Fill... why not all at once?

[cyndimj 0]

I will be getting banded on Nov. 19th (so excited!!!:w00t:). I was wondering why we don't get filled all at once. Bypass patients are not given a choice of the size of their pouch, it's all or nothing. Don't get me wrong I'm glad to have the choice to find the right size pouch for me but, I was just wondering?

Edited October 29, 2008 by cyndimj

[mzreeda 1]

you can . when i had my fill (in a 4cc band) i got a 3cc then went back the next week and got another 1cc thats the max. i know me i know what i can do to food...lol and i have been ok with it so i guess it depends on your doctor

[MrsMAJL 0]

Congrats on getting banded! Fills are not an exact science and everyone is different in how they react to a fill. I currently have 8.4ccs in my 10cc band and have pretty good restriction, others that I know with a 10cc band have a lot less and are getting great restriction as well. Fills are sometimes a constant adjustment and everyone has a different "sweet spot".

[kimmyv 0]

Congrats on getting your surgery date and the journey to be banded!! It really is very exciting!

The beauty of the band is that it can be tweaked for each person. We each are different in what we can eat (or cant') , our digestion and our overall anatomy-- That is why it is so great that the band can be tailored to all of this. Also-- the more you read on here the more you will see how, while we all have things in common, each of us has different experiences with what, how, and when we eat.

It's not the pouch size-- it is the restriction and how fast the food is digested and moves thru to your stomach that is different. All of us have the same little pouch (aka stoma)-- but because each of our anatomies etc are different we all take different levels of fluid/restriction in our band.

I know, for me, the thing that I really liked about the band was that it is customized for ME. Not a one size fits all type of thing. And I also still actually digest the food and the nutrients--it just helps me control hunger and portion. It is not a "re-piping" of my whole system but a part of my body that just helps it work better.

Hope that helps a bit......

[TerriDoodle 6]

mzreeda - I've never heard of that!! Wow!

I'm a big believer in slow=good. Each time I've had a fill (never more than 1.5cc, which was my first one) my restriction got progressively tighter over the next two weeks. My smallest fill was 0.2cc (yes, 0.2) and it made the difference between being too loose and too tight! I had to go back for an unfill!

Being too tight is so miserable and can be very dangerous if you're not able to at least get fluids in (just ask Kat817!) ....proceeding with caution is very prudent.

[Emilie1 3]

I was banded on Oct 13th and have been thinking the same thing lately. I actually was thinking why don't they fill the band up and then slowly remove it till I can pass a swallow test or something. It just seems that we might reach our "sweet spot" quicker that way. Oh well just a thought.

[TerriDoodle 6]

Emilie - I suppose that's a possibility, but I wouldn't want to do it that way. My esophagus goes into little spasms on just a 0.5 cc fill.....I can't even imagine what would happen on a 3cc fill! Yikes!

[cyndimj 0]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Emilie I never thought of youridea about filling it up and then slowly letting it out. That sounds like a cool idea too. :w00t:

[Laurinda 1]

I too have had fills as small as 0.2 and it made a HUGE difference to "tweak" me, Funny thing is I too had to have an unfill after that because of being to tight.

I could NOT imagine getting large fills, small ones seem to do me just fine and I FEEL everyone. I can tell I am tighter and for me I get tighter in the couple weeks that follow.

The idea of getting "stuck" or pb'ing does not appeal to me (Once is enough thank you very much)

[snowbird 2]

I've been banded for over a year and only have 1.9 cc in my 4 cc band. I could not tolerate any more, and was actually too tight for several months. My husband, on the other hand, took 5 fills in his 10 cc band before he had any restriction. My daughter, who has a 4 cc band, has had at least 7 fills, trying to find just the right amount of restriction. Her boyfriend has had NO fills and has lost 165 lb with his band.

No one knows how you will react to the band or the amount of your fill. It may take a whole lot of fine tuning, or it may not. Overfilling to start with can be dangerous and harmful, so most doctors go fairly slowly until the right level for you is reached.

[lessme 0]

Wow Snowbird, I loved hearing about the whole families vastly different experiences with the band. It just shows how drastically different peoples anatomys are. What did you mean you were too tight for 2 months. I haven't been able to eat solids for 2 weeks since my last fill. I can still drink Water, Soup, Protein Shakes and coffee so I haven't gone in for an unfill. Could you still drink during those 2 months? Did you feel sick? I'm just curious to see if your situation was like mine.

[heartfire 4]

For me, filling up too fast would make me sick! My first (last) fill was 1.5 to the 1.5 already in there from surgery (10cc band) and I swelled up with it. I barely consumed anything for almost a day and half til I felt better and finally had dinner 2 nights later. I go again on Tuesday for my 2nd fill and I know what to do now to help myself. Doc recommends full food after his fills but I just can't do it.