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There was a time a could have written a very similar post, I felt like an absolute failure. I went through cycles of constant PB'ng and sliming, complete obstruction, severe oesophagitis ulceration and aspiration pneumonia. If I followed the rules I hit problems every time but I could manage crackers and stuff that we shoul avoid. FInally they talked about removing the band. I really did feel like a failure, mainly because I really had been trying my best to follow the rules. I had all the Fluid removed from the band and that slowly relieved the problems but I gained weight, I gained all that I had lost ( which was not much, plus some), my problems were eventually diagnosed as being esophageal motility issues, for me it was related to MS that had been present when I was banded, but not diagnosed. I felt I was doomed to be morbidly obese until I died. I am already wheelchair dependant but had so far managed to live independantly. But in sept last year I had a MS flare that paralysed my left leg ( my only leg), all of a sudden i was aware of the fact that my weight was going to rob me of independance before it killed me- I need to be able to transfer from chair to chair at least! That was the light bulb moment for me, I go help from the dieticians and other health professionals to work out how to adjsut the rules to fit my swallowing problems, I started calorie counting and measure foods -and started lsoing weight! I did feel hungry but I had no restriction and was able to eat without the symptoms I had had before, fnally I went back to my surgeon and he agreed to give me a small fill and finally over 5 yrs post band I am lsong weight and have not had any further problems with the negatve symptoms- I simply decided that this was going to be hard work but I WAS WORTH THE EFFORT! todate I have lost 62 pounds since november last year and 31 inches down in body measurements, I have a long way to go but do not intend to gve up Think long and hard before having the band removed, you may be able to eat like you used to but, is that really going to solve your problems? As for other forms of WLS that have the malabsorbtion- that may seem appealing- but you still have to change the way you eat or you will be experiencing dumping on aregular basis- some people find that anything that has sugar/ refned carbs will cause severe dumping. wether you chose WW, lap band RNY or any other option, they all require you to make changes, to account for emotional eating etc. so the choice because fairly simple- are you worth the effort? just because you feel like thngs have not worked to date does not mean that it can't get better- fear was my motivaton, you just need to find yours good luck with what ever you decide

Thanks for the replies guys Water based stuff has been a good option for me in the past but I need to find a pool that has a hoist these days- they are not that common and most tend to be hydro therapy pools. The problem with that is that they are heated to about 34 degrees- thats great for most disabilties but can be awful for ms- the exposure to heat can cause psuedoflares, profound fatigue etc- After a dp in a heated pool i do not even have the energy to dry myself off, i'm a right off for the next 2 days. THis is frustrating because I have been a strong swimmer all mylife and do like the weight bearing etc that is possible for me in water- I jsut have to find a pool that isnot so warm! The Physio studio s a good idea, i have not been able to find any gyms like the Scope centre that was mentioned- sounds great. I thnk I will contact the physios at the MS society and see if they can assist with a start up program. The rower at home may be an option if I can have one raised on blocks so it was not so low to the ground- I do like the rowers, they bring out the competitive streak in me susannah I can understand your frustration, getting hit with additional expenses seems to be quite common- Why can't you calm it through your prvate health fund- is the guy charging more than the scheduled fee?? f you have a written quote that states no further out of pocket expenses I would challenge the additional bill with the surgeon if necessary since the secretary isnot beinghelpful!

Sorry I forgot to mention the tummy excercises, they won't produce miracles if you have lost your skin elasticity but they certainly will help. They will provide a better foundation at least. I have read post from some people who have had tummy tucks when the get to goal, if their abdominal muscles are in good nick they can sometimes get away with a mini tuck where only loose skin is removed ( muscles do not need tightening), it is less painful and quicker recovery apparently.

I wouldn't mind a few opinions about excercise options- I am making pleasing progress in terms of weightloss at present although it has slowed down now. But what I am not so happy about is the whole fitness issue. I have mentioned before that I am wheelchair dependant, using an electrc wheelchair the vast majority of the time ( i can use the manual chair most of the time at home). I manged to find a couple of DVD's that are based on seated excercise for morbidly obese or disabled individuals and have been working on those- they are more strength work than anything but still pretty mild. I am getting really frustrated, I am hoping that when I lose enough weight I may stand a chance of gettng a prosthetic leg. If this is to be a real possibility I need to increase cardiovascular fitness as well as the physical fitness. Some of the MS issue's I have realted to severe muscle spasms that are brought on by sustained msucle activity in certain muscle groups and I am finding that I often cannot complete one of the dvd sessions because of the spasms. I have wondered wether a gym may be appropriatte ( so that I can get some guidance) but fear I will be laughed out the door when I roll in weighing over 300 pounds in my electrc chair. I also worry about wether once I pay for a membership, the support will really be there. Would a coupe of session with a personal trainer, to help devise a program for me that I can do athome be better?? Would I be better continuing as I am until I lose more weight and then think of the gym? In the past I have used magnetic rowers and found that I could manage them quite well, but most of these are so low to the ground I am not sure that I could get back up again at the moment? anythoughts or suggestions would be apprecatted

Alot of it depends on your genetc make up, although some say that if you lsoe gradually you are less likely to end up with excess skin. Our skin loses elasticity as we get older too. I fully accept that I will have excess skin, not happy about it but will deal with that if and when needed- I would not consider staying obese out of fear of excess skin. As for clots, they do take precautions such as stocking to help with circulation in OT and post op. They will often give you a blood thinner injection in OT too to help prevent clots. There is a risk of clots with any surgery, but all these precautions plus getting mobile as soon as possible eg within hours post op will decrease the risk- if you are really concerned, talk to your surgeon

Hi susannah, I mssed this post somehow. I had a relapse of my MS in sept 06 that basically paralysed my left leg ( my only leg!) and the thought of beng close to 400 pounds and unable to transfer from chair to chair was just the kick in the tail i needed! I was lucky and got most of the use of my leg back and proceeded to clean out the cupboards and freezer of any "problem foods", I went back to journalling and calorie counting everything. I avoided highly processed foods, higher GI carbs and low and behold I started lsoing weight! I had not had any Fluid in the band for over 18months because of MS related swallowing probs and was threatened with losing the band. I had been gaining weight very gradually. My epiphany was in nov 06 out of pure fear first, then the realisation that just because the challenge to lose over 200 pounds seemed huge, it was not impossible. I set small goals of 10 to 15 pounds at a time, take measurements regularly as well as photos so that eventually I will be able to see the difference. 2 weeks ago I had a small fill as I had been advised that due to inactivity I would need to stay on 600 to 800 cals per day, i was doing it but felt hungry a lot. I worried that long term being hungry a lot of the time may lead to backsliding. I have now got used to the fill, and seem to have the swallowing problems under control ( have to be careful when the weather is really hot as it makes the swallowing a bit worse). I will still keep journalling, I use fitday and it helps me keep track of varous nutrient levels too. How are things going with you, I thnk you got our really hot weather yesterday ( was 42 here on sat!!). How are you managing the post op diet etc- I assume you are on Mushy stuff about now, feels good after lquids only doesn't it!

polycystic ovarian syndrome! nasty problem that makes you prone to gaining weight, hard to lose weight, potental fertility problems, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes As for poor mdicurn, I would certainly be talking to your surgeon about the np, if he is not really supportve and able to assure you that you will get the physical and emotional support that you need post op- RUN don't walk! to a new surgeon! You will have an ongoing relationship with the practice who does your surgery-it is so important that it is a positive and supportive experience. I have dealt with a technically great surgeon/practice, but the post op support was not great- when problems occured I came away feeling like a naughty child. THankfully we have improved our relationship but that is after a long time! I feel like this lack of support in the tough times cost me almost 2 yrs of weight loss.

I was downright skinny until I hit Puberty ( or puberty hit me!) Ive struggled ever since! ( I'm 44 now)

I agree with all the other comments. Even with eating well and excercising etc we are going to hit plateaus where the scale dose not move- are you checking other measurements such as waist hips chest etc- I am finding that at the time my weight loss slows the measurements still drop- i think I bodies just need to catch up!! It seems like it is human nature to instinctively see our "deficiences" instead of our achievements!

If you think you are getting dehydrated because you are having trouble with fluids- see you doctor asap

pre op anxiety of some degree is normal, education and asking questions about what your fears relate too can be effectve in dealing with it- for me the fear was about the fear of the unknown, and the short term loss of control during surgery- once i recognized it I could discuss it with my Doctor, research etc and put it in perspective you have to do what seems right for you but my thoughts are don't tough it out and force yourself to do something that you are deathly afraid of, but don't run from it either- you need to work out exactly what aspects scare you so much so that you can attmpet to put them in perspective

the reason for the post breaky crash could be all the sugar, if you have a big hit of sugary food, it can lead your pancreas to over secrete insulin that can then lead to hypoglycemic symptoms- the liquid glucose should really only be used to relieve symptoms or you can end up chasing your tail- it is best to use low to moderate GI foods ( this includes most protein shakes) to avoid the big swings in blood glucose levels that lead to symptoms . High GI foods are best kept to a minimum

I am a big believer in the benefits of neurolinguistic programming, it is amazing how reframing your thoughts to focus on the positives rather than the negative can have such a positive effect- again, it is different for everyone. I have had a psychology lecturer say that there is no scientifical proof that neurolinguistic programming works- there certainly is a good deal of empirical evidence though!!

What I have chosen to do is have a rough figure in my head based on a weight that I felt good at in the past and charts, but I accept that as we get older most will have trouble getting back to the weights we were when we were 20yrs old. So I am setting mini goals- when I reach one I re evaluate how wether I have more to lose etc. If I get to the point that I am say 20 punds over what the cahrts say is ideal and I have been struggling to lsoe weightl or maintain weight loss- I would probably revise it. live it for a while then look again!

Yeah I do know that and to be honest, companionship would be great but I guess I have taken the approach ( at the moment) that if it happens it happens, I am not going to agonize about no mr right- too be honest, the past few years were pretty rocky for me emotionally for a lot of reasons, things are better theses days and I feel pretty positive these days, but I think I need to do more about being happy with me before I even think about relationships I am going to check out about the power concession though, every little bit helps!

What ever works for you jqpublc, I honestly believe that losing weight and getting fitter when you are MO is far more than jsut the numbers on the scale- there is a lot a self inventory stuff and learning that has to go on too- thats why a believe we need a whole tool box and not just the band as the only tool- becaue we all have different pasts, lifestyles, medical history etc this is not likely to be the same for every individual. I believe that many of us are probably doing the pendulum swing type thing- tending to go from one extreme ( not the word I am looking for really) until gradually the pendulum swing gets less extreme and centres itself- as long as we are learning and adapting behaviour-its all good! There are a small number of people that may seem to have unhealthy degree of obsession- but how much of that s personality type past experience- at least with the band you are commited to ongoing medcal support- so hopfully if we are going astray our profession teams will nudge us backinto line I agree that this is a great thread, it really does show that even when we have the same basic procedure there is still a huge varation in how we achieve our goals

THe inclination is still their but sensation etc is not good these days, add to that the fact that orgasm triggers the abdmonial muscle spasms and pain - it works pretty well as aversion therapy! I am not in a relationship at the moment and to be honest, the whole dating thing is tough at the best of times- add the effects of morbid obesity, amputee, disability and the challenges the ms causes with sex- It seems just about impossible- the bladder problems worry me when it comes to personal stuff- it would have to be one specal person to deal with all this - and at what point do you bring it up. I think I have just automatcally put it in the too hard basket! I can understand your reluctance to talk to your male neuro, I have discussed things with the RN's at the MS society- they are a good source of referrals to other resources http://www.msif.org/docs/MSinFocusIssue6EN.pdf don't know if the link above may lead to some suggestions- its a 28 page booklet so takes a while to open- most of the stuff they put out seems useful

I certainly would check the options for PS when/if I reached goal- basically I consider dealling with the folds of excess skin etc to be reconstructive rather than purely cosmetic ( very bit as much as breast reduction for someone who is too well endowed). I don't know that I would have the nerve to have multiple procedures at once like on extreme makeover etc- the pain must be terrible!

I dont thng we can get the concession here in SA, but I will ring and talk to them to make sure. As for the hot bath- I don't know if it is true but I was told that before they were able to do evoked potentals and MRI's etc. one of the ways they used to help confirm MS was to dunk a person in a hot bath and if they came out feeling like limp spaghetti it helped to confirm diagnosis.

Definately understand about the bladder and bowels- been there done that!! My remaining leg has very limited sensation, and reduced strength, when I am tired or over heated etc it feels like I have weights tied to it. I do have persistent vision issues- more to do with muscle coordination and focusing than optic neuritis, I did have an epsode of optic neuritis a bout a year ago though. Muscle spasms are a problem, particularly my right hand, any action that requires thumb and forefinger grip, or persistent muscle action will trigger these really strong spasms that make my hand claw- once it happens its painful, hard to stop and makes my hand unusable for hours. Happens in my foot/ankle, left sided abs, right sided facial muscles as well but it is not as much as a problem as my hand. Tried baclofen but as it is really intense cramps related to activity, t did not do much good. they said they could inject the muscles with botox but this would make my had unusuable so I have not bothered. My co ordination is not fantastic, even things like typing are affected- its like I have dyslexic fingers- the letters are usually there but just not in the right order. As I said before, if it were not for the wheelchair, most people would not see the MS and I know that can make things tough for some- people do not realise the impact the condtion is having because they are not easily visible. The fatigue seems to be the one that is most misunderstood, people assume that you just feel a bit tired and can pull you socks up and get on with it- they do not realise that it is such a deep, profound and bone aching degree of fatigue- at its worst even sitting up is tough. I also find that I get more emotional than I used to, I cry at the drop of a hat in a soppy movies- never used to do that- don't know if it is the ms or jsut getting older!!

Glad to hear it neal, don't like mirrors or cameras at the moment- the truth hurts a bit too much! Your before and after pictures are lke chalk and cheese, I hope you can get to the point where you are not just comfy, but down right proud. It is an amzing transformation AND in such a short time frame! I just noticed, you have dropped another pound- only one more to go!! I am excited for you!! I expect bells and whistles when that last digit drops! Nothing like living vicarously through the success of others along the way!!

2 shifts per week are enough for me too, I work every saturday and sunday lates shifts- Its a bit antisocial but makes the best out of penalty rates!! I have promised myself a holiday when I get to goal, I used to travel a lot but have not since being wheelcahir dependant- At the moment I am leaning towards an Alaskan Cruise- no problems with heat intolerance!!

HI Sussanah I can relate to the steroids, I have very mild type 2 diabetes- my levels are usually in the normal range- the steroids send it sky high. TO be honest I am not sure that they helped Hi Bronnie Thanks for sharing your story- did you finish your training? are you still practicing? I started my training in 1980, I am Still registered but can't do the hands on stuff these days_ I work in a health call centre giving advice over the phone, problem solving for clients in the community, taking incident reports from the public health system etc. I miss working on the wards but I am jsut really glad to be able to still practice. Exposure to heat is not good for me, makes all my symptoms worse- Its in the mid 30's here today and I avoid going out the front door if I have too!

I hate being in photos- I am taking fortnightly progress photos but if i I had to use a traditional film camera so that I had to send the photos for processing- I would not do it. I just find the photos really tough to look at!

I don't see anything unhealthy in what you have spoken about in your posts- your before and after pics speak for themselves, what ever you are doing is obviously working and it sounds like its through hard work and commitment- I see nothing wrong in putting oursleves on "project status" to achieve a healthy goal