Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Well it has been a while since I posted. Seems to be a reoccurring theme!

So all was tracking well back in January when I last posted, I was down just over 40kgs and the band was working a treat.

Then for some unknown reason in late February or very early March I lost a lot of restriction. This was weird as it felt like it was almost overnight. All of a sudden I was able to eat again and eat again was what I did. My portion sizes increased and before long it was back to the (not so) "good old days".

As my weight steadily began increasing I went back to the doc for some fill. I had fill put in and still no restriction, back again to the doc, more fill, still no restriction, this kept happening until we hit 14ml (my band only holds 15ml). It was at this meeting that I said to the doc that something is wrong, how can I have some much fill and no restriction. He agreed that something was wrong.

His suspicion was that I had stretched the "pouch", I wasn't so sure, however I know that as I didn't have restriction my meal sizes had significantly increased so maybe he was correct. I was so angry at myself for doing this.

He said the only way to check was to do the Barium swallow, so off to x-ray I went for that. The nurse who did the x-ray was lovely and made me feel comfortable. Essentially you stand in front of the x-ray machine and drink the fluid, the only way to describe the fluid is that is has the consistency of say, custard but it is white. I had read a lot of stories about how bad this stuff is and I must say that whilst it isn't the nicest drink in the world it is not as bad a what some people made it out to be, and you only take very little sips. It was a cool experience as they set the tv up for me whilst I did it so I could watch it go down.

I was watching it on tv and I couldn't see anything wrong, but then again what the hell would I know???

After x-ray it was back to the doc who showed me as soon as I got there that I had a problem, the bloody band had unlatched!!!! Essentially the clip that holds the band together to make it a tight a circle has come undone therefore leaving me with zero restriction. It had obviously happened in late Feb or early March.

Apparently this is extremely rare and it is only the second time that they have had it happen in 5,000 patients. The real kicker is of course that the only way to fix it is to operate, so I am booked in to go back under the knife this week where the surgeon will remove the old band and completley replace it to be safe.

I guess I am happy now that I know what the problem is and this whole experience has showed me how much I need the band, during the period when it was unlatched I managed to put on about 20kgs.

I have had two weeks of optifast and have now managed to drop down about 10kgs which I am happy with, but still I have lost almost 6 months trying to figure all of this out!!!

Anyway the operation should be a lot safer this time as I am significantly smaller than I was the first time around.

I would drop another message in the next week or so once the operation has happened, although I assume it will be the same type of pain etc.