Got an unfill today but it doesn't feel like it yet...

housecatgirl · 09-21-2006, 08:50 PM

So, last night I woke up in the middle of the night...coughing and sputering up water I had right before bed. I was only able to get about 20oz of liquid down yesterday due to it going down so slowly and giving me the chest pain from hell!!

Called my doc and he said come in today! I was so worried I slipped my band but when he checked under floro he said it all looked fine and the pouch didn't look dilated.:phanvan He then had me swallow the barium and all was well. However, based on my symptoms he unfilled me .2 anyway...so now I have 3.2 in my 4 cc band. I was able to drink a whole bottle of water right afterward. Now, only 3.5 hours later I am able to drink but again need to go slow and hear it gurgling down and feel the chest pressure again.

I am seriously starting to wonder about this band or maybe I am just weird or something.:tired It's expensive to keep going back and I feel like I will never have the right restriction. I even got to thinking that once it is right I will lose weight... then I will need a fill and round and round we go with this trial and error!!:faint:

:help: Fellow Bandsters...I am in need of some encouragement!

lianna · 09-21-2006, 09:19 PM

Wow....that is an agressive fill schedule. Hope your unfill gives you some relief. Have you tried sipping on warm liquids? That always seems to help me during TOM or whenever I feel tighter.

karenj · 09-21-2006, 09:21 PM

by any chance is it your TOM? I am super tight and cant manage food, just cereal...

Carlene · 09-21-2006, 11:42 PM

I suggest you have fills/unfills in tiny increments, like .5 cc's. Sometimes the smallest tweak is the difference between just right and too loose, or too tight.

If you suspect you might be a little too tight, try sticking to liquids for a few days and see if it loosens up. I promise that you won't starve to death...LOL. You MUST be able to keep water down, however. Dehydration is not what you are aiming for.

housecatgirl · 09-22-2006, 12:50 AM

Thanks gals,:nervous Yep, it's my TOM but I must've been really tight 'cuz I was pb'ing water!:faint: Anyway, liquids are going down ok now as long as I don't drink too fast. Is it normal to have to slow down on drinking?:rolleyes At least it doesn't hurt anymore when I drink though. I only had .2 taken out...since I was loose:hungry: at 2.9 and then tight as heck

at 3.4... they figured I should be good somewhere in the middle. I am a self pay so I hope to get this right soon.

Telly · 09-22-2006, 12:52 AM

I am filled now at 2.8 in a 5cc band and I am overly filled. I can only eat baby food. Tuna will not go down and it's all the protein meat I love to eat. I'm downing protein shakes, yogurts, baby foods (stage 2). I don't want to go back right away, I'd like to work with it but I know that if I get a slight unfill, I will be binging like the dickens b/c I haven't eaten solid foods since last Thursday night.

I have gurgling, sliming, uncomfortable chest pain as I swallow. Oh god:omg:

housecatgirl · 09-22-2006, 01:10 AM

Hi Telly, Did you get your last fill Thurs?

Well, all I can say is I know what you mean I really wanted to work with it too.:rolleyes I thought if I could get down a few pounds the restriction would loosen up a bit but I got tighter and tighter every day. I got to the point that I was coughing up liquid and I knew I better get my ass down for an unfill.

I'm only a couple of hours from the border but it's still a hastle. Anyway, my doc said a few more days and I may have slipped my band or dilated my pouch. Make sure you can at least get liquids down.

reeburgdon · 09-22-2006, 01:29 AM

Hello, I'm considering getting the band and was wondering what about the "fills". Do they have to cut you everytime you go in or is it something that will be hanging from you? Also is it temporary until you get to a certain stage?

Thanks

housecatgirl · 09-22-2006, 02:12 AM

You can see how fills work in a video here http://www.lapbandforlife.com/default.htm and yes it is temporary and you will likely need more fills as you loose weight.

reeburgdon · 09-22-2006, 03:27 AM

Ok, that makes sense. Thank you.

Telly · 09-22-2006, 11:31 AM

I can get liquids down no sweat. I can even chug down protein shakes but it's food that takes it's time and I realize that it's supposed to take it's time due to restriction. I will get an unfill in another week if I do not loosen up but I will also ensure I stay on mushies (baby food) for the next week and if no changes then

it's time for an unfill.

barbara465 · 09-22-2006, 03:19 PM

Once I have a PB I can't recover. I've tried just liquids, clear, and not thicker liquids. Nope. Water hurts, but I can get it down. The only way to correct it is to get an unfill. I believe we do more harm if we allow the overfill situation to continue. That's been my experience. Immediately after an unfill I can chug a bottle of water.

Telly, you really need to be on solid foods. I know its so tempting to go the other route so we can loose, but that's not good for you either. Also, we have to learn to live "normal" eating lives. If we resort to liquids and baby food we are not learning a new way. Not lecturing. :)

I am going to only get tiny fills from now on. That way hopefully I can build up to my restriction. This is from someone who didn't swell after surgery. I didn't have any problems until the first fill. Even at that, I never felt restriction. Just a PB and downhill after that. The fluro shows everything going through just fine, even when I couldn't swallow water. Go figure!

Good luck

Rita Ann · 09-22-2006, 03:33 PM

housecatgirl
greatlink to watch a fill
i never saw one like that before
Rita-Ann

Telly · 09-25-2006, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barbara465

Telly, you really need to be on solid foods. I know its so tempting to go the other route so we can loose, but that's not good for you either. Also, we have to learn to live "normal" eating lives. If we resort to liquids and baby food we are not learning a new way. Not lecturing. :)

Barbara, you're not getting it. I can't eat regular foods. I am waay too restricted and it is very uncomfortable to eat regular foods. I am still on mushies b/c I cannot eat steaks, baked potatoes, etc. I am working on this in hopes of loosening my restriction. I understand that it does that on it's own over a few weeks so I am holding out. Again, if it doesn't loosen up then I will go in for a slight unfill but until then, I eat what I can. This is not by choice as far as eating solids. Don't get me wrong. I want to eat salmon and I want my spinach.

I don't give in too easily to things. So as long as I can chug liquids, get in some kind of foods, I will not die and I will not starve. I know when it's time to call it quits on the fill hold out.

housecatgirl · 09-25-2006, 10:59 PM

Hi Telly, I am basically doing the same thing right now.:phanvan I already went back for a slight unfill and I can at least get liquids down now. Still having alot of trouble with food

...even cottage cheese is hard to get down. I can handle a couple of bites of soft food...that's it.:( I think it will get better in a couple of weeks as long as I keep losing.:rolleyes