struggling

[Guest guest]

Thank you to all who responded to my post. I have not be drinking

the gatorade like I should. I had a Kidney stone and was told to

lay off the salt and calcium. It is a very hard thing to balance.

I am going to get some Gatorade today. I will just have to deal

with the stones if they reoccur. Oh btw, I have been using the

patch for a bout 2 months and got off of it about 2 weeks ago. I

didn't have a period the last month and thought it was due to the

patch. So my body is in majoy flux. That is one thing I keep

forgetting. I " knew " all this stuff before surgery but didn't APPLY

it to me. I am feeling better just to have some input. I really

appreciate having friends I can go to and ask their opinion.

Especially when I know they are traveling the same road. I look

forward to hear what the tests say but in the mean time I will get

more gatorade!

Thank you and Hugs!

DFW

>

> > Hi Guys... I am a little over 3 mo out. I would

> > say in the last week

> > I have been really struggling. I can't seem to

> > concentrate, I am

> > moody, tired, and seem to be obsessing about what is

> > wrong with me. I

> > went to the doc today and had a ton of blood tests

> > done. I should have

> > some results by early next week. In the mean time I

> > thought I would

> > ask any of you " seasoned " MGBers if you experienced

> > this? My doc said

> > to go back and read the manuel again and that I

> > shouldn't be surprised

> > that I am gong through changes. I am not surprised

> > I just feel very

> > different than I have in the past. So I thought I

> > would reach out and

> > see if anyone else was in my boat. Thank you for

> > listening...

> >

> > Hugs

> > DFW

> >

> >

>

>

>

>

>

_____________________________________________________________________

_______________

> Bored stiff? Loosen up...

> Download and play hundreds of games for free on Games.

> http://games./games/front

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

When this happens to me, I add salt to everything I drink. Not a lot (about 1/8

tsp). I feel relief immediately. Try it. If it doesn't help, try the patch.

in Phoenix

02/19/04

Struggling

Hi Guys... I am a little over 3 mo out. I would say in the last week

I have been really struggling. I can't seem to concentrate, I am

moody, tired, and seem to be obsessing about what is wrong with me. I

went to the doc today and had a ton of blood tests done. I should have

some results by early next week. In the mean time I thought I would

ask any of you " seasoned " MGBers if you experienced this? My doc said

to go back and read the manuel again and that I shouldn't be surprised

that I am gong through changes. I am not surprised I just feel very

different than I have in the past. So I thought I would reach out and

see if anyone else was in my boat. Thank you for listening...

Hugs

DFW

[Guest guest]

,

I don't have any experience with any of the drugs you are taking, but I

am wondering if possibly between the epidural and those drugs you

actually got enough relief that you re doing a lot more, thereby

bringing your pain levels up? Just a thought.

I wish I could tell you that I knew of a magic bullet...but I think you

just have to play around with a bunch of combinations of meds,

lifestyle, fitness/PT until you get somewhere that helps you function.

Not very encouraging...I know.

If you can have another epidural....why not do it if it helped?

I feel for you.

Take Care, Cam

[Guest guest]

Cam,

I am waiting to here back from the pain management doctor if he will

give me another epidural block, being I had a lot of discomfort from

the first one.

I think you are right when you said about the feeling good part.

Did you have any bladder issues prior to your revision, I go to the

bathroom so much and I don't get the same feeling that I use to its a

different feeling I get hope that makes sense

Does walking help?

Did you have numbness in your leg and tingling?

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

While I wasn't on any of the med's you are on prior to my revision, I know it's just a try and see if anything works prospect. I tried a few, some were like taking nothing, and others did help, and sometimes what helps now won't forever. Sometimes a lifestyle change helps too with pain, I went to a cane, and that helped me right before surgery to be able to walk a little further. You might keep a pain log, what you are doing and for how long, what med's you are taking and how, might help the pain mgt guy know a little better how to help, write down your pain levels while doing certain activities. I did adjust my day around my pain, and found it did help, like not going to two stores in a row, the standing in line and walking would always set the pain off really bad. I also used a high stool to sit on and cook, standing long enough to cook a meal would do me under. At this point try the epidural again too if you are up to it, alas for me I didn't get any relief from them. Walking never helped my pain, it would set it off, so short walking periods followed by rest( I knew where ever bench in town was, my pain resolved by sitting down for awhile), was a coping skill I developed. I'm so sorry you have bladder issues, I never did. I had tingling in my right leg which was always my worst before the revision, but the pain always overrided that. I do have a lot of numbness post revision, the top of my left thigh, and my entire back, which I just deal with, but sure don't like shaving that thigh, creepy, and sometimes when it rubs on my pant's it feels creepy, and somedays it's more noticeable than others. I took Nuerontin for awhile after surgery for it, and since I still felt it, we stopped it. I really hate when somebody hugs me and runs their hands across my back, makes me want to come out of my skin. I know announce at family gatherings how the numbness affects me, it is just a drawback from the surgery I deal with. I'm soooo lucky the pain is gone, and I can walk and stand, that a little numbness I'll just deal with.

I hope others chime in that took the same drugs prior to surgery, I'm sure they'll have wisdom to impart, do try changing your day around what sets the pain off, it really helped me while waiting for surgery.

[ ] Re: Struggling

Cam,I am waiting to here back from the pain management doctor if he will give me another epidural block, being I had a lot of discomfort from the first one.I think you are right when you said about the feeling good part.Did you have any bladder issues prior to your revision, I go to the bathroom so much and I don't get the same feeling that I use to its a different feeling I get hope that makes senseDoes walking help? Did you have numbness in your leg and tingling?

[Guest guest]

,

Well, again, hopefully the discomfort of the epidural will be worth a

little relief...the first time I had one, I was, of course, hoping for

a miracle....a total reduction in pain for a very long time. What I got

was a reduction in pain for maybe 6 weeks. In a way..this process

helped me focus on the difference between palliative solutions and the

need for something more permanant. So by the time I had the second one,

I had no illiusions and even though I got even less pain relief..I was

glad to have a slight reduction during what became the busy time

getting things ready so I could have surgery.

Either because things were going downhill in a hurry, or because I was

a bit more active prior to surgery...I can't say, but the 3 or 4 weeks

before surgery if I had a long shift at work I would find that I could

not start a stream of urine to save my life. I would have to come home

a lay down for a good while....then all was well. I assumed it was a

little nerve related thing...but I never brought it up to DrRand as the

next time I saw him he was getting ready to " sign my back " the morning

of surgery. Anyway...that problem resolved with surgery and has not

reappeared. In retrospect, I probably should have at least mentioned it

to someone...but I didn't. It is possible that the nerves to your

bladder are being impacted in some way by what is going on with your

back...so don't do what I did....mention it to your doctor...especially

since you are a long way from surgery! The damage can be permanant.

Walking was agony for me. I pretty much stopped doing it. Standing was

pretty challenging. I had tingling on the outside of my calf, running

down the outside to my foot and outward along to my pinky toe and it's

adjactent toe (what is that toe called anyway...it would be " ringman "

if it was my hand?). If you look in the " Links " section you will find a

section called " Illustrations & Diagrams " and if you open that you can

see a picture that depicts the area of the body served by which nerve

root. I expect you will probably see L5 or S1 may be the culprits of

your tingliness.

The only other thing that helped me manage my pain was the use of a

soft brace that my local ortho has suggested when the sciatica

originally flared. The particular one I used had a very heavy duty

velcro and elastic set up, and if I put that on as tight as I could as

low as possible around my hips I could pretty much stop the movement in

the spine that was causing the nerve pain...kind of like giving myself

a mini-fusion. The downside to this approach was the loss of abdominal

muscle tone I was warned of...and I believe occurred, either because of

the brace, or inactivity, or both. In retrospect I could have worked

harder at overcoming that side effect in the pool, but I didnt really

realize how much tone I had lost until after surgery. Of course, maybe

it really had to do with the anterior part of the surgery...who knows?

is giving good advice when she says to try modifying your

lifestyle as much as you can. Part of that process is " giving over " to

the idea that changes are coming in your life.

Take Care, Cam

[Guest guest]

Dear , I was in very bad pain prior to my revision. I had to

use a rolling walker to walk. I also had alot of trouble voiding.

Sometimes I would sit on the toilet practically all nite. I had

almost forgotten how very bad it was for me until I read your post.

There were nites I would even fall asleep on the john. I wanted to

let you know I had the same problem post revision.

Diane B

>

> Dear ,

>

> While I wasn't on any of the med's you are on prior to my revision,

I know it's just a try and see if anything works prospect. I tried a

few, some were like taking nothing, and others did help, and

sometimes what helps now won't forever. Sometimes a lifestyle change

helps too with pain, I went to a cane, and that helped me right

before surgery to be able to walk a little further. You might keep a

pain log, what you are doing and for how long, what med's you are

taking and how, might help the pain mgt guy know a little better how

to help, write down your pain levels while doing certain activities.

I did adjust my day around my pain, and found it did help, like not

going to two stores in a row, the standing in line and walking would

always set the pain off really bad. I also used a high stool to sit

on and cook, standing long enough to cook a meal would do me under.

At this point try the epidural again too if you are up to it, alas

for me I didn't get any relief from them. Walking never helped my

pain, it would set it off, so short walking periods followed by rest(

I knew where ever bench in town was, my pain resolved by sitting down

for awhile), was a coping skill I developed. I'm so sorry you have

bladder issues, I never did. I had tingling in my right leg which was

always my worst before the revision, but the pain always overrided

that. I do have a lot of numbness post revision, the top of my left

thigh, and my entire back, which I just deal with, but sure don't

like shaving that thigh, creepy, and sometimes when it rubs on my

pant's it feels creepy, and somedays it's more noticeable than

others. I took Nuerontin for awhile after surgery for it, and since I

still felt it, we stopped it. I really hate when somebody hugs me and

runs their hands across my back, makes me want to come out of my

skin. I know announce at family gatherings how the numbness affects

me, it is just a drawback from the surgery I deal with. I'm soooo

lucky the pain is gone, and I can walk and stand, that a little

numbness I'll just deal with.

>

> I hope others chime in that took the same drugs prior to surgery,

I'm sure they'll have wisdom to impart, do try changing your day

around what sets the pain off, it really helped me while waiting for

surgery.

>

>

> [ ] Re: Struggling

>

>

> Cam,

> I am waiting to here back from the pain management doctor if he

will

> give me another epidural block, being I had a lot of discomfort

from

> the first one.

>

> I think you are right when you said about the feeling good part.

>

> Did you have any bladder issues prior to your revision, I go to

the

> bathroom so much and I don't get the same feeling that I use to

its a

> different feeling I get hope that makes sense

>

> Does walking help?

> Did you have numbness in your leg and tingling?

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

The best thing you can do is to reconize that you fell off and are willing to

get back on. I did the same thing, but only with 28 pounds gone. I am still in

the Bandsters Hell phase of life.

Best of luck

Struggling

> Hi Everyone,

>

> I have really been struggling for about 2 weeks. I have

> gotten away

> from the habits that helped me lose about 65 pounds and so I

> have hit

> a plateau. I guess I just wanted to " say it " out

> loud. I think the

> process of confessing it will help me get back on track.

> One of the

> hardest areas is drinking liquids with meals and also I have given

> into the temptation to have milkshakes with my girls.

>

> On the positive side, I have gone through the kitchen and

> removed any

> problem foods that I have noticed that are fine for my daughters but

> not for me. Also, I have started measuring my foods

> again. Later

> today, I am getting to the fitness center to get some time in on the

> treadmill and in the pool.

>

> I had my banding done on October 18 2006. I had a fill in

> Decemberand another one in March. With the second fill, I

> have become much

> more sensitive of the sensation of being full when I eat solid

> food.

> So it it is much harder to overeat at meals. Therefore, I have

> cheated with liquids. I lost 63 pounds but have picked 3 of

> those back

> up in recent weeks. My weight at surgery was 255 and my

> lowest was

> 193. I am at 196 now.

>

> I feel discouraged but not defeated. I guess I just wanted

> to talk

> about it which will help me commit to getting back on track.

>

> Thanks for being here,

> Emmi

>

>

[Guest guest]

One mind-set that has helped me is the realization that in my " heavy

condition " I had probably already consumed a lifetime of food. Now my

goal is to eat only what I need to survive. I had the band for a

second time in August; first time resulted in a slip. I've had two

fills in almost seven months. I still have a problem with amounts at a

meal, but I'm very conscious of when I've had enough, so I don't

overeat. I am at a plateau at the moment.... but I want to learn to

live with it; for now. My body is changing and I'm about to embark on

an exercise program to keep the sagging skin in check. I'm also a

'supplement nut' and my current fill allows easy swallowing. Sure, I

struggle everyday with the temptation to eat the junk I used to. I've

removed all " no-no's " from the house and replaced them with

substitutes. Sometimes I really want chocolate ice cream! So, I allow

it in moderation on my days off from work as a reward.

Bottom-line..... Everyone is different with different weaknesses.

Don't compare yourself to others, but learn and hold to what works for

you!

Pam

[Guest guest]

Emmi,

you're back on board. glad you're here. not being perfect is

human. you made some errors. recognized them, corrected them. you

are an inspiration.

keep going!!!

george

p,s, its good for everyone who falters (don't we all sometimes?) to

see what coming out the other side looks like. thanks.

>

> Hi Everyone,

>

> I have really been struggling for about 2 weeks. I have gotten away

> from the habits that helped me lose about 65 pounds and so I have

hit

> a plateau. I guess I just wanted to " say it " out loud. I think the

> process of confessing it will help me get back on track. One of the

> hardest areas is drinking liquids with meals and also I have given

> into the temptation to have milkshakes with my girls.

>

> On the positive side, I have gone through the kitchen and removed

any

> problem foods that I have noticed that are fine for my daughters but

> not for me. Also, I have started measuring my foods again. Later

> today, I am getting to the fitness center to get some time in on the

> treadmill and in the pool.

>

> I had my banding done on October 18 2006. I had a fill in December

> and another one in March. With the second fill, I have become much

> more sensitive of the sensation of being full when I eat solid

food.

> So it it is much harder to overeat at meals. Therefore, I have

> cheated with liquids. I lost 63 pounds but have picked 3 of those

back

> up in recent weeks. My weight at surgery was 255 and my lowest was

> 193. I am at 196 now.

>

> I feel discouraged but not defeated. I guess I just wanted to talk

> about it which will help me commit to getting back on track.

>

> Thanks for being here,

> Emmi

>

[Guest guest]

Just keep remembering how good you feel about the lose of over 60 pounds,

everyone slips a little, but pick yourself up and start a new day. I have been

eating too many carbs, and its going to catch up to me soon, I am determined to

lose weight.

NSV today, I was able to put a skirt on that I have not been able to wear in

over 18 years, since I got pg with first son.

Struggling

> Hi Everyone,

>

> I have really been struggling for about 2 weeks. I have

> gotten away

> from the habits that helped me lose about 65 pounds and so I

> have hit

> a plateau. I guess I just wanted to " say it " out

> loud. I think the

> process of confessing it will help me get back on track.

> One of the

> hardest areas is drinking liquids with meals and also I have given

> into the temptation to have milkshakes with my girls.

>

> On the positive side, I have gone through the kitchen and

> removed any

> problem foods that I have noticed that are fine for my daughters but

> not for me. Also, I have started measuring my foods

> again. Later

> today, I am getting to the fitness center to get some time in on the

> treadmill and in the pool.

>

> I had my banding done on October 18 2006. I had a fill in

> Decemberand another one in March. With the second fill, I

> have become much

> more sensitive of the sensation of being full when I eat solid

> food.

> So it it is much harder to overeat at meals. Therefore, I have

> cheated with liquids. I lost 63 pounds but have picked 3 of

> those back

> up in recent weeks. My weight at surgery was 255 and my

> lowest was

> 193. I am at 196 now.

>

> I feel discouraged but not defeated. I guess I just wanted

> to talk

> about it which will help me commit to getting back on track.

>

> Thanks for being here,

> Emmi

>

>

[Guest guest]

I am not an expert and I am sorry you are going through tis terrible ordeal. Why dont you call Nina or and see what they say. Talk to a professional and be really honest. I think it is important. I will say a prayer for you. jodijenn83704 <jenn83704@...> wrote: Hi, I am a closet lurker and read the posts everyday. I am not one to post much unless I feel I have something important to share or need to ask for advice. Today I am needing some help. I had my surgery

04/19/06, have lost 65 pounds but not without some struggle. I had my first fill 6 weeks after my surgery and lived with a tight fill for about 8 months. I finally went in an unfill. I went from 2cc's to 1.5cc's. Things were going OK for a short time, I then got really sick and started experiencing severe heartburn, esophageal spasms, etc. I was told I had an ulcer and had all but 0.3 cc's taken out for three months until things could heal. I then went back to the doctor and he gave me a fill of 1cc. Things were OK for a short time until now. I have come to despise the feeling of being "full"... to the point where I would rather purge what is in the smaller part of my stomach than to wait for my food to empty. I am so tight in the morning that I can barely get water down, by lunch I can eat very little and when I do I get that full/stuck feeling until about 5-6pm. I hate the stuck feeling. I start panicking and

then usually end up purging until I feel like I am empty again. Then comes dinner. My band is looser in the evening and since I haven't taken much in all day, I am usually really hungry. Again, I will eat and 90% of the time I feel like things are stuck. I spend the rest of the night trying to be patient to allow the food to pass. It can be hours later, I am exhausted and when I climb into bed and fall asleep I am woken up coughing and gagging with food/fluid coming out my mouth/nose. Because this is a chronic occurence, I usually end up either sleeping in my recliner or purging until I feel empty to the point where I can lie down and sleep in my bed. My weight loss has stalled. I have not lost any weight for sometime. I would love to lose 3-40 more pounds however I tend to eat more of the soft foods because then I don't get the stuck/full feeling. I am one of those people who would do anything but

vomit, but lately I have come to be OK with vomiting. To the point where I almost feel like I have to. My fear with getting an unfill is that I will gain my weight back. I am feeling panicked and anxious most of the time. I struggle between feeling like I need to see a shrink to help me be OK with being full or get an unfill and work through the panic of gaining the weight back. I always appreciate everyone's honest, candid feedback and would appreciate it now. Thanks!

Got a little couch potato?

Check out fun summer activities for kids.

[Guest guest]

,

I wish I had some really good advice for you, but I don't know what &

how much you're eating. What I can say is that I get this sometimes

as well. If I wait until I'm *really* hungry to eat (which it sounds

like you are), I tend to gulp my food, not chew enough, or try to

overeat. What happens then is that I'll get a very small chunk of

food stuck, or I'll eat past my limit. This leads to lots of saliva

filling my pouch that I have to keep spitting up. It's an awful

feeling trying to pass the food because it stays stuck in there for a

long time. Or the alternative pb-ing... yick. In either case, it

causes swelling that leads to a repeat of events the next day.

Or, sometimes my food will stay stuck for a while, then I'll get this

like spasm, and whooosh, down it goes. I hear some folks have spasms

regularly.

Another thing to consider is the possibility of anxiety problems. My

sister has anxiety issues and she tells me there is no way she could

deal with food in her pouch. It'd cause her to panic and barf it up.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help. Maybe someone else will have some

better answers for you.

Setje

>

>

> Hi,

>

> I am a closet lurker and read the posts everyday. I am not one to

> post much unless I feel I have something important to share or need

> to ask for advice. Today I am needing some help.

>

> I had my surgery 04/19/06, have lost 65 pounds but not without some

> struggle. I had my first fill 6 weeks after my surgery and lived

> with a tight fill for about 8 months. I finally went in an

unfill.

> I went from 2cc's to 1.5cc's. Things were going OK for a short

time,

> I then got really sick and started experiencing severe heartburn,

> esophageal spasms, etc. I was told I had an ulcer and had all but

> 0.3 cc's taken out for three months until things could heal. I

then

> went back to the doctor and he gave me a fill of 1cc. Things were

OK

> for a short time until now.

>

> I have come to despise the feeling of being " full " ... to the point

> where I would rather purge what is in the smaller part of my

stomach

> than to wait for my food to empty. I am so tight in the morning

that

> I can barely get water down, by lunch I can eat very little and

when

> I do I get that full/stuck feeling until about 5-6pm. I hate the

> stuck feeling. I start panicking and then usually end up purging

> until I feel like I am empty again.

>

> Then comes dinner. My band is looser in the evening and since I

> haven't taken much in all day, I am usually really hungry. Again,

I

> will eat and 90% of the time I feel like things are stuck. I spend

> the rest of the night trying to be patient to allow the food to

> pass. It can be hours later, I am exhausted and when I climb into

> bed and fall asleep I am woken up coughing and gagging with

> food/fluid coming out my mouth/nose. Because this is a chronic

> occurence, I usually end up either sleeping in my recliner or

purging

> until I feel empty to the point where I can lie down and sleep in

my

> bed.

>

> My weight loss has stalled. I have not lost any weight for

> sometime. I would love to lose 3-40 more pounds however I tend to

> eat more of the soft foods because then I don't get the stuck/full

> feeling.

>

> I am one of those people who would do anything but vomit, but

lately

> I have come to be OK with vomiting. To the point where I almost

feel

> like I have to. My fear with getting an unfill is that I will gain

> my weight back. I am feeling panicked and anxious most of the

time.

>

> I struggle between feeling like I need to see a shrink to help me

be

> OK with being full or get an unfill and work through the panic of

> gaining the weight back. I always appreciate everyone's honest,

> candid feedback and would appreciate it now. Thanks!

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

You definitely need a SMALL unfill! If you continue on this path you

may have band slippage and you don't want that! There is no need

for panic. You do not need to have everything taken out just a small

unfill can do wonders for the reflux situation and then you will be

able to eat bandster food and not the calorie laden soft food and you

will be right back on track! Go get that unfill, soon!

Penny in Colorado

PS are you the in Wyoming who goes to Dr. Holloway? I know he

will take out just a little for you if your band has not slipped.

>

>

> Hi,

>

> I am a closet lurker and read the posts everyday. I am not one to

> post much unless I feel I have something important to share or need

> to ask for advice. Today I am needing some help.

>

> I had my surgery 04/19/06, have lost 65 pounds but not without some

> struggle. I had my first fill 6 weeks after my surgery and lived

> with a tight fill for about 8 months. I finally went in an

unfill.

> I went from 2cc's to 1.5cc's. Things were going OK for a short

time,

> I then got really sick and started experiencing severe heartburn,

> esophageal spasms, etc. I was told I had an ulcer and had all but

> 0.3 cc's taken out for three months until things could heal. I

then

> went back to the doctor and he gave me a fill of 1cc. Things were

OK

> for a short time until now.

>

> I have come to despise the feeling of being " full " ... to the point

> where I would rather purge what is in the smaller part of my

stomach

> than to wait for my food to empty. I am so tight in the morning

that

> I can barely get water down, by lunch I can eat very little and

when

> I do I get that full/stuck feeling until about 5-6pm. I hate the

> stuck feeling. I start panicking and then usually end up purging

> until I feel like I am empty again.

>

> Then comes dinner. My band is looser in the evening and since I

> haven't taken much in all day, I am usually really hungry. Again,

I

> will eat and 90% of the time I feel like things are stuck. I spend

> the rest of the night trying to be patient to allow the food to

> pass. It can be hours later, I am exhausted and when I climb into

> bed and fall asleep I am woken up coughing and gagging with

> food/fluid coming out my mouth/nose. Because this is a chronic

> occurence, I usually end up either sleeping in my recliner or

purging

> until I feel empty to the point where I can lie down and sleep in

my

> bed.

>

> My weight loss has stalled. I have not lost any weight for

> sometime. I would love to lose 3-40 more pounds however I tend to

> eat more of the soft foods because then I don't get the stuck/full

> feeling.

>

> I am one of those people who would do anything but vomit, but

lately

> I have come to be OK with vomiting. To the point where I almost

feel

> like I have to. My fear with getting an unfill is that I will gain

> my weight back. I am feeling panicked and anxious most of the

time.

>

> I struggle between feeling like I need to see a shrink to help me

be

> OK with being full or get an unfill and work through the panic of

> gaining the weight back. I always appreciate everyone's honest,

> candid feedback and would appreciate it now. Thanks!

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

, your body is in starving mode. I was the same way, and Nina told me I needed to go in for an unfill. I went in, and Dr. Campos said I was lucky that I had went in for an unfill, because my band was ready to slip. With the unfill, my stomach slipped back into the band in place. Be careful, waking up in the middle of the night shoking on your own saliva is the worse, I did it for months also and was so terified of gaining weight back, but let me tell you I lost even more weight. I was able to get my protein drinks down and some food, not much, but more than when I had my fill. I currently have about .7CC in me and Dr. Campos took out .5CC, so I guess I had 1.2CC before. I don't know. I guess that sounds right. I had my band put in 7/1/06 weighing in at 299 and as of today I am 190 and loving it. I think you need to go back and get an unfill and just make good

choices and you will be okay. Good luckPenny Manville <pmanvill@...> wrote: You definitely need a SMALL unfill! If you continue on this path you may have band slippage and you don't want that! There is no need for panic. You do not need to have everything taken out just a small unfill can do wonders for the reflux situation and then you will be able to eat bandster food and not the calorie laden soft food and you

will be right back on track! Go get that unfill, soon!Penny in ColoradoPS are you the in Wyoming who goes to Dr. Holloway? I know he will take out just a little for you if your band has not slipped.>> > Hi, > > I am a closet lurker and read the posts everyday. I am not one to > post much unless I feel I have something important to share or need > to ask for advice. Today I am needing some help. > > I had my surgery 04/19/06, have lost 65 pounds but not without some > struggle. I had my first fill 6 weeks after my surgery and lived > with a tight fill for about 8 months. I finally went in an unfill. > I went from 2cc's to 1.5cc's. Things were going OK for a short time, > I then got really

sick and started experiencing severe heartburn, > esophageal spasms, etc. I was told I had an ulcer and had all but > 0.3 cc's taken out for three months until things could heal. I then > went back to the doctor and he gave me a fill of 1cc. Things were OK > for a short time until now. > > I have come to despise the feeling of being "full"... to the point > where I would rather purge what is in the smaller part of my stomach > than to wait for my food to empty. I am so tight in the morning that > I can barely get water down, by lunch I can eat very little and when > I do I get that full/stuck feeling until about 5-6pm. I hate the > stuck feeling. I start panicking and then usually end up purging > until I feel like I am empty again. > > Then comes dinner. My band is looser in the evening and since I > haven't taken much in all day, I am usually

really hungry. Again, I > will eat and 90% of the time I feel like things are stuck. I spend > the rest of the night trying to be patient to allow the food to > pass. It can be hours later, I am exhausted and when I climb into > bed and fall asleep I am woken up coughing and gagging with > food/fluid coming out my mouth/nose. Because this is a chronic > occurence, I usually end up either sleeping in my recliner or purging > until I feel empty to the point where I can lie down and sleep in my > bed. > > My weight loss has stalled. I have not lost any weight for > sometime. I would love to lose 3-40 more pounds however I tend to > eat more of the soft foods because then I don't get the stuck/full > feeling. > > I am one of those people who would do anything but vomit, but lately > I have come to be OK with vomiting. To the point where I almost

feel > like I have to. My fear with getting an unfill is that I will gain > my weight back. I am feeling panicked and anxious most of the time. > > I struggle between feeling like I need to see a shrink to help me be > OK with being full or get an unfill and work through the panic of > gaining the weight back. I always appreciate everyone's honest, > candid feedback and would appreciate it now. Thanks! > > > Michel

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[Guest guest]

Hi , I just went through the same thing you described in March! My friend Betty too! I was up several times a night with reflux. It woke me & my husband, with me gagging on liquid that came from nowhere, running to the bathroom to puke. I quickly learned to keep a paper-cup next to the bed, stack 3 pillows, and keep Maalox chewables in reach for afterwards heartburn flair-up!

The only difference was I lost about 10lbs in 3 weeks so I knew something was up. I had been at 140 for months without reflux.

Well, I don't have those problems like I did. I had a un-fill of 1cc..left with .4cc in April. I also had a fluro which showed my band had slipped slightly and a Hiatal hernia. I did much better in a few days, and stayed un-filled for 3 months. I had .5cc put back in in July and have been doing fine. (.9cc total)

As long as I can maintain 140, I will keep this fill level. I was 140.5 this morning with my monthly, and I can eat fair without that reflux at night. I still use 3 pillows & keep the cup on the bedside..just in case.

I know it cost $ and feels like a step backwards but honestly, could you do this forever? I think not, I needed my sleep, so do you. It also could hurt your band placement with all that vomiting. Take a few months with the band in the OFF/Low position and see if it helps. You can always have it put back when you heal any ulcers or whatever is causing it. I feel for ya, get a small UN-fill. It will make all the difference. (((HUGGS))))) Dana

-------------- Original message -------------- From: "Penny Manville" <pmanvill@...>

You definitely need a SMALL unfill! If you continue on this path you may have band slippage and you don't want that! There is no need for panic. You do not need to have everything taken out just a small unfill can do wonders for the reflux situation and then you will be able to eat bandster food and not the calorie laden soft food and you will be right back on track! Go get that unfill, soon!Penny in ColoradoPS are you the in Wyoming who goes to Dr. Holloway? I know he will take out just a little for you if your band has not slipped.>> > Hi, > > I am a closet lurker and read the posts everyday. I am not one to > post much unless I feel I have something important to share or need > to ask for advice. Today I am needing

some help. > > I had my surgery 04/19/06, have lost 65 pounds but not without some > struggle. I had my first fill 6 weeks after my surgery and lived > with a tight fill for about 8 months. I finally went in an unfill. > I went from 2cc's to 1.5cc's. Things were going OK for a short time, > I then got really sick and started experiencing severe heartburn, > esophageal spasms, etc. I was told I had an ulcer and had all but > 0.3 cc's taken out for three months until things could heal. I then > went back to the doctor and he gave me a fill of 1cc. Things were OK > for a short time until now. > > I have come to despise the feeling of being "full"... to the point > where I would rather purge what is in the smaller part of my stomach > than to wait for my food to empty. I am so tight in the morning that > I can barely get water down, by lunch I can eat very l

ittle and when > I do I get that full/stuck feeling until about 5-6pm. I hate the > stuck feeling. I start panicking and then usually end up purging > until I feel like I am empty again. > > Then comes dinner. My band is looser in the evening and since I > haven't taken much in all day, I am usually really hungry. Again, I > will eat and 90% of the time I feel like things are stuck. I spend > the rest of the night trying to be patient to allow the food to > pass. It can be hours later, I am exhausted and when I climb into > bed and fall asleep I am woken up coughing and gagging with > food/fluid coming out my mouth/nose. Because this is a chronic > occurence, I usually end up either sleeping in my recliner or purging > until I feel empty to the point where I can lie down and sleep in my > bed. > > My weight loss has stalled. I have not lost any weight for > sometime. I would love to lose 3-40 more pounds however I tend to > eat more of the soft foods because then I don't get the stuck/full > feeling. > > I am one of those people who would do anything but vomit, but lately > I have come to be OK with vomiting. To the point where I almost feel > like I have to. My fear with getting an unfill is that I will gain > my weight back. I am feeling panicked and anxious most of the time. > > I struggle between feeling like I need to see a shrink to help me be > OK with being full or get an unfill and work through the panic of > gaining the weight back. I always appreciate everyone's honest, > candid feedback and would appreciate it now. Thanks! > > >

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi All,

>

>

>

> I feel like I am going off the deep end. After the small victory on

Monday

> of the PMS ending 2 days sooner than normal and being able to eat

butter

> without bloating, I have felt awful. This cold has me feeling

miserable and

> in addition the die-off pain came back in the form of the headache,

> backache, and calf pain. On top of that, I think I am already

PMSing again

> and because my cold turned into a nasty cough I got about 4 hours

of sleep

> last night in 2 chunks. I feel so overwhelmed. I really need

something more

> substantial that is positive for a change. I need more than one

good day.

>

>

>

> Just needed to get that out there.I know I am not the only one

struggling

> but right now I feel like I can't go on like this.

==>I understand how you feel a. Natural healing isn't

pleasant at all. Just know that having one good day means your body

is getting stronger, strong enough to do more healing, so there will

be ups and downs. Eventually your good days will increase and your

bad days decrease. Believe in your body my dear. It will do a great

job of healing but you do need to hang in there.

Blessings to you too,

Bee

[Guest guest]

==>I understand how you feel a. Natural healing isn't

pleasant at all. Just know that having one good day means your body

is getting stronger, strong enough to do more healing, so there will

be ups and downs. Eventually your good days will increase and your

bad days decrease. Believe in your body my dear. It will do a great

job of healing but you do need to hang in there.

Blessings to you too,

Bee

Thanks Bee.

a

[Guest guest]

>

<snip> I believe you are right, Bee that it is heartburn and low stomach acid

causing this burning feeling just below my ribs, but here are my questions:

>

> 1-I've only had short minor episodes of this pre-diet and this is now an all

day phenomenon this week. Sometimes I feel almost like throwing up. Is it

because I've upped my CO to 3 T? (Fats stay in your stomach longer, right?)

Should I go back down to 2 T for a week and see if things are more manageable?

I'm 4 months on the diet and I hate to backtrack but it'd be worth it if I'd

feel better and to help me feel confident these are all temporary healing

symptoms.

+++Hi Chris. You are correct to assume you are having die-off, detoxifying

symptoms. Yes, you should lower your coconut oil and increase it more slowly in

order to decrease your die-off symptoms. When you feel sick to your stomach

take 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda mixed into 4-5 ounces of water and sip it

slowly until your sick feeling goes away.

+++You aren't backtracking if you lower your coconut oil, since it still takes 1

month of healing for every year.

>

> 2- If it's heartburn, why do I sometimes get it four or five hours after

having eaten, when my stomach is presumably empty?

+++I've discovered that consuming too high of carbs/sugar causes that, but I

can't explain why.

>

> 3-Confused about how much HCL to take. If my stomach is ALREADY burning when I

take it, how do I know how much is the right amount? I took 2 HCLs for the first

four months (with no stomach burning problems before I started or after) and now

3 seems to make no difference now that I AM suffering with major burning.

+++If you've had heartburn previous to the diet your body will be " retracing "

each and every episode during the healing process.

+++When I was retracing heartburn, ulcers, etc. it seemed there wasn't much I

could do to alleviate the symptoms. Since it didn't take long to retrace such

episodes, i.e. hours, I often had to " bear them. " I'd also go on an all liquid

diet, lessen my stress by doing deep breathing exercises, not take any HCl, rest

more, etc.

+++Ginger tea helped me most or even chewing on raw ginger. Sometimes when the

pain was very severe and the ginger didn't help I'd use short-term treatments to

get through them, i.e. Maalox or Pepto Bismol.

All the best, Bee

[Guest guest]

Thanks Bee for your response. A couple more questions:

If it's heartburn, why do I sometimes get it four or five hours after having

eaten, when my stomach is presumably empty?

Bee said:

> +++I've discovered that consuming too high of carbs/sugar causes that, but I

can't explain why.

====I believe my carb ratios are right. I feel this burning when I wake in the

AM on an empty stomach too. (Maybe I will take out ALL carbs for a day or two to

see if that helps.)

-Confused about how much HCL to take. If my stomach is ALREADY burning when I

take it, how do I know how much is the right amount?

> +++When I was retracing heartburn, ulcers, etc. it seemed there wasn't much I

could do to alleviate the symptoms. Since it didn't take long to retrace such

episodes, i.e. hours, I often had to " bear them. " I'd also go on an all liquid

diet, lessen my stress by doing deep breathing exercises, not take any HCl, rest

more, etc.

==Thanks, I will try ginger tea. I am not feeling stressed (except by these

symptoms) or fatigued but have been resting and deep breathing. In a previous

post about HCL when I explained that I had no symptoms of poor digestion except

this recent stomach burning, you said it was heart burn and I may need more HCL.

But here you seem to suggest I stop taking HCL. Can you clarify what you

recommend? Thanks so much for the ginger idea. I will try it. I am also doing

stomach massage as I do feel hard and tender places.

Bee-When you were re-tracing (still not sure if that's what this is but

hopefully), did you have come and go stomach symptoms for a period of days,

weeks, months?

I appreciate your encouragement. This too will (hopefully) pass...

Chris

[Guest guest]

>

> Thanks Bee for your response. A couple more questions:

>

>

> If it's heartburn, why do I sometimes get it four or five hours after having

eaten, when my stomach is presumably empty?

>

> Bee said:

> > +++I've discovered that consuming too high of carbs/sugar causes that, but I

can't explain why.

>

> ====I believe my carb ratios are right. I feel this burning when I wake in the

AM on an empty stomach too. (Maybe I will take out ALL carbs for a day or two to

see if that helps.)

+++Hi Chris. If your carb ratios are too high, simply lower them to the correct

amount, but do not cut them out. That will cause another problem IF you aren't

consuming high enough fats.

<snip>

> ==Thanks, I will try ginger tea. I am not feeling stressed (except by these

symptoms) or fatigued but have been resting and deep breathing. In a previous

post about HCL when I explained that I had no symptoms of poor digestion except

this recent stomach burning, you said it was heart burn and I may need more HCL.

But here you seem to suggest I stop taking HCL. Can you clarify what you

recommend? Thanks so much for the ginger idea. I will try it. I am also doing

stomach massage as I do feel hard and tender places.

+++You would be stressed just by having candida, the symptoms you are

experiencing, changes in diet, etc.

+++When I recommended HCl previously I assumed you were getting burning after

eating, which meant the valve to the esophagus wasn't closing properly. That

valve doesn't stay closed if there is too little HCl, so that why I recommended

HCl.

+++But when you said the burning was 4-5 hours after meals, I thought

differently, since you shouldn't take HCl on an empty stomach, and also because

you could be retracing.

>

> Bee-When you were re-tracing (still not sure if that's what this is but

hopefully), did you have come and go stomach symptoms for a period of days,

weeks, months?

+++Yes!

The best, Bee

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much, Bee. I am going to just hope this will pass. I have stopped HCL

for now and reduce my CO by 1 T to see if that will help my tummy troubles. It's

hard to believe this is re-tracing since I have always thought of myself as

having an iron stomach. Never had stomach burning like this before.

>

> +++When I recommended HCl previously I assumed you were getting burning after

eating, which meant the valve to the esophagus wasn't closing properly. That

valve doesn't stay closed if there is too little HCl, so that why I recommended

HCl.

>

> +++But when you said the burning was 4-5 hours after meals, I thought

differently, since you shouldn't take HCl on an empty stomach, and also because

you could be retracing.

Yes, I get it on both an empty stomach and sometimes right after eating. After

re-reading your die-off article, I'm thinking maybe it is that. Last night after

a particularly bad incident, I looked at my stomach and it was covered with a

rash, which soon went away. I get lots of transient redness and rashes on the

diet that disappear and I know you say that's die-off.

Here's to better times ahead!

Chris

[Guest guest]

Hi

Do you eat sauerkraut with your meals? Just wondering if it has any affect on

your tummy troubles.

Jackie

>

> Thanks so much, Bee. I am going to just hope this will pass. I have stopped

HCL for now and reduce my CO by 1 T to see if that will help my tummy troubles.

It's hard to believe this is re-tracing since I have always thought of myself as

having an iron stomach. Never had stomach burning like this before.

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi Jackie,

Funny you should ask...I find it hard to eat sauerkraut at every meal. I just

don't like it that much. However, I did just make a fresh batch.

In the meantime, I did reduce my CO 1 T and stop HCL and my stomach is much

improved. Not perfect but bearable. My diarrhea slowed down and my rashes went

away so it seems die-off related to me.

Thanks for thinking of me,

Chris

> Hi

>

> Do you eat sauerkraut with your meals? Just wondering if it has any affect on

your tummy troubles.

>

> Jackie

>

[Guest guest]

hi Ali,

so are you at the right level of restriction over or under #1 question? if so

have you learned to eat around the band? are you eating the right foods? tell

me more about what you are doing food....

From: thegrahams95@...

Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2010 20:46:51 -0400

Subject: Struggling

Hi Everyone...

I have been mostly a lurker here for about a year, primarly because I have been

feeling really discouraged.

I acknowledge that I have not been making the best choices in food and have not

been exercising the way I should be.

And here I am, 15 months later, and still only down the 30lbs I lost the initial

3 months post-op.

I am really looking for advice on how to get back on the wagon and get going

again.

Thanks,

:)Ali

Banded March 2009

Dr. Curry

229/198/150