sweetangel

I just had to post. I was banded on November 14, 2011. So my first fill was 4 weeks out. I got 1 cc which brought me to 2.4cc total. It was a piece of cake. Everything went fine. I got my 2nd fill 4 weeks after that. I got 1.5cc which brought me to 3.9cc total. I was sick for 2 days -- lots of nauseau, chills, very tired. I was still able to tolerate liquids and after 2 days all was well and back to a regular diet. Then 4 weeks later, my 3rd fill. OMG!!!! I got 1cc which brought me to 4.9cc total. When I drank the Water in the doctor's office, I was fine. No problem. Then 2 hours later I started getting nauseated and cold. I thought ok -- nothing -- this is going to pass in 2 days (like last time). But an hour later all went down hill. I started spitting up this white foam. I couldn't drink water or keep my own saliva down. The doctor's office was closed and silly me didn't want to go to the ER. So I decided to tough it out til the next day when I could see the doc. It was the longest night of my life. I spit up this foam every 20 - 30 minutes all night. And not just a little spit up. A lot! I couldn't lay down I was in pain. I couldn't sit up. I couldn't stand. I couldn't kill over. It was horrible. I was gassy, nauseated, and spitting up. A hot, disgusting mess!!!! Thank God for these message boards (that I read all night) because it was on these boards that I realized I was too tight and had the foamies (the spitting up of my own saliva mixed with air) These boards helped me the realize I wasn't going to die but I was going to be very uncomfortable until I got an unfill. As I saw the sun come up, I got dressed (well actually I went in my pajamas -- I didn't care). I was at the doc office at 7 am when it opened. I was so miserable .. I didn't care what they did as long as they fixed me. Unfill it, take it out, shoot me, whatever -- just make me feel better. So they took out the 1cc I had gotten the day before. And the x-ray still showed nothing was going through the pouch. So they took out another 1.5cc and finally they could see something passing through my pouch. But I was still pretty swollen and tight. Only a little was going through. My stomach was so irritated and swollen. So now I am back at 2.4cc where I was after my 1st fill. OMG .. I never want to experience that again. So for my next fill that is going to be in 4 weeks ... I don't care what anyone says it will only be .3cc - .4cc at a time. I am just one of those banded with a sensitive stomach and after each fill ... I get sick due to my stomach swelling. You would have thought the 1st thing I would want to do after the unfill was eat. But it's been 3 days and I've been on all liquids. I could care less if I never see food every again. I had natural child birth .... and having a band too tight surpassed that in terms of being miserable. But anyway, later today I am suppose to try soft food. I don't want to. I would rather stay on liquids .. Not sure if I'm ready but I know I need to get back to eating to nourish my body properly. Wish me luck ... Thanks for listening. I have lost 34 pounds since the surgery and I have another 26 to go before I reach my goal.

And one more thing. The green zone! Someone on this board helped me realize that the green zone is not some magic spot. I'm at 3.9 cc right now and I am able to eat any and everything. All meats, bread, pancakes, etc. However, I loose on average 6-9 pds per month and I never plateaued. Never lost less than 6 pds. I doubted if I was in the green zone. But someone on this board helped me to see that yes I am in the green zone. 1-My weight loss is good 2-I am satisfied for at least 4 hours between meals without snacking. On the rare occasions that I am not satisfied for four hours between meals. If I eat a fruit or a small snack and that keeps me satisfied, then you're green. It doesn't matter that I can eat bread or pancakes. Again try to use your band as a tool. I think and not saying its right or wrong some of us like to use the band as a prohibitor, and not aid. We want the band to keep us not only satisfied but keep us for eating things that we probably could be able to eat. Thus they keep the band so tight til the band is not an aid or a tool but a crutch. I hear and dont know how true it is, but soon you never get that 'tight tight' feeling to stay and you risk being overfilled and band slippage. If your weight loss slows, get a fill and do maybe 5 mins extra of exercise just to see. But if your stomach is irritated and you can't get filled right now just now you don't have to gain weight. And also if you're losing weight but you're still able to enjoy certain foods and you're satisfied at least 4 hours, you're green. When you stop loosing and stop being satisfied, then go for a fill. Just my little opinion but we are all so different

Can I just offer a little advice and this is not critical of anyone? Your band is just a tool, one of the may tools that you can use to achieve your goals. It's not the magic bullet to success. I just don't believe being too tight or too loose helps you loose weight. It's a tool. So for those who have had unfills and you see yourself gaining may I suggest what I did when I had my unfill. Since I knew the band would be looser and that my tool would not be as effective. I supplemented. I started doing caloriecount.com and logging every piece of food I ate to make sure I still stayed in an acceptable caloric intake range. I upped my exercise to an additional ten minutes just by taking my dogs on a longer route. I didn't gain weight. I actually lost during my unfill. Once I was able to get filled again, didn't have to count calories as much. I was able to decrease my exercise back down. All that to say, being loose is a temporary situation. One you can counteract if you want. And you will get filled again but don't forget the band is one of many tools you can use. Not the only tool!

Guess I should update this since my original posting. Well after my unfill, I did not gain any weight back. I actually lost. I have continued to get fills albeit it very slowly like .2 and .3 cc at a time. Sometimes, it's not that you are overfilled but that filling too aggressively causes the the stomach to become inflammed and this the tightening of the band. Yeah, you could fight through it but nothing good can come from it. Currently, I am back to the amount I had when they had to do the unfill and I am still able to eat everything and nothing gets stuck. So an unfill is not the end of the world. Just while you're unfilled be careful about what you eat and fill slowly. If you were getting 2 ccs at a time try .5 cc. I was getting 1 cc at a time and like I said now I only get .2 or .3. By the way, now I've lost over 80 pds and never plateaued and never got anything stuck in my band. And I'm still able to eat anything from pancakes to burgers but the band helps. When I feel that feeling strange feeling. It's not exactly like I'm full but it's a faint sign that I'm satisfied. I stop eating. And since the weight is off I must say Im less and less hungry. But that's just my update to my original post. Take car

I was banded on Nov 14, 2011 and so far I am down 75 lbs and only 5 lbs to go to reach my goal. But here's the thing I just don't get. I was told I couldn't ever eat bread, rice, pancakes, waffles, etc again or it will get stuck. Well I eat all that and nothing has ever gotten stuck. I've never thrown up once not even a PB. I have 3.9 cc in my band and yes I am able to eat over 8 oz of food at times although most times I keep it at 5-6 oz beause I know I am suppose too. I've never gotten to the sweet spot. The weight is coming off at a great pace and I never hit a plateau so I stopped trying to find the sweet spot and just stopped at 3.9 cc since a while back I was overfilled at one point and it was not a pleasant experience. I hear everyone's experience is different. Yes, I do exercise 30 minutes a day everyday. The nurse at my center is always saying do this and do that or don't eat this and stay away from that but when I trust my body I come out fine without depriving myself. Anyone else have this experience. I am wondering if something is wrong with the band but I don't have pain and the weight loss is great. Guess I should just leave well enough alone and be thankful that I can still have an occasional pancake or burger if I choose to.

Thanks elcee!!!! That made a lot of sense. I had heard so much about the sweet spot. Yes I was expecting bells and whistles. I guess the sweet spot is where you weight loss is happening and that's where I am. Now I am just praying these last 5 come off easy. I hear it's the last 5-10 that's the hardest.

LOL! Maybe I should have phrased my question differently. Really I just wanted to know if pancakes and breads are really off limits or do they just tell you that. Or if that fact that I'm able to eat them means my band is too loose or that something's wrong? From the posts. I guess I'm allrigt. Wish me luck tonight as I'm going to make some diet cake. Using Splenda and almond milk and Irish butter (has half the fat of normal butter)

Yes, extreme indeed. I couldn't keep my own saliva down. I think that was the worst. If it was just or even if it was just water maybe my night wouldn't have been soooo horrible. But OMG -- you can't stop your body from producting spit. LOL, I was getting creative to make it through the night. Trying to spit out any saliva before it escaped down my throat. Of course, saliva is not only produce in your mouth so my attempts for futile and the foam just kept coming. and coming ... Yes, I'm glad that I had an unfill. I'm not worried about weight gain ... That's the least of my worries. Just happy to be healthy, pain, and foam free. Honestly, after the horrible experience -- these 3 days of liquids only have been the equivalent of eating a steak dinner to me .. I'm happy as can be and hope I never have the experience of an overfill again ....