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Monday, March 7, 2011

Unfilled...(and TMI)

Last week was a bad week.  I wrote about some of the issues I was having, but to be honest I think I minimized just how bad it was getting.  I was struggling with acid reflux at night and waking up choking every few minutes or 30 minutes or 60 minutes.  I slept like that Sunday through Wednesday night.  My doctor put me on liquids and you guys suggested Previcid, which I'd used with good results in the past.  I had also been trying to sleep with my head elevated.  When I say I was waking up choking what I really mean was that I was waking up with my mouth full of vomit and I'd run to the bathroom to spew it out.  After a day and a half on liquids I had one decent night sleep, Thursday night.  I only woke up a few times.  I figured the Previcid was kicking in.  I was really relieved. 

We went up to Portland on Friday.  My daughter's second grade class had a field trip to the Oregon Zoo.  I ate greek yogurt in the car and lunch at the zoo and felt pretty good.  After we were done at the zoo, we goofed around in Portland for a while and since we had a few hours to kill we tried to catch a movie at the Kennedy School, a second-run movie theater that serves beer and pizza where you sit in recliners and watch movies.  They didn't have anything playing during the time we wanted to kill so we went to the café.  It was happy hour so I bought a couple of cheep appetizers and a cup of coffee.  My fella had a beer.  All was well for a couple hours.  Then we went to my dad's for dinner.  I was feeling "off".  We were there for a while and I knew things weren't going well.  I went to the bathroom and threw up.  Like really threw up, not slimed, not PB'd.  I thought, "I hope that takes care of it." and I tried a few bites of dinner.  You guessed it.  No go.  More puking. 

We drove the 100 miles home and I felt awful.  Like in pain, awful.  I went to bed when we got home and proceeded to wake every little while to throw up again.  I woke up Saturday dehydrated and lethargic.  I was supposed to meet with some Oregon Bandsters.  I barely had the energy to send an email to say I wasn't going to be there.  It was a miserable day.  Finally in the afternoon I started trying to call my doctor.  I kept thinking it would pass.  I knew the acid was probably worse because TOM had come to town.  Mostly I didn't really have the $180 to go see my doctor, but I finally decided I had no choice.

My doctor did a partial un-fill.  She took a lot out.  I don't really know how much.  I think I have less than 1 cc in there at the moment, but I felt so much better right away.  I slept great the last two nights.  I resumed eating on Sunday with no problems. 

I'm kind of nervous about the un-fill because I had really great restriction before.  I never, not even when I was puking and feeling horrible, had trouble eating.  Food and drink always went down with no problem.  So I don't think I was too tight, but I must have been tight enough to let the acid reflux get out of control.  I was taking famotidine (generic Pepcid), but I thought it was keep the reflux under control.  Until it wasn't.  My hope is that the un-fill will allow the acid reflux to completely go away.  I can get another fill in two weeks if things go well.

I haven't yet been hungry at all.  My restriction feels different, but not necessarily bad.  I am assuming that I am pretty swollen from all the puking and acid.  I also have had some nausea and a weird pain in my chest that I think is probably from damage caused by the acid.  I'll talk to my doctor if it doesn't go away in a couple of days.

So that's my tale of woe.  Mostly I'm pissed that my precious three-day-weekend was half-wasted, but I'm glad to be on the mend.  And I'm a little excited about my weigh-in on Wednesday.  There should be ONE good thing that comes from all the liquids and puking.

Daughter Bryn at the zoo
At my dad's house Friday night

21 comments:

Jen from Oregon said...

We missed you! but totally understand... That blows! I'm glad to hear you feel better and are on the mend. Take care of yourself.

Steph said...

I'm glad to hear you are feeling better. I went in today for an unfill as well, since I've been so tight recently due to a bad chest cold. I already feel infintely better, since I could barely keep anything down and let's face it, starvation is no fun!!! Hugs to you!

Shannon said...

i am glad you are feeling better. that sucks that your weekend was kinda ruined. great pictures though. you have some cute kids :)

Joey said...

Oh no! It's great that you are feeling better.

Tanya said...

How awful to go through all that. I hope things get better since the un-fill.

Tina said...

We missed you but geezz that sounds horrible! I hope this does the trick.

xxxooo

CeeJay said...

Oh, that sounds awful! Hope thing start looking up for you.

Bonnie said...

The scale better show a good number after everything you've been through. Hope you feel 100% soon.

Kristin said...

How awful. I'm so glad you're feeling better, and I hope your doctor can come up with a good solution to keep the reflux at bay for good.

Lap Band Groupie said...

So glad you're feeling better!

FritoBandito said...

Oh man...I thought you meant you had a cold or something. I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to meet. I'm glad you are feeling better though!

Jen said...

Glad to hear you're feeling better. I think I was heading on that same path myself, but got mine unfilled before it got quite that bad.

My best girl had the same thing happen with her band and had the big unfill as well a couple of months back. She's now back up to more filled than she was before, and doing fine... We think what happened is that all the acid irritation made her stomach swollen and that's what made her too tight. After she let things heal up, she was able to head back towards restriction again.

I'm going to be leaving mine mostly unfilled (I think I'm at 3.5cc) for a while, though.

Hopefully you can have yours at whatever point suits you best again soon!! :)

Ms. M said...

Glad to hear you're on the mend. The scale had better reward you for the misery, lol. :)

Cassie said...

Wow, sounds like a horrible experience. Glad to hear you are on the mend though. Hope you continue to get better - Take care :)

Amanda said...

So glad you are feeling better!! It really sounds like a horrible time and I am glad you went to the doctor.

MandaPanda said...

Sounds terrible! Glad you're feeling better.

Bones said...

I have been through every single thing you mentioned.... the acid, the choking, the vomiting, all of it. And it is not nice. I didn't get full relief til my nurse took my band almost to empty. Ugh!!!

Hang in there.. this too shall pass.

Rhonda said...

Good to hear you're on the mend, sweetie. Sorry your weekend was half ruined. :(

Nella said...

Happy to hear you are feeling better...part of bandster hell! This week I am tight, tight, tight and its gets HARD!

Jess said...

Oh my gosh that sounds just plain awful! I am soooo glad you got that unfill. I hope this is the solution to your problem.

♥ Drazil ♥ said...

Ugh - that sucks donkey balls but I'm glad you are okay!