Hi..i could use some advice, understanding, anything. I had my surgery over a year ago..adn so far lost about 90 pounds. for the last few months...i cant keep anything down. everytime i eat, the pain is sooo bad, then my body starts to ached, headache, my mood gets very testy, until i vomit. Then i feel perfect fine. Happens everday almost...a few times a day. Sometimes, after doing this all day..all of the sudden it feels like i can eat, and feel fine. I am going in a couple days. I want to be fully opened...i only have .7cc in my band. I need this to stop...i need a break..i dont care if i gain a ton of weight. Has anyone ever gone though this. while i still belive this is the best thing i have ever done...this is sooo horrible. Thanks for any help.

Zoe

Sounds like a serious question for your doctor.

Hello,

After about 1 year of having my band filled I lost 90 pounds and found myself in the same situation you described. I did what you are planning and had my band unfilled. Then I got it filled, unfilled, filled, filled and filled. From the time is was unfilled, to the time it was back at the right fill level was about 5 months. I gained over 30 pounds. Since it has been at the right fill level (2 months), I have lost about 12 pounds. So, if I continue to loose at the end of the year I will weight exactlly the same as I weighed last year. I would have preferred to weigh less.

Be a little concerned about gaining weight when the band is not filled. I know when it feels like a piano landed on your chest, the last thing you care about is loosing weight, you just want somebody to move the piano. The unfill is like having the piano removed, it is a huge relief. I only wish I had been quicker to get the band refilled to the right level sooner.

THE REASON THIS HAPPENS MAY NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE FILL LEVEL OF YOUR BAND. If your fill level intiaqlly worked and the band seemed to get tighter, the band fill level was probably alright. What happens is that when you vomit this causes trama and swelling, so things tighten up. Then because they are tighter, you vomit again and things swell even more and then before long, you are swollen shut and can't even swallow a single drop of water. Then you have to get unfilled.

THE WAY TO FIX THIS AND NEVER HAVE THIS ISSUE AGAIN is to be very strict with your diet and not push it even one time. Once you vomit it is a very good idea to go to clear liquids right away for a week. You may not feel tighter after the fist time, but swelling has occured annd by the time it feels tighter, it is to late and it will be hard to recover without an unfill. Clear liquids will save you from ever having to feel like this again. Never, ever vomit and then the first time you do go immediatly to 7 days of clear liquids.

Once it gets very tight, an unfill is required. For my this cost me 30 pounds, 9 months and about $1,500. I would rather not pay that tuition bill again.