Jaimi K.

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I joined a gym in January '08 to see if I could jumpstart some weight loss because I'm trying to eat carefully but not always.  I try to go at least 3x a week.

I know its unhealthy but every day I am obsessed with how I look and how I want to get the pounds back off and I get depressed because the clothes I was wearing last summer don't fit me anymore.  I want my band back so badly.  This is so hard. 

I have gained almost 20 lbs since I was unbanded back in June '07.  I come back to this OH site on occasion to check out the Before & After photos to inspire me.  I realize I need to stop eating like I'm invincible and won't gain the weight back.  I had started eating regular size means and was going for seconds again.  THATS WHAT GOT ME OBESE IN THE FIRST PLACE!  Arghhhhh!  I'm such an idiot to have waited for the scale to creep up to almost 200 to get myself back on track.  I can feel the rolls on my sides getting bigger!

I've just recently started to watch what I eat now (finally) and I want to be back in those size 12 jeans that I was in last spring (that are now too tight to get on.)   What the heck was I thinking!?   This is hard.  Its all will power now.  Sometimes I'm depressed and really miss my band.  Oh well.  It is what it is.

I'm all healed from my lap band removal surgery June 8th.  I only have occasional discomfort from the one incision where it was actually pulled out from.  Otherwise, I've been starting on my sit-ups again and can lift and do all exercises.  I'm holding my ground with the weight.  So far so good, at least I'm not gaining.

Its been 10 days since my lap band removal surgery and I'm starting to feel a lot better.  I still have to take it easy.  The coughing and sneezing don't help. LOL

I visited my surgeon for a follow up visit and he says things are looking good and I won't need to come back to the office... unless there's any problems or pain.  It was hard leaving the office that day and I asked the ladies at the front desk whether I'd still be included in future events and patient activities.  She said that once I'm in the computer, I'll always be in the computer.  It all felt very final though.  

I know my journey isn't over.  I still have a lot of hard work ahead of me.  All I can do is "do the best I can."

I am still going to update this profile as often as I can and visit this OH site even though I am a lap band "retiree."  I still enjoy looking at the Before & After photos - they inspire me.  I still plan on going to Lap Band support meetings but I just don't know how I'll fit in anymore.  Will I be deemed "the loser who screwed up?"  Perhaps I'll be a sort of anti-inspiration to other bandsters so they don't screw up?  However, I MUST remember that I HAVE been successful with my band and my weight loss and that being around others who are having success too will surely help.  I can't let this get me down.  Stay focused!

Well... On Monday 6/4/07 I started feeling some pain in the chest, like something was continually stuck in my band.  When it didn't go away by Thursday of that week I called my bari doctor and he had me come in to the hospital where he was working that day so I could have some tests on the band.  I went in as an ER patient and had X-rays and an upper GI.  The GI showed that my band had slipped and my stomach had prolapsed up thru the band.  Surgery was necessary to either repair or remove it.  Friday's (6/8) surgery was bleak when they told me afterwards that they had to remove the band laprascopically.  Later in recovery, the surgeon showed me pictures of my stomach and said they couldn't repair it because the stitches wouldn't hold onto the damaged tissue.  I was devastated.

I left the hospital Saturday 6/9/07  with several incisions and lots of pain.  My stomach will heal just fine and I should have no future problems.  I do have to say that since I'm 80 pounds lighter and in better shape, my recovery has been going faster than when I had the band inserted.  I'm now eating mushies after 2 days of liquids and will start REAL food tomorrow.  My long term goal is to pretend I still have the band and to keep doing EVERYTHING the way I did with the band.  The only tools I have now are my own will power and the eating skills I learned through 2 years of being banded.  I miss my band and hope I can do this.  I threw all my fat clothes away anyway, so I can't afford to gain the weight back!  (have to keep a sense of humor here).  I worked too hard to screw this up.  I will also continue to go to support meetings.  I can't get another lap band because I don't fit the criteria anymore.

Well, I'm officially 2 years out of surgery.  The Lap Band is the greatest thing.  I'm so glad I did it.  I'm so much healthier, more energetic and more willing to get up off the couch now or run up the stairs for something more often than not.  Hahahaha!  

I catch my husband staring at me sometimes.  And I know he's just thinking WOW!  I'm sure that the WOW has a billion different connotations.  But I understand what he means.  I've had 2 years of WOW moments and I'm sure there are more to come.

I still haven't been refilled since before Xmas '06.  Its strange, I feel so much better now with the tightness of my band.  I feel like it is at that sweet spot I had during my first year when I was really dropping pounds.  Granted I can each a little bit more than I should sometimes, but I'm really trying to be careful with my portions and now that its getting warm out I can come out of hibernation and start moving again!  Yay!  Bicycle weather is almost here!  I haven't gained anything and THAT's what matters!  I'd love to lose another 20.....  we shall see.

Well, it appears that my unfill has caused the egg burps to disappear!  I don't know why I had them before that but the whole thing is quite FASCINATING!  It was really gross though...  haha!

TIDBIT:  At the end of December it will have been 1.5 years since my Lap Band surgery and I have lost 80 pounds.

Well, I just returned from the hospital where Gabe (my PA) removed the contents of my band, all .65 cc of fluid (its utterly amazing that I had so little in there).  For the past 2 weeks or so I've been having chest pain after eating every meal.  It was getting so unbearable that I'd purposefully regurgitate a little food after eating just to make the pain subside.  Gabe believes that I've irritated my opening (again) and wants me on liquid/mushies for a few days and then regular food again and when he sees me at the end of January he'll fill the band back up again.  Hopefully this unfill will ease the pain and make eating pleasurable again.  I was so afraid this might have been band slippage.  Lets just hope its only an irritated opening.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  There goes tomorrow nights dinner for Dad's birthday at TGIFridays and my hubby's company dinner at a fancy restaurant.  Oh well...

Just to mention in case anyone else reads this...  Since Saturday 12/16 I've been having eggy/sulphur burps - like I'd just eaten some deviled eggs or something.  I've searched the internet for this affliction and apparently there's LOTS of people who have it but along with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea (which I do NOT have).  Unfortunately, no one seems to know what causes it or how to fix it.  Any thoughts?  Send me a note!  Thanks!