Should I get a slight unfill...again?

[Wheeler5051 0]

I got my third fill last week of 1cc, making a total of 6cc., which was way too tight. I went in to see the doctor for a slight unfill and he asked me to try to wait it out to see if when the swelling went down, if it might be better for me. It wasn't, so I went in for a 1/2 cc unfill. I did feel better, considering I wasn't able to eat anything at all at that point. But now it's been 4 days since that unfill and I am still having some trouble with eating and feeling comfortable. It takes me about an hour to eat a small meal, and sometimes I feel a little nausous when it is time to eat, and sometimes get a knot feeling in my chest after I drink or eat even just a little. This doesn't happen all the time, but most. I think maybe I need another very small unfill, but he didn't seem to want to do the last one. Wanting me to wait it out. I hadn't been loosing any weight at all before my last fill, so I think he wanted me to be a little tight. I mean, I can live with it the way it is now, but should it be this way? I want to be able to eat and feel full but right now, I am afraid to eat and when I do, it is extremely slow! Will the tightness wear off? Should I wait it out for awhile? Is this the normal tight (good) feeling? Or should I get a little more taken out?

[Melissannde 41]

Hi Wheeler,

I can't tell from your post if you had a time of liquids, then soft/mushies, then back to regular food after your unfill. I think you probably did since this is not your first fill.. but if you didn't, you might try going to liquids for a day, then slowly advancing to see if that helps.

I have found for me, that as I get more in my band, 1cc fills are way too much. .2cc's was all I got at my last fill and afterwards I was quite tight for a while. If you do choose to get an unfill, see if they will take only .2 or .3 out.. that will leave you with .2 and might do the trick for you.

Alex just posted on how to determine if you're in the "green zone" and from looking at a chart on that post, it kinda sounds like you may be in the "red zone" which indicates the need for a slight unfill. Take a look and see what you think.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/132729-finding-the-green-zone/

[sandy1 1]

I got my third fill last week of 1cc, making a total of 6cc., which was way too tight. I went in to see the doctor for a slight unfill and he asked me to try to wait it out to see if when the swelling went down, if it might be better for me. It wasn't, so I went in for a 1/2 cc unfill. I did feel better, considering I wasn't able to eat anything at all at that point. But now it's been 4 days since that unfill and I am still having some trouble with eating and feeling comfortable. It takes me about an hour to eat a small meal, and sometimes I feel a little nausous when it is time to eat, and sometimes get a knot feeling in my chest after I drink or eat even just a little. This doesn't happen all the time, but most. I think maybe I need another very small unfill, but he didn't seem to want to do the last one. Wanting me to wait it out. I hadn't been loosing any weight at all before my last fill, so I think he wanted me to be a little tight. I mean, I can live with it the way it is now, but should it be this way? I want to be able to eat and feel full but right now, I am afraid to eat and when I do, it is extremely slow! Will the tightness wear off? Should I wait it out for awhile? Is this the normal tight (good) feeling? Or should I get a little more taken out?

Oh my what a problem. I had the same question as Melissa though. Did you have liquids, then mushies and on to solids after the fill then after the slight unfill?

If the answer is yes then I would go back to the DR. If no then maybe try liquids for a day, then mushies and then solids again and see if this helps.

Good luck.

[betheboo 40]

My last fill was quite tight. It took a week for the swelling to go down. It's kinda fickel still but much better

[Wheeler5051 0]

I did do liquids/mushies/solids. I can get down the food, it just takes forever.or if something doesn't go down well, I end up throwing it away and then trying something else. Usually something that will slide easier. I did read Alex's post, and I think i am in the red zone according to what it said. I just didn't know if this is what it feels like in the beginning, and then it gets better. My doctor had asked me even before my last unfill "can you live like this", which at that time, was no, but I can live with the way it is right now, but with extreme caution. I just didn't want to go back if I should wait and see if things start to go down easier. does that happen after awhile, or does it require getting Fluid out?

[AlienBandit 10]

Fills and stomachs can be tricky.

When I was rebanded I got 4cc in the band surgery surgery. About a month later I went for a fill and then another fill in September.

Things were fine until Halloween, I apparently did something ( lets assume alcohol) and I was over filled. It was terrible in November and I went to see my doctor who took out 1cc ( he wanted a complete unfil but I refused). That wasn't good enough so I had to get another unfill of 1cc a few weeks alter. After a few weeks that STILL wasn't good enough so I went for ANOTHER unfill of 1cc. By then I was at about 3.5cc which was lower then what I got during surgery.

Finally my stomach swelling went down and I got back up to 7cc months later ( June).

Maybe your stomach is just swollen so you might need a larger unfill to let your stomach settle and then go back to getting fills once things are better.

I am overfilled again ( should have not gotten a fill to begin with) but it is nothing like last time I can live with this fill if I wana live off of liquids ( which I dont) so I will probably get a whole cc taken out ( the fill was only .3cc) just to see if that work. Then in a few weeks I'll prob need another fill when my stomach settles.

it's a pain but thisis the life of the banded

[Wheeler5051 0]

Getting to the green zone is a little tricky! It can be a pain getting it just right I guess. I went today and got a small unfill. I had to do it, I couldn't handle the ordeal that I had to go through every time I tried to eat something. Everyone that works in the doctors office kind of gave me a funny smile, because I have been there 4 times in one week. I asked if this was normal, they said no, but I figured that it was best to be comfortable and to be able to eat a meal asnd not feel like I was going to get sick each time. So I am hoping that even though I had to get this little unfill, I hope that I still loose weight but with being able to eat. Thanks all for your comments and advice! That's why I love this site!

[Rachel412 116]

I really hope this is it for you, Wheeler! These bands can be so finicky...

[sandy1 1]

Hope you are feeling good soon Wheeler.

[Melissannde 41]

Hope this unfill does the trick.

[kll724 3,055]

Me too! You are wise, and sounds like wiser than the doctors office staff. My surgeon will tell me to not hold off if I can't get food to stay down. 1 hour to eat a meal is too long, he says no longer than 45 mins. My daughter will nurse her meal all afternoon. She, also, was not loosing weight. Since she has now stopped eating after 45 mins, she is loosing weight. You know your body better than the surgeon does. Listen to it! Goodluck on your weight loss. Karen