nqevans66

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Yup. I can say that again, I am back to feeling the love . Since July 23rd my last adjustment, I have lost 7 lbs. Whooohoo! I am very excited and encouraged about this. I mentioned in my previous post, I had not lost any weight since December last year when I was completely unfilled. This is why I chose the band it helps to know I do not have an expiration date for losing. I am supposed to get another adjustment this week, but I am going to cancel my appt as I really do not feel I need it. I have great restriction now, I am not going to mess with it. I am praying that I can keep the momentum and that I can get to my goal weight of 115 lbs by spring/summer of next year.

Ain't nothing, but to do it!

Wow, I haven't posted since my one year surgi-anniversary on 3/18. So much has happend and its been one struggle after another. First and foremost, I have gained some of the lost weight back since I had no restriction whatsoever, until just this past weekend (had another fill on Friday 7/23 and I am up to 5.5 cc). I was up to 202 at Dr Vaimaki's office then. I have since weighed myself yesterday and I am down to 200.  I can blame restriction all I want, but the other problem is that I have not been keeping up with good eating habits. I have been working on this too and it has much improved. Exercise has also been a problem as I love to walk and the summer heat wave we have been having in the East Coast has been brutal. I walked my 30+ NYC blocks again to work today and I just tell you, nothing feels better than "Just Do-ing It"! I am hoping to walk back those 30+ blocks on the way home tonight, if I don't get overloaded with too much transcription work tonight at home. I will plan to at least walk to work every morning this week as long as it's not raining or 85 degrees at 8 am.

No one said it would be easy, but I know it will be rewarding. Keep chugging along my fellow banders!

Today I returned to Dr V's office for a fill and I tell you, it couldn't come soon enough. I was weighed and found to have gained 5 lbs in 5 weeks (an average of 1 lb per week) since I was unfilled on 12/17. Considering that I felt I could eat whatever I wanted and I hate to admit this, sometimes I did just that, I really didn't do too shabby. Dr V was away today and I had her new Nurse Practitioner did the fill. He gave me 4 cc and said I should do well with that, since I only gained 5 lbs especially during the holidays!!. He was really great, he also has the lapband and said that had he been totally unfilled he would have gained 10 lbs the first week alone.  I have to see this as a "blip in the road" and  not feel that everything is bad just because I gained and didn't lose.  I am praying that I do not have any adverse effects such as reflux or vomiting, as this was the reason why Dr V unfilled me in the first place. So far, so good, but the real test will be tonight if I do not wake up coughing from reflux.

Funny, I have only had the lapband for 10 months but during these 5 weeks my body felt foreign w/o the saline in my band. I now know more than ever how much the band has helped me (I mean, I knew for goodness sakes, I lost 65 lbs with it), but more than ever I know why the call the band a tool. I go back for a fill on 2/12. Hopefull, I will have lost these 5 lbs and more when I return.

Yup, you heard right, deflation. In other words, a complete unfill. After a couple of months of strugling with an all too tight band, reflux, projectile vomiting and lack of sleep - my surgeon and I decided last night that a complete unfill is the best course for now. We both believe that this will be temperary. I have an appt with her for the New Year on the 18th and hopefully, I will be ready for a fill. The good news is that I am down to 186 and I pray that I can at least keep my weight at this level without gaining any weight. My fat ass will definitely need to get to the gym more often if I really do not want to gain any weight. I am scared and worried that after all I have lost, I will regain it. But I must say, after almost two weeks of disrupted sleeping (coughing/reflux) I actually slept the entire night last night and I feels really well. I had no reflux or coughing. Dr Vaimakis (who I saw 2x already this week) told me to call her todayif I encountered the same problems cause then I would need to have an xray to check if the band had slipped.   I was so afraid of that. Thankfully, that doesn't seem to be the case. I will be on liquids for the next few days and I am ok with that. 

Dr Vaimakis and the staff have been so accommodating squeezing me in twice this week without any hesitation. I know I made the right decision in choosing Dr Vaimakis cause she has been wonderful throughout, not just before the surgery but afterwards as well. And her staff is just as caring and helpful.

I will keep posting. Happy Holidays to all & a Happy, Prosperous New Year!