Found this great article in a newletter on liquid every day for at least several days before the fill.

(You really need this amount at all times anyway).

Drink especially well the morning of the fill. If you're flying in, it can be much harder to stay hydrated, so take a drink bottle and drink very often! Those little "to-go" packs of Crystal Lite are ideal - ask the flight attendants for a refill of your Water bottle, pop one in, and then you will have plenty to drink. Those little 4-oz cups of liquid they give you during flight are useless.

(Hint - While you're on the plane, also take a couple of those white barf bags –

good to keep one in your purse or car, both now and later for emergencies.)

2. Be sure not to have any solid foods for at least 6 hours before the fill. Don't eat a huge or late dinner the night before. If you're having any trouble (reflux, possible slip, etc)

please have nothing but fluids after dinner the night before.

In some cases, food can still be in the pouch for 12 or more hours.

3. Don't drink COLD fluids for an hour before the fill. That will shrink your stoma and give a false fluoro reading. Room temp fluids are fine. Let the ice in your drink bottle melt,

and then you'll have room-temp fluids to drink right up to the fill time.

4. Avoid getting a fill during a menstrual period or a few days before an expected one. During this time, we are usually retaining water, and the fluoro will not be as accurate.

5. If at all possible, hang around for at least a few hours after a fill. Don't run right back to the plane. It takes the normal swelling after a fill 1-2 hours to develop,

and by that time you might be too tight.

6. If at all possible, stay overnight and catch a plane out the following late afternoon or evening. If you are too tight, this will allow time to get a small unfill before you leave. This is not very convenient, but sure beats having to possibly return to TJ in a few days, on short notice, in pain, and at high last-minute plane fares! This is "prevention!" Overfills are not common, but they DO happen, even under the best of conditions. Be prepared, and think about this overnight stay.

7. After a fill, please have liquids only for at least 24 hrs. This allows the stoma to rest and heal. Then, a day of soft foods, then back to regular foods.

8. Review the eating and food guidelines again before every fill. You’ll need to refine your eating more and more with higher fill levels, and there will be less and less room for goofs.

9. Please don't get a fill if you are having ANY trouble with the current level of fill. This means ANY regular pain, PB or barfing more than maybe once a week at the most, not able to get enough

calories in, not able to drink enough, able to eat only soft foods or fluids.

More fill will NOT help, and will make things worse.

10. First fills are not routinely given at 6-8 weeks - but only as you need them. Many people do, some do not. We'll help you decide if you need a fill - just ask. There is no rush for fills. Too much can get you in trouble, and you end up further "behind" than if you had gone slower with fills.

Please remember that good fills are very elusive, even with highly- experienced people like The Kuri Team. There are just too many individual factors involved that the docs cannot control. Even the fluoro is only a clue, and not entirely accurate - for some of the reasons above. It usually takes 3- 5 fills to slowly and safely creep up on a good level, and they can be safely given a month apart.

Trying to go faster with a bigger fill is not the solution, and the stomach rebels at big sudden fills.

SLOW and GRADUAL is the key!

This can be frustrating, but is well worth the wait to avoid problems.

Thanks for the info, I get my fill today at 2:30 pm and I wish I had read it before I ate my protein bar. I won't eat anything else before I go in. I am 4 weeks out from surgery and gaining this week so I think I am ready for this fill. I can't wait to feel some restriction and start losing again. I also feel like someone slipped me a water pill, I have been peeing all morning. Candy/329

Thanks for this post, I read it but didn't subscribe and I was having a heck of a time finding it again!

Whew, so glad I did.

Sweetsue,

Thank you for posting this. I read your post yesterday, and I was having a fill today. However, my time of the month came and I called my surgeon and asked if I should have a fill. He did not want me having a fill during my period. He reschedule me for next week.