So wow, that was a longer paragraph than planned. Anyway, on to the interesting new info. Well, the gastro doc again said she was surprised I was able to wait that long to seek treatment because the esophogitis was severe. And because the inflammation was severe, she used a balloon and expanded the band opening between the pouch and my stomach. I was like, whaaaa? I blurted out - how and why? She said she had a balloon, expanded it and stretched the band because she thought the food was getting stuck in the pouch too long and that's what was causing the reflux? I looked confused how that would work and she said, she has to be careful because too much expansion of the balloon and the band could break!
Before I expand on the latter part of that last statement, let me first say how dumbfounded I am that she made that decision without my consent. Did she say that at some point and I missed it? She does have a heavy accent, so I thought, maybe? Then I thought, how in the heck could a balloon expansion stretch the band if the band is filled with fluid? Won't it, by design, simply bounce back like a water bed? And if the pressure on the band expansion is so strong that it would actually stretch that hard plastic band on the outside, how is that a good thing? Wouldn't that cause a major pinch of my stomach tissue? Know WONDER my stomach was so irritated and "shut down" as I refer to it. GEEZ! Am I crazy here and just don't see any upside to this revelation?
The only positive I can think of is maybe she's right. She is a professional after all and studies stomachs for a living. Maybe that was causing my problem and maybe this new "adjustment" is a good thing. While my restriction is still greater than before the endoscopy, my concern is that I will lose that and once my stomach heals from the reflux, will my band then be super lax and ineffective? I can't change the fact that my band was stretched, I just have to see what happens and proceed accordingly. I'm not going to worry about something before it happens, but I am going to ask the doctor in May at my next endoscopy not to expand the band again and if it's protocol to expand the band as well as ask about restriction concerns in the future. I'm not going to be a jerk, but I'm going to find out and seek to understand what is stirring in me now as some pissed offedness at her assuming I wanted that done.
Ok, hope all of you are having a great week. I'm having a hard time eating the foods I should because fibrous vegetables take so long for me to eat. I'm having a hard time avoiding peanut butter and Nutella, and I still have not started working out. I am thankful that I have lost some pounds and am at this weight. I need to take advantage and work out just for my heart, lungs, and mood - not to build muscle or meet a goal. I need to do it just because it's HEALTHY to do so! I'm getting there, to being more healthy, because my stomach is healing, I'm feeling better, sleeping better and now my next step is working out. I did take a 30 min walk at work today, so at least I got UP from my desk today!! Pure Barre by my work is offering $100 unlimited month. My sister has had such amazing success with them, I had considered joining them since I really liked the class I attended with her once. I think I'm going to do it and make myself go at lunch each day! Stay tuned!
So my girl is after my own heart, she wrote this: "If you give a kid a book, he'll want to read it. Before he'll read it, he'll get something to eat" Yes!!!!
