the story of my unfill

[lindata 1]

Hello everyone. I've a story to share so that you don't need to go through what I did. My last fill was in May. It didn't start to tighten up until a month after that though. I think I had irritated it (maybe not chewing enough, eating too much ... who knows?). Anyway, I ended up PBing up whatever I had. Now, my stomach doesn't just PB, it keeps on puking, just goes on and on until I get acidic stomach contents as well. So then I'd go on liquids for a few days, start eating again, then get stuck again. The cycle continued 3-4 times.

Then I got really inflamed a few days ago (I think a combo of my period and being a little sick and eating the wrong thing). I spent all of Thursday night in a chair with a spit cup and kept puking up all night long. Friday I went early, my doc was on holidays, the nurse couldn't get into the port. But she helped me get to another doctor who does lapbands and thank God he got 1.5 cc's out of me. I was able to drink water! Hurrah!! Water has never tasted so good.

The nurse said if I couldn't wait until Monday to get an unfill (when my doc would be back from holidays), I'd have to go to emergency which would be thousands of dollars for me to pay! Yikes! Thank goodness we found a doctor who was very, very wonderful and nice to do it for me.

I guess my point is I knew I should have probably got a bit of an unfill a long time ago, but I was having great weight loss and was a bit lazy and didn't want to pay the money, so I didn't want to go to get an unfill. Also I thought if I lose more weight I wouldn't need an unfill. So if you feel just a tad too tight, please don't wait until you're really suffering like me. It was such a scary experience, not being able to swallow, puking up everything, and it's so hot out I thought I was going to dehydrate into a prune.

[hollyberries 2]

Hello everyone. I've a story to share so that you don't need to go through what I did. My last fill was in May. It didn't start to tighten up until a month after that though. I think I had irritated it (maybe not chewing enough, eating too much ... who knows?). Anyway, I ended up PBing up whatever I had. Now, my stomach doesn't just PB, it keeps on puking, just goes on and on until I get acidic stomach contents as well. So then I'd go on liquids for a few days, start eating again, then get stuck again. The cycle continued 3-4 times.

Then I got really inflamed a few days ago (I think a combo of my period and being a little sick and eating the wrong thing). I spent all of Thursday night in a chair with a spit cup and kept puking up all night long. Friday I went early, my doc was on holidays, the nurse couldn't get into the port. But she helped me get to another doctor who does lapbands and thank God he got 1.5 cc's out of me. I was able to drink water! Hurrah!! Water has never tasted so good.

The nurse said if I couldn't wait until Monday to get an unfill (when my doc would be back from holidays), I'd have to go to emergency which would be thousands of dollars for me to pay! Yikes! Thank goodness we found a doctor who was very, very wonderful and nice to do it for me.

I guess my point is I knew I should have probably got a bit of an unfill a long time ago, but I was having great weight loss and was a bit lazy and didn't want to pay the money, so I didn't want to go to get an unfill. Also I thought if I lose more weight I wouldn't need an unfill. So if you feel just a tad too tight, please don't wait until you're really suffering like me. It was such a scary experience, not being able to swallow, puking up everything, and it's so hot out I thought I was going to dehydrate into a prune.

Linda

So sorry you have gone through all that. I thank you for informing me. I too have not had a fill since May. I have been somewhat tight and have good days and bad days. I definately am tighter in the morning so I have found that I don't try to eat in the morning. Sometimes I have issues at dinner time but I never know when I am going to PB. I can go a whole week without issues and then have days in a row. I went to see my doctor a few weeks ago and we both agreed that I didn't need a fill or unfill. However, I wish it wasn't so finnicky.

Hope you are feeling much better!

Cindy

[Sades 4]

Hey Linda, sorry to hear about what you've just been through. It must be hard having to pay so much to get fills etc. My fills are prepaid for a year as part of the surgery. I paid $5000 out of my pocket and that covers fills etc for 12 months. That of course makes it easier to go back for fills or unfills depending on what your situation is.

Glad to hear that you can drink again and I hope you can find that balance where you can eat and still lose weight.

[mstrina27 0]

How many cc's did u have in your band and how many cc's can your band hold... and thanks for the info....

[cindyg1212 0]

Wow, Linda! What an awful experience!! I just got a fill a few days ago and am pretty tight. I'm really hoping I can handle it cause I stopped losing. So sorry for what you went through. You must have been really upset when the nurse couldn't find your port and the doc was away. Thank God they found another doctor! Aren't the nurses trained to do fills? My surgeon never does them. He has 3 nurse practioners for that. I'm still on liquids and struggling a bit to swallow but it does go down. I won't wait if I run into a big problem. Thanks for the warning!

[Momto1plus1 0]

Linda,

My son had the same thing happen to him about two weeks ago. He was really starting to get dehydrated. I was afraid that they were going to put him in the hopital. Thankfully they were able to do an unfill and he's doing better. He's schuduled for a refill this week.

I have heard that if you can take benedryl that will help with the swelling. Don't know if that is true or not.

[lindata 1]

Thanks everyone for your well wishes!

Cindy - I was tight in the morning too. I usually didn't eat anything for Breakfast. I should have been a bit more careful than I was though. I just aggravated it too much. You have always sounded very careful, so I know you won't have the same problem I had.

Sades - I wish I had found a doc like that. There is actually one here that does free fills for 1.5 years after. Shoot! Well, I can't look back now. That's part of the reason I waited so long with my problem, because I didn't want to pay for an unfill. I think my doc should maybe reconsider his policy because I think a lot of people feel this way - don't go in for an unfill because you'll have to pay. That's a little dangerous I think.

Mstrina - hmm, I think mine's a 10 cc, I had 4.5, got 1.5 taken out

Cindy - I should have stayed on liquids a bit longer. I think I pushed it a bit too much. If you're careful you should be okay. No, the nurse never does it and she had a hard time - but the doc we found also had a hard time finding it too - there was a lot of poking around going on. So I can't blame her. She did her best and was absolutely wonderful to me. She is a very busy nurse and sat and waited with me for probably an hour in this other doc's office. I'm just grateful all around for the people who helped me! I had the shakes afterward, it was such a traumatic experience.

Momto1- I was thinking of taking something like an antihistamine. I should have tried it when I was still in my early stages of just having an aggravated tummy instead of when it was too late and I couldn't swallow at all. I'm going to need to get a fill soon too because boy oh boy I am enjoying this unfill a little too much if you get my meaning.

I've also heard to take, if you're puking from the flu or something, an anti-nausea pill up the butt - sorry, I can't remember the term!! What are those things called again when you take them that way? doh! I've never done that, but I've heard it really helps because you can't swallow things, and swallowing just aggravates things more, but if you "take a pill up the butt" (sorry, that sounds so gross!!!) then it will stop your nausea and help you sleep so you're not aggravating your band. Unfortunately I didn't have any of these and I don't think it would have helped anyway since it wasn't due to illness that I was puking.

[JamieNP 20]

LOL..rectally...

[Jachut 487]

Makes me glad I had a small unfill recently.

My fill tightened considerably after about a month too. I just found I wasnt enjoying anything I ate, it was all hard work and somewhat uncomfortable, although I didnt have sliming or Pbing. But I went away with some friends and I realised just how little I was eating compared to a normal person. I lost no weight either, eating nothing doesnt tend to make you lose int he shorter term does it?

Anyway, I realised I dont need that at this stage of the game as I'm already a healthy weight. So I had .2ml taken out again and I'm MUCH happier and no heavier, in fact I've lost a little.

Its so hard for you guys. I paid a $3,000 out of pocket fee to my doctor and my fills and follow up care are free forever. Well, they're bulk billed to Medicare but I pay absolutely nothing. That's more standard in Australia.

[lindata 1]

LOL..rectally...

Thank you! Rectally!!! hahaha:wub::teeth_smile::wub::thumbup:

[cindyg1212 0]

Thanks everyone for your well wishes!

I've also heard to take, if you're puking from the flu or something, an anti-nausea pill up the butt - sorry, I can't remember the term!! What are those things called again when you take them that way? doh! I've never done that, but I've heard it really helps because you can't swallow things, and swallowing just aggravates things more, but if you "take a pill up the butt" (sorry, that sounds so gross!!!) then it will stop your nausea and help you sleep so you're not aggravating your band. Unfortunately I didn't have any of these and I don't think it would have helped anyway since it wasn't due to illness that I was puking.

Actually the pill you take rectally is called a suppository.

The doc gave me a prescription for them right after the surgery in case I was nauseas afterwards. It's good to have them on hand in case you get a stomach bug.

[JamieNP 20]

"Phenergan suppository"

[Momto1plus1 0]

Right after I got my band I got some type of pukey virus. I called my doctor had got some liquid phenegran. Boy, is that stuff good. Of course, it knocks you out, but that's okay. LOL

I got a pill stuck yesterday. Boy, talk about miserable. This is a new med, but it's a capusule. I've had problems with them two times. I'm going to call the pharmacy and see if they can give me something different.

[lindata 1]

Suppository!!! That's it! doh!

[Skinny_Jill 36]

Linda,

That is awful. I'm so sorry you had to suffer like that. Thanks for sharing your story. I got a fill 4 weeks ago today. It was tight for a couple of days and then went down. It started getting tighter a few days ago which I thought was due to stress. I will watch it carefully and make sure it isn't too tight.