Unfill - sorry I got this band

[MelodyJ 0]

I have a 4cc band....he put 3cc in on the 2nd fill (2.4cc 1st fill) and I drank about 4 cups of Water then drove 50mi toward home and took one tiny little sip and promptly vomitted all over myself.....drove back 50mi they took out 0.1cc and said it was going thru on flouroscopy....I kept vomitting and got myself in a vicious cycle of vomit, swell, vomit, swell... finally passed it w/ time and liquids....3wks worth! It's now settled down. Have realized when you bump your elbow or toe you use ice....but when it's your inside you use warm!? Go figure! Anyway...I can now eat real food and it tastes great....very small amounts but food! Many days I must eat a Soup for lunch still....band is not quite open good then....but it's all a learning curve truly!!!

I was always a "Volume" eater....so this is working well for me in smaller portions....move more! Am I perfect...NO WAY!!! But trying and hoping for more!! My biggest prayer is "Lord, don't let me gain anything back"....so far so good!! Have had some stay the same weeks....but no gains!! PRAISE GOD!!!

God bless,

Melody

Banded 3/20/06 -74lbs :huggie:

[DonnaB 3]

Hey Hopes Place,

How are you doing today? Did you call your doctor for that unfill?

I log my food on FitDay.com but it won't let me copy the log to paste it here. I'll just give you a couple of days' logs here without all the extra stuff that FitDay shows:

Hot tea, 9 calories

Fat free Half and Half, 40 calories

Cottage cheese, 220 calories

Hard boiled eggs, 210 calories

Mayonaise, 90 calories

Triscuit Thin Crisps, 91 calories

Cheese slices, 257 calories

chicken breast slices, 46 calories

Kettle Corn popcorn, 100 calories

No sugar added ice cream, 270 calories

Total calories for the day = 1,334

Protein for the day = 85g

coffee, 21 calories

Fat free Half and Half, 60 calories

Cottage cheese, 275 calories

Hormel precooked bacon, 210 calories

Watermelon, 195 calories

Chicken breast 183 calories

Mixed salad greens, 18 calories

Tomato, 13 calories

Caesar Vinaigrette, 140 calories

chocolate pudding, 160 calories

Total calories for the day = 1,275

Protein for the day = 92g

Some of these foods are very specific. For instance, the Hormel precooked bacon slices are only 70 calories for 4 slices. If you eat 4 slices of regular bacon you fry up at home, the calories will be much higher. Same with the pudding - it's SF FF pudding made with skim milk. And of course quantity makes a big difference. So watch what you're eating and journal it in www.FitDay.com for YOUR totals. If you're not logging, go to FitDay and give it a try, it really helps. (The $20 downloadable version works much better than the freebee but try it out for free to see if you like it.)

Some days I take in more calories, some days less, but I try to keep it between 1,000 - 1,300 calories per day. That seems to be my optimum weight loss range - without exercise. If I would exercise I'd lose more - or be able to eat more! lol Once you get yourself in your optimum range, do everything you can to not go over it. When you go over your range, you're hungrier the next day and you want to eat more. It makes it much much harder when your body and brain are urging you to eat.

Let us know how you're doing, OK? Get the unfill.

P.S. Cottage cheese is a great source of Protein within reasonable calories, and it's soft enough that it shouldn't be a problem to eat. But if you don't like cottage cheese, this doesn't help you much!

[health1st 1]

Mouse, great input. My Doc was pretty aggresive with fills. I have a VG 10cc band and he told me to get a fill at 4 weeks. I was concerned it was too soon and read some things on this board and decided to wait. I am so glad I didn't just do what he said. I wanted some "help" with weigh loss, NOT all the band. So I don't have a fill yet, and I have a sensitive stomach so I still have some restriction. It is individual and the band effects us all differently. Good advice to wait and see how it goes, how we feel, what we can eat. And get to know ourselves with our new tool. Very smart advice.

[Hopes place 0]

DonnaB....Great advice. Thank you so much. I tried to get into the surgicenter sooner than Monday but they were totally booked. I have just gone on liquids and think I will do fine until Monday. I haven't PB'd for 2 days now. It will be interesting to see what Dr. Spiegels PA suggests as the amount to unfill me. I am going to tell her NOT TO be aggressive. Thanks again for all your help....

[shellyj. 0]

DonnaB....Great advice. Thank you so much. I tried to get into the surgicenter sooner than Monday but they were totally booked. I have just gone on liquids and think I will do fine until Monday. I haven't PB'd for 2 days now. It will be interesting to see what Dr. Spiegels PA suggests as the amount to unfill me. I am going to tell her NOT TO be aggressive. Thanks again for all your help....

when i go for a fill the dr makes us drink 20 oz of Water before we leave the office. i take it a step further and bring a yogurt with me and eat that before i leave the office.

i would say have the dr remove all the fill that he added the last time PLUS .1 cc. the reason i suggest that is you sound like you were to tight to begin with. i think going with a little less than you had originally makes sense.

i am sorry you are having such troubles, it is the WORST to be to tight. take it easy till monday!

[SanDiegoUbermom 1]

I've too have decided to wait for the fill. I was reading the posts and about the complications. I know that not everyone has complications but I just didn't want that right off the bat.

I was banded just last month. I'm still learning how to use my tool and to work with it, I don't need to fight w/it just yet.

So I agree that you need to make the decisions for your body--not them!

I was concerned it was too soon and read some things on this board and decided to wait. I am so glad I didn't just do what he said. I wanted some "help" with weigh loss, NOT all the band. So I don't have a fill yet,

Hopes place, I hope you've seen your doctor already and have some relief.

[Boo 3]

Hopes place,

I am so sorry for your ordeal! I was going through the exact same thing until last Friday.

My first fill was 1.0 cc. I had zero restriction and could eat almost anything (except guacamole.) Two months later I had a second fill for 2.0 cc. It was fine in the office, but on the way home I got a cold drink and immediately got stuck. After suffering for six days I called my doctor. (For an entire night I was up vomitting spit.) He saw me the next day and unfilled my band to 1.5 cc. I could drink, but still had problems with food. Called my doctor's office AGAIN and they had me come in the next day! Two weeks later (last Friday) I was unfilled to 1.2 cc.

During the tight phase the weight was pouring off, but the weakness was not worth it. Also, the fear of compromising my band and damaging my esophagus was very scary. Now that I am unfilled to 1.2 cc I can eat anything. I'm scared now of gaining weight and have to wait a couple weeks to put a little more in.

I've learned a few things from this experience:

1. Don't drink anything really cold if you are tight. I learned to take my morning medication with warm Water.

2. If it is too tight, get into the doctor a.s.a.p.!

3. It is better to be extra cautious. If you need an unfill, be generous. If you need a fill, go easy.

4. Sometimes a little Pepto Bismal can help.

I will probably go in for another fill and just put in .1 cc and see how it goes. I'm scared to have another episode of constant pb's.

GOOD LUCK!!!

[PhotoNut 7]

Hey Hope, I read this yesterday and decided to give it some thought before responding. So, here I am today.

I hope your spirits are lifted somewhat and I hope we can band together to help lift them even more. Being over-filled can be very uncomfortable and can cause a lot of issues, as you have seen. The goal for your band should be to achieve enough restriction to comfortably eat about a cup of food, three times a day, and not be hungry between meals. You should also be able to eat a good selection of hard Proteins along with some fresh veggies and fruits. Oftentimes, when the restriction is too tight, people will begin to rely on softer foods which slow the weightloss. Softer foods tend to be higher in sugars and fats and they slip through the band easier so the volume of intake increases. Carbs are easily burned by the body, so you find yourself hungry again even though you have just eaten far more than you normally would. The big mistake at this point is when folks assume that because they can eat so much, they -must- need more fill! So off they go, telling the Dr that they can eat far too much and are hungry all the time, and then they return home with even more problems... such as getting stuck on even soft mushed up avacado.

My Dr recently removed all of my fill after my complaints of pressure behind my breastplate, and of pains in my stomach and around my port. When he said he was going to take it out I just about panicked. I had heard stories of people regaining 20 pounds in a month after a complete unfill. However, he explained that he didnt want to play a guessing game with the fill - you know, take out .5cc, then maybe a bit more, nope that was too much, put some back in. He said he wanted to give things time to get over the irritation from being too tight and he wanted me to get back on hard Proteins and get my body used to eating the right foods again before attempting more restriction. Ya know what? I'm still losing weight. I am now eating roast beef, steak, chicken, and fish. I ate a plum yesterday with the skin on! I don't get stuck on broccoli anymore. My weightloss has resumed it's normal 2 pounds per week and I'm not constantly in the kitchen eating cottage cheese out of the conatiner because I am always hungry, but not losing weight.

So, I think that this has been the overall problem with your band. I can certainly see why it's been a frustration and why you'd be upset at even getting banded. However, there is hope, Hope!

Take a few steps back. Get unfilled completely. Allow yourself a few days for the irritation to go down. Then slowly introduce moist meats into your daily diet. Serve your meals in very small containers. Glad makes disposable containers that are perfect for this. Put your cooked veggies in the container first, then lay your 4oz of meat on top. Eat all of the meat before eating the veggies. Then, give yourself about an hour after eating before you drink any fluids. Drinking after meals will break down the food and wash it through the band, leaving you with that hungry feeling again. After you have adjusted your diet to eat like this, then and only then, will you be able to judge if you need more restriction. If you are hungry between meals. If you are having to force yourself to stick to one cup of food at meal times, then you probably do need a fill. Have your Dr start out slowly, say .5cc. Then give yourself another couple of weeks to see how that really sits in. Sometimes, right after a fill, I swear I could eat more than before the fill. But after a few days, it seems as if the fill really "kicks in". So giving it time is important. Also, be sure to stay on liquids the first couple of days after a fill. Then carefully introduce your hard proteins back into your diet. You should be eating a minimum of 60 grams of Protein per day. And, you should have no problem achieving this with your hard proteins. If you'd like more specific suggestions on that, let me know.

Anyway, I think if you try this you'll be pleasantly surprised at the results and much happier about your decision to get the band. Now, I know you said you are self pay, and approaching fills this way might cost you more, but keep in mind that you paid a LOT for that band and making it work correctly for you, so you can see the success you hoped for.. well, that is worth a few well planned trips to the fill Dr. Right?

I hope this helped. I'll be thinking about ya and please let us know how you're doing.

Sincerely :Banane59:

[MelodyJ 0]

Thank you Photonut....very good "food" for thought!!!!

God Bless,

Melody

Banded 3/20/06 -74lbs

[ken 0]

HI,

I am so sorry that I ever got this band. I am now so tight I can't even swallow and throw up all day long. Today I had a shake and then at 1pm tried to get 1/2 mashed avocado down and I have been throwing it up for hours . That is how all my days go. I have been banded for 5 months, lost 26 pounds and everyday has been either a struggle or a nightmare. Last week I got my 2nd fill and now I can't swallow so I will have to travel 8 hours to see Dr. Spiegels associate (I am a self pay so gotta take what I can get the cheapest) and now I don't know how much to tell her to take out. I had no idea all this would happen. At the seminars no one talked about all of this. Dr. Spiegel said he always does the fills which is now not true either. Anyway, now that I have vented (thank you all very much for listening) how do I know how much to tell her take out? Should it be .1cc?

I appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks,

Hi, I also had a band by spiegel and in two years lost 105 lbs. Im at 290 now but I have had problems, you right they dont give you much info at the semiars except talk about them selfs. I worked up to 61/2 cc then started throwing up everything even my meds. So the Nurse all outand I got better in about a week, but it took almost 2 months befroe I could get another fill, and put back on 25 lbs so I changed doctors. I just went yesterday and he gave me 51/2 cc but I spit up this morning so he said stay on liquards till Monady then call him. I think its just being a little swollen.Also my friend had to go to Houston cause he doesnt go to local hospitals here anymore ( pt. Neches Groves area)I heard, but you might check. Anyway thats why I switched doctors, You might ask questons about if he still does work in this area if you need surgery. anyway hang in there and stay with the program cause its the best diet going right now. take care and good luck

Ken (In nederland)

[loveulots17lov 0]

you know your right no one told me about the pbing and vomitting and chest pain when food gets stuck, every 1 said they had no problems with it. which i know being banded dont believe it. but i am happy with the band ONCE YOU GET TO YOUR SWEET SPOT YOU'LL BE SO MUCH HAPPIER WITH IT, 7 MORE DAYS YAY

[loveulots17lov 0]

you know your right no one told me about the pbing and vomitting and chest pain when food gets stuck, every 1 said they had no problems with it. which i know being banded dont believe it. but i am happy with the band ONCE YOU GET TO YOUR SWEET SPOT YOU'LL BE SO MUCH HAPPIER WITH IT, 7 MORE DAYS YAY

[Hopes place 0]

Photonut.....

Thank you so much for caring and all that information. Everything you said is exactly right. I don't eat Protein since the 2nd fill because I can't swallow it. Am not losing weight because I can swallow pudding, etc., (all fattening). I would love to be back where I was at my first fill. I could eat protein, etc., just like you said. I am petrified they will take out all my fill on Monday but hopefully I can back it down to where I was at my first fill. Believe you me, I will never be in a hurry to get a fill again. I really really appreciate you..........I do wish at the seminars they would be more honest with us about the good, the bad and the ugly. (Can only speak for the seminar I attended) I just think I would have been more prepared. Thank God for this site, otherwise, I don't know what I would have done with all my questions. I will let you know what happens Monday but my advice to everyone is go slow with those fills. Thank you again and I will use every suggestion you gave......

[Hopes place 0]

Photonut.

I forgot to ask. After an unfill, do you stay on liquids also. Thanks.

Also, thanks for not making me afraid of an entire unfill and starting again. Since Dr. Speigel got his assistant, I don't ever get to talk to him.

[NewSho 20]

...<snip> Ya know what? I'm still losing weight. I am now eating roast beef, steak, chicken, and fish. I ate a plum yesterday with the skin on! I don't get stuck on broccoli anymore. My weightloss has resumed it's normal 2 pounds per week

Hey PhotoNut.

This was an absolutely well-thought out, well-phrased posting. You are kickin' butt with the band ! :clap2:

My only concern is this bit I highlighted above.

That's great that you can lose 2# a week after a complete unfill but part of that is probably related to your starting weight and starting BMI.

Remember that the smaller we Bandsters get, the more 'fill' volume it might take to get us a level of restriction. I know I have much less fatty tissue around my stomach now than when I was banded. When I was heavier, I could lose weight with none or almost no fill - if you think of the band like a belt, you can see while it takes more tension to restrict something a smaller stomach. To be frank, if I was completely unfilled - there is no way I would lose a lot per week (especially 2#) unless I did something really drastic. And it couldn't involve anything as nutritious as broccoli, plums, or chicken. :phanvan

At my current weight, like a lot of Bandsters experience, that "quick peel-off layer" of flab has been significantly reduced. It's a grind to lose each pound as my body feels like it's already given up it's available extra weight. (So it thinks, but just wait. ) So we should remember that being unfilled and still losing 2# a week might not happen for lower BMI / lighterweight folk.

It's like that classic phrase, "Your Mileage May Vary."

Rock on, PhotoNut. Rock on!

(Hey I'm making progress on my shorter signature, eh? - Signed, Appreciative Grasshopper.)