Have been reading other post about fills but some are several years old and just wondering if things have changed over the years.

Here are my events.

8/27 - surgery

9/8 - 1st fill - 3cc

9/15 - 2nd fill - 3cc again

9/22 - 3rd fill - 3 more cc's

9/29 - next appointment

I have 9cc's in my 11cc band.

Have been doing a 6 week post op liquid diet which is scheduled to end on 10/07/10.

I feel great, have lost over 30 lbs and have no problem drinking Protein shakes or Soup.

Has anyone else advanced like this?

:smile:

Wow. I went for a follow up 2 weeks after I was banded and the MD would not even think about a fill until 4 weeks out :smile:

Although I am greatly jealous, since my doctor is conservative, my doctor will not sway from protocol, which does not allow a fill more often than 4-6 weeks. He makes me wait 6 weeks and the reason being is to prevent slipping. The chances for slipping are greatly decreased once scar tissue begins to form at about 6 months on. I think that your doctor is being careless, since your not even on solid foods yet. Once you do begin, will anything go down?

I would hold back and possibly push the liquid diet foward to see how your band will react to the tighness. Good luck!

Although I am greatly jealous, since my doctor is conservative, my doctor will not sway from protocol, which does not allow a fill more often than 4-6 weeks. He makes me wait 6 weeks and the reason being is to prevent slipping. The chances for slipping are greatly decreased once scar tissue begins to form at about 6 months on. I think that your doctor is being careless, since your not even on solid foods yet. Once you do begin, will anything go down?

I would hold back and possibly push the liquid diet foward to see how your band will react to the tighness. Good luck!

I completely agree...your Dr. is being careless. You should at least be eating...I think your Dr. is setting you up for failure and alot of problems. Just my oppinion. Good Luck. :smile:

Honestly? I think your going to have problems once you start solids. I say that b/c liquids go down really easy. Last week after my fill I had 4 cc's total and I was on liquids. I was starving and thought the fill didn't help but then once I started solids it was perfect. I had the perfect amount of restriction and I wasn't hungry.

I worry that you may end up being too tight once you start real foods again.

My .02...that's a lot of fill in one month but if your doctor has you on a completely liquid diet, I can see why you would be having no difficulty. Nothing to get stuck.

Personally, since you're getting ready to get off that liquid diet on 10/7, I'd stop getting fills. My guess is that even without this next fill, when you go back on solids you're going to get stuck constantly as you learn to take small bites and chew slowly...basically just adjusting...and have to go in for unfills.

Maybe not...but it's quite likely, particularly if he takes that band to capacity.

.

I am shocked at your doctor's actions and hope you will let us know how things develop as you start eating food.

No one is attacking you personally, by the way, we are just shocked that you are on slider liquids and up to nearly max on your fills.

Best wishes,

Mimi

I know you originally asked for replies from people who have received rapid fills like you have, I however, have not either! This seems very contrary to the treatment that most of us are receiving...what is your doctor's experience? Have you asked him why he feels it's ok to fill so frequently before solids are introduced? My doctor uses "eating meat" as a gauge to tell if your fill is too tight. If it were me, I would ask the doctor about his treatment options. Maybe he will tell you that there is new research out there saying this is a better way...I hope you can enlighten us! I would certainly ask a lot of questions based on how drastically different his method is.

I would also question the number of cc's he says he's putting in. He may be doing gradual cc's such as .2 or .3 rather than a full cc. My doctor will only fill 4-6 weeks, this gives you time for the swelling to go down and be able to get on solids withing throwing up. Good Luck!

I, too was banded on 8/27 but have not had 1 fill. At my 2 wk followup my Dr said there was no way he'd consider a fill until at least 6 wks out. So that leave me until 10/13, which is fine.

I have to agree with the other posters on this. Sadly, I think your Dr is setting you up for failure. How is going to be when you "learn" to eat real food? I would also lose 30 lbs if I was only doing soup and Protein shakes. Any one would. Banded or not. Do you mind telling us what your Dr's logic is on this? I don't consider my Dr conservative by any means but I also know he wouldn't do anything like the treatment you have recieved.

With all that being said, I'm sorry. If it's working for you, your Dr and he has successful pts maybe he's method works. I just never heard anything like it at all.

Congrats on your Band and keep us posted!

I was Banded on 8/20 My Two Week ( actually only 10 days) Check up is Thursday. Doc told me I he is just going to be checking the port site. He Said that we would then Schedule my First Fill for Four Weeks after that. Then He would Consider doing following fills every 4 weeks.

I think it be different if you were eating food. you dont even know how you handle food. I be concerned unless he doesnt want u to gain while u on liq. mayb then he work backwards. Be careful when u start eating, make him take some out if u cant eat. u also want to learn how to eat again.

Wow, I definitely see how different my doctors actions are from others. Which explains why I was having trouble finding others in the fill fast lane.

I have my next appointment tomorrow at 1:45pm. For the past 3 appointments with the fills, I don't even see the doctor. I get the PA. Is that normal? :smile2:

I'm at the hospital with the fluoroscope and the doctors office is across town.

After last Wednesdays appointment, the PA said she added another 3 cc's and I made the comment that it brings me up to 9ccs, so I'm certain about the amount she has put in and she was the one that told me my band had a 11cc capacity.

I'll post tomorrow evening about my visit.

Thanks everyone for responding.

Cathy

Just wanted to give a reply to those to responded. It's been 2 days since my doctors appointment. I was given the green light to go ahead and start eating mushies. I was a little apprehensive about starting when they decided to leave the 9ccs in the band.

I have to admit I have had no problem eating food or getting things down the old pipes. Tonight I had shredded beef (BBQ) and loved it.

I don't know what the amount that most people are able to eat but 1/2 cupped filled me up with no discomfort.

I feel great about my start and the past 2 days.

Cathy

I am always surprised at how different we all are. My doctor is what some say aggressive - and I have had 3 fills and one unfill in the 9 weeks since my surgery - of course I was eating food before he gave me my first fill. I am at 6ccs now and can BARELY eat chicken - it is hit or miss. I am VERY tight. But my nurse, who has the band, told me that he can eat a big mac at 9ccs and can't swallow his saliva at 9.5 - so everyone is different.

I can see I think, the advantage to staying liquid through the fills.... I mean, we get fills, we get swollen, we have trouble eating, we PB, we slip our bands.... you haven't had to deal with that - but really, I agree with everyone else.... I remember when I was first banded and I ate really carefully - and that was just practice for what happens when you are really tight. How will you know what to eat if you haven't had the practice time post-op?

Just wanted to give a reply to those to responded. It's been 2 days since my doctors appointment. I was given the green light to go ahead and start eating mushies. I was a little apprehensive about starting when they decided to leave the 9ccs in the band.

I have to admit I have had no problem eating food or getting things down the old pipes. Tonight I had shredded beef (BBQ) and loved it.

I don't know what the amount that most people are able to eat but 1/2 cupped filled me up with no discomfort.

I feel great about my start and the past 2 days.

Cathy

So glad to hear that things are going well for you Cathy. After reading the posts here I would not have been surprised if you were afraid to take even a bite of food. LOL Good to know all is well. This is the first time I've seen your post or I would have responded sooner. My doc is very liberal with fills. I had my post op one week after surgery and started getting fills every two weeks after that. My fills were not as big as yours, he started with 1 cc, then 1.5, then another 1.5, etc. I have a 10 cc band. At one point I thought I was at my sweet spot so when I went in for my next fill I asked for less than he intended. It worked out okay. It took a while before I hit my sweet spot, but I have been there a while. I was supposed to go back to the doc about 3 months ago, but ... I really don't need a fill, so I didn't go. My doc was liberal with my fills and I have had no problems with slippage or any other problems with the placement of my band.

The one thing I will say is that being so tight so soon you probably should heed what others have said and pay close attention when you are eating. Be sure to chew your food well. I say this because, whether you get to restriction fast or slow, you still have to adjust to new habits with the way we eat food.

I wish you continued success on your journey.