May not need a fill?

Fanny Adams · January 10, 2008

I've only been banded since 10 Dec and am due at the doctor's on Monday 15th for my first fill. I'm not sure what is going on, but I've been feeling less and less hungry over the last week.

My post-op regime was supposed to 4 days on Clear liquids, 7-10 days on thick liquids, 1-2 weeks on mushies, and then back to normal eating, with the transition times being up to me and dependent upon how well I tolerated food. I was very good for the first 10 days, sticking exactly to the routine, but found by Day 10 I was absolutely ravenous. I made a big error in judgement on Day 10, and broke down and ate 4 breaded/fried half chicken wings Yes, yes, I know I was only supposed to be going into the mushy stage at the time and chicken wings aren't mushy!! Mind you, I did chew them to mush and beyond. Anyway, I've already been spanked severely for that on these boards when I confessed at the time, so please don't do that again. I need your advice on a different matter now...

Over the mushy stage, I was pretty good although a couple of things were probably more "soft food" rather than truly mushy. Stuck to the calorie requirement well (in fact way below). About the only thing I did wrong was that I tended to push the 1 cup limit a little on the evening meal. I would get towards the end of the bowl and know that I was full and should stop but couldn't resist the taste and couldn't bear to throw the food out, so would just take it really really slowly and finish it all. At the end, I would feel uncomfortably full for quite a while, but never PB'd or anything. I can tolerate just about any type of food and am satisfied for hours on 1 cup.

Anyway, now I am finding that I am feeling less and less hungry as the days go by and am starting to feel slightly nauseous all the time. I'm starting to get worried that the early chicken wings and the eating beyond the point of hunger have caused problems, possibly slippage or stretching the pouch. My port is in an awkward place (right on my waist line) and my work pants press against it uncomfortably when I sit. It also presses against my desk and over the last week, I have noticed it is starting to look a little bruised behind the scar, when it had been well-healed before I returned to work last week. I've been finding it harder to finish my evening meal

Could the bruising be causing swelling, which is why I am not so hungry? Should I tell the doctor not to worry about the fill? I don't know how much I have lost in the last week, as I am not able to get near a scale till I get home from the mine site tomorrow night, but I don't think it has been a great deal.

Typical day's eating:

Breakfast - 1 poached egg, 1 muffin (no butter or fat)

lunch - Optifast

dinner - 2oz meat, 1/4 potato, 1 tbsp Beans, 1tbsp peas (or carrots, corn, broccholi, etc), 1tpbs gravy.

2-3 cups coffee with skim milk (not drunk with meals)

Total: @ 700 cal

I don't think I should be trying to eat much less than this, so don't think I need a fill, but am worried about why that is...

-acl- · January 10, 2008

Hi Fanny

Sorry to hear you're worried.

I can't offer you any helpful advice, but hopefully someone will post some for you soon.

Keep your chin up, and good luck with your visit to the doc, I hope all goes well.

Amy

cj033185 · January 10, 2008

Hi Fanny,

I fell your worries. I would address any medical concerns (bruising and swelling at your port site) with your doctor. If it were me, I would keep my appointment with the doctor for the fill and be honest with him (or her). Doctors can only truly help us if we give them all of the information. I know for me personally, I have not been 100% compliant, and everyhting is fine. Not that I would recommend that to anyone.

Please find the strength and tell them the whole truth so your fears can be eased, the doctor is not going to spank you!! LOL

Fanny Adams · January 10, 2008

"the doctor is not going to spank you!! "

Hehehehe - I wouldn't mind - he's pretty good looking!

Fanny Adams · January 21, 2008

Well I told the doc that I wasn't feeling the desperate need for a fill but could eat a full cup of food fairly comfortably and sometimes a little more but after that had to stop. He ended up putting in only 1cc, which is half the usual 2cc at a first fill.

I felt a little tighter that day but by the evening was feeling exactly the same as before. The doc said I should be on liquids for the next 2-4 days depending on how well I tolerated things. I did do liquids on the first day but went back to mushies on day 2 and normal food again on day 3 and haven't had a problem since.

He didn't seem to think the port bruising was a problem, although I am still a little worried about that, as sometimes it does feel like I am tearing stitches loose. It has been better lately though, so I am going to just muddle along.

I don't particularly want to feel super tight restriction, as I can live without the PB'ing and getting stuck that others seem to be suffering. I've not had a single episode of that and am quite happy about that. Right now I can eat anything at all - rice, bread, red meat, etc - but am happy on 1-1.5 cups of food per meal. I think I might lose a little faster if it were only 0.5-1 cup, but I'm scared that if I go for that level of restriction, I'll end up with the other problems to go with it.

So far, I've not found it at all hard to stick to healthy foods, but then again, I never was a chocoholic or a fan of junk food. I've had my moments with those of course, but my main problem as always been Portion Control (ie eating enough for 3-4 people at the evening meal), so I'm grateful that this stops me from doing that.

What do you guys think? What's the big rush to get total restriction? When people say that without that tight sensation, they can eat "anything", do they really mean they can go back to eating the enormous meals they used to consume? Or is it just if they are feeling any level of hunger, they find it hard to make the right choices in what they eat?

In the past, I have usually eaten to the point of pain - stuffed myself so much that I usually have to lie on the couch and groan for an hour or so after a meal until it goes down. I find I actually miss that kind of pain but I do get a similar sensation when I try to go over a cup - just higher up in my stomach. It doesn't feel "stuck", just FULL!

Longhorn · January 21, 2008

I have 6ccs total, 2 at my second fill on Friday. I have also been on liquids this weekend but I did eat a few solid foods. I felt a little tight last night but not today. However, I feel like I have hunger restriction because tonight I had a chicken wing, a small piece of cheese bread and a small piece of thin crust pizza and that was all that I could eat. I could have easily eaten more before this last fill.

I don't want to feel physical restriction either but I do think it's possible to eat carefully to avoid the negative consequences but benefit from the band by getting full on less food. I only hope this lasts awhile. :girl_hug: