Do you get to decide how much a fill should be?

alice150 · 06-23-2008, 06:02 PM

Hi everyone,
I will be going for my second fill tomorrow. I was banded on April 8 and have lost 28 lbs. I have a 10cc band which started out with 4 cc's from the day of surgery. My first fill was May 19 and it was 1 more cc. I have never really felt any restriction, even after my fill. The doctor said that he did not think 1 more cc would feel much different??? At the time, I was just starting solid food and couldn't really tell him how full I felt.

How much of a fill should I get tomorrow? I don't want to be too restricted, but I do want to get some kind of message from the band. Do I have a say in how much I should get, or should I just leave it up to the doctor after telling him that I can eat way too much without feeling it, if I don't make myself stop from sheer willpower.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Alice
Banded April 8, 2008
271/243/150

Tomasa · 06-23-2008, 06:09 PM

I suggest telling your Dr your eating patterns, then leaving the rest up to him. I know that even .02cc have made a big difference in my restriction.

Kalipso2 · 06-23-2008, 07:23 PM

it all depends on how aggressive your doctor is with fills. a lot of my doctor's patients travel a few hours to see him (i drive 4 hours) so he's more aggressive than some are.

after your fill, did you have to drink water? i did feel anything after my first fill but i could definitely feel the restriction just from the water after my second fill.

alice150 · 06-24-2008, 09:04 AM

Well, I am back from my appointment. No Fill. My doctor's guidelines are weight loss of less than 5 lbs in one month before he will consider any further adjusting. I've lost 10 lbs in the last 5 weeks. I explained that I did not think that the band talks to me and he laughed. He said I am obviously working the system the way it should be worked and if I want to feel food in my band, I am looking for it to be too tight!

I'm only 2.5 months out and have 5cc's in a 10cc band. He is afraid that I will max out if I look to have a fill too soon.

Thanks for the feedback but I will follow the doctor's orders and whether it is because of the band or in spite of it, I don't plan on losing less than 5 lbs a month!

Alice
Banded April 8, 2008
271/243/150

babs0101 · 06-24-2008, 03:28 PM

Alice, i too have a 10 cc band. It took 3 fills for me to feel some restriction. That put me at 5.5 - 6. cc's. After that, each tiny little bit is a big difference in your restriction. Take it slow, or you will be back at the doc office getting an unfill.

lafevretj · 06-24-2008, 07:02 PM

I was banded at the beginning of April and just had my 2nd fill. My first fill was 3.5cc and today I got 1.5cc. My doctor lets me decide where I want to be, he originally put in 2cc today, but when I drank water I had discomfort, so he backed off to 1.5cc. I am in a study that measures the pressure in the band (many people have restriction with different amounts of fluid), but the study I am in is trying to determine if the pressure is the factor which determines the best restriction. I have lost 32# since being banded and feel this is a healthy weight loss. I don't want to be restricted to the point I can't eat a healthy diet.