mary1966

Mystery solved. A gel capsule was stuck and trying to go down the stoma. I was sick because it was stuck. The pop sound was the capsule bursting, then it swelled even more and I finally threw it up (it had swelled to the size of a large kidney bean with one end that I could tell was trying to go down the hole) but could not stop puking after that. Vagal response to pain from hell - hubby got me through that with his great first aid skills. Had an un-fill of the .6cc added on Friday and recovering nicely from that. Many lessons learned - like what stuck feels like - golf ball in throat, can't breathe well and much pain in back and chest. Also learned to be patient with the slower weight loss to avoid these problems in the future. Hope this helps those that have also heard a weird pop. Might have been a pill or something.

Hugs,

Mary

Hello Mary1966, I live in RIchmond also and was wondering How your weight loss was going. I noticed your date was 5/23 I was banded on 5/14. I'm down about 20. We started at about the same BMI also. I was 37.5. I just didn't know if this was a normal amount of not. I've had one fill and not scheduled for another until 8/5. My Dr. was Bautista @Commonwealth. I am always happy to see someone else from RIchmond around the same time as myself.

Susie

I have lost 23 pounds to date. It is going slower than I want, but I can eat better than others I see on the thread and don't have all of the getting stuck issues - until yesterday. I had an additional .6cc added on Friday and was fine until I took my hormone capsule Saturday. It swelled up like a kidney bean and stopped me up. After I slimed and puked all day (included puking up the culprit capsule), I went in this AM to have the .6 cc removed and am feeling bad from that horrible experience but have learned a valuable lesson. It is better to go slowly, eat smaller portions and be happy, than be so tight you are miserable and have to think about even every pill and anything you want to eat. How are you doing now?

I got stuck today, slimed and vomited, then I twisted and heard a very clear POP. I wonder if the tube came off the port - YIKES!

Hi gang,

I had the Realize band placed on 5/53/08 without a hitch, it was the easiest thing I have ever done. I do see from threads many of you are having the difficulty of little to no restriction. I have had 4 fills for a total of 5.2 cc's under fluoro. I can eat 6-8 ounces at a time. My fills are always done under fluoro and though it appears the restriction is good, it's not. I think it is different than what they see on the fluoro. My theory is that sitting down to eat opens the stoma more than they see it opening under fluoro as I am standing up. Despite the challenges I have lost 20 pounds since the overall size of my stomach us now smaller and I am eating high quality dense Protein first - up to 8 oz.

I am having hip surgery but I am not getting the band unfilled since there is little to no restriction.

I was also banded on May 23rd! Massive gas - I think I am killing the atmosphere with methane!! Taking Maalox for relief. I went ahead and moved to mushies today without a problem because all of the Slim Fast was keeping me in the bathroom. Tonight I drained a can of Water packed tuna, added 2 Tbsp fat free dressing and chopped up dill pickles w/o the rind. Ate it with no problem at all. Weird thing was, right after I ate I started sweating profusely and felt dizzy, but no nausea or vomiting. This was really weird. I am still sore at the port site and diaphragm where a hiatal hernia repair was also done (that was a surprise). Hurts to get up and down or in and out of chairs/bed. I am working from home the rest of this week and go back to the office next week.

Tina, regarding the trust issue. It took a very long time for me - at least a year - to stop obsessing and snooping through his cell phone, pockets, computer, etc. Finally one day I asked myself why I am wasting my time with this? If he cheats again I will know because the old behaviors will return and he will pull away from me emotionally. If he cheats again, we're done, and it was as simple as that. I made him aware of the consequences and I believe he has been true to me since the grueling year of counseling.

What we have now is what you are are seeking - a loving and respectful marriage. If we don't have that, it's going to be over and I will be fine. I know your pain and I hate it - you might want to try Wellbutrin XL 300 mg through a psychiatrist or your family doctor. This helped get my crying and breakdowns under control. The Xanax helps for a good nights sleep and stops the tapes from playing in your head. As far as the witch calling your boss - what balls! Unbelievable! What does she do for a living and what proof do you have?? See, I can get really vindictive so I better stop now while I'm ahead! :-)) A restraining order, changing all numbers and e-mail addresses and goinig unlisted are all good advice.

BTW - I was banded on May 23rd and my DH has been very helpful and sweet. My best friend (who happens to be a shrink - LOL) came to visit me a couple of days after and said he seems like a very doting husband. He is....now. It can be done and your heart and mind will show you the way. Not sure if you are religious but praying helped me, too.

Always my very best,

Mary

Tina, my heart goes out to you. I have a similar story, but the girlfriend was of FOUR years and there were others to boot. This crap went down 5-6 years ago, and when I found out, I had an affair out of revenge (I know it was wrong). We ended up in many months of counseling only to find out our marriage of 16 years at that time, had really been quite an emotional disaster. The good news is, we decided to put all of the cards on the table and got into the psychology of why affairs happen. Most men are afraid of strong women (no offense, guys). Your weight loss is a threat. Your attention to yourself takes attention away from him. Men love to be the Knight in Shining Armour, but you have been your own Knight with the decision you have made to change your life. SO, at my psych eval, all of this came out, and the counselor asked me if my husband was threatened by what I am about to do (May 23rd). He says no, but I KNOW he is. He already thinks I will leave when our daughter graduates in 2 years from high school, and to be honest, I have not yet made that decision but I am leaning toward staying right now. Our marriage is better than it ever was, but I do not NEED him anymore and he knows it. If it does not work out, I will be fine - but it took a very long time for me to come to that conclusion on my own. I stayed because of my kids, and the marriage is better than ever. I am stronger now and have a thick skin where he is concerned. I see you live in DC and I am in Richmond, VA. Maybe we could meet half way for lunch sometime. Part of what I now do in life is try to help other women make their way through crap like this and unlock their true potential...you have such a bright future and you look fantastic. Never let anyone torture you like this because no one is worth sacrificing yourself for. Live for YOU and your KIDS. If you want to give it a try, it can work, but it is now all about what you really want and what he really wants. Find out the real reason he had the affair. What was he looking for that he PERCEIVED was missing from home? Mine said he was her Knight in Shining Armour and she was not judgmental of him. Funny - when I met him he was MY Knight, but not anymore. I am my own Knight, and you will be yours. If you want to give me a call, e-mail and I will give you my number. Stay strong for yourself and your kids.

My turn - Hi, Gang! I am on the pre-op diet and will be banded on May 23rd.

I have been following this thread with great interest. I also want to have a TT I think when I lose my weight. I have always had a pot belly and no waist even when I was 145 lbs and I'm just sick of it. It's my father's fault - I got his body!

I am a retired psychologist and since I don't have clients anymore I get to think about myself! It has occured to me that after losing my excess weight (and getting a TT maybe), I will probably go through an extended period of grief.

The grief will be for all the experiences I didn't get to have as a fat woman and all the pain that I went through over my life. Even though I have had a wonderful life, I believe I will grieve for the Lost Person I feel I could have been if I didn't have a weight problem that inhibited me so.

Being fat in America is a traumatic experience and I swear we all have post traumatic stress syndrome at least a little bit!

I feel like the impluse after the TT will be to correct all the other areas wrong with me but I know that even if I end up with a perfect body, I will never recover my Lost Person or the time lost.

I am already in mourning for all the energy I wasted dieting since I was 12. The talents I might have nutured with the energy spent counting calories and obessively exercising, etc, etc.

I am 58 now and I hope the next 20 years will be the best of my life. I hope that having a smaller body will be enough to please me (and wearing a bikini has never appealed to me anyway). My little TT will be enough (I hope).

Maybe some of this is part of what some of you may be going through. I am not even close to goal or a TT so this all may change when I get where you all are. But I thought you might be interested in my thoughts.

Love and success on your journey!

Sadie

Hi, Sadie! You said, "I believe I will grieve for the Lost Person I feel I could have been if I didn't have a weight problem that inhibited me so." This made me sad for you, and sad for me, because I know how that feels....BUT...I have made a conscious decision to LET IT GO and move on with what WILL be the best years of my life!! Sounds like you are on the right track - but don't dwell on the past. This is a hard, hard lesson to learn.

Keep smilin'!

Mary

Have you heard of Bliss insurance? It is an insurance policy that covers anything that might happen as a result of the band during surgery to one year post-op and costs about $900.00. I am paying the extra for piece of mind.