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Blog 85448

A blog by RavenClaw779 in General

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Entries in this blog

Checking In Four Months Post Band Removal

Definitely over-enjoyed my band freedom and regained 17 pounds eating without abandon. Some problems persist: Pills are still tough to get down. I can eat raw carrots and radishes, but they do get a bit stuck if I'm not careful. Had to give up tomato juice - acid reflux. Have to take an antacid before eating something with tomato sauce or anything remotely greasy - surprise! turkey bacon is a bit too fatty for me. Still feel banded when I eat with a bra on   The weight gain gave me that out-o

A Month Out from Band Removal

It's been so refreshing not to be bent over the toilet at least once a day - and it's freed me from way too much tooth brushing and having to carry eye drops with me at all times!   First couple of weeks weren't that rough. Wasn't very hungry and often it seemed like I was a computer with a glitch. I'd have what felt like the start of a hunger pang, but instead, I'd have a wave of nausea. It took awhile for me to return to being "regular", which I wasn't from about the time I started having pr

All Over & Back to Fat -n- Flabby

Monday, as I sat in pre-op waiting for the surgeon, I see a sign which states this particular facility has a goal of providing, "Very good care" - not "Outstanding", not "Excellent", just very good.   I don't know that I would even state that their care is "very good".   As usual, everyone on the medical team was running late. Unlike other facilities, their pre-op has no privacy so I got a good dose of people watching. Let's bring six or seven people with us, all talking loudly, with kids

Breaking Up...

...With the Band!   If I had to write a letter to my soon to be "ex" I'd have to say,"Baby, it's been a long and expensive three years and while the 34 pounds I lost since the day we got together is progress to a better, healthier me, the price has been a bit steep.   Each of those pounds cost about $2200 - thank God for insurance or you'd have bankrupted me!   The vomiting, the socially inappropriate talking stomach yelling, "Nnnow...ow.ow..." in meetings, the hair loss and breaking nails

Mortified

That's the only word I could come up with describe what I felt when I saw the photo my husband took of me at a charity event the other night. Here I am, sixty pounds smaller than I was at my highest weight. I straighted my naturally curly, unruly hair and was wearing an outfit I thought looked nice and certainly fit a lot looser than the last time I wore it. Since I was the chairman of this event, I really made an effort to look good.   OMG! I looked enormous - I'm only a 38B but I looked like

I'm Beat...

Back to the WLS for the next installment of Jill's endless problems with the band.   My appointment was scheduled for 1:00pm and it's about an hour drive. As usual, but for coffee, there isn't any thing I'm going to get down before 10:00am at the earliest. So I planned to just skip eating as it takes me 40+ minutes to work down a Yoplait and some oatmeal. Around 11:00am my husband asked me if I'd make him a sandwich. While making said sandwich I ate one single slice of deli ham and was immedi

Feeling Stupid...

Attended a luncheon award ceremony for a co-worker yesterday. Whole group of us got together to go. Most know I had lap band surgery and know about the problems I've had plus the corrective surgery.   Since the problems have come back, I've been reluctant to say anything as even to my own ears it sounds stupid to have undergone another expensive surgery to end up right where I was before.   To be safe I ordered the vegetarian option as that's generally safe and soft. Thought I'd be okay with

One Blissful Month...

When the swelling finally went down - about the third week in July - I was finally able to eat normally. Didn't go crazy, but was able to eat all those things that had become impossible due to "Jill's Rules"(see prior blog entries for details). I ate salad, had a steak, had pizza- had everything I wasn't able to eat for over a year. Actually got to go out to lunch with my girlfriends! Continued tracking my WW points and was feeling great...until the end of August.   Invited to dinner at a fri

Jill's Pity Party

Last night as we sat down to dinner - me with my half cup of mashed potatoes and fat free refried beans and my husband enjoying the salad, grilled squash, baked potato and burgers made, of course, by me, I proceeded to have a pity party. I mentioned to my husband how crazy it is that three years and roughly $50,000 later( Thank God for insurance!) and I'm only 33 pounds lighter than I was on the day of my surgery. On I ranted about the past year of puking, eating less than 1,000 calories a day,

I'm Kicking Myself

Writing this as I sit on hold as my WLS office attempts to schedule yet another follow up appointment. I've been transfered and disconnected three times, so I've now spent 45 minutes just trying to get an appointment. Guess if you get confused, or tired of dealing with computer hassles - just hang up!   Par for the course, I was not seen by my WLS for yesterday's post-surgical follow up and once again had to go through the whole history again with yet another PA I'd never met. Once we establi

Slow Recovery to the Same Old, Same Old...

Just a little over a week from my surgery. I was understandably tired and couch surfing for a couple of days but was really surprised to find how tired I was even after resuming my normal activities. Each day I've been able to go a bit longer before finally having to say, "Enough". It's really disconcerting to find yourself breaking a sweat by simply making the bed!   My band removal surgery ended up being a hiatel hernia repair. The steri strips are still in place and the bruising has gone ye

Still Banded

In the lead up to my surgery, my surgeon was 99% sure the band was going to have to come out, but agreed to get approval from my insurance carrier that if when he got in there, it appeared the band or the problem could be remedied without removal, that he'd fix the problem and leave the band in. Again, my fear of packing the weight back on overriding the numerous problems I've had with the band.   Nevertheless, I came out of surgery feeling relieved that the band was out and finally I'd have n

Surgery Scheduled

The band will be coming out the first week of July. I am a bit sad(that it failed) and worried(that I'll pack it back on), but I have learned better portioning, and better control over emotional eating, so I'll try to be optimistic. Been following Weight Watchers and cut out all my slider/excuse foods so my weight is back down to ye olde plateau of 223. Still better than the 285 I was. I have a 15 pound cat who likes to be picked up like a baby. Just picking him up is a reminder of how what seem

Cha-CHING!

Well, I'd was holding out hope that maybe just maybe sticking to soft(but nutritionally sound) foods would result in a miracle and I'd be able to start working in some normal foods and not need surgery. Alas...attended a party yesterday where I managed a couple of tablespoons of guacmole, a teaspoon of corn salad and two mini empanadas - or so I thought.A half hour after my last bite I was in the bathroom - SIX times before leaving for home. It continued after I got home and removed my "second

Getting Kicked Out of the Band

Despite another 45 minute wait, I was pleasantly surprised by today's one-on-one with my surgeon - yet another case for the wisdom of reserving judgment on any given situation. Given the vibe that goes around in my own office and the devils that drive us, I'm willing to bet there are plenty of days we come off as a bunch of witches on wheels.   The surgeon spent almost an hour with me reviewing the test results. The verdict? It appears the stomach has mushroomed over the band. Based on the inf

Are You Kidding Me?!?

Still smarting from the verbal slap from my surgeon and PA. "Why didn't you come in sooner if it was that bad?" has been an earworm in my brain and I've been beating myself up...maybe I've not tried hard enough...maybe it's all in my head...   Like a lot of women I put myself last before all my other "gotta do" responsibilities.   Since even with the daily hurl, my weight pretty much stayed the same from July '12 until December '12 and other than annoyance of being sick, not being able to e

Clinical - Cold - Cattle Call?

Finally made it back to my WLS for the follow up to my endoscopy. Had to reschedule twice - once due to a funeral and oncedue to a severe snowstorm. Figured since nothing had changed for better or worse, other then dealing with what I've already been dealing with, no big deal. Figured after the total $5,500 procedure where allegedly, "biopsies" were taken, if there was a problem, the surgeon would have called. Actually, I thought regardless of the results, someone would've called, but no one did

Third Anniversary - The Most Expensive 22 Pounds Loss Ever!

Coming up on three years since I was banded. The eight months post surgery was understably the adjustment prior. The following year a wash due to cancer surgery and treatment. Things had actually started to move in the right direction until July '12 when the problems started. I'm 22 pounds lower than the day of surgery - given all the expenses involved, that's about $1,500 a pound. To whit, I am 50+ pounds lower than my highest weight, but as a size 18w ain't no one going to call me "slim" - an

And the Results Are In!

Another special experience at my WLS facility...started with patient registration advising me that despite my insurance being a PPO with no co-pay, because I hadn't yet satisfied this year's $600 deductible, they wanted $300 up front - but would settle for $100! The first intake nurse was a real charmer who while taking my BP felt the need to comment on how "blotchy" my skin is! Snow White ain't got nothing on me and when it's cold, I get flushed and blotchy on my arms. How this related to an en

Endoscopy on Monday

Scheduled for an endoscopy on Monday. Never wanting to assume that my insurance will cover just anything, I called to make sure. It is, as is removal of the band, but "revision" requires pre-approval. The person I spoke with couldn't clarify for me what encompasses "revision"...replacing the band with a new band? going for the full monty with a bypass? Not required to, but I emailed my surgeon's PA to reinforce the need for pre-approval if "revision" gets tossed around. Why jump the gun since t

Alas...It Was Just A Temporary Fix...

The symptoms got better for a short while, but flared up again, so I had an upper GI series. Could barely choke the barium down and ended up vomiting it up several hours later. Met with my surgeon's PA who reviewed the films. The band looks like it's in the right place, but there was an area of concern which might indicate the band has partially eroded. I was asked if I was "wedded" to my band - not if it's eroding my body parts! Now the surgeon wants to do an EGD. Guess this is usually done at

Swallowed (my pride) & Went Back to My WLS and ....

Had my quarterly follow up with my oncologist on Thursday and mentioned the 'Jill's Rules' as applies to eating. He urged me to go see my WLS and I did on Friday. I was ashamed that I'd gotten down to 216 and have been now hovering at 223 - 227 since July and have been blaming myself for not trying hard enough. When I laid this all out to my WLS, he assured me that it wasn't me, it was the band and told me I should've come in when this first started. He took all the fluid out of the band(4cc) an

It's Deja Vu All Over Again!

Still hanging at the 216-224 range. It's gotten to the point that I have "rules" that are so bizarre that my husband is pushing me to see my WLS. I don't want to go back for fear I'm going to hear it's my fault I haven't lost more...   Jill's Rules - not really mine, what my body is dictating:   *Can't eat before 10am; thankfully, coffee goes down okay. *Can't get breakfast down(1/4c oatmeal, 1/4c egg sub, 2 slices turkey bacon or yogurt and fruit) in under 45 minutes. *Can't be wearing a

Hello Jelly Roll!?!

My weight is fluxuating between 216 and 222 - feels like I'm circling the drain so to speak. Plugging along with Weight Watchers and working out but having a hard time getting my weight to stablize. Considered going in for a fill, but it seems like I'm stuck at least once a day and vomitting at least once a week. Wish I could say it's consistantly due to the same food violations(pizza, bagels, bread - you know, the "No-No's") but it happened the other morning with my scrambled eggs(couldn't even

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