Band update

Not posted about my band in a while. Things are not good. I've recently been having bad acid reflux - which I put down to stress, stress always goes for my stomach, ever pre band.

Then I had a particularly bad vomiting bug and I don't think things have been right since then. I have semi permanent stomach pain, and a lot of acid pain. A few times I pb'd on nothing and brought up blood

I know it is easy to rupture tiny blood vessels, that has happened to me before pre band, I'm hoping that is all it is.

I am worried that my hiatus hernia which was repaired during surgery is causing problems again. Or, God forbid, that I have a slipped band or erosion.

Hoping to see the doctor soon.

I'm not sure if there is any change to my restriction, I'm being very careful not to eat anything that might test it!  And I've gained a bit of weight, up to 145 pounds. Not good.

Will update soon

My face lift was a complete waste of time and money and I still have red and slightly painful scars :-(

Face lift

Not a weight loss related issue, well maybe. Since losing around 80 pounds I've been aware that I have loose wrinkled skin round my face (well, to be honest, in lots of places but my face bothers me most)

I've had botox and fillers and sculptra and have been mostly pretty happy with the results.  But I found this online


http://youtu.be/NWcEu095Iyk

Not sure if you can see the video here, but do click the linkl

and was tempted to try it. I saw the surgeon today, and wasn't impressed. He didn't speak English very well, and we spent about 10 mins together maximum.

It is cheap by UK standards (£1750) but is only likely to last for a year. (That is a lot less than I could spend on non-surgical procedures like lipolysis)

I'm going ahead with the procedure, and will post before and after pics.. . . .

It is a "one stitch" face lift.  As the video says, you put your fingers in your ears, move then forward to your face and pull up, to see the probable result.

The patient coordinator I am dealing with seems very competent. I've googled the surgeon, and as usual there are good stories and bad - tho no bad stories about this procedure. (Yet!)

Catherine is engaged!

Not an update about me, but I am so happy that one of my favourite bandsters, who has the most amazing blog, personality and life, has just got engaged. She is over the moon, and I am thrilled for her.

Bands are not just about weight loss,  but also about the self esteem and life changes that come too.

God is good!

My band is stable, I'm doing ok, around 136 (good day) or 143 (not so good day), I've not blogged because there was nothing much to say.  Life is good and busy here.

But I'm as excited as a school girl for Catherine!

March Update

Mid March and I am doing better, that last fill has helped, and I am slowly getting back down, was 10.0.4 this morning (Nearly under ten stone!!!)

Quite encouraging, cos I a not doing "everything right" or following the rules.

But feel good to be slowly climbing down again

Well, not doing very well at all. Any added restriction has disappeared, and I'm stuck at 10 - 8.  I gained a little last week, and today am back to where I was two weeks ago.  I have booked another fill, to see if a tiny tweak will help.

It is cold here, I feel like sitting in front of the TV huddled in blankets with some great comfort food; no wonder I'm not losing weight!

I should be more active. But so far, I'm not :-)

Well, maybe the fill has helped more than I thought, I am down to 10 stone 8 (148 pounds) this morning, which is good news.

I just need to keep it up, and keep losing a little each week.

Keitha, if you have had three fills and feel "nothing" in the way of restriction, I'd ask your surgeon about it. Unless they were very tiny fills (which some doctors like to do). After my first couple of fills I had good restriction for quite a few months.  But they were biggish fills, done at a month post op. (I think I had three mils on Friday and another one mil on Saturday)

I am just so hopeless with willpower - which why I need my band.

Not a happy bunny.  The fill has not given me the restriction I wanted.

I need more restriction, or more will power.  Lol, I know which is easier to get . . .

I can not maintain weight loss without restriction.  Maybe I should just get a stomach-ectomy and live on protein drinks for the rest of my life.

Sigh sigh sigh sigh sigh.

What next?

Another fill. But where and when and how (and what with??? these fills don't come cheap!)

Had my fill today, 0.75mil, I wanted one mil, but we compromised.  I am scared it's not enough, since I could drink the whole plastic cup full of water without pausing. I wonder if I should have asked for me. It didn't help that the lady who'd gone in to see Dr Marc before me was gagging and felt overfilled and he was worried about her. Maybe that made him nervous.

I had a large coffee on the train ride home, and a cup of soup (instant, not home made) when I got back.  I'm hungry.  I hope this fill is going to work. Sigh, I realise I shall have to work with it.

I was 154 pounds this morning on Dr M's scales.

Time to update

Time to update - I am waiting (a bit desperately) for my fill this weekend. I have put on more weight than I'd like to admit since my last unfill.

It was/ is my own  fault, it is NOT the fault of the band.  I've had a good four years of lsoing weight/ maintained weight loss, but since I had the unfill, I have been gaining. Not a huge amount, but a little here and a little there can become an extra 20 pounds toooo fast.

I am not a bandster who can say that the op changed them, their eating habits or their obesity tendency.  I need my band; I need my restriction.  I am so glad I can have a fill - if I'd had a bypass (RNY etc) I'd be stuck, but I *can* get back on track  - not via my "will power" but because of my band.

Bring on the fill!