Monday, September 5, 2011

In need of advice, please

Tomorrow I go to the Dr. to have some fluid put back in my band. I had 3.5cc's in a 10cc band. I was at a great level for a while and then the band just started getting tighter. I was too tight for at least 2 months before having .5cc's removed. I'm wondering how much fluid I should have put back in. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Big Hugs and Happy Labor Day!
T

10 comments:

Read said...

How are you doing down there - weather wise??? I hope all is well!!

I think you should have absolutely no more than half of what you had taken out.

Jen said...

I would ask for the smallest fill possible. When you are thisclose to being too tight the smallest amount can make a huge difference. So I've heard!
I'd love a .1 cc fill but my Dr. doesn't do fills that way. He goes by 'feel' and how I can swallow...hell..swallowing water is a whole lot different than swallowing chicken, so I don't get that method..but I digress.
Love ya!

Tina said...

I don't know where you carry your weight. I carried mine in my stomach and waist mostly and found that as I gained weight I got tighter and as I lost I got looser. My best bet was to try and get a fill when I was at a low and then ride a bit of a tight out but try and lose more so I could lose more fat around my band. This worked less and less effectively as I got closer and closer to goal.

At my last visit the surgeon said that now that I am at goal that I might build up scar tissue around my stomach opening and need to actually have a bit of an unfill at some point.

So then for you the question is is there fat around your band that still needs to go or are one of those stable banders who carry their fat in the bum region and don't vary tightness with weightless so much. If you are more stable with a fill I would go with .25 (half of what you had before). If you have lost some weight and you have fat around your band you might be ready for the .5 back.

Let us know what you decide and Good luck with your next fill :)

xxxooo

kagead said...

I am going in tomorrow for a refill after a defill, too! Like you I was fine and then BAM, way too tight.

My last fill was in May and she put in .2. When I had the defill a few weeks ago, she took out that same .2.

I am pretty sure that tommorow's fill will be .1cc. Of course, I have way more in my band than you do- I'm at 9.7ccs after the defill.

Please let us know what you decide and how it went!

Sandy said...

I'd say start with 3 cc and then work up by 0.1 or 0.2 cc. I got really tight at 4.4 and they took out 0.5 cc. It took me 6 months to get up to 4.5 and I feel very little restriction. I think with them taking out a bunch, it changed how restricted I was. It was strange though that with each tiny refill, it was completely different from last year. I could still eat everything, yet I had been stuck at those low amounts repeatedly. Maybe it's a good thing to have an unfill every once in a while. It seems to soothe the stomach somehow.

I'm not at my sweet spot yet. I will be having a defill just before Chicago though since I will be flying to Europe three weeks later and I don't want problems. Sucks, but I will just have to try to maintain this weight until November.

Whatever you or they decide--go with it. You can always get more put in (unless you are one of those that pay a fortune for a fill--I pay $50 each time). Let us know how you are.

Cindylew said...

I can't give you expert advice so I hope it's okay that I'm just here to wish you luck in whatever you and your Doc decide.
I'll be thinking of you.

~Lisa~ said...

I can't help you since I haven't had a fill yet - I'm a band virgin....

Good luck to you and keep me posted! I'll be interested in seeing what happens!

I hope everything is ok where you are!

Kristin said...

I think it depends on how you are feeling. The worst thing in the world is to be too tight! Seriously! Not being able to swallow your spit is no fun at all! So I would be careful as you try to increase again.

I would agree to try .1 or .2 to begin with and go from there.

Good luck and let us know how you do!

MandaPanda said...

I'd also say half of what you had in. Better to not overdo. Good luck!

Kristin said...

Oy, if I had any idea about fill levels I could start a business and be a bijillionaire. But good luck, I hope it goes well. Always better to err on the side of caution, as I have learned the hard, hard way.