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keep having to be unfilled!

LisaBen
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LisaBen Member

LisaBen

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Hello everyone,

I was banding a year ago and since then have had about 4 unfills! My band keep swelling so I have to get an unfill..then when i get it filled again, it swells the next day! I can't seem to handle a fill anymore! The good news is that I am at my goal. I have lost 120 lbs and kept it off without a fill, so far LOL. I'm just scared that if i do need a fill someday, I wont be able to get one.

Has this happened to anyone else?

Lisa B.

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BrandNewDawn Advanced Member

BrandNewDawn

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LisaBen,

I have been reading on this forum since March 2008 and the swelling and needing to have some fill removed seem pretty common. I think their is a fine line between "sweet spot" restrictiona and being too tight. I also think that the "too tight" fill is the one that works the best for rapid weight loss. And, many lapband patients are looking for quick results and are willing to tolerate the tight restriction required for rapid weight loss. The only thing is, that tight restriction can cause the swelling and the need for unfills. And, if you go back in for another fill without letting all of the swelling go down, you end up right back in the same situation but patients want their fill back because they gain weight without it or stop losing (like me). It is a vicious cycle. You can end up slipping your band from being too tight for too long.

Congrats on losing 120 pounds. That is great! Good for you for being able to maintain your weight without a fill. Hopefully, the longer you can go without a fill, the more the swelling will go down so that if you ever need a fill, you will okay. Good luck.

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LisaBen Member

LisaBen

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LisaBen,

I have been reading on this forum since March 2008 and the swelling and needing to have some fill removed seem pretty common. I think their is a fine line between "sweet spot" restrictiona and being too tight. I also think that the "too tight" fill is the one that works the best for rapid weight loss. And, many lapband patients are looking for quick results and are willing to tolerate the tight restriction required for rapid weight loss. The only thing is, that tight restriction can cause the swelling and the need for unfills. And, if you go back in for another fill without letting all of the swelling go down, you end up right back in the same situation but patients want their fill back because they gain weight without it or stop losing (like me). It is a vicious cycle. You can end up slipping your band from being too tight for too long.

Congrats on losing 120 pounds. That is great! Good for you for being able to maintain your weight without a fill. Hopefully, the longer you can go without a fill, the more the swelling will go down so that if you ever need a fill, you will okay. Good luck.

Thank you! I did wait 2 months before getting my fill put back in. I had her only put in 1 cc and within hours liquid wouldn't go down. It's the strangest thing. So now I am back to a complete unfill again. I do still continue to eat like I have a fill. I stick to the same diet.

Hopefully I will never need a fill again but I guess you never know.

OH here's a great story!! I eat Progresso light soup every day for lunch. Well Walmart had them really cheap so I stocked up on them. The Walmart cashier asked me "is this some kind of diet" and I said it was. And she responded with "but you're tiny"!!!! OMG I have never ever been called tiny in my life!! hahahaha It felt GREAT!!

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LisaBen Member

LisaBen

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Hey Lisa - did you have a TT and could the swelling be in any way related to that?

Congrats on your weight loss! You are awesome!

Thanks! No, no tummy tuck YET LOL..i am having everything lifted and tucked next July. saving up for it! :D

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PAMMIE Supreme Member

PAMMIE

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Hello everyone,

I was banding a year ago and since then have had about 4 unfills! My band keep swelling so I have to get an unfill..then when i get it filled again, it swells the next day! I can't seem to handle a fill anymore! The good news is that I am at my goal. I have lost 120 lbs and kept it off without a fill, so far LOL. I'm just scared that if i do need a fill someday, I wont be able to get one.

Has this happened to anyone else?

Lisa B.

CONGRATULATIONS ON HITTING YOUR GOAL :)

THE GALS THAT DO MY FILLS SAY THEY SEE IT ALL THE TIME, PEOPLE THAT ARE CLOSE TO THEIR GOAL WEIGHT NEED UNFILLS WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU'D THINK

HAPPENED TO ME ALSO

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LisaBen Member

LisaBen

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CONGRATULATIONS ON HITTING YOUR GOAL :)

THE GALS THAT DO MY FILLS SAY THEY SEE IT ALL THE TIME, PEOPLE THAT ARE CLOSE TO THEIR GOAL WEIGHT NEED UNFILLS WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU'D THINK

HAPPENED TO ME ALSO

really?? I was thinking it's because our bodies have changed so much that maybe our stomachs can't handle fills anymore. I know I still have restriction without a fill. Hopefully I will never need a fill again because when it tightens its horrible! I love being able to drink freely! I chug water all day like crazy, only because I can again LOL

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Iluvmyboyz Member

Iluvmyboyz

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Oh my! I totally have the same problem and it has been very frustrating and a long and slow process. I get a fill and do great with it for about 5 months and then all of a sudden something happens and I can't even keep water down and one time I was throwing up blood and then had to get a complete unfill and slowly work back up. It is crazy! I too have plenty of restriction without fluid in my band. It is weird! I have 2.4 ccs in my band right now and have not had a fill since March and am struggling right now to drink or eat very much. I keep debating whether to get an unfill or not. I hate spending $265 each time at Fill Centers. I have been stuck at a loss of 52 lbs for months and months and finally recently hit a 61 lb loss. I love my band! It is the greatest thing I ever did for myself. I am thrilled to look in the mirror and actually smile at myself. I can imagine how happy you must be losing 120 lbs despite the crazy finnicky band. Wow! You got called "tiny." That is totally amazing!!! You rock! Thanks for sharing your story, it gives me hope. I still have 20 or so lbs to lose and there is hope. Have a great day!

Natalie

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LisaBen Member

LisaBen

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Oh my! I totally have the same problem and it has been very frustrating and a long and slow process. I get a fill and do great with it for about 5 months and then all of a sudden something happens and I can't even keep water down and one time I was throwing up blood and then had to get a complete unfill and slowly work back up. It is crazy! I too have plenty of restriction without fluid in my band. It is weird! I have 2.4 ccs in my band right now and have not had a fill since March and am struggling right now to drink or eat very much. I keep debating whether to get an unfill or not. I hate spending $265 each time at Fill Centers. I have been stuck at a loss of 52 lbs for months and months and finally recently hit a 61 lb loss. I love my band! It is the greatest thing I ever did for myself. I am thrilled to look in the mirror and actually smile at myself. I can imagine how happy you must be losing 120 lbs despite the crazy finnicky band. Wow! You got called "tiny." That is totally amazing!!! You rock! Thanks for sharing your story, it gives me hope. I still have 20 or so lbs to lose and there is hope. Have a great day!

Natalie

Thank you! I was also at 2.4 and had to have a complete unfill. I have no fill now and STILL have not been able to hardly eat or drink today!! I don't get it. My band is fine. It was looked at under flouro a month ago and it looked perfect. I just swell so easily. I hate spending the money on unfills as well. Luckily, I have a paramedic friend who does the unfills. The Fill Center nurse told him how one time cause i needed an emergancy unfill and she couldn't do it for a week so she had no choice but to tell him how. I'm not sure if I will ever get another fill since I can hardly eat without any fill. I think it has to do with losing so much weight..not sure.

Good luck on the last 20lbs!! That's the hardest!!

Lisa B

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