giveyouthemoon

Yeah, for me it was like one day I was PB'ing and the next day I could eat ANYTHING. That sudden loss of restriction is a prime symptom of a slip so I was FREAKED OUT. Thus why I got the esophagram which led to the diagnosis of dilation of the esophagus and pouch. Not so bad that I need to be unfilled, but bad enough to be concerned. The easiest way to know for sure is to get an esophagram. Does your dr do fills under floro? Mine doesn't but others on here do and their dr has seen problems that way. Maybe you can ask your doc to look under floro? It sounds to me like you are WAY too tight. Getting a bit of an unfill would be the easiest test. Being too tight like you are is a good way to get a slip that you don't want. Tell your fill doc what you told me, that you can't eat, it hurts, pain at night. I'll bet he'll want to do an unfill. Remember my surgeon's motto about fills. It is better to be a bit too loose and able to eat a couple extra bites of something healthy than be too tight and be driven to bad behaviors, meaning eating things that will go down which usually aren't filling or healthy. Good luck! Let us know how it turns out!

Also, my .02: So that may only add up to ~1700 calories or so...but there is something more insidious at work in that menu. It's heavy on simple carbs and sugar (fast food has a LOT of sugar). So what the carbs do is give you a NICE insulin spike. You feel refreshed, full of energy....then your blood sugar drops suddenly and you are tried, grumpy, hungry. Leading you to UP UP UP again with carbs...then crash crash crash down again....up up up.....crash crash crash. Even if you intend to only eat the ~1700 cals, you will find yourself hungry and miserable and looking for Snacks to eat. Ungood. Unhappy bandster. It was a good question tho! Keep 'em coming!!!!

Yay!!!! I'm excited for you! That pre-op jitter phase is CRAZY! You are going to do great!!! and To answer your question:

I'm just over a year out and 100lbs down. Would I do it again. HELL YES! It's been a hard road, tough journey of learning about myself, about food, about how I eat, about how deeply the ties are with food. I'll say this...with RNY, they can eat what they eat and the malabsorption takes place. You have to work a lot harder at the band. You have to learn yourself a lot more. But I think that benefits you in the long run! I've heard of LOTS of complications from RNY. So much that I'm super happy about the band!! Remember, the problems you see here are the people who have come here to vent and for support. You aren't hearing from all the thousands who are THRILLED with their band. They are too busy running around out there living their new lighter life!!! :huggie: Best of luck on your band. You are gonna love it!!!!

Diva - I had those same feelings prior to being banded. It was the hardest time for me..... I was SO down on myself. But you know what? Having the band now for just over a year...I realize something. You know what? I *couldn't* do it on my own. I am a very strong willed woman but I needed help. I needed intervention. I needed a "hard stop" on my eating. And Trink (my band) has given me this. So I hope you find that same realization. I think the feelings that you are having are part of the journey. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to be able to pick yourself up. Girl, we are here for you!!! We are your support!!!! I personally vouch for you...you are going to do great. In fact, I'd worry about someone who DIDN'T have these kind of feelings prior to a surgery like this. It's self abusive stuff but best to get it out now. Girl, your life is about to change. A lot. A LOOOOT. Yay! :huggie:

I get SOOO frustrated because every person feels insecurity. Even the tiny thin little girls feel it. So if we ALL get down on ourselves...why are we so mean to each other? I have never understood this human condition. Bugs me. As a big girl still, I see what you mean about being overlooked. It was real bad 100lbs ago. I've often wondered if it wasn't about how a heavy person carries themselves? I know when I was damn near 300 lbs, I looked down, felt uncomfortable and wouldn't look people in the eyes because I was ashamed. As I've been losing weight I hold my head high and look people square in the eye now. I mean, I'm still the better part of 200 lbs but I FEEL good so I get treated better. I think it's both how people view obese people. But it's also about how obese people view themselves. I know that whatever mental tapes run in your head help shape your reality.

1) breathe 2) emotional eating is part of what got you here in the first place. Yes, having a band is a sort of rude awakening about HOW MUCH you come to rely on food. I'm not going to lie, losing that form of comfort is a really tough adjustment...but it's just that, an adjustment. You are an amazing adaptable person. This will be tough for a bit but it's part of your journey. If you don't already have help in the form of a mental health professional, I HIGHLY recommend you get some. I don't think ANYONE should go through the experience of bariatric surgery without some counseling. They can help you find the roots of your emotional eating and how to cut that off at the pass...or how to find OTHER more healthy ways to comfort yourself. Get help. I'm serious. It takes a very strong person to say "you know, I need a little guidance". 3) Don't fear a PB. Avoid them, yes, but no need to fear. I believe we ALL have to PB at some point to be able to understand what they are, how they feel and how to avoid. Always chew chew chew. ALWAYS. Watch bite sizes. Watch out for textures. For me, a PB hurts. Yes, it's pain and the first several times I did it made me panicked. It feels like what it is..something stuck in your esophagus. It's not something to be feared. You get scared, you get tense. You get tense, your muscles get tense. And you set yourself up for a PB. You are fine. BREATHE!! :tea: And a {{{hug}}}

Malice X - I was diagnosed with dilation of the esophagus and pouch but my Dr said it was not so bad as to need an unfill (yet). Take it as a VERY GOOD sign that you don't need an unfill. That means they caught it in time and you can fix this. Eat TINY. I mean TINY. Little meals. I don't eat meals anymore, my day is about grazing. One egg. Cheese stick. Some sunflower seeds. A protein shake. Etc. That is my day. I eat every one to two hours. And in a month's time, my restriction has returned. I caught my problem in time and you can too.

Ok. I have been diagnosed with dilation of the esphagus and pouch. My symptom was that suddenly I felt zero restriction. I could and did eat everything in sight. It was like one day...hey, it's all fine. The next day...gone. My dr called the dilation "a prelude to a slip". He says if 1) I get reflux and/or 2) I can't eat that those are sure signs of a slip. Now...if you are concerned, don't wait on it. GO SEE YOUR DR. S/he will probably order an esophagram. Better to be safe than sorry. I felt SO silly insisting on an esophagram but glad I did. I caught my problem early while there is still time to fix it. I've been eating TINY portions for about a month and restriction has returned. The good dr and I think I'm back on track and that's a success story. Even if your esophagram shows nothing...you'll be glad you did. Go forth! Let us know how it works out!!

I am a side sleeper...so much so that while groggy in the hospital, I rolled over abruptly, thus pulling the beejeezus out of my newly sewn in port. ow. Like mentioned above, I had a hard time sleeping on my side since my belly pulled on everything. Here was my solution. I went out to a department store and bought one of those girdle thingies that is like a tube that goes around your waist. It was like HEAVEN. It pulled everything in tight so I could actually sleep on my side. I only wore it at night (it rolled up weird in the daytime) and I think it helped my port muscles heal faster too as it gave them support. It was the only way I was able to sleep on my side. I wore it about two weeks and then all was fine. Good luck!!!

I am not an alcoholic but I have a very, very addictive personality. I am recovered from bulimia (which my therapist researched and it's right up there with drug addiction in the "tough to beat" category). I'll say that those "demons", as I call them, of my addiction will always find a way. They are sneaky and they are smart. I didn't have the urge to overeat and purge for a long time then one day, bent over the toilet, I realized I was overeating to the point that I'd PB every day. It was an old familiar pattern so back into therapy I go. I'll tell you, it is a real big mind f*ck to lose a bunch of weight. Don't let anyone tell you it isn't. And when something changes that drastically, you want to go back to the old, comfortable ways of dealing....the addiction. I'm not saying you shouldn't get the band...quite the contrary. I'm just telling you...your demons of addiction will find a way to prevail. My therapist says that someone with an addictive personality can't really be expected to be addiction free. They have to find a way to transfer the addiction to something more healthy. She has a friend, an alcoholic, who now quilts. And the woman will stay up all night as this new addiction works, keeps her hands busy, and gives her a feeling of accomplishment. I personally haven't found my new healthy addiction yet, but I've got a few I'm working on. Photography is the big one right now.... If you are going to get the band, I more than recommend, I insist you discuss this with your therapist (or if you don't have a therapist, get one). I have crumbled more than once on this journey and needed help to get back on track. I know you can do this. It just takes work. All of this is, of course, just my .02

Adding my name to the 100 lb club. Started at 298, now at 198! Whoot! I have 38 lbs to goal. Dr and I have setting a goal time frame for Jan 2007. A bit of a stretch, but do-able!

Whoo hoo! I just recently arrived in Onederland myself so I'm SOOOO happy for you! Isn't it an amazing feeling? Funny what the power of one little number can do to a brain!

bumping in case Vines didn't see.....

Hey ya'll! I decided to wait a couple days to post to make sure the scale wasn't lying to me. Often when I hit a new weight I bounce around for a while, but it looks like it will "stick" this time. I started this crazy journey one year and one month ago. My starting weight (my high) was 298. Today I weigh 198! Wooot!!!! Man...I love Trink (my band). She and I have been through a lot together! Wooot.

Ah Vines....that's a good question. Let me see...of the top of my head in no particular order: 1) fitting again into the conference room chairs at work 2) being able to cross my legs again (I don't know why but I feel SO girly to be able to sit with my legs crossed) 3) finding a new man in my life after a two year long drought (I met him six months and sixty pounds after the band) 4) wearing a size of pants that is less than 20 (currently at a size 14) 5) Energy! Wow! I can't believe how much energy I feel with some weight off 6) the amazing feeling I have about food now. I won't say I'm 100% but more often than not I feel more in control of food and eating. And when I'm out of control and try to eat everything in the house...I can't. I spent many months recently RAGING against my band and vomiting almost every night. One day while I leaned over the toiled I realized....this was basically bulimic behavior. This awful eating disorder I'd fought so hard against had returned in an insidious way. And THAT was a big shocker. So I've really worked on those demons again and found more peace with the band. 7) how good I feel about myself so I now walk with my head and eyes up and not down which causes people to react to me in a FAR different way then they did when I was almost 300lbs, depressed and eyes cast downward 8) Being able to shop some of the places I used to love. AND being able to pull out some boxes of old stuff and fit into them again. 9) Making my skinny and VERY beautiful sister jealous. Heh. Ok, that one is not very nice....but I've ALWAYS been jealous of HER. Maybe it's her time for a little while. And if my success can motivate HER then all the better (she has some post baby weight that she's working on). 10) That I'm alive. And healthy. And almost off blood pressure meds. And my indications for a long life are improving daily. I plan on spending a LONG time on this planet and this is one of the many ways I make that happen. Vines, you've been a source of support for me from the start and I want to thank you personally for that! Thanks for asking this question and getting me to spend some time thinking about it. I needed it! I get TOO tied up in the scale...so this was a good exercise for me (and maybe exorcise, too, of those demons)!

Hey Andrea....Dr C only answers questions in the complications forum...you might want to try to repost it over there?

Teee, nope. My mother doesn't know that I have the band. She is incredibly unsupportive and a gossip so she has no need to know. It was just me. My sister had to come and drive me home from the hospital because the hospital wouldn't release me on my own. That was it. :rolleyes

In my case, the dr decides how much, but does so with my input. For you, since you are newly banded, yes, you might gain weight until you get that first fill. Most drs will go slowly on the fill since how it feels varies by person. I think they usually start with .5cc and go from there. Just know, your experience is normal for someone with an unfilled band. Things will look MUCH different when you have restriction. Hang in there....soon! It will be soon!

Word NewSho. We single gals gotta stick together! I agree, most of the women (and men) here are married and they give great perspective from being in a long term relationship. But it's a WHOLE other outlook when you are the girl who drove her dang self to the hospital and had NO visitors while she healed...... Much love and much luck on your journey to find a good man who loves you just like you are!!!

I started at 298. I had been a few over 300 but had come back down some, so my starting weight is almost 300. My weight loss went in fits and starts. I'd lose 10 or 12...then stall.....then lose another 10 or so, then stall. Frustrating. Just know...you gotta keep rolling and not get off track. Just grit your teeth and keep going even when it gets frustrating. I found when I stalled for a real long time I had to start tracking my food in Fitday.com and had to assess how much I was exercising. As soon as I fixed both areas, usually the weight would come off again. And sometimes....sometimes your body just stalls. I wants to hang on to that weight. *sigh* That part sucks.

Well...I should probably explain....I didn't have this man when I had my surgery. I did my surgery all by myself, I had NO ONE to help me. It was rough. I met this guy about six months AFTER I had the surgery. I did, in fact, have to explain to him about my scars. And yes...I fretted about it. I did have to have The Conversation. Here is my story. We met in November and started seeing each other. We dated for a month before getting intimate. Finally, FINALLY we did go ahead and get intimate. I was nervous as hell about my scars which are really noticable and red against my very pale skin. So we "did the deed" and after I was fretting. So I made some comment like "so you probably noticed my scars" and went on a rambling explanation. His reply? "Scars? I didn't even notice" then he looked down at my stomach and said "oh yeah....huh, you do have some scars." That was it. So I guess I wanted to clear up my comments from my place of experience. I didn't make my comments as one of the very lucky women who had their partner or husband as support for their surgery. I'm just another of the single women on this board who had surgery not only to help my health, but in hopes of finding love again. Hope that helps.

When you've had plantar fascitis for a long time, the tendon calcifies, thus causing a bone spur. Bone spurs do not go away on their own. Plantar fascitiis does. I never had it go long enough or bad enough to be a bone spur, thank goodness. Losing weight made my painful heels stop hurting tho....(plantar fascitis).

This helped me as well. Every morning stretching it out REALLY helped me to walk first thing in the morning. Also, getting the band and losing weight made them go away for which I'm VERY happy.

Well...I think that guys will make a deal of it if they ask and you get all weird or evasive or too "explainey" about it. Guys really are simple. If he says "say, what's that scar all about" and you say, with a shrug "oh, I had some surgery" and act fine with it, he'll be like..: shrug : "ok, cool" If you reply "weeeell, I had this surgery, see, and it was a big deal and it's weird" and you act all uncomfortable, then HE will be uncomfortable too! The guy will look to see how you respond and react and go from there. I got a lecture from my bf this weekend about how girls are prone to explaining too much. He said "just say it out don't worry about defending it" and I think he's right. Harder for me to practice but I'm going to try. So girls...practice your confidence. Fake your confidence if you have to (fake it until you make it!). Say with a shrug and a hair toss..."oh, I just had a little minor surgery" It will be fine. Honestly, I think we're overthinking it a little bit....