Starting over, 5 years after surgery

[judych 225]

you've had a bad go. Did you drink alcohol? are you drinking alcohol now?

why i ask.... i like to have wine. Ive found though that it makes my stomach so acidic that i cant tolerate much either. I have had a lot of trouble in the last 21 months myself. I got to the point where i was having so much pain even inbetween meals that it was hard for me. i lived on antacids. i even went and bought somac. i was having nights where i was afraid to sleep because of regurgitation... and i would have to sit bolt upright. I was sliming and vomiting nearly every meal.

My dr. visits were monthly, some months i would need some fill taken out, other months we would try a very small amount again. it was hard to get a good balance. Ive just had a fraction taken out again, about three weeks ago. Im not sliming now.... but i think im putting on a small amount of weight again. With christmas coming up thats going to create another issue in the new year im thinking.

One thing i did find out though. Im now drinking orange juice about twice a day with a good two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in it. I started off with much less vinegar but have been able to build it up . this is extremely good in creating the right balance of alkalinity in the stomach. Wine especially is very acid. I originally started having more wine some days because it would relax the band some more but in the end the acid balance was all out and that didnt work at all.

At the moment im having up to a half small cup of cider vinegar a day. its also helping me with my joints. Its got to be apple cider vinegar.

i do have a lot of Soup. i add veges and meats to my soup... in fact i have 2/3 of my diet with Soup. Im quite happy with that, Other than having cut up meat in soup, i do have difficulty eating meat myself. Pork isnt quite so bad. fish is o.k... so long as i take ages to eat it. My dr did tell me that it may be a good idea for me to become vegetarian completely. i dont want to do that though so im very careful but still have some meat. i dont eat much bread at all. i find it very hard to digest fruit. there are ways of getting around that though... for example the orange juice drink with the vinegar in it. i can only eat about a tablespoon of salad.

i hope that your second attempt gives you much encouragement that it will work for you. its so good to hear that you havent given up. I believe that you will get there with perseverance. One thing for sure.. .we are all different. good luck

[Suziecat 379]

I'm not sure I could ever go vegan. I love my meats to much. Especially chicken. But I do make a mean pot of veggie Soup.< /p>

Last week hubby and I joined a gym. We went two days last week and just got back from our first visit for this week. We will wait till Thursday to go back. Thought we would wait till then and then work off what we had for Christmas dinner and then back again on Friday.

Still losing weight, now to start on getting rid of the inches.

Have a good day, Suzanne.

[WshfullyShrnkng 80]

Hi All,

I've had an account here for a while, but haven't ever really been active. I was banded in June of '08 and had a serious rollercoaster ride with my band, almost from the start. About six months after surgery, I started having problems finding the proverbial "sweet spot." I either had too little restriction and wouldn't lose weight, or I had too much, and would start upon a horrible cycle of sliming, throwing up, and eventually being so swollen that I couldn't eat or drink. I had difficulty eating meat, and most fruits and vegetables. salad was a total no-go. This was often the case even when I didn't seem to be too tight and had no problem eating other foods. I couldn't eat carrot sticks or chicken, but had no problem scarfing down ice cream or a bag of cheetos. In fact, at one point that's *all* I could get down, and I would eat them just to get SOMETHING in my system and get my blood sugar off the floor. (Oops... yeah, I'll own that I made some bad eating choices!)

I even had trouble sleeping. After three years, I'd lost almost 50 lbs, but I was so miserable that I couldn't take it anymore. My band was too tight, I had constant heartburn, and I could barely get liquids down. I didn't want to give up (especially after financing my surgery out of pocket.) but I just couldn't do it any longer. By the time I was unfilled, I couldn't get down broth, much less any of my daily medications. (Which in my case is BAD.) I had my band completely unfilled, and haven't been back to the clinic since. Every once in a while when I eat the wrong thing or eat too fast, I'll get a stab to the chest and remember that the old girl is still in there, but otherwise it's been pre-surgery eating as usual, with both good and bad choices, and everything in between.

Now, a year and a half of yo-yo-ing later, I've regained most of the weight I'd lost, and I've decided to try it again. I'm hoping for a better result, but I'm afraid I'll end up facing the same issues. I feel like I have to completely re-acquaint myself with proper band eating, and after my history I really don't know what to expect. I'm nervous and uncertain of what's ahead.

Has anybody else been in the same boat?

I am not in the same boat. I have only had my band for 9 months...yes there are times its been bad for me...but it was because I was bad to it. If that makes sense. What I want to tell you is that you can do this. My mom went off the wagon for awhile and she has come back with a vengeance She has lost below her previous "lowest" weight and is doing very well. She had RNY which I know is different, but my belief is that you can do this. IF you try again I know you can do this. Don't get to big of a fill. Start out small and work your way up. To tight is not right and too loose is not good either. I am here if you want to chat. I have battled the "can't get food down except ice cream and chips" deal too. Good Luck!!