Good Restriction After Band Holiday???

Hello!
I have been on a band holiday for about five months due to having my gallbladder removed and some other GI issues that finally seem to be mostly resolved. *knock on wood!* I'm ready to start getting fills again and am wondering what kind of success folks have had with getting a good level of restriction after having such a long holiday. When all of this started I was having some reflux which completely disappeared within a day after my complete unfill. So, my guess is that I need to start really slowly and always have a fill under fluoro. I'd love to hear your experience with fills after a holiday and any advice you may have. I'm so ready to start losing weight again!! Thanks!!

Well I have been on a "holiday" for over a year due to several issues myself. I had my first fill last week after a port replacement and have been doing fantastic!! I really threw my WHOLE self into this. I have lost 12 lbs since my port replacement on the 17th. So I am pretty excited.

I wish I could get fills under fluoro... I hate the guessing game of blind fills.

Good luck with getting restriction back. Welcome back.

Thank you so much! I highly recommend getting fills under fluoro. My last fill before all my trouble started was the only one I had without fluoro. I'll never do one without again! Good luck to you, too! Sounds like you have a great new start!

My first 3 fills were done under fluoro. My 4th fill... my FIRST one without fluoro... is when I started having problems too. I am pretty sure it was the cause of my leak. 

It is an 8 hour drive round trip to go to the surgeon that does them under fluoro, not to mention $250/fill. 

I am hoping this time around I won't have anymore issues. *crossing fingers*

Ok...so I just made a resolution not to complain about my $60 copay for fills and the fact that my surgeon's office is on my way home from work....

But now I'm curious...what happens when you get a leak?

Well I ignored my leak for awhile. Kept getting fills that wouldn't hold. (I was in denial... self pay meant I was also a self pay fix).

I finally got my port replaced on 01|17|11 (three years post op). I have been doing great since. Lost 15 of the 60lbs I regained. 

My surgeon is amazing. I love him. He is close. And now that he placed my new port... I am hoping there will be no problems finding it! lol. I only pay $100 if I get a fill / $50 for an office visit only. 

As much as I would prefer fluoro... I don't want to switch surgeons again for follow up. Besides... don't know if anyone else local would take me. And I will not do the 8 hour round trip drives anymore. 

Ah...that makes sense. When I was going through "bandster hell" I often wondered if there was some sort of leak because I never felt more restriction until after that last fill. The unfill proved it was all fine though when they took out 7cc which meant I had been filled with 4cc plus it had been primed with 3cc which I didn't know. So glad you have a surgeon you like and trust and that is close by now! When I first got the band, I don't think I really understood how involved it would be to get to the right restriction. So here we go again...but at least I know what to expect this time!

I am in Canada and it is all self pay. I am new as I am getting banded next wednesday what is fluoro. I am feaked about the needle. I sometimes pass out with needles.

 Hi, 
I am going through the same thing.
Mine is going on a year of holiday.
I got sick last Jan and had to have an unfill of the band.
When I started getting fills, one of the Meds that I was on (prednizone)
the band did not that Med.
So unfilled again. I finally got off the Prednizone and about 1 month ago
I got 3cc in a 10cc band. I have alittle restriction.
Doc want me to wait till march for another fill, wants all the med out of my system.
I too am ready to start losing again. I gained 45lbs in the last year.
My total weight loss was 115lbs.(how all those bad habits come back)
I need motivation and the right fill
Good Luck to you!!!!

Wow, I had no idea that medications could affect your fills! Before my unfill I was up to 7cc but I'm still not sure what size band I have.I think 10cc...but not positive. I was feeling like I had the perfect restriction then except the reflux was so terrible! So...not sure what's going to happen from here. Good luck to you! I know...old habits die so, so, so hard!!