I've FINALLY got it! It's not as much as I COULD have, but I do have some, which is GREAT!
We ordered take out Chinese this weekend, and I was only able to eat 3 or 4 bites of General Tso's chicken, a few bites of fried rice, and a couple of bites of an egg roll!! I've been doing really good at NOT drinking anything with my meals too. So, I'm hoping to see the pounds start dropping. We'll see. I'd really like to lose at LEAST 10 pounds before Christmas! Of course, I still need to lose the 3 pounds I GAINED while my band was empty!!! So, I would REALLY like to lose 15 pounds, that would put me at 199.
That would be QUITE a stretch before Christmas, especially with Thanksgiving, and all the holiday goodies! Oh well, I gotta TRY!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Saturday, November 17, 2007
WHEWWWWW.....
Well, I'm THRILLED to say, my Lap-Band is FINE. No leaks, no damaged port, no slippage, erosion or stretched pouch! I'm SO relieved. I went to Chicago last night, and Dr. Vitello thoroughly checked the system. I saw it all through fluoroscopy, and was happy to see it working as it should.
However, my band WAS completely empty! That is exactly what I had suspected. The first time my "home doc" (we will refer to her as that from this point on) managed to access my port she pulled out 2cc's. Then she injected me with 2.6, which actually went into my flesh, and NOT my band. That's why as soon as I left her office, I had NO RESTRICTION at all. The short needle was not long enough to inject saline into the right place in the port.
The next time I went back she pulled out .5cc. That would have been the last of Dr. Vitello's fill. The WHOLE 2.5cc's. So, she didn't add anything at that point, and I've been completely empty for over a week!
Last night, my band was only able to hold 2.25c's. He first tried 3, and I almost threw up. Nothing would go down at ALL. Then at 2.75, STILL too tight. 2.25cc's seemed to be the magic number last night, so we'll see how that goes. I'm "thinking" that since ALL saline was removed, my stomach walls thickened up a bit, since they were not being squeezed anymore. So, I wasn't able to handle as much saline as before when my walls were thinner. Make sense??? It's the only logical thing I could think of...LOL Or it could just be the fact that I gained 4 pounds when my band was completely empty! Ooooops! *blushing*
Once again...if you CAN use fluoroscopy....DO IT. The peace of mind is worth the extra $$$.
However, my band WAS completely empty! That is exactly what I had suspected. The first time my "home doc" (we will refer to her as that from this point on) managed to access my port she pulled out 2cc's. Then she injected me with 2.6, which actually went into my flesh, and NOT my band. That's why as soon as I left her office, I had NO RESTRICTION at all. The short needle was not long enough to inject saline into the right place in the port.
The next time I went back she pulled out .5cc. That would have been the last of Dr. Vitello's fill. The WHOLE 2.5cc's. So, she didn't add anything at that point, and I've been completely empty for over a week!
Last night, my band was only able to hold 2.25c's. He first tried 3, and I almost threw up. Nothing would go down at ALL. Then at 2.75, STILL too tight. 2.25cc's seemed to be the magic number last night, so we'll see how that goes. I'm "thinking" that since ALL saline was removed, my stomach walls thickened up a bit, since they were not being squeezed anymore. So, I wasn't able to handle as much saline as before when my walls were thinner. Make sense??? It's the only logical thing I could think of...LOL Or it could just be the fact that I gained 4 pounds when my band was completely empty! Ooooops! *blushing*
Once again...if you CAN use fluoroscopy....DO IT. The peace of mind is worth the extra $$$.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
A Word of Advice...
OK, so I'm still here. Shocked?? I'm just not real happy right now! I'm at 211, and I can't drop a pound. There IS a reason behind that. Just a tiny tip...TRY TO HAVE ALL YOUR FILLS DONE WITH FLUOROSCOPY!!! Unless you have a really good doc or PA who has done PLENTY of blind fills, and knows EXACTLY what they are doing!!
This is what has been going on with me. OK, I had 3 fills in Chicago, with fluoro. Everything seemed to be fine, except that I just haven't been able to get to my "sweet spot" (the right fill amount, where the weight falls off)! It was costing me over $300 a trip, not to mention it is a 7 hour drive round trip! So, I asked my family doctor if she would consider doing my fills. First of all, she knew NOTHING at all about what a FILL was. I explained the lap band to her, and even gave her my PRIZED copy of "Lap Band for Life" by Dr. Ortiz, plus many internet sites that explained the surgery/fill procedure etc. Not to mention, sites that even had VIDEO to SHOW how to do fills!
She told me she would have NO problem doing this for me, because she had accessed chemo ports, blah, blah, blah, and they are the same thing! OK, I can feel my port real well, so I'm assuming she can also locate it pretty easily.
Well, my first visit, I found she had ordered the wrong size Huber needles. They are supposed to be 2" needles. She had ordered 1" needles, and they were way too short. But she TRIED to access my port anyway. Well, I was "supposed" to have 2.5cc's in there. She pulled it all out, and I had 2cc's. (this is normal to have a .5cc difference in fill volume, some stays in the tube) She had to hold the needle in the port the whole time, because it was BARELY able to reach. I told her I had NO restriction, and to add .6cc to what was already there. So, I'm thinking that would have been around 3cc's or a little more depending on how much was left in the band.
I left, and had NO RESTRICTION at all. I was in TN for a week, but made an appointment as soon as I got home on Monday. I went in paid the $15 co-pay, was seated in her office, and she comes in long enough to tell me that she doesn't have time to do the fill, but for me to come back tomorrow at 9:00am, and she will do it then. Could she have told me this BEFORE I showed up?? I tell the receptionist to just keep the co-pay and use it for tomorrows visit. The next day, my doc tells me I WILL have to pay another co-pay. ??????? I paid for her to tell me she didn't have TIME for me yesterday??? What is up with that? I pay the 2nd co-pay, no questions asked.
She attempts to access my port with the smaller needle, because she forgot to order the longer ones since my last visit. GREAT. She "thinks" she accessed the port, but can only pull out .5cc. OK, now I'm PANICKING. Do I have a LEAK?????
Please Lord, do not let me have a leak!! She attempts to move the needle around, and around, and around to TRY to find the port again. It feels like she has accessed it. She said it felt like she was in the port. But, she isn't sure, so she says, "come back on Friday, and we'll try with the longer needle."
Anyway, I now have NO RESTRICTION AT ALL, and I'm totally flipping out thinking, what if she stabbed my TUBE, and now I have a leak?????? OK, so I go back Friday. She attempts to access my port with the longer needle, (which is STILL not the size she was supposed to order, it is 1.5") and still can't find it??? She moves the needle around like she's looking for a vein, you KNOW how painful that is!! And, I also might add that she is pressing so hard on my stomach at the port site, I thought my eyes were going to pop out! She does this EVERY TIME, trying to get the short little needle to reach the port.
OK, she "thinks" she is in the port, but can't pull out ANY saline!!???? She tries to inject saline, and says that the port will not accept it!!!! WHAT???? How can it NOT accept it???? It's a PORT. She pulls the needle out, and says "I'm sorry, I can't do this." Looks totally flustered, and starts putting things away. She says, "I think you may need to go back and have fluoro done, something is wrong with your port!" WHAT???? So, now I'm terrified! Has she punctured something in there, and KNOWS she has just destroyed my band??? I also had asked her to look at my daughter Haley, because she is sick. As soon as she threw the needle away, she says, "I don't have time to check her out right now, go to the front desk and make an appointment for later this afternoon." She then rushes out of the room! Well, I did make her an appointment, but not with her.
I know I shouldn't have come on here, and bad mouthed her, but I didn't mention any names! LOL Just be careful of you trust with your band! I have an appointment to go back to Chicago next week, so hopefully I will find out if I have a leaking, damaged port, flipped port, from all the pushing, punctured tube whatever. I'm so scared. Why on earth was I so stupid???? I went all the way to Mexico, to get the BEST surgeon, spent $8,000 out of pocket, and then tried to save a little money by going to my family doctor, and totally jeopardized my band. That was just CRAZY.
Well, I had to vent, I'm sorry! Please, pray that when I go back next week, my band checks out OK. I have no restriction at all now. I can eat ANYTHING, and I don't LIKE IT. I LOVE RESTRICTION. I LOVE MY BAND. Please, dear Lord, don't let it be ruined.
This is what has been going on with me. OK, I had 3 fills in Chicago, with fluoro. Everything seemed to be fine, except that I just haven't been able to get to my "sweet spot" (the right fill amount, where the weight falls off)! It was costing me over $300 a trip, not to mention it is a 7 hour drive round trip! So, I asked my family doctor if she would consider doing my fills. First of all, she knew NOTHING at all about what a FILL was. I explained the lap band to her, and even gave her my PRIZED copy of "Lap Band for Life" by Dr. Ortiz, plus many internet sites that explained the surgery/fill procedure etc. Not to mention, sites that even had VIDEO to SHOW how to do fills!
She told me she would have NO problem doing this for me, because she had accessed chemo ports, blah, blah, blah, and they are the same thing! OK, I can feel my port real well, so I'm assuming she can also locate it pretty easily.
Well, my first visit, I found she had ordered the wrong size Huber needles. They are supposed to be 2" needles. She had ordered 1" needles, and they were way too short. But she TRIED to access my port anyway. Well, I was "supposed" to have 2.5cc's in there. She pulled it all out, and I had 2cc's. (this is normal to have a .5cc difference in fill volume, some stays in the tube) She had to hold the needle in the port the whole time, because it was BARELY able to reach. I told her I had NO restriction, and to add .6cc to what was already there. So, I'm thinking that would have been around 3cc's or a little more depending on how much was left in the band.
I left, and had NO RESTRICTION at all. I was in TN for a week, but made an appointment as soon as I got home on Monday. I went in paid the $15 co-pay, was seated in her office, and she comes in long enough to tell me that she doesn't have time to do the fill, but for me to come back tomorrow at 9:00am, and she will do it then. Could she have told me this BEFORE I showed up?? I tell the receptionist to just keep the co-pay and use it for tomorrows visit. The next day, my doc tells me I WILL have to pay another co-pay. ??????? I paid for her to tell me she didn't have TIME for me yesterday??? What is up with that? I pay the 2nd co-pay, no questions asked.
She attempts to access my port with the smaller needle, because she forgot to order the longer ones since my last visit. GREAT. She "thinks" she accessed the port, but can only pull out .5cc. OK, now I'm PANICKING. Do I have a LEAK?????
Please Lord, do not let me have a leak!! She attempts to move the needle around, and around, and around to TRY to find the port again. It feels like she has accessed it. She said it felt like she was in the port. But, she isn't sure, so she says, "come back on Friday, and we'll try with the longer needle."
Anyway, I now have NO RESTRICTION AT ALL, and I'm totally flipping out thinking, what if she stabbed my TUBE, and now I have a leak?????? OK, so I go back Friday. She attempts to access my port with the longer needle, (which is STILL not the size she was supposed to order, it is 1.5") and still can't find it??? She moves the needle around like she's looking for a vein, you KNOW how painful that is!! And, I also might add that she is pressing so hard on my stomach at the port site, I thought my eyes were going to pop out! She does this EVERY TIME, trying to get the short little needle to reach the port.
OK, she "thinks" she is in the port, but can't pull out ANY saline!!???? She tries to inject saline, and says that the port will not accept it!!!! WHAT???? How can it NOT accept it???? It's a PORT. She pulls the needle out, and says "I'm sorry, I can't do this." Looks totally flustered, and starts putting things away. She says, "I think you may need to go back and have fluoro done, something is wrong with your port!" WHAT???? So, now I'm terrified! Has she punctured something in there, and KNOWS she has just destroyed my band??? I also had asked her to look at my daughter Haley, because she is sick. As soon as she threw the needle away, she says, "I don't have time to check her out right now, go to the front desk and make an appointment for later this afternoon." She then rushes out of the room! Well, I did make her an appointment, but not with her.
I know I shouldn't have come on here, and bad mouthed her, but I didn't mention any names! LOL Just be careful of you trust with your band! I have an appointment to go back to Chicago next week, so hopefully I will find out if I have a leaking, damaged port, flipped port, from all the pushing, punctured tube whatever. I'm so scared. Why on earth was I so stupid???? I went all the way to Mexico, to get the BEST surgeon, spent $8,000 out of pocket, and then tried to save a little money by going to my family doctor, and totally jeopardized my band. That was just CRAZY.
Well, I had to vent, I'm sorry! Please, pray that when I go back next week, my band checks out OK. I have no restriction at all now. I can eat ANYTHING, and I don't LIKE IT. I LOVE RESTRICTION. I LOVE MY BAND. Please, dear Lord, don't let it be ruined.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
