I met a girl this weekend that said that if the food trickles down, my band is not tight enough, even if the food gets stuck. She also said that I should get my band tighter so that I wouldn't get that horrible stuck feeling; I would just know when to stop eating.

Another woman said that if food gets stuck and/or trickles down I am too tight and should get an unfill.

This Wedensday, I have an appointment for another fill.

Right now on my journey, I am at what they would say that my food sometimes gets stuck. I feel the horrible "Stuck" pain in my esophagus but its once in a while.

I would like to see everyone's opinion on what they think.

Thanks.

My surgeon told me that if I am able to just eat whatever I want, and large bites of it, then I need a fill. Also take into consideration the amount of food you are able to eat at one sitting. Right now I have to be careful that I dont just eat without paying attention or I will get stuck. So I consider myself with adequate restriction. But you should check with your surgeon just to be sure. You dont want to be too tight.

You should be able to eat a cup of solid dense protein and vegetables and feel satisfied for 4-6 hours. Everything should not be getting stuck.

I met a girl this weekend that said that if the food trickles down, my band is not tight enough, even if the food gets stuck. She also said that I should get my band tighter so that I wouldn't get that horrible stuck feeling; I would just know when to stop eating. That doesn't even make sense. The food is supposed to trickle down, otherwise it would stay there forever or until you yakked it out. And a tighter band is going to make things stick more, not less.

Another woman said that if food gets stuck and/or trickles down I am too tight and should get an unfill. Not entirely accurate either. Again, food is supposed to trickle down. And getting stuck is - well, chalk it up to part of the learning process en route to getting the right chewing habits, right bite size, etc. Eventually it's part of the game, and does NOT mean you need to get an unfill.

This Wedensday, I have an appointment for another fill.

Right now on my journey, I am at what they would say that my food sometimes gets stuck. I feel the horrible "Stuck" pain in my esophagus but its once in a while. I would like to see everyone's opinion on what they think.

Here are some of the guidelines I use. They're only true in so far as their mine, you'll learn your own as you go.

I'm too tight if: I've only been too tight once, and I was sliming on Water. I tried to get a chewable Vitamin down and that was it, I ended up spending the next 7 hours running to the bathroom to yak up what looked liek shampoo lather. Generically, if you cannot get any solids down for an extended time, and definitely if you can't get thin liquids down (other than unusual or known circumstances), you're too tight. Getting stuck is more likely a symptom of poor behaviors than being too tight, unless it's happening on everything all the time.

I need a fill when: I find I eat more at a meal than I used to; I need to eat between meals to avoid prolonged hunger sensations; I can eat foods I couldn't previousy eat; I can drink more than tiny sips with meals, without significant pain; I am not feeling restriction, or it is faint.

I need a fill when: I find I eat more at a meal than I used to; I need to eat between meals to avoid prolonged hunger sensations; I can eat foods I couldn't previousy eat; I can drink more than tiny sips with meals, without significant pain; I am not feeling restriction, or it is faint.

If a fill reduces the opening that the food passes through (is that called the stoma?) why would you eventually be able to eat more than before? Does it stretch some how or is it just that you learn to chew better or eat slower? I can understand that it may take several fills before you get the right restriction but once you are there will you lose it eventually?:confused2:

Yes, as you lose weight the fat deposits around the stoma disappear...and the band becomes looser. So you need another fill.

Also, with some people, the band develops very slow 'leaks' (really more like an osmosis thing) and Fluid just mysterioulsy disappears. This is another reason the technicians pull out the fluid in your band before they refill it...they're checking to see if all the fluid that was in there previously is all still there!

Okay I guess if I would have read the 'sticky' thread on fills I would have had my answer. As you lose weight the fat pad around you stomach shrinks which loosens the band, requiring a fill to gain back restriction. Makes soooo much sense to me now.