First Fill questions/opinions please

KarenH · March 6, 2008

I am almost 6 weeks postop and I can eat a considerable amount at a meal. Dinners still seem to be the biggest and I eat for a longer period of time. I am going for my first fill next week. During the last week or so, I feel extreme hunger and my stomach growls so loudly that it's embarrassing. I have lost 18 pounds. I am pretty much staying there even with exercising 5 - 6 times a week. I can tell some old habits - grazing, eating cuz I am so hungry, a sweet here or there - have flared up during these 10 days or so as well. What is having a fill like? Painful? Easy? Difficult to find port? How scary is it? Also, I am hoping for about 1 to 1.5 cc for the first fill. Is this realistic? All thoughts and/or suggestions are welcome! Karen

WASaBubbleButt · March 6, 2008

I am almost 6 weeks postop and I can eat a considerable amount at a meal. Dinners still seem to be the biggest and I eat for a longer period of time. I am going for my first fill next week. During the last week or so, I feel extreme hunger and my stomach growls so loudly that it's embarrassing. I have lost 18 pounds. I am pretty much staying there even with exercising 5 - 6 times a week. I can tell some old habits - grazing, eating cuz I am so hungry, a sweet here or there - have flared up during these 10 days or so as well. What is having a fill like? Painful? Easy? Difficult to find port? How scary is it? Also, I am hoping for about 1 to 1.5 cc for the first fill. Is this realistic? All thoughts and/or suggestions are welcome! Karen

Why do you want 1 - 1.5cc in your band? Everyone is different, for some 0.5 would cause them to obstruct where someone else might need 3cc in a 4cc band.

KarenH · March 6, 2008

I just feel like I am able to consume too much at one meal right now. Sometimes the amount parallels that of pre-surgery meals. I am also hanging at the same weight for the last 2 weeks. I exercise almost daily for 45 minutes to an hour. I just thought I might need a slightly bigger boost(cc) in the beginning. How often does one go for a fill? If this first fill is not enough, I guess I am hoping that the doc will allow me to return within a month or so? Reasonable? Thanks. Karen

P.S. I am VERY impressed with your weight loss success. I will be happy with half of your success in 10 months time. Congrats!

kacee · March 6, 2008

Typically you can get a fill about every 30 days, if needed. I actually went in after a week with my first fill because absolutely nothing happened and they filled me again. Don't get caught up in the "numbers". They mean nothing. It all has to do with the size of the band, and the size of your stomach in relation. Some people NEVER have a fill and get good restriction and some VERY few have to utilize every square inch of their band to get restriction. It really runs from A to Z. Also remember at the first when you tend to lose faster, the fills will "deplete" quicker as fat deposits slough away.

shortgal · March 6, 2008

Your Dr will probably decide how much fill to start with. I got 2 cc's at the first fill in my 10 cc band. The PA or nurse and I discuss how much hunger I have, what foods and how much I eat and how long a meal satisfies me and then decide if a fill is in order.

I've had fills two weeks apart sometimes, but a fill can kick in after a few days, so some Dr's want to wait a little longer in between.

My fills vary as far as pain. Most have been very easy and one small prick with the needle. One was a bit more difficult as it was ahrder for her to find my port, but all were totallly tolerable. They fill the syringe with the saline, put the needle in the port and then they withdraw all the saline currently in the band ( to check for leaks) then they replace it all with the additional saline they add to the syringe. I drink a little Water and go home. I am then on full liquids for two days and soft food for two days. You can get swelling around the band for a couple day, so liquids are a smart thing. After the four days, I slowly try more solid foods again, to see what goes down. some times you'll get more tightness at the beginning of the fill and think, yes, this is my band working and then it loosens up again. It could take several fills to get to the right spot. I feel smaller fills, closer together is better, than one big fill. If you get too tight, it can cause lots of problems, so I'd rather "sneak" up on restriction.

WASaBubbleButt · March 6, 2008

I just feel like I am able to consume too much at one meal right now. Sometimes the amount parallels that of pre-surgery meals. I am also hanging at the same weight for the last 2 weeks. I exercise almost daily for 45 minutes to an hour. I just thought I might need a slightly bigger boost(cc) in the beginning. How often does one go for a fill? If this first fill is not enough, I guess I am hoping that the doc will allow me to return within a month or so? Reasonable? Thanks. Karen
P.S. I am VERY impressed with your weight loss success. I will be happy with half of your success in 10 months time. Congrats!

Before you can determine how much of a fill you need you have to know how thick your stomach wall is in relation to the size of your band. Few of us have ever seen our actual stomach. ;o) So there is no way to tell how much you will need. Even 0.1cc too much can obstruct you so you can't even keep your own saliva down. Doing fills is not a science, it's an art. It takes lots of practice to get it down perfectly and the same holds true for patients. It takes practice, trial, and error to discover perfect restriction.

My doc was telling me about one person that had it all wrong about fills. He got 1cc and lost 50 pounds. So he thought that meant that if he got another 0.5cc he'd lose the remaining 25. ;o) It doesn't work that way.

You might need 0.5 or you might need 3.0. There is no way to tell until you drink fluids and eat foods after a fill.

kbinaz · March 6, 2008

As mentioned above, your doctor will probably have a pre-determined amount he plans on putting in for your first fill. There are guidelines given by the manufacturer's of the bands and doctors either follow them exactly or tweak them a little based on experience - from what I've heard, the manufacturers are really conservative. My doctor is not as conservative as the manufacturer but more conservative than some other doctors so there is some leeway and it depends a lot on your doctor. The point, though, is to slowly fill your band - because everyone reacts differently and needs different amounts it is wisest to give a small fill, wait a week or so to see how the patient does,then if necessary give another small fill until the patient has the restriction needed to lose weight. If they just immediately started by giving everyone 3 ccs there would be people who were miserable at that level of fill and others that wouldn't feel a thing. I needed to get up to 7.5 ccs in my 10 cc band before I even knew what restriction felt like. Find out from your doctor how often he will let you get fills. Then plan on getting them that often for a while. It takes many people 4-6 fills to reach their sweet spot so the wisest thing is to just make several appointments in advance and cancel them if you don't need them. My doctor allows fills every ten days if you need them. Some doctors make you wait a month. The point is to try to get to your sweet spot as soon as you can to get the band doing what it is meant to do...

KarenH · March 6, 2008

Thank you for all your experienced insights into the fill process. I am a little over anxious for weight loss/fill/instant results. I will keep everyone's advice in mind. Slowly but surely, I will get to my "sweet spot." I am a little nervous about the process (withdrawing saline and then re-inserting), but I was able to give myself injections of byetta for a few months and then lovenox after surgery. I just have to keep telling myself it will be okay! Once the first fill happens, I am sure I will not be nearly as concerned/nervous. Thanks for your support! Karen