kygirl

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Couldn't stand it any longer.  Went to Dr. appt. this am.  Couldn't get in earlier, he was taking his son to college and I didn't want to see someone else in the office.  He listened, we discussed, and decided to take .15 out.  Great news was he finally found my port in the office w/o going to x-ray for flouro AND he got it on the first attempt!!!!!  He watched very closely and said I did have exactly 2.25 (nothing extra/no leaks) and he put back 2.1.  I have only had Chai Tea this morning but he said I can try anything with out waiting like a fill.  I'm almost scared to swallow, I don't want it to hurt and have that pressure again.  More good news--I lost 3.8 pounds since 8/1/07 (16 days), 18 total, 4 pounds from Onederland!!!!  Whoo Hooo

This unfill was due to a reaction in the base of my esophagus.  I don't have medical training but my understanding is my band was too tight causing swelling/strain on the base of my esophagus.  I did not over eat or strain my pouch it was just a reaction in my body.  Hopefully it is fixed now.

 Was pleasently surprised when I stepped on the scale at the Dr. office, 207.8, down 7.2 from last weigh-in 6 weeks ago (6/13/07) and 14.2 total.  I have increased my exercise and my water.  I walk on the treadmill at the gym 3x's per wk generally.  I also was used as a pin cushion (4th try worked) until he found the right spot to give me a small .25cc fill.  My total is now 2.25.  I have not got anything stuck yet or had any serious problems eating.  I have, however, swallowed a few times and within a minute or 2 realized I did not chew well enough; tight, uncomfortable, break your concentration of your conversation type feeling.  My Dr. has tried unsuccessfully 3 times in his office to do my fills.  We end up going to x-ray and using it to find the right spot.  This time he was able to use the short needle, yea!   

It has been a while since I updated my journal.  I have been frustrated.  I gained back 8-9 pounds of my 11 that was originally lost pre & post surgery (4 wks total timeframe).  That was a heart ache to see.  I couldn't really exercise yet (not that I even really wanted to) but I didn't like to see the weight come back because I felt like a failure already. 

On 5/1/07 I had my 1st fill of 1.5 cc.  Actually, I had went to his office a few days prior and the doctor could not find the port opening and suggested we do it under floroscope.  After several attempts using the x-ray as a guide he still couldn't get it right and then he tried a long needle--ta da.  Went right in.  At my weigh-in on this date I was 219.4, down 2.6 pounds from my original weight at the initial office visit.

Had my second fill on 6/13/07 of .5 cc for a total of 2.0.  Same thing again, multiple pokes with the short needle, second attempt with long needle using floro.  I'm so glad he gives me a numbing shot.  This time I weighed in at 215, down 7 pounds total.  I do feel some restriction now especially in the morning.  I have been occassionally using fitday.com to track my food, calories, protein, and exercise.  I started realizing that my hair is getting very sparce especially where I spike and pull it up in the back.  I cried and had my hair cut shorter and leave it straight and flat--hate it but what else can I do!?!  I started using Nioxin.  I think I can tell a difference but I still have to clean my sink off/out every morning and sweep/vacuum my floors every week because of my hair.  I've cried many times about this.  I am getting 50-60 grams of protein daily most of the time.  It may be stress and it may be a reaction to the anesthia.

Yesterday was my birthday.  My wonderful husband said we could do what ever I wanted after work.  I love him so much.  He is my best friend.  I wanted ice cream for dinner-the Peanut Butter Perfection was perfect from Cold Stone Creamery.  We split the medium size and ate half of it on the drive home.  Earned brownie points with my teen daughter, she thought ice cream for dinner was cool!!  Next I said I wanted to go exercise at the gym.  As soon as we walked in the house I set the half eaten ice cream on the counter and got dressed to go--I forgot all about it--all that chocolate/smooth peanut butter delight was wasted!!  Oh well, that was all the less I had to do to walk it off!!  I walked a 19 minute mile-go me, YEA!!  I really like to go to the gym to watch my husband get all sweaty and work out.  He is a fine specimen of a man and that gets my heart pumping even after 20 years with him. hehehehe  I wanted to see the movie Knocked Up so we cleaned up real quick and went.  Adult show for sure, but funny.  Although, I missed parts because not once but twice I had to get up and pee due to the 3 bottles of water that I had downed before/during/after the exercise. UGHH!!  When we got home it wasn't midnight yet so technichally "my day" wasn't over and I wanted a rub-down in the shower with the lathering exfoliating scrub from Bath & Body Works.  My DH was more than willing to assist me with this request!! Oh my......I slept good last night!!

I weighed myself this morning-208.5, down 13.5 total.  My next fill is 8/01/07.  Update more after the next fill.

 

I really like my doctor and his staff.  Everylast one of them are nice and friendly.  Was excited for my weigh-in and I was down 11 pounds!!!  I am now allowed to add soft food like cottage cheese, pudding, creamed soup, and egg.  I asked about caffeine and he said he is not a stickler about it just listen to my stomach and if it protests then lay-off.  I had a warm, wonderful Chai Tea on my way home from my favorite coffee house, Proverbs.  What he is a stickler about is carbs.  I asked about adding mashed potatoes and he said forget about them! They never need to be in my diet plan again.  They have zero protein and only carbs--we don't NEED them.

My clear plastic coverings over my incisions are still nicely attached and he didn't want to take them off yet.  Sunday I'm to do it and he will see me again on Thrusday to take a look.

Gas pains are still bothering me.  So much so that I couldn't stay comfortably in bed last night.  About 3:00 I went to my rocking chair and dozed for a couple of hours.  Everything else is fine for now.

Surgery was Thursday 3/15/07.  Everything went well.  They even asked if 2 students could watch-fine with me except I told them they could not laugh at my stretchmarks and ugly belly when they finally seen it.  We talked for about 20 minutes before being taken back to the surgery room one is interested in treating cancer and the other brain surgery.  The "gas man" was asking me questions like "where do we go to the gym?" because my husband looked familiar to him (small talk stuff) and I finally told him "I don't know I'm too nervous to think".  And that is the last question I remember.  I woke up to the girls thanking me for letting them watch.  Still blurry but I remember them saying that.  Back in my hospital room my husband tells me this story of them losing a needle in me and not being able to find it and the surgery took extra long....  I couldn't hold my eyes open or focus on the topic of conversation but I remembered to ask when I woke again!!!!  Thank God and my wonderful surgical team they counted every piece of equipment going in and out of me that is how they knew a needle was missing.  They had to x-ray to find it which caused the extra half hour delay.  My girlfriend who waited with my husband said he was a nervous wreck waiting!!  Had a hard time coming out of the drugs so my husband and daughter didn't stay very long.  Down side of that is I didn't sleep all night.  I was very nausous.  I even puked once in the middle of the night-ouch,yuck,ouch!!  But I have to say as soon as I hit the call button my night aide-Josh-was right there and handed me the bucket in record time!!!  I received nausia medicine on a regular basis after that and no more morphine!!! Early Friday morning they came to get me for an upper GI.  I shudder at the thought of the taste of the mess I had to drink-not the chaulky stuff.  Everything was fine and now we were waiting on the doctor.  I was released about dinner time on Friday.  Slept pretty good Friday night--my bed is adjustable so I slept in a slight incline.  Today I have showered and feel much better except I feel like my swollen upper ab/mid rib area is going to fall straight out of my belly.  Oh, it hurts but not enough to take the pain medicine they sent me home with.  It is liquid Lortab and I don't want to gag or puke on that.  I will stick with my water, broth, and crystal light.  Monday I get to add yogurt-yeaaaaaa!  I'm day dreaming for soft mashed potatioes or pudding.  Oh, I came home weighing more than when I went in--got a chuckle out of that.  It will all be down hill from here.  Thanks for leading the way bandsters!!!  Ready for the warm heating pad--the gas pains are not fun.