RE: Advice about fill amount

April 10, 2007

Hey ..Sorry to hear that you're having such problems with your

little device.

Unfortunatelly I am having the dame issue. I was banded 5 years ago.

Everything was great until I started getting fills. I had my first

fill and everything was fine. I think at that time he put in 1cc. I

felt fine but felt that I was eating too much. I went back and he put

in half of 1cc. I began feeling uncomfortable with having 1.5cc in. I

couldnt tolerate food at all. I went back to him and he removed

everything and told me to go on meds. I think I went on Nexium. In

about 2 weeks I began feeling much better. I began eating again, at

that point I wasent restricted at all. I began gaining weight and

thats when I went to my doc again and he gave me another fill. I

couln't tolerate that fill either and in about a month of complete

tourture I went back to him and removed all of my sailine. I then got

pregnant and during my pregnancy I've gained around 100lbs,which

brings me to the same situation as you are. Do I go back and get

another fill or should I just leave it alone. I am totally confussed

as well. But girl, you are not alone.

All the best,

la

>

> I have had the worst record for fills and unfills of anyone I have

> read about. My history as quick as I can tell it....Banded 9/06

1st

> with a VG 10cc band. My 1st fill in TJ was 5cc. No restriction

> whatsoever, 2nd fill locally 6cc no restriction and said there was

> only 3.5cc in the band, 3rd fill 6.8cc and once again she said

there

> was only 3.5cc of saline in the band at time of fill. She said if

> the 7cc didn't have restriction that she would give me heavy saline

> at next appt. Once again no restriction and only 3.5cc in band the

> next month. All this was happening at 1 month intervals.So, the

> fourth fill in 4 months she used heavy saline and took it to 7.5 cc

> and within 2 weeks I was so restricted I could not eat or even

drink

> hot liquids. I made an emergency trip for an unfill. She took all

> out but 1.5 cc so the swelling could go down and I took prilosec.

> I waited a month with only 1.5cc in my band and returned and had

> 5cc total of heavy saline put back in. I wasn't losing, but felt

> minor restriction occasionally so I thought a month later I would

> get " a little bit " more. So I left with 5.6cc and within 2 days I

> could not even drink any liquid. So another emergency unfill. This

> time she left 5.cc which brings me where I am today Now another

> month later I can eat way too much and I am wondering do I dare try

> for a small fill or not. My question is A. should I try a fill

at

> all and B. with my size band what would be considered a small fill

> if .6 was way too much? Thank you to anyone in advance who can

give

> opinions. I do know it is hit or miss and different for everyone.

>

April 10, 2007

> 5.cc which brings me where I am today Now another

> month later I can eat way too much and I am wondering do I dare try

> for a small fill or not. My question is A. should I try a fill at

> all and B. with my size band what would be considered a small fill

> if .6 was way too much? Thank you to anyone in advance who can give

> opinions. I do know it is hit or miss and different for everyone.

>

Hello and I'm sorry for the fill problems your having. Sounds

like you have learned to work the Band and have solved a maor problem

by using the thicker saline. Forgive me for the tough love but know

you need to learn to WORK WITH the Band. The Band is a tool and

adjusting it is the trickiest part but working with the Band is even

more tricky. This is the head part and includes the mental and the

physical aspects of WORKING With the Band. Have your burned the Band

guidelines into your brain? 3-4 6-8 oz meals a day and one snack if

needed. 1/2 to 2/3 of the 6-8 oz should be protein. The remainder is

veggies and dairy with carbs maybe once or twice a week. Drink 6-8

glasses of water or non-caloric fluids between meals and not with the

meal or for 45-60 minutes after the meal. Are you taking your

multivitamins twice a day? Liquid vitamins are best. Are you

exercising 30 minutes, 3-4 time a week? Are your meals qualty, non-

fast foods? Are you attending support group meetings? Online Support

groups? Have you read the websites for Lap-Band Dr's for suggestions

on foods and portions and life with the Band instructions? Have you

found any books about life with the Band? Have you tried to minimize

Lifes stresses on your everyday life? All of this is CRITICAL as a

complete package to help you to change old habits and improve your

quality of life. Getting the Band was the first step. The rest is one

step at a time with great accomplishments along the way and a feeling

of success with this decision you have made.

May God bless you and keep you safe and give you continued success.

Dr. Spiegel

05/17/2006

367/274/245

April 10, 2007

WOW, sorry for your troubles,

you guys had gone back and for with the fills and unfills. Some people just go

get 2 or 3 and they loose some others have trouble and others like me wait long

time and try to do it by using will power too.

I agree about the band tools and the exercise IT IS ESSENTIAL, THE BAND IS A

TOOL.

On my second fill I was so afraid that wanted just a little, they put so

little that it did not do nothing, but I wanted to " adapt " to the new fill. I am

one of those persons that will wait long long time between fills. I think that

we need to adjust, that we need to work with the band before the next fill.

I had my third fill last November, it is not the perfect fill, I been stuck on

my weight for a long time and I had to learn other things of my band like:

how stress plays: you think that you are tight but in reality you are stress

out.

then how much you eat:you think I am eating only 1 to 1.5 cup and I am not

loosing, you think you need a fill. But what are you eating?

The best thing, is to write down your food related with situations and analyze

if you need the fill or not. Use fitday.com and track your intake.

Exercise: you think that 30 min 2 or 3 times is enough, well let me tell you

IS NOT FOR ME, I need 45 min and 5 times a week, other people need less, but you

need to know what is the BEST FOR YOU.

In my humble opinion, I do not run for a fill, I wait, learn even if I am not

loosing, I was happy to maintain for 6 months, but I learn a great deal about me

and the band. Finally broke the plateau and now I am into another set of

challenges.

God Bless,

Lidia

<jgonzy56@...> wrote:

> 5.cc which brings me where I am today Now another

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April 11, 2007

It is useless to talk about fills in terms of amount, and even worse to try to

compare them. The only fill amounts are too little, too much, and just right.

I can tell you from personal experience, and that of many others, that when

you're " almost right " that even 0.1cc can make a BIG difference. I know thaz

for me changing it by 0.1 was the difference between " comfortably tight " and

totally unable to get a drop of water through. Others might want it 0.1 looser,

but again that illustrates how much " fine tuning " there is.

dan

Re: Advice about fill amount

> Hey ..Sorry to hear that you're having such problems with your

> little device.

> Unfortunatelly I am having the dame issue. I was banded 5 years ago.

> Everything was great until I started getting fills. I had my first

> fill and everything was fine. I think at that time he put in 1cc. I

> felt fine but felt that I was eating too much. I went back and he put

> in half of 1cc. I began feeling uncomfortable with having 1.5cc in. I

> couldnt tolerate food at all. I went back to him and he removed

> everything and told me to go on meds. I think I went on Nexium. In

> about 2 weeks I began feeling much better. I began eating again, at

> that point I wasent restricted at all. I began gaining weight and

> thats when I went to my doc again and he gave me another fill. I

> couln't tolerate that fill either and in about a month of complete

> tourture I went back to him and removed all of my sailine. I then got

> pregnant and during my pregnancy I've gained around 100lbs,which

> brings me to the same situation as you are. Do I go back and get

> another fill or should I just leave it alone. I am totally confussed

> as well. But girl, you are not alone.

> All the best,

> la

>

> >

> > I have had the worst record for fills and unfills of anyone I have

> > read about. My history as quick as I can tell it....Banded 9/06

> 1st

> > with a VG 10cc band. My 1st fill in TJ was 5cc. No restriction

> > whatsoever, 2nd fill locally 6cc no restriction and said there was

> > only 3.5cc in the band, 3rd fill 6.8cc and once again she said

> there

> > was only 3.5cc of saline in the band at time of fill. She said if

> > the 7cc didn't have restriction that she would give me heavy saline

> > at next appt. Once again no restriction and only 3.5cc in band the

> > next month. All this was happening at 1 month intervals.So, the

> > fourth fill in 4 months she used heavy saline and took it to 7.5 cc

> > and within 2 weeks I was so restricted I could not eat or even

> drink

> > hot liquids. I made an emergency trip for an unfill. She took all

> > out but 1.5 cc so the swelling could go down and I took prilosec.

> > I waited a month with only 1.5cc in my band and returned and had

> > 5cc total of heavy saline put back in. I wasn't losing, but felt

> > minor restriction occasionally so I thought a month later I would

> > get " a little bit " more. So I left with 5.6cc and within 2 days I

> > could not even drink any liquid. So another emergency unfill. This

> > time she left 5.cc which brings me where I am today Now another

> > month later I can eat way too much and I am wondering do I dare try

> > for a small fill or not. My question is A. should I try a fill

> at

> > all and B. with my size band what would be considered a small fill

> > if .6 was way too much? Thank you to anyone in advance who can

> give

> > opinions. I do know it is hit or miss and different for everyone.

> >

>

April 13, 2007

Thank you for responding. I think one thing that I did wrong with the 2

fills that restricted so tight I could not even drink water! Was that I did

not go on liquids for 48 hours afterwards. After reading some advice from

others I realized I did not do that and that maybe with a minimal amount of

fill next time and liquids I will try again next month. I am determimed

not to quit this time. I am 41 4 kids and 253 lbs. I have always been a

quitter I realize now and after doing something as big as surgery I refuse

to fail..I wanted to encourage you to try again. You never fail if you

never stop trying.

I would love to hear how you are if you want to stay in touch.

Best wishes,

April 13, 2007

Thank you, also for responding . Your points were so important. My

exercise is fabulous 5-6 times a week on my elliptical for 30 minutes and I

get a huge endorphin buzz which I love. Everything else is a work in

progress, my only comment is, if I could do all those other things

neccesary without the help of restriction from the band I would not have

needed surgery. For most of my 8 months banded I had no restriction because

the normal saline was being absorbed, then I was too tight etc. I do need

the band's restriction or I eat too much. It is a fine line I am learning

and am open to hearing any responses. My own way of thinking got me to

292lbs. So I know I need advice.

June 19, 2007

The only fill amounts are too much, too little, and just right. Obviously

you've bounced between too much and too little.

I don't know what the heck " heavy saline " is.

However, I DO know that in ANY band when you're close to the right amount even

0.1 can make a BIG difference. It is genuinely fine tuning....not making big

changes. Are you getting your fills under fluoro? Who is doing them and where?

Really, some folks are fine with 1cc in a band like yours, some need 11cc (yes,

will really go over the ten and be ok if that's what you need).

Keep working on it...you'll get there.

And how are you doing on your food choices and on your exercise and on your

weight loss?

Tell us more.

cheers

dan

It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you;

it's what you leave behind you when you go.

www.mylapband.tk or www.riverofdata.com

Dan Lester, Boise, Idaho, USA

Dr. Ortiz, Tijuana, 4/27/03

355/323/206/190

Advice about fill amount

>I have had the worst record for fills and unfills of anyone I have

>read about. My history as quick as I can tell it....Banded 9/06 1st

>with a VG 10cc band. My 1st fill in TJ was 5cc. No restriction

>whatsoever, 2nd fill locally 6cc no restriction and said there was

>only 3.5cc in the band, 3rd fill 6.8cc and once again she said there

>was only 3.5cc of saline in the band at time of fill. She said if

>the 7cc didn't have restriction that she would give me heavy saline

>at next appt. Once again no restriction and only 3.5cc in band the

>next month. All this was happening at 1 month intervals.So, the

>fourth fill in 4 months she used heavy saline and took it to 7.5 cc

>and within 2 weeks I was so restricted I could not eat or even drink

>hot liquids. I made an emergency trip for an unfill. She took all

>out but 1.5 cc so the swelling could go down and I took prilosec.

>I waited a month with only 1.5cc in my band and returned and had

>5cc total of heavy saline put back in. I wasn't losing, but felt

>minor restriction occasionally so I thought a month later I would

>get " a little bit " more. So I left with 5.6cc and within 2 days I

>could not even drink any liquid. So another emergency unfill. This

>time she left 5.cc which brings me where I am today Now another

>month later I can eat way too much and I am wondering do I dare try

>for a small fill or not. My question is A. should I try a fill at

>all and B. with my size band what would be considered a small fill

>if .6 was way too much? Thank you to anyone in advance who can give

>opinions. I do know it is hit or miss and different for everyone.

>

June 23, 2007

, so sorry you're having trouble!!That 7.5 cc fill was huge,a no

wonder you got into troyble! Most people need 3-5 small monthyly

fills to creep up slowly on a good restriction. The first fill is

NEVER even meant to be " enough " , but only meant as a small

introduction to the stomach of pressure.

Fills are impt, but only a part of the wt loss solution. There are

many things we must contribute ourselves, and we cannot depend on

fills alone.

We have to be getting regular good exercise, choose wise band foods,

learn and practice much better restriction, work hard on all the

emoptional and psychological issues around our overeating (and few if

any docs even mention this), and much more.

The foods we choose also have a major influence on how a fill reacts.

Wew can all eat way too mcuh, if we choose poor band foods.

I feel it is always a mistske to run for more fill the second we feel

wew can eat too much, and are not losing the average 1-2 # a week. A

dill should be the LAST option, never the firdst.

First, we should look at many other things:

exercise

food choices

getting enough fluid in?

Enough fiber and protein, especially?

Overcoming Hed Hunere and all the emotional eating?

getting good sleepsential for wwt loss, and, again, rarely discussed

by the docs)

Looks for ways to improve these. If they are in good order, BUT we

are syoll not satisfied with 1-1.5 cups of food - yhrn it is time to

think about possibly more fill.

Everyone's fill needs are different, so we cannot advise you about

specific amts. But we do have to crrep up slowly. And, after an

ioverfill, the stomach seems especially sensitive, so we have to go

even slower.

You might look in the files here for ther Document called " Band

Earing Guide " - it has all kinds of info about food choices,

nutrition, basic band rules, yips doe success, and much more.

Sandy R