Pam Tx

Long story short... banded 3/24/06, first fill 5/2/06. Put in 1.6cc (10cc band), barium did not go through, took out .6cc, still too tight, took out .4cc, still too tight, total unfill, relief. Speigel says "esophageal dysmotility" or spasm. 6/2/06: Went for fill. I say, please put in 0.4cc. He says "why don't I NOT tell you how much I am putting in and we'll see what the barium swallow shows". Fill feels OK, barium shows it is going through. I say, so how much did you put in? He says 1.6cc. I say WOW, last time that much was a problem. He says "oh, that was a fluke, see! it is fine today, you needed that much!". Well, I leave after drinking a couple sips of Water. Sit at work (not drinking) for 2 hours. Stop at store, get a small Jamba juice, and realize right off the bat, it is not going down. For the next 8 hours, I vomit/PB saliva every 15 minutes. I call Speigel, he says come in the next morning for an unfill. OK. 2 hours later, and 8 more vomit/PBs, I call him again. He says "get your husband to unfill it!" Both my husband and I are physicians. At that point my husband gets home from a party (11 pm) and I tell him what is going on, and he flips out. He calls Speigel and says, I don't think so... YOU are going to unfill her. Then a bunch of yelling on both sides of the phone. So, we go to the ER where Speigel comes in and unfills me at 1:30 AM. INSTANT relief!!!! He also shows my husband how to unfill me "in case this ever happens again". So, here I am...2 fills, no fill. The next time I am going to INSIST that he give me a small fill, no matter what he wants to do! Pretty good fill story, huh? Thanks for letting me vent!! Pam down 28 pounds with NO fill:D

Help? Banded 3/24/06. went for first fill yesterday. 10 cc band. I wasn't sure if I really needed a fill because occasionally I have pretty tight restriction, but other times I don't. So, we did a pre-fill barium swallow - doc said "wide open, time for a fill". Dr. Spiegel put in 1.6cc. I knew before I got off the table it was too tight. Barium swallow showed esophageal dilation and NO barium going through. Unfill to 1 cc. Still felt tight. Fluoro showed same thing, big distal esophagus and pouch, no flow through stoma - and I did not drink any more barium before the fluoro-this was still left over. Unfill to 0.6 cc. felt a little better, drank some Water, felt pain. Fluoro AGAIN showed dilation and maybe a very tiny bit of barium going through. Now the man who has done more than 3500 bands says "wow, this is unbelievable, I 've never seen this before." So....he unfills me completely. I immediately felt relief. Fluro shows no dilatation and barium flowing through nicely. "Maybe you have some odd esophageal dysmotility thing!" he says. How reassuring. or "Maybe the initial 1.6 cc made you go into spasm"? that sounds better. So.....4 sticks, no fill and here I am. If my weight loss had not been as good as it is, I would be in tears. As it is, I will see how things go for 3-4 weeks, then go get a 0.3-0.5 cc fill. Any thought from me fellow bandsters? HUGE thanks for any and all responces. Pam 3/24/06 down 24 pounds

I LOVE my 24 hour fitness gym. I do the machines, step aerobics and spinning. There are ALL types of bodies there, many very, very overweight, some model types. But you know, go there for YOU and your work-out for your body AND your mind. After awhile you do truly get addicted to the "high' of a good aerobic work-out. Go in the morning so there is no excuse to skip it later in the day when your re tired (and hungry). Pam 3/24/06 218/194/130

Last night I felt like a piece of my dinner got stuck. I pb'd within 30 minutes, but still felt uncomfortable. Went to sleep, and 4 hours later, pb'd the same food (disgusting!). Since then, I am having pain with mushies (went on mushies today thinking my pb from hell would have made me a little swollen). My question......is it normal to have pain for a day or two after a pb from hell? OR, do I have to worry about something else? TIA Pam

Thank you! I'm going for a first fill on Monday and really want to feel like I need it (like I did before the pb from hell). Pam

I was banded 3/24 and port site pain is still there. BUT I don't care cause I've lost 21 pounds!!! Pam 218/197/130

Hi, Just started soft foods last night. Ate 1/4 cup of tuna salad. Wasn't "full" but didn't have more because I was scared. Well...I just had lunch - 1/4 cup tuna salad AND 1/4 cup cottage cheese. I feel like I just ate a large meal. I REALLY do not want anything more to eat. I AM PSYCHED BIG TIME:clap2: I think I am going to like this band! yea, I know, it won't last but I was SO afraid I would still be hungry after such a small amount of food. Thanks for listening. Pam banded 3/24/06 down 15 pounds

I stayed on liquids for 2 weeks and I think (for me) it was the right move. It taught me to deal with being hungry with other means than eating. It also trained me to become a Water drinker. I never could have imagined that i could go 2 whole weeks with nothing solid. But i did it, lost 15 pounds, and have a WHOLE new persceptive on what it means to BE hungry. Been on soft food for 2 days and am truly satisfied with very small amounts. I feel, why rush it? Surgery is a big deal to both the mind and the body - give both a time to chill out and adjust, YKWIM? Good luck to you in your voyage. Pam banded 3/24/06 down 15 pounds

i was no problem with regular coffee and have been drinking 1-2 cups daily since post-op day 2. deosn't bother me a bit. Pam banded 3/24/06 down 15 pounds

I am 2 weeks post-banded and am moving onto "soft" foods. I have made a delicious looking tuna salad with egg, very moist. Can I take a few leaves of arugula, moisten them lightly with a vinaigrette and eat them with the tuna salad? I am a little scared about eating solids, so will chew each small bite like a maniac before swallowing. What cha think? Thanks for any and all responses. Pam down 15 pounds since 3/24/06:clap2:

I have never heard of that I and I consider myself somewhat of a gourmet - I will search my local market - thanks Pam

I'm drinking 72-80 oz water/crystal light daily and I think that does help with the weight loss. I was never a Water drinker before, but i have to replace my long-lost diet Coke with something LOL! pam

Thanks for your replies, I did not eat that beautiful arugula (my favorite). Pam

I have UHC PPO plan. It covered 80%. I had an approval letter in my hand 8 days after my appointment with my surgeon. No other doctors were involved. I was amazed. Coverage depends on your specific plan is. Call them and ask specifically, "is bariatric surgery covered on MY plan?" I did that and they said yes, for my particular policy. I automatically thought it would NOT be covered when I reviewed the UHC web site. So glad I called them. Good luck! Pam banded 3/24 by Dr. Speigel down 15 pounds....

Hi ya'll, Hope some of you experienced folks can answer a question for me. I am worried that I will be very hungry after banding. In the past, the only thing that controlled my hunger was to eliminate carbs, especially white carbs. Lost 50 lbs on Atkins, but, of course!, gained it back and more. I'm thinking that as I get onto muchies and soft foods, if I concentrate on eating Protein, I won't get too hungry. Is this wishful thinking? Thanks for any insights. I'm getting really excited, except I'm eating like a pig this last week, you know, getting all those "last suppers" in. Pam

well, I am a little hungry but too bad! right? getting a little better every day. lost 5 lbs so far. Thanks for asking about me. Pam

That's fabulous:clap2: excellent job! Pam getting banded tomorrow

The air rises and irritates the underside of the diagphram. The diagphramatic nerves also transmit pain down the arm. This is similar to the arm pain that people experience when they have a heart attack (because the heart sits on top of the diagphram). makes sense right? Shouldn't last more than 7-10 days, Hope you feel better son. Pam band date 3/24, 10 days and counting.....

Hi, I've been lurking for awhile but am going to come out now that I've got approval and a surgery date. I'm SO impressed with everyone's weight loss, plus you guys seem like a really nice group of folks. Surgery is set for 3/24 and I am psyched big time. I am a physician and have researched the band extensively. I wish I didn't need to do this, but am so thankful there is a tool to help me get to where I need to be. Looking forward to my band journey:) Take care ya'll. Pam weight 215/goal 140

Thanks for the welcome! I live in Houston and am being banded by Dr. Speigel. CAN NOT WAIT. Pam