Laurel B.

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07/15/2017

I started the liquid phase of my diet last Friday (8 days ago). It's been a week and a day.  I'm generally not really hungry all the time the way I thought I would be.  However, in the evening, I never realized how many food commercials there are!  OMG, I can be watching TV with no thought whatsoever of food and a commercial comes on!  BAM!  I'm hungry!

But otherwise, I'm down 9 pounds.  I'm doing pretty well.  I walked 2.5  miles the past two days.  I'm noticing I'm a little bit tired this week but aside from that I don't think being on the liquids has been that bad.

Well today I start a liquid diet in preparation for gastric bypass on 7/21 with Dr. Jacome at livehealthymd. 

I developed an incisional hernia and when visiting him for that in February we discussed a revision to the sleeve or bypass. At the time of my band removal it was not an option. 1) I had damage and it would have been unhealthy to do so and 2)insurance wouldn't cover it without going through all of the criteria for approval and I couldn't wait as I was in pain. 

I didn't gain much weight after the removal at first until I tore my Achilles twice! Now I'm close to where I was before the band. 

Well this is more for me than anyone else. But if you're following, let me know in the comments. 

L

 

I have been having trouble, more so than in the past with heartburn and vomiting.  I saw the doctor Monday.  He scheduled an Upper GI.  It was relatively painless and easy to get through.  I could see what was going on or what I thought was going on but the techs wouldn't tell me, elaborate or show me the xrays at all.  It looked to me like 3 pouches of fluids so I pretty much knew in my mind I had a band slip and possibly dilation of the esophagus.

I saw the doctor today.  He indicated I have a prolapse band or basically a band slippage.  He said it was not severe and that I didn't have much dilation of the esophagus. Ok, good.  I was thinking I'd be able to get a conversion surgery.  I asked about this but he indicated he did not feel it would be in my best interest because I needed to let the stomach rest and recover before going through any other surgery. URGH.  So, I'm having the band removed on Tuesday.  I'm happy but not happy.

I'm so scared of gaining back weight.  I know the band has helped to keep me from over eating even if it was because of the throwing up. I guess I need to set some goals and go on a strict diet of sorts. I hope the next time I read this I've lost weight and not gained.

I just read through all my old posts.  It's been 4 years since my last one and absolutely nothing has changed for the better. I have an appointment for Monday with a doctor in with my old doctor. I've only made an appointment because the GERD and throwing up has gotten so bad my PCP was recommending I get an ENDO. 

I'm sitting at 234. I went up higher for a little while as I tore my Achilles tendon and ended up off of my feet for almost 6 months. As soon as I was able to walk around a bunch it dropped back down.  I really liked my old doctor but I just don't think I would trust him to do a revision.  I was in the hospital for 4 days  when I had the band initially due to complications.  Then the port was placed terrible and I'm always getting jabbed in the ribs by it, plus it's flipped. I don't necessarily blame him but surgery scares the hell out of me to begin with and I know I couldn't go through with anything with him again.

I've been lurking on message boards looking at the options others have chosen. Based on what others have said it sounds like I have esophagus dilation which will mean I can't do a sleeve. I'm very anxious to talk with the new doctor, have some tests done and get something done about this. I really think I want a revision and the sleeve would be my preference but if that is not an option I think I may just get this damn evil thing removed and call it a day, a very very very long set of days!

If anyone besides myself reads this.... (I'll proabbly be reading this a year or so from now) wish me luck!  I just hate this thing and from reading my posts I've felt this way almost since day 1!

It's been almost 2 1/2 years since I posted.  I can not even believe it has been 4 years since my surgery.  I can't say anything has even changed since my post in 2009!  I still wish I had not had the lap band and had the gastric bypass instead. 

Status Update:  I have gained back alot of the weight I did lose and I never really lost much to begin with.  I am 234 right now and I think the night before surgery I was 248.  That is an awful lot of suffering for 14 pounds!  I do know for sure, without any doubt that without the surgery I'd be even bigger now.  I'd probably top 300.  My port kills me sometimes.  I never saw anyone else post about that.  Mine is right under my right ribcage and if I bend wrong, cough, sneeze or as in the case today, get a mammogram the dumb thing jabs me.  I've not seen the doctor about it but I did mention it to him when I had a follow up years ago so he wouldn't place it there on someone else.  I think it is also flipped at this point, not that it matters since I am not getting any fills.

Not much to tell really, I am back in the classroom which has been good.  Life is about the same as before the surgery except I can't eat anything healthy.  Pineapples and most fruit still clogs, chicken clogs, pork doesn't go down one little bit and macaroni comes back up if I have more than 6 ounces.  I can down an entire can of pringles if I want, half a bag of oreos (could probably eat the whole thing if I was determined).  Dry cracker items and items made mostly of sugar go down all day long with no problem.  Anything with fiber, or substance gets clogs and makes me puke, still!  Hence I'm eating far less healthier than before the surgery and why I feel that the gastric would have forced me to eat right.

Hopefully if I look back at this in 2 years again I'll have something better to report but for now.... I've got nothing.

Things are not going as good as I had hoped.  I was certainly depressed about my weight before weight loss surgery.  Can you image the depression and guilt after having weight loss surgery and gaining weight back?  ICK!

Started out at 260, got down to 201, am not back up to 226.  On a side note, I think some of the weight gain has had to do with changing jobs in January of 2008.  I went from a standing up all day walking around job, to a sit at a computer all day job.  I'm not eating large portions at meal time but tend to SNACK all day some times and that seems to be my biggest downfall.

I've finally started addressing some of my hidden demons... the stressors that originally gave me license to eat until I was fat, fat, fat.  I'm considering having a fill put back in so I can try this again.  I just seriously HATE throwing up and so far anytime I've had any kind of fill that does anything I puke... so I can either eat an entire can of pringles or can't even wallow my own spit!  I've definitely not found the "sweet spot" they talk about.  I wish, truly wish I had had gastric bypass, but I didn't and now I have to live with the choice I made!

Laurel

All is good and not so good.  I basically had the band too tight.  I knew it but kept trying to work with it and not be a baby.  I had read too many times where people had x amount of fills and had only had 2 and thought I really must have needed it but in the mean time I was throwing up, alot.  I ended up swelling my esophogus and had to have the fill completely removed.  Because of that, I've gained back some weight.  I've been at a stand stil for a few months.  I ended up going to shakes and bad stuff when too tight as that is what went down so easily and now since the fill has been out I've gone a little crazy and gained 5 pounds!!!!!!!  Weather hasn't cooperated much in terms of exercise.  I hope to get back on the ball and have set a personal goal of 20 pounds by 5/18.  I have a meeting with a group of students I work with and want to be down by then.  They have all been so proud of me.  I figure another 20 will be noticeable... Gosh I just live for those compliments these days, is that selfish or what?

I still feel great.  I'm so glad to be gone with 50 pounds that are no longer there. I just have to remind myself it's a tool and as far as that goes I need to take some part in and responsibility for my actions or it will not work any more than any other diet I've tried.

Job is going great, I'm still broke and the kids are still the kids.  All in all, life is good.

Again a long time between posts.  I guess that is the way it works.  A lot of people make frequent posts at the beginning of a new journey.  Things are still moving along and the weight is still coming off but very slowly now.  I must say a good deal of that is my fault.  I was eating a lot of candy and junk food over the holidays and right after the kids went back to school.  I'm getting in to a better swing.  I started the new job and it is going well.  I'm homeschooling my 5th grader and that is going well too.  It's been cold and I haven't been exercising or walking at all.  As soon as the days get back over 60 I'm committing to walking again.  Hopefully that will happen in the next week or 2.  I had a fill in mid-December.  It took weeks to get over the gagging and I had some throwing up.  I swore I was going in for an unfill twice but held off and am glad I did now.  It really does come down to chewing and chewing.  I've also figured I need to take the first bite and wait a few minutes.  After the first bite goes down I can eat the rest of my meal pretty much all together and at once. I put tin foil over my food to keep it warm and that has worked out fairly well.  I'd have to say that is probably the best tip I could give someone struggling with a new fill.  Tin foil your food, chew it well and pause after the first bite for a few minutes, literally and it will go down without the gag and slime I was dealing with a month ago.  Best of luck to everyone else going through this same journey or considering it.  It is worth it.

Wow!  What a stressful few weeks.  I didn't realized I hadn't posted anything in a while.  I seemed to be at a stand still.  I didn't mind so much because at least I wasn't gaining but I finally decided I didn't want to keep waiting around and had a second fill.  Basically doc put in what I had him take out when I saw him last.  I'm up to 1cc in my 4 cc band.  My rings are real loose, my shirts are very big on me and pants are getting loose.  I seem to be losing alot slower in the lower portion of my body but it's still going.

I have only 2 more days left at my job with the school.  To say the least it's a stressful time.  Between changing jobs, family and holidays if I can just make it through without completing sabatoging what I've done so far I'll be happy.  I had hoped for 200 by New Year's.  I'm pushing that goal back to January 15th.  I know I'll be stoked to lose more after the first of the year when all of the commercials are advertising weight loss etc.

Thanks for visiting my blog!
Laurel

Well it's been an exciting week and although the scale doesn't look better I consider myself to have a victory right now.  We went on a cruise this week for the kids to have visitation with their grandparents.  The cruise itself was a blast and I love my band right now.  The last 2 cruises I went on I gained 10 pounds each.  I didn't gain a dime this time, I didn't even gain an ounce!  I didn't lose any either but that is ok.  I tried my food at every meal.  Most meals left me full after only eating about half of the portion.  I even tried every dessert although I didn't finsih many.  The last cruise I went on I ate 2 different desserts at almost each meal.

Aside from feeling dehydrated from being in the tropics for the past 5 days, I feel great and am optimistic this band thing is working.  I'm still hoping to pull off a miracle and hit 199 by New Years.  Only time will tell.
Laurel