Need Advice! Unsure if I need some taken out of my band or not.

[lea3277 6]

My doctor left unexpectedly 6 months after my procedure and 17 months later I finally found a new doctor. I had a fill on Wednesday and he added a little over .5cc to my band. I have a total of 7.5 cc in my 10 cc band now. When I had my fill on Wednesday, I felt okay. On Thursday, I had some trouble with liquids, but could manage to get them down. On Friday, I woke up and felt like a house was sitting on my chest, but I could still get very small sips of hot liquids down. Friday night I wasn't able to eat anything, but could still sip liquids. When I woke up Saturday, I was miserable and could barely get liquids down. I felt like I had a rock in my throat that I couldn't get to go away. I felt so tight that it even hurt to take deep breaths. I drank hot tea off and on all day and was able to eat a few bites of mashed potatoes that night. Today, I have been able to drink liquids pretty well and I was able to keep down about 3 small cubes of turkey. I still feel super tight. Is this how it should feel? It's been so long since I have had a fill and even back then I never felt restriction. I need help people! I was planning to get some taken out tomorrow, but don't want to if this is normal! Please offer suggestions........

[carol285 145]

In my opinion this is not normal & you are too tight

[pinklily27 61]

You do sound a little too tight. I think you should call the doc in the morning. It could be that you had a little swelling from the fill, especially since it has been so long. As that swelling decreases your intake should be able to increase, which is sounds like it has. Just not sure it has improved enough. You don't want to get dehydrated. I always have swelling for a couple of days after a fill but each day it gets better and I will take ibuprofen to reduce it.

[lea3277 6]

Thanks y'all! I think I'm going to call tomorrow and see if I can get just maybe .2cc taken out. I don't think I can get used to this feeling and definitely have no desire to get dehydrated! I would rather take it slow than go from able to eat to vomiting all the time!!

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

That's definitely not normal. I'd get some removed if I were you.

[lea3277 6]

I've never had to have any taken out and for some reason I feel like its a "bad thing," but I know being too tight can lead to band slippage and dehydration among other things. I don't have time for all that. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't just overreacting!

[lea3277 6]

So I broke down and had some taken out today. They said I could wait a couple weeks to see if it got better, but it was too uncomfortable. They said it would've been fine since I could drink SOME liquids, but I couldn't stand the pain. Thanks for your help! I'm happy to be back on my journey.....

[carol285 145]

I have to be honest what your doctor told you doesn't sound right to me if you were totally honest about your pain & how little you could actually drink! I don't think a doctor should be OK with it really. My doctor gets concerned if I can't consume adequate liquid for even 24hrs. How long have you been seeing this new doctor? Also another concern I thought of later was that you have not had your band maintained/observed or whatever the proper word is since 6 months after your surgery so that would add an extra level of concern for me. Did they do the fill by floroscope?

[B-52 7,113]

Not going to tell anyone else their business, but what you went through is the same I went through....My Dr. told me to wait it out also, with liquids...it too 2 full weeks before I could start eating again...but I'm glad I did wait it out...things did gradually did get better, but never the same....it made that big a difference....that was over 2 years ago...never had Fluid taken out, never needed another fill.....

I thought to myself I knew I needed a fill when I walked into his office...if I had gone back so quickly and had it removed, where would I have been then? Right back where I started? I was determined to change, and that is what happened.

Again, I am not recommending. Just saying the way it happened for me.

[lea3277 6]

As long as you can keep liquids down, I don't think they are overly concerned. After I left today, I did second guess myself and wonder if I made the right decision, but I was so, so uncomfortable. I have a very high tolerance for pain, but almost hurt to the point I hurt to take in a breath.

The way I am looking at it now is that I now know I need to be somewhere between where I am today and 7.5 cc, where I was at the past five days. My sweet spot isn't very far away and I go back the end of August and can adjust as needed. I was just afraid I would be too tight and end up messing something up. Who knows if I didn't the right thing. I still have trouble swallowing Water, so at this point I'm okay with my decision.

It helps so much hearing the opinions of others. Love the support.