Completely Unfilled

[JosieK 120]

hi

i was completely unfilled today. i've been having issues eating sitting down since i was banded. it's pretty weird when i go out to dinner...i have to walk around to eat.

while i was losing weight i could deal with this....to do this the rest of my life seems a bit much.

i've considered the sleeve...but that is so new and i would like more long term success on that surgery.

last time i went to my doctor to explain this issue....he was a little flip with me. he said he never heard of this issue before.

so this time i asked to see his nurse. she was the one who figured out that i had pneumonia early on.

i guess my doctor was curious why i asked for her and not him so he came in instead and was soooooo helpful. (i actually love my doctor...he is really very good)

so we agreed to completely unfill to see if i can eat more easily. he feels i may be able to stay unfilled and maintain my weight. if i cant and i start gaining...i will go back and get filled under fluro.

i had my first meal sitting down tonight and it put me in such a good mood. i had chicken which i haven't been able to eat since being banded.

i really would like to keep the band and not undergo another surgery...

i still love my band and the life i've gotten back since losing weight. i was a prisoner in my own body.

josie

Edited August 12, 2009 by josiebies

[Mimilou2004 13]

Josie, I am so glad you are feeling better!!!! Sometimes doc's pee me off, but I am glad yours finally listened to you. Good luck with the unfill and enjoying your food again!!!!

Mimi

[luluc 6]

so we agreed to completely unfill to see if i can eat more easily. he feels i may be able to stay unfilled and maintain my weight. if i cant and i start gaining...i will go back and get filled under fluro.

hi josie - i'm in about the same boat, but w/very little fill (1.5ccs). i had a chest infection and w/all the coughing just inflamed in/around the band which made it impossible to eat.

DH said to me the other day - you are just giddy & it's because i can EAT again w/out issue.....talk about being in a good mood!

i go back on the 24th to make sure all is well & maybe get a fill - cause my appetite has returned and it's a chore managing my original issue in needing the band - Portion Control.< /p>

i'm allowing lunch time to be my "main meal of the day" fish & veggies - as much as i want; the rest of the day i'm checking myself.

enjoy your meals & i hope you and your band heal w/out needing another surgery!!!!

[JosieK 120]

hi luluc,

thanks for sharing your story. i actually had my first salad in 2 1/2 years tonight. it was soooo good. it was a simple caesar and i kept say "this is so good, this is so good..." my fiancee' was laughing at me....

he saw me eat a meal for the first time without getting that "deer in headlights" look i would get when i wanted to PB or slime. or having to walk around the restaurant to let the food go down

like you i am in such a good mood.

my doctor wants me to try to maintain my weight without a fill. i am really going to try. the funny thing is...so far my craving for sweets has gone away. it may be temporary but for now...i'll take it.

he thought maybe my cravings were related to not being able to eat food.< /p>

anyway....thanks again for your story

and good luck too...

josie

[GlenSand 1]

I seem to have this same problem. I have to eat super slow if I want to get any portions down at all. I eat better standing up, but when I try to eat out, or sit down for dinner, I always end up losing it!

Did you endure this for 2 and a half years? I really like my weight loss, but it kinda sucks. I was thinking of getting a slight unfil. Did either of you ladies try that? I want to keep losing but I sure miss eating out with my hubby and friends.

(sometimes at home, I will take a bite and spit it out, just so I can eat more.) (shhh, don't tell anyone.) It makes me feel horrible, but I just can't eat otherwise. What do you think I should do?

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

hi

i was completely unfilled today. i've been having issues eating sitting down since i was banded. it's pretty weird when i go out to dinner...i have to walk around to eat.

while i was losing weight i could deal with this....to do this the rest of my life seems a bit much.

i've considered the sleeve...but that is so new and i would like more long term success on that surgery.

last time i went to my doctor to explain this issue....he was a little flip with me. he said he never heard of this issue before.

so this time i asked to see his nurse. she was the one who figured out that i had pneumonia early on.

i guess my doctor was curious why i asked for her and not him so he came in instead and was soooooo helpful. (i actually love my doctor...he is really very good)

so we agreed to completely unfill to see if i can eat more easily. he feels i may be able to stay unfilled and maintain my weight. if i cant and i start gaining...i will go back and get filled under fluro.

i had my first meal sitting down tonight and it put me in such a good mood. i had chicken which i haven't been able to eat since being banded.

i really would like to keep the band and not undergo another surgery...

i still love my band and the life i've gotten back since losing weight. i was a prisoner in my own body.

josie

When I was banded I had to eat standing up as well. Then I had to go walking because I'd get stuck every single time. Even on Protein shakes.

I relate to what you guys are going through.

[luluc 6]

I was thinking of getting a slight unfil. Did either of you ladies try that? I want to keep losing but I sure miss eating out with my hubby and friends.

(sometimes at home, I will take a bite and spit it out, just so I can eat more.) (shhh, don't tell anyone.) It makes me feel horrible, but I just can't eat otherwise. What do you think I should do?

i would say, get an unfill.

eating wasn't really a problem till i got sick - then it followed up w/reflux. had 2 unfills w/in a wks time and it was amazing how fast the symptoms went away.

i am "practicing" what i learned in about 2yrs w/portion control - but my appetite did return & a few lbs.....but i'm OK for the moment.

trying to get more gym time in and push the plate away when i KNOW better not to eat more.

have a checkup monday - would love to be able to ease back up some, nothing greedy ... just some assistance:)

[GlenSand 1]

i would say, get an unfill.

eating wasn't really a problem till i got sick - then it followed up w/reflux. had 2 unfills w/in a wks time and it was amazing how fast the symptoms went away.

have a checkup monday - would love to be able to ease back up some, nothing greedy ... just some assistance:)

Thanks Luluc,

I have already made an apt. for Monday. I will talk to the Doc about it and then we'll decide the best course of action. I have decided not to go it alone anymore. I keep trying to give it time, but it's been over a month now.

Thanks for your advice and Keep me posted on how your doc visit goes.

[GlenSand 1]

Hi everyone,

I went to the doctor today and got .5cc taken out! Doc says I may just need that small amount taken out to be able to eat better. "Let's see how it goes for a week and we can take more out if we need to."

Today I still feel swollen as he took all Fluid out then put it all back in minus the .5cc. He said to stay on liquids today, and I am. I can tell though that things will be better now. I am passing my liquids better and I feel a little tinge of hunger. That is a good sign.

He was glad to hear about the online supporters urging people to go see their doctors when they feel too tight. Kuddos to all you all. He was also VERY happy about my weight loss, and was very encouraging. (I'm happy about it too!)

Luluc, let us know how your Dr. visit went.

[luluc 6]

Luluc, let us know how your Dr. visit went.

oh glen - i hope the small unfill you had today is all you need:) your dr sounds like a gem.

i did see my surgeon today, and my barium showed all was OK .. all swelling gone, so he was good to give me a small fill.

he thought about it for a bit because i lost 3lbs under my unfill - but i had to explain that, that was due to many hrs in the gym to counter how much i was eating.

he smiled and said to try this small fill out & ease back into a normal fill level. i noticed at lunch that i was satisfied w/half of what i had been eating. fingers crossed that stays the same, i have shin splints that need a rest:tongue:

[JosieK 120]

hi glensand,

glad you were slightly unfilled. hope things are going better.

i have dealt with this for the past 2 1/2 years. i dont recommend this....in hindsight i was too tight. i just thought this was how it was to be.

since being unfilled....my problem of not being able to eat sitting down has gone away.

i just have to exercise more restraint then before. i'm struggling a bit but i think i can get it together. i love my new life and definitely dont want to go back to where i started.

good luck in your journey

hey luluc,

you and i seem to be in a very similar place. i do feel like you that this is doable now....

josie

[GlenSand 1]

hi glensand,

glad you were slightly unfilled. hope things are going better.

*snip*

i just have to exercise more restraint then before. i'm struggling a bit but i think i can get it together. i love my new life and definitely dont want to go back to where i started.

*snip*

josie

Josie,

thanks for replying! I am feeling so much better. I was too tight and now I'm perfect! Every Wed. we go out to dinner. Yesterday was great! I was able to eat a cup of Soup and a small salad with no need to run to the potty! Before taking out .5cc, I could not even have 3 bites of Soup w/o needing to slime.

So, yeah, I need to use will power again, like at first. I need to make good choices and stick to them! While I was too tight I ate a lot of slider foods... Now I need to get back into the habit of eating high Protein, good for me foods. I went 2 months being too tight, It will be harder for you being that way for 2 years! I wish you good luck and success!:blushing:

[JosieK 120]

hi glen sand,

i'm glad you are feeling better. our bodies definitely need real food and not just supplements (shakes, etc)

i didnt realize how much i missed eating till i started to eat again. (this sounds ridiculous right?) in fact one good thing came out of this....

i used to like Snacks better then good food. i realized now i like good food better. i craved lettuce in the worst way.

now i just have to get the "bad habit" of snacking under control.

i just found a weight watcher thread on LBT. this gave me the idea to rejoin WW just to refocus my eating. i also just updated my ticker. in the last 10 days i gained 9 lbs. this will be the first step in getting honest with myself.

keep us posted on how you are making out and i will do the same.

josie

[GlenSand 1]

hi glen sand,

i'm glad you are feeling better. our bodies definitely need real food and not just supplements (shakes, etc)

i didnt realize how much i missed eating till i started to eat again. (this sounds ridiculous right?) in fact one good thing came out of this....

i used to like Snacks better then good food. i realized now i like good food better. i craved lettuce in the worst way.

now i just have to get the "bad habit" of snacking under control.

i just found a weight watcher thread on LBT. this gave me the idea to rejoin WW just to refocus my eating. i also just updated my ticker. in the last 10 days i gained 9 lbs. this will be the first step in getting honest with myself.

keep us posted on how you are making out and i will do the same.

josie

Josie,

I'm reaching out to you cause I am in trouble. I got a complete unfill 3 weeks ago and have gained 20 lbs!!!!!

I think that most of it is because before my unfill I was completely empty ((my guts- I hadn't eaten for about 2 months). Now I feel backed up.

Also when you can't eat for that long, then suddenly you can eat anything you want...you go crazy! I am not saying I eat like before I was banded, just more. I am making very bad choices and have no willpower!

I am going in for a fill today, I know my doc will go cautiously... but I want to be like I was before. Too tight! It was what stopped me from eating.

I was wondering how you and Luluc were doing? I am really needing help with this and you two were in the same boat as me. Sorry I havn't posted in a while, but my ticker is wrong. I refuse to change it to put weight back on!!!

Hope all is well,

Glenda