I'm completely unfilled. HELP!!

[Diane]

Most of you know I just returned from a cruise. (It was a blast!!!)

Since I was going to be in California, I figured I might as well make an appointment with my doctor in Tijuiana just to see how everything's doing with my band. For the past 2 weeks I had been so tight & thought I could perhaps use a small unfill.

The doctor saw under flouroscope that my pouch was enlarged & very little was going through the band. This was the 2nd time of being too tight in 6 months. So, he suggested I give my band a rest & let everything heal for a good 3-4 weeks. He took out all my fill!!!!!!!!!!! :sad:

So, I went on my cruise completely unfilled!!!!!! I had a lot of fun being able to eat, but now I am scared to death! All my old deamons are coming back & I am falling in love with food all over again. I want to eat everything!!

Has anyone been in this situation? What did you do?! Should I just go get the duct tape & tape my mouth shut?!?!? :wacko: I'm not sure I can handle another 3 weeks of this.

I had thought I would do fine being unfilled, but nope. I am still messed up just as much as I was before being banded. :rolleyes:

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kathy]

I don't know, but this is more proof of how sometimes we underestimate the power of our bands. They really help! A complete unfill is wise, I believe, and it's good to give it a rest. You probably won't need as much saline to get good restriction when you get another fill. And that's good!

I know that all the platitudes in the world can't help. "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should" is a good one, but the real gumption comes from within you!

Just know that I'm cheering you on, okay? Go Diane! You can do this! Put down the food! Choose well! Don't gain! You CAN fight!

And just holler if you prefer a real a$$-kicking. I'm not so good at that, but there are lots of us b2gers that can handle that type of work. :D

[HeatherGurl]

Oh man, that bites! I would be going crazy too with food with an unfill!! That is why I am so worried about getting pregnant here pretty soon. I am afraid I will gain 100 lbs.

All I can say is try to be strong and get out your surgery picture and tell yourself that you have to be strong or else it will all come back.

Good luck to you woman!!! I will be rootin for you!!!!!

[A1ikou]

Oh Diane I feel for you too. The thing is, we all understand because we are all you. I would do it a day at a time. Stop thinking 3 weeks and think about tomorrow. What are you going to eat and do tomorrow? If you make a mistake and eat badly one day, it's only one day and you have another tomorrow waiting for you. And your band is there, resting but still there. You'll do fine and we're here if you need us.

["Just" Paul]

I'll try it the drill instructor way...

OK Young lady. Put down the food.

You will... and I REPEAT... YOU WILL FOLOW YOUR BANDSTER RULES.

DO You hear me?:director:

I SAID DO YOU HEAR ME?

Your fill does not matter. You WILL weigh and portion out all your meals and will not snack.

I SAID YOU WILL NOT SNACK.

Now, get on that treadmill and

MOVE IT :ballchain:
MOVE IT :ballchain:
MOVE IT:ballchain:

[diva girl]

Oh, poor thing. It would send me into a panic, too.

I ditto all the advice given to you so far....it went from empathy to sympathy to ass kicking....All very good stuff.

One thing that really helps me is to write down everything that goes into my mouth. And Ali's advice is really really good...one day at a time. Not 3 weeks...just today. Allow yourself perhaps 400 extra cals a day to make up for no fill and if you can just maintain for 3 weeks....that would be an awesome accomplishment.

Hang in there.

[Diane]

I made it through breakfast & lunch!!! :nod: I'm not going to take this one day at a time, it's more like one MEAL at a time. HA!! Gosh, how pathetic am I!??!?! So nice to know you all are there & can FEEL exactly what I'm going' through.

This really sucks.

Thanks for the kick in the butt Paul. You should really look into joining the Army.

I threw out any and ALL junk in my house. I just couldn't handle looking at it. I think this is especially hard because I just came back from a cruise where I chose to eat lots of yummy foods I don't normally eat. Man, was that food good!!

Have any of you been unfilled? Did you gain weight? If you kept your weight off, what did you do that helped?!?!?

On a side note, I am enjoying eating broccoli, bread, tortillas & pineapple. I couldn't go near these things before!

["Just" Paul]

Thanks for the kick in the butt Paul. You should really look into joining the Army.

I've never been in the army... but I've played it on TV!:heh:

[paula]

Hey Diane,
Ive got some really good diet pills. You may bounce off the walls, but hey - food will be the last thing on your mind. :)

Let me know - Ill over night 'em to you. *wink wink*

Pill Poppin Paula

[Diane]

I made it through a whole day without eating crap!! WAHOO!!

Thank you for the offer Paula. We'll see how I do. I may be calling you for those pills!

By the way, my little 2 yr. old girl broke her leg yesterday & we've been in & out of Urgent Care. I haven't had time to think about eating. She'll be fine.

[Goannabanda]

Diane,
Sorry to hear about your daughter, and also to read of your recent fill tightness / unfill issues.

Hang in there. You are doing great. Keep focussed on your healing time, and you will be restored and refilled before you know it.

All the best,
Anna.

[Jachut]

You've got the right attitude, one meal at a time.

And one indiscretion here or there is not going to undo a year of solid hard work. You cannot regain ALL your weight in 3 weeks and most of us have dieted for three weeks at a time and lost weight. You've done it before too, you can do it now.

I think its just really scary to realise that somehow your head is broken and just how much work your band is doing. Long term we need them, for sure. But you can get through three weeks.

And exercise exercise EXERCISE. It makes all the difference.

[Diane]

Some weird things are happening since being unfilled. I have so much gas in my body!! I wake up with gas pains in my stomach & have to burp & toot all day!! I didn't have this before when I was filled. The burps feel like they're coming from my toes. They are so long & loud!! I am emberassed by it!! :rolleyes:

Yesterday I was in the car & starving so I stopped in to get an arby's roast beef. No fries. No pop. Just the plain sandwich & water. I figured it would be good protein. Half way through I got the golf ball feeling & had to throw it up. CRAZY!! I have no fill! I think my band is trying to tell me it's still there!! :happy:

I haven't gained any weight!! WAHOO!!!!

[Diane]

2 weeks later - I've gained 8 lbs. :eek:

But, I am back in the game!! I got the new book I saw on Oprah called "YOU: The Owner's Manual" & have been following that eating plan. So far, I'm doing pretty good. I'm able to eat breakfast again & I am soooo enjoying it. :happy:

Anybody else have this book? What do you think about it?!?