Ok, so I told a friend (Hi, Kym) that I was going to post a new entry yesterday and never did get around to it so here we go. . .
So where to begin. . .ahh the joys of the band! My band was fairly tight and I would say it was doing it's job fairly well, but I had to be in control, as usual. I went in on November 1st and asked Dr. Owens for 1/4cc fill. He said my band was pretty tight but I begged and he let me have it. The water went right down, no problems. I lasted a whole 5 days without any issues. I had to eat VERY slowly, taking up to an hour to finish a VERY SMALL amount of food, but I was losing- yay! That Sunday, we were invited to our friends' restaurant to have dinner with them. I ordered a whopping five buffalo wings. I finished my last wing and within 3 minutes I was running to the bathroom to throw it up. I'm sure the poor girl in the stall next to me thought for sure I was bulimic. Well, this was the beginning of a very uncomfortable month + for me.
As par, I went on liquids for 24 hours and slowly introduced foods back in, beginning with soft foods and progressing from there. I was not able to get milk down, cottage cheese, soft cheese, etc. But, staying true to form, I pushed the issue, got something stuck and threw up again. And so began my month-long cycle of liquids, soft foods- Oh, crap can't do it, throw it up, and back to liquids. It eventually got so bad that even SIPPING broth or water caused pain on top of the band. It all came to a head on a Sunday:
My husband and I had to be at mass early because we had dismissal with our catechumen and inquirers. I drank about a 1/4 cup of coffee and noticed acid reflux seemed to be brewing. I should note here that I'd been awoken twice during the night over the last month, throwing up a little bit in my mouth from whatever I'd had for 'dinner' that night. I sucked it up, took my medicine, biotin (both capsules) and then chewed and swallowed my one-a-day vitamin. Mind you, I did this over a 20 minute period. As soon as I swallowed that vitamin, I was done for. The pain I'd felt was unlike anything before. It was like I'd swallowed a tennis ball sized stone that was sitting on the opening of my stomach, unable to go through. I stood up and continued to tell myself to be a good little soldier and deal with it, this too shall pass. Once outside, I found sitting down was painful, standing was painful, breathing at all was painful. The pain had stretched all the way into my back by now and even putting my arms above my head offered no relief. I had my husband drop me back at home- there was no way I could be of any help to anyone in this condition! The pain was so awful I was unable to think of anything else and couldn't even find my phone to contact Dr. Owens. At this point, my heart was palpatating, my breathing was shallow and labored, there was pain in my chest, abdomen, and back, and so I decided to lay down. I lay there, the reflux being ungodly bad, like nothing ever before, and the 'stuck' pain unrelieved. I got up, I sat down, I laid down, then I did it all over again. Nothing I did relieved anything at all. I went to the kitchen to get some milk as by this time I'd already chewed antacids just trying to get the reflux calmed down but nothing worked. So I swigged the milk and the reflux subsided for a second but came back with a vengeance so I swigged again- mistake! My saliva began to run like a faucet and I could feel everything pushing it's way back up through my esophogus. I booked as fast as I could to the sink and stood there wretching and heaving like I haven't done since my stomach flu of '05. I heaved fluids, one nifty color after the next until there was nothing left, but my stomach was determined and continued to heave another five times before allowing me to catch my breath! In all, 15 heaves that began at my toes and worked my entire body not allowing me a single breath in between. THAT is how you spell relief apparently because everything subsided after that. I rejoined my husband at church and went about my day, very slowly sipping only hot liquids and nothing else. Once the pain was gone, I realized my phone had been left in my husband's car- funny the way severe pain pushes other things out of your head.
After mass, I texted Owens about everything and of course he was extremely concerned. He wanted me in the ER if the pain came back like it had been but I was very careful not to take anything in that wasn't hot fluid and I took it in a tiny sip at a time. He told me he wanted me in his office first thing in the am and I wasn't going to argue that- even if it did mean an hour drive in the rain!
looney, but I was worried. Owens asked me what I wanted him to do but asked me to please trust him. I gave him the green light to do what he thought was best and so an entire cc came out.
It has been 3 days since the removal of the fluid and I tell ya, I am still VERY VERY tight. It still takes me an hour to eat anything. I am taking a couple of protein shakes a day and maybe a raw carrot or some raw cauliflower for lunch. I eat dinner with my family, but my dinner consists of about what could fit in the palm of my hand. Am I hungry? No. The amount of food I'm eating right now is just enough to keep me satiated for a few hours. I'm doing well.
So where exactly am I now? Here's the breakdown:
10/2005: 215#
04/2010: 260# (first banding done)
04/2011: 247# (second banding by Owens)
12/2011: 212#
So where to begin. . .ahh the joys of the band! My band was fairly tight and I would say it was doing it's job fairly well, but I had to be in control, as usual. I went in on November 1st and asked Dr. Owens for 1/4cc fill. He said my band was pretty tight but I begged and he let me have it. The water went right down, no problems. I lasted a whole 5 days without any issues. I had to eat VERY slowly, taking up to an hour to finish a VERY SMALL amount of food, but I was losing- yay! That Sunday, we were invited to our friends' restaurant to have dinner with them. I ordered a whopping five buffalo wings. I finished my last wing and within 3 minutes I was running to the bathroom to throw it up. I'm sure the poor girl in the stall next to me thought for sure I was bulimic. Well, this was the beginning of a very uncomfortable month + for me.
As par, I went on liquids for 24 hours and slowly introduced foods back in, beginning with soft foods and progressing from there. I was not able to get milk down, cottage cheese, soft cheese, etc. But, staying true to form, I pushed the issue, got something stuck and threw up again. And so began my month-long cycle of liquids, soft foods- Oh, crap can't do it, throw it up, and back to liquids. It eventually got so bad that even SIPPING broth or water caused pain on top of the band. It all came to a head on a Sunday:
My husband and I had to be at mass early because we had dismissal with our catechumen and inquirers. I drank about a 1/4 cup of coffee and noticed acid reflux seemed to be brewing. I should note here that I'd been awoken twice during the night over the last month, throwing up a little bit in my mouth from whatever I'd had for 'dinner' that night. I sucked it up, took my medicine, biotin (both capsules) and then chewed and swallowed my one-a-day vitamin. Mind you, I did this over a 20 minute period. As soon as I swallowed that vitamin, I was done for. The pain I'd felt was unlike anything before. It was like I'd swallowed a tennis ball sized stone that was sitting on the opening of my stomach, unable to go through. I stood up and continued to tell myself to be a good little soldier and deal with it, this too shall pass. Once outside, I found sitting down was painful, standing was painful, breathing at all was painful. The pain had stretched all the way into my back by now and even putting my arms above my head offered no relief. I had my husband drop me back at home- there was no way I could be of any help to anyone in this condition! The pain was so awful I was unable to think of anything else and couldn't even find my phone to contact Dr. Owens. At this point, my heart was palpatating, my breathing was shallow and labored, there was pain in my chest, abdomen, and back, and so I decided to lay down. I lay there, the reflux being ungodly bad, like nothing ever before, and the 'stuck' pain unrelieved. I got up, I sat down, I laid down, then I did it all over again. Nothing I did relieved anything at all. I went to the kitchen to get some milk as by this time I'd already chewed antacids just trying to get the reflux calmed down but nothing worked. So I swigged the milk and the reflux subsided for a second but came back with a vengeance so I swigged again- mistake! My saliva began to run like a faucet and I could feel everything pushing it's way back up through my esophogus. I booked as fast as I could to the sink and stood there wretching and heaving like I haven't done since my stomach flu of '05. I heaved fluids, one nifty color after the next until there was nothing left, but my stomach was determined and continued to heave another five times before allowing me to catch my breath! In all, 15 heaves that began at my toes and worked my entire body not allowing me a single breath in between. THAT is how you spell relief apparently because everything subsided after that. I rejoined my husband at church and went about my day, very slowly sipping only hot liquids and nothing else. Once the pain was gone, I realized my phone had been left in my husband's car- funny the way severe pain pushes other things out of your head.
After mass, I texted Owens about everything and of course he was extremely concerned. He wanted me in the ER if the pain came back like it had been but I was very careful not to take anything in that wasn't hot fluid and I took it in a tiny sip at a time. He told me he wanted me in his office first thing in the am and I wasn't going to argue that- even if it did mean an hour drive in the rain!
looney, but I was worried. Owens asked me what I wanted him to do but asked me to please trust him. I gave him the green light to do what he thought was best and so an entire cc came out.
It has been 3 days since the removal of the fluid and I tell ya, I am still VERY VERY tight. It still takes me an hour to eat anything. I am taking a couple of protein shakes a day and maybe a raw carrot or some raw cauliflower for lunch. I eat dinner with my family, but my dinner consists of about what could fit in the palm of my hand. Am I hungry? No. The amount of food I'm eating right now is just enough to keep me satiated for a few hours. I'm doing well.
So where exactly am I now? Here's the breakdown:
10/2005: 215#
04/2010: 260# (first banding done)
04/2011: 247# (second banding by Owens)
12/2011: 212#
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