Life is a Highway and I'm riding it my way.: Continuing my life after banding.

Continuing my life after banding.

10:44 AM |

Posted by Dawn

What I have you gotten rid of since band!

The other day on Lapbandtalk I asked the question what have you gotten rid of since banding? My question was not weight or clothing size, it was about medication, CPAP, Low self esteem, etc. I got a bunch of good answers that you can read here What have you gotten rid of since banding? It's really great to read so many different stories and how people change after surgery.

Before banding I was borderline everything (High blood pressure, diabetes, fatty liver, high cholesterol, CPAP). Although I wasn't on any medications I would have been if I kept going the path that I was taking. I was however using a CPAP machine for 5 years. 2 weeks ago I went for another sleep study and I was told that I no longer have sleep apnea and didn't need to use the CPAP machine anymore. I was SO HAPPY! I've also gained my self esteem back. I am no longer borderline anything. My blood work came back 'normal'. Now if my echo-cardiogram comes back good that means I have prolonged my next open heart surgery for awhile longer. In 2001 I had open heart surgery for an aortic aneurysm (I mentioned that in my prior posts) and I opted for a pigs valve at the time. Mainly because I didn't want to take blood thinner for the rest of my life. Pigs valves however only last for about 10 years. It's coming up on the time very soon. But this time around I am getting a mechanical valve. I will take the blood thinner because I don't want to go through it again. I think my surgeon will be extremely happy that I have lost the weight because it won't be so dangerous for me this time around. I weigh less now then I did the first time around. I was told that if I didn't lose the weight I could die on the table.

So my question is ask yourself, What have I gotten rid of since banding? You might be surprised.

Continuing my Journey

     Yesterday I went for my first unfill. And I was more nervous about the unfill then I was about getting a fill. Why you ask? Let me start from the beginning and the events leading up to the unfill.
   Four weeks ago I went for my 5th fill and everything was great. I was feeling great restriction. I finally hit what was called the 'Sweet Spot'. Which is where you are able to eat your small meal and not feel hungry inbetween meals for 4-5 hours. I was in heaven. I continued to lose the weight. About 3 weeks into the fill I started feeling uncomfortable. My solids just weren't going down and staying down like they should. I think more solid food was going down then I was taking in. I really wasn't hungry at all so I wasn't taking that much food in. Even the liquids were starting to feel uncomfortable. I was so nervous about getting an unfill because I didn't want to gain the weight back that I took off so far. Up until now I have had incredible weightloss. So I decided to wait it out for another week. It didn't get any better. I knew that I couldn't keep going like this for another 2 weeks when my next appointment came up. I was also getting night regurgitation and night coughs. My weightloss had come to a hault. So I decided to call my doctor. I went in for a very small unfill. And boy am I glad I did this. I feel so much better.
   It's so important to pay attention to your zones and listen to your body. You can't be afraid of taking chances. Being too tight is worse then having no fill at all. Your body isn't getting the proper nutrients that it should which could lead to other problems. Also when you aren't getting the proper nutrients, you aren't getting enough calories, and you aren't getting enough food intake, you metabolism goes into slow mode. You in turn will not lose weight. I hear people all of the time saying, "I'm trying to lose weight. I don't eat lunch. Or I don't eat breakfast." It's important whether you have the Lapband or not, that you don't skip meals. Your body goes into shut down mode. It's better to cute your portion size in half than it is to skip meals.
    This is the Green Chart. Listen to your body and follow this chart. It will help you to understand when you need a fill and when you need an unfill.

I have realized another important thing in my journey. This is that I may have lost an entire person on the outside but I have gained a person on the inside (my self esteem). If I can make it in this journey, so can you. You just have to realize that the Lapband is a tool. You can not go into this process beleiving that when the band is placed inside of you, that you are automatically going to start losing the weight. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. It takes alot of hard work but the band does help make that work hard work, easier to handle. You will have bumps in the road from time to time. Everyone does. Your not perfect. Old habits don't die because you have the band put in either. Those habits become easier to deal with as you go along though. As I stated before, if you beleive in yourself, anything is possible.