Hey all,

So heres the thing. I have been banded a looooooong time but i haven't had a fill in 2 yrs due to some bad experiences. When i had the band not a lot was known about it by the doctor and nurses who operated on me ( it was a new technique to them) . I was never told you actually have to get filled regularly, you shouldn't be able to gulp food blah blah blah.

The thing is i got an adjustment last time and it was tight for me...now i actually know this is 'restriction'. I went home and ate as normal while i now know i wasn't supposed to do because of swelling....don't even get me started on how i didn't know all of this!

So i ended up in emergency with a chunk of chicken stuck and havent been filled since, i am struggling to maintain. Working out for an hour a day and eating really healthily but because i have no restriction and havent had for a very long time i am always hungry.

What i need your help with is i dont know how much is too much restriction? should i be on fluids for a week or two, mushies? as my band has a tendency to swell like a balloon when it gets the slightest of fills.

I panicked when i couldn't eat but now i know that i was eating too soon, and you forget you have to chew when you have been loose for a while.

Also i would like to know...do you have restriction when drinking Water? i gulp water because i havent been tight enough not too which makes me think the band has never been tight enough!

How long does it take to get a glass of water down?

I know this is a lot of questions but i have just seen the light and realise HEY! the band is meant to restrict a fair but (was never really explained anything)

Hope you don't think im a complete idiot for being so ignorant for so long, i really appreciate anyone who can help

Belinda

I'm going in for a fill Monday, my first in a year. Once you get to goal weight, you probably wont need fills all the time, as you have found.

personally, I dont swell so I can eat as normal after a fill. But if you do swell, then take it easy, have liquids for a day, mushies for a day or two and then try solids cautiously. You'll know if you're really too tight but generally fills will settle and perhaps loosen off a little.

I'm going in becuase although I'm maintaining well, I'm finding it harder. I can eat a WHOLE sandwich, and I get hungry a lot and have a lot of mindless appetite where I just want to eat but am not really hungry. I exercise about an hour a day too which is why I havent gained any weight.

You should be able to drink without real restriction apart from when your tummy is full - if I drink when I've just eaten these days it can sometimes make me PB. But you may have more restriction for the first week or two after a fill, as long as you CAN drink, you can probably afford to wait and see how it settles.

Fills are important for long term maintenance, so if you find you're hungry its a good idea to go and get a top up, just a teeny tiny one.

thank you so much for the reply, its nice to know someone else on maintenence has the same problem with still needing fills, i always thought once i reached this stage i wouldnt need another adjustment

I haven't had a fill since Dec. and I am sure I don't need one. I can eat whatever I want, just not very much. I drink Water slowly. Mainly because if I drink too fast, I have a burp stuck and it's uncomfortable until I get this loud burp out. So I tend to sip on water.

I am usually on liquids for 24 hours after a fill and then mushies for 24 hours after that. That seems to work well for me.

If you are unfilled, start with a small one. It's better to ease into restriction and see how it goes. Hopefully, you live close to your doctor. I think people end up having problems when they live too far and need an unfill and won't go because they don't want to make the drive.

Denise, you are so right about easing into it, i think because my last fill was so large i wasnt used to such a restriction and ended up getting things stuck because i forgot how to eat properly!

Thankyou for taking the time to respond!

You're welcome. Don't ever be afraid to ask questions. We bandsters get more information here, sometimes, than we get from our doctors. We learn from each other.

So, what I am getting out of your post is that you are completely unfilled right now, right? Are you planning to get a fill?

Normally, depending on how you react to fills, you should be okay with one day of liquids and one day of mushies after a fill. Then just eat slowly and see how it's going. If you're chewing until it's liquid, and taking very small bites, and still having problems, you might have too big of a fill. Feel free to send me a private message any time.

thanks!

I have been banded 6 yrs, this isnt my first fill but i havent had one in so long i forgot what i need to do, it has been 2 yrs since my last fill!