The search for the missing fill!

kimalicious · May 3, 2005

Ok, I have been unable to post recently since I took a new position at work and my boss sits right behind me and has really cut into my web surfing time. Anyways. I am 6 months out from my surgery and have had 3 fills and all 3 fills end the same way. I now feel like it is gone back to pre-fill restriction. I haven't even really lost much weight since my last fill so it couldn't be getting loose from the fat loss around the stomach. I have a theory and any one can tell me if I am sadly mistaken about this. When I mess up and drink a coke or overeat to the point of pain I feel that the liquid is forced out of the band around the stomach and pushed back into the tubing of the port, which I also thinks causes our differences from day to day in restriction. Am I crazy or do you think this could be what is happening?? I pushed the Fluid back into the tubing and it is sitting there instead of the band?? Please let me know if this has been talked about before or if I am just crazy and stretching my pouch causing no restriction when I have had 3 fills??

Thanks, Kim

PS. I have so missed YA'LL!!!

Monica · May 3, 2005

Kim,

I'm not sure about your theory, but it does make some sense! I'm going for my second fill on Sat. so I'll have to ask the Dr. about that! I noticed that you're filled at 1.9cc's. I am at 1.6cc's (that was my first fill) and I was only restricted for a few days. Now I can eat anything and have actually gained 2 pounds!!!! Yikes, I'm ready for that mysterious sweet spot or at least that epiphany where I go "this is how this thing works!!" Ill let you know how it is when I get my second fill......

Monica

laraestokes · May 3, 2005

Just a thought-Is your doc hitting your port? My DH has had supposely 4 fills, the last one they did under fluro-to find the doc has never hit the port! Just a thought?

kimalicious · May 3, 2005

Yes, they do it under flouro and I can see it.. I felt restriction for the first two to 3 weeks, but after that always nothing...Monica, let me know what you hear from your doc. I've told myself I have to lose 60 pounds before I get another fill. So I am working on tht until then.

Thanks, Kim

kimalicious · May 14, 2005

I am bumping this to see if anyone had answers or input for these questions...

Thanks Y'all!

Marimaru · May 17, 2005

Your post is a few days old, but it's been a while since I was hear.

I've heard about people having restriction for a few weeks after a fill and then it going down. Why do you have to lose 60 lbs before you go get another fill? The point of the fill is to help you lose weight faster right? I've read about people who've had this problem and then on their 4 or 5 fill fill or so it 'sticks'. I'm sure that it's possible that Fluid goes up into the tubing, but I can't imagine that all of it would. It can only hold so much. Your stomach could get used to the restriction, or you lose enough weight that the fat around your stomach is smaller so it's not so tight. You could always call your doc and see what he thinks, no charge for phone calls right?

May 17, 2005

I've told myself I have to lose 60 pounds before I get another fill.

Dude...why do that to yourself? It so ain't worth it! You didn't get the band so that you could lose weight on your own, did you?

Fills aren't magic and doctors can't fill you perfectly on the first shot. It can take 3-5 fills to get you to the right level.

If you only feel restriction for the first 2-3 weeks, you're most likely just experiencing swelling from the fill -- not true restriction yet.

It doesn't matter how much of a fill worked for other people -- you have to find what works for you. Who cares if I am restricted at 2 CCs? It might take you 2.5 CCs to feel a difference.

When I mess up and drink a coke or overeat to the point of pain I feel that the liquid is forced out of the band around the stomach and pushed back into the tubing of the port, which I also thinks causes our differences from day to day in restriction. Am I crazy or do you think this could be what is happening??

I think you're crazy. The tubing does hold some liquid, but only so much. It's not like the doctor tells the tubing to not hold the liquid - send it to the band. The saline does sit in the tubing as well, but it's not like it budges. That's why a 1 CC is rarely enough for people -- the 1 CC fill will fill the tubing and some of the inner band. With the larger band, it can take up to 4 CCs to "prime" the band.

The band doesn't adjust to how much you've eaten -- your pouch adjusts. Your band can't be smaller or bigger depending on what you've put into your body. The stomach will try to accomdate what you've put in. If it can't, it goes up - that's why we PB.

How much can you eat? You need a fill if you can eat more than 2-3 ounces of Protein and 1/4-1/2 cup of veggies and not feel full (not hungry). If you eat that and only feel full for 1-2 hours, then it's also time for a fill. It's NOT time for a fill if you can drink all the diet coke you want. liquids aren't affected by the band.

which I also thinks causes our differences from day to day in restriction.

No. What causes differences in our restriction is SO many variables:

--are we retaining Water (maybe cause we're not taking our blood pressure meds if on them, maybe our period is about to start)

--if we overate recently

--is there still some food in the pouch

--have we PBed lately causing the stomach to be irritated

--if we haven't had solids in a while, I believe the stomach muscle itself will shrink a little

--even the atmosphere can change our restriction.

--are we getting in enough Water to be hydrated (NOTE: caffiene will rob your body of the water we do get in, so for every diet coke you drink, you should drink an additional glass of water).

Changes in restriction are not caused by the saline moving to the tubing of the port instead of the band.

jayme

kimalicious · May 19, 2005

I was hoping to do some of the work myself before getting another fill. Last time I went in they gave me a 0.1 fill and I felt like it was a waste of my time to go do that again until I lose some weight around my stomach. I 've got a lot further to go and don't want to max out on fills if I am not following all of the band rules anyways. My restriction seems to have leveled out and I even PBed the other night since I have been so used to eating what I want and it not affecting my band whatsoever. Brisket will get me every time! Anyways, I am back on the losing side of this and hopefully can stick by the 16 more pounds to get to -60 on my own and then will reward myself with a fill.

Thanks, Kim