Adagiodiva

I've had my gastric band almost three years now and it has, for the most part been a success, I'm down 100lbs but it's been very slow progress- I'm okay with that, slow and steady.... I've had one experience of having my band tightened too much which was just as horrific as others have described on this site but what I am experiencing at the moment has me a little baffled. Basically I got my band tightened three weeks ago which beings me up to 6.25cc in my band, when I had my incident of being too tight I was at 6.5cc. So from Wednesday of this week (after three weeks of the band being tightened) the following starts happening; When I go to bed and lie down my stomach starts gurgling uncontrollably and constantly, and I'm burping the whole time.... really, it's constant... When I eventually manage to get to sleep I wake up suddenly with a small amount of bile in the back of my throat which i have to cough up to clear... I have tried drinking peppermint tea and taking some motilium which does reduce the gurgling/ burping aspects but I don't want to be a slave to this routine. Also during the day I have uncontrollable gurgles which just literally come out of no where... Oh and on Thursday I had a cup of hot tea and a glass of Water which I couldn't keep down, I threw them both up about 5 mins after I drank them. I will admit that my emotions do influence my band...if you can believe that!! I.e. If I'm upset or tense my band gets tighter ...bit I haven't had any emotional moments this week...apart from the fact that I can't slep because of the bile and gurgling. Anybody have any clue what is going on with my band? All suggestions welcome!! Sara

Hi there- I am also glad to have found this thread... I was banded in June 2009 and although I have managed to lose 65lbs since then...I've still another 60 to go....and haven't been able to lose weight for a number of months now. I should be happy that I have't managed to gain weight but I have been feeling like a failure but the truth of it all is that I am a food addict. I also have PCOS and eating carbohydrates seems to lead to sugar binges for me...and ends up with me choosing the easier band options i.e. chocolate and ice-cream (easy slider foods!) I did low carb a number of years ago and lost 90lbs and my cravings for all things sweet were fairly under control...and my PCOS symptoms had calmed down alot...and my TOM was regular as clockwork. I'm on day two of my low carb regime...ketostix were purchased last night so It's full steam ahead for the rest of the year. I'm tyurning thirty on August 25th and I am determined that I will not be fat for my 30th. I've already been working out regularly since the start of January and am doing my first 5K run tomorrow...Please god the excercise combined with this new low card regime will produce some results. Yours in low carb.... Sara

Hi ladies and gentleman- Just wondering if anyone has the number for the lady who organises dr chris fills in Dublin? Wls have cancelled their clinic for aug in Dublin and I need to get a fill. Thanks, Sara xx

Hi Sara, Another Irish lass..... Great to see ya on the forum. I'm flying out on August 11th to be banded on 12th. Good to know you can eat chocolate and ice-cream, all in the name of when you just really need a square instead of a brandy or a cigarette! Would love to know how you get on with WLS cos Wendy seems to be great, from what I've read. Hi Toppings-- There are loads of Irish ladies on this thread!!! Me? I live in Smithfield. I had the op on the 23rd June and haven't looked back since. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions!! Sara xx.

Hello Ladies and Gentleman- Well three weeks post op and what can I say...my appetite is still quite small...wahey BUT yes..choc and ice-cream fly through the band so I have had to reassess what I am at if I reach for these foodstuffs. I went to the Oxegen music festval in Ireland at the wked and had a ball, thankfully they had a wine stand so I could drink that wiout any difficulty but I will admit that a couple of glasses did go to my head alot quicker than it used to!! Three of my five scars have almost completely healed but the two large ones are still quite red and one of them just seems to refuse to heal--I've taken to bathing it with salt water to clean it out but it doesn't appear to have an infection-its just taking it's time. I'm down 15lbs which is great but the scales hasn't moved in a week!! Is this just a lull post op?? I'm trying to follow a weight watchers type plan to keep track of my calories points style and I haven't eaten anywhere near my points allowance any of the days but still no movement?? Although I will say that my clothes are fitting alot better...so thats a big plus!! I'm going for my first fill wi WLS on the 4th Aug in Dublin so it will be interesting to see how that affects me. I just want to wish FLIRTY the best of luck--this is for all of us, god bless ya you are our little guinea pig..cause when I do lose this weight I'll be straight in after you for surgery!! You are an inspiration to all of us!! Sorry for wandering on.... Sara xxx.

Well Lads and Ladies, I'm back!! I was banded on 23rd June with Dr Chris and although I didn't have a smooth run of it, i.e. I had bad nausea and was quite ill from the anaesthetic and that barium stuff they make you drink for the x-ray had some "nasty" effects on my bowels shall we say...SORRY!! I'm absolutely fine now. In fact 4 days post op there wasn't a bother on me. I went back on to mushy solids yesterday for the first time and was indeed delighted that my appetite has reduced by loads!! Please god that will continue until I have my 1st fill. For any people reading these threads and considering having lap band surgery with Dr Chris I can say hand over heard that the whole set up is very impressive and reassuring. I would recommend him and the hospital in Brussels in a heartbeat. Of course the hotel isn't great- it is more than sufficient for your needs just the rooms are a quite small but really you only sleep in the room so what more do you really want other than a comfy bed (which they do provide). I brought my sis Emma with me for support and she was a lifeline- helping me with getting dressed post op, chatting to me and calming me down, I would recommend bringing someone with you. To the other fabulous people I met also getting banded the same day---I hope that you have all recovered well and again thank you soo much for the laughs and the few drinkies that we had on our night before surgery. You are a fantastic group of people and I wish you success with your band. PS- I went to my GP on the Friday that I got back from surgery for a check up and he was very impressed with the op notes that Dr Chris had provided for him and VERY supportive of my decision- he commented on how brave I was to go ahead with the procedure and how he had another patient who had recently lost 11 STONE wi the band. Sara xx.

Well lads and ladies, I'm flying out of Dublin tomorrow morning to have my op on Tues and I am shitting it big style!!! I think that I have been in denial about the whole thing up to now and it has hit me like a brick wall. I am absolutely terrified, thanks be to god I've never been admitted to hospital before for anything and rarely go to the doctors so my mind is racing as to what will happen and no matter how many pages I read on this forum I'm struggling to calm myself down. I know that Pixie will be there the same day as me...so please say a little prayer for us both that we both get on well. I'll report on my return which will prob be in a week as I'm staying with the parents for a few days post op to be minded. Talk Soon!! Sara xxx.

hi ladies, Thanks for the replies. I know that you are right about losing the weight slowly and with restriction being a gradual thing. I suppose when I read about flirty and shoes not having restriction-- mind you they have both done incredibly well without it, I just panicked and wondered if this is the right choice for me. But I know it is!!! I'm having some pre op jitters me thinks, up to two days ago I was full steam ahead and excited about the op, the last few nights I've been awake at night thinking about it! Sara x

Hi Shoes, Do you think that ur lack of restriction is due to Frederick not giving you sufficient fills or is the lapband failing u? I'm going to have the op in a weeks time and am going with the wls group for fills in Dub but am just a bit anxious seeing how both u and flirty don't seem to have restriction and/ or are effectively losing weight without any help from the band. Sara

Hi Pixie, I'm also being banded on the 23rd June. I'm flying out from Dublin and my sis is coming wi me for company. I'm on the milk thistle and arnica in an effort to get ready for the op and start the low fat diet tomorrow. Is anyone else on the forum being banded the same day as us? Sara

Hi ladies, Just wondering if anyone has heard if Wls have abandoned their no 6 month packages to newbies?? I'm hoping to use them post my banding on the 23rd June. I also seem to have developed an unnatural craving for fatty foods in anticipation of the op I'm praying that I can get started in a low fat plan from today and have dug out my old ww books to try to use them as a reference. Sara x

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen- I'm booked to be banded on the 23rd June and am flying from Dublin with my sis. The thing is....I'm going to a hens wked the wked before and it looks like I'll have to go sober for the wked in an effort to shrink my liver for the op!! Did everyone catch the programme on ITV last night?? It certainly helped strengthen my resolve to go through with the surgery and in fact I'm excited about getting my life back on track. Sara xxx.

Hey everyone, Just a few more questions. 1. What time flight are you getting to belgium the day before surgery? My options are to arrive at either 8.20am or 8.30pm and I am wondering if I'll b there too early or late for my consultation and to check in to the hotel. 2. What time to leave at on day 3? My options are the 810am flight or 920pm flight? Does dr chris or his associate check in u on day three? 3. Flirty-- what day/ date of the month do the fills take place in Dublin? Am contemplating either the 23rd or 26thjune and want to get a fill four weeks later or as soon as I am let. Thanks a million. Sara