Shaking In My Boots ... My Doc Removed All My Band Fluid Today. :(

[Phranp 46]

I saw my surgeon today for the first time in almost 2 years. My band has been tight for a long time and I was throwing up much too often. I thought he would only remove a small amount but apparently he felt I should take it all out and have an upper GI before refilling. He wants to make sure there's been no slippage. I can't argue with that, but I'm scared to death of putting weight back on.

Here's my question: How many have been successfully re-filled? By that I mean that when the doc put the Fluid back in everything worked just as it had before or better?

Thanks in advance for your input.

~Fran

[Shelley64 26]

I was at my doctors office yesterday and he had a student teacher with him. The subject of a slipped band came up and my doc told this "kid" (seriously, he looked 12 years old) that if he gets a band patient in the ER with pain, unable to keep anything down, etc. just pull all the Fluid out. He said they keep it out for a few weeks and then start re-adding it a little at a time just like when you got your initial fills.

This would be scary because we all worry about gaining the weight back. I wish you the very best of luck. you know the right amount to eat based on the restriction you had so just push ahead and make it mind over matter. You'll get through this and back to fluid in your band in no time!

[Phranp 46]

Thanks Shelley ... I will do my best to stay on track.

[elcee 3,343]

I had most of my fill removed a couple of weeks ago as I ended up in emergency as I thought I had a slip. They took out 4ml and left me with 2ml. I went back to see my Dr 10 days later and he also said that generally they would leave things for a couple of weeks to settle before refilling but he agreed to give me another 2ml bringing me back up to 4ml. I have to see him again in about 3 weeks, that cannot come soon enough, I am always hungry and struggling to "behave" like a bandster. It feels like my band is empty. At meal time I don't think I am eating quickly but I finish at the same time as or sooner than everyone else and sometimes I am still hungry.My weight has been fluctuating up and down by approx 1kg for the last few months and I think that is still where I am. I am terrified that I am going to gain but I seem to be self sabotaging by eating stuff that I shouldn't be.

I hope that you are able to stay on track better than I am doing and that there is nothing seriously wrong with your band.

[lellow 1,713]

I had a leak and was without restriction since Dec or so. It was hard not gaining but I managed it. I fought with hunger a lot but stayed on track.

I've now had my leak fixed (I hope!) and am getting fills again. I have 8.5cc in my 10cc band and I feel restriction for sure. Am I at my sweet spot? I don't think so. I worry that I won't get to my sweet spot again (where I never felt hungry) but then tell myself to have faith. I have another appt with my dr today and am going to ask for a small fill (because I DO have restriction) and hopefully it will do the trick.

I do notice though that restriction this time is different. I used to not be able to eat rice and bread when I was restricted. Even the smallest amount of bread would make me PB. Now while I still can't eat rice, I can eat bread no problems. Weird. I'm havign to learn what foods I can eat all over again.

[Jachut 487]

I was unfilled for nine long months, and refilling was easy but the restriction was different. Its taken more fill for similar restriction and like Lellow, foods like bread are now easy for me to eat. I had a barium swallow to see what was going on and i have very minor pouch dilation, but my doc is not worried by it. I find the restriction IS there when I pay attention and I m maintaining easily enough. Am recovering from a Tummy Tuck just now and didnt unfill this time, my lapband surgeon didnt think I would need to (it was my colorectal guy who insisted i unfill for the bowel resection). Unfilling can cause issues but when you have to you have to. I'd hate to tjink how skeletal Id be if I hadnt been unfilled last year, and you'd hate to cause permanent damage to your band!

[Shoshanna 98]

I had mine unfilled after an illness in January that caused some swelling of my stomach. My doc said this was pretty common after a gastro-type illness. After two years being able to eat anything put me dangerously close to a dead panic but I lived through it and have Fluid back in the band now. As the others said, I've noticed a difference in the type of restriction I have now but I'm not sure it is a bad thing to mix msyelf up periodocally and try some different foods. Having said that, I am finding that bread and chicken are beginning to bother me again so maybe I'll eventually be back to the old foods.

[elcee 3,343]

Wow Lellow you have a LOT of Fluid in your band. Is it a Lapband or a Realize band? Seems scary that with so much fill you still aren't really feeling much restriction.

[lellow 1,713]

It's a lapband, elcee and even before the leak I needed a lot of fill. I got to my green zone at 8.5cc so was confused as to why now, with the same amount, I didn't seem to be.

BUT I'm just back from seeing Peter Nottle and turns out I've lost 1.5kgs since my last fill a week ago so obviously something is going right. That's without me exercising too. So he's decided not to do another fill - in fact he was talking about a slight unfill - because even though I don't feel anywhere as tight as I used to be, I'm losing. I see him again in 3 weeks to see if it's still the case though!

[Phranp 46]

Thanks to all for your responses. While it doesn't sound like the road ahead will be easy, at least I know what to expect and I can choose to do the right thing or sabotage all the work I have done. I think I will skip the sabotage.

It would be really nice if all of my health problems got better at the same time (i.e., lung problems, sleep apnea problems, chronic exhaustion AND lapband issues) and I can start a new healthier life in 2012. The only problem I will have left is whether or not my firm closes due to extensive financial woes. The job part is the "least" of my problems because without my health, who needs a job? LOL

All the best to us all!

[Phranp 46]

One more thing .... my surgeon is a very different kind of doctor. Yesterday when we were talking about refilling me he asked if I had the same insurance and which one it was. I told him and he said, "oh, ok ... well, if they don't want to pay for the refills don't worry about it, I will do them anyway for free". I was pleasantly shocked! But then, he's the same guy that, once he changed offices after my surgery (starting with my 3rd fill, I think), that didn't accept a co-pay for my fills. I said "thanks" and completed my fills without paying a dime. Who knew?

Here's to a great 2012!

~F

[giveyouthemoon 4]

I've had an unfill (and I've also had a slip and my band replaced, but that's a different story).

Here's my thoughts. For the first week after a total unfill you'll feel crazy hungry. This is when to be THE MOST diligent. Eat lots of Protein (which is filling) and track what you eat and be on top of it. For me, after about 10 days, that *intense* hunger calmed a bit and while I could eat more, I wasn't so crazy about food every minute.

Just my thoughts on the matter. Good luck!

[Phranp 46]

I've had an unfill (and I've also had a slip and my band replaced, but that's a different story).

Here's my thoughts. For the first week after a total unfill you'll feel crazy hungry. This is when to be THE MOST diligent. Eat lots of Protein (which is filling) and track what you eat and be on top of it. For me, after about 10 days, that *intense* hunger calmed a bit and while I could eat more, I wasn't so crazy about food every minute.

Just my thoughts on the matter. Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestions. I am seriously considering cutting my carbs to the bare minimum during this time. In the past I have had problems doing this because my blood sugar gets too low, but I want to give it a try just the same.

At any rate I will watch and log my food ... gotta keep me honest. LOL

~Fran