Had to have unfill....1+ years since last fill

michele1
on 11/21/11 6:14 am
Revision on 07/07/15
Hello everyone........

I hope everyone is doing well! Sorry this is long.......Haven't been here in a while (enjoying life thanks to my band) but wanted to share in case someone else is or will experience the same.   
 
I woke up the Tuesday before last in the morning with a stuck feeling in the middle of my chest....about an hour later after having water and my routine vitamins extreme pain radiating to under my left breast took my breath away...figured something got stuck (although I chew all supplements or open capsules) and have never experienced anything like that in over 3 1/2 years of having the band. So I did just liquids, relaxed and put a heating pad on my chest....the extreme pain subsided by the next afternoon but I still didn't feel right....stayed on liquids then mushies for two more days and called my surgeons office on Friday. She ordered a UGI and was having me come in on Tuesday with the results.

Of course by Saturday afternoon felt fine like normal and was thinking of canceling but went anyway........the barium wouldn't go through at all (however had 2 oz of steak with onions and peppers the evening before no problems go figure)...............

Anyway later at the surgeons office of course they wanted to take some out because they saw that the barium drink wouldn't go through on the CD and even though I told them that I could eat steak ect... they took 2 cc's out.

I asked why over a year since the last fill would it have gotten that tight he explained that I must have been borderline tight (upper end of the "green zone") (I did have mild heartburn, although no night time reflux, never threw up and could eat just about everything) and he explained that the stomach has to work harder to push food through the stoma and like any muscle over time gets thicker and that is how I got tighter.

Sounds crazy but made sense..........so rather than have just a little taken out voluntarily when I had mild heartburn (which he said is a sign that one is too tight) even though I wasn't throwing up, had no nighttime issues and could eat just about everything... I let it go and now had to have a "mandatory" unfill that has left me able to eat what I think is a large quantity of food and now are hungry alot (I was rarely hungry before) and right before the Holiday's.

On the upside no slip, no prolapse or other issues and hopefully in two months will be able to get a slight fill........... So even though you think you are ok, if you are having even one issue (like in my case mild heartburn when drinking water on a empty stomach) you'd might want to have a slight unfill.........yes it is scary to have little restriction and I cried all the way home but have resolved myself that I am going fight any more gain (I tore a groin muscle and haven't worked out for over two months and had gained 9 pounds).....I am still over 80 pounds ahead of the game and grateful that no other damage was done.

So you can be too tight and think all is ok and yes after a year + out from a fill you can get tighter (and not just from being stuck, stressed or TOM).

Michele
 

Lapband 6/08 90 pounds lost!  Band slip and esophageal dilation diagnosed 5/15

LapBand removed, hernia repaired and sleeved 7/8/15

 

   

jodiell
on 11/21/11 9:41 am - NC
 Thank you so much for this post.  I have been getting sick at night when I go to bed and have not been able to keep anything down that was no****er or iced tea...juice was even too thick not to mention protein drinks.  I have every typye of chewable vitamin in the house thinking it was the brand that was keeping me from getting them down.  Your post has made me decide to call the Dr first thing in the morning.....
michele1
on 11/21/11 8:00 pm
Revision on 07/07/15

Good morning,

Please do call, even a small unfill is better than having something major happen. Think of a small unfill as a way of preventing something major from happening to your band and extending the time you will get to keep it (although user error is not the main reason people lose their bands they sometimes just fail or isn't right for the person).

The great thing about it is it is adjustable so if too much is taken out you can always get some put in. I thought for sure that something major had happened to me and was resolved to get a sleeve.

Of course I am fearful that I will gain weight however I have found that with eating more at meals I am not eating in between....so it evens itself out LOL!!!!

Take care of yourself and keep me posted.

Michele

S. smith
on 11/21/11 11:25 am
michele1
on 11/21/11 8:17 pm
Revision on 07/07/15
Wow, I just went back and read your post...... I am so glad that you feel better, that is no way to live.

When I saw that the barium didn't go through I thought for sure that something major had gone wrong and resolved myself that I was going to go in there and revise to a sleeve. All I could think was take this alien out of me LOL.

But an unfill is all it took...I don't think I needed that much taken out I had a sore throat and sure enough started TOM that evening but it is of course adjustable and I will see what I am like at my next appointment in two months..... however if it got tight before on it's own it could again. I am just glad that there are alternatives out there if it ever does need to come out.

I am actually looking forward to Thanksgiving this year, hope you have a great one as well!!!!!

Keep us posted.

Michele
Jean M.
on 11/21/11 8:56 pm
Revision on 08/16/12
Thanks for sharing that, Michele. It's an important lesson - I'm sorry you had to learn it the hard way.

Jean

Jean McMillan c.2009-2013 - Always a bandster at heart
author of Bandwagon (TM), Strategies for Success  with the Adjustable Gastric Band & Bandwagon Cookery. Bandwagon for Kindle now available on Amazon.  Read my blog at: jean-onthebandwagon.blogspot.com 

   

 

 

 

michele1
on 11/22/11 5:26 am
Revision on 07/07/15
Thanks Jean, funny how one can get so tight so fast....I didn't know that the stomach muscle could get thicker just from being worked, of all the muscles I want to build that wasn't one of them LOL.

I am too loose but I will just have to stay on course till my next appointment in two months!  

Michele

Kate -True Brit
on 11/21/11 9:14 pm - UK
 In total agreement. I went the route you wished you had taken.  I got mild heartburn, realised I was too tight, had a tiny unfill and was fine. Mine was about two years after my last fill.

So it may well be that I was like you but caught it in time.

Kate

Highest 290, Banded - 248   Lowest 139 (too thin!). Comfort zone 155-165.

Happily banded since May 2006.  Regain of 28lbs 2013-14.  ALL GONE!

But some has returned! Up to 175, argh! Off we go again,

   

michele1
on 11/22/11 5:35 am
Revision on 07/07/15
Thanks Kate, even though I got super tight real fast the mild heartburn should have been a clue that I was too tight but I justified it by saying the heartburn was only when drinking water, I wasn't throwing up, no reflux, no night time issues....I guess one can justify anything they want LOL.

On the upside no damage to the band, my pouch or my esophagus! Too loose but will just have to work harder........especially with the Holiday's although I have always allowed myself to indulge on Holidays (not eating for a week like before the band) !!!!

Michele

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