Hi guys, I really want a rest from my band over Christmas, but I'm scared that my doc will refuse to completely unfill me (or nearly completely). I've had some problems with it too lately, like acid reflux and PBing, which are also influencing my decision. Does anyone else have experience in this matter? I'm really worried he will refuse or give me a lecture :-(

If you are having acid reflux and pbing you really should get a little taken out. You don't need to completely unfill. I had .5 taken out today (of 5.8) for the same reason. It made a huge difference. Felt good to eat without having to worry about it!

I'm hoping to get enough taken out that my restriction will be gone. I wanna have some meat over Christmas, and eat normally for a little while lol.

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I agree. Bands should not be adjusted at whim just so a person can eat more. But if you cannot eat meat then you are way too tight and need to rethink the way that you are using your band.

I think that you are too tight, also! But do you really want everything taken out? That could be dangerous and start a trend that you might not like. You know that because you are nervous to ask your surgeon. But you can ask for a slight unfill because you are PBing and have GERD. It will relieve both and may be what you are looking for. You don't say how much fill you have, or how much weight you have lost. Good luck, Karen

Giggles, I can only tell you what I would do. If I were having reflux and BP problems I would first make sure I was chewing properly, not making bad food choices and not eating too late in the day. If the problem was still there I would go get a very tiny unfill, like .1 or .2cc.

As far as the holiday issue, I've learned to focus on things other than the food and the large amounts of food consumed during the holidays. I now focus on friends and family and enjoying their company and the spirit of the season. If you have lost enough weight to wear smaller sizes, go buy a fab christmas outfit!

^{Unless there is a medical reason for taking Fluid out the mindset of having an unfill to take a break from the band makes no sense to me. Why would we want to risk gaining the weight we already lost? Of course everyone's personal situation is just ...that but for me until I am at my goal there is no way I will disrupt my progress with a band vacation.}

^{Now that my goal is in sight I do wonder how to live with the band once I am at goal but I am sure that is something my Dr and I will discuss when the time comes. Until then....no rest for the weary is my mantra}

I dont understand why people have surgery to lose weight but then want a break? If your diabetic do you take a break from your diet or medication? If you have high blood pressure do you take a break from your medication? If you cant eat meat then your too tight and especially if your having acid reflux. You should be able to eat normal with the band just less it shouldnt be a burden. But a vacation from it why would you want to go back to eating like that? The thought of pigging out makes me sick and I hate to see people eat like that.

This is crazy! BOTH PBing AND reflux can be caused by what and how you eat so you cant automatically say you are too tight! This is just a band holiday and since I look at this as a lifestlye for life (I dont diet and Ireally dont work out) I am completely against unfilling for a holiday pig out!

I would expect a good doc to give you a similar lecture...snap out of it!

Please listen to most of these posters....you have rec'd the gift of experienced banders giving you the best possible advice. I think you need to post more about your feelings leading to this desire to unfill and maybe we can help you through that, too.

Good luck,

Mimi

Not to assume I know the OP's motives, but when I first read this post it struck a truth with me and my personal weight loss journey.

Over the past 30 years, I have, without a doubt, been on every diet plan known to man. There has been nothing I did not try, and I failed at every one!

Things would go good for a while, but then, like a heroin junkie, I would start to make all kinds of excuses, and come up with all different rationals as to why I should "Cheat"

Just this once, then I will make up for it the next few days by following the diet plan even harder.

Well, all that did was open the door to additional days of cheating, until the whole thing went down the drain.

Even when I was taking my 6 month pre-op medically supervised diet program....I would do good for the whole week (sort of). I would go in every Thursday to get weighed in, sit down with the nutritionist, discuss strategy for next week, etc. I would leave, get in my car, and head straight for the "All You Can Eat" Chinese Buffet and eat like there was no tomorrow. Then for the next 6 days I would concentrate on the diet plan. Needless to say when the 6 months were over I dismissed the whole thing.

The only alternative, and perhaps the last resort, was to have surgical intervention taking the responsibility and work away from me, (who has demonstrated time and time again that approach won't work), and have the band, adjusted properly, do the work for me by not letting me overeat ever again!!!!

For me to rationalize and come up with reasons and excuses to have my band unfilled, just so I can pig out like the good old days, blows my mind! But hey, it's just this one time, right? Then I'll go back on the plan, just like before.

I'm not saying that's the Op's motive, but I can understand the logic from someone (as myself) with a deadly addiction, in this case food!

I wanted to tell you that although I dont agree with you getting a complete unfill, I do understand where you are coming from as far as "missing eating normally" or how you once did. Maybe I speak for myself, but I sometimes wish that I could eat a burger with a BUN or have a doughnut once in a blue moon without pbing. Although this isn't the way we should be thinking, I am human, and I do miss eating that kind of stuff once in awhile. I think though, if you got a very small unfill (like .5 of a cc) then you may be able to eat meat and may not have the reflux problems as much as you do. I am speaking from expierence about this. I was filled too tight and had terrible reflux, and wasn't able to eat meat or even salad, but when I got a slight unfill last time, it really helped and I was able to eat meat without any problems (as long as I chewed it up really well) and the reflux got much better. Just go get a slight unfill and you will probably be feeling much happier. What a difference half a cc out will make! That's my two cents anyway Good Luck!

Just an update guys! I never had the complete unfill because guess what? I was having a "weak" moment, when the cravings were hitting me hard! But with a LOT of willpower, I got past it, thank goodness!

Anyway, I went for a check up a few weeks ago and explained my problems, night reflux, PBing etc. My Doc agreed immediately that I was probably too tight, and sure enough as soon as he put the needle in he could feel the pressure. So he left the needle in for a few seconds to let the band "loosen". He ended up removing 0.6 mls and what a relief it was! I'm now back to eating "good" solid foods, and not just living off Soup, ice cream and custard!! Plus I'm starting to loose weight again now that I'm able to eat 3 meals a day again :-D. Although I admit I usually have to force myself, since even before the band I almost never ate Breakfast. But I find with the band that if I don't eat enough, I go into "starvation mode" and don't loose weight. So to those who believed that I wanted an unfill just so I could "pig out", you couldn't be more wrong.

However I will be getting a complete (temporary) unfill then, partly to have a holiday from the band as well as work, and partly because if something should happen I don't want to be half a world away from my Doc :-). For anyone who doesn't like the sound of that, would you work everyday for 30 years without taking a holiday? Unlikely. Also I'm already 32kgs down from my weight loss goal of 61kgs. By the time I go away I will have lost at least another 15kgs. Being that close to my goal weight, even if I gain a few kilos it won't matter since as soon as the band is tightened again they'll quickly vanish again!

Oops, cut out some of my own post lol. Meant to say I'll be getting a temporary unfill when I go overseas in 2013 :-)

But getting an unfill is not guaranteed you will get back to the right zone. I would say no to the unfill no matter where your going. Your band was not put there for you to take a holiday away from it. It was put there for life not to have it unfilled whenever you desire. If you get an unfill you may be sorry because you dont always have success of getting back to the right place.