Restriction with no Fill

[Afterglow 0]

Hi, everyone. I was banded in November and havent yet had a fill. I'm losing 1-2 pounds a week and havent planned on getting a fill until I stop losing. The main reason I'm not anxious to get a fill yet is because I seem to be pretty restricted as it is and cant imagine being MORE restricted.

The foods I can eat are very limited: watery mashed potatoes, Soups (which I avoid because of the salt content), packaged chicken of the Sea brand salmon (it's very moist and it the only kind of fish/meat I can eat, so I eat it 3 times a day), watery cottage cheese and jello/pudding. I can also eat very soft chocolate, but I've lost my taste for it and other sweets totally since being banded.

I've tried eating other foods and, even though I chew well and eat slowly, I PB on most any solid food. Even some of the above foods give me problems at times; I can eat the packaged moist salmon pieces one night and the next night I'll PB on it for three hours. Even Jello can make me uncomfortable at times, although it's probably the only thing that hasnt ever caused me to PB.

I'm not really complaining because I feel fine, look good, have healed well and am glad to be losing weight. However, PBing for 2-3 hours several times a week is getting old. Too, I'm nervous that I'll have to PB at work. I have a very high-profile job and eat only mashed potates and jello at lunchtime so I wont have to worry about PBing for hours at the office.

I thought about calling my surgeon but what can he do? Since I've never had a fill, there's no way to make my band looser, right? I appreciate any and all comments. Thanks so much!

[dawg 0]

Our surgeon stated that he had one patient that was 10 months in and had never had a fill. I'd give the surgeon a call though - it doesn't sound quite right.

The call will give you peace of mind. Any advice that can be given here is generic and not specific to your case.

Great to hear about the weight loss though :bananajump:

[shellyj. 0]

wow afterglow you definitally sound a smidge to tight.

sometimes dr's will do a dry unfill. just unfill the band even though you havent had a fill. i guess there can be air in there.

pb'ing that much isnt good or normal! have you done liquids for a few days after the pb's to let things settle down (the swelling)

i hope you find some relief! being to tight SUCKS!

[Afterglow 0]

Thanks, Paul and Michelle. Yes, I try to do liquids the day after PBing but I PB so frequently that I think I'm on liquids too much. I never heard of a dry unfill but I'll definitely call his office on Monday and see what they say. I knew, before the banding, that I swell up a lot and the swelling always takes a l-o-n-g time to go down after surgeries/injuries and I've been hoping that's what's going on here. If the PB sessions lasted only a short while I wouldnt be so concerned but they last a minimum of two hours and are usually three hours long.

[DeLarla 22]

Good news, you're normal! I had good restriction before my first fill, and my friend lost 70 pounds before getting a fill. The band alone offers a good amount of restriction for some of us.

[Afterglow 0]

O, DeLarla, thanks so much for this info!!!! I feel so much better knowing this is normal. Did your band-alone restriction finally relax before you got your first fill? If not, I cant imagine getting a fill and being even more restricted. Thanks again!

[bandayed 0]

Hi afterglow -- I am about the same as you! I was banded in Oct and have lost over 45 lbs. I got a tiny 1/2 cc fill in Dec., but just b/c I was at the Dr's for follow up. I wouldn't have gone in specifically for it. My Doc said that in some people there is never the need for a fill. That they can lose 80-90% of their excess body fat without one, and only need a small one at the end. Since banding I have had times that I could only eat mushies or liquids and others that I could eat more substantial foods. I think that if you pay attention to your diet (protein intake & liquids especially) that it is OK to be where you are. You should definately let your Doc know that you can't eat hard Proteins though. Buuuuutttt, jsut so you know, you're not the only one! Congrats on the weight loss!

[Chicken 0]

Dumb question: Can someone tell me what PB means? I fairly new.

[Afterglow 0]

I cant tell you how relieved I am to hear that there are others with so much restriction from just the band. Whew! Thanks again!

[DeLarla 22]

Girl, you gotta take it really easy. I lost my band due to erosion, but it really helped me learn how to eat like a human. Your band is there to force you to eat slow, take baby sips, chew till mush mush mushy. But you should still call your surgeon so he can document your file so that when you are ready for a fill he'll know you were really tight from the band alone.

How long have you had your band? Chances are that it will loosen up in the first month or so. You little sensitve thing you

[Afterglow 0]

Hi, chicken. PB stands for Productive Burp. If you havent PB'd, though, you cant understand what it REALLY involves. For me: First comes the unpleasant golf-ball-in-the-chest feeling. Then comes the mounds and mounds of slime and burping, some of which includes pieces of whatever food has gotten stuck. That can last for anywhere from a few minutes (for some people) to 2-3 hours (for me).

And that 2-3 hours involves sliming the entire time, not just here and there. It's a miserable way to spend an evening and is one of the best negative reinforcers of all. Before banding and PBing, I was a true bread-aholic (I'd buy cheeseburgers just for the buns); now just the thought of pizza or any other formerly-irresistible bread makes me start to produce saliva (and not in a good way).

[Afterglow 0]

Thanks, DeLarla. I was banded on November 21, 2005 -- a little over two months ago. I'll call my doctor Monday so my restriction can be noted in my file. His office is only about 12 miles away, but, in Houston, that's an hour's drive.

[HarleyNana 10]

I've had my band over a year and only 2cc in a 4cc band. Being too tight is not only unhealthy, it's miserable.

[DORCAS 0]

i also wnt frm feb till june till i had a fill & lost weight just fine. get use to pbing its a part of being banded!

[donali 57]

NO ONE should "get used" to PBing - it is the number one cause of slippage, and should be avoided at all costs. If you have a fill get a slight unfill. If you don't have a fill, check with your doc - I'd want a barium swallow to double-check placement, particularly after several episodes of 2-3 hrs PBing.

Yes, it is rare for a banded person to NEVER experience a PB - there is a learning curve, afterall, but it should NEVER be commonplace. Really.