Is it true that some people are just more sensitive to the 'fill' volume than others?

[irishstorm831 0]

What I mean is this....is it true that some people can go up and down by 2 ccs here, or 3 ccs there with little to no reaction whereas some of us can only go up 1 cc at a time? I went for my second fill today. I was originally at 3 ccs in a 10cc band. When I had my first fill, I did notice that I could feel restriction when I swallowed the Water after the fill, but nothing uncomfortable and nothing to worry about. For my second fill today, he took me from 3 ccs to 5 ccs total. I immediately had an issue the second I swallowed. I took a small sip, swallowed and thought 'uh oh'. I waited, hoping it was just a glitch, took a second sip and wham, knew I was in serious trouble. I tried to breath, calmed down, stood up, walked around, and thought 'crap this is what it felt like when I got food stuck'. I finally gave up and summoned the nurse and one look at my face told my story. Just then, all my own saliva and the water I had sipped flew back out. UGH!!!!! So he removed 1 cc of the 2 ccs he'd put in and wow what a difference!!!

However, my girlfriend who had her surgery the same day and her fills the same time as mine, was able to handle THREE more ccs today (so she's at 6 ccs now) with NO issues whatsoever!!!!

What dictates this? Why did I react that way when she seems to have no issues??? Is it truly simply my body's way of reacting? I just feel as if I failed a little bit today I guess.:thumbup:

[kiz 1]

Don't feel like you failed...You most definitely did not!

Some have bigger stomachs, some carry more fat around the stomach, etc. There's many reasons why one person feels restriction faster than another, but none of it is due to failure.

I also think some people are more sensitive to banding than others, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're more sensitive based on your reaction today to your fill.

Anyway, that's my layman's answer.

Edited December 8, 2009 by kiz

[Jachut 487]

Its definitely true. I for one have a cast Iron stomach, I never vomit, even when everyone else around me is dying of food poisoning and i ate the same meal.

I knew going into this surgery I would not be a vomiter. I just had the feeling. I could easily have been wrong, I guess, but I wasnt. My stomach is just very very non sensitive. I can take fills and dont need to do liquids to mushies to solids, I have of course pb'd but I can eat again straight away, I dont swell or react to fills appreciably (other than getting a bit more restriction, which takes about a week to really kick in). I have 3cc in a 4cc band and am not tight and can eat bread etc. My doc made the point he chose the 9cm 4cc band for me becuase I had a smallish stomach and at a BMI of 36, not a lot of internal fat - I sat on most of my weight problem, lol.

I never got morning sickness either, lol.

Other people just cannot cope with the same sorts of treatment I can throw at my band. Its just the luck of the draw. Or, I call myself lucky but some people would be in despair at being able to eat bread, its all how you look at it.

[irishstorm831 0]

Those are very good points. I did lose 60 pounds on my own over the year prior to deciding to have the surgery. My girlfriend, the champ with the 6ccs in her band lol, she had quite a bit more to lose than I did. Perhaps that's all it is. Or maybe my body just can't take 'large adjustments' at one given time. I have heard of people that hit a certain point and simply could not take any more Fluid in their band. I also noticed that many people on our website here are increased in MUCH smaller increments. I'm at 4 ccs in a 10 cc band, 2 mos out of surgery, and I've seen some people take 6 fills to get that point. So I think I'll just do what I know works, and see what happens on January 4th at my next fill. Thanks to you both for answering!!!

[newdicarlo 0]

I think what some people have is a small esophagus, I know I do, and genetically so does my mother, grandmother and sisters. My grandmother died from choking.

My first fill was 4 cc and I had to get 2 taken out. Since then I've had fills of 1 cc and then .4 each time thereafter, but my last was .2. I think I have 4.4 cc now and I might need .2 more to get to my sweet spot. It's just that every body is different, and even at 275 my esophagus couldn't handle 4 cc's, as I've lost weight, I can handle more restriction.

[irishstorm831 0]

Another good point....re: esophagus. Hmmm, lots of things can affect this. I also wondered if people eat before going. I had been starved and had not taken any time to eat Breakfast or lunch yesterday so I ate a yogurt on the way to the appt. The first fill I had gone at least two hours without food to be sure my stomach was empty so I was thinking maybe that has something to do with it as well? I have a 10cc band, so I'm at 4 cc now. You are at 4.4cc...what size band do you have?

[newdicarlo 0]

To clarify, I always have my fills in the morning, first thing, and I try not to eat or drink anything before hand because I want my weight to reflect on the scale :thumbup:.

I have a 10 cc band.

[irishstorm831 0]

On a personal note...your weight loss reflects a tremendous commitment to using the band as the tool it was meant to be. Congratulations on that!

[newdicarlo 0]

Aww, thanks :thumbup::wub:

[Jachut 487]

I think body shape is important. Apples and pears makes a difference - I'm most definitely a pear and at a BMI of 36, I had a pretty large bum and thighs, and my arms were getting fat, boobs were big and droopy, yes, I had a tummy too. But I didnt have the large stomach that apple shaped people get and I didnt have the fat inside my abdomen either because my body was just not genetically and hormonally predisposed to carry it there. Hence my smaller band, and my ability to take more fill - less fat around my stomach.

personal theory only - but make sense to me.

[kiz 1]

I think body shape is important. Apples and pears makes a difference - I'm most definitely a pear and at a BMI of 36, I had a pretty large bum and thighs, and my arms were getting fat, boobs were big and droopy, yes, I had a tummy too. But I didnt have the large stomach that apple shaped people get and I didnt have the fat inside my abdomen either because my body was just not genetically and hormonally predisposed to carry it there. Hence my smaller band, and my ability to take more fill - less fat around my stomach.

personal theory only - but make sense to me.

I share belief in that theory with you, Jachut. I carry the majority of me weight in my hips and thighs, not that I didn't have weight to lose around my middle, but body shape wise, I'm a pear. I even had this conversation awhile ago with a friend who was banded around the same time as I was and had approx the same amount of weight to lose. She is more an apple shape, and she got good restriction a few cc less than me with the same size band. I'm sure there are plenty of exceptions, but it makes sense to me that body shape would play a role.

Edited December 8, 2009 by kiz

[msampson 0]

i had no prblems with my first 4th fills went for the 5th one and could not do it they had to take it out. So it depends on the person.

[crzytchr 3]

What I mean is this....is it true that some people can go up and down by 2 ccs here, or 3 ccs there with little to no reaction whereas some of us can only go up 1 cc at a time? I went for my second fill today. I was originally at 3 ccs in a 10cc band. When I had my first fill, I did notice that I could feel restriction when I swallowed the Water after the fill, but nothing uncomfortable and nothing to worry about. For my second fill today, he took me from 3 ccs to 5 ccs total. I immediately had an issue the second I swallowed. I took a small sip, swallowed and thought 'uh oh'. I waited, hoping it was just a glitch, took a second sip and wham, knew I was in serious trouble. I tried to breath, calmed down, stood up, walked around, and thought 'crap this is what it felt like when I got food stuck'. I finally gave up and summoned the nurse and one look at my face told my story. Just then, all my own saliva and the Water I had sipped flew back out. UGH!!!!! So he removed 1 cc of the 2 ccs he'd put in and wow what a difference!!!

However, my girlfriend who had her surgery the same day and her fills the same time as mine, was able to handle THREE more ccs today (so she's at 6 ccs now) with NO issues whatsoever!!!!

What dictates this? Why did I react that way when she seems to have no issues??? Is it truly simply my body's way of reacting? I just feel as if I failed a little bit today I guess.:thumbup:

People are just different. My friend was banded 2 weeks before me by the same surgeon. She has had numerous fills and unfills (now at 8ccs), while I have only had 2 small fills, each only 1cc. She even kept her entire fill during her pregnancy and is going in on Thursday for another! My stomach is just sensitive. I get a little tighter if I have any stress at all and then have to be careful when I eat. I do, however, think I am ready for a very small fill now.