I was banded on May 1, 2007. To date I have lost 9 pounds. Nine pounds in nearly a year! Iv'e had three fills, I don't remember the exact amounts but the first two were big, the last one was small because my doctor didn't want to put much more in because I was having pain trying to eat meat. I have the inamed band, again I don't remember how much it holds but it's not a lot. I keep a weird schedule, I'm a night owl so I don't eat much during the day. So far two doctors have told me I'm not losing weight because I'm not eating enough. That seems so weird to me but I researched a lot before I got this band and I remember reading that that could happen. So I'm trying to make sure I eat every four hours even if only a protein drink, and still I'm not losing weight, that is until last week. I was feeling so depressed I pigged out on pizza and cookies and a few days later discovered I had lost 4 lbs. What the heck is wrong with my body?

I can't say I've ever felt restriction or felt comfortably full since being banded. What happens is some foods I can eat tons of with no consequence and others cause pain. I have adapted to where I can tell when that pain is just barely beginning and so I stop. I was told that after being banded you can only sip water, that you would never be able to gulp it again. I can throw back a glass of ice-water in a few seconds. Does this sound like I need another fill?

I know I need to get more exercise, I'm not a complete couch potato but pretty close. I love gardening and other than that and house work and walking 300 ft to the mailbox every day that's about it. I get very depressed when I remember that I fought my insurance company (and paid a lawyer) for THREE YEARS to get this surgery, then went through the first surgery I'd ever had and recovery and all the rest only to lose 9 pounds, I could just cry.

What do you make of this.

Suz

Suz,

I'm laughing now because I read what you wrote about the Beans and the tuna. You sound a lot like me. I tried canned chicken and it tastes just like tuna so I won't eat it even though I know it's really chicken!

Listen, I don't want to be one of those "preachy" types of people and as you know I am no where near where I should be with this band but right now I'm more concerned because of two of your major conditions.

First I know you live in the country, I do too but I'm lucky that it's just a 45 to one hour drive to my surgeon's office which is associated with a hospital. My surgeon will actually do my fills if I ask him and schedule an appointment even though they've grown quite a bit and he's the head honcho now of the practice.

I'm worried about your sleep issues and the part they play with your carb intake and your diabetes. I know sleep apnea is the new baby of the medical world and everyone has a sleep clinic opening up but I was the same way as you. I was taking sleep meds until they stopped being effective on me. If I hadn't gone through all this pre-op business I wouldn't have known that I had sleep apnea.

You don't have to be overweight to have it. The man my brother runs with has it and trust me, no fat on either of them! And he sleeps with the machine too.

I had headaches plus the uncontrolled eating which was much worse prior to using the machine. I was sent to a pulmonologist after they found my oxygen level was too low in my blood. Then did the sleep clinic which is difficult for everyone! I think because I really wanted to sleep and I was tired of being tired all the time that maybe I adjusted to my mask better than some others. I don't know. But there are so many types of masks out there to try if one is difficult for you. I don't know how long ago you tried this. But I just feel with the connections between the carb overloading and sleep deprivation besides it can have an affect on your heart which I remember you said you had heart problems too right? You should probably focus on that aspect of your health first before worrying about the band.

Also I don't know if depression and anxiety play a part in your sleep issues. I'm on clonapen for anxiety and that helps when I take one prior to sleep also. And I'm on an antidepressant too. Those aren't always helpful when comes to weight loss but trust me I'm a much better person on them fat than off of them and thin, lol!

I feel so much better now that I've gotten the fill taken out of my band so that I can eat normally again, but have a bit of restriction. Just a bit. I still have cravings during my PMS times and I still suffer with PCOS and that's the other thing I was thinking that maybe you should get together with an endocrinologist if you haven't been seeing one already. We're both at the age when we're either pre or meno or post meno and that doesn't help our case either.

So anyway you have the band but you also have so many other issues that you're dealing with that can totally sabbotage the band and if they're taken care of I don't know if the band situation will work. I hope I didn't sound too preachy, I try not to be but I'm worried about you and I know that a can of beans ain't gonna do it, lol!

Anyway think about it, I know making so many appointments with so many different doctors is a real pain in the ass, but if one of these issues is keeping you from losing weight on the band it's worth it, and you are too! Good luck and let me know what you think.

Also someone here directed me to a wwwCPAPTALK.com when I have had issues with my CPAP machine, it's a great group of people if you'd like to check out their forum.

d luck and let me know how things are going, Nancy.

Thank for the heads up about canned chicken! I actually ate pot roast today and yesterday! It was moist and I put some au-jus on it and cut it up into tiny pieces and it went down fine. That's the first time I've gotten beef that wasn't ground down painlessly. I also ate about 2 tablespoons of mashed potatos. I's so hard not to drink after that, potatos make me thirsty.

T

Suz,

I'm laughing now because I read what you wrote about the Beans and the tuna. You sound a lot like me. I tried canned chicken and it tastes just like tuna so I won't eat it even though I know it's really chicken!

Listen, I don't want to be one of those "preachy" types of people and as you know I am no where near where I should be with this band but right now I'm more concerned because of two of your major conditions.

First I know you live in the country, I do too but I'm lucky that it's just a 45 to one hour drive to my surgeon's office which is associated with a hospital. My surgeon will actually do my fills if I ask him and schedule an appointment even though they've grown quite a bit and he's the head honcho now of the practice.

I'm worried about your sleep issues and the part they play with your carb intake and your diabetes. I know sleep apnea is the new baby of the medical world and everyone has a sleep clinic opening up but I was the same way as you. I was taking sleep meds until they stopped being effective on me. If I hadn't gone through all this pre-op business I wouldn't have known that I had sleep apnea.

You don't have to be overweight to have it. The man my brother runs with has it and trust me, no fat on either of them! And he sleeps with the machine too.

I had headaches plus the uncontrolled eating which was much worse prior to using the machine. I was sent to a pulmonologist after they found my oxygen level was too low in my blood. Then did the sleep clinic which is difficult for everyone! I think because I really wanted to sleep and I was tired of being tired all the time that maybe I adjusted to my mask better than some others. I don't know. But there are so many types of masks out there to try if one is difficult for you. I don't know how long ago you tried this. But I just feel with the connections between the carb overloading and sleep deprivation besides it can have an affect on your heart which I remember you said you had heart problems too right? You should probably focus on that aspect of your health first before worrying about the band.

Also I don't know if depression and anxiety play a part in your sleep issues. I'm on clonapen for anxiety and that helps when I take one prior to sleep also. And I'm on an antidepressant too. Those aren't always helpful when comes to weight loss but trust me I'm a much better person on them fat than off of them and thin, lol!

I feel so much better now that I've gotten the fill taken out of my band so that I can eat normally again, but have a bit of restriction. Just a bit. I still have cravings during my PMS times and I still suffer with PCOS and that's the other thing I was thinking that maybe you should get together with an endocrinologist if you haven't been seeing one already. We're both at the age when we're either pre or meno or post meno and that doesn't help our case either.

So anyway you have the band but you also have so many other issues that you're dealing with that can totally sabbotage the band and if they're taken care of I don't know if the band situation will work. I hope I didn't sound too preachy, I try not to be but I'm worried about you and I know that a can of beans ain't gonna do it, lol!

Anyway think about it, I know making so many appointments with so many different doctors is a real pain in the ass, but if one of these issues is keeping you from losing weight on the band it's worth it, and you are too! Good luck and let me know what you think.

Also someone here directed me to a wwwCPAPTALK.com when I have had issues with my CPAP machine, it's a great group of people if you'd like to check out their forum.

d luck and let me know how things are going, Nancy.

Brandy II

Thank for the heads up about canned chicken! I actually ate pot roast today and yesterday! It was moist and I put some au-jus on it and cut it up into tiny pieces and it went down fine. That's the first time I've gotten beef that wasn't ground down painlessly. I also ate about 2 tablespoons of mashed potatos. I's so hard not to drink after that, potatos make me thirsty.

I take ambien and elavil everynight to sleep. I have a prescription for 10mg ambiens but I cut them in half and take 5mg every night to save money. That's been working just fine for several years but now sometimes I have to take 10mg. My Doctor is more worried about the effects of sleep deprivation than of me using ambien every night. Having been an insomniac all my life the doctors have tried all the chemicals they could think of over the years on me. Most of them made me feel like a zombie. After not sleeping for 2 days I felt like a zombie for free, I didn't need a drug to bring it on for me.I also get chronic migraines for which I have fioricet, imitrex, and when it's been going on for two days with no signs of stopping, I take Vicodin. But that only works for about three hours then the migraine comes back. But after three days in that kind of pain you'll do anything for just 3 hours of releif.:huh2:

It wasn't so much the mask of the CPAP as the drying out of my throat and the clumsiness. I'm on Paxil (known to make you gain weight) which also dries up all mucous membranes and elavil which does the same, and I think zantac dries up your throat too. Anyway, even with the misting CPAP model my throat got so dry it hurt and I would wake up coughing. I wake up coughing now, I keep a bottle of Water next to my bed. Also we tried several masks and when we finally thought we had the right one, the seal would break just at the point where the air pressure reached the highest point and that would wake me. Plus I sleep on my side, my stomach, my back, that thing just was a hassle. What is PCOS? It's been many moons since I had PMS, i'ts the only perk about being post menopausal. Suz

Ohh I know before I got my CPAP eating was one thing that actually helped me stay awake. I found I would eat just to avoid the constant dozing off.

With sleep apnea you need to get agressive with your doctor or the company that supplied your machine. Just 2 weeks ago I had to get a new mask the old one was leaking at night no matter what I did and while it wasn't waking me up it kept the BF up half the night. And they always say don't over-tighten the mask well thats easier said then done. I would have impressions in my skin 4 hours after waking.

So Instead of getting the same old brand of mask I told them I had to try other options. (I was thinking maybe nasal pillows) So they had me come in. Took 4-5 tries but I now have a mask that fits like a dream. I can't believe I've been on my CPAP for 13 years and never had a mask so comfortable!!

But I had also never had a mask made by this company(fisher & Pakyle)

I had always used respitronics(Sp?)

btw I am also fighting with a PCP tht knows NOTHING about sleep apnea and refuses to let me get a humidifier (wtf!?!?) She seems to think a humidifier in the room is enough. :huh2:

Anyhow sleep apnea going untreated causes high blood pressure & strokes, raises the risk of heart attacks also so please try to work out a way that you can use your machine.

I was banded on April 17, 2008. I'm so weak from not getting any food. I am still on full liquids and I drink the slim fast low carb (when I can find it). I'm losing a little bit of weight, but I'm very weak. Is that normal? My belly itches something terrible too!:huh2:

Miss Daisy, I'm going to sart a new thread with your post--it's really a whole new question and you'll get a lot more responses in a new thread.

Suz,

glad you found something appetizing for dinner, and it is crazy how you eat something and get really thirsty afterwards but can't drink.

Is your throat dry at night because you're sleeping with your mouth open? If I don't sleep with my machine my throat hurts because I've somehow, don't know how, but trained myself to sleep with my mouth shut when I'm wearing my mask. It sits right above my upper lip so I kind of force down my mouth when I sleep. I don't use the heater but I do have a humidifier on mine.

PCOS is polycystic ovarian syndrome and there are many signs that women have who have it and it can affect your weight and a lot other issues. A lot of women who have fertility issues are found to have it. I'm no doctor and that wasn't my issue but I can list some signs:

Infrequent periods or messed up cycle

Infertility from not ovulating

Increased hair growth, can be on many parts of the body

Ovarian cysts

Acne, oily skin, dandruff, dry skin

Weight gain especially around the waist

Insulin resistant or type II diabetes

High cholesterol/blood pressure

Male pattern baldness or hair thinning

Dark skin Patches on neck, arms, breasts or thighs

Skin tags arm pits and neck area

Pelvic pain

Anxiety or depression due to appearance and/or infertility

Sleep Apnea

Does any of this sound familiar? I have most of these and that's why my primary thought I had pcos. There is a thread for PCOS here near the diabetes one. I'd search it on the web and find a site that explains it to you better. I guess from what they say there's no cure it's just managed.

But anyway like Telecia said sleep apnea can cause heart attacks and it can be dangerous if it's not treated and whether or not the insomnia is related to your apnea isn't clear but if you could kill two birds with one stone wouldn't it be worth it?

Anyway let me know what you think, Nancy.

Telecia,

Have you gone to CPAPTalk.com? That's where I was told to go when I first had some probs with my machine. Everyone has a picture of their machine and mask etc... up with their names, it's kind of funny. After two payments my insurance company bought the machine for me so that was nice. But I've found that I buy new mask parts and filters on line where they are cheaper.

Your doctor is a nut if he/she won't let you have the humidifier, maybe you need a new doc! take care, brandyII.

yea been a member there for years just dont think to go back and post often lol.

I Am amazed to find how many doctors around here seem to be clueless about sleep disorders yet we have a sleep disorder clinic. go figure.

Telecia,

I think that's what they say about people with sleep disorders and eating it's away of getting the energy they lack from lack of sleep so they force calories into themselves. It just a weird side effect I guess and I suffer with that also. Especially if I go to bed late, which I do and get up to let the dogs out, I now reach for a Weight Watcher's 1 point frozen choc fudgecicle, better than before eating anything sweet in the house!