crystaldmm

Okay, had an unfill of .5cc today and felt better immediately after...lost 10 lbs in the week bu know it will be back in the morning due to Water intake. Glad, glad I went in. The staff, including the doctor, was super helpful and really did want to help find a remedy. His take is that originally the fill(.3) was too much for me like several of you mentioned. He then said the two weeks in between fill and unfill probably wasn't enough time. He also mentioned that I may have to realize that I might need to stay where I'm at now so mentally prepare for that. I do not EVER want to go through this again so I may stay where I'm at or get .1cc fills. One last thing told me was to take Prilosec OTC for the next month, come for a check up then return in no sooner than two months for a fill. We'll wait and see...I'm gun-shy now. My #1 lesson and advice from this experience: RUN do not walk to doctor to get an unfill if you are too tight. Weight loss, even for us, shouldn't come at the expense of our health or quality of life. To everyone who posted...I tried to send personal emails but couldn't...just wanted to wish you well on your journeys !

Hi everyone, I am in a very difficult place right now with trying to decide if I need to get another unfill or not. Here are the detail: fill to 5.6 cc in a 10 cc band this Mar., perfect green zone until June when I mistakenly thought I needed another fill (ate more than 6 oz. at a sitting, but it was longer than a 20 min. period), had .3 added on June 12. Couldn't keep any liquid down overnight and was sick all night. Went in next day, had it taken back out (lost 4 lbs overnight). From that day June 12 to the following Monday June 18, could only keep liquids down. I was told it would be four days of liquids due to the irritation and swelling of the fill and the excessive vomiting from the day before. Went back in that Monday, had lost more weight over the week from not eating, and then was told 1 whole cc would need to come out to give stomach time to calm down. Told to come back in two weeks to get a refill. I did go back in last Tuesday June (exactly 3 weeks after fill) and he put me back up to 5.6 cc where I originally started and considered my green zone. Since then, I have only been able to have sips here or there throughout parts of the day, most of the day there's a lump feeling in my throat. I followed instructions to a T for fear of inducing additional trauma to my stomach and prolonging the "healing" with the refill. I have had sips of liquid since last Tuesday (July 3) and managed one evening to have a cup of mashed potatoes and nothing else. Since last Tuesday, I've lost 10 lbs the most awful way you can, I think. I don't want weight loss this bad. I feel like the band is getting tighter everyday, I can't get my water intake...my head hurts, getting dehydrated. I'm not understanding what is going on...I was at 5.6cc from Mar-begginning of June and it was fine. Why is it not even close right now? So, bottom line is...staying where I am isn't healthy and I'm miserable; however, going in just repeats the same process I did last week. It's prolonging this "healing" and having to redo what I just went through. It's been and is the longest three week period of my lapband-life (1 year this Saturday). My kids aren't sure what's going on with me, my extended family have now lost enthusiasm for the band and I am miserable. I'd like to hear from people who have experienced this or something similar and what advice you have. I need to make a decision...to make it worse, my doctor is on vaca for two more weeks (sub is there, though but doesn't work until Tuesday) and I'm going out of town for four days this Saturday! Please let me know your thoughts...gently please...sensitive and not up to par right now.

You guys are so helpful! Thank you for taking the time to respond and offer your thought and experiences. A couple of notes...he did the fill last Tues under x-ray and with barrium...band was fine and barrium went down okay. That's why this is even more confusing...why would it go down fine and then suddenly tighten more. But alas an end is in sight... I did call today for an appointment and as I suspected will not be able to go in until tomorrow afternoon but at least I'm able to be seen. After reading the posts, I will certainly opt for a bit more taken out than less because I can't risk being like this again when I'm out of town this weekend. I will post back what happens and what the dr. says. Continued comments and experiences are welcome as well...the more info the better, I think.

Thanks for your input. Is it strange to not be able to remain at a fill amount you considered the green zone before? I guess I'm not understanding why it's not ok now but was before. I guess that was why I've been holding out for the week...thinking time will take the irritation or whatever it is away...since the fill amount was perfect in the past. Crystal

I also had my band on July 14, 2011 and am starving!! I mean starving. Can't seem to drink all the liquid I need to from water and juice but am doing the required 3 optifast for protein and still hungry. The truly disappointing fact is that I've gone up 2 pounds since I came home from the hospital. I really don't get it. Have only had water, two bowls of broth, a little juice and optifast...and I only had 3 starting a day or so ago. I'm really hungry. I can add creamy soup on Thursday. Anyone else feel this?

I love my laptop lunchboxes! I make them for my husband, myself, and my two boys when we go somewhere. Would love to see photos of some bentos, though. Need some new ideas. Any of you ladies have a blog or such with your photos? Crystaldmm

Hi Ladies, I just wanted to add that I as well have Dr. Aguila as my surgeon. I am scheduled for a July 14th banding so can't give any info about the surgery yet. However, I can say that he and his office staff are super professional and are concerned about patients' well-being. He's a straight-shooter which I like and does tell it like it is. Tina, his office manager and a lapband patient herself, is the fantastic when it comes to getting all your paperwork together for the insurance. I honestly believe that is in part why my insurance approved me exactly 2 weeks to the day after she filed and why there were no hiccups with my insurance. She runs each persons file like it's her own. So, I feel like I'm in pretty good hands! Crystaldmm

Hi all, Happy to finally be able to say that I'm a July 2011 Bander! Have been waiting for a long time. Getting banded on July 14. Wondering if anyone else is concerned about accidental band slippage. I tend to gag easily and tend to cough a lot so I'm very nervous about accidentally causing the band to slip. Does anyone know if those things can cause slippage. I know that excessive vomitting does as well as trying to eat things you aren't supposed to. But what about what I experience? Thanks and looking forward to sharing the journey with you all! Good luck everyone! Crystaldmm

Hi, I've been lurking for well over 8 months and refused to join until I knew I received my insurance approval. Didn't want to get my hopes up too much! Well, I finally have got it and my surgery date is July 14. Very excited and now looking over the forum with new eyes. It's becoming reality now. Very excited but very concerned about the coming weeks of the changing diet, liquid to puree, etc. Any helpful advice is welcome, just in case I don't find it in the boards. Thanks. Crystaldmm