When the band plays "Nightmare on Elm Street".........

Well, I have struggled this past week or so - in fact it's sucked! I mentioned in my 2nd last post back that I had a tight band - then it righted itself? Well since writing that one it started to play up again. By playing up I mean I couldn't keep a meal down. I have no idea what brought it on. I don't remember getting stuck - it's like I woke up one morning and my band decided to be contrary. 


After a week of this (and a week of wishing the tightness away but with no luck) I finally booked in and had some fill taken out. It's that nasty old circle. I kept hoping the tightness would right itself and then in the process of the days going by it kept getting worse, not better. I was suffering reflux (first time ever in the year plus of getting the band in...) and sometimes even water was hard to keep down. My throat was gurgling ALL the time and I couldn't even burp. Not at all. 


So I booked in to see Dr Hill today. He has no idea what could have caused it except he was puzzled as to why the first few weeks after the fill were great only to have it turn on a dime. I said he could join the club: I was clueless, too. 


He said I had two choices. Either he takes out ALL the fill leaving me with no fill whatsoever: we then leave it a couple of weeks to give my inflamed stomach time to settle down and then over the course of the further three weeks we put back in 70 percent then 15 then the last 15 percent of the fill bringing me back to where I was OR we take out a mill (or one cc) and its a fifty fifty chance that I would be back in a week anyway to take it all out in the end if the stomach continues to play up. He didn't think it was a slipped band (thankfully!!) and mentioned even if it was by some horrible chance, taking out fill, sticking to liquids for 48 hours and then easing back into the eating should by right let it settle back into its original place. 


I opted for the 2nd option. As he was talking I actually felt myself go cold. Take ALL the fill out? Leaving me to my own devices? Even if just for a few weeks the thought scares the bejesus out of me. I would probably do okay, but I feel that since I have JUST got maintainance down pat with a band in, if I had nothing in there, well, gawd, who known what might happen? This way at least I still have tons of fill in. It's likely I will feel the hunger come back - he mentioned it could happen anywhere from a few days to a few weeks and when I do (if I decide not to go back Friday week to get the mill back in) and tough it out a bit longer, the moment I feel it creeping back in, book in and get that mill replaced. Thank heavens! That I can deal with.


Right now it's kinda cool. I have finally eaten (well, drunk) something that has stayed put. Mostly I was suffering from mega sliming. How can one person produce so much saliva? I'm serious - sometimes I felt like I was drowning in the stuff. The only thing that got me through to my appointment time today was taking anti-inflammatory's a few times a day. This afternoon I've had a coffee drink, water and a tomato soup and it's going down like a dream. No more sticking in my chest and threatening to come back up. And not a sign of slime so far. So we will see.


Other than trying to make it through the days with a nightmare band we have been full on as usual. I have been doing a lot of courses through work. We attended a funeral for an old friend Wednesday, Pallitive Care Course last Thursday and Dementia on Friday. The weekend was really fun, too. Did a lot of work on the gardens Sat, caught up with friends for drinks - Sunday was brunch out with the whole family including my mother in law who was up here to go to the funeral, too. We ate (well, they did lol) in the the sunshine, alfresco on the beach and wandered around the shops and markets. Quite lovely. And wish me luck that this band behaves itself from now on. I couldn't take another week like the one I just had. Ack!


Be good, stay safe
Till next time
Cara xxx