Backwards and forwards

I was so excited after my first fill. Losing about a half pound per day was awesome...and then I started having some problems. No, food wasn't getting stuck or anything like that, but I was experiencing epigastric discomfort that just kept getting worse and worse. By Thursday I was afraid to eat anything and by Friday I was starting to throw up. Now, everyone with a LB knows that you are not supposed to do that...ever. Finally, 10 days after the fill, the surgeon had to remove much of the saline he'd injected. That was followed by two days on a liquid diet and a gradual return to a regular foods. The upside is that the discomfort has subsided and only returns to haunt me when my stomach is empty - about 2 hours after a meal. The downside is that I've gained back about 3-4 of the pounds I'd lost.

As that saline was being pulled from my band I felt like I was taking a giant step backwards, but it had to be done. Now I'm hoping that by stepping back and giving any inflammation and irritation time to resolve, I'll be able to move forward again, albeit at a slower pace. That first fill of 1.4 cc was obviously too much; from now on we'll be "sticking" with (har! get it?) smaller amounts and seeing how it goes. I have another appointment with my surgeon next Monday. That gives me five days to see how my body reacts to it this time before we leave to spend a week out of town.

Now, here's a forward step that helps ease the frustration of the step back I had to take: I got a new outfit today...IN A SIZE 20!!!! That, friends, is a two-size difference from two months ago!

Like I've said before, this LB is a learning process. Things I read about and was told about have a whole new aura about them when you're actually living them.

See you next time...same bat time, same bat channel.