Confusing Fills!

[Angela 9]

:rolleyes2: I had my surgery November 5 2007. I have since only had 2 fills. The first one was 5 weeks ago. At the time my Dr. said he put in 2 cc's. I had no restriction at all. Last night I went in for another fill. He said he was going to add 1 cc. I asked to verify how much was put in the time before. He said he would check by withdrawing the Fluid before adding more. So when he took it out there was only 1cc. He asked are you sure we put in 2 cc's last time? I said yes and then he verified that with my chart. I asked, well what happened to the other cc? He said he wasn't sure! He gave me a fill and now I have a total of 3cc's. Supposibly! Each time I have gotten a fill I am asked to sit up and take a gulp of Water. He asks me if I can tell a difference. Well I can't! However he doesn't want to be more aggresive. What exactly is the feeling I should be experiencing in order to know if I need a more aggresive fill at the time of my dr. visit?

:tt2:

[shortgal 5]

How you feel after a fill in the office can change once you get home. I seem to get some initial swelling after a fill, that doesn't happen in the office, it gets a little tighter later that day and takes a couple days to go down. So it can be difficult to determine how much to put in. I have also read threads on the forum from people that were fine when they left the office and then felt so tight later they couldn't swallow their own saliva and some even had their fill with flouroscope which is supposed to be more accurate.

I think it's better to sneak up on our sweet spot. Being too tight is not good for the band or good for us.

After this past fill, I am feeling the tightness in a different way. I have mild left shoulder pain from the nerve that runs from the belly to the shoulder, so I think I'm getting closer to good restriction and I will ask for a smaller fill next time from the usual 1 cc I have been getting. Probably .5 cc depending on my hunger between meals.

I would not ask for larger fills but I would ask to come as often as every two weeks for another one until you feel you are getting close to good restriction.

[snowbird 2]

darlin, what size band do you have? I am assuming from the amount of your fills that it is a larger band. If it is a band that holds 10 cc or more, then 3 cc is still not very much.

It does take a while, sometimes, for a fill to kick in, for some reason. I would give this one about 3 weeks, and head back for fill #3 if it isn't providing any restriction.

[Frustrated 1]

How you feel after a fill in the office can change once you get home. I seem to get some initial swelling after a fill, that doesn't happen in the office, it gets a little tighter later that day and takes a couple days to go down. So it can be difficult to determine how much to put in. I have also read threads on the forum from people that were fine when they left the office and then felt so tight later they couldn't swallow their own saliva and some even had their fill with flouroscope which is supposed to be more accurate.

I think it's better to sneak up on our sweet spot. Being too tight is not good for the band or good for us.

After this past fill, I am feeling the tightness in a different way. I have mild left shoulder pain from the nerve that runs from the belly to the shoulder, so I think I'm getting closer to good restriction and I will ask for a smaller fill next time from the usual 1 cc I have been getting. Probably .5 cc depending on my hunger between meals.

I would not ask for larger fills but I would ask to come as often as every two weeks for another one until you feel you are getting close to good restriction.

This is very good advice. I get my fills done under fluoro and it doesn't really matter what it feels like while I'm at the doctor's office because things can change at any time. I can be fine for a week or more and then the tightness will hit. Or I could wake in the middle of the night after a fill with reflux because it's tightened up.

My menstrual cycle also plays a role in my restriction. Very tight for a couple of days before my period, then almost non-existent for a day or so while my body craves sweets and carbs. But I've read other women say their experience is totally different.

You have to learn to become tuned to the messages your body sends out. It's not going to be the same message I get. The guidelines your doctor gives you are just that, guidelines. They're not firm and fixed rules.

There could be a number of reasons why there was only 1cc in your band when everyone was expecting 2. Don't let this one inconsistency weigh too much on your mind. There could be a simple explanation, there could be no explanation. Worrying about it won't change it. See how your following fills go before jumping to any wrong conclusions. Don't go looking for things to stress over because the chances are good you'll find them or make them up yourself.

You're just starting out on this journey. Remember that it's a marathon, not a sprint. Take time to get used to your band and to learn how to listen to the messages it sends you. Don't expect everything to happen immediately.

Hope this helps. :tt2:

[katrose 0]

The next time you get a fill ask your doc to fill you till the Water almost comes back up out of your nose. I know I had no idea what it was I was supposed to be feeling. My first 2 fills were very small. I 'thought' I felt some restriction, but I really didn't. So the next time he really filled me. When I was drinking the water he filled me so tight that the water feels like its going to have to come up out of your nose almost cause it sure ain't going down! He didn't leave it like that of course, but I just wanted to really feel what restriction would feel like so I could adjust from there. But, until you really feel it you really won't understand it. At least I didn't. Good luck.

[caligal 0]

If you are just right, you will feeel as if you have to let out a big belch! At least that is how I felt. If you are over filled you won't be able to drink that Water and if you can, it will go down real slow almost like a stopped up drain.

As for fills: My surgeon was the same way with my fills. He said, "you don't want to be too agressive too soon". Now I know why. Believe me you don't want everything you eat to get stuck, because it hurts immensely! And the pain doesn't last for a minute or so, it lasts a good 20-45 minutes!

Yikes! it really hurts.!

I have now learned that Papaya Enzymes are THIS bandsters good friend.

[Sades 4]

I have 7cc in a 10cc band and I'm still not as restricted as I'd like to be. I can go really long periods between meals but other than the odd times I get stuck, food goes down way too well. 3cc is not much at all if you have a 10cc band... hang in there.

[rharriet62 0]

Wow! Hearing all these stories make me remember that everyone is different when it comes to the band! First off, the loss of 1 cc is not that unusual, especially in a new band and tube. Sometimes, the device itself absorbs Fluid. I can't believe your doc didn't tell you that. I have not had it absorb one full CC but I've had it absorb .5 or less at times. The longer you have it, the less frequently this happens. The idea of drinking the Water is that water SHOULD go down easily after a fill. For some bizarre reason, some fills don't kick in right away. My personal opinion is that the fluid stays in the tube that connects the port and band and over days or a week it gets into the band and you feel the full fill. For example, I got a fill on Monday of this week and M & T I was bummed, thinking I had no more real restriction. Wed. I had more and today I'm feeling great restriction. However, my doc says that if 2 weeks go by and you are not feeling good restriction AND losing weight, it's time to come back for a fill. Wait 2 weeks and go back if you don't feel it...go slowly and don't get overfilled! Good luck to you!

[VegasGrace 1]

protocol is if you had 2cc and you go in for a fill but only have 1 cc...

bring you back to 2cc and then give you a fill of .5 or whatever.

Fluid loss is common and once it reappeared on the next fill....don't have any clue how that happened.

[smwww 0]

Caligal, what are Papaya Enzymes? Call me ignorant. But I don't know. They may can help me.

[gweniper 0]

several people have stated that if you have a 10 cc band that 3cc is not much. My first fill he put in 3cc and had to take out 1.5cc because it was too tight. I have had 3 more fills of .5 cc each taking me to 3.0cc. I have good restriction but when I saw the doc today because 2 hours after a Protein Drink (unable to eat in morning) I am hungry and craving sugar, he decided that I should get .2cc. Just because you have a 10 cc band does not mean you have to have it filled lots and aggressively to feel restriction. EVERYONE is different. I have to have smaller fills, I will live with that. My husband has to have larger fills he has like 7.5 in a 14cc band.

good luck

[shortgal 5]

It is true veryone is different but the original poster stated she didn't feel she had restriction so everyone felt we should tell her she might not have enough fill for her and that there are people that need more to get the right restriction.

It's great that you are able to feel restriction with less.

[kbinaz 0]

I could never feel anything when they had me drink Water after a fill either. I was starting to think it was an urban myth. I finally felt like I had to say I felt restriction so I wouldn't look dumb. (like the emporer's new clothes...the emporer's restriction..) I finally felt it with fill #5 (7.5ccs in a 10cc band). As soon as I felt it, I was like "Oh, okay,that's what it feels like!" Hang in there, keep getting fills as often as you are allowed until you get there - you will know it when you feel it!