One of the comments on a post a few days ago, generously contributed by Sparkler, demonstrated incredible insight into some aspects of my predicament. I'm going to address them one by one and see where it takes me:
This is a really tough time in the journey...all the newness has worn off, you're nearly there so you're probably pretty comfortable with your weight right now, so the urgency has dropped.
That is SOoooo right. Truth is, if I didn't lose another pound - I'd be a little disappointed but I wouldn't be devastated, because the worst of the weight has gone. I started at 20 stone, I now weigh about 12 and a half. I'd like to be ten and a half - but I'm thin enough that I can walk, jog, swim - and all with relative comfort. I can buy 'normal' clothes in 'normal' shops for the first time in my adult life and so the urgency has gone. Spot on Sparkler. But when I sit down and really think about it - I don't want to settle for this - it is less than I wanted when I started out and I want better. I am not looking for perfection but I do want to be in control of my eating and my weight. No, I wouldn't be devastated if I didn't lose another pound, but I don't think I would look upon my band experience as a complete success either.
Everything about the band is so familiar which means it doesn't take much thinking about.
Yes, you're right again. But this is the problem. I often THINK it doesn't need thinking about because it's so familiar - but actually it does. For example, I thought I'd 'cracked' the think about not drinking after eating - I thought it had become second nature. But in the last few months I have got back into bad habits again. Also, I have had more slime and regurgitation events in the last few months than I've ever had. This is not because my band is too tight - it's because sometimes I just forget it is there and get back to old eating habits (eating too much, too quick, the wrong type of food, eating while distracted etc). I probably need to get out my old 'band manual' and re-read it again from start to finish and keep on reminding myself that I have a little friend inside me - and it's going to be there for life....
I'd be interested to hear what your restriction is like now on an average day. Do you still eat the same small portion sizes or are you able to eat more at a sitting? Do you still have certain foods that are a no-go area? What's it like once it all becomes routine, mundane and everyday?
When I make good food choices I have excellent 'sweet spot' restriction. My meals are small and they fill me up. I can't guzzle a drink down fast like I used to but have to take it in smaller mouthfuls and slowly. I'm much more restricted in the morning and can't really eat much till mid-morning. IF (and it's a big IF) I don't eat chocolate and other 'bad' foods, I exist very happily on about 1200 calories a day and don't feel physically hungry at all. There's no sign of my band getting looser. There are very fews that are a no-go area - mainly chips (French fries), very fatty foods like battered fish (chip-shop style), and the skins of cherry tomatoes and grapes! I avoid white bread but can easily eat whoolemeal bread (though not in large quantity). Many of the things that I used to perceive as big problems or difficulties - just aren't! I can eat out but do so very cautiously. So far I have avoided having any embarrassing incidents while eating out and would like it to remain that way!
Good luck with getting that focus back to fight off that last stubborn stone and a half. Actually having a break from the strict regime probably won't do you any harm as once you get back to your walking and cut out the lovely but lethal chocolate you'll be like a new dieter who has a really rewarding first three weeks or so. A post-Easter resolution perhaps?
You may be right about having a break from the strict regime but I think I need to get back to it soon. Now that work has eased off I am finding time to get back to some exercise - walking, stepping and swimming mainly. I think you are right - I will wait until I am firmly back in the UK after my trip and then set a date to kick-start my band-life.
Many thanks for your insight and encouragement!
Showing posts with label Vomiting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vomiting. Show all posts
Friday, April 16, 2010
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Pre-band fears part 2: Being sick
Before I got banded I'd read and heard so much about bandits being sick that it really began to worry me. I got the impression, from various forums and web sites, that vomiting was a normal everyday part of life being a bandit. I read stories about people throwing up while they were eating out - much to everyone's embarrassment. I'd also read about people who more or less threw up every time they ate. But then, to add to my confusion, I read advice and guidance from bariatric surgeons and doctors saying that being sick was not a normal everyday occurrence for bandits - or at least that it shouldn't be. So, I decided to plough on ahead with surgery anyway and deal with vomiting if, and when, the time came.
Over a year on, what has the reality been? Well (and I advise you to read this before you eat if you've got a weak stomach!), first, there are three different kinds of vomiting with the band:
1. The 'slime'
2. Regurgitation
3. Vomiting - proper
I'm going to break with tradition and deal with these in reverse order.
3. Vomiting: We've all done this, whether from over-eating or too much of the amber nectar! This is when we bring up partially or fully digested food from the stomach. For bandits - this means the main, lower stomach. In the normal run of things, this shouldn't ever happen to a bandit purely from eating too fast etc because the lower stomach has much greater capacity than the upper pouch. However, vomiting could result from a tummy bug or other illness. Proper vomiting is dangerous for bandits because 'it' has to come up through the stoma created by the band, past the pouch and into the oesophagus. If the band is quite tight, forcing partially digested food past at a great rate of knots can cause band slippage. This is why if you ever go to a country where tummy bugs are likely, always take a supply of anti-sickness medication with you. Personally, I have not vomited at all since having the band.
2. Regurgitation: This is bringing back undigested food from the upper pouch. This occurs if we eat too fast, too much, without chewing enough, and sometimes with particular types of food. It can also occur if you drink after eating. This is the type of 'vomiting' that most bandits are referring to. Regurgitation is unpleasant, to say the least, and if it happens too often, can begin to cause damage to the oesophagal wall. This is because of the acids that accompany food digestion which can attack the walls of the oesophagus, and also because of mechanical damage. It's best to avoid regurgitation! Although brought on by not sticking to the basic rules of eating slowly, chewing well and taking small mouthfuls - it is much more likely to happen if the band is too tight. So, if it's happening to you on a regular basis and you are sure you're sticking to the rules (and not drinking after eating) you should get your band checked out - it could be too tight. It is a misnomer to think that a 'too tight' band is a good thing because you will lose weight more quickly - you may also cause permanent damage to your oesophagus and there are a variety of other complications too, some of which require surgical intervention and the removal of the band. So it's not worth it. My personal experience is that since being banded I have regurgitated three times. The first time was when I got angry with my iPhone because it was misbehaving(!), and in my anger I scoffed down two thirds of an iced bun before I remembered I had a band.....! By then it was too late and I had a very unpleasant 20 minutes leant over the sink. The second and third times both happened at work while eating my lunch and working at the same time. In other words, I got distracted and ate too big a mouthful without chewing properly. Mia culpa.
1. The 'slime': This happens - a bit like regurgitation - when you eat too much without chewing properly. Food gets 'stuck' in the pouch, unable to get through the stoma because some less well chewed food is blocking the way. It can also happen if you drink after eating - the liquid can't get through the stoma because the food you ate, nicely sitting in the pouch and making you feel full, is blocking the way. So, the body produces what seems like tonnes of saliva to lubricate the oesophagus and pouch to try and remove the blockage. Usually, this does eventually work and you get a real sense of relief when the blockage clears. But meanwhile, your body is producing loads of this saliva and until the downwards blockage is cleared it has to go somewhere - upwards! The slime (as most bandits call it - I'm sure there's a correct technical term for it somewhere!) builds up gradually. You'll be eating something and start to feel an unusual heaviness around the breastbone (where the band is). Then you'll feel gurgling and things happening in your gullet, and then in your throat. Then you'll notice that your mouth is filling with saliva, and it's no good trying to swallow it because your mouth just fills up again. At the point when I notice the gurgling sensation, I know I've just got time to make it to the toilets at work - as long as no-one tries to stop me or talk to me on the way. Once, while rushing to the loo at work, my mouth full of saliva to bursting point, I passed a colleague in the corridor. Inevitably, he said "hello" and I just grunted. I often wonder what he thought.... Anyway, persaonally I went through two phases of doing lots of sliming - both were when my band was too tight and both times I ended up having an aspiration (de-fill). Since then, I still occasionally get the slime - but it's always when I've eaten too quickly, not chewed, or drunk after eating.
So, if you chew well, eat slowly, eat small portions, don't drink after eating and take anti-sickness tablets with you when you go abroad, you need never have any fear of vomiting with the band! On a more serious note, if you're already a bandit and regularly regurgitate or vomit, there's something wrong - either with your eating behaviour or with the band. Get it checked out. Vomiting, of any kind, is NOT a normal part of everyday life post gastric band surgery - and don't let anyone tell you that it is.
Over a year on, what has the reality been? Well (and I advise you to read this before you eat if you've got a weak stomach!), first, there are three different kinds of vomiting with the band:
1. The 'slime'
2. Regurgitation
3. Vomiting - proper
I'm going to break with tradition and deal with these in reverse order.
3. Vomiting: We've all done this, whether from over-eating or too much of the amber nectar! This is when we bring up partially or fully digested food from the stomach. For bandits - this means the main, lower stomach. In the normal run of things, this shouldn't ever happen to a bandit purely from eating too fast etc because the lower stomach has much greater capacity than the upper pouch. However, vomiting could result from a tummy bug or other illness. Proper vomiting is dangerous for bandits because 'it' has to come up through the stoma created by the band, past the pouch and into the oesophagus. If the band is quite tight, forcing partially digested food past at a great rate of knots can cause band slippage. This is why if you ever go to a country where tummy bugs are likely, always take a supply of anti-sickness medication with you. Personally, I have not vomited at all since having the band.
2. Regurgitation: This is bringing back undigested food from the upper pouch. This occurs if we eat too fast, too much, without chewing enough, and sometimes with particular types of food. It can also occur if you drink after eating. This is the type of 'vomiting' that most bandits are referring to. Regurgitation is unpleasant, to say the least, and if it happens too often, can begin to cause damage to the oesophagal wall. This is because of the acids that accompany food digestion which can attack the walls of the oesophagus, and also because of mechanical damage. It's best to avoid regurgitation! Although brought on by not sticking to the basic rules of eating slowly, chewing well and taking small mouthfuls - it is much more likely to happen if the band is too tight. So, if it's happening to you on a regular basis and you are sure you're sticking to the rules (and not drinking after eating) you should get your band checked out - it could be too tight. It is a misnomer to think that a 'too tight' band is a good thing because you will lose weight more quickly - you may also cause permanent damage to your oesophagus and there are a variety of other complications too, some of which require surgical intervention and the removal of the band. So it's not worth it. My personal experience is that since being banded I have regurgitated three times. The first time was when I got angry with my iPhone because it was misbehaving(!), and in my anger I scoffed down two thirds of an iced bun before I remembered I had a band.....! By then it was too late and I had a very unpleasant 20 minutes leant over the sink. The second and third times both happened at work while eating my lunch and working at the same time. In other words, I got distracted and ate too big a mouthful without chewing properly. Mia culpa.
1. The 'slime': This happens - a bit like regurgitation - when you eat too much without chewing properly. Food gets 'stuck' in the pouch, unable to get through the stoma because some less well chewed food is blocking the way. It can also happen if you drink after eating - the liquid can't get through the stoma because the food you ate, nicely sitting in the pouch and making you feel full, is blocking the way. So, the body produces what seems like tonnes of saliva to lubricate the oesophagus and pouch to try and remove the blockage. Usually, this does eventually work and you get a real sense of relief when the blockage clears. But meanwhile, your body is producing loads of this saliva and until the downwards blockage is cleared it has to go somewhere - upwards! The slime (as most bandits call it - I'm sure there's a correct technical term for it somewhere!) builds up gradually. You'll be eating something and start to feel an unusual heaviness around the breastbone (where the band is). Then you'll feel gurgling and things happening in your gullet, and then in your throat. Then you'll notice that your mouth is filling with saliva, and it's no good trying to swallow it because your mouth just fills up again. At the point when I notice the gurgling sensation, I know I've just got time to make it to the toilets at work - as long as no-one tries to stop me or talk to me on the way. Once, while rushing to the loo at work, my mouth full of saliva to bursting point, I passed a colleague in the corridor. Inevitably, he said "hello" and I just grunted. I often wonder what he thought.... Anyway, persaonally I went through two phases of doing lots of sliming - both were when my band was too tight and both times I ended up having an aspiration (de-fill). Since then, I still occasionally get the slime - but it's always when I've eaten too quickly, not chewed, or drunk after eating.
So, if you chew well, eat slowly, eat small portions, don't drink after eating and take anti-sickness tablets with you when you go abroad, you need never have any fear of vomiting with the band! On a more serious note, if you're already a bandit and regularly regurgitate or vomit, there's something wrong - either with your eating behaviour or with the band. Get it checked out. Vomiting, of any kind, is NOT a normal part of everyday life post gastric band surgery - and don't let anyone tell you that it is.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Finding a twin and turning a corner
At last - I have found another bandit who is exactly the same as me!!!!! A lady posted on the UKGastricBand forum all about her typical eating and drinking during the day, and some stuff about her philosophy on the band and restriction - her experiences of PB'ing, regurgitating, iron fist and all that - and she's SOooooo similar to me - it's scary!!
Like me, she has hardly ever done all the nasty stuff like vomiting and regurgitating food. She doesn't get any pain. She can eat anything but in smaller portions and with a great deal of chewing. She also drinks a lot so she's fully hydrated. She has moderate restriction but finds it harder to eat in the morning until after she's had some drinks. Like me, she can eat chocolate and biscuits for England. The foods that she eats during the day are very similar to me - Oatso Simple for breakfast, or a small banana and Muller Light yoghurt. She has crispbreads and protein and salad for lunch and very similar evening meals too! She also loves Alpen Light cereal bars and doesn't hesitate to take a healthy snack if it's needed.
It brought tears to my eyes as I was reading her post because I am sure I've never encountered another bandit who shares so much in common with me. For months I've read stories and had face-to-face discussions with bandits who get loads of pain / iron fist, vomit / regurgitate and can only eat three peas before feeling full (!) and I've never had any of that - so I've always felt as though I just must be a bit weird!!!
But probably the best thing about her post was what she said about her philosphy on restriction and getting fills. She said: "On a bad day I eat chocolate/biscuits/cakes/sweets/lattes but no matter how tight my band I'd still manage them so why have it that tight and suffer even when I'm being good?". Wow - she is so right. For ages now, as you know if you're a regular reader, I've to'ed and fro'ed about whether I needed another fill. But the truth is this: On a good day when I make good, healthy food choices, my restriction is perfect. I can eat anything I like but in small portions and with a lot of chewing. On a bad day, when I make poor food choices and scoff chocolate, cakes, biscuits and such, the band has no effect. It doesn't stop me eating that stuff - I knew it wouldn't and I know it never will - no matter how tight my band is. So what would be the point in making myself suffer with over-tight restriction when I'm being good, to gain no advantage whatsoever when I'm not being good?!
Mentally at least, I feel as though I may have turned an important corner.
Like me, she has hardly ever done all the nasty stuff like vomiting and regurgitating food. She doesn't get any pain. She can eat anything but in smaller portions and with a great deal of chewing. She also drinks a lot so she's fully hydrated. She has moderate restriction but finds it harder to eat in the morning until after she's had some drinks. Like me, she can eat chocolate and biscuits for England. The foods that she eats during the day are very similar to me - Oatso Simple for breakfast, or a small banana and Muller Light yoghurt. She has crispbreads and protein and salad for lunch and very similar evening meals too! She also loves Alpen Light cereal bars and doesn't hesitate to take a healthy snack if it's needed.
It brought tears to my eyes as I was reading her post because I am sure I've never encountered another bandit who shares so much in common with me. For months I've read stories and had face-to-face discussions with bandits who get loads of pain / iron fist, vomit / regurgitate and can only eat three peas before feeling full (!) and I've never had any of that - so I've always felt as though I just must be a bit weird!!!
But probably the best thing about her post was what she said about her philosphy on restriction and getting fills. She said: "On a bad day I eat chocolate/biscuits/cakes/sweets/lattes but no matter how tight my band I'd still manage them so why have it that tight and suffer even when I'm being good?". Wow - she is so right. For ages now, as you know if you're a regular reader, I've to'ed and fro'ed about whether I needed another fill. But the truth is this: On a good day when I make good, healthy food choices, my restriction is perfect. I can eat anything I like but in small portions and with a lot of chewing. On a bad day, when I make poor food choices and scoff chocolate, cakes, biscuits and such, the band has no effect. It doesn't stop me eating that stuff - I knew it wouldn't and I know it never will - no matter how tight my band is. So what would be the point in making myself suffer with over-tight restriction when I'm being good, to gain no advantage whatsoever when I'm not being good?!
Mentally at least, I feel as though I may have turned an important corner.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Tut tut - should know better!
I really should know better by now........Last night I got bad 'head hunger' and went to my local Co-Op for 'sustenance'. I only intended to buy one Kitkat....... but I came back with a kitkat, a bar of Dairy Milk, a strawberry mousse-thing and a packet of two iced buns. I scoffed the lot without them hardly touching the sides - oh, except the second iced bun which I left till this morning.
I got up this morning feeling ever so slightly guilty, and decided that instead of watching that iced bun all day and worrying about it, and thinking and dreaming about it, I'd just eat it for breakfast!!! Then, my theory went, it would be gone and I could get on with being a 'good girl' for the rest of the day. D'you know what? I got distratcted while eating that there bun, ate it too fast and ended up having a prolonged attack of the slime, and for the first time ever, regurgitation of food.
Yuk. Nasty. Don't want to do that again. But then again, I'm human, so I probably will!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Drinking harder than eating - EUREKA!
On My 22nd, a couple of weeks after my last fill, I posted ("Saliva, tightness, choking and all that jazz") about the weird experience I was having of being able to get food down, but struggling with liquids. I had asked a number of people about this and although I found a few others who had experienced the same, nobody could explain the phenomenon. Logic suggests that liquids should go down much more easily than solid foods - but t'was not the case..... Anyway, today I happened upon a web site called http://www.fillprovider.net/. It has been set up by an anaesthetist Dr. Kai Rabenstein who, on one morning per week, runs a clinic (in the south east of England) providing fills for gastric band patients(at £75 a time). He started the clinic after his wife had a gastric band fitted. The web site includes some really interesting advice and guidance - interesting because it is particularly frank and honest. For example, he says:
"I think it needs to be spelled out clearly that, certainly for the initial weight loss period, perfect restriction sometimes means being so tight that you experience some regurgitation of food, drink and saliva - known as "productive burps" (PBs). Patients who are horrified by this prospect and the consequent need to develop strategies to hide PBs from others in a social context ....... are unlikely to find success with AGB [adjustable gastric band] implantation and should probably choose a different WLS [weight loss surgery] strategy".
I don't know about you, but I find this approach refreshingly honest. So, back to the drinking and eating thing. Dr Rabenstein says:
"Because the oesophagus (the gullet) and the stomach itself are designed by nature to actively advance food "down the line" through a wave of muscular contraction (called peristalsis), patients with AGBs may find that with tight restriction they can still swallow food (which is solid and therefore will be gripped and propelled beyond the band by the peristaltic movement) but not liquid (which is too "elastic" for peristalsis to get a grip on). That means that in case of temporary severe restriction, the need for an emergency defill can sometimes be avoided by eating sodden solid food or semi-solids."
So I wasn't going mad after all!!
"I think it needs to be spelled out clearly that, certainly for the initial weight loss period, perfect restriction sometimes means being so tight that you experience some regurgitation of food, drink and saliva - known as "productive burps" (PBs). Patients who are horrified by this prospect and the consequent need to develop strategies to hide PBs from others in a social context ....... are unlikely to find success with AGB [adjustable gastric band] implantation and should probably choose a different WLS [weight loss surgery] strategy".
I don't know about you, but I find this approach refreshingly honest. So, back to the drinking and eating thing. Dr Rabenstein says:
"Because the oesophagus (the gullet) and the stomach itself are designed by nature to actively advance food "down the line" through a wave of muscular contraction (called peristalsis), patients with AGBs may find that with tight restriction they can still swallow food (which is solid and therefore will be gripped and propelled beyond the band by the peristaltic movement) but not liquid (which is too "elastic" for peristalsis to get a grip on). That means that in case of temporary severe restriction, the need for an emergency defill can sometimes be avoided by eating sodden solid food or semi-solids."
So I wasn't going mad after all!!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
What a relief !!
I went to see my nurse today. After describing my symptoms (heartburn, acid reflux, slime, vomiting, pain and difficulty drinking), she immediately recommended an aspiration. In order to ensure that my stomach has time and space to settle down (especially after all the acid), she took out 0.5ml, taking me to 0.1ml less than I was at when I had my last fill. She suggested that once I had given my stomach a chance to settle, I could go back to the clinic and have a small re-fill in a couple of weeks or so. At first, this amount of de-fill (0.5ml) seemed a little alarming - I expected her only to take about 0.2ml out. In a way it feels like going backwards. But on the other hand, the relief I have felt since is worth the backtracking.....
Obviously I am back onto fluids for three days and then mush for three days before reverting to solids again. After getting back to work following my de-fill today I immediately tried some drink, and found, with enormous relief, that I can drink again!! Oh, the sheer heaven of being able to drink a glass of anything and not suffer all the burping and gurgling and acid and pain and slime! The absolute beauty of being able to drink a glass in a couple of minutes instead of taking an hour or two! At the time of writing this I have already drunk twice as much today as I have typically got through per day in the last week or two. I am now on a mision to re-hydrate over the next few days and get some serious moisture back into my skin, hair and nails!!
I asked about the oddity of being able to eat easily but not drink without a great deal of trouble and the nurse didn't immediately have an answer. I hypothesised that it might be because solid food somehow 'opens' up the stoma between the pouch and stomach, whereas drink doesn't have enough 'force' to do this and 'backs up'. On reflection, the nurse recalled a number of gastric band patients who have noted that sometimes when eating, the first few mouthfuls are more difficult - and then the restriction appears to ease off. This could indicate that my theory has some merit. Anyway, there doesn't appear to be any other obvious explanation. I will raise this issue when I next go to the support group meeting and see if my doctor has any suggestions - I am curious!!
I am sitting here watching 'Britain's Got Talent', with a finished glass of Diet Coke by my side and plans to re-fill it during the ad break! Just such a simple pleasure in life holds such meaning and satisfaction!!!
Obviously I am back onto fluids for three days and then mush for three days before reverting to solids again. After getting back to work following my de-fill today I immediately tried some drink, and found, with enormous relief, that I can drink again!! Oh, the sheer heaven of being able to drink a glass of anything and not suffer all the burping and gurgling and acid and pain and slime! The absolute beauty of being able to drink a glass in a couple of minutes instead of taking an hour or two! At the time of writing this I have already drunk twice as much today as I have typically got through per day in the last week or two. I am now on a mision to re-hydrate over the next few days and get some serious moisture back into my skin, hair and nails!!
I asked about the oddity of being able to eat easily but not drink without a great deal of trouble and the nurse didn't immediately have an answer. I hypothesised that it might be because solid food somehow 'opens' up the stoma between the pouch and stomach, whereas drink doesn't have enough 'force' to do this and 'backs up'. On reflection, the nurse recalled a number of gastric band patients who have noted that sometimes when eating, the first few mouthfuls are more difficult - and then the restriction appears to ease off. This could indicate that my theory has some merit. Anyway, there doesn't appear to be any other obvious explanation. I will raise this issue when I next go to the support group meeting and see if my doctor has any suggestions - I am curious!!
I am sitting here watching 'Britain's Got Talent', with a finished glass of Diet Coke by my side and plans to re-fill it during the ad break! Just such a simple pleasure in life holds such meaning and satisfaction!!!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tales of the unexpected
Well, it's been an interesting day. On Thursday last week I posted about the patterns emerging in my eating and drinking since the last fill. Well, I have a change to make. I said that I had been finding it difficult to drink, but eating is OK. I also said that drinking was a little easier AFTER eating. Now, I know I am not supposed to drink very soon after eating, but lately I have been finding this is the only way to successfully get much fluid down. Today, I experienced the down side of drinking after eating.....
I'd drunk half a litre of Ribena by about mid-morning. This sounds impressive, but it had taken me two hours or so of very slow sipping to get it down. I then managed some breakfast mid-morning - All Bran with milk. Around lunch time I tried some more liquid but found it really hard to get down. I had loads of gurgling in the back of my throat, burping and bubbling and general noisiness! It also felt as though the liquid was getting 'stuck' in the back of my throat and not really progressing down to my stomach (either of them!) like it should be. I tried several times more but gave up. Around 1pm this afternoon I ate a whole sandwich (slowly, of course), and was quite pleased. I then made the mistake of trying to have a little dink immediately afterwards. On a few attempts at doing this recently it has been moderately successful. I sipped my way through about 0.1 litres of Ribena (about half a small glass) - and then felt the slime coming on.......
I tried to suppress it and kept swallowing - but it was having none of it. Slime kept building up in my mouth and as fast as I swallowed it, more arrived. I left it too late to make a dash for the toilets but fortunately my office mate had left for the day and I had the room to myself. I locked the door from the inside in case anyone walked in, and proceeded to spit this saliva out into my used plastic breakfast tub!!! It was horrible, but worse was to come. After about five solid minutes of spitting saliva into my pastic tub I started to feel really sick. Next thing I knew, I was vomiting masses of Ribena into the dangerously full plastic tub!! This is the first occasion that I have actually regurgitated anything I have swallowed since getting banded and it was not an experience I want to repeat.
After settling down, wiping my mouth and generally composing myself, I headed off to a meeting. When I returned I decided to telephone my nurse at Healthier Weight to get her advice on what to do. She wasn't there but I left a message. Later on, Healthier Weight got back to me and made an appointment for me to see the nurse at the clinic tomorrow morning. I am so pleased and relieved that I am going to be able to explain all this to her and hopefully make some progress. I expect she will suggest a small aspiration and I will be happy if that is the case. I have held out until now, thinking that it might get better. I could persevere for longer in the hope that these odd symptoms might lessen, but what's the point of 'suffering' unecessarily? I want the band to work for me - in the context of living as near a normal life as I am able.
So starting tomorrow, it'll probably be back onto fluids and mush for another six days and then the waiting game starts all over again. I'l keep you posted! I recall reading a post on the UKGastricBand forum where an experienced bandit was explaining to an impatient novice how much trial and error there is in getting restriction levels right. She said something along the lines of "...and when you get near to your sweet spot - that's when the fun starts". Oh how right she was!!!
I'd drunk half a litre of Ribena by about mid-morning. This sounds impressive, but it had taken me two hours or so of very slow sipping to get it down. I then managed some breakfast mid-morning - All Bran with milk. Around lunch time I tried some more liquid but found it really hard to get down. I had loads of gurgling in the back of my throat, burping and bubbling and general noisiness! It also felt as though the liquid was getting 'stuck' in the back of my throat and not really progressing down to my stomach (either of them!) like it should be. I tried several times more but gave up. Around 1pm this afternoon I ate a whole sandwich (slowly, of course), and was quite pleased. I then made the mistake of trying to have a little dink immediately afterwards. On a few attempts at doing this recently it has been moderately successful. I sipped my way through about 0.1 litres of Ribena (about half a small glass) - and then felt the slime coming on.......
I tried to suppress it and kept swallowing - but it was having none of it. Slime kept building up in my mouth and as fast as I swallowed it, more arrived. I left it too late to make a dash for the toilets but fortunately my office mate had left for the day and I had the room to myself. I locked the door from the inside in case anyone walked in, and proceeded to spit this saliva out into my used plastic breakfast tub!!! It was horrible, but worse was to come. After about five solid minutes of spitting saliva into my pastic tub I started to feel really sick. Next thing I knew, I was vomiting masses of Ribena into the dangerously full plastic tub!! This is the first occasion that I have actually regurgitated anything I have swallowed since getting banded and it was not an experience I want to repeat.
After settling down, wiping my mouth and generally composing myself, I headed off to a meeting. When I returned I decided to telephone my nurse at Healthier Weight to get her advice on what to do. She wasn't there but I left a message. Later on, Healthier Weight got back to me and made an appointment for me to see the nurse at the clinic tomorrow morning. I am so pleased and relieved that I am going to be able to explain all this to her and hopefully make some progress. I expect she will suggest a small aspiration and I will be happy if that is the case. I have held out until now, thinking that it might get better. I could persevere for longer in the hope that these odd symptoms might lessen, but what's the point of 'suffering' unecessarily? I want the band to work for me - in the context of living as near a normal life as I am able.
So starting tomorrow, it'll probably be back onto fluids and mush for another six days and then the waiting game starts all over again. I'l keep you posted! I recall reading a post on the UKGastricBand forum where an experienced bandit was explaining to an impatient novice how much trial and error there is in getting restriction levels right. She said something along the lines of "...and when you get near to your sweet spot - that's when the fun starts". Oh how right she was!!!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Early post-fill update
Well, so far I have gone from fluids-only onto mush - and I know it's far too early to give any definitive post-fill status, but I thought it might be useful to describe some of my eating experiences since my fill on Thursday. I stuck fairly rigidly to fluids on Thursday evening, Friday and during the day on Saturday. This time, I was too lazy to make my own homemade soup as I have done on previous occasions, and so ate Weight Watcher's mushroom soup (with the mushroom bits sieved out!) and Weight-To-Go parsnip soup. I had a couple of soups each day plus strawberry shake. To make the latter more interesting and filling, I blended in banana, milk and apple to make a really nutritious drink. I've also been drinking lots of black tea, low sugar Ribena and water. However, on Friday and Saturday, I found it impossible to consume what I consider to be enough calories per day (i.e. about 850 as a minimum, but ideally 1000). So I did what I have done previously while on the fluid phase, and sucked some chocolate!! I consider this my reward for surviving on soup only and it does no harm - it boosts my calorie intake to a more acceptable level and hey, chocolate does have some nutrition in it!!
I've had a little extra gurgling in my throat when I swallow drinks - particularly in the morning. However, it's nothing like as bad as it was on the occasion when my fill was too tight, and I think it's a common experience for most people during the first few days after a fill. I have not had any vomiting or slime, though I had a hint of slime coming on, on the first day after a I drank some shake. What I have noticed is that it defintely takes me longer to consume anything in the morning. On Friday it took me about an hour to drink a cup of tea and a glass of orange juice!! However, this has reduced on Saturday and Sunday mornings. I find it helps if I have something warm or hot first (like tea, soup or low fat creamed rice), and then have cold drinks like orange juice and/or shake. Having said that, this moning my breakfast drinks went down at near-normal rate (with tea first, then orange, then creamed rice).
On Saturday evening I moved back onto mush and had mashed potato, scrambled egg and some baked beans for dinner. This all went down very well with no problems. I did my usual and ate it quite slowly, taking about 30 minutes. I also chew everything well before swallowing and eat off a 7-inch side plate. After eating this I felt pretty full and did not want or need an evening yoghurt.
Today (Sunday), I had low fat creamed rice for breakfast and orange juice. For lunch I had a Weight-To-Go smoked haddock and potato meal which was lovely. I made certain that I chewed the fish well and had no problems getting it down. I was really quite full afterwards and didn't start to feel peckish again for several hours.
So, in a nutshell, I still don't really know whether I have good restriction yet because I am still eating soft, slider foods. However, I am relieved that I am not too tight and in need of an aspiration - particularly since I now have more fluid in my band than I had previously when I did need an aspiration! The signs are good for restriction but I'm not getting too excited yet. I cannot wait until I get back onto proper solid foods to see whether I am anywhere near my 'sweet spot' at last!!
I've had a little extra gurgling in my throat when I swallow drinks - particularly in the morning. However, it's nothing like as bad as it was on the occasion when my fill was too tight, and I think it's a common experience for most people during the first few days after a fill. I have not had any vomiting or slime, though I had a hint of slime coming on, on the first day after a I drank some shake. What I have noticed is that it defintely takes me longer to consume anything in the morning. On Friday it took me about an hour to drink a cup of tea and a glass of orange juice!! However, this has reduced on Saturday and Sunday mornings. I find it helps if I have something warm or hot first (like tea, soup or low fat creamed rice), and then have cold drinks like orange juice and/or shake. Having said that, this moning my breakfast drinks went down at near-normal rate (with tea first, then orange, then creamed rice).
On Saturday evening I moved back onto mush and had mashed potato, scrambled egg and some baked beans for dinner. This all went down very well with no problems. I did my usual and ate it quite slowly, taking about 30 minutes. I also chew everything well before swallowing and eat off a 7-inch side plate. After eating this I felt pretty full and did not want or need an evening yoghurt.
Today (Sunday), I had low fat creamed rice for breakfast and orange juice. For lunch I had a Weight-To-Go smoked haddock and potato meal which was lovely. I made certain that I chewed the fish well and had no problems getting it down. I was really quite full afterwards and didn't start to feel peckish again for several hours.
So, in a nutshell, I still don't really know whether I have good restriction yet because I am still eating soft, slider foods. However, I am relieved that I am not too tight and in need of an aspiration - particularly since I now have more fluid in my band than I had previously when I did need an aspiration! The signs are good for restriction but I'm not getting too excited yet. I cannot wait until I get back onto proper solid foods to see whether I am anywhere near my 'sweet spot' at last!!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Two steps forward, one step back....
Today hasn't been good. It started with the two and a half hours it took me to drink 200ml of tea, 200ml of orange and 200ml of strawberry shake, all accompanied with constant gurgling, indigestion, pain behind my breastbone and other shooting pains generally around my abdomen. Oddly enough, I could have coped with that, but then I ate some scrambled egg. It was prepared exactly the same as the scrambled egg I ate at about the same time yesterday - and I was looking forward to it. In fact I managed to eat most of it - carefully, slowly, and 'chewing' each morsel exaggeratedly (if chewing is what you can call it - more like squashing it with my tongue really!). Just as I was finishing the gurgling got worse and then I had quite nasty pain in the back of my throat to the point where I was even finding it difficult to breathe. My mouth then started filling up with saliva. I kept swallowing it, thinking I could somehow overcome this phenomenon by sheer willpower. But it was not to be. Fearful of a nasty accident on my desk I rushed down to the toilets. I spent what seemed like hours bent over the loo while loads of saliva just kept pouring out. This was accompanied by cramp-like sensations in my stomach, abdomen and upper chest. By the time this was all over I was really quite exhausted and felt quite ill for two or three hours. During this time I was actually afraid of drinking anything so started to get dehydrated. By mid-afternoon I became convinced that none of this was normal and phoned the bariatric nurse at Healther Weight. I explained my symptoms and she immediately said that I was obviously "too tight". I have arranged to see her for a small aspiration in Birmingham on Wednesday and until then I'm back on fluids.
These bands - are they weird or what? Last night I ate a small mushy meal of pasta, fish and broccoli - all without any problem - and yet today I can't even get pure fluids down without a struggle!! I tell you, the next time I hear anyone talk about the band as being a 'quick fix' or worse, the 'easy option', I think I'm going to punch them on the nose!!!
So, the result is, having got 7.5ml put in my band, I'm going to take a step back (but hopefully forwards, if you see what I mean) - probably to about 7ml (6.5ml gave me no restriction at all). It brings home the warning printed in my 'band book': "People occasionaly make the mistake of thinking that 'more is better' - that if the band is working well at one level of adjustment, it will work even better if we make it tighter. This is a serious mistake." (from Your Surgery: A before and after guide to getting the most from your surgery by Healthier Weight). I must confess that when the nurse said last week that she was going to put 0.7ml in, I was a bit disappointed. However, I described what and how I was eating (completely truthfully), and the fact that I could easily eat bread, pasta and other 'difficult' foods - she changed her mind and increased it to 1ml. I was quite pleased about that because I doubted that 0.7ml would make that much difference - how wrong can you be?!!
This evening so far, I have managed some Ribena and four squares of Dairy Milk chocolate (well, a woman has to get her calories from somewhere, doesn't she?!). I am going to keep trying to get fluids down and may be really adventurous and try some soup later.... ah well, no-one said this was going to be easy!
These bands - are they weird or what? Last night I ate a small mushy meal of pasta, fish and broccoli - all without any problem - and yet today I can't even get pure fluids down without a struggle!! I tell you, the next time I hear anyone talk about the band as being a 'quick fix' or worse, the 'easy option', I think I'm going to punch them on the nose!!!
So, the result is, having got 7.5ml put in my band, I'm going to take a step back (but hopefully forwards, if you see what I mean) - probably to about 7ml (6.5ml gave me no restriction at all). It brings home the warning printed in my 'band book': "People occasionaly make the mistake of thinking that 'more is better' - that if the band is working well at one level of adjustment, it will work even better if we make it tighter. This is a serious mistake." (from Your Surgery: A before and after guide to getting the most from your surgery by Healthier Weight). I must confess that when the nurse said last week that she was going to put 0.7ml in, I was a bit disappointed. However, I described what and how I was eating (completely truthfully), and the fact that I could easily eat bread, pasta and other 'difficult' foods - she changed her mind and increased it to 1ml. I was quite pleased about that because I doubted that 0.7ml would make that much difference - how wrong can you be?!!
This evening so far, I have managed some Ribena and four squares of Dairy Milk chocolate (well, a woman has to get her calories from somewhere, doesn't she?!). I am going to keep trying to get fluids down and may be really adventurous and try some soup later.... ah well, no-one said this was going to be easy!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Frustrated
Yeah, I'm getting frustrated with a lack of 'action' from my band. I posted a week or so ago saying that at last, because I'd had my first fill, I felt like a proper bandit. Unfortunately I spoke too soon. I have just been reading some posts on the UKGastricBand forum from people who have got a good level of restriction, and thinking that because I don't yet have any, I'm still not really 'in their gang'. At one point I was reading about someone who experienced vomiting and pain after getting good restriction - because they hadn't got into the habit of chewing small pieces of food, and eating slowly. I know it sounds daft, but at this moment in time I'd quite like some vomiting and pain!!! I feel as though I have this thing inside me that's supposed to be doing a job - and it isn't doing it. I'm naturally very impatient so I really am getting a bit frustrated now. I have said this before, but I think that if I'd realised back in November, that it could be several months before the band started to work, I just might have had second thoughts....... though probably not, in reality, that's just my emotions talking!
I'm off on my skiiing holiday on Saturday (at last - the knee has healed fine!) so will have a week away without any bathroms or kitchen scales or calorie books. I'm going to be as sensible as I am able, bearing in mind that we have a half board holiday booked and I will be expending a lot of energy. At any rate, I think the activity will quell my frustration for a while. Eight days after our return I have my second fill already booked. I can't wait. I want something to happen - I want to eat something and then feel full. I want to stop feeling hungry - which I have been increasingly over the past couple of weeks (ironically, since I had my first fill). I'll keep you posted as always.
I'm off on my skiiing holiday on Saturday (at last - the knee has healed fine!) so will have a week away without any bathroms or kitchen scales or calorie books. I'm going to be as sensible as I am able, bearing in mind that we have a half board holiday booked and I will be expending a lot of energy. At any rate, I think the activity will quell my frustration for a while. Eight days after our return I have my second fill already booked. I can't wait. I want something to happen - I want to eat something and then feel full. I want to stop feeling hungry - which I have been increasingly over the past couple of weeks (ironically, since I had my first fill). I'll keep you posted as always.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Breaking the rules
Today is my second day after my first fill. I am supposed to be on fluids for three days and then pureed foods for three days before switching back to solids. Yesterday I had lots of drinks and some soup - one my soups was quite thick. I also had a smooth yoghurt. All of this went down without any problem. Up until this evening I have followed that pattern today. But when I got home from work I decided to break the rules!!!! When I had to have fluids following surgery, it was important to stick to the rules because it was to allow my stomach time to heal. However, oin this occasion, if I understand it correctly, the only reason to have fluids and mush for three days each is to make sure you can get them down without any problems. I think I've already proven that so decided to eat some mush this evening.
I ate vegetarian cottage pie with mashed cauliflower and aubergine. I ate this very slowly, in two separate halves actually. It all went down without any problem. I was full by the time I'd finished but no more so than usual. I also ate a yoghurt. I'm now waiting a while before having a drink (while watching "Supersize versus Superskinny" on the TV!). So, as far as mush is concerned, everything is as normal. I won't really know if I have any useful restriction until I start eating solid foods, and I'm not going to do this until Saturday - four more days away.
I must confess it was all slightly scary eating mush for the first time since my fill. I was convinced that any moment I was going to get the 'iron fist' - this is the nickname given by bandits to the hard pain felt in the upper breastbone after eating too much, too quickly, or not chewing. Apparently the 'iron fist' can be really nasty - and since I am allergic to pain (!) I am going to do everything I can to avoid it - ever! The other thing I was a little nervous about was PBing. This is the nickname given to 'productive burping' - where your body involuntarily brings up a little food. It is a little like a small vomit (apparently) and is also caused when your band cannot cope with some food you've given it - because you've eaten too fast or too much. Anyway, despite the nerves, nothing happened - everything went down, nothing came back up and there was no pain!
I ate vegetarian cottage pie with mashed cauliflower and aubergine. I ate this very slowly, in two separate halves actually. It all went down without any problem. I was full by the time I'd finished but no more so than usual. I also ate a yoghurt. I'm now waiting a while before having a drink (while watching "Supersize versus Superskinny" on the TV!). So, as far as mush is concerned, everything is as normal. I won't really know if I have any useful restriction until I start eating solid foods, and I'm not going to do this until Saturday - four more days away.
I must confess it was all slightly scary eating mush for the first time since my fill. I was convinced that any moment I was going to get the 'iron fist' - this is the nickname given by bandits to the hard pain felt in the upper breastbone after eating too much, too quickly, or not chewing. Apparently the 'iron fist' can be really nasty - and since I am allergic to pain (!) I am going to do everything I can to avoid it - ever! The other thing I was a little nervous about was PBing. This is the nickname given to 'productive burping' - where your body involuntarily brings up a little food. It is a little like a small vomit (apparently) and is also caused when your band cannot cope with some food you've given it - because you've eaten too fast or too much. Anyway, despite the nerves, nothing happened - everything went down, nothing came back up and there was no pain!
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