I guess it is time for an update on how the lap band is going, for those of you who are interested. I got a 1 ml fill put in a couple of weeks ago, taking me up to 5 mls in a 10 ml band. The week after having this fill I wasn’t able to keep any food down at all and even having a smoothie was difficult. So I went back to the doctor on Monday and had half a ml taken out, so I am now back to 4.5 mls. So far, so good at this level. I can’t say that my hunger feels particularly satisfied at this level, but at least I have stopped bringing up my food. I am going to take getting fills very slowly from now on, I refuse to be put in anymore situations when I am eating with people and feel something get stuck. It is embarrassing and not pleasant. I ruined a perfectly nice drive along the great ocean road last weekend by getting a strawberry stuck and having to stand by the side of the road trying to bring it up for 30 minutes. Why did I eat a strawberry when I knew I couldn’t keep anything down? Because I am an idiot.
Since I have been banded over the last couple of months my diet has been very healthy, full of fresh vegetables, fruit and lean meats. It really is the healthiest I have been eating for years. Last week I went to the blood bank to donate plasma and they did the usual tests and noticed that my haemoglobin levels had dropped significantly since I last visited. They said if I was doing a normal blood donation that they would have to send me away because they are too low, but because I was donating plasma I was ok. When donating plasma they take the blood out and remove the plasma and platelets and then put the blood back in you, kind of a creepy and long process. Then last Friday I had a call from a doctor who had tested my blood and found I was dangerously low in iron and a few other technical things that went over my head. They are sending my results to me to take to my doctor for a proper review and apparently I can’t donate blood for at least 6 months.
The doctor who called me from the blood bank asked how I was feeling and if I felt more tired than usual. Of course I am freaking tired, who isn't? I guess I better get googling on ways to increase my iron levels. Have any other lap banders had this problem?
If your blood count is that low and you are anemic you MUST be tired! I know that feeling, and there is nothing 'normal' about being anemic mate! You need to up the iron somehow. I took masses of iron pills... and ate lots of steak... I hate steak now!
ReplyDeleteI think these problems are why I havn't considered a lap band or gastric bypass... I want to live 'normally' and not have to worry about starving my body of essential nutrients, and as for throwing up... I HATE IT!
Each to their own of course! Sometimes I think I should do it.. cos I am just doing the proverbial yo-yo shit all the time. *sigh*... just don't know what to do!
I've had issues with my iron since my op. But my GP is awesome, got me on some iron pills and also gave me a sheet of info on iron rich foods and now it's all under control :) As for the stuff getting stuck, don't stress. I ate something at work last week and I chucked it back up...in the office.....at my desk lol. It just popped out lol.
ReplyDeleteThe first couple of months are full of learning what you can and can't eat. I have days when everything feels 'stuck'. Those daysare usually soup days, cos it always gones down well :)
I promise it gets easier.
Oh and Chris, unless something is really really stuck, things just sorta 'pop' out lol Not like normal throwing up :)
PS I have only recently been able to eat fruit again, didn't agree with me for a while after my op.
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