chickadee81

Hi all. Let me give you some background. In July I was having heartburn and reflux so I called the Dr. Went in & had a UGI & it showed a very very small esophageal dilation (stretched pouch). They removed some Fluid and gave me some heartburn meds and said we would do a check-up in Sept to see if it helped (unless symptoms got worse). Well the symptoms didn't get worse, in fact I thought I was getting better (no nightly reflux and less heartburn), so I went for my 2nd UGI in Sept. This time the pouch is HUGE! It is so large they aren't sure if I am that stretched or if the band slipped. They drained my band empty and I go back AGAIN Nov 18th for another UGI to see if draining helped at all or if I need surgery. Don't you get sick with a slip? I never threw up and I could and can still eat. In fact I have had my band 9 months and only ever threw up once or twice and that was way back in the beginning. I am so scared I will lose my band and that I will gain weight back. Have any of you heard of this "fixing" itself? I am a natural worrier and waiting until Nov is KILLING me!!

Happy B-day Denise! I forgot to reply to you on my BP. It is the same. Sometimes it's fine, but I know I have to get up slowly...then other times I feel sick and dizzy for no reason. Hope you had a great one!!

YAY Christie!

I am kind of irritated that, after losing all this weight I am not more happy with my body. I guess I thought I was going to get my 20 year old body back. SHEESH!

I don't want my 20yo body back!!! Well...I guess right now I "kind" of have it. The girls aren't as perky . I want my 16yo body back :puke:. As for the sleeve, I would have to look into cost because my insurance doesn't cover the sleeve. But then again who says they will cover anything except for the removal of my band if I do need it? Argggg I hate waiting. This is why God didn't let me have kids...NO PATIENCE!

Melody-WB. That's why I scrub my house too before vacation. I like to come home and be able to relax for a day or two before going back to the real world (well except for the laundry). I am sure that the 5lbs will disappear! Everyone is probably right about the salt from the restaurant foods.

Wow. That really doesn't seem like a bad price to me at all! You will have to let us know what it's like. I know for a fact I still have fat to lose there, but I keep looking at it wondering how much of it is extra skin and how much is fat. Too hard to tell right now :thumbup:. Right now that is my "white whale"...well along with the boobs that have migrated to my waist instead of my chest :thumbup: but you don't have that problem

But ugly cuts straight to the bone!

Just checking in folks.

December 3rd I am having my panniculectomy. I am not looking forward to the pain but it probably won't be half as bad as I imagine it to be.

Not a whole lot more going on.

Bob-Is insurance going to pay for some/all of your panniculectomy? I've heard of it sometimes if you are having problems from excess skin (rashes, chafing, etc..)

Speaking of that now I am worried that if I do need surgery...will my insurance cover it??? They did (90%) of my original, but now I am "overweight" not "morbidly obese" so maybe they will cover getting the bad one out and not to put a new one in :thumbup:!!! AGGGGGGGG damn my mother for turning me into her...the constant worrier

Stacie, yay, sorta!!!! Fingers crossed and hoping for the best.

So, is it weird that I enjoyed my date and now am finding every man I see attractive? It's like the beast has woken up and is on the prowl. Sheesh.

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If this was Facebook...I would've just clicked the "like" button...but alas no likey button here....anyways to be cliche..."YOU GO GIRL" lol :thumbdown:

Geez! Just heard from the PA again today. She said the surgeon looked over my films and wants to wait 6 WEEKS before seeing me again!! :thumbdown: I was struggling with having to do it for 4...now 6. Since I am not sick, he wants to wait longer to see if I heal on my own so I don't rush into a surgery I may potentially not need. I can't argue with that, but I wish none of it would've happened in the first place ya know! I'm gonna have to get the scale out of the house for the next 1 1/2 months because I know me & I will beat myself up. Ok...I think my pity party is over now. I CAN DO THIS. Like the little engine that could "I THINK I CAN I THINK I CAN I THINK I CAN"

I had a very tiny dilation noticed because of an upper gi for acid reflux at night. They removed about 0.25cc's from my band in the hopes it would help. Today was my follow up upper gi and now it has either gotten way worse or I have a slip (the pouch is so big they couldn't tell). My only symptoms were heartburn/reflux. That is still all it is. I got a total unfill for 30 days and we will see where it goes from there. I feel so lost! I was doing so well and just really don't want a setback and REALLY don't want another surgery

Hey all. I went back to the dr for a follow up from my dilation and it has either gotten way worse or I have a slip. Right now my band is empty and I am so hungry and miserable. I've been crying all day because if unfilling me for 30 days does nothing then it's surgery to remove my band and either replace it, go with nothing or have bypass. I don't want ANY! I have worked so hard and I hate to be going backwards. I just wish I knew why. I didn't do anything wrong! I can think of 3 times I have even thrown up (2 of which were PB not acutal retching). I just feel really hopeless right now.

Friday, it's Friday....I have 2 more days to panic.

On a happier note I've lost 4 pounds in the last 3 weeks. The first continual weight I've lost since the "incident" in early July. So WOOHOO, back on track.

So have you gone and bought yourself a new "skinny sexy" girl outfit for your date? I bought myself some "hooker" boots as my husband calls them...but he loves them .

Melody-Congrats on surviving week 1! Yay for the NSV's & for having a great husband who diverted your attention. Mine may have led me straight to ice cream . (Still love him though:wub:)

HB-Not sure if you are into baseball...but one of the pitchers for the Rockies, Jason Hammel, was my husbands best friend when they were little. He is such a super sweet (and insanely tall) guy!

Christie--!!!!!!YYYYYAAAAAAYYYY!!!!!!! Tell Steve he better be on his best behavior! I agree with Denise and say Soup or something you know that you normally have 0 problems with. Also hopefully your table will be near the bathroom???

Shammah-hope you are feeling good

Hi Everyone. Sorry I have been absent. I have read everyday, but just have been having my own little pity party I suppose and hadn't really felt like...well doing much of anything really! I am thoroghly convinced that I have PMDD or something. The week before my period I am a total nutjob. Like seriously a crazy woman and thank goodness my husband loves me. Denise you could send your husband here in 3 weeks and it may scare the daylights out of him :yesnod:. I have decided to go to my local community college starting in January for my Assoc. in Medical Administration and also to take classes to become a certified medical coder. I go in 1 week to see if my dilation has improved/worsened/unchanged. I sure hope it's better and I can get a fill because I am eating too much and losing slowly and with the whole period thing and cravings it has not been pretty. I just need to get over it and move on! (easier said then done though). Glad to hear that everyone seems to be getting along ok and I promise to be a more productive part of society :smile:.

Shammah-thinking about you!! Good luck tomorrow!!!!! Let us know how it goes

Christie-I don't want to jinx it ....but CONGRATS!!!!! :wub::w00t:

Wanted to share this pic that my sister put on FB. It's of my nephews 10th b-day in March 2009. When I saw it on the computer, I was mortified. I didn't let people take pics of me, so in my own warped mind I was never that big. Even my hubs said he knew I lost weight, but seeing me everyday he really didn't realize how much of a transition I've had until he saw this pic.

Stacie: Sounds like your band is tight. The idea to go back to liquids and/or sliders might be a smart choice. It's been cool here for the last couple of weeks so I've been 'sliding' away with Soup for my main meal. Goes down easy, nourishing *and* filling. Have you talked to your doc about your low BP? That's nothing to mess with. It's just as bad as high BP!

Melody

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Melody-I actually just had a slight unfill a week or 2 ago. Things were going great after that until I ate too much this past weekend. I didn't get sick or PB, but ever since then have felt like this (damn my brain...I knew I should have stopped, but it was soooo yummy). It almost makes me wonder if there is something that still hasn't gone down yet.

I forgot to tell you all that I am having problems with low blood pressure now. I haven't seen my PCP yet, but I keep getting dizzy & foggy headed with floaters in front of my eyes. I always had good blood pressure...never high even pre-op. Now when I take it, it is always around 82/51. I've never passed out or felt like I was going to, but the dizziness and fogginess is getting to me! I can't even begin to imagine what you went through Denise because this is bugging me and I know you had it soooo much worse!

Just another one of those freakish band moments (but hey, at least I'm not hurling in bushes!!!!)

:crying:Sorry to laugh at your expense Denise...but I really did LOL when I read this. Hope you start to feel better soon!

Christie-I HATE HICCUPS! I always had really violent ones too and just like you when I get them now (more frequent also) I feel like my stomach is going to come out of my throat!

Dottie-I have 0 patience (maybe a good thing I don't have kids) so I would want to get it all done and over with...but I am positive you will make the right/best decision for you!

Melody-wow Tae Kwon Do! Don't feel bad...I don't think it would be my thing either...I'm waiting for Just Dance 2 to come out next month for my Wii!!!

I'm still having problems! Stuff was fine for a little while, but now I just keep burping and everything comes up to the top of my throat when I do and then goes back down....SO ANNOYING! It's been a few days. Maybe I should try a few days of liquids & sliders. Tweaked something???? Any thoughts?

Ok...I know I said I wasn't doing it because I stress myself out too much and I hate failure, but I am a glutton for punishment. I aimed kinda low at 10.8lbs to take me to 165. I am hoping to do my first 5k (mostly walking) in October so I am hoping that this 10lbs is attainable since I will be exercising my butt off (literally :thumbup:)

Melody-so sorry that you have been going through so much! Congrats on the fill and for keeping the weight steady in the meantime! Oh and congrats on your new baby kitty. Cats are my favorite and I will always have at least one (yes I am a crazy cat lady). We have 2 right now & I would have more, but I think my husband might divorce me if I did lol. He already complains about "tumbleweeds" of cat hair.< /span>

Denise-:tongue2: feel better

Christie-that stinks about your son's first game! Our grass needs cut horribly too

Leigha-glad LBT has decided to let you talk again :thumbup:

Me-As of this morning...I am 0.8lbs away from being just "OVERWEIGHT" :party:I'm going to the mall today!!!! hehehehe

Denise-hope all went well!

Leigha-yay for old fat pics! It's fun to look at them now lol.

Christie-so happy Steve has been compliant

Dottie-thinking about you!

Me-who knew 0.2cc's could make such a difference...I AM STARVING!!!!!! And I've gained almost a lb :thumbup:. Hopefully come Oct 4th they can fill er up again! I am totally sabotaging myself because I can eat more and trust me I am and I can eat some things I couldn't (and shouldn't) and I am :thumbup:. What is wrong with me? YES I need my band obviously. Who all has nursing backgrounds? As most of you know I am contemplating going back to school. At first I was set on Med Office Admin and Coding, but now I am looking at LPN. Only thing is I really don't want to work in an old person home, but I know alot of the hospitals here hire them. I just am not sure I can handle some of the gross stuff. Do you get used to it? I can't imagine sticking a catheter (sp?) in someone. I'm so confused with what to do with my life right now! If I go for the Admin...there is really not many evenings/weekends/holidays to work, but I'm sure it will be a bit boring. With the nursing it will be less boring, but weekends/nights/holidays...plus probably some gross stuff. That and I told DH to make up his mind if we definitly do not want to have kids because if he thinks that he may want to try one more time then I am going to wait on school because going part time will take me 2-4years to complete and I don't want to be a new mom at 35 (sorry if I just offended someone...nothing wrong with that, just not what I want). ARGGGG I wish someone could just tell me what I am supposed to do lol.

Well...I didn't make it :smile:. I was so close (2lbs) but didn't do it. I know I should be ecstatic...a loss is a loss, but I HATE TO FAIL!!!! Maybe I just need to not do a challenge for a while. They stress me out lol.

Well..she took out 0.2 cc's taking me to 4 cc's. I am supposed to go back in a month and get another UGI to see if things got better/worse/stayed the same, and then once she looks at the UGI we can decide if I want to fill er back up or if I need more taken out. I just hope that this works and nothing else needs done and this is just the end of it. I just noticed today that I weight now what I did on my wedding day Memorial Day Weekend 7 years ago! WOW! Dress fits again (cept in the darn boobs that aren't shrinking...makes it hard to buy shirts!)

Denise-glad you are at least feeling some relief. I hate liquid diets!

We are all different. I am at what I think is my sweet spot and still enjoy bread, rice and Pasta.

The bread is a little tougher if it is not toasted. I basically chew it and swirl it around in my mouth until it melts.

I can't do spaghetti or thinner pastas unless I cut them very small. They are too hard to chew otherwise and slide down (and sometimes back up) whole.

Again, I am just like Bob here (WOW that is scary ) in the fact that I am where I want to be and losing weight well, but am still able to do bread, rice, and Pasta. Not all the time, but you will get to know your band and your limits...and you'll try to break them too and sometimes you'll get away with it and sometimes you won't. I could eat absolutly anything and everything until the 1st fill. After that I could still eat anything, but got satisfied sooner. 3rd fill was the "magic charm" for me. Good luck and welcome to Bandster Hell!

It's supposed to help the dilation...she thinks it was caused by I got stuck once and really irritated my stomach and the dilation occured then. She told me it was extremely minimal and they didn't do anything before because of how small it was they were hoping it would go back on its own, but since I am still having some problems that letting just a little Fluid out should take off some of the pressure and let the esophagus go back to normal. FINGERS CROSSED! But again, did I tell you I don't wanna??? lol Good luck with your surgery! I hate dentists! I really should go more often. I have insurance and should use it.

What everyone has said seems correct to me! You will never ever experience that "stuffed" feeling that we all knew too well. Sometimes I admit I miss it . Like Thanksgiving dinner, when you would eat until you felt like you were gonna burst and that you had to roll away from the table...nope never gonna have that again. You really have to listen to your body to know when you are "full". Alot of people have signals. Sometimes my nose will start to stuff up...sometimes like Bob I hic-cough, other times even 9 months out I push myself and then get to revisit my food in the toilet because I just had to have those last few bites. That has been the hard part for me. Realizing that I am not 5 years old anymore and I don't HAVE to clean my plate or eat every last bite and if I don't I won't be grounded and the sun will still shine tomorrow and that the underpriviliged kids in other countries will forgive me. In fact if I go out to eat I ask for a box right away and put most of the food in it so it's not on my plate looking at me.

Oh sorry...I forgot to add that the PA was mostly concerned about the choking on the acid while I'm sleeping because she said that she doesn't want me to aspirate (sp?) on it and get it in my lungs and turn into pneumonia. Can't argue that it's for the best, but I still don't wanna!!!!