First fill at 5 mls...is that to much ?

whiteruffles · March 19, 2008

Hi all, the subject says it all.

I have had a friend who has been banded for awhile now, and she was saying that she thought that maybe 5mls for my first fill was way to much. I have a 9ml band also could anyone tell me if it is a small band or large band. :biggrin: It is also affecting my eating, Im not able to get much down......PLEASE help

Thanks

Amanda

Edited March 19, 2008 by whiteruffles

shortgal · March 19, 2008

Too much is not a specific number, everyone is different. But signs you are too tight are not being able to get liquids down and reflux.

After a fill, you can get initial swelling so two days of full liquids, followed by two days of soft food is advisable to wait for any swelling to go down.

Then you try firmer foods carefully. small bites, wel chewed and no drinking with meal.

With restriction it might be more difficult to get food to go down, that is kind of the point.

If you are past five days of the most recent fill and if you got food stuck often, you might have irritated the esophogus and need to let it rest a day or two by drinking liquids. If this is going on for awhile, then you might be too tight and need a slight unfill.

What kind of foods are you eating and when was the fill?

whiteruffles · March 20, 2008

Thanks for that shortgal.....Im eating soft foods, bake Beans, cassaroles etc etc... I had my first fill on 17th so three days ago...It would be interesting what everyone else had for their first fill.

Amanda

shortgal · March 20, 2008

Go easy and continue with softer foods until you can tolerate the more solid food. If solid foods dont eventually go down with small bites, well chewed then you might be too tight.

The pouch and restriction is meant to work with solid Protein.

The first few days after each fill is kind of a new trial period. From the liquids to soft to solid and then we can see how the lastest fill is working for us.

My next fill is tomorrow. I'll be in the same boat!

whiteruffles · March 20, 2008

How long have you had yours for shortgal....if you dont mind me asking

shortgal · March 20, 2008

Banded 11/27/07. Next week is four months and can you believe I'm still waiting for my sweet spot?

kbinaz · March 20, 2008

Sometimes you are swollen after a fill. I always try to stick to soft, easy foods for the first five days or so. After that, you should be able to eat solid normal food. If you can't you are too tight. Problems arise when people are too tight because they have a tendency to gravitate toward mushy food, which defeats the purpose of the band and may slow weight loss. I think for most people 5 cc's (I'm assuming you meant 5 cc's not mls -I don't even know how much a ml is, sorry) would be too large a fill for your first, in fact I kind of wish my doctor had given me 5 cc's right off because it took me so darn long to get restriction. The problem is you never know because everyone responds to fills so differently and that is why most doctors go so slowly with the amounts for fills- it can be frustrating because it can make weight loss slower, but in the long run I think it is the wisest approach because you avoid overfills. Most people require at least 5 ccs to feel restriction. So if, after a week or so, you still can't eat normal food you may need to have some Fluid taken out. Wishing you the best~

whiteruffles · March 21, 2008

lol dont know where my post went ......

But anyway shortgal what is sweet spot ?? lol I still have mummy brain

kbinaz I take it that your cc is the same as our mls... well I think anyway, can anyone tell me if this is right ???

shortgal · March 21, 2008

lol dont know where my post went ......
But anyway shortgal what is sweet spot ?? lol I still have mummy brain

kbinaz I take it that your cc is the same as our mls... well I think anyway, can anyone tell me if this is right ???

I would say everyone might have a slightly different "sweet spot" because one person might need a slightly tighter restriction than someone else.

For me: I want my band filled just enough that I can eat almost anything, apples, whole wheat bread, steak, chicken, etc. but I want to be able to eat a small portion and feel full and have the full feeling last at least three hours.

Someone else might want to be tighter so that bread doesn't go down. That's the beauty of the band it's adjustable.

Now the bad part is sometimes, if the band is tight enough that I feel full for three hours, it's too tight to get an apple down, so I have to determine if that is what I want or need. I actually find I have decent willpower, my band just supports it. I would prefer to have the band looser, use SOME willpower and get the foods I want to eat to go down.

You'l figure out your own sweet spot along the way. It's al part of the process.