I need a bit of advice. I am going on vacation (Maui) in early February and have a fill scheduled for 1/18. This will be my second fill, I currently have 5cc's in a 10cc band (3 at surgery, 10/22, and 2 with my first fill). I don't really have restriction except with dry things like chicken breast but am worried that I will get good restriction with this next fill. I know that sounds **STUPID** but the reason is we are going with my brother and his girlfriend, neither of whom know I have the lap band. I have not told anyone (except DH and my Mom) and don't want to have any PBing experiences and have to explain. I am losing steadily around 2 lbs per week but my doctor recommends getting to around 7cc's for optimum restriction. I want to keep my momentum going with losing but am worried about vacation overeating, etc. Any thoughts from "veteran" bandsters? Should I wait until after vacation or just go for it now?

Thanks and Happy 2008!!! :party:

WAIT!!! I would so wait, if you have problems with dry chicken, if you get another fill you will probably have problems with alot more. Not to mention that with some LBers it takes a couple of weeks to feel their restriction kick in after a fill. You don't want to get to Maui and all the sudden can't eat anything. Plus, I have heard that riding on a plane makes some LBers tighter. All this could snowball and you could be so tight you can't even swallow your spit, so then you get dehydrated and might possible have to be hospitalized or at least have to try and find somewhere in Maui to get an unfill. As with other posters here, emergency room unfills are not fun, because most of the staff have no idea what a Lapband is or how to access the port. If you are still steady loosing 2lbs a week, why not postpone it until after the vacation. You are still at the recommended loss rate. I am just saying this, because you want to enjoy your vacation! I was like you and only had problems with dry meats, but was loosing very slowly so I opted for another fill. Man, it was a bad idea. I was so tight. You should always be in a postion after a fill where you can immediately be in contact with your fill doc if there is any problems. I know it took my first fill 4 weeks to kick in, so don't think that 2weeks after would be ok. I am not trying to lecture you, from experience of being too tight I just want you to be able to enjoy your vacations without complications.

I am in Honolulu and there is no DR on Maui for fills and unfills only in honolulu. I have friends that fly over to honolulu every other month to see the dr. Its a quick 20 minute flight, but still...

Speaking from expirience - after my fill, i was fine for a couple weeks then it hit me -- i couldnt get anything down and i did get dehydrated and was hospitalized for a day to get I.V. fluids in me. It sucks really bad!!!

I agree with mbanja says --

some others might say dont worry, it will be enough time to get an unfill before you go if your too tight -- but like i said for me, it want until a couple weeks after my fill that it got TIGHT! everyone is different but you never know how your body will react until after you do it. I say wait until you return -- PLUS MAUI -- Hawaiian food... YUM!! lol

If you're looking for votes, I vote wait until you return. No sense taking any risk right before a great vacation. The fill will available to you when you get back.

Thanks for the great advice. I have decided to wait until I get back from vacation to have a fill...especially since I was reminded that flying can cause the band to tighten. I was watching a Discovery Health Channel show yesterday and a woman who had been banded had to fly from Ohio to Texas to get an un-fill because they could not do it at the ER in Ohio (her brother is a gastric specialist and did the unfill in about 10 seconds but he lives in Texas). That would suck so I'll just wait and exercise more on vacation to make up for any additional food I may consume :nervous

I am soooo glad you decided to wait. It IS a vacation so you should be enjoying it. Plus, it is MAUI. How many times do you get to go there? I am almost positive that you won't do as bad as you are thinking. But hey, if you gain a couple of lbs, so what. Did I mention it is MAUI!!!! If I were going I would be sooo stoked I'd probably get an unfill. LOL. I guess that's one of the reasons I have the band in the first place! Have fun and enjoy the hell out of yourself. You deserve it!

Thanks MBanja for your good wishes. My DH and I try to go to Maui every February to get a dose of sunshine and warm weather. We live in Oregon and even though we love it here the gray days of winter can be a bit depressing and the Maui trip gets me through to spring. We plan on lots of long walks and as much tennis as our creaky bodies can stand :biggrin1:

It's weird because the last few days I have been tighter and have to be more careful when I am eating so the decision to wait is definitely the right one.

Take care and good fortune to you in 2008!

good idea to wait....we are headed to Maui in March too and I dont want to get a fill too soon before....let us all know how the trip goes.

P.S. anyone ever tan their scars? wonder what happens - do they get more noticable?

My doctor won't even do a fill if you are going on a trip within 14 days. This is per the band manufacture's guidelines.

Sometimes fills can take a while to kick in and you'd hate to be too tight on vacation! I think you've made the right choice.

Someone posted awhile ago about getting a fill and having it kick in like a week later while on a cruise. She couldn't even swallow her saliva. Talk about a crummy vacation!!!

Have fun! I'm going to Vegas next week! Woo-Hoo!

I had a fill less than a week before going to Aruba and did just fine. Everyone is different. But you will find that flying will make your band tight.