Endoscopy and ready to lose 10lbs!

Hi Everyone!

It's true that it's been quite a while since I've posted.  Lots of life stuff going on, one of my best friends passed away (brain cancer), my stressful, high level responsibility job, in-law passing away (stroke while being treated for stage 3 lung cancer), son's surgery (broken collar bone), life in general gets pretty busy.  That pic above was from our family apple picking trip we take each fall in Central Va.

My weight increased to 201 and I freaked out worried that I was going to gain all this weight back.  I have a very low level fill unlike many people.  I like it this way because it does make me less hungry - just having the band does that for me.  There are times when I can eat a lot and times (like when I have PMS) that I cannot.  So it works for me.

Work stress and the death of my husband's mother was very stressful and I lost 10lbs because I simply wasn't eating much.  I dropped to about 190.  I had stomach pains from work stress and home stress and it was unusual for me because I just couldn't eat.  I have also had increased problems with reflux and was worried my consistent stomach aches were most likely an ulcer.  I was also a little freaked out because I worried that perhaps the band had eroded.

I went to a gastro-enterologist, had a endoscopy done (they knock  you out for about 15 mins, insert a small tube with camera down your esophagus and evaluate it and your stomach for any issues).    The results of the endoscopy were that I had grade C esophogitis - which basically means that on a scale of A-D (D being worst) - that it was a serious problem.  The best part is that there was no ulcer, no precancerous lesions, and while a grade C is serious enough, medicine should improve it.  I think as I get older I am processing stressful situations a little differently.  The anxiety we all feel over stressors seems to now go to my stomach.  I get a stomach ache and can't eat.  I never understood people who lost weight when they were stressed because I always ate more and gained weight when I was stressed.  Having experienced both, I can tell you, they both suck!!

I've been taking Prilosec for almost a month now.  But that's not the whole story......

Ever since I have had the endoscopy done, my stomach and my band are so tight that I am having a heck of time eating at all.  Even liquids.  About 2 days after the procedure, I actually had to pull my car over and throw up after an intense nausea and a cramping pain in my stomach and band.  If I eat or drink less than 2 hours before I go to bed, I don't sleep because it just keeps coming up my throat.   Last night, the water in my stomach just came up and out my nose while I was in a dead sleep.  I can feel the food or liquid sitting before going through the band, my stomach begins to contract and move the food through but it's like the band is irritated or inflamed and just won't accept it.  I can feel my stomach and literally foam is created and I spit it out OR these micro burps, little bits of air move up my esophagus and come up all on their own.  My stomach is creating a lot of air when I'm trying to digest food which leads to bloating and air in my stomach which HURTS!

I'm not sure if perhaps the folds of my stomach inside the band which were happy and perfect before were disturbed when they passed the camera through it or what is causing these pretty difficult problems.  I thought it was perhaps just a little irritated from the procedure which is understandable.   But, they have not subsided and it's actually getting worse.  I have a follow up appointment soon and hopefully I can put this behind me.

The fun part of having lost this weight again is that I'm trying on all the shorts and pants that I couldn't wear last year because I was consistently in the high 190's.   And they FIT!!   I told myself I'd never allow the scale to go over 200 again in my life.  Reaching 201 really freaked me out!  Unfortunately, stress was the catalyst to get me to lose 10lbs, but I have to say, I really LOVE having those 10 lbs off.  I am comfortably wearing a size 14 again!  I simply cannot believe what a HUGE difference just 10lbs makes.  Its such a huge difference that it motiving me to lose 10 more!

Scale said 188 yesterday.  I"m struggling to eat healthy with my stomach issues because ice cream, milk, soups (too much sodium!) all make my stomach feel better.  I cannot eat fruits and veggies that are high in fiber and that's a BIG problem.  I don't want to be in that place, I want to eat healthy foods.  I want to eat clean and what my body needs to thrive on, not chemicals, salt, sugar, and fat!

I've been doing yoga.  But haven't had the energy to run.  I am ready, however, to get things going again and break into a new personal best of losing 10lbs and getting to 178!  I know I can do this because I've done it before.  I know the formula - work out consistently and plan my meals.  It's that simple, but really hard to put into practice with all that life brings us everyday.  It takes making it a priority and letting other things fall to the wayside.  I've learned I can't do all the things I want/need, so I have to pick.  And I'm picking focusing on losing another 10 lbs!

The pic below was a few months ago - we took our kids on their first cruise, we had a blast and will definitely do it again with them.

Hope everyone is doing well out there!