unfill or?

Long2BFree · 03-25-2008, 09:19 PM

I haven't been banded yet but in reading through the posts on this subject made me think that many people must be getting dehydrated from PBing, sliming, etc. Not getting adequate fluids in should send up a red flag.

Anyway, I happy this topic was brought up because it looks like a lot of people are getting their fills re-checked.

kandiceb · 03-26-2008, 12:45 PM

Wow! This thread is right up my alley. I was at 8cc in my 10cc band as of 3/17. It was ok for two days...horrible for six days and almost terminal yesterday. I was thowing up for 4 hours at work and not even able to swallow my own spit so I called NWWLS and got in to see my surgeon within the hour. He gave me a .5cc unfill and a HUGE lecture...all deserved. He said if I intend to walk the fine line of being tight, I need to eat VERY SLOWLY. If I eat fast, the pressure on the pouch will stretch it out and not only be very painful, might require a band relocating surgery. The first food in the pouch causes the build up of pressure. Wait a few minutes before adding more so as to not overpressure the pouch. I know what he is talking about. I feel the pressure in my "throat" when I've eaten wrong or too fast.

I'm still a little tight but that is probably the results of over a week of irritation so I am taking it easy now. I need to not focus on the 7 pounds I lost during that time. You can't run around dehydrated and be healthy!!

luzin susan · 03-26-2008, 01:28 PM

Wow 4 hours of gagging is a lot! I usually gagged for an hour and no more. I agree so much with the dr. I know that it is a fine line and right now I am able to eat more then before, faster and drink if I choose. However I am doing my best to control it! I also understand now that my habits didn't change as much as they should have so I am working on that too. Now that I am more open it is easier to go back to old behaviors,,,I am getting a little more put in in another 3 weeks and this time it will be a little bit at a time,,,I never want to irritate my stomach like I did the last 3 months,,,yes I have also felt the food in my stomach. I actually get a shart pain in my neck when I eat too much,,weird huh? It is scary to see that many of my habits were forced to change when I was so overfilled but that I now have to rely on myself for control a little more although my intake isn't nearly as much as it was pre band. I think this is a good lesson for us all! I am happy to hear that you unfilled as the long2bfree is right,,,dehydration is not a means to lose weight and that water just comes back and then we feel dread again at "weight gain" I need to drink more fluids anyway;,,,also dehydration is self injurous to say the least. I have done that too! Good luck and thank for that helpful info from the dr.

Susan

AthinnerDenise · 03-26-2008, 08:50 PM

It IS a very fine line between having restriction and being overfilled.

Pbing is basically throwing up-somebody asked that. It is not normal to
pb or throw up regularly. I can't even remember the last time I did. But I did when I was too tight!

Being too tight is miserable and there is no reason for it. It causes all sorts of problems. It's amazing how having just a tiny bit taken out will
make all the difference in the world. The band is supposed to work a certain way. Throwing up, sliming, and only being able to get certain foods down, is not how it's supposed to work.

luzin susan · 03-27-2008, 12:10 AM

Denise or someone,

I wonder if you would be willing to write about how it IS supposed to work. I think there is so much confusion about this subject. So many different ideas but in general there has to be a certain criteria for the way the band is supposed to work! Or maybe you could direct me to something that explains it better. It seems like it is supposed to make you not hungry but when I am at that point, I am gagging all the time. I don't know what a "sweet spot" is really supposed to feel like! Can you shed a little light! I have a feeling that others are confused also.

thanks

Susan

shortgal · 03-27-2008, 06:48 AM

I found this previous post by Dr.Watkins a band surgeon that has posted on the forum. I remembered this post about his description of a perfect fill.

His words:
My opinion is that the band restriction should always be perfect. It is adjustable so I see no reason why it can't be perfect all the time.

In my opinion, if you have your first fill and you can still eat a lot and you feel as hungry as if you were on a diet and you find it hard to lose weight, I think you need more saline in there to help you out. I think a lot of band clinics don't get it perfect soon enough.

perfect = full on small meals, not hungry between meals, easily lose 1-2 pounds per week, think your surgeon is miraculous, send your surgery practice a Christmas card that will bring tears to your eyes

too loose = hungry, able to eat a lot, feel like you're on a diet, hard to lose weight

too tight = heartburn, everything hurts to eat and wants to come back up, the only thing that will go down is ice cream and Cheetos

Bunny · 03-27-2008, 07:34 AM

Shortgal, Thanks for the posting. I was never quite sure what the perfect fill was. I got my last fill in Dec '07 and thought that was the perfect fill. I was very tight and could only eat about 3 tbs of food. The scale was moving downward so I thought the fill was perfect. However, I often threw up and things often got stuck even when I chewed. I was so afraid to overeat that I did not address it with my doc...I could still get down fluids and soft stuff.

Anyway, about 2 weeks ago, I had .2cc's taken out because I felt like I WAS on a diet. After doing a barium swallow to see how tight things looked, my NP suggested a very slight unfill.

I like it better this way...I am at 7.0cc's in a 10cc band. I have not PB'd since the unfill yet I also cannot overeat. I don't feel the need to AVOID meat. Now, THIS is the perfect fill. Oh...and I have lost two more pounds!!!

shortgal · 03-27-2008, 04:03 PM

Bunny, sounds like you have the perfect fill now. too often we believe that tight is good. It does need to be tight, but not so tight that solid protein won't go down. You have that and have figured that out! I'm sure my perfect restricton will come soon, too!

AthinnerDenise · 03-27-2008, 06:40 PM

Susan, Bunny has it right. When you have a perfect fill, you can eat like a normal person but not very much. I can basically eat anything I want, just not very much. I eat a lot of chicken because I eat out a lot.

Today I had a chicken salad and just ate the chicken off the top and there was no way I had room for the lettuce. That was at noon, and it's almost 5:00 and I not hungry. I will eat dinner just because it's time to do that. Since I got my fill just right, I don't get hunger stomach growling pains for many hours after eating.

I have to tell you though that the road to getting here was very frustrating. It took me a year to feel like I am perfect. I was either hungry all the time, eating big meals, or throwing up all the time. I just knew that the throwing up part was not normal. I would go in for an unfill and he would take too much out. We finally came to the right spot by him checking me and bringing it to the point where it was just slightly less than where I was when I was throwing up

The sweet spot does not last until you are close to goal weight. That's because when you lose fat around your stomach, the band gets looser and you need a tiny fill. (Not a big one like when you first get banded.) Have you read the Wendall Edward's post How the band works, fills and unfills? It's a sticky on the main page.

ImaKaren4U · 03-27-2008, 09:42 PM

I cannot tell you how glad I was to read your post - I am terribly sorry you are going through this, however it is almost as if I wrote the post myself! I am experiencing the same thing.
I had my band done Oct 07 and have lost 74 pounds since this adventure, 9 pounds to my first goal but I may try to go another 19.
I had my 3rd fill 8 weeks ago. At the time I got 1.5 ccs. The first week or so I was more tender than with previous fills and over the past 8 weeks I have had a lot of restriction, and about 10 days of being able to eat whatever I wanted...but then back to the restriction. I think it has something to do with my period cycle but I am so sick of being sick and having that pain every time I drink anything most days. Like you, I cannot hardly get more than warm liquid (ie tea) down for most of the day and not much more the rest of the night - but there are times although fewer in between that I can eat what I want.
The pain is kind of like really bad heartburn but it radiates through to my backbone too. It really makes me not want to eat or drink anything.
I was lucky that my doctor will squeeze me in this coming Monday (if I wait, he is really overbooked) to have some removed. I was thinking about having 1/2 cc removed - it has to be better than what I have now. I just don't want too much removed because I do like restriction, just not the pain.
Thank you for posting your comments - it is nice to know I am not the only one going through this. In the beginning it was so exciting, but the pain is making it harder to enjoy my new body...when the pain is gone it is gone temporarily. I don't think I have any kind of lasting sores or anything like that because the pain does go away sometimes...we will see.

AthinnerDenise · 03-27-2008, 11:03 PM

Karen, there is no reason to go through this. I just had dinner with my banded friend and we talked about how hard it is to go in for an unfill
when we are waiting and hoping for perfect restriction.

I am glad you are able to get into your doctor. I feel so badly for people that have to drive so far and that plays into their decision
of needing an unfill and not wanting to make the drive.

ImaKaren4U · 03-27-2008, 11:46 PM

Thank you for your support. You may have noticed, but we have the same surgeon...we drive over from Medford - we are lucky though because we have family in Lakeside.
Thanks again - you are right, enough is enough. I am glad I have finally made the decision

AthinnerDenise · 03-28-2008, 01:32 AM

How cool. No, I didn't notice that you were a Dr. T's patient. I just love him and all of his staff. I wish you lived closer so you could come to the support group meetings.

I feel really lucky that I live so close to his office. There are so many people that come to him from such long distances. I hope they get your fill just right this time. I heard they have someone new in there doing fills, a physician's assistant. Everyone seems to really like him.

Louisianagirl · 03-28-2008, 10:29 AM

The scale didn't drop any yet but its my own fault. I have been picking on that left over chocolate from Easter, hopfully by the end of the weekend it is out the house. I would have thrown it away but I feel bad throwing my 7 yr olds candy away for my bad habit. I just need to say no to sweets. This unfill has been amazing, this is how the band is suppose to work. I don't plan on going for a fill for a while, unless I was to gain 5-10 lbs.

Terrisioux · 03-28-2008, 05:30 PM

Hi all, I'm glad I read this post. I haven't even had my first fill yet, that happens April 17th but I wanted to read up and see what you pros are dealing with and read what you all thought of the band filled. But now I'll know what is going on if later on down the line I am too full. Can I ask a stupid question. What does PBING mean? I'm guessing vomitting? Thanks all and good luck to you Susan and Brenda. I hope you both get some relief soon!