parisshel

@Bandista: I think you win the most creative solution to being stuck prize! (Hanging from a beam!)

Depends. If it is something that will break down on it's own, you could wait it out. if it's something more solid (like a hunk of meat), you might want to get a bit of unfill to let it go down and give you some relief. What did you eat?

If you don't want questions, wear a one piece.

If you want to wear a two-piece and someone asks, tell them you had your gallbladder taken out.

Now THIS is what we talk about when we talk about Successful Bandsters! Congratulations, and enjoy your new self!

Ibuprophen should make you tighter, not less-tight. NSAIDs are on the lapband "no no" list because they cause stomach swelling and irritation (and eventually ulcers, but that is over the longterm).

Keep an eye on your restriction now, because it could become worse with use of the ibuprophen. I took a few Advils for back pain in February and ended up with an emergency unfill which lasted three months. The Advil caused my stoma to close completely.

Well done, Leepers! You look fit and happy! Thank you for all the support and inspiration you provide us with on this site!

Here's my latest "truth" as it relates to band restriction (and calories):

1) Lose my weight at the lowest fill level possible, so I have some room to fill when the situation truly merits it. For me, a fill is merited when hunger returns, satiety is not prolonged, and my old, bad food behaviors surface. Ideally, any fill would be a tiny fill, again, with the goal to keep my band at the lowest fill level that affords me the benefits of the band: small portions of healthy food, and no hunger (or a reasonable, manageable hunger) between my meals. Like you, labwalker, I'm concerned with the short and long term side effects of a too-tight band.

2) Lose my weight at the highest level of calories that permits me to lose 1-2 pounds a week, so I can smoothly move to maintenance when the time comes, and not suddenly regain. I know from traditional (non surgical) dieting that when I do a really low calorie diet, maintenance is unsustainable because the calorie differential between losing and maintaining is just too wide, and I can't realistically sustain it.

Number two has been an essential point for me, and I saw the virtue in this when I was unfilled for three months. Because I lost my weight at the highest level of calories that still lets me lose weight (for me, this is 1200 cal/day), when I had to shift over to maintenance for three months, I "only" gained 5 pounds. I know that had I practiced a tight band with very low calories (let's say, 900 cal/day, which for many bandsters is normal), the unfill/maintenance period would have seen me jumping in weight like whoa. I would have gained 5 pounds a month, at least!

Totally agree. The obstacle course I have to run to get filled/unfilled is very complicated. And the doctor who does my fills gives off a "disdain" kind of vibe which makes me stressed as soon as I get on the table. Thankfully, his assistant is adorable and very supportive of me (and probably all the bandster patients) so that balances out the doctor's 'tude.

I agree 100% it is a real art and not every doctor or PA is a great artist. I have to tell you I have come across my share of them and they don't make me very happy.

There are days when I feel like I need to stand on my head to have a fill and if I request an un-fill for what ever reason like the one and only time I did because I was sick...I know they are looking out for my best interest and the health of my body and the band, but really isn't that what "adjustable" is all about?

If I wanted to diet, I would not have had surgery. So hearing the PA tell me well that x amount of fill should work for you..what exactly does that mean?! What works for her...oh wait she is not banded. How do you know what works for me? I think I am the only one that is going to be able to determine that....please tweakers..tell me if I am wrong here, cause it's been about 3 weeks since that incident and it still has me P.O'd.

I understand being posed loads of questions prior to the procedure, but there's a way to have this conversation which is supportive rather than adversial.

I've learned so much about lapbands and specifically my lapband, and one of the things I've learned is there is no "one size fits all" when it comes to fills. There's a standard, sure, but please respect the deviations!

Re: "Don't like foreign objects in body". Do you have fillings in your teeth? Any hardware in your body from fractures or surgery?

These are all "foreign bodies" that have years of research behind them, making them safe and body-friendly for the vast majority of people.

That said, if you are squeamish at the thought of a lapband inside you, you should consider another type of WLS.

50 pounds in one year is terrific! You did not start in the DeathFat range, after all, and your loss is completely aligned with your starting weight. Please give yourself a big pat on the back....because if you hadn't had surgery, I doubt you'd be celebrating a 50-lb loss today, right?

You are obviously dedicated, determined and disciplined. I'm so sorry you've had issues with the choices so far. But I'm rooting for your success!

I had a partial unfill (for the first time ever) a few months back. (End of Jan/begining of Feb if my mind remembers correctly)

I THINK I my problem was I had gotten sick, took some cold medicine (with NSAIDS in them) and found it a struggle to even get down liquids. Possible inflammation in my stoma area?? Third day of that and I called my Doc...He did the usual fluoro and HE DECIDED I needed "some" removed. He said the fluoro showed signs of some slight reflux. I didn't ask how much he took out as I just figured he knew best. IMMEDIATE relief...no problems whatsoever, except as expected, HUNGRY/eating too much and of course started gaining a few pounds....actually about 15 over the course of the next two months.

I went back in Aprl, and discussed with him my eating habits, and then found out he had removed .8 cc's. He added back .4, and said see you in a couple of months. I was still eating too much (although better) and finding it somewhat of a struggle to not snack, especially in the evenings. I went back last Thursday and had lost 4 pounds, discussed my eating/etc with the surgeon again and he checked everything again and added .2cc's this time. He did say my band looked PERFECT, so that was the best news. Then he started chatting about other things, running/cycling and life in general....almost as though he wasn't even concerned in the least bit about my band. I guess that is a good thing...

So for me, as others have said, it's really about the restriction being tweaked until everything just "feels right"..... and it doesn't take much one way or the other to make a substantial difference once you're close. Best wishes Labwalker and congrats on your successes, both on and off the scale!

This is an interesting comment, @@catfish87, as it confirms what I've been suspecting lately. It doesn't take much at all to feel a "difference" in our bands--restriction or non-restriction can sometimes be, as you experienced, a mere .8ccs away. That's like a teardrop! (Of course it also depends, proportionally-speaking, on the size of the band.)

I WISH my fill team would do smaller increments but they really are stuck on their 1.0 (.5 if I beg them) increments and don't go any smaller. I would love to have a fill team who, when refilling, took it very slowly. I'd gladly go back in every two weeks to be stepped up incrementally until I am at my perfect fill level. But I suppose this would be financially onerous for the French National Health system, although lucrative for those bariatric practices in the USA who have self-paying patients.

Wishing everybody perfect fill and appetite levels, combined with good eating habits made easier by our bands! <3

@@Lori Voss Green: I'm glad they found what was causing your pain and discomfort and that it has been rectified. Thank you for sharing your experience here so we can all be mindful of signs to watch for and act upon.

Get well soon and pamper yourself while you recover.

Forever 21 has some really cute styles even in their plus size range.

This is such a timely topic for us veterans! For me, I know I need a fill when my old behaviors around food re-surface. I know my fill level is good when I'm not that interested in my food--I can basically eat and get on with my life. But if I'm thinking about food, craving stuff, spending too much mental bandwidth on eating...that's a sign I need more restriction.

It's much easier for me to know when I need an unfill, however! If only knowing when to fill was as easy as knowing when to unfill!

YES!

Fills really are more art than science, imho, once you are over a year post-op. We should have a special "Tweakers" forum.

Oh, great idea about the portable mug warmer. I'm going to order one now!

I was able to get in to the fill clinic this morning where the radiologist took out 1 cc of my 6 cc fill. Two weeks ago, when I got that fill, the barium flowed through fine. But my experience with fills is it always takes mine a couple of weeks to reveal themselves, and within a couple of days of that last fill I knew I was too tight. I never made it out of the mushies stage and even those hurt going down. Who gets stuck on a sip of coffee? I did!

The radiologist concured and drew out 1 cc (I was hoping he'd only take out .5. Oh, well.)

I guess he was right when he said not to go from 3cc to 6cc in one fell swoop. So I'll spend the next couple of months getting used to this fill level, and should it not be sufficient, I'll go back in in the fall.

All hail the power of the adjustable lapband. I know this "tweaking" part of the band's life can be bothersome (believe me, I'd rather be anywhere else than the fill clinic) but, at the same time, I want to keep my band for life. Staying too tight is not only a miserable way to eat (by yesterday I was getting stuck on every.single.thing. I tried to drink or eat) but it also puts my band at risk. Don't want to lose this powerful helper.

Yes, when my band was too tight I never had a hot cup of anything (or a hot meal). For my morning coffee, I had to put it in a travel mug and just sip it very slowly. One cup would last me two hours.

For me, that means I'm too tight. For others, though, they like this amount of restriction.

Thanks, labwalker. That's interesting information to know. Hopefully a slight unfill will allow me to fly with my normal band-friendly foods: Protein Bars, fruit and nuts. But I'll keep your info in the back of my mind just in case.

I was served coffee in the hospital the day after my lapband surgery. It wasn't a shot of espresso, granted, but it was a cup of coffee.< /p>

That said, caffeine affects me much more now that I have the band. For my Nespresso maker, I've swapped out all the strong blends for decaf...the shots of real coffee made me way too jittery. But for a latte, I can still take the real stuff since it's cut with the milk.

Do check with your post op people just to get an ok from your team. Some practices feel caffeine is too harsh on a post op stomach and will not allow it back into your diet until a certain number of weeks have gone by.

Argh. Almost two weeks after my last fill, my fill level is too tight. I have to go in and get a little drawn out, because I'm leaving for a long-haul flight shortly and there's no way I can fly like this... I can't bring my Liquid Protein ON THE PLANE!

What's "too tight" feel like?

It's difficult to eat anything solid--even moist fish, such as tuna salad. Being too-tight creates a sort of exterior-enforced anorexia, without any hunger. I love having no hunger and can see why some bandsters keep their bands uber-tight. I never want to eat, never think of food, the idea of prepping a meal and sitting down to eat it just seems like a huge waste of time. It's crazy how the band affects the brain--I can't figure out how it does this but it just turns off your hunger cues! (When the band is not too tight, I get appropriately hungry but fill up quickly on little food. With a too-tight band I never get hungry and could go all day without eating anything.)

I'm having a real problem eating anything of consistency so I have to get my Protein in with Protein Drinks, which I have to sip very very slowly or the liquid backs up. If I just drink like a normal person, all the liquid clogs in my band and the pressure is very uncomfortable. I have to stand up, loosen my bra, walk around or jump in place so the clog dissolves and the liquid passes through. I also have to burp a lot in order for the liquid to go down. Nice!

In the morning, when my band is tightest, this happens on a mere sip of liquid. I no longer can drink my stuff before leaving for work; I have to put it in a travel cup and sip all morning.

That means I'm too tight.

Yesterday's lunch, which was 2 ounces of moist chicken in a sauce with 3 cubes of soggy, overcooked zucchini, took me from 1:30 to 4:30 to eat. Each tiny, baby bite hurt like hell as it passed my band.

That means I'm too tight.

I love the weight loss that happens when I'm this restricted (I'm now back down to my pre-unfill weight which I'm very happy about) but I don't like disordered eating. I want my band to let me eat like a naturally-slender person, which it does when it is properly tuned, not turn me into an anorexic. Also, liquids should not hurt as they flow through the band, nor should mushies!

So just a small tweak--from 6.0 to 5.5--should be good. Hopefully I can get in this week.

If your band doesn't have any Fluid in it, it's probably just the inflammatory reaction to the procedure that is giving you a lot of restriction. This should die down with each day. I'm over a year post-op and can get stuck on liquids after a fill, due to the inflammation from the fill. If I sip, rather than gulp, this doesn't happen.

Also, I might avoid Crystal Light because it is acidic and you want to have your stomach environment as peaceful as possible after getting banded, to help in recovery. (Avoid tomatoes and Tomato products, too.) Water is the best, most calming liquid you can be taking in right now.

I was allowed applesauce after surgery. I could only get down a spoonful or so the first week post-op, but it was on the "OK" list for me.