June 2007 Bandsters

[bigbaby 4]

Just checking in....Here are some updated pix.

[ingyrob 1]

You look really great. Well done on your weight loss

[bigbaby 4]

You look really great. Well done on your weight loss

Thanks it has been a nice journey.

[Suzzzie. 3]

Wow BigBaby!!! You look AMAZING!!

[bigbaby 4]

Thanks everyone!!!! It's appreciated.

[ja9va 0]

Hello Everyone,

I am glad to see BigBaby, Suzzzie and Rhonda still posting, holding on to our thread! And some new names as well.

After my last post during the holiday's I posted my struggles with being stuck with my weight loss. Well, I rejoined my gym the end of December and started to go on a regular basis and lost 10lbs to then come to a hault! I was starting to have an increase in food getting stuck, and felt I hadn't been to my doctor in a long time so I made an appointment. They scheduled an upper GI rather than a flouro since I did not want a fill, which resutled in me having a Hietal( can't spell it) hernia. The stomach above my chest/diaghram was large and they did not want to wait for it to mushroom over my band and cause more damage or an emergency surgery sitution. So on Wednesday I had the hernia repaired and they had to replace my band. They did not replace the port, which is making my stomach area less painful. I still have about 4 little puncture areas where the doctor went in. He said my pouch above my band was very large too from eating to much, that may be somewhat true, however the upper GI did not show it that big, his physicain assistant did not point it out to me. I have no Fluid in the band at this time and I have to START ALL OVER!! I am taking this as a fresh start to regroup. He told me if it was eroded or slipped he was not going to reband me for i was not following the band" rules". I am glad that was not the case. I am thinking of keeping the band empty for a bit to be sure all is healed before I begin to put any pressure on it.

I went back to our day one of posts trying to refresh my memory. and I did see how we all gained some weight in the hospital. it was disappointing when I got on the scale yesterday and was up 6lbs when I haven't eaten a thing in 5 days! I am back on the liquid diet until next Wednesday. do you all remember that? I have the awful gas pains and the stomach roars! I feel pregnant!

well, hope all you are doing great. Are any of you on Facebook? let me know and if you want a new "friend".

talk to you soon. How is Stef?

[insubordination 0]

Hey all. Nice to hear from you Janine. Scary process but I´m glad you have a new band. Hernia hmmm. Sometimes I wonder whether or not I have one.

It´s our two year anniversary coming up. I roughly look the same as my one year anniversary. Hee. I am still in Spain and haven´t had an adjustment for a year. I haven´t lost a whole lot but I´m glad I maintained what I did lose intitially. I still think I have the potential to lost 50 more pounds or so. My band seems to be dormant for a while and then it´ll suddenly work. Overall I´m happy, shook off the depression and am far healthier and even more active so thumbs up for that side. Weight loss should be much better by now but I will take personal responsibility for that. I can´t deny that the band does its job. I just try to cheat it which is silly really.

I´d love to hear from everyone else.

[bigbaby 4]

nsaboratio--can you get a fill in spain?

[Suzzzie. 3]

I'm doing so badly guys. All in all I've gained roughly 60 pounds from where I was this time last year.

I'm glad to see that a few of you are succeeding! Keep it up!

[ja9va 0]

Insub,

Glad to hear from you, wow Spain...that must be a life adventrue within itself! Why do you think you have a hernia? I actually felt nothing, well once they told me and I thought back of signs, I guess the signals were there. You should get it checked out for I was told it would cause a band slip. I think maintaining is what is so important, and with out the band at all where would your weight be? that is what we need to also consider in evaluating our success!

I am doing fine now. Went back yesterday for my 4 week after surgery check up. I lost 10lbs after my surgery, 1 week visit. Since then I lost another 3, so it is coming off again. But I am at a stand still. I went back to the gym but felt pains and internal pulls, I just needed to heal. I have my first fill on June 23, wow, not looking forward to that process all over again!!!

Suzzzzzzzzzzzie, glad to hear from you.. Hang in there. maybe you could go back to your doctor and get an adjustment. Do they have a nutritionist on staff that would work with you one on one? I know how hard it is, every day is a struggle. If we can get a band on our stomach we should be able to get it around our brain too!

bigbaby,

You are doing great!!! how are you doing it?

Can you beleive it has been 2 years!!!!!!!!! Wow, I am glad to hear from all of you even if we are not posting every day.

[ja9va 0]

Happy 2nd Bandaversary!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't beleive it has beent his long. Hope everyone is hanging in there, it is still a journey.

[lapbandtalker 0]

I too am finding myself gaining, Suzzzie. I'm having rhinoplasty done next week so I get the bright idea to go for a complete unfill 2 weeks ago- you know, just in case the nausea is awful from the anesthetic. That too I was losing too much weight.

Well, I've gained 15 pounds in 2 weeks.

So, before I leave the hospital I'm getting an adjustment.

[o2bthin 0]

Hi all. Bigbaby you look so great! Suzz I'm sorry you're having a bad time.

Java, I'm listening to your story of your troubles and you going back under the "knife". I read this when you wrote it but hadn't replied. This last week, I had a close call. I had closed off completely not able to swallow liquids. Finally after 10 pounds of Fluid loss, and feeling like I could pass out, I went in for a "slight unfill" of 1.0 cc. Wellllllll they had a new fluoro machine and said they wanted to see my band. I had seriously muffin-topped it. I am sure when I've closed off before and had unfills (one complete one last summer) that this has been the same thing. I have had 3 or 4 episodes this past year of a bleeding that I spit up as well. It is not pure blood, but more like the coffee ground type of vomiting. Now I have been lectured, handed new guide books, am completely unfilled and supposed to be eating like a bandster with small portions, 4 hours apart.

I read that OCC (Dr. Ortiz) recommended liquids for 6 weeks following mushrooming the band. Mine wasn't mushroomed, that I know of, on the fluoro, but I don't know that it never did lax enough to flop over the band. After unfilling, the muffin top went down, and Fluid (barium) funnelled right through the band as it was supposed to. I was told to give it a month, and it should stay down if I treat it right, and then with slow fills I can get the small pouch up top that I'm supposed to have. My concern now is I have an erosion. I have had 2 episodes of excruciating rib/heart pain that feels like it comes from my stomach area...very painful. I'll drink Water and as soon as it hits the band, the pain subsides. Then it comes back and I drink..it goes away. Then I eat and it's gone. I am worried.

I don't know that I haven't eaten like a bandster, because I do small portions, stop when I'm full, don't PB, etc., however, I don't measure my food, and I do snack a lot, and drink fluids when I eat, etc., which I know I'm not supposed to do.

No MORE!

I have had this band for 2 years, and never really connected with the idea that I must measure my food to 1/2 cup, eat that only, no fluid, and wait 4 hours. This is what my fill doc is calling "eating like a bansters". I think myself pretty smart and well informed, but I never got it I guess.

Anyway, hoping I don't need a revision. I am very worried though. I will be calling OCC and seeing what they say and keeping my flier miles just in case.

We are not anywhere at the end of our journey. I am glad for those of you that are still posting and your support means so much to me. Thanks if you read this! :thumbup:)

Hugs,

Rhonda

Edited June 8, 2009 by o2bthin

[o2bthin 0]

Java, yes I'm on Facebook. Please add me. Rhonda Coler

[ja9va 0]

Rhonda,

I am not sure my doctor called it a Mushroom effect when I had the hernia, but my stomach was above my asophogas(?) and he said if I did not get it fixed it would mushroom over and cause a slip. He said I stretched out my pouch for eating to much. He yelled, or lectured( how ever you want to take it) that I was not measuring my food, which I was not. So I guess we need to do that for you never know what your eye is telling you, plus I remember weight watchers saying you could be eating less than a cup, so don't cheat yourself. You can eat more salad than a half a cup too for it is a lot of Water.

I am trying now, but you would think after surgery #2 I would not snack...it is my hardest challenge! I am fine with meals, but then i want to eat Snacks, chips, even if they are diet/wheat. I need my head screwed off and back on...LOL!

What do they do for an errosion? Are they worried about that? And spitting up blood? That would scare me.

I was having pains under my breasts where I beleive the band is, but my doctor said that was still healing. It has gone now. I have a fill in two weeks so we will see what the band and pouch look like.

How is your weight loss? I was at a stand still before my surgery and now after the loss from surgery I am again stuck, but that is my doing for my snacking above! I hope the fill process will help like when we started two weeks ago.

Keep me posted and I will look you up on face book.

Hang in there everyone.... every day is a new one!