Dancing Queen

Surgery Date 6-27-06 Dr. Rumbaut 257/172c/165goal 3.2 in 5.0 cc. band

Poodles- A week ago I flew to Dallas intending to get a total unfill. I was at 3.2 and he took out .7. I am so glad that I didn't get a total unfill. With the .7 out I am eating A LOT more but still maintaining my weightloss. Vitamins can go down and I have felt so much better that I started exercising again. My advice..for what it's worth is try taking out .5 - 1 cc. and see where you are from there. Your situation sounds a lot like mine. I literally couldn't get anything down. I kept carrying my big bottles of water around and they kept staying full. I couldn't finish even half of a protein shake and I had acid reflux all of the time but I feel so much better now!

Regina, You are in my prayers for speedy recovery. I had my gallbladder out 1 month ago so this really hits home to me. I am thankful that they were able to find the problem and fix it! I hit the gym today. It had been a while. I had gb removed and then was hospitalized for dehydration and low blood pressure. It felt good to work out again. I am at my smallest and it will feel good to tone up the FLAB!! I bought a cute little top at Maurices and wore it to church today. I got so many compliments. It feels so good to dress my age (SIZE 12 NOW!!). Big changes are on the way...I resigned my principalship at my school and I am looking for a new job. I have 2 interviews this week! I decided to go back to teaching. My boys need me at home more so I am going to try and get an 8-3 job so I can take them to and from to school. May 25th is my last day at my current job and it will be so weird. I have been there for six years. Dancing Queen Dr. Rumbaut June 27, 2006 257/179c/150ish

I started out as a 22/24 and just bought my first size 12 pants this weekend! I am a 12 on top unless it has buttons, then I need a 14 for my two girls. Honestly I am just glad to have something left! I would like to be a 10! Almost there! Dancing Queen Dr. Rumbaut surgeon Dr. Fred Maese fill doctor June 27, 2006 257/179/150ish

I started taking some of my kids Flintstones this a.m. I think that I have gotten looser. My DH took me out to Waffle House this morning. I got an egg and two peices of bacon down! It felt like a feast!!!

Barbara, Thanks for the great advice. Maybe we are getting to a stage that can be difficult if we don't watch out. I know that all of a sudden I took a turn from doing this right to getting a little obsessed. Thanks for reminding me to not let it take over!

Thanks MommaTrammel, My doctor totally blamed the virus or whatever I had. They never really found out what it was. But I know that since I got my last fill 3 weeks ago of .6 that took me to 3.2 in a 5.0 band that I wasn't eating enough and I was so tight that I couldn't swallow my vitamins. I tried drinking Ensure but even that went down extremely slow. I've learned a valuable lesson. If I am that tight I don't need to wait that long to go and get an unfill. You never know when you are going to get sick and your immune system needs to stay strong. I've lost 13lbs since the fill and I told myself I was waiting to see if the fill loosened up before flying to Dallas for an unfill but I really think I was enjoying seeing the scale go down so much that I wasn't thinking rationally. Dancing Queen Dr. Rumbaut 6/27/06 257/179/Thinking about stopping here!

Hello Junebies; I just got home from a long stay at the hospital. I started having diarrhea last Saturday and by Sunday I was bedridden. I truly don't think that I have ever been so weak in my life. A couple of times I broke down crying because I was scared. Well..I made it through till Monday morning but I knew I needed to go see my PCP. He took my blood pressure and it was 50 on the bottom. He sent me to the hospital immediately for IV fluids. I was admitted on Monday at about noon and I just got out on Thursday morning. The diarrhea continued until Wednesday and they didn't want to stop it until they found out if it was a parasite or a nasty infection. On Wednesday they sent me down for a colonoscopy and after that I got nausea and vomiting. They gave me finegrin sp? anyway I slept for 17 hours straight. All in all I think I have decided to go get a huge unfill. When they tested my blood I was extremely low on a lot of nutrients including potassium, calcium and creatine. I am seriously thinking about getting all of the saline out for a few months and giving my body a break. I can barely eat and I think that is why the virus I got took me to such a serious condition. So far I have lost 80lbs in 9 months so I am happy with where I am even if I don't lose another pound! Dancing Queen Dr. Rumbaut 6/27/06 257/175c/150ish

I had my gallbladder out a few weeks ago. The pain was in the upper left part of my back and side. It would just hit me and I felt like I couldn't breathe. The ultrasound showed that they were as much as 1cm. in diameter. After the surgery the surgeon told me they were cholesterol which is consistent with typical gallstones from rapid weight loss. Don't mess around with your gall bladder. It is a relatively simple thing to get rid of and a dangerous thing to ignore. My surgeon gave me the sermon on that! Dancing Queen Dr. Rumbaut 6/27/06 257/184c/145 goal

The worst thing would have to be when I was in 9th grade. I weighed about 170 and my dad got out the scale and made me look at what I weighed and then he got on the scale and showed me that he weighed less than me. Talk about disfunction. He's made up for it since then and since I have gotten banded and tells me I am looking so good. He's let me know how proud he is of me but what a blow. I don't think I will ever forget that. The things we learn from our parents...we especially learn how NOT to parent our own children. Dancing Queen Dr. Rumbaut 6/27/06 257/184/145

Pinkylee- You're so sweet! Thanks for your nice words about my arms..and the rest of me! I started tanning today. I haven't bothered in many years. But I bought a size 14 tankini for the summer and I figure what the heck! I think I am too tight also. I got a fill 3 weeks ago today. He gave me .6. I did the liquid/mushy thing and well I am still kinda doing it. I have tried hot tea, hot coffee and I am PB'ing anyway. Last night I couldn't sleep. It felt like my esophagus was having spasms. When I got to work this morning I looked on WebMD and didn't see anything about spasms in your esophagus..only acid reflux. I bought some Pepcid on the way home from work and then I tried to eat some refried beans. After about 2 bites they came back up. So far today I have had a sugar-free applesauce, a cup of coffee, 2 bites of cottage cheese and the refried beans don't count since they didn't stay down. My esophagus has improved but it is still burning. I have never had heartburn in my life so who knows. Maybe the tight band is causing it. Two days ago I ate really good and then today I am living on NOTHING! Dancing Queen Dr. Rumbaut 6/27/06 257/184c/145goal that keeps changing!

3.2 in a 5cc. band. First fill @ 6 weeks 1.7 cc. lost about 27 before fill Second fill @ 5 months 1.0 cc. lost about 50 total with fill Third fill @ 9 months .6 cc. as of today 3 weeks after fill lost 73 lbs total!!! Dancing Queen Dr. Rumbaut June 27, 2006 257/184c/145

Thanks Barb465! I guess I am still self-conscious of my arms. I almost didn't get the top because I hate showing them. If I could get to the gym again it would help. I had to have my gall bladder out 2 weeks ago and ever since this fill I am too weak. Not complaining b/c the weight is coming off fast! Keep up the good work at Curves. I joined there several years ago and had a great time. June 27, 2006 Dr. Rumbaut Monterrey, Mx. 257/185c/150

Just checking in on everyone. I had my third fill in Dallas last week with Dr. Maese. He put .6 in giving me a total of 3.2cc. in my 5cc. band. I have lost 7 lbs. already. I am extremely TIGHT and I have been drinking ensure and protein shakes to keep my energy up. Here are some Easter pictures. I am wearing a size 14 now and I am at 185lbs!! I can't believe this is really me in the picture. I used to HATE having my picture made and now I find myself asking my DH to take my picture every time I get a cute new outfit.. I am going to see if I can start getting more food down and if not I may have to go get an unfill. It usually takes a couple of weeks to see how my new fill will really be.

It was gallstones!! Yikes! I went for the ultrasound this a.m. and the radiologist said it was gallstones. We are more prone to them after rapid weight loss. I am waiting for the doctors to call me back with a surgery. I hope it is soon b/c the radiologist said she was surprised that I wasn't vomiting. It has gotten a lot worse in the past 24 hours so I don't want it to get so bad that I have to deal with vomiting and risk slippage!!

Well.. I went to my PCP today. I am having pain on my right side and back..looks like my gallbladder. They scheduled me for an ultrasound and bloodwork in the morning at 10:00 a.m. We shall see!!!

Melissa Lea- OMG!! I am cracking up over the line from The Devil Wears Prada! I know exactly how you feel. I hovered over the onederland line for a few weeks around Christmas time and I kept thinking about that! If I could just have a good "crap" (I'm such a lady!!) I'd get below 200! Hilarious!! Two months later and I am only down 8lbs. at 192. Guess it's time for another good crap!! Keep your chin up! The day you get on there and see a # that begins with one you just want to celebrate. It's an amazing feeling!

I hit a plateau eating about 700 - 900 calories a day and exercising. I sat down with a guy at my local nutrition store and discovered I wasn't eating enough times per day. Your body will automatically adjust it's metabolism to keep you alive. Your body thinks you must be stranded in a desert somewhere!! :omg: Now I eat something every 3 hours...mostly protein. I probably eat about 1000 cals. a day but by eating those small portions throughout the day I have lost another 5 pounds within just a couple of weeks. Just an idea! My nutritionist told me to eat three times a day so I guess I am not following her plan..but this seems to be working in my favor.:clap2:

ME absolutely. I am a singer and I am on stage a lot! I've always felt like the way I looked on the outside never matched who I am on the inside. When people hear me I want the passion that I feel to come through in every way. My insecurities about how I looked held me back BIG TIME!

Colleen, You are doing the right thing! Soon the Protein, nutrition and healthier choices will just be your way of life. And the old way of life will seem like it happened to someone else. I will pray for you too b/c I had the same feelings and my patient coordinator helped me through it. She was right! Losing weight was a lifelong battle and it was a fight I just couldn't win on my own. I had an enormous appetite and my body was much stronger than my willpower! Best wishes for a quick recovery! You have an exciting journey ahead of you! Banded 6/27/06 Monterrey, Mx. Dr. Rumbaut 257h/192c/170goal

I need help with the chips too! It's so easy to grab a handful if I am starving. I try to eat roasted, unsalted peanuts or half of a protein bar but all of the protein shakes and bars have me craving SALT. I read somewhere on LBT that microwaved turkey pepperoni gets crunchy like a chip. I guess I'll try that. We are snowed in here in Arkansas so I ate all day yesterday!!! All this after I just lost some more weight and got to my lowest weight since banding -- gotta fix my ticker. I was down 65lbs. (192). I will do better today and tomorrow and see what I weigh on Sunday. I always tend to show a loss on Sunday no matter what? Water is NO Problem, I buy the Ozarka 20 oz. bottles and drink 6 a day! Exercise - I am not doing so good for the past two weeks. I want to hibernate in January and February. No excuses! I saw bathing suits in all the stores the other day..the thought of that should get me back in the gym soon! Everyone seems to be coming along great. Let's keep our chins up and remember you don't have to be STRONG all of the time..just recognize those times that the fight is the hardest and give it all you got! Mine is 3:00 pm until bedtime. I am finding hot tea, cottage cheese and other healthy, low cal snacks are the key to fighting through my tough time!

I checked in on a Tuesday morning and went back to my hotel around 11 on Wednesday morning. I had my surgery at Hospital San Jose in Monterrey Mexico with Dr. Rumbaut. They wanted to make sure that I was able to keep liquids down the next day and that I responded well to the band. I am glad I stayed because even though my recovery was easy there was another lady that had surgery the same day that had a horrible time. She had some fever, pain and vomiting. They kept her an extra day.

MaryS What is going on? Why are you not able to lose the weight? Have you had your thyroid checked? I am pulling for you; it must be frustrating! Hang in there!

I suppose if you went really crazy and ate something you know won't go down like a whole pizza or something but for the most part what I usually have pop out isn't that big of a deal. I usually stop as soon as I feel uncomfortable. Just be careful and stick to eating what you are supposed to with small, small bites. Since my last fill I started drinking a cup of hot tea before a meal.

I have gotten a headache. What's really strange is when I am having a "golfball episode" I can tell when the food is not going to make it down because I get this tremendous feeling of pressure on my face. It's like the esophagus is pushing so hard that it is putting pressure on my cheeks and forehead. Then after that big push...out pops the food! I never realized how strong the esophagus muscle was until I had this experience. I do love having a band..but in those moments of extreme discomfort I have questioned my decision.."Why do I have to be so disfunctional that I had to have this thing put inside me to keep me from stuffing myself?" But as soon as it's over I'm glad I have my band. When I get on the scale..I'm glad I have my band..when I get to buy smaller clothes...I'm glad I have my band. So most of the time I am very glad I have my band.