Progress

I think I am making some progress. Not eating too much, good restriction, and I've lost a couple of pounds.

I do need to be careful of overeating foods which just come straight back up again (long term pbing = band damage). And I need to be careful not to overeat high cal "slider" foods which go through my band easily. Though having said that, I don't think there is much, other than clear liquids, which will go through my band easily right now. . .

Another fill

After a 1 mil fill last week, I really don't feel I that I have much more restriction. So I kept a previously made appointment and went for another fill with Dr Chris.

He wasn't convinced I needed it but let me have 0.5mil - though he said he won't let me have any more, he said he had thought previously that I had lost too much weight.

Huh! That should be my decision.

It was interesting being at his London Clinic in Upper Wimpole Street. Lots of other bandsters there with different stories.

I now have 6 mils in my 10 mil band; and am a bit miffed that Dr C more or less said that this is the last fill he will give me. I need to work with this restriction, not against it.

Not eaten much today - made the mistake of going to the appointment at 1530 without having had any real food, and afterwards I could only have soup (and chips and dip)

My restriction is nowhere like it was after my January fill last year. (when I went from 1 mil to 5 mils over night).

Weight wise, I never really understand how Dr Chris works it out, I was 60kg this morning, first thing, no clothes, and yet he made me 59kg in the afternoons with a heavy denim skirt on . .

Back to basics, keep drinking water, keep off high cal foods like pistachio nuts and onion and garlic dip; and get plenty protein in.

And avoid being sick. Scared I'll damage my band or pouch if I am sick too much

This is the Nectar Protein Drink I mentioned in my last post
It mixes up into a blue froth. Doesn't taste too bad :-)

Monday

Was up to 9 stone 13 on Friday, and had 1 mil fill.

Monday, I am 9 stone 7, so something must be working. I don't feel very much restriction, but am trying to cut down and stop as soon as I feel full. I didn't last very long on just soup and fluids so on Sunday had some real food, but not very much.

Need to keep taking my vitamins, protein drink (bleugh - ok it isn't too horrible, but it does take a while to drink it. I bought Nectar on the recommendation of Carol Mac on WLSInfo Forums, but probably the "Crystal Sky" (my choice) wasn't the best flavour to go for, it's bright blue and bubblegum flavoured.

Update

I should keep this more up to date, it is helpful to me to look back and see what I went through previously.

Had one mil taken out of my band on April 4th - I'd thought i was losing restriction and wanted a fill, but slight pouch swelling meant a defill.

I started gaining weight with a vengeance - by May 8th I was up to 9-13 (from 8 - 12 on April 4th)

I had planned on going to Belgium on May 8/9th, but due to family committments, I couldn't. Instead I went to a new fill provider, Marc Focquet, in London.

He is also Belgian, and very nice. He went through my history with me (a shortened version, I skipped the bit about scarlet fever last summer), and gave me a 1 mil fill.

Have to say he didn't seem to find doing the fill as simple as Dr Chris does, but then he didn't fit my port, and I think he might place them differently.

It hurt more than it normally does - like someone said it feels like a cork popping - ouch.

I was able to drink all the water he gave me, which was disappointing - when I'm well filled I can only sip liquids, rather than glug them.

Now, 24 hrs later, I dont' feel like I've had much of a fill at all. Can still glug water, and last night had a bad spate of eating for England (though I was sticking to liquids, so maybe I should say drinking for England :-)

Let's see what this week brings. Some weight loss I hope!

Getting fat and scared

I was banded in Dec 07 and after quite a few fills finally began to lose weight (at 5.5mils in a 10 mil band)

In March this yr I felt I was losing restriction and putting on weight, so booked a fill with my surgeon, Chris de Bruyne.

He did an xray and said that my pouch was slightly dilated, and *un filled* my band 1 mil.

That was April 3rd; he said I'd be ok for a refill in four weeks.It's five weeks tomorrow.

In that time I've gained 15 pounds.

I am not able to get back to Belgium, and he isn't in London till May 15th, so in desperation I am going to see Marc Focquet for a fill tomorrow

I just have absolutely NO restriction, hardly.

I can drink 2 litres of water without stopping to breath, far less swallow.

Looking back my normal restriction level wouldn't let me drink more than 100 mls without stopping for a bit.I am gaining weight by the day.

But my biggest fear is that Dr Marc Focquet won't let me have a fill, cos my BMI is still in normal range.I am gaining weight so fast it is terrifying.

Will report back. If he won't give me the 1 mil back, I guess I'll have to try someone else.I have GOT to get restriction back, or this will just have been yet another mad crazy crash diet. . . Soz to moan. It's that time of night