The Big Band Fill!

Better late than never, apologies for not having written in such a long time, madness continues to ensue in my life!

Last week I had my first band fill done under x-ray, up near Kent. Aside from the waiting room having three huge fans rotating round making me feel like I was in a wind tunnel at the North Pole, it was quite a nice little trip!

When I went in I had a long discussion with the Consultant and Radiologist who thought I may have been.. er... with child..... Having finally convinced them otherwise, signed a disclaimer and had a lead skirt put round my abdomen I was good to go!

I had to stand against a vertical table with a little lip at the bottom which I stood on, they x-rayed to check where everything was and then they told me to hold on as the table tipped backwards and into a horizontal position! The scariest thing ever and shameful though it is to admit, I did have a little scream lol! They then aspirated the fluid out of the band  only a couple of mls, despite being told I had about 4mls in it, they topped it up to just over 5mls and then was tipped up again, given some Barium to swallow and x-rayed for a final time to check my restriction, was fascinating watching it on a screen they had positioned so I could watch too! I left with 5.25mls in my band and excited about my new portion sizes!

Post band fill I had to return to a liquid diet for 3 days, soft diet for a further 3 days and then as of yesterday back to a normal diet! Were going on holiday tomorrow so I am planning on having a little treat to get us in the mood and make fajitas, I can not remember the last time we had that but I cant wait!

All the problems I had been experiencing seem to have settle down this week, the shoulder tip pain has gone off a lot and some days I don't get it at all but sometimes I still need to take pain killers, very variable but I find I find I run into problems with the pain if I let myself get to hungry, missing breakfast is a big no no, I suppose its just trial and error, but am just delighted with the results so far! And here's why...



So the current statistics:  
Jan 2011 (starting weight) - 16 stone 12 lbs
Pre gastric band  -  15 stone
Today! - 13 stone 9 lbs!


Big smiles all round! Am off to pack for holiday, and pack the flat up for our move the day after we get back from holiday! Can not wait, happy times ahead! Much Love xxx

A bit de-flated!

Week Three = Texture and Joy, supposedly!

Feeling, well a little bit rubbish, having moved on to food seems to have shown that actually I have no real restriction to portion size, clearly a band fill is needed... easier said than done!

Last weekend I went out for my family meal and managed not one but three shameful courses, and to be honest I was full but by no means bursting! It has felt this week like there is no band there at all, aside from one little reminder.

Having not had a visit from 'Aunt Flow' in over a year and a half due to a rather genius invention that is Cerazzet (POP contraceptive pill) I have been, well, visited! Having spent 3 hours at the walk in GP waiting to see someone I was told that my pill 'was probably working' I left even more mystified, thought the GP seemed pleased with his diagnosis, clearly all those years of medical training have paid off! The Hospital Group re-assured me it was not a malabsorbtion problem as it is absorbed in the gut rather than stomach. I suppose it is just one of those things, but my god does it suck! So I guess this is my body saying, enough already, just work out what you want woman! (Sounds familiar!).

So on to getting my band filled, having been given a number to arrange my band fill, (which I started trying to do three weeks ago with the said person), I find out she left, just no one felt the need to tell me that! Finally I get the name of the guy who has taken her role over! Yesterday he was away, today having lunch , but he will call me back! Does he? Does he boll**ks! So I am still no further in my desperate band filling mission.

Life would be so much easier if there after care actually existed! I have to have a check x-ray which my local clinic doesn't do, so that means a trek to London for me, not the biggest deal in the world, I would just like some peace of mind, so I at least know its booked and things will look a bit better. I can't call them now till next week as I am working the next two days. I am also waiting for my dietitian call or any contact at all, which was supposed to happen last week... would be nice really seeing as I just paid £6k for these supposed privileges!



Chin up though eh! (Which chin, when you have more than one?!)
Rant over, I will go to bed, psych myself up for my second day of my new job, de-grump and de-hormonafie!

Peace! xxx