Decided to get an "unfill"......any advice?

After several stuck episodes (slime, PBing, and throwing up) in the past month, I have decided to get a slight unfill. I currently have 6 or 6.5 cc in a 10 cc band (can't remember!).  Everything was great until this month. I have not changed the way I eat and I know there can be a lot of different reasons for tightness but I am really concerned that I am going to do permanent damage to my band and I no longer have insurance that covers lap band so it would be DEVASTATING to lose it!!  I am thinking about asking for .5 cc to be taken out. Anyone else had an unfill?  I would love any advice you can give.

THANKS!

A couple of questions...have you tried a couple of days of liquids before your unfill?  You could have had an episode and then didn't give it enough time to settle down...if you haven't tried a couple of days of liquids, I'd do that first.

Secondly, are you following band rules?  Small bites, eating slowly, etc.?  I thought I needed an unfill, but I had to go back to following band rules and it all worked out and I saved myself the office visit.

If neither of those things work, THEN I'd make an appointment.  Getting an unfill is as easy as getting a fill.  It's really no big deal.  My doc put me on liquids for a day afterward to allow the swelling/irritation to go down. 

That's just my experience/advice on the subject....

Good luck to you!!  

Julie

I'd think about a smaller unfill..such as .2-.25. I had something similar happy to me out of the blue..and the .2-.3 made all the difference in the world. Good luck! -Nikki

I did one day of liquids yesterday (I threw up on Saturday night) and am moving to mushies today. I made the appointment for Friday thinking I would try to get it to calm down and then cancel the appointment if needed. I just don't want this to keep happening. The problems are inconsistent but sometimes I have a hard time getting liquids down (and I haven't eaten anything). I am pretty much following the band rules. I haven't changed anything I am doing the only thing I can think it is is dehydration (it is so hot here and I know I have not been drinking as I should) and stress (lots of vacations, death in the family and life in general with a 2 year old and a 3 year old!).  I was just thinking that I could get the unfill now and then get a refill in the fall.  I appreciate your advice. It sounds like you did an unfill at one point?  And then another tiime you stayed on liquids and it calmed down on its own?? Is that right?

Yep, that's what happened to me.  I had a .5cc unfill a couple of days after a fill (ironically I was at 6.5 ccs and he took me back to 6 ccs).  The second time, I did what I recommended and then it calmed down and I don't have issues anymore.  I haven't gotten a fill in about six weeks.

Nikki and two other of my band friends did the mini-unfill as she suggested and all three of them are now happy as clams.  So that is also a consideration. 

I'm sorry you are having these issues!

Julie

I got an unfill of 1cc on Wed wad onliquids for 2 days than reg food. It has really help. I had to get an unfill because I was vomiting my pills causing me to also throw up blood. I hadn't had fill before that since Nov.2009 why I goy tight the are not really sure they beleive it was due to stress and some other stuck episdoes that I had and I din't let the swelling to go down. So the best thing for me was unfill and it was no pick deal it didn't hurt at all. I did not do any damage they did it under a floursope.
Cathie

Get your fluids in! They have a huge impact on my band, and if I hve run low I am more likely to have something stuck and come up. If that doesn't do it then by all means have a slight unfill. I had one of 1cc  about 21/2 weeks out from my very first fill. I was having a hard time paying attention to how I was eating and got stuck frequently. I asked for .5cc out, but the PA recommended a full cc. I got .5 back about 21/2 weeks ago and it is just right.

Before I got this last fill the only time I had a problem was when I was careless, or when I didn't get my fluid in. In fact, I'm low right now so will go drink some water. Good luck!

 Had a .2cc unfill about a month ago and the best thing that happened to me. Like you I started pbing, vomiting, etc. I usually drink hot liquids before each meal and drink at least 100 ounces of water a day so I knew it wasn't that! My surgeons office said they've seen a lot of unfills this summer due to the extreme heat issues across the country. Since my unfill I've been able to eat a better balanced diet. Sometimes it is the smallest unfill that makes a big difference.

I had an unfill of a tiny, tiny 0.1cc! And it made all the difference.

Kate

I just had an unfill a couple of hours ago. I had my check-up on Thursday, with fluro, and things were looking good. I mentioned that I was feeling a little tight, so we opted to not do any fill. This weekend, I tightened up big time, with 3 vomiting episodes. Went on liquids, but by this morning, even those were having a very hard time going down. My doctor took out 1 cc and I will go back in 3 weeks from now and if I am feeling like I need tightening, she will put half back in.  She suspects stress coupled with some post nasal drip that has cropped up the past few days. I may have some allergies or a head cold that is causing that. I was in too much pain and the heartburn was very concerning to me, so I did not fiddle around, just went in and had some fluid taken out.