Ahmad Bali, MD

37 years old, weight on home scale morning of procedure 288 lbs

So I am on day three after placement and this has been soooo much harder than I anticipated. I began feeling nauseated almost immediately and began vomiting within 12 hours. I have vomited so many times at this point that I have lost count. But honestly sometimes I welcome the vomiting just for a slight reprieve--which is odd because I HATE HATE HATE to vomit.

I have only been able to eat Popsicles and sip a 50/50 mixture of Gatorade/water so far. I have discovered that for me, posture is a huge element in lessening my cramping. I need to remain upright (like 90 degrees ) even while sleeping. I have used the recliner and barely reclined. This is also with the anti cramping and anti nausea medication the doctor prescribed as well.

The cramping makes me feel as if liquid is being forced back up my throat and oddly feels like the squeezing (but not as intense) I felt when in preterm labor due to dehydration. It's up high. Right under my breasts and feels like it's right behind my sternum--like heartburn. For me it's more than uncomfortable it's kinda painful. The posture helps though.

I don't remember ever being this sick except during the preterm labor I meantioned earlier which was due to a virus that cause massive visiting and diarrhea. That virus lead to me being hospitalized two days. And I am pretty tough--those were the only days of work I missed. I've had two c-sections, breastfed and worked 12 hour shifts on my feet all throughout both pregnancies.

Would I do this again?
At this point I don't know! If I lose a substantial amount of weight (and I do plan on eating correctly and working out) then yes even with this horrible adjustment period I would.

Would I do this with a goal of losing 25 lbs? NO WAY!!

The doctor says to give it a few more days to settle. I have to work tomorrow--12hrs. I hope I can make it through the day.

Updated on 3 Apr 2016:
Ok so I am a week and half out now.

The vomiting finally stopped after about 4 or five days. And I finally had a bowel movement one week from the last time--that was not fun. But I am assuming that was due to the medication and the lack of food/water (vomiting). After I went, I couldn't stop going all day.

I felt very weak (again probably from lack of food) and had to rest often. Around day 5 I began having nasty reflux. I continued to sleep sitting up for a week after the procedure. I am a side and stomach sleeper but sleeping on my stomach was out of the question! It feels like when I was pregnant. The balloon was sitting so high that it felt like a baby sitting right under my breasts. I was finally able to sleep on my side (propped up with pillows) but if I ever rolled more onto my stomach I had discomfort/slight pain and reflux (even with taking Protonix 40mg twice per day). Bending over was problematic for a while due to reflux. Posture is still key for me. The other day at work I felt like my pants (which fit fine prior to procedure) were incredibly tight and causing worsening reflux. So I basically walked around with my pants not buttoned and it helped.

So now I feel as if the ballon has settled more and is lower. Overall feeling better. Haven't needed the cramping or nausea meds in days.

I have made myself feel sick however. I am a really fast eater so even though I am eating a lot less I eat too quickly and then realize it was too much. This has happened at work (12hr shifts). I let myself go too long without eating and then ate too much, too quickly. The good thing is that this will force me to make the lifestyle change I need because I don't want to feel sick like that. Slowly chewing and allowing my brain to register fullness is going to be something I will have to work on.

I plan to start working out in a few days--I was told about two weeks after the procedure and that seems like it's going to be about right for me.

My plans:

Grazing throughout the day and eating a very carb controlled diet and circuit training. Not eating after 9--which is big for me since my shifts are 9-9.

Updated on 2 Nov 2016:
I had the ballon removed months early. My experience was awful. I was sick the entire time--horrible gas, reflux so bad it came out of my nose, vomiting everyday, complete liquid diarrhea multiple times daily. Seriously awful.

All of those stopped when the balloon was removed.

No weight loss.

Updated on 2 Nov 2016:
I was so sick I forgot to even post anything...

I also had to remain sitting upright with excellent posture or I could feel the balloon. The MD examined me and said it was in place but it felt like when I was pregnant and the baby sat right under my breasts! I would be asleep and have reflux so bad it would pour from my nose like a runny nose and I had times where I would sit up from laying down and would just burp--out of no where! And it wouldn't smell good; I guess from the undigested food. The MD gave me meds to help propel the food through but he said women experience that side effect more than men (where food would just not go through stomach more or less).

I won't even get into the worthless office visits.

The hospital staff where I had the procedure also made comments when I was having it removed about how "lots" of people ended up getting it removed early! Wish I had known that before! Massive waste of money for me. Seriously I regret having it placed, I was sick for months with no real weight loss, and all that money gone!