2nd fill, was it too much? advice plz!

[JustJoe 0]

Hello all!

I am just over a month outside of surgery. I have been recovering very nicely with no setbacks at all!

My doctor placed 4.5cc in my band when he inserted it, Then I got my first official fill at my two week checkup. 2.4cc more went at that time, so i'm up to 6.9cc. I still felt zero restriction, I was able to eat well over a cup of food at a time with zero problems at all. My weight loss had all but stopped as well.

So i went in for my month checkup last Thursday and got another 2cc of Fluid into my 14cc band, bringing total to 8.9cc.

Now.. since that fill.. I've had no problems eating softies, drinking liquids etc.. I DEFINITELY can feel more restriction. But I also notice when I lay down to sleep at night, and only then.. I get horrible gas pressure in my stomach! I can usually shift around, roll to one side or the other and it relieves it temporarily. But it usually comes back.

I don't have problems during the day, I've eaten only limited solids since the surgery (1/3 of a chicken breast, a couple Protein bars, some wheat thin crackers..) without any problems.

So.. What im asking is.. is this normal? is this just an "adjustment phase" where my body and stomach are adjusting to the new tightness and restriction imposed by my band?

or is it possible The nurse and I overdid it and I have too much Fluid in my band?

Thanks for reading, any input is greatly appreciated!!

[RestlessMonkey 7]

I don't know what to tell you. Firstly, that is KILLER aggressive, to be so filled so soon post op. Good grief by now you should just be moving into solids. Your body needed (needs) a chance to heal, for goodness sake. The initial period post op isn't really a "smart" time to try to lose.

Personally (and this is personal, not medical) yes I think you are WAY too tight. You need to be able to eat Protein like chicken, beef, fish, turkey. The point of the band isn't to live on "softies". What kind of life is that? You need a variety in your diet.

I think you need to talk to your surgeon and have an appt (or another one) with the nutritionist. This is lap band, not bypass. You don't have to lose 100 pounds in 3 months to be successful and while you don't have to be as ultra conservative with the fills as, say, my doc is, I think what has been done to you is imprudent.

Get some removed, focus on learning how to eat (chew well, no drinking with meals, whatever "rules" you're given) and in a few weeks or a month add in if you find you are not losing 1-2 pounds a week.

Give your body and yourself a break! No wonder you feel cruddy at night! :biggrin:

[JustJoe 0]

yup.. i moved to solid 2 days before my second fill.

I asked them about it and they said their "rule of thumb" was if i could eat more than a cup of food at a time and only felt full for 1-2 hours (both were true) then a fill was needed.

That's why they did the second fill, and at the time I didn't mind one bit as I was tired of my stomach growling at me! lol.

They said everyone was different and people heal faster than others and are ready to move on faster than others. They basically said I was in that "fast track" sorta lane where my body was adjusting alot easier than some of their patients and was ready for the second fill.

I just not sure if Im adjusting, or if they put a bit too much in is all. (as to why my body sending me weird messages now)

[RestlessMonkey 7]

You know yourself best. And I'm sure you are healing quickly but...if you are having the issues you describe something is wrong. Hopefully your doc can help you figure it out.

[JustJoe 0]

I'll definitely be giving them a call monday to see what they say!

Just trying to figure out if i have cause to be alarmed :biggrin:

thank you very much for the input monkey!

[RestlessMonkey 7]

I don't think you need to be alarmed, but I think you're smart to ask. For all I know they'll just tell you to take gas x or something like it; we do, most of us, seem to generate more gas with the band (I'm sure it has to do with the new configuration) and your tightening happening so quickly just probably hasn't given your reconfigured digestive tract a chance to adapt.

If you think of it, will you let me know what they say?

[greytz 4]

I was banded on 06-17 and I have 4.6cc's right now with one fill. At first, I felt like I could eat anything but now that I have had a fill for awhile, I am feeling the restriction better. I still have days when I seem to be more restricted than others. I figure it maybe because of what I eat is making me full faster and longer. I agree with Restless that it does seem to be really aggresive. I have decided I am actually glad my surgeon is going more slowly and I have time to recover from each event. It has made it much better for me.

[JustJoe 0]

I was without net for a bit, so was unable to update this as had been requested, sorry!

I called my doc and they told me to wait a few days, and sure enough the gas pain/reflux vanished.

I went in today for my 6 week checkup.. and they put another 1cc in the band. They were going to go for 2.. but changed their mind last minute as they think i might be close to just right.

so.. sitting at 9.9cc in a 14cc; 43 days postop.

scale hasn't budget, but they said I have lost some of the fat weight (dropped about 6 lbs of fat), and am now retaining Water for some reason. (joy) They said I am holding onto an excess 25lbs of Water weight at the moment. I haven't been eating high sodium foods, so they want to see if it will go down by next visit, if not then possibly some water pills they said.