Because there are a lot of posts about how much of a fill to get, if X ccs is a normal size fill, if getting X ccs removed will help, etc. I wanted to start a board about people's experiences when they had 1 cc or less too little or too much in their band and what a difference that fill or unfill did for them.

My experience was that I started around 2 cc in my band (passive surgical fill), my first fill was done six weeks after surgery and was 1.5 cc.

With 1.5 ccs I went from being able to eat anything to getting stuck on some rice, some Pasta, and not being able to eat pizza or bread easily.

Then on March 23 I had 1 cc added, I went from being able to eat 1-2 cups of food down to eating 1 tsp - 2 Tbsp per meal and throwing up almost every day.

Unfortunately, due to billing discrepancies, I wasn't able to get an unfill until

two months

later (May 24). Every day was horrible. I had no energy, couldn't eat, couldn't take my Vitamins the entire time, barely got half of my fluids in, a portion of my Protein. I dreaded eating but also wasn't very hungry most of the time, but if I was, I was starving and resorted to Chai Soy Milk because it was easy to drink, stayed down, and had a good amount of protein, some fat (very little), and sugar so I had some energy. I had to force myself to vomit almost every day because everything got stuck - even Soup got stuck some days.

Granted I lost 10 lbs during those two months but I ate soup, Protein shakes, soy milk, ice cream, Popsicles, Cheetos (they are mostly air), and popcorn (also mostly air). I only ate small amounts but I ate food that truly wasn't good for me and that I didn't want to eat but I did because those were the only things that would go down and stay down.

I'll be going back around June 23 for a 0.5 cc fill and that should bring me to the perfect level.

So I can tell you that 1 cc can make a difference. And 0.5 cc can make a huge difference. And if you're too full, go in, ask them to remove 1 cc - it may be all you need.

I'm sure there are others with stories about even less that took them from almost there to perfect and from horrible to perfect.

Because there are a lot of posts about how much of a fill to get, if X ccs is a normal size fill, if getting X ccs removed will help, etc. I wanted to start a board about people's experiences when they had 1 cc or less too little or too much in their band and what a difference that fill or unfill did for them.

My experience was that I started around 2 cc in my band (passive surgical fill), my first fill was done six weeks after surgery and was 1.5 cc.

With 1.5 ccs I went from being able to eat anything to getting stuck on some rice, some Pasta, and not being able to eat pizza or bread easily.

Then on March 23 I had 1 cc added, I went from being able to eat 1-2 cups of food down to eating 1 tsp - 2 Tbsp per meal and throwing up almost every day.

Unfortunately, due to billing discrepancies, I wasn't able to get an unfill until

two months

later (May 24). Every day was horrible. I had no energy, couldn't eat, couldn't take my Vitamins the entire time, barely got half of my fluids in, a portion of my Protein. I dreaded eating but also wasn't very hungry most of the time, but if I was, I was starving and resorted to Chai Soy Milk because it was easy to drink, stayed down, and had a good amount of protein, some fat (very little), and sugar so I had some energy. I had to force myself to vomit almost every day because everything got stuck - even soup got stuck some days.

Granted I lost 10 lbs during those two months but I ate soup, protein shakes, soy milk, ice cream, Popsicles, Cheetos (they are mostly air), and popcorn (also mostly air). I only ate small amounts but I ate food that truly wasn't good for me and that I didn't want to eat but I did because those were the only things that would go down and stay down.

I'll be going back around June 23 for a 0.5 cc fill and that should bring me to the perfect level.

So I can tell you that 1 cc can make a difference. And 0.5 cc can make a huge difference. And if you're too full, go in, ask them to remove 1 cc - it may be all you need.

I'm sure there are others with stories about even less that took them from almost there to perfect and from horrible to perfect.

Yep, I have one of those stories. It only took the removal of 0.25 of a CC to bring me from coughing up Water every morning in my sleep and vomiting to being restricted and losing quickly without any discomfort (and hardly any effort, to be honest).

Glad to hear it. I got a 1cc fill yesterday and got FULL off of a cup of yogurt! What a difference a day makes!

Good luck everyone!

I went for my first fill yesterday and she put in 5.5 cc and I guess I already had 1 cc in there. But I could tell right away that was to much. I took one sip of Water and it would not budge. She took out .75cc out right there before I left and I felt much better. I can feel it going down, but it goes down without a problem. Mushies were today and did not have a problem with anything. Tomorrow I will eat normal and hopefully all will go well. I was not hungery at all today, just made myself eat every 4 hours or so. So I think I am at a pretty good spot for right now.

That is amazing how so little can make such a big difference.

Right now I can eat too much so it's a matter of will power to eat healthy and eat less. I'm hoping the next 0.5 cc will be perfect.

It really is surprising, especially when you realise that 1 cc = 20 drops of Fluid.

those of us with the old antique "4cc" Band..... yes, that .1cc can make a tremendous difference. Typically I hover between total fill of 1.5~1.6 with forays into the 1.7 or 1.8 range fraught with all the signs of being too tight.<br /><br />And consider the BIG difference in the size of the Os regardless of which size Band you have. How much the fill % is of the total Band volume is only one way of looking at the overall controlling metric.<br /><br />It's hard to lose weight eating unhealthy food that played such a large role in our shuffle to Morbid Obesity in the first place. <br /><br />When I'm "too tight" one of the first issues is being unable to eat dense Proteins, which leads to other eating issues.<br />And "too tight" leads to other symptoms: PB, swallowing...sometimes Water and therefore hydration can be at risk, night reflux symptoms, a variety of burning or vaguely choking sensations, and so forth.<br /><br />Find that sweet spot in LIFE!!!!

My third fill took me to I think 5.5 CCs in a 10 CC AP-S band. We thought it was good, but turned out too tight for me. After a week of struggling, I went back and had 0.5 CC taken out. WONDERFUL is the word. After a month I was able to go back and get that half and another half (1.0 CC) put back in. A year later I had another 0.5 CC put in. Now I am somewhere around 6.5 CC in my band.

The total CCs in your band doesn't really matter. What matters is the amount of restriction you have, and that you can eat and remain satisfied for a few-several hours.

Glad to hear it. I got a 1cc fill yesterday and got FULL off of a cup of yogurt! What a difference a day makes!

Good luck everyone!

so is that when we are at the sweet spot? Whan I get full on a cheese stick? or a cup of yogurt? But eating fast or the wrong foods makes you vomit? Just wondering if I need an unfiill or make better choices? Help!

Wow reading your story is quite concerning to me, I'm coming up on my first fill next week and I dont want to be vomiting all the time and having such difficulty with the little we get to actually eat. Was that mainly due to the fact you weren't able to go back for a Unfill sooner than[2 months? I've only had 1 getting stuck episode but believe me when I say I dont want that pain again

quote name=Acadia' timestamp='1306458972' post='1618638]

Because there are a lot of posts about how much of a fill to get, if X ccs is a normal size fill, if getting X ccs removed will help, etc. I wanted to start a board about people's experiences when they had 1 cc or less too little or too much in their band and what a difference that fill or unfill did for them.

My experience was that I started around 2 cc in my band (passive surgical fill), my first fill was done six weeks after surgery and was 1.5 cc.

With 1.5 ccs I went from being able to eat anything to getting stuck on some rice, some Pasta, and not being able to eat pizza or bread easily.

Then on March 23 I had 1 cc added, I went from being able to eat 1-2 cups of food down to eating 1 tsp - 2 Tbsp per meal and throwing up almost every day.

Unfortunately, due to billing discrepancies, I wasn't able to get an unfill until

two months

later (May 24). Every day was horrible. I had no energy, couldn't eat, couldn't take my Vitamins the entire time, barely got half of my fluids in, a portion of my Protein. I dreaded eating but also wasn't very hungry most of the time, but if I was, I was starving and resorted to Chai Soy Milk because it was easy to drink, stayed down, and had a good amount of protein, some fat (very little), and sugar so I had some energy. I had to force myself to vomit almost every day because everything got stuck - even soup got stuck some days.

Granted I lost 10 lbs during those two months but I ate soup, protein shakes, soy milk, ice cream, Popsicles, Cheetos (they are mostly air), and popcorn (also mostly air). I only ate small amounts but I ate food that truly wasn't good for me and that I didn't want to eat but I did because those were the only things that would go down and stay down.

I'll be going back around June 23 for a 0.5 cc fill and that should bring me to the perfect level.

So I can tell you that 1 cc can make a difference. And 0.5 cc can make a huge difference. And if you're too full, go in, ask them to remove 1 cc - it may be all you need.

I'm sure there are others with stories about even less that took them from almost there to perfect and from horrible to perfect.

so is that when we are at the sweet spot? Whan I get full on a cheese stick? or a cup of yogurt? But eating fast or the wrong foods makes you vomit? Just wondering if I need an unfiill or make better choices? Help!

A cheese stick or a yogurt should not constitute a meal. For me a meal is about 3 oz of solid Protein. Half a cup or so of veggies and some starch. Yogurt is a "slider" food, being not solid it slides right through the band and doesn't have much sustainability. When I was overfilled, I got stuck on mashed potatoes. I could barely get yogurt down. The last straw was when I got stuck on a cheese stick.

Wow reading your story is quite concerning to me, I'm coming up on my first fill next week and I dont want to be vomiting all the time and having such difficulty with the little we get to actually eat. Was that mainly due to the fact you weren't able to go back for a Unfill sooner than[2 months? I've only had 1 getting stuck episode but believe me when I say I dont want that pain again.

Some people will remain too tight for fear that their weight loss will slow down or stop if they get unfilled. (Not talking about you here, Acadia!) So they stay too tight, struggling along, risking a slipped band or erosion for a few pounds. We SHOULD be able to eat!!!

Getting a slight unfill does not mean you have failed. Asking for an unfill doesn't mean they will remove ALL the Fluid. It also doesn't mean you cannot go back and get filled again when you need it. A month after my slight unfill, all the swelling and irritation was gone. I went back in and got double the amount I had removed put in. That was a good level for about a year. Then I went back in for a little tweaking.

The doctors cannot predict how we will react to a fill level. It is a guessing game. Too much is too much. Go back and get a bit taken out if needed.

I'm hoping less than a cc makes a difference, I had my first fill Wednesday 5 months post op because I started to get hungry between meals sometimes and sometimes I wasn't satisfied with what I was eating. So my doc put 0.75cc in. Seems like such a small amount. I am an LVT and I draw up syringes of meds and stuff al the time, so I know how much it actually is. I'm hoping it will help.

It seems to me part of our confusion about "eating" and "a meal" etc is related to old concepts of "full" and "why do we eat".

I was raised in the school of thought that one had to eat "until FULL" and that it all had to be eaten regardless of what it was. Strict application of depression era poverty induced economic necessity.

With little thought to the consequences, my own habits over the next 20 years nearly always included "eating till FULL" which is an ever increasing goal...as we train to stuff more down, we become capable to eating more without observing or being aware of those physiologic hints that "we are no longer hungry".

It was graduate school where I actually had to study the term "satiety". There is far more to it than the simplistic dictionary word game.

"Sweet spot" is a vaguely defined term, I have taken to mean "able to eat normo sized meals and remain sated for a normo amount of time without need to attempt to make myself 'full'". Normo snacking is not the same as normo meals. I believe the notion 'sweet spot' is mistaken for the notion that one can expect to NOT be hungry-ever.

The nature of acquiring the appreciation of the role such complicated concepts as "appetite" and "becoming hungry" are overlooked and ignored.

Carrying some binkie at all times to suckle fluids or compulsively seek out the latest version of approved granola bar is not indication of 'sweet spot' IMHO.

Observe how your normo sized friends eat, how they respond to becoming hungry, and most importantly, how they respond to becoming NOT hungry. The survey I did of a couple dozen normo friends, was they don't use the word "full" as often as they use the word "not hungry anymore" so they stop eating.

For me, THAT is the 'sweet spot'. Not spending most of the day yearning for food, or beating ourselves for what we've eaten, is the 'sweet spot'.

What is the difference between your new car, all dirty needing a wash, and the same car, washed and polished? THAT is example of a 'sweet spot' IMHO.

It is a phase we eventual recognize. Some get to it sooner than others.

My first fill was 4cc then my second fill was 3cc. @ 7cc I have much restriction, but can eat when I take very small bites and chew very well. I can't eat bread or certain types of pizza/pasta. I think its good for most carb type foods to be difficult to keep down, so am leaving my 7cc alone. Does anyone have a bigger fill than 7cc and how is it working? I have an 11cc Realize band. Thanks. Gail

My first fill was 4cc then my second fill was 3cc. @ 7cc I have much restriction, but can eat when I take very small bites and chew very well. I can't eat bread or certain types of pizza/pasta. I think its good for most carb type foods to be difficult to keep down, so am leaving my 7cc alone. Does anyone have a bigger fill than 7cc and how is it working? I have an 11cc Realize band. Thanks. Gail

mnguest:

A sweet spot (green zone) is generally considered being able to eat 1-1.5 c of food and be full for 4-5 hours. That food should include moderately solid Protein (moist chicken, tofu, etc.). If you can't eat those foods (soft solids) then you are too tight.

ltfmsg:

I wasn't able to get back to have an unfill due to billing issues, but I learned how my band worked in those two months and I ate for nourishment and not cravings. I didn't crave bad foods because I knew they wouldn't tide me over. If you're going in for your first fill ask for it to be done under fluoroscopy (that also allows them to check how everything is positioned) and ask to drink 1/2 c of Fluid - while the needle is still in - so you can make sure you can still keep it down. That way your Dr. or the practitioner can remove some if needed. And remember, a fill doesn't always activate immediately. It can take up to four weeks to get the full impact. So if you feel fine on the fill day, four weeks later you could be too tight. So make sure you can gulp that Water, not just sip it.

For me it takes two weeks to get the full fill impact.

And if you experience any moments of not being able to keep fluid down or saliva - get to the hospital. Not being able to keep fluid down is a worst case scenario and requires an unfill. Your ER may not do them though so talk to your Dr about the procedure to have an unfill if you get one on a Friday and have to go through the weekend.

I was able to keep fluids down just fine, I just couldn't eat many solids and couldn't eat and drink at or near the same time (not necessarily a bad thing).

Cocoabean:

I absolutely noticed a difference in how I was losing weight during those two months. I lost, granted, but I know I was eating "bad" foods (Cheetos, Popcorn w butter - specifically for calories). I craved salads, fruits, and veggies but couldn't eat them. And my weight weight up when I had a day of eating "bad" food. The salt content, the fat content, it was horrible. Then on top of that, those foods led to several gall bladder attacks.

I am a huge advocate of going in as soon as possible when there's a problem and now that I have my billing issues figured out I will not hesitate to go in immediately if I'm ever over filled again.

Generally people will gain weight if they're too tight because all they eat are sliders (which are generally bad foods). I was no different.

In those two months I also realised the difference between being physically full and being nutritionally full. The latter is always so much better.

I was able to stop eating with food on my plate, without guilt.

Though not a great experience I can say that being too full was a good experience for me overall because it really helped me learn how my band was working, what to look for when too tight, how to control my eating, and how to eat for nutrition and not for cravings.

mominoc:

It sounds like you need about a 0.5-1.0 cc unfill. You should be able to get down - and keep down - small bites of those foods. Not that you should eat them all the time, but if you can't keep those down - can you keep vegetables down like broccoli? More fibrous foods?