June 2006 Band Crew

[cathgr8 1]

As of this morning, I have lost 10 pounds since my fill two weeks ago, and I passed my mini goal - for the first time in history, I weight less than the weight listed on my Driver's License!! Woo Hoo!!

[rroswelltx 1]

Congrats Cathy, and only 2lbs to reach your Christmas goal! WHAHOO!!!!!!!! Your awesome!

[carol134 0]

Good to hear most of you had a great Thanksgiving. My DH and I just stayed at home and he ate his steak, which that is what he wanted. I was going to cook a turkey but he said it would be a waste. Oh well.

I don't know about alot of you guys, seems all of you for the most part are doing quite well. I can say for the first time it has been crossing my mind to give this up. I'm not losing that much weight for what I'm going through. I can not eat until about 3pm or 4pm and that really sucks. Not to mention the part where you can't go out to eat because of your eating issues, and seems like for us everything revolved around the food thing. Not much going on in this town and eating out was the thing we did the most with our friends. We ventured out the other day and we were with some friends, well we went to a restaurant and I got Soup and could not even finish that! All I heard from the people we were with was how they felt bad for me. It has really been hard with this band and it seems to be wearing on my DH as well. I made the mistake in eating a hard boiled egg yesterday AM and I spent 2 hours pbing and finally just made myself throw it up. Well enough venting, glad to hear so many of you are doing so well.

[Melissa Lea 1]

Congrats Cathy! Keep up the awesome work.

Carol --hang in there. It will get better.

I am happy to report I had no PB episode when I ate my lunch. Whoo hoooo!!! I ate it very very very slow.

Melissa Lea

[Pinkylee 7]

Melissa:

Congrats on a "safe" lunch. I'm right behind you for a fill. Not scheduled until 12/12 (you're right Barbara465, what harm could a small one do?).

Lucy and Regina:

You two may be the first Junebies to GOAL. I hope you'll let us "ride your coattails" on what it's like.

Anyone looking forward to a sexy new outfit for New Years Eve? We never go out, but this year we are.

I finally let go of a few more of my old favorite outfits. Somehow it's given me the courage to look ahead.

I've decided to "enjoy the ride", but it's time to shift to a higher gear.

[barbara465 2]

OK so here's my story. Went for the fill. The last fill I had was .2 bringing me to 2.3. Today when they took it out I had only 1.7. They stopped and took a barium swallow. Everything looked good so they brought me back to 2.0. Afraid to put the whole .6 in at one time since I don't do well. Anyway, they discussed and decided that I would be a candidate for the heavier solution. Dr. Spiegel won't let them do it without seeing the patient. I made an appointment at surgicenter for Tuesday morning. I have to call first on Monday to get "my" time with him. Its a first come first serve, but you must be there when he said its your turn.

Anyway, no wonder I was hungry and could eat more. They said the band was fine, no leaks in the tubing, etc. Has anyone heard of the heavier saline? I want to know if I should expect a reaction from it. I know he will want to be aggressive, but I don't want to be sick that close to my cruise. So I'm thinking they could take me to 2.3, but that's as far as I want to go with the heavier stuff.

Starting to get my normal chills now so I'll go get on something warm.

[carol134 0]

Barbara465: this is interesting to me, I thought you were having trouble in am eating as well? I'm not sure but thought that was what I read. I am also hungry almost all the time, but that is mostly because I can't eat hardly anything for the pbing part. It just don't go down right till much later in afternoon.

Anyway this will be interesting to follow with the thicker saline, that of which I never have heard of.

Good luck, and if it works I will definately ask my doc about this produre. I feel I need all the help I can get at this point.

[barbara465 2]

I can eat in the morning, just not for several hours after I get up. It's not because I can't, I'm just not hungry then. If for some reason I do try and eat then I get full real fast. I wouldn't call it restriction like some I've heard about, but definitely don't like to eat early. I usually have 2 cups of coffee spaced out over several hours and then mid morning have my activia. I'm ready for lunch by 11:30. I might post a separate thread tomorrow just to see if anyone has heard of this. If so, what were their results.

[rroswelltx 1]

Barbara465, if you remember I also get chills after a fill, I talked to my doc about it and he had never heard of the strange symptoms, anyway, before my last fill he told me to take a couple of tylenol 30 min b4 my fill and see if it helped, and guess what I had NO chills. I have heard of the thicker stuff, but it will be interesting to see what a difference it makes, good luck and keep us updated.

[Pinkylee 7]

Barbara

Melissa got the thicker fill time before last and it stayed (if memory serves me correctly)

I called SurgiCenter this a.m. (prepared with only liquids and lite supper just in case) and asked for a cancellation spot. I get a fill at ll:15 a.m. today. I'm hoping to get to my new Christmas goal.

How much lead time will you have for your cruise? Maybe you should wait for thicker fill until after the cruise?

[ellgee 0]

Hi everybody -

Glad to hear Thanksgiving went well for so many - I got side-lined with the funk but luckily got some antibiotics the Wednesday before Thanksgiving so now all that lingers is the nagging cough all day and all night........

Much positive thought to those nearing goals! How exciting!!!

I'm intrigued by this thicker saline - I wonder what they put in it to weight it down?

Oh and side note on my heartburn - A couple of weeks ago, I stopped eating a couple of hours before bed and drank some aloe vera juice and I've not had any problems since! Good thing, because since my insurance changed I have to get my doctor's office to write letters of necessity so my visits and fills will be covered.

Have a great day!

[Melissa Lea 1]

Yes PinkyLee you are correct.

Barbara465 they changed me to the omnipaque on my 3rd fill. My first and 2nd fill, about half of the saline absorbed into my body. My 3rd fill was with the omnipaque. When they did my 4th fill last week they pulled out all the solution and I had exactly what they put in. The thicker saline means less absorbtion into the body. That's the only difference.

Good luck with your fills this week!

Melissa Lea

[barbara465 2]

Thanks for the info Melissa. Did they make you see Spivak to get it? I think its funny that I have to see Spiegel for something that doesn't sound like a major decision. That's what had me concerned. If I get it on the 5th I will have until the 23rd before we leave. I think that will give me enough time to see if I'm OK or not. I couldn't push it much later than that.

I think if for some reason Spiegel can't see me on Tuesday, I'll get a small fill to take me back to 2.3. This is getting so tiresome. I just want a little restriction, but not enough to PB.

At least its not slipped and my imagination was not playing tricks on me. I could notice that I was eating more and more and getting hungry. It does tell me without this band I wouldn't be able to keep the weight off.

I'll try the tylenol before I go in on Tuesday since I have to come to work after the fill. I didn't get the chills too bad last night. I do feel tight today.

[Melissa Lea 1]

Barbara465--

I did not have to see Spivak to change the saline. But every doctor is different. He may want to see the fluoro for himself??

My first fill I was given 1.1 or 1.2 cc and lost down to .5 cc (2nd fill time). My 2nd fill I was given up to 2.3 cc and lost down to 1.5 cc (3rd fill time). On my 3rd fill I spoke with the fill person about possible leaks and the omnipaque. She agreed that I would be a good candidate for the omnipaque and changed me. I was given 3.0 cc and lost nothing. Everytime I go I ask them if I have stretched my pouch our dialated my esophagus (I have a strong fear of that). Everything is fine.

I think my 4th fill has kicked in and I pray is here to stay. I think this is it for me for quite sometime.

Good luck Barbara --

Melissa Lea

[Pinkylee 7]

Laura - Glad to hear you got some relief.

Melissa

Are you at 3.0 or above?

I was shocked when they put in .4 to make it 3.0 and then wanted to go another .4 because barium went so fast.

I declined and it's a good thing. Water went down ok at center, but my one sip of Liquid Protein since being home seems to be taking it's time.

All I can say is--yeah! I want restriction and I can handle liquids and mushies for as long as necessary

I'm off to lah lah land until I begin teaching this afternoon.

One more NSV. I stayed in Onderland even at the Surgi Center with all my clothes on. I was 198.6. My scale showed 199.5 fully clothed right before I walked out the door.