to do this and knew had never suffered so. I know, a bit melodramatic there. But I lost another 16 pounds from it and it gave me some insight into myself. I knew I could do this band thing and succeed. It made me feel strong and confident. I know that the surgeons can do the operation without it but if it makes it easier for them, I'm game. I feel a bit bad when people compare their post op weight loss and feel like they aren't doing as well because they are. But I did work hard to get those pounds off too and I want to claim them. I do hope it's clear in my signature that part of it was pre-op.

JaimeSTL · 07-09-2008, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Officeslave

Hey Crystal....the only thing about the pre-op diet that bothers me (I did NOT have a pre-op diet.....I had pizza the night before surgery!) is that people who were banded around the same time I was have often lost a LOT more, but 1/2 of that was pre-band. Actually finding out it was pre-band makes me feel a little better because my wl has been slower! I guess I haven't figured out the point of the pre-op diet.

The purpose of the pre-op liquid diet is to shrink the liver. When the band is placed, your liver has to be lifted out of the way and when it is too large, the doctor risks bruising, tearing, or otherwise damaging the liver. I think for some doctors it is also an exercise in compliance because they can tell from your liver whether or not you followed the diet. People have been closed up on the table without getting the band because their liver was in bad condition.

My doctor usually does a three day diet, but he had me do it for five days because my liver was very large. I had to have gallbladder tests before surgery and ended up having the HIDA scan repeated because my liver was too large to see the gallbladder well. I didn't have to do a 6 month diet for insurance or anything like that. I lost 11 lbs on liquids and the other 67 lbs since surgery. I didn't lose anything prior to my liquid diet, and in fact, I gained 5-6 lbs in the month prior because of my "last meals" of all the things I couldn't just freely eat after surgery.

coolcrystal · 07-09-2008, 10:42 AM

What I dislike are the liquid pre-op diets that doctors put some folks on. It's actually an old way of thinking. Yes, it's for shrinking the liver, but the South Beach diet does the exact same thing and it allows the patient to actually eat food and learn how to eat properly before being banded.

The liquid diet forces people to starve and what ends up happening is the patient will lose control and run out to eat a cheeseburger or a boxed pizza, throwing everything off course. With the south beach diet, you eat healthy, and lose a ton of weight before the surgery and it does the same exact thing as the liquid diet. It shrinks your liver.

My doctor switched over to this way of thinking when he realized that too many of his patients would cheat on the liquid diet, but not cheat on the south beach and he had better overall results with a healthier liver.

Also, you'll see people lose 20 lbs on that liquid diet and then when they start eating regular food they'll gain a bunch of weight back.. well of course this will happen when you aren't drinking liquids anymore. I only gained 1.5 lbs when I went back to regular foods.. but I've known people to gain 15 of it back.. because they were doing liquids.

So, it's just sad when I see newbies on here crying out about the liquid diet and how miserable they are.. they are even more emotional and angry because their bodies and brains have no fuel.. so sad.