How are the banded Notorious Novembers???

[TklMeSkinny 0]

Oh Rhonda, I'm in a slump too! For some reason, I'm very very tight all of a sudden, and can barely get down Protein Shakes, so I've dropped a couple of pounds. But I definitely need to get back in the swing of exercising, I ended up working outside all day yesterday, tilling, hoeing and planting, and boy am I sore this morning!

Good luck, Elyse! And outside work is good exercise. I hadn't thought of that! I've got some beds that need planting, and of course the lawn always needs mowing in the spring! I hope your soreness goes away soon, and burns off to muscle from it! :redface:

[elysenoland 0]

So I need a little advice. All of a sudden, I'm having really bad reflux at night, not acid, just kind of Fluid and I wake up choking on it. I don't eat after 6 pm, I flush my band out a couple of hours before bed, I've even tried taking papaya enzyme and acid reflux meds. I haven't had a fill in 5 months and everything has been fine, now just out of the blue I'm really tight, can't get much down, PBing all the time, and now the last four nights this awful reflux stuff. I didn't sleep more than 20 minutes in a row all night last night. Should I go to dr or will this pass if I back off and go to liquids for a few days? I wondered if this wasn't a TOM thing, but have never experienced this before.

[TklMeSkinny 0]

Elyse, that happened to me a couple of mos back and they had to unfill me some. it was too tight, caused the night time reflux, a night cough, couldnt sleep, bile in my throat when i woke up... NOT good. i would definitely call and let your Dr. determine if a slight unfill is called for.

[Glammaw 15]

Elyse, sorry you are having problems. These are the same problems I was having and they did a complete unfill on me. My fill would be okay for a couple of weeks, then really hit me. I cannot be at more than 6.3 in my realize band. Right now I am five weeks after the complete unfill and hoping to start fills again in about a week. I am sure it will be a slow process. Just be careful, because none of what you are having is good for you. I remember the waking up feeling like I was going to drown if I didn't spit it out. Please call your doctor and don't take any chances. I have been lucky and it seems mine has resolved, but I won't know until I start my fills again. I will keep you in my prayers. Take good care of yourself.

[elysenoland 0]

Elyse, sorry you are having problems. These are the same problems I was having and they did a complete unfill on me. My fill would be okay for a couple of weeks, then really hit me. I cannot be at more than 6.3 in my realize band. Right now I am five weeks after the complete unfill and hoping to start fills again in about a week. I am sure it will be a slow process. Just be careful, because none of what you are having is good for you. I remember the waking up feeling like I was going to drown if I didn't spit it out. Please call your doctor and don't take any chances. I have been lucky and it seems mine has resolved, but I won't know until I start my fills again. I will keep you in my prayers. Take good care of yourself.

Since you'd been though it, I went in! Thank goodness, no slip but my esophagus was dilated and no barium was getting through the band due to inflammation. They took out 3.5 ccs and I felt IMMEDIATE relief. He said if I'd messed around and waited, it's likely it would've slipped. I was so dehydrated that my blood pressure was 98 over 42. I can go back in three weeks to have a fill (maybe). I asked why, after five months, he said likely I ate something that got stuck, inflammed the stoma and then kept trying to put more in there which got it more inflammed and now it's swollen shut, so need to give it a break. Works for me. I feel fantastic right now! Thanks for the advice, if you hadn't said it, I probably would've drug my feet and waited, and done more damage.

[jms462001 9]

I'm glad you are doing better. This has come up at my monthly meetings a few times and it was said to be so important to go in immediately and have some Fluid removed or risk losing your band. This board is good for getting out info like this that can make or break someone's success with the band and even the possibility of losing it!

[Glammaw 15]

Elyse, glad you are feeling better. It is instant relief, isn't it :thumbdown: They had me wait for a month and then extended it two more weeks. It is such a relief to sleep thru the night and to not PB everything I put in my mouth. I was to the point I just wanted my band OUT! Luckily, my doctor responded quickly with a complete unfill and now things are back to normal. I am a little nervous about a fill, because I still have a partially flipped port (?) and the fills are painful, but at least I feel like a human being again. I am glad you took the quick route and went in as quickly as you did. You will be back to normal soon....just a little dip in the road. I waited and it has taken me longer to recover. Take it easy on yourself during this time and feel better. We are all on this journey together! Its all about the trip, not the destination, after all. I'm sure those prayers helped, too.

[elysenoland 0]

Man, I must have just not realized how crappy I've felt these last few months. I was obviously overfilled. Just kind of ignored that uncomfortable continuous pressure in my chest and back. Never ate much. My body must have been just shutting down. I had a wonderful dinner last night, still had restriction, was able to eat an egg for breakfast! (I haven't had anything to eat before 10 am for four months, and I get up at 5:30 am!). I have a tremendous amount of energy today and have burned through my entire weeks to do list. At this point I am not sure I want another fill. I'm really not concerned about this last 8 to 10 pounds, I feel very good about my body, so if I can maintain my weight these next few weeks, I may just stay where I am. I am SO SO SO Thankful for you guys for telling me to go, I don't even want to think what might have happened. I guess I should've had some removed a long time ago, just thought that I was so tight it had to be good, instead I was starving myself and ruining my metabolism I bet! Thanks again!

[Glammaw 15]

I hear ya! I have no fill so I am doing it all on my own but I felt so much better I never wanted to touch my band again. I just wanted my life back again. I gained four pounds WHILE I was sick with my band. I am not gaining now, but still afraid I might. I have 20 pounds left to lose and I am seeing my dr. on Tuesday. My husband does not want me to get another fill. It will be my little secret :thumbup: I don't ever want to feel like I did before my unfill....ever, ever again! If I have trouble again, I will have to get by on my own. Elyse, so glad you are better. Take care of yourself....all of you!

[elysenoland 0]

I had always kind of thought in the back of my mind, that once I lost all the weight, I'd be able to have my band emptied and live a normal life. I've only had 3.5 ccs out and still have some restriction, but I have absolutely no control. Its like I have been starving for so long that I'm just nuts now that I'm not super tight! I ate an ENTIRE wendy's single cheeseburger AND FRIES!! I haven't had a french fry in over a year! I'm going to have to get a grip on myself or I'll gain 20 lbs before I get a fill in three weeks!

[jms462001 9]

It's amazing how fast we lose all the band eating ways isn't it? When I had all my Fluid removed for surgery, it was 3 wks before i could have any put back. It felt like I had never had a band as I found myself eating like I had before the band (faster, larger bites, less chewing) without giving it a second thought! And I was able to eat a lot more as well. I was worried I would gain lots in that period of time, but really did not. Elyse, pre-band, you probably would have ordered a much larger burger!!

[Glammaw 15]

Elyse, we must be kindred spirits! I have the same feeling....I thought I could get by without a fill, but even watching what I do, it is like I was starving and now I can have real food again. But I worked to hard to get rid of this weight to watch it slowly creep back on....one pound per week....four before they removed my fill and one per week since. I have gained 10 pounds and they didn't come off that easily. I am eating bread (OMG) and I, too, had french fries AND A PIECE OF CAKE for my daughter's birthday. Once you start it sure is hard to stop. I go Tuesday afternoon for a fill and I hope it is a big one, since I have NO FILL AT ALL!!!! My husband doesn't want me to go so I am not telling him. He saw me in so much pain before the unfill and PBing everything. It should be fun convincing him I really want only liquids. Hang in there....we will get through this together....all of us :thumbup:

[tmbowe 1]

I also had a problem recently where my band became very tight and I was unable to keep anything down..I had 6.6 cc's in my band and the Dr took my down to 6. Felt much better right away. I have also noticed that I am eating foods that I have not touched in a while. I dont go back in for a fill until June 1st so I know i have to watch everything I eat or I will easily gain the weight back. I just finally hit Onderland the last thing I want is to be over 200lbs again. I am glad to see I am not the only that is dealing with this problem. I really need to get on here more. It helps to have others to talk to

[ddgalarza 0]

its so funny how we go through similar states at the same time. you all know i had revision surger in sept 09, and at that time i was 185, i havent been able to find proper restriction since the revision, every visit my doc will put in just the littlest bit (fearful im sure of the problems i had in the past) so my last vist 3 weeks ago i guess she was sick of me whinning about not being tight enough and she gave me 1cc which is way more than she usually gives in a visit, but the problem is i had gotten into such bad eating habits (not food choices but the size of bites and not chewing enough, not staying on liquids for 24 hours after a fill) that i did what i have been doing since september which is eating the evening after my fills. the problem was this time i think she had the Fluid amount right so when i ate the smallest amount of mahi mahi that night:eek:....it was over!!!!! instant pbing, horrible chest parin, i could not lay down i couldnt sit up. i found myself in her office the next day begging for her to take it ALL out. she unfilled me slighlty but the damage was done. my esophagus was swollen i couldnt even swallow my own spit and if i did that too came back up. i went back later that same day for more to be taken out (thank god for insurance). so now i still dont have proper restriction, my weight varies from 188 to 190 on any given day. i have another appotintment on monday so im hoping she will put back some of what she took out and this time i vow to be a better patient. im down 90ish pounds and i dont want to settle for being part of the way to my goal. i think i am at a point were my restrcition isnt enough to enable weight loss, i work out and my diet is not 100% on point but it is pretty darn good. i have been able to maintain this same weight with a consistant diet and exercise but i REALLY need restriction because i just frankly eat way to much. my calories are to high for significant weight loss due to the amount that i eat not what i eat. i am still confident and hopeful that my goals will be reached. i'm shooting for my 2 bandiversay to be at goal. goodluck to everyone, including me!

[Glammaw 15]

dd, our bands are sure fickle, huh??? I hope to get started all over again with fills on Tuesday. I know it won't be fast but I need to get started. Just keep doing what you are doing and you will find that elusive sweet spot again. I think I found mine once for about three days :confused: It was nice while it lasted. food was not even in my thoughts. I want that again....sooner or later. For now, we just have to keep working it. Good luck to you and everyone on this journey.