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Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Size 20 and other news

Did you see that lady in the Size 20 jeans today? Yep, that WAS ME!!!

I started in a size 24 so I am down two sizes. Woo hoo! I am also down two sizes in shirts - from 3X to 1X.

I asked my fella this morning what he thought about the jeans and he said, "They look too big." LIAR! But I love him for it! Actually they are kind of a baggy cut except for around the waste where they fit just fine.

Too bad I only have ONE PAIR of size 20's that I like. And too bad they are jeans which will be way too hot if we ever get some decent weather in the Pac NW. Its supposed to be 70 F (21 C) on Thursday. Much warmer than it has been.

I had my second fill last week on Friday and now have 2.7 cc's in my 4 cc band. I am really, really tight. I have gotten stuck on EVERYTHING I've eaten. Even sliders and mushies. This morning was the best so far, though. I made an egg and toast and spent about 30 minutes taking ridiculously small bites until the egg was cold and rubbery and I decided it wasn't worth the bother. I was very minor-ly stuck after the first few bites, but I stopped eating for awhile and then was able to eat slowly through the rest of it. I ate 3/4 of the egg and 3/4 of the toast.

I also had my first PB yesterday. After eating very little Friday through Sunday, I was ravenous yesterday. I had breakfast (protein drink) at 10:00 and then was hungry again at 11:15 so I had lunch. Then I had a cheese stick at 2:00 and then I had some pasta at 3:30. The pasta was what got me, but I was stuck on all of those things except maybe the cheese stick and the protein drink. Through it all, my stomach is gurg-gurg-gurggling. The PB wasn't too bad, or at least not as horrible as some of the ones I've read about. I was stuck after a couple of bites of the pasta. It was really painful. Then I was nauseous so I headed to the bathroom. Then I started thinking I was really going to throw up. I spit a couple times in the toilet and up it came. I vomited once a bunch of clear liquid and probably a minuscule piece of pasta (I'm sorry, TMI, I know).

I feel like this is a whole other level of bandedness (is that a word?). Prior to this fill, I could eat pretty much anything as long as I didn't take huge bites and I chewed things up a bit. I got full pretty quickly and was only stuck a couple of times. I was sticking to my food plan and losing weight because I was working at it. Now I really have lots of restriction. Probably too much, but I'm not planning on having an unfill. I have still managed to eat each day (1,195 calories yesterday) and I am hoping I can work through it by eating even slower and taking smaller bites. I can now understand how some bandsters can only eat 1/2 cup of food at a meal and be full and why they might stop eating bread, pasta and pizza (which I'm not going to do just yet). I wonder if you've ever been this tight and if so, did it go away on its own? How long did it take? If you've had an unfill, what is your criteria?

18 comments:

DB said...

Congrats on the size 20's - you are really doing great!!! I cannot comment on the tightness - wish I could though :)

Colls said...

Yay size 20 jeans! Yay restriction! These are BOTH awesome feelings, lol! <3

Lonicera said...

I had an unfill when I had to REALLY concentrate on keeping water down and fluids was all I could manage. I realised I was getting dehydrated and all my muscles started to ache. The hospital gave me an emergency appointment without my even asking, and I more or less downed tools at work and headed straight there. The unfill still wasn't enough though: yes I could eat bits of things, but still PB'd a lot, and after a week I was so heartily sick of not eating normal food that I started to eat high calorie stuff that went down too easily. I just wanted to feel half way full. So it was the wrong kind of restriction anyway. This coincided with my going to Argentina to give talks and be interviewed - the sort of thing that makes me very nervous, so I asked for special dispensation to have a further unfill for a month. I hate more or less normally in Argentina (except for the icecream, but we won't go into that!) and gained several kilos, then returned and got a small fill, and gradually made my way up by a quarter ml at a time. It's working, but I'm still saying "So what's a sweet spot then?"
Scarlett O'Hara says in "Gone with the Wind"... "Last night I dreamed I was at Tara again". Well MY dream most nights is that one day I'll wear jeans again... So good for you!
Caroline

Lonicera said...

Um...I didn't "hate" in Argentina... I "ate"...! Sorry
Caroline

Amanda Kiska said...

Caroline, I figured that was what you meant. I traveled to Argentina as a teen. It is so beautiful!

Jenny said...

Yeah for 20's!! You're doing great!

Amy said...

I was a bit too tight after my last fill and was on mostly liquids for 10 days and it loosened up. A bit too much - I go in for fill #6 tomorrow. As long as you can keep down fluids, I would do that for a few days. I know you won't like this, but I'd avoid solids for a few days to let any irritation calm down and then you'll probably be good to go!

Theresa said...

Congrats on the jeans, you are doing great! I wish I could help on the fill matter, but I get my first one tomorrow, so I know nothing! Good luck though.

Bonnie said...

Congrats on going down 2 sizes. Can't really comment on the tightness since I'm not banded yet, but seems like you are getting enough calories.

Tina said...

wahooo... :) yup been that tight and tighter. It is a personal thing but I like to be on the tight side as it keeps me behaving myself. I found that I had to work up to it though. I had an unfill in the beginning once because i was just not ready to cut out the foods the band wanted me to. Once I had my head wrapped around it...I moved to a tighter place. As you lose weight your band re-loosens. My hypothesis is that if you carry your weight in your stomach (I do) our band loosens more with weightloss and we need fills fairly frequently.

Tina

Mary said...

Yay for size 20!! When I got my second fill I was really tight for about a week and then it wasn't as bad. I'm still feeling some restriction but will probably need just a bit more. Give it a few more days and see if it loosens a bit more. Keep up all your fabulous work!!

Bianca said...

Congrats on the drop in sizes! You're doing really well. Can't comment on tightness as I'm still searching for that elusive just right level of restriction.

Cindylew said...

Yippee size 20 Jeans...I'll bet you felt great.
Haven't had my first fill yet so I'll let the experts guide you on that issue.

Sandy said...

My comment just disappeared so I'll try again. I had an unfill when I couldn't even get water down. If you can keep enough food down so you aren't hungry then you will probably be ok.

Gen said...

I have been this tight only a couple times, only for a day or two. Then it calmed down. Right now I can eat too much I think...so a fill next week!

Congrats on the smaller jeans! You will be in 18s in no time!

Kathy said...

Good for you Amanda!! If you don't loosen up a bit be careful. You don't want to PB so much that you swell around the band in your esophagus. I had that experience and had to have a complete unfill for 6 months and undergo a gastric scope to check for slippage. All was okay but I haven't been that full since. I also have a 4cc band and I am at 2 right now. The fullest I was is 2.25. Keep up the good work, my friend.

SG said...

whoa!!! that is awesome!! good for you!

Mandy said...

Hi Amanda! My name is Amanda, too, and I am so glad I found your blog! I live in Dexter but I work in Eugene. I will be going to the Bariatric Center at Riverbend for a WLS seminar this Thursday. I loved reading your blog today and as far as TMI goes there is no such thing. I'm looking for TMI. I want to know all about restriction and PBing and fills and unfills. So keep up the good work! And thank you!