Teneene
9/8/09 I've gained weight
Sep 08, 2009
I have to admit that I've almost gained 10 pounds since the last time I posted. I know that it has to do with the fact that I'm able to eat things I've stayed away from like bread. One thing I've learned about myself is that if I can eat it, I will. I can eat whole sandwiches now. I can eat Italian bread and french bread. I missed being able to eat these things and so I'm making up for it by eating it now. The price I have to pay is that I've gained almost 10 pounds because of it. Now I have to consider going on a diet. I've already started exercising again which has also been an issue for me. I can't say it's the fault of the band. It's my ongoing issue with food. I'm embarrassed to go back to the doctor, but I'm going to go anyway. I need another fill until I get back to my fill level and I don't care how much weight I've gained. I'm going next week and I'll be doing low-carb too.
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7/17/09 I'm baaaack!
Jul 17, 2009
I haven't posted on my blog in a long time because I really didn't have much to tell. I've slowly begun to gain weight and I've noticed my summer clothes getting tighter. Instead of letting this happen and sitting back to watch it, I decided to call and make an appointment with the APRN. He checked the fluid in the band and determined that .4cc's had seeped out. For someone like me this is alot of saline considering I'm past the amount the band was designed to hold. He put the saline back to the 4.4cc's I was at. I was able to pass the water drinking test before I left the office.
Since my appointment earlier this afternoon I've attempted to eat soup and drink water. I've been in and out of the bathroom since my attempts to consume anything. I keep getting stuck. Saliva keeps building in my mouth causing me to need to spit often so I can't go too far from the toilet. Right now I'm too tight, but I wonder if it's like this just for the first day. This has happened once before, but it only lasted a day. I'm going to wait until tomorrow to find out if I need to go in to get more fluid taken out. Meanwhile I hope I lose the weight I gained.
2/11/09 Went to see the APRN again just to make sure
Feb 11, 2009
So last week I went to make sure this was it because the Doc's office always seemed to leave an opening that kept me hoping something more could be done. Turns out this is really it for this band at least. I'm not getting another band because this one is doing exactly what it's supposed to do, only my body doesn't respond to it well. They rechecked my x-ray and determined that the band is as tight as it's going to get and they would not recommend anymore fills. Its restrictive according to the x-ray and lets a small amount of fluid through despite the fact that I haven't lost any weight. I've been the same weight since May with the same ups and downs by 2 or 3 pounds. On the bright side, I haven't gained anything!
Anyway, low carb just isn't my thing. I couldn't stick to it at all! My best bet is to exercise, exercise, exercise! Gotta keep my head up!
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Anyway, low carb just isn't my thing. I couldn't stick to it at all! My best bet is to exercise, exercise, exercise! Gotta keep my head up!
1/7/09 I feel discouraged
Jan 07, 2009
I was seen by the APRN who does our fills yesterday and left his office feeling more discouraged than when I went in. Basically it's the same problem I've had for months now. I'm filled over capacity with this band and have no room left to go any further. It's not that I'm ready for another fill yet, but the time will come when I'm loose again and I won't be able to do a damn thing about it. My weight has been pretty stable since my last visit despite the fact that the scale read that I had gained 2 pounds. This doesn't really bother me because I consistently gain and lose the same 3 pounds over and over. This means my weightloss is really at a stall. The APRN suggested maybe he can speak with my surgeon to see if they can give me a different band considering it hasn't even been a full 2 years out yet and I'm already over capacity. They'd have to come up with a reason to give that would make my insurance company pay for the new band though. Good luck with that! The only thing left to do now is low carb it and exercise. I've already started the exercise back up, but I absolutely hate low carb diets. I'm not a meat fanatic. Anyway, I'm allowing myself to grieve right now and then it's back on the bandwagon. This sucks!
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11/5/08 Yes We Can!!!!
Nov 05, 2008
My first order of business is to shout from the rooftops...."YES WE CAN!" Not only can we elect America's first black president, but WE DID! I am so psyched! My next order of business is to bless our new President Elect Barack Obama and his beautiful family. May he and his family be protected from harm from those ignorant, and narrow/feeble minded individuals who want to hurt them.
Next, I'd like to talk about this last fill I got in September. I am much looser now, so much so that I told Peter the APRN not to take any saline out during my last visit. Usually I'm asking to be filled again, but this time I just want to stay the same for now. Besides, everything came out normal with this last UGI test anyway so the doctor doesn't think they are going to exchange this band for a new one. This means that I am stuck with this overfilled band so I better get used to it. I did lose some weight with this last fill, but it could still be better. My body tends to plateau for long periods of time. I'm used to that too.
Next, I'd like to talk about this last fill I got in September. I am much looser now, so much so that I told Peter the APRN not to take any saline out during my last visit. Usually I'm asking to be filled again, but this time I just want to stay the same for now. Besides, everything came out normal with this last UGI test anyway so the doctor doesn't think they are going to exchange this band for a new one. This means that I am stuck with this overfilled band so I better get used to it. I did lose some weight with this last fill, but it could still be better. My body tends to plateau for long periods of time. I'm used to that too.
9/25/08 Wondering about getting an unfill
Sep 25, 2008
Since I've been banded in 3/07, I have never gotten an unfill. I'm seriously considering going back to ask for one now. At first after the fill on Tuesday I was able to eat w/ very little problem. That evening I made soup for dinner and couldn't eat it at all. The next day (yesterday) I got horrible news from work that a client of mine committed suicide. As the clinical social worker who treated him, I was in shock. Never saw that one coming. He had no prior history of suicide attempts at all and never even let on with his family who lived with him that he was suicidal. Needless to say I couldn't eat yesterday. This band is extremely sensitive to my emotional state. Well today I'm still unable to eat, but I'm doing better emotionally.
The reason I'm not sure if I should go back to get an unfill is that I'm wondering if unconsciously I'm still reacting to my client's death? I'd worked with him for over 5 years and while I've dealt with death before, I've never dealt with death due to suicide and never with someone I've worked with for so long. I think I just talked myself into waiting for a few more days to see if this gets better. I'm able to get in liquids, just not much solid food. I'm so frustrated!
The reason I'm not sure if I should go back to get an unfill is that I'm wondering if unconsciously I'm still reacting to my client's death? I'd worked with him for over 5 years and while I've dealt with death before, I've never dealt with death due to suicide and never with someone I've worked with for so long. I think I just talked myself into waiting for a few more days to see if this gets better. I'm able to get in liquids, just not much solid food. I'm so frustrated!
9/23/08 Finally broke down and went in for a fill today
Sep 23, 2008
I couldn't wait any longer. I learned I had gained 4 pounds since my last visit at the doctor's office. That means I was no longer at a stall, but actually beginning to gain weight. That's a problem for me. I'm glad I went in. The APRN and the doctor saw me today. Dr. Tishler told me he wants to see me monthly and also wants me to get another barium swallow test done. They are obviously concerned that I'm at the capacity I am with this band and is also gaining to boot. Truth be told so am I!
I received another .3cc's put in my band which now brings me to 4.4ccs. They are planning to monitor me closely now. I'm doing my part by going to the gym more regularly now. I've always had a problem with protein first because I'm not that big of a fan of meat, but I have to get full faster so I'm willing to really give it a shot. I don't know what else I can do to help this situation.
I received another .3cc's put in my band which now brings me to 4.4ccs. They are planning to monitor me closely now. I'm doing my part by going to the gym more regularly now. I've always had a problem with protein first because I'm not that big of a fan of meat, but I have to get full faster so I'm willing to really give it a shot. I don't know what else I can do to help this situation.
8/3/08 Not much to report
Aug 03, 2008
I haven't posted in 2 months now because there's not much to report. Just thought I'd come and give an update. I'm still at around 190 pounds and I haven't lost any weight because I didn't have much restriction for the most part. I didn't go back in for my last appointment in July because what is the APRN going to do? I don't have much space (if any) left in my band so I have to use my fills sparingly now. Lately my band has gotten tighter especially in the mornings. It just came out of no where so I'm going to ride this for a while and see what happens. Exercise is still problematic for me, but I'm going to keep trying to get back on that horse. One of these attempts is going to stick and I'll be one of those people who say, "Oh I exercise regularly!" Right now I'm just trying not to get discouraged with this very long stall.
5/27/08 May be my last fill:(
May 27, 2008
Today I may have actually had my very last fill. I hope this isn't the case but it's not looking very good. Let me give background information first. I've been able to eat whatever I want lately and in larger quantities so naturally I figured I need another fill. I'm well aware that I was filled to 4cc's during my last fill and I only have a 4cc band, but I listened to my doctor who told me that I could get a little more than 4cc's out of this band. Well today, the new APRN did my fill and pulled out exactly 4cc's when I was really hoping some saline may have evaporated or seeped out causing less fluid in my band than 4cc's. I was hopeful that he could just fill me back up to 4 and I'd be on my way.
Well it turns out that he could add just another tenth of a cc which brings me to 4.1cc's. He was actually comical in a seemingly bleak situation when he said, "I went to push more fluid in... and your band pushed back!" What he was saying is that the pressure in my band was pretty high because it's already filled to capacity. It looks as though I'm going to have to do everything on my own from now on. I still have 30 pounds left to lose to get to my personal goal! Nobody ever told me this was going to be easy.
Well it turns out that he could add just another tenth of a cc which brings me to 4.1cc's. He was actually comical in a seemingly bleak situation when he said, "I went to push more fluid in... and your band pushed back!" What he was saying is that the pressure in my band was pretty high because it's already filled to capacity. It looks as though I'm going to have to do everything on my own from now on. I still have 30 pounds left to lose to get to my personal goal! Nobody ever told me this was going to be easy.
4/12/08 Follow-up on my lapband
Apr 12, 2008
I went back to the doctor earlier this week after I returned from my trip to L.A. I met the new APRN that my doctor's office hired and he went through my chart and analyzed the results of my lab work and esophagal x-ray. It turns out that my labs are great (which is no surprise since they were normal pre-banding too), and my band is still in it's proper place and working well. I told him that Dr. Tishler wanted to check to see if I had a leak so Peter conferred with Dr. Tishler who came in shortly after to tell me that it would be best if they didn't take any saline out. Dr. Tishler explained to me that since I have 4cc's in a 4cc band and I lost 6 pounds since my last visit 3 weeks ago, that taking any saline out now might make the difference between being too tight or too loose since the margin for error is so great. His basic premise was, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." I was actually cool with that because I'm tired of being poked.
My band at this time is very unpredictable. Sometimes I can eat with little or no problem, and then there are some days when I feel like I have an eating disorder. There is no telling from one meal to the next what will go down smoothly and what will get stuck the first one or two bites. I have to get my protein in so I'm trying not to only eat soft foods. Yesterday I got stuck on fish which usually goes down nicely, but later I had ground beef and had no problems. This is the part of the banding experience I don't like. The part that I do like is the weight loss part. So far I've lost a little over 40 pounds and I've never lost that much weight before.
My band at this time is very unpredictable. Sometimes I can eat with little or no problem, and then there are some days when I feel like I have an eating disorder. There is no telling from one meal to the next what will go down smoothly and what will get stuck the first one or two bites. I have to get my protein in so I'm trying not to only eat soft foods. Yesterday I got stuck on fish which usually goes down nicely, but later I had ground beef and had no problems. This is the part of the banding experience I don't like. The part that I do like is the weight loss part. So far I've lost a little over 40 pounds and I've never lost that much weight before.
About Me
CT
Location
32.3
BMI
Surgery
05/08/2013
Surgery Date
Nov 07, 2006
Member Since
