Fill advice from veterans....

[NanaRenan 0]

I had my first fill on 10-10. It was awesome and instantaneous. Just right and worked quite well. At my 6 month check-up we discussed another fill because I did feel I was starting to 'empty out' more rapidly and occasionally experiencing hunger between dinner and bedtime.

Unfortunately, my port had flipped so I didn't get that second fill until I had my port revision last Thursday. Again, it seemed everything was fine, I was on liquids a day or two and then seemed to eat 'normally', but on the 4th and 5th days -- I'm barely able to get 1/4 of my usual Instant Breakfast shake down. Literally one or two bites at a meal and I am full for several hours. My Fluid intake is WAY, WAY down, too!

I remember hearing a long time ago that sometimes it takes a day or two to know how the fill "took".

Any ideas on what this is? Did this fill just take a few days to "take"?

I don't think my port being moved would cause swelling near the band to make restriction more severe....but what do I know!! I'm happy with the weight loss, but dubious how long I can subsist on what I'm able to get past the band right now.

Ah, banding -- it's a journey, not a destination, eh?

[coltonwade 27]

My fills typically take 4-7 days to "kick in " also takes that long to know if im too tight or not .

Now when I have good restriction , I cant eat solids for Breakfast, Its shakes , If you having issues getting liquids down your too tight and might need a slight unfill . If the way your eating is not comfortable for you , I would say you need an unfill. I get unfills if they way im eating , even if small is not comfortable for me or if I cant tolerate it .

when in doubt call the doc

Mindy

[Wheetsin 714]

I would say just give it time as long as you can get fluids down (Water consistency). If you cannot get fluids down, that's too tight.

Often with fills I may have had pressure up or even slimed over thick liquids (e.g. prptein drink) for a day or two, only to feel fine afterwards.

I am not super tight, IMO I'm just right, and I cannot do solids nor sometimes even Water consistency liquids in the morning. The liquids never get stuck, but I know they're there. However, come evening it's a different story. So it may be a matter of two things -- letting the fill "take", and then learning and adapting to your personal pattern of restriction.

[coltonwade 27]

I would say just give it time as long as you can get fluids down (Water consistency). If you cannot get fluids down, that's too tight.

Often with fills I may have had pressure up or even slimed over thick liquids (e.g. prptein drink) for a day or two, only to feel fine afterwards.

I am not super tight, IMO I'm just right, and I cannot do solids nor sometimes even Water consistency liquids in the morning. The liquids never get stuck, but I know they're there. However, come evening it's a different story. So it may be a matter of two things -- letting the fill "take", and then learning and adapting to your personal pattern of restriction.

I agree when i am good I can "feel" my bolthouse shakes go down in the am . But around 2 pm im good can eat fine just no more than about a cup .

Now the fill before last I was getting stuck on my tiny topamax pill as i was taking it , in the am i knew that was too tight.

getting really good restriction does take some getting use to its a total mind *F* in my opinion LMAO LOL

Mindy

[Sunshine_68 0]

I've found that it takes about a week for me to tell how good a fill I got. I had to have an unfill almost 2 weeks after a fill last week. The way I know that I'm too tight is when it interferes with my sleep. Night coughing and regurgitating are miserable. Make sure you do not eat or drink 3 hours prior to going to bed!! My doctor says that is very important. If you are too tight you will need to go back to liquids for a couple of days and then mushies. If that doesn't work, contact your doctor. Good luck!!

[NanaRenan 0]

Okay...thanks everyone. I tho't I'd read this was somewhat normal. I was already pretty tight (shakes only!) at breakfast and looser during the day. But I was starting to be hungry again after dinner.

Now I'm SUPER tight -- like 1/4 of a shake for breakfast -- in the morning and barely anything for lunch. Then dinner is now like lunch used to be and not hungry again before bed.

Good to know it's reasonable. Thanks again!

[NanaRenan 0]

ps....I read somewhere that drinking a hot liquid in the morning helps. I've never been a fan of hot beverages, but I might give it a try.

[Wheetsin 714]

It seems really counter-intuitive (hot things promote bloodflow and could lead to swelling, etc. while cold things are suually rememdies for swelling/fluid) -- but hot things do seem to help. I just don't worry about eating in the morning anymore, maybe a few bites of egg, but sometimes for dinner (espeically if I'm with business company or someplace out of town) I will start off with Soup, and if I am still hungry have an entree. The soup does seem to open me up a bit.

[NanaRenan 0]

I've just trained myself over the last 10 years -- in my weight loss/pre-diabetes battles -- to always, always, ALWAYS eat something ASAP upon rising.

My mother and sister were never breakfast eaters, both overweight their whole lives and ended up severely diabetic (mom dead at 75 from complications and sis with a double bypass at 52).

Like most children of the 60s and 70s (especially who had a mom who wasn't about to cook breakfast!) I grew up eating cold Cereal and did the same with my kids. After trying Atkins back in the 90s, I realized what an all carb breakfast did to me and I started trying to eat some Protein. And came to believe that the sooner I "started my engine" (switched on my metabolism by eating) the better.

I still think not being hungry at breakfast is a big red flag and should be right up there with excessive thirst and frequent urination, (which neither my sister, mother or me EVER experienced as diabetics!) as symptoms of diabetes!

[coltonwade 27]

Im not a fan of hot liquids like coffee and warm teas either. But if im really tight i will sip warm Water with lemon and honey in it .

Its pretty good

Mindy

[LinzerPA 0]

Pam,

Tell me about your procedure to correct the "flipped" port. I went for my first fill last week and found that mine had flipped. Did you have general anesthesia again? That's the only part about this I really mind - hope I don't need to miss any more work than the day of the procedure. Did they fill you at the same time?

Thanks,

Lynne

[AAGUILAR 0]

I have a question? I just got my fill yesterday. I have a 4cc band and my fill was 1.4 cc. But I feel as if I didn't even have a fill. Is that normal? When should I feel this fill kick in? Thanks, in advance.

[NanaRenan 0]

Pam,

Tell me about your procedure to correct the "flipped" port. I went for my first fill last week and found that mine had flipped. Did you have general anesthesia again? That's the only part about this I really mind - hope I don't need to miss any more work than the day of the procedure. Did they fill you at the same time?

Thanks,

Lynne

Yes, it required general anesthesia. But he also relocated it. It was pretty near my belly button where I was already quite 'squishy' and have become moreso since losing 70+ lbs. He moved it more up over my ribcage where it could be sutured to firmer muscle. So there is some pain and swelling. Don't know how it would be just to flip it back and leave it in place. My steri-strips came off this morning. And I'm all good but a little itching -- oh and I got to hurting some after vacuuming this morning.

But yes, they did give me a fill at the same time. I'm really tight right now -- hoping it loosens up just a tad...it's imparing my Fluid intake greatly because I'm staying full for so long. If it hasn't improved in a week or two I might ask about a slight unfill.

[TheGh0st 9]

I may have posted this somewhere else on LBT before but this is my own completely NON MEDICAL, you get what you pay for it theory as to why some fills don't take for a few days.

I think that for some of us when the band is tightened it just temporarily squeezes or shifts the outer layer of tissue without actually changing the inner layer, so you don't feel any difference. Then over the next few days your stomach adjusts back to normal and the fill feels tighter. Similar to how a belt might not feel tight when you first put it on but in a few hours it starts to feel tighter and tighter. Its like the tissue initially moved out of the way to make room for the band but then slowly forces its way back to where it "belongs".

Take my crack pot theories for what they are worth and consider the source.

"I am not a doctor nor do I play one on LBT":wink:

fills.bmp

[Wheetsin 714]

Diane, that's almost as good as my "string around a hot dog" theory for erosion rates with different bands. I love it!