marieee

The Physicians Assistant was the one I saw. She is the one that wanted the tests. I went to the appointment with my surgeon, and he said he doesn't even want me to get a CT scan. I would feel better getting one, but oh well. He is going to fill me back up slowly. With my band completely empty, I have no problems eating. He said if I have problems again he will stick a scope down my throat. I wish he'd still let me get the scan.

I am currently unfilled. My surgery was almost 10 months ago. I was having problems eating, and it kept getting worse instead of better. I had no restriction before my first fill. I had 6ccs at the highest. That was too much. I couldn't eat anything. 1cc was removed, and I ate fine, and then it got harder. We don't know why yet. Two weeks ago my band was completely unfilled. I have absolutely no problem eating. I can eat stuff that was hard to eat, nothing ever gets stuck and I am never in pain. I have lost 6 pounds since my band has been empty. I can eat a normal amount sometimes, and sometimes I think I have restriction. I believe the 6 pound weight loss is because I eat healthy and I am active. I guess sometimes I feel I have restriction, and sometimes I don't. Maybe it's just because I have been used to eating so little for so long.

The short story: I haven't been able to get a CT scan yet. The long story: Oh gosh. It's ridiculous. Well, on Thursday I went in to get the CT scan. They said on the phone they'd give me some barium that is easier to drink if I come in 2 hours before my appointment. I did, drank the stuff, and it tasted JUST like Water. I get in the bed to be scanned, and she says "oh no!" a few times. Well, she was looking at my paperwork, and she had seen I got an upper GI 2 days before. Well, that makes them unable to see anything in a CT scan because of the different kind of barium I drank for the upper GI. She said maybe it had moved through me quickly since I am young. She tested it, and the CT scan couldn't see what it needed to. Soo... my surgeons office made a huge deal out of getting one ASAP. They called all the hospitals to find an appointment. I had one on Saturday (yesterday), and I was told to drink some magnesium citrate to clean me out. I drank it and went to the bathroom about 5 or 6 times in 24 hours. It wasn't horrible, but I have read it is for some people. It tasted bad, but I am a huge baby with bad tastes, and I was able to keep it down, and I never felt like I had to sit on the toilet that second or I'd go in my pants, but anyone who takes it should stay at home. Stuff doesn't exactly "move through me" as well anymore after the surgery, but I thought that would do the trick. I went to my appointment on Saturday and asked for a test scan before they made me drink stuff and wait. Well... they still could not see anything She said it's all still in my bowels. The tech who did the scan said they reccommend to wait 4 days, but she's seen it stay in people up to a month. Yeah, broad range. I am so mad I got the upper GI first. I have to call my surgeons office tomorrow morning (Monday) and tell them, if they don't call me first. I have an appointment with my surgeon at 10am tomorrow too. I don't know what they will tell me or have me do. I wish I could have an answer for myself, and maybe tell you what I found out since eating got harder for us both. Have you talked to your doc yet, or are you going to try to? Make sure you say something about the upper GI before you get a CT scan so they can test you. I think your's was a while ago though???? Make sure if they want to give you both that you do the CT scan first. I found out the hard way.

All of the sudden, after not being filled for months, it was getting harder and harder to eat. I went in today to see if it has slipped. It hasn't slipped, but it may be erosion, the physician's assistant said. I have to get a CAT scan on Thursday. It may not be erosion, nobody knows. It's not like I am sure. The stuff I have read on corrosion is veryyyyy confusing. It's like every page I read about it says something different and contradictory. Just that I may have erosion has scared the hell out of me. I am DEVASTATED!!!! She took out all the saline in my band too (5ccs).This all happened today. I can eat a normal amount now... not that it's surprising with nothing in my band. I am scared to death. I do LOVE my band. My band is more than something in my stomach; it's a part of my life. Sometimes it gets on my nerves, like my best friend or family (haha), but I still love it no matter what, and it has changed my life for the better. I will feel naked without a lap-band in my stomach haha. Without being able to feel my port. Gosh, I really do love my band in some odd ways, but it's the best thing to ever happen to me in my life. In some ways I think this may be a completely dumb question. Well, I am scared to death of gaining the wight back if it needs to be removed. The thing is that I am not at goal weight, but close. I am 155 pounds. That's why I feel it's dumb to wonder if they'd do another weight loss procedure on me when I get it removed. I think it's dumb because I don't want to weigh 50 pounds. So do I just have to wait to get fat again to get something else done again? Trust me, I will work my hardest to not gain weight. I hope my very hardest is good enough though. I've been eating great/healthy for 8 months, so I am doing good IMO... compared to my past eating habits. Probably a dumb question to wonder if you could get weight loss surgery at 155 pounds. I am not sure though, that's why I am asking. I got the band because all of the other weight loss options scared me to death. Now that I have a taste of being skinny and healthy, I would do almost anything to not go back to being fat again. Edit- Sorry "erosion" not "corrosion". Shows you how much I know about it at this point :-/

Thanks, Jack. I went for my CT Scan today. I can't believe the physicians assistant didn't know that I couldn't get a CT scan because I just had an upper GI two days ago!!! I had too much barium in me :cursing: It was a whole mess, but I guess they think I need it soon, so I had to drink some stuff to clear me out for a CT scan on Saturday.

I am not educated on the subject at all. I had problems eating all of the sudden after no fill for a very long time. I just got all kinds of x-rays hours ago. My band has not slipped. They also took all my saline out (5ccs). I am DEVASTATED just worrying that I may have erosion. It's the worst thing to me because if I do, my lap-band will be removed and never put back in. The only way they can tell is with a CAT scan. I have an appointment for one on Thursday. I am not looking forward to drinking two bottles of dye they gave me to drink either. I will be EXTREMELY upset if I have erosion. Sorry I can't tell you much, I just found out everything hours ago.

I haven't had my band filled in months. My surgery was 9 months ago. Usually eating has gotten easier instead of harder, which is of course why we need fills. I don't need my band filled, and eating has all of the sudden got harder for a few weeks. At first I though it was PMS because of what I have read some people say about PMS making your band tighter, but that has passed and it's been too long for it to be caused by PMS. I think I may be eating too little, but I am making sure I get nutrients. I am not under stress, and nothing unusual has happened like stress. Should I go see my surgeon? I'm thinking I may need to because it is getting hard to eat soft food. Could this mean my band has slipped? I will go read up on that now. I hope not! Thanks!

I lost 100 pounds on 7/21/08. It was/is my parent's wedding anniversary and my best friend of 16 years' birthday. I will never forget what day it was What a great day and perfect timing.

I have not been getting nutrition like I am supposed to and not eating much. I am going to start right now. I was having a lot of weird problems. I went to the ER and found out my potassium is low. Which I am getting now. Which did have symptoms similar to what I am feeling now, such as confusion. I feel really weird saying this, but I feel like I am almost losing my mind. I am not crazy and this has never happened before in my life. I can't sleep. I find when I type stuff, I read it over, and I forget words in a sentence. I am using words that are not even close to the words that should be there. It's a lot of stuff like that. I just don't feel right all around, but it's hard to explain. It's getting so bad that I don't think I can drive myself to any doctor to find out what's wrong. I suppose I should get my potassium checked again. But has anyone had low potassium? Or has anything like this happened to anybody?

I have also been experiencing dry skin for the first time. It is better than it was. I was real itchy all over my legs and arms. I normally have oily skin, and now I have to put lotion on my face.

For me it's because food will get stuck if I don't.

I have lost 45 pounds all together. 20 before my surgery and 25 after. Has anyone else noticed that they get cold really easily after losing weight? Everyone is complaining that my apartment is too hot. People will say it's not cold outside when I am FREEZING. I used to be hot all the time. I would wear short sleeves when it was 50 degrees out. Now I will be cold when it is 70 degrees out (it's winter, but it has been a few days here in VA).

I can now fit in some clothes at Aeropostale and American Eagle. I feel awkward going in there, though. I still feel fat, and I feel like people are thinking I am too fat to fit in their clothes. I feel embarrassed. I can only fit into the sweat pants they have (now a large instead of xl), but I couldn't fit in them before. I plan on wearing cute sweat pants whenever I can so they will fit me for awhile. I will buy a couple pair of jeans when others don't fit me anymore.

My port scar. The picture was taken sideways. It's a little over an inch long.

I am 5'4". I wear a 22, and I weigh 222.

It took me about a year to do everything. I had to go to extensive classes required by my surgical group. My surgery date was scheduled for June 6th, and two weeks before my surgery, my insurance company changed their policies and I had to do a 3 month supervised diet. I was finally banded on November 14th.

I have lost 17 pounds in 3 weeks, and I still believe it wont work, heh. I just can't imagine myself being skinny. I have only been obese for about 6 years too.

I smoke, and my lungs hurt real bad when I woke up, so maybe it would be something like that.

I didn't have one, but my surgeon said that he wouldn't do it if I had one or was sick in any way.

Is it normal for me to be STARVING right after I have had the surgery? I just assumed I would be full after I ate.

When will I feel full? After I get my band filled? It seems like I am full but so hungry at the same time. It's really weird.

I got hungry the day after the surgery I hope nothing is wrong.

3 days ago, and I am eating Soup, pudding and yogurt.

I had it 3 days ago, BTW.