Getting my balloon on 8/29. Need some advice please!

[NPR 11]

Hello,

I am scheduled for my balloon on 8/29 at 8 am. Any advice? Anything that I should be aware of?

I am getting the balloon after canceling my gastric sleeve back in May. I decided not to go through with it because I just felt like that surgery wasn't right for me. My BMI is now 31.

Thank you all!!

[Shirleyd90 20]

I had horrible nausea afterwards. It finally took the patch to control vommiting. Ask for oral and the patch just to be safe

[Wayward Traveler 134]

Yes - I got the patch moments before the procedure. From everything that I've read, it's a must. People who don't get it tend to be miserable. Even those of us who do usually need oral anti-nausea meds too. I felt pretty crummy for the first 48 hours, but after that I started to feel better quickly.

Stock up now on clear fluids/food and make sure you find a Protein drink that you like. I'm partial to Organic Fuel by Organic Valley. Orgain is good too, but it does not have as much Protein per calorie. There are others with a lot more protein in them, but I can't stand the taste/texture, so Organic Fuel is my happy medium. :-)

I have not struggled with acid reflux but a lot of people do. Regardless, propping yourself up might help (especially those first few days). I actually bought a wedge pillow, which was great.

Last but not least, Popsicles are your friend, especially the first few days.

Good luck!!

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[Shirleyd90 20]

Yes indeed it was you that recommended the patch and I can't thank you enough! I suggested my doctor give it to all his patients.

[NPR 11]

Yes - I got the patch moments before the procedure. From everything that I've read, it's a must. People who don't get it tend to be miserable. Even those of us who do usually need oral anti-nausea meds too. I felt pretty crummy for the first 48 hours, but after that I started to feel better quickly.

Stock up now on clear fluids/food and make sure you find a Protein drink that you like. I'm partial to Organic Fuel by Organic Valley. Orgain is good too, but it does not have as much Protein per calorie. There are others with a lot more protein in them, but I can't stand the taste/texture, so Organic Fuel is my happy medium. :-)

I have not struggled with acid reflux but a lot of people do. Regardless, propping yourself up might help (especially those first few days). I actually bought a wedge pillow, which was great.

Last but not least, Popsicles are your friend, especially the first few days.

Good luck!!

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Thank you so much for the detailed information! Would you mind sharing with me how long you have had the balloon and how much weight you have lost so far? Are you happy with it?

Thank you!!

[brezzytime678 3]

I had my balloon placed 8/16 so I'm almost two weeks out. The thing that helped me the most was having a really good relationship and line of communication with my doctor. I suffer from intense anxiety and the first few days I kinda took a trip to crazy town. My doctor called me everyday and I even called her on a Saturday morning in the middle of a panic attack and she called in an rx for some Xanax right then and there. She listened to me and did a wonderful job of calming me down when I felt really overwhelmed. If it wasn't for her kindness and really listening to me I would have gone to the ER and had the balloon removed within the first week.

On the physical end the first few days I felt very weak and dehydrated. There's really not to much you can do about that but force the liquids down. I did this and was able to get more and more down eberyday. Once I was on top of my Protein intake I started feeling much better.

Now, almost two weeks out I struggle with missing food and fatigue. I am constantly tired. It sucks but my doctor assures me that will subside in the coming weeks. All in all I've lost about 10 lbs so far and look forward to the health and wellness I will gain from this experience. You can do this and best of luck to ya!

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[Glimmer120 4]

I'm getting my balloon placed on Monday too. I'm traveling and left all my rx and instructions at home. I did review everything before I left and I took notes for pre-op, during and post-op. I've also been re-reading posts here. The doc's office called me today and confirmed procedure time for Monday. I wanted to confirm that it would be liquids only the day before. When the nurse confirmed that she said well you've been taking your PPIs all week right? And I said "what?" She said I should have gotten pre-op instructions. I didn't. She emailed it to me immediately. I was suppose to be taking the PPIs (Prilosec or proton pump inhibitors) all week and I'm suppose to take 2 different kinds of anti-emetic 3 hours before procedure. Ugh. The doc said it should be ok and I think it should be ok, since I've never had acid reflux before. But FYI maybe take some PPIs and definitely have anti nausea patch right before surgery.

I do trust this doctor. I think his office and the hospital where the procedure is taking place still don't know what to do with balloon patients.

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[Wayward Traveler 134]

Yes - I got the patch moments before the procedure. From everything that I've read, it's a must. People who don't get it tend to be miserable. Even those of us who do usually need oral anti-nausea meds too. I felt pretty crummy for the first 48 hours, but after that I started to feel better quickly.

Stock up now on clear fluids/food and make sure you find a Protein drink that you like. I'm partial to Organic Fuel by Organic Valley. Orgain is good too, but it does not have as much Protein per calorie. There are others with a lot more protein in them, but I can't stand the taste/texture, so Organic Fuel is my happy medium. :-)

I have not struggled with acid reflux but a lot of people do. Regardless, propping yourself up might help (especially those first few days). I actually bought a wedge pillow, which was great.

Last but not least, Popsicles are your friend, especially the first few days.

Good luck!!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thank you so much for the detailed information! Would you mind sharing with me how long you have had the balloon and how much weight you have lost so far? Are you happy with it?

Thank you!!

I have had it for about five months and have lost ~ 43 pounds, but I have gone off program quite a bit. I've had a lot of travel, special events with set menus, etc., so I am confident I would have lost even more if I had been 100% faithful. Given that, I'm happy with where I am. I am not sure if I will make it to 50 by six months (more travel between now and then) but I will give it my best shot! :-) Regardless, I am pleased with the procedure and the outcome.

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[Wayward Traveler 134]

@@Glimmer120 - some people really struggle with acid reflux but I have not at all. In fact, I am supposed to take PPIs twice a day, but I backed it off to once a day and am still fine. Regardless, I would guess you are ok not having them a full week before - I bet a few days before is just as effective. I'm not a doctor, I just can't imagine a few days fewer will make much of a difference, so don't worry too much. I'd be more concerned about the anti-nausea medicine ... are they going to give you a patch and oral meds for that? Good luck!! :-)

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[Wayward Traveler 134]

I had my balloon placed 8/16 so I'm almost two weeks out. The thing that helped me the most was having a really good relationship and line of communication with my doctor. I suffer from intense anxiety and the first few days I kinda took a trip to crazy town. My doctor called me everyday and I even called her on a Saturday morning in the middle of a panic attack and she called in an rx for some Xanax right then and there. She listened to me and did a wonderful job of calming me down when I felt really overwhelmed. If it wasn't for her kindness and really listening to me I would have gone to the ER and had the balloon removed within the first week.

On the physical end the first few days I felt very weak and dehydrated. There's really not to much you can do about that but force the liquids down. I did this and was able to get more and more down eberyday. Once I was on top of my Protein intake I started feeling much better.

Now, almost two weeks out I struggle with missing food and fatigue. I am constantly tired. It sucks but my doctor assures me that will subside in the coming weeks. All in all I've lost about 10 lbs so far and look forward to the health and wellness I will gain from this experience. You can do this and best of luck to ya!

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Are you getting enough Protein? That could certainly help with fatigue. Iron and/or D3 supplements might help too. Hope you feel better soon!

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[Glimmer120 4]

@@Wayward Traveler. And everybody else. Im at Day 4 after insertion. The hospital or clinic changed my procedure from 11:45 am to 1:15pm w/o telling me. I live an hour away from the hospital at 1pm So going home wasn't an option. There were other miscommunication from the doc's office. It was really confusing. And I got upset. Eventually I was able to calm my self down. I went under at about 1:25 and woke up at 1:40.

I made sure to take the emetic pill and the nausea patch. I realized that I still wanted to go through with it. I trusted the hospital, nurses and the doctors. So I calmed myself down and it seems to have gone off w/o a hitch. I woke up 20 min later w/ my only complaint is that I feel overly full.

When I got home, I threw up 2x and 3x yesterday. I'm down 2lbs.

I think they got me in OR at 1:25pm

sleeping on my left side seems to help. He wedge doesn't help that much. I'm glad I have broth, Popsicles, Jello and hot lemon Water.

I'm also making sure to follow dr protocols to a T.

Today was the first day I decided to have a chocolate smoothie with strawberries and it was really good. I made a point of doing this so I can have Clear liquids before bed to minimize acid reflux.

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[Wayward Traveler 134]

Sounds like you're doing all the right things! Still throwing up or has that passed? Hope you're feeling better every minute!

FWIW I stocked up on bone broth in addition to regular broth because it has more Protein. Problem is that I couldn't stomach either - lol! The smell or something was making me nauseous. But if you can manage it, it's a good option.

I was on my left side all of the time too, but after a month or so I could do either. I can even lay in my back without a problem now. So you're body really does adjust over time - some people more so than others.

Also I was eating regular Popsicles at first rather than sugar free. They are only like 40 calories and they were the only calories I was getting for the first couple of days, so I figured it was just as well.

When I was ready to move off Clear Liquids, I started eating Greek yogurt. It's low in calories but high in Protein. I still eat it just about every day - sometimes twice a day. And the fancy ones with the toppings and what not are my go-to when I fancy a dessert (ex: key lime pie Greek yogurt with a graham crumble and white chocolate topping). Sure it's higher in calories and sugar than other yogurts, but it's still only ~ 200 calories and high in protein, so it's a great satisfying alternative to cake, pie or other indulgences (which are usually higher in fat, calories and sugar, but lower in protein).

Keep up the great work and best wishes to you!! :-)

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