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It could mean a leak, but it's very normal to lose restriction, so most probably not. I had the same thing over several fills. The restriction would last two to four weeks. I think most of my restriction was coming from swelling from the fill because of how quickly my restrictions seemed to fade. Now, the restriction didn't fade to nothing, and each fill I could tell I had a little more. It wasn't until my last fill that I got long lasting restriction. It's been well over two months now, and I'm still have the same great level of restriction. Initially, you are also losing fat stores around your stomach too, so as you lose pounds the band naturally loosens.

I went to a party two days after my surgery. It was a going away party for our friends' son who was leaving for Marine boot camp, and we'd known their son since he was nine, so I really wanted to go. I wore a loose fitting dress, brought some bottled water, and was fine. I forgot to take my Tylenol before I went, so I did end feeling a little achy. At that time, only my husband and kids knew I had the surgery, and nobody noticed that I was sipping water and staying away from the food. I told them about four months later when it became obvious I was losing weight. However, I was lucky that I felt so good, so fast.

There's a new Realize Band that is an 11 cc band, I believe. I have the 9 cc band too. I had to get an overfill to get good restriction. I have 11 cc in my band that was put in under fluoro while the doctor was measuring my pressure. From what I've been told, my Realize Band patients get good results at 7 to 7.5 cc, but we're all different. So, when there's some that find good restriction with little or no saline, there's others, that have to have extra. I'm doing absolutely great now. No pb's, reflux, etc. Just be careful about eating too big of meals just because you can. You don't want to overfill your 4 oz pouch. Once you get close to good restriction, just a small fill (my last was .5 cc) can get you there.

Boy, I can understand wanting to avoid DC traffic at all costs. I know that pb'ing can cause band irritation which could lead to swelling which causes a vicious cycle. If you stayed on fluids only for 48 hours, maybe your band would loosen a little if you do have swelling. Then start with soft foods again for two days before trying solid foods. If that doesn't work, you really shouldn't try to wait this out longer. My doctor also says at the most wait two weeks. You don't want to risk future complications from having a too tight band. Even if you have to go back in for a tiny unfill, I'd want to let my stomach rest a day or two on fluids just to make sure any swelling has subsided. However, if you can't get fluids down at this point, you need to get back into see your doctor, even if it means fighting that beltway traffic nightmare.

1. Not at all. Heck, you might consider it a plus, as sometimes the gall bladder goes on the fritz after major weight loss. I had to have mine removed several years ago too, and it wasn't a factor in getting my band. 2. Sorry, I don't know about the B12 deficiency. (p.s. Welcome to LBT)

There's throwing up with stomach acids like with a stomach virus, and then there's what some banders call a PB (productive burp). That's when just the offending food comes back up in pretty much the same condition as it went down. Regardless, I don't think one time would cause a slip. I've talked to my doctor about what I should do if I ended up with a stomach virus with vomiting. He said if it last more than 24 hours to come in for an unfill. I also have a prescription medication to hopefully prevent vomiting.

I have 11 cc in a 9 cc Realize Band. My last fill was 0.5 cc over two months ago, and it has brought me to my perfect restriction level. My last couple of fills were done under fluoro, since I had gone over 9 cc without getting long lasting restriction. My doctor also measure my band pressure with a gauge during my last fill. He said he had a few other patients that had to go to this level of fill to get good restriction. I haven't lost a bit of restriction with this last fill over time. I've lost a little over 50 lbs and need to lose a little over 20 more. I really don't anticipate needing anymore saline to get me to goal, and I don't think he would give me more, unless I lost some fill over time, as sometimes happens.

I'm very glad you've thoroughly researched the band and the aftercare needed. I was self-pay too, and even though I have a local doctor, I couldn't help but be concerned about potential problems. I've had my band for a year, and I've had no complications. I also take very good care of my band. You're smart to include an overnight stay after fills in your plans. I know lots of people have successful surgeries in Mexico and speak highly of the care they've received. I hope you get some good recommendations for clinics there. Do you have any in mind?

One option you could look into for after care is Fill Centers USA. There's a couple locations about 70 miles from the city you've listed under your screen name. That's not ideal, but it could be worse. Good luck!! Here's a link to their web site. Fill Centers USA - Lap Band Fill - Lap Band Support - Lap Band Post Surgery - Weight Loss Surgery - Fill Center USA - LapBand Adjustments - Bariatric Surgery - LapBand Fill

Do you have after care for fills and other potential band issues that may come up? I don't want to be a downer, but it's important that you have access to a doctor who can treat you in case of a problem and just the general band care, especially during the first year. I was lucky to never need a unfill, but it took approximately 8 fills (I actually stop counting) to get to great restriction. You might be lucky and get in two or so, but there's really no telling until you start getting fills.

"2 slimfast one protein drink and sugar free jello" Okay..gotcha. Without a coma, it was apparent you meant 2 slimfast shakes plus one protein drink. That's better, but still not a lot, especially for a period of two weeks. If you you can't exist on that diet (hey, I don't think I could either, at least w/o b****ing a lot), call your doctor to see if you can add on a high protein healthy food like tuna or chicken breast. You're flushing your system of carbs not trying to starve yourself. Like someone else mentioned, the first two days were by far the roughest for me. (My pre-op diet was two low carb high Protein Shakes, healthy low sugar veggies (not corn, potatoes, etc), one small fruit, and 4 oz of low fat meat on two slices of low fat whole wheat bread. Not saying that you should change without your doc's approval, but I can understand how you'd be feeling sick on your liquid diet.)

I would stay on liquids, and call your doctor. You may have been given a fill during surgery which has made you too tight. Maybe there's still residual swelling, but it seems kind of long for that. I know I had no trouble going to mushies at two weeks, but it could be a matter of how quickly each of us heals. I wouldn't continue with the soft foods until you talk to your doctor though.

It's the carb count in a banana that makes some people squirm. However, it's a very digestible form of sugar plus it's a good source of potassium, so it's not the same as eating a chocolate bar. When I did Weight Watchers, I remember we were limited to 1/2 a banana/day. 1 medium banana (105 calories, 27 grams carbs, 1 gram Protein, 420 mg potassium, 0.5 gram fat).

You really need to get that checked out, especially since you're having trouble with liquids. The first thing I'd want to rule out is a band slip. If you catch it early, often times just an unfill for a couple of weeks and it will correct itself. It could be nothing more than a fickle band, but with it being a sudden onset, I'd want my doctor to take a look at my band.

I've had my band for a year and am at my sweet spot, and I can eat rice with caution. When I eat plain rice, I take smaller bites of it then I would other foods, and if I feel I'm a little tight with it, I just go on to something else, then try again. I've never had any problems with it. In soup, I'd think it would be even easier to eat since it's already so plumped up with Water. Just go slow at first, and see how you feel. If you start to feel tight, stop. I prefer brown rice, and really only a small amount since I'd rather fill up on Protein and veggies.

I agree with Barbara. Only two Slimfast Shakes a day plus sugar free jello sounds too restrictive for both calories and protein. Did you get a written set of instructions from your doctor for you meal plan? I know some of these pre-op diets sound very unreasonable, but yours probably ties the all skim milk pre-op diet for being the most restrictive. If you're not 100% certain this is the diet your supposed to follow, I'd call and get confirmation, and if it is correct, ask if you can add anything.

Welcome to LBT, bobcat. I've read that statistically, approximately 2% of patients have a band slip. With the way bands are being sutured in today, band slips have decreased. Band placement also is an important factor in band slips, so pick an experienced surgeon with a good track record. Another very important factor is following your doctors rules for your post-op diet. Stay on liquids or soft foods as instructed so that your stomach heals and your stitches stay in place. Slippage can also occur because of over filling resulting in persistent vomiting. Also, I'm sure there's some sort of randomness built into those statistics, but I take control of what I can by taking care to follow my doctor's rules. I can drink wine without any issues, but I limit it to special occasions only because I don't want the empty calories. I do find that any kind of alcohol goes to my head a lot faster after being banded.

My answers are 100% the same as Judy's.

Definitely discuss it with your doctor. I was leaving the country last spring and was a little concerned that I wouldn't be able to get medical attention if I ran into a major stuck episode (I'm a worry-wart). The NP said I could come in and have as little as 0.2 cc removed. It turned out, as the trip got neared, I wasn't having any food issues, so I didn't bother with it. With that long of a trip in mind, your doctor may want to remove a little though, since there's no way of knowing ahead of time how you're band will react to such a long flight.

If it were me, I wouldn't hesitate to go in for a small unfill. You're barely a month into having a band, and you have plenty of time to slowly work your way to good restriction, which doesn't include continually feeling stuck and/or having pb's. If you try to stick this fill out a few more days, go back to soft foods. If you're having trouble with the soft foods, stay on liquids for a couple more days then try soft foods again. If, in the next few days, you can't tolerate solid foods, then you definitely need a small unfill. Don't continue to let yourself pb because it's harmful to your band and also could lead to more swelling and then you might need a total unfill.

Hi Judy. Welcome to LBT. When did you get your last fill? If it's been longer than a week or two, you're too tight since you can only eat two bites of food. Are you eating soft foods? They often have more calories and don't give long lasting satiety.

Hi Margo, and welcome to the forum. You could be lucky and someone who knows the answer to your question will read this thread, but you might want to start your own thread with the info you want in the title. Also, are you looking for an after-care doctor, or are you just trying to find a one time fill center that will give you a fill under fluoro?

The only time I've read that someone has had that feeling of something stuck in their throat when they haven't eaten is right after their band surgery. Like the others said, I would call the doctor. Maybe it's nothing, or it could be a signal that your band is a little tight.

I would call the doctor's office tomorrow. You never know if there's a little infection or something that has set in. Mine closed up pretty quickly after I snipped the stitch. It may be nothing, but it's better to play it safe. I'm sorry you're still having problems.

If you're not doing it, keep a food journal of what you're eating and how much in volume. Keep track of how soon you're getting hungry too and whether drinking satisfies that hunger. It's sometimes hard to figure out, but it's important to know if you're physically hungry or if it's a craving, which for me, would generally be something like chocolate. It sounds like your doctor isn't giving you much guidance on when to know whether you need a fill or not. This is just my doctor's band rules of thumb for fills. I'm supposed to eat 1/2 cup (volume) meals, mostly solid Protein (like 3 oz) and then veggies or fruit three times/day plus a healthy snack. That should leave me feeling satisfied for 3 to 4 hours, before physical hunger sets in. No drinking 1/2 hour before or 45 mins after a meal. Then lots of fluids. It's time for a fill if I'm eating more than that and getting hungry in less than three hours. Also, his goal is 1 1/2 to 2 lbs weight loss/week. Plus at least 3 days of good exercise. There are many different band "rules" for when it's time for a fill, but I hope this gives you something to reference.