I need an unfill soon....

Well, ins has to pay for slips from docs that are not great.  I'm not one to blame docs for slips most of the time.  It's user error as well as luck of the draw.  Slips are increasing, not decreasing.  I blame post op diets a great deal but that's another topic.

Personally, I see no reason not to research your surgeon.  People get so excited about WLS that they don't want to find anything negative about a surgery type or surgeon.  They just want the surgery more than they wanted anything and they tend to gloss over the bad and only see what they want to see, the good.

I think in my case it's probably a combination of my errors and the surgeons.  I just pray that this fix will hold.  I wouldn't qualify now for a different surgery, but would love to have the sleeve. 

"i'd get to basics before rushing in for an unfill, but that's me. Two days of clears, 2 days of fulls, and then 2 days of soft foods."

Is that standard? Or is there even a "standard"? Cause my instructions say something like 2 days of liquids (not clear, just liquid) and then back to normal. The huge variance between instructions from one surgeon to another is kind of weird, IMO. I'm wondering if a 6 day plan like you describe is more gentle on the system or has any benefits like that?

It's just my experience that the doctors in MX are a whole lot more conservative.  For example, know what my post op diet was for a band?  Two weeks clears, 2 weeks fulls, 2 weeks soft foods.  Think about it, I puked 20x a week sometimes yet I never slipped.  Slip stats are going up and up *in the US* and it's not surgical placement, it's that we never give people time to heal from surgery.

I wasn't permitted a fill for 6 weeks.

Fills mean two day stages of clears, fulls, soft foods.

For those that have a slip it means a total unfill and liquids for 3-6 weeks.  In the US it seems to tyipically mean an unfill only. 

A friend of mine had a band at a COE in Scottsdale.  She was on clears in the hospital (1 day), fulls for 3 days, soft for three days and solids as tolerated.  She's had one band issue after another, a slip, the works.  She's a BMI of probably around 60 and she's lost 24# in a year.

If you smash your finger and it swells, is the swelling gone in 24 hours?  Usually not, it takes a few days.  So to me it does make sense to take it slowly.

Wow, that is a huge increase at your level of fill. Usually, increments of less then 0/4 cc at a time i this larger band are all that is tolerated. I'd never allow someone to give me this much new fill!! Remember, we want as LITTLE fill as possible to still get some help while we are working very seriously on changing our eating, food choices, and lifestyle - NEVER as much fill as we can try to tolerate. the #1 reason most people get into small and big trouble with their bands, is trying to keep a too-tight fill. WAY too many people are losing their bands, and doing poorly overall.

In my experience, many  docs are just doing a very poor job of educating about all this. So WE ourselves must tak the responsibility to learn what is needed to stay safe so we have a chance to keep our bands.

You were clearly too tight from the moment you first started vomiting. then, every  further vomit increased the swelling and irritation more, which made you vomit more when you kept trying to eat mushy food.
ANY time you start vomiting and not tolerating fluid or food after a fill, it's time to get in touch with the doc, and go back to fluids only. until you can get in for an unfill - that same day, ideally. Please never keep trying to eat solids if you're vomiting!! this makes the swelling even worse. you want to REST the stoma with warm fluids ONLY.

You can get plenty of nutrition from liquids, so please don't think you'll starve or get ill from not having solids. here are people with illnesses who can never eat solids in their life, and they do fine with nutrition.  Have some hot tea now with honey and lemon, to get your blood sugar up.

It IS very important that you maintain your hydration now.  Sip HOT liquids, one tsp at a time, every minute or so., This is critical - if you're dehydrated any more, things will be even worse. Also, put a warm heating pad on your chest for 30 min every 2 hrs - this will relax and open the stoma to help you get fluids in.

You MUST get in for an unfill today. At this point, you'll likely need the whole new fill out, and a bit of the last one, so your stoma can rest and heal. Please review the signs and symptoms of fill problem's
and get in right away with an overfill. i recommend NEVER getting a new fill on a Thursday or Friday, unless you have confirmed that the fill person is immediately available at any time on the weekend.


please review these documents that will help you learn more about your band, fills, and problems:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/LapBand/4137018/When-do-I- need-more-fill-Education-document-re-post/#33781943

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/LapBand/4137017/What-is-a- good-fill-Re-post/#33781940

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/LapBand/4135921/REFLUX-re- post/#33775919


Keep the faith. You'll heal and recover, and then can get another SMALL fill if needed, in another month or so. and now you're much wiser and able to take better care of yourself. Where has your doc's education about all these things been?



sandy r
band educator
at goal 6 yrs
banded 7 yrs

Thanks Sandy for your post. I have been on liquids for most of the time. I only tried eating mushies on Saturday evening. Since then i have been on liquids. My unfill just got rescheduled to fiest thing in the morning. I just want to cry. Unfortunately, the dr is still in surgery and won't be able to do the unfill til tomorrow.

Regarding getting fills done on Fridays, that is the ONLY day that they do it. Every 3 weeks on a Friday. I thought about it too being on a weekend. it just doesn't make sense.

Thanks,
Kim