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Thursday, October 14, 2010

Worst Band Week EVER!!!

This has been a tough week.  I mean a really tough week!  I posted about my Monday already, but to recap I basically puked up my dinner and then proceeded to cram as much food into my mouth over the next hour as I could.  Tuesday I ate well, but I was white-knuckling it after dinner because I wanted to overeat so badly!  Through it all I have had acid reflux almost constantly.  Last night I threw up my dinner again.  Later I had a bowl of ice cream.  I NEVER have sweets during the week and I very seldom eat again after dinner.  I was really disappointed in myself. 
I started on a acid reducer yesterday, but haven't had any relief yet.  Last night I woke up choking on a mouthful of stomach acid.  I must have burped or coghed some up.  I went in the bathroom and spit into the toilet for awhile.  I brushed my teeth, drank some water and tried to go back to bed.  I could still taste the nasty, acidic saliva in my throat so I got up again.  I stood over the toilet and started puking bile.  Finally I was able to get back to sleep after reading a bit.  I actually feel pretty good this morning after taking the daily dose of the acid reducer so I'm sure it is working and will bring relief within the next few days, but OMG!  That was so nasty.  And I'm sure you're grossed out by having read about it.  Sorry.

Some of you have suggested that I contact my doctor and I will do that if the acid reducer doesn't work.  I haven't had a fill since May and I'm not too tight.  I do think this acid issue is the reason I've had nausea and sliming or PBing unrelated to being stuck or drinking too quickly after eating.  I wrote about my running off to the bathroom at Walmart last week after drinking when I hadn't eaten for hours and I wasn't stuck.  At the time I thought it was bizarre, but now I think it is the acid reflux wrecking havoc with my stomach.  I've had heartburn for about a month after 7 months with ZERO heartburn post-banding.  It has progressively gotten worse. 

If you haven't been banded, I should say that I don't believe the reflux issue is a major complication for most people.  I know of a few other Bandsters that have struggled with it.  It seems to me that they are all people who've lost the majority or all of their extra weight.  I'm not sure if the acid started right away or if it is something that came along later, like it has with me. 



13 comments:

DB said...

{{{{hugs}}}}

Steph said...

I'm sorry to hear you're having a rough time. I hope you start feeling better soon! Hugs!!

Jacquie said...

Ugh...I hated it when I had the acid relux. Feel better but dont wait too long to talk to doc.

Mary said...

I just wrote a post about the same thing! Acid reflux!!! Before I was banded the waking up choking on acid was a weekly event. So horrible. I'm sorry! Hope your meds start working for you! I have found that when I have a major acid blowout, like the one you described, it takes about a week solid on my meds to get it to completly go away!

Theresa said...

That sounds awful. Hope you feel better soon!

Anonymous said...

feel better

MandaPanda said...

Doesn't sound good at all. I hope you feel better soon!

Jess said...

I have never had reflux even with my giant hernia I had repaired during surgery. I hope I never know from the sounds of it!

Hope you feel better quick!

THE DASH! said...

You know something strange happened to me also. I hadnt had a fill in ages then suddenly, reflux happened. My doc thinks I had something stuck (though I sure couldnt feel it, cos lets face it, we KNOW when we get food stuck.) I was PB'ing ALL the time and I was in misery.
He took a little fill out, let things settle down and then I had 2/3'rds put back in and now I'm right as rain. Its great :) Maybe go see your doc and ask whats going on :)

Janelle said...

I have always been told by Dr. Fitzpatrick that acid reflux is really bad, so I dunno. I have not ever had it and hope I never do... I hope things get better with you!

Tina said...

Hi Amanda-if you want to talk this over on the phone give me a call (I will email my cell number). You are right I have had periodic trouble with reflux and band changes before. My sage knowledge is this:

1. I think hormones screw our band up and mess with our sweet spots.

2. I think the pb followed by a food fest is also common. Been there done that. My scientific study of myself (not so scientific eh?) is that it is me feeling sorry for myself for not getting dinner so I launch into what I am pretty sure I can have in response to both the trauma of the thing and the hunger that didn't get fed. I don't do it all the time but the harder it was to PB the more likely I am to feel the urge to feed myself.

3. the acid reflux kicks me from behind only when I eat certain foods (high tomato and spicy). It will also get me if I eat too late at night and then try to go to bed.

I have been awakened coughing on bile and had to go throw up acid. I kind of agree with Dash in that something is stuck and keeping our stoma open a bit so that the acid is washing back up while our esophageal muscles are trying to get the stuck food down. I have noticed that my pb and stuck sensitivity has decreased over time. I have had food sit much longer in my pouch than it should have instead of pb'ing it back up and I have also been slightly stuck for a period of time and not felt the need to throw up until it is dislodged. I am not sure if it is because stuff is adjusting to keep food in me or if it is me just having a more attuned sense of my food and stomach.

hmm that was long :) sorry

xxxooo feel better!!

Christine said...

I had acid reflux starting Day 1 since surgery. I don't think it's gotten any worse for me, perhaps more often. Are you eating a lot of dairy? I think that can cause acid reflux. I think.

Michelle said...

I really hope you start to feel better quick and soon.