Fill Oddity

Parvathi · February 18, 2008

On Monday last week, I had a slight fill. I'm not sure of the exact amount, but I'd be willing to bet it wasn't anything over 0.4ml, as my doctor and I both know not to go fast with my band (it doesn't like fast lol).

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were fine. I wasn't able to eat heaps, but hey, that's the point, right? I had went to soft foods after the fill, just to make sure I had no issues. No pb'ing or anything.

On Thursday I started experiencing difficulty with liquids. Couldn't get my coffee down in the morning, didn't finish half a glass of Water all day, couldn't get broth down at dinner. Friday, much the same. On Saturday I couldn't swallow my saliva, I hadn't slept the night before because I was coughing so much and waking up feeling as if I were choking, had really bad reflux, had a massive headache and was severely dehydrated (my skin showed it). I was wanting to wait it out the weekend, til Monday when the doctor's office was open, but realized by about 1pm that that wasn't going to happen.

I called the clinic, which had the hospital's number on the machine. Called the hospital, they said to call the surgeon. Paged the surgeon (and felt really stupid lol .. I *hate* bugging the surgeon!) and he was out of town. He called another hospital he does the procedure at because they have an ER and he's taught some of the ER docs how to remove Fluid. So I went to the ER and they completely emptied the band ... I would have been happy w/ taking away 0.5ml and seeing if I could drink again, but they insisted that the esophagus needed to rest.

I couldn't figure out why it would suddenly get so tight as usually, it is tight, then gets looser, not the opposite. But today, I started my period. No signs, no nothing .. just out of the blue. I'm wondering if perhaps the band suddenly getting tighter was due to bloating or stomach swelling? Is this possible?

I've been banded nearly 3 years and haven't experienced anything like it before.

At least the other doctors in the ER got a crash course in lapband's though lol, as several of them had never seen it before so they came to watch and feel the port.

GR8 · February 18, 2008

Hi -- Could it be that your fill created swelling - and you didn't do liquids and it was not able to reduce swelling. Then the TOM created more swelling -- I agree with that.

Mine usually does get tighter about 1 week after fill.

Jachut · February 18, 2008

Gee, its good to see your face again Jess!. I've often wondered how you were doing. I'm sorry to hear you've had some problems, gee, life wasnt meant to be easy was it?

Hope everything else is going fine in your life, and hope this settles down for you. I get rogue tightness around period time only sometimes, completely without warning, and every PB I've ever had, which I could count on one hand luckily, has been before my period unexpectedly started. Being an old bag with no babies on my mind, I pay absolutely and utterly no attention to my cycle, lol, I wouldnt have a bloody clue when I'm due or when I last had one. A month goes past like THAT these days and I think "what, already?".

And I'm sending a message to your band to BEHAVE!

Parvathi · February 19, 2008

hahaha - thanks for the message to my band, Jacqui! I hope it listens to you more than it has listened to me in the past year.

I've often wondered about all of you guys as well, but honestly, in the midst of the massive failure which is my life lol, it was extremely hard to login and watch others succeed, as self-absorbed as that may sound Not to say in the least though that I'm not happy for all of you who have done so well.

And wow - you look FANTASTIC! I bet it feels good too :laugh:

Angie4b1g · February 19, 2008

Being an old bag with no babies on my mind, I pay absolutely and utterly no attention to my cycle, lol, I wouldnt have a bloody clue when I'm due or when I last had one.

Same here! Whenever they ask when my last one was I'm always like "uh.... I dunno?"

Frustrated · February 19, 2008

I couldn't figure out why it would suddenly get so tight as usually, it is tight, then gets looser, not the opposite. But today, I started my period. No signs, no nothing .. just out of the blue. I'm wondering if perhaps the band suddenly getting tighter was due to bloating or stomach swelling? Is this possible?

I've been banded nearly 3 years and haven't experienced anything like it before.

Yes it is possible. This kind of thing only started for me with my last 2 periods. Before that it wasn't an issue.

aubrie · February 19, 2008

When I tell any of my doctors that I had LapBand surgery, they are all so fascinated they ALL have asked to feel the port and see my scars. Then they want to know all the details. The fill procedure is a mystery to them. It's so funny...... For several, I am the first LapBand patient they have. They have several bypass patients, but not any LapBand. I thought that was wierd. Anyway. I'm a celebrity in all my docs' offices. LOL