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Almost a month in
I'm just shy of a month in and I've lost 19 lbs, which is great. I'll keep it brief, I'll make a list of pros and cons.
Pro: I feel full, all the time.Therefore, ime eating less. I'm making better food choices because of it, and I havent had alcohol, caffeine, artificial sugar, or sweets in just over a month because of it.
Con: this is going to seem longer, but I just want to mention I'm still happy with my decision and I dont regret getting balloon. First, there is a damn good reason they have you ease into solid food. I'm an idiot and did not do that. You know what happens when you dont? Gastroparesis. It is awful. Any food you try to eat will just sit in your stomach for hours. I will literally force myself to throw up 10-15 hours after eating and all the food I ate (which isnt much because of the balloon) will still be there, undigested. And its painful. So I have to go back to the liquid diet, and if I progress soo quickly, it happens again. So I've been consuming tons of protein shakes, and I thicken them up by putting then in a blender. And I've been eating lots of runny scrambled eggs (because it's the best way to eat them, and if you disagree, you're wrong). I'm still having cramping and nausea, and I'm learning I have to sleep sitting up if I'm going to sleep all night. Every morning I have a degree of discomfort, but if i roll and lie on each side for 10-15 minutes, it mostly goes away. Also, hunger feels different. It doesnt feel like hunger. Honestly, it feels like pain or like acid reflux kinda. Because of that, i wouldnt want to eat, which made it worse. But I had eggs when this was happening and I was instantly fine.
The balloon has made it so it definitely takes longer for me to get up and get to work, I've been consistently late the past week because I'm trying to get used to it. I've been going on walks, which helps the weightloss a lot, but we have a heat wave here in California, so I havent been doing it as much. But my family is recognizing my weightloss in my face, and I had to buy new scrub pants because mine are a bit loose. I need to amp up my workouts and i hope to lose another 10-15 pounds by October 5th. We shall see!
Pro: I feel full, all the time.Therefore, ime eating less. I'm making better food choices because of it, and I havent had alcohol, caffeine, artificial sugar, or sweets in just over a month because of it.
Con: this is going to seem longer, but I just want to mention I'm still happy with my decision and I dont regret getting balloon. First, there is a damn good reason they have you ease into solid food. I'm an idiot and did not do that. You know what happens when you dont? Gastroparesis. It is awful. Any food you try to eat will just sit in your stomach for hours. I will literally force myself to throw up 10-15 hours after eating and all the food I ate (which isnt much because of the balloon) will still be there, undigested. And its painful. So I have to go back to the liquid diet, and if I progress soo quickly, it happens again. So I've been consuming tons of protein shakes, and I thicken them up by putting then in a blender. And I've been eating lots of runny scrambled eggs (because it's the best way to eat them, and if you disagree, you're wrong). I'm still having cramping and nausea, and I'm learning I have to sleep sitting up if I'm going to sleep all night. Every morning I have a degree of discomfort, but if i roll and lie on each side for 10-15 minutes, it mostly goes away. Also, hunger feels different. It doesnt feel like hunger. Honestly, it feels like pain or like acid reflux kinda. Because of that, i wouldnt want to eat, which made it worse. But I had eggs when this was happening and I was instantly fine.
The balloon has made it so it definitely takes longer for me to get up and get to work, I've been consistently late the past week because I'm trying to get used to it. I've been going on walks, which helps the weightloss a lot, but we have a heat wave here in California, so I havent been doing it as much. But my family is recognizing my weightloss in my face, and I had to buy new scrub pants because mine are a bit loose. I need to amp up my workouts and i hope to lose another 10-15 pounds by October 5th. We shall see!
End of day 7
I'm at the end of day 7, and so far I'm down exactly 7 pounds. Let me break down my week for you guys, and at the end I'll leave some little tips and things I've learned.
Day 1 (8/14): this was the placement day. I felt pretty okay, I just slept intermittently throughout the day. I had two moments where I thought I would puke. I was 100% diligent with the anti nausea and anti cramping meds. By the end of the day, I felt actually pretty good, just super aware that something was in my stomach.
Day 2 (8/15): this was the hard day. I've heard day 2 is "the day of buyers remorse," and boy was that true. I wasnt getting consistent amounts of sleep, so I became a little confused and wasnt as diligent with my meds as I should have been, so that played a big role. The cramping also feels like hunger, so I would try to drink something or nibble at jello, and that would make it worse. Standing made me feel better, but being as weak as I was, you cant stand for long. Day 1 and day 2 I got the least amount of sleep, maybe like 3-4 hours tops.
Day 3 (8/16): I felt pretty decent on day 3. I graduated from water and propel to sugar free popsicles and protein shakes. I couldn't finish even half of one yet, but I was getting there. I ended up getting over 8 hours of sleep on the night of day 3, which is more than my pre-balloon usual of 5-6 hours.
Day 4 (8/17): I had an IV infusion, which I didnt necessarily feel that I needed, but it was included, so why not. I agreed to pick up a shift at work so long as I could do minimal amount of work. Unfortunately a coworker was very uncooperative, and we ended up getting 5 or 6 serious traumas in 1 hour (I work in an ER), and I ended up having to work them. I later texted my boss that I felt so sick and horrible. So definitely take the days off. I was also still having cramping, and tons of belching. When I got home I wasnt feeling good, and I ended up getting locked out. It was drama. So if you get the balloon, take a good amount of time off, not 2 days like me.
Day 5 (8/18): cramping still super bad, but I woke up feeling okay. I noticed I was almost out of the anti cramping meds, and they only give 1 refill of 20 pills, so I sent a request to have the refill filled for Monday, because I was hurting. I ended up trying some soup for dinner, tomato bisque. Which was good, but I think mainly because I was trying to fill my stomach. I began to notice quickly that if I drank tons of water or liquid to make myself super full, there wasnt any cramping, but that defeated the purpose of the balloon if I was trying to make myself so full. I did end up throwing up a little during work, and almost passed out in the bathroom. So again, make sure you're ready to go back to work before you do. Also, I noticed I'm burping soooo much. Luckily I know how to make myself burp (the perk of growing up with brothers), so that helps alleviate a LOT of the cramping and pain.
Day 6 (8/19): same as the day before, but I actually started to forget the balloon existed for a few moments. Then the cramping would return. In my purse is currently an arsenal of extra strength tylenol, zofran, anti cramping meds, anti acid, tums, and cbd oil. I've been popping tums like candy and belching like a preteen boy. Overall, though, I dont feel as week.
Day 7 (8/20): I woke up in so much pain. The cramps are bad. I read most people have nausea and vomiting, but for me it's the cramps. I immediately took my meds and started to feel better, but I still wasnt feeling great. They arent painful enough that I woke up from them, but they were the first thing I noticed when I woke up, secondary to my alarm. I called the surgeon today to talk about the cramping and my concerns. I had suspected that my stomach was trying to digest the balloon, and they confirmed it. They ordered an additional refill of the anti cramping meds, a d approved the additional antacids I was taking. I also noticed that some of my cramping is actually queasiness. See, I get super motion sick. I'm talking motion sickness so bad, I feel I'll just using an escalator from one floor to another. I try to avoid elevators or riding in other peoples cars for more than a few minutes because I get sick. It's that bad. So I think I became accustomed to always being in a pretty constant state of nausea. So I took the zofran "just to see," and it ended up helping the cramps. Which made me think about how often I thought I was hungry and ate, and maybe I was just feeling sick instead. Also, today I went for a pretty long walk, about an hour and a half. It felt really good to get up and walk around. I did occasionally have to stop and lean on a bench or a tree, not for being winded, but because my legs felt so weak. But I feel really good now. Additionally, I'm learning the "quirks" of the balloon. For example, I get much more pain and discomfort while sitting. While working my other job as a massage therapist, I noticed that when I bent over at an angle, I got the burning and cramps again. So this balloon is kinda forcing me to be more active. I cant sit and watch TV, so instead I get on the stairmaster in my garage and watch TV, or I pace, or I go for a walk. It seems like this balloon will be great for not only my diet, but by forcing me to be just that much more active.
So far, I am exactly 10 pounds down. I started at 244.4 lbs and i am 5'8". I lost about 6-7 pounds in the first 3 days. The last few i actually fluctuated a bit until finally landing at exactly 234.4 lbs. My goal weight with the balloon would ideally be 180, but I would just love the get out of the 200s.
Tips!
- Get yourself one of those pillow with the arms so you can sit up in bed, and a GOOD airplane pillow. Throw another pillow under your knees, and suddenly sleeping sitting up isnt anything to complain about.
- Have a barf bucket or emisis bags nearby, just in case.
- Set alarms for your medications on the exact moment the meds say for the first 2-3 days. After that, extend the window by an hour or so to see if you're still having symptoms.
- Carry your meds with you! All the time!
- Also get some tylenol. No NSAIDS with the balloon, or you risk ulcers! I got extra strength quick release ones.
- Get some antacids. I have an over the counter pill, plus the old fashioned chalky Tums. I bought the chewy kind, but the texture freaks me the hell out. It's like a mixture of melted salt water taffy and pre-chewed bubble gum.
- Get sugar free popsicles. Not the Popsicle brand, those are trash. Try to get the real fruit one. They are so refreshing and help give you something other than water.
- If you do not like sugar free jello, do not buy $20 worth of sugar free jello. If you weren't excited about eating it pre-balloon, you won't be excited to eat it after the balloon. Trust me.
- Get some GOOD protein shakes. For clear protein, I got Protein2O in pineapple coconut (its really good, has a very mild protein-y aftertaste, but hardly noticable at all) and premier protein clear drink in orange mango (also good, but a lot more of a protein and vitamin c aftertaste). For non-clear protein shakes, I really love the muscle milk 100 in chocolate. I also got premier protein in chocolate, which I drank regularly pre-balloon so I know I like it, and I got it in banana too, but I havent tried it yet. Just make sure you brush your teeth after.
- Have some sugar free sports drink on hand. I got propel, but Gatorade or powerade or vitamin water works. This is especially important the first few days when you arent really taking anything substantial in, and doubley so if you end up vomiting.
Day 1 (8/14): this was the placement day. I felt pretty okay, I just slept intermittently throughout the day. I had two moments where I thought I would puke. I was 100% diligent with the anti nausea and anti cramping meds. By the end of the day, I felt actually pretty good, just super aware that something was in my stomach.
Day 2 (8/15): this was the hard day. I've heard day 2 is "the day of buyers remorse," and boy was that true. I wasnt getting consistent amounts of sleep, so I became a little confused and wasnt as diligent with my meds as I should have been, so that played a big role. The cramping also feels like hunger, so I would try to drink something or nibble at jello, and that would make it worse. Standing made me feel better, but being as weak as I was, you cant stand for long. Day 1 and day 2 I got the least amount of sleep, maybe like 3-4 hours tops.
Day 3 (8/16): I felt pretty decent on day 3. I graduated from water and propel to sugar free popsicles and protein shakes. I couldn't finish even half of one yet, but I was getting there. I ended up getting over 8 hours of sleep on the night of day 3, which is more than my pre-balloon usual of 5-6 hours.
Day 4 (8/17): I had an IV infusion, which I didnt necessarily feel that I needed, but it was included, so why not. I agreed to pick up a shift at work so long as I could do minimal amount of work. Unfortunately a coworker was very uncooperative, and we ended up getting 5 or 6 serious traumas in 1 hour (I work in an ER), and I ended up having to work them. I later texted my boss that I felt so sick and horrible. So definitely take the days off. I was also still having cramping, and tons of belching. When I got home I wasnt feeling good, and I ended up getting locked out. It was drama. So if you get the balloon, take a good amount of time off, not 2 days like me.
Day 5 (8/18): cramping still super bad, but I woke up feeling okay. I noticed I was almost out of the anti cramping meds, and they only give 1 refill of 20 pills, so I sent a request to have the refill filled for Monday, because I was hurting. I ended up trying some soup for dinner, tomato bisque. Which was good, but I think mainly because I was trying to fill my stomach. I began to notice quickly that if I drank tons of water or liquid to make myself super full, there wasnt any cramping, but that defeated the purpose of the balloon if I was trying to make myself so full. I did end up throwing up a little during work, and almost passed out in the bathroom. So again, make sure you're ready to go back to work before you do. Also, I noticed I'm burping soooo much. Luckily I know how to make myself burp (the perk of growing up with brothers), so that helps alleviate a LOT of the cramping and pain.
Day 6 (8/19): same as the day before, but I actually started to forget the balloon existed for a few moments. Then the cramping would return. In my purse is currently an arsenal of extra strength tylenol, zofran, anti cramping meds, anti acid, tums, and cbd oil. I've been popping tums like candy and belching like a preteen boy. Overall, though, I dont feel as week.
Day 7 (8/20): I woke up in so much pain. The cramps are bad. I read most people have nausea and vomiting, but for me it's the cramps. I immediately took my meds and started to feel better, but I still wasnt feeling great. They arent painful enough that I woke up from them, but they were the first thing I noticed when I woke up, secondary to my alarm. I called the surgeon today to talk about the cramping and my concerns. I had suspected that my stomach was trying to digest the balloon, and they confirmed it. They ordered an additional refill of the anti cramping meds, a d approved the additional antacids I was taking. I also noticed that some of my cramping is actually queasiness. See, I get super motion sick. I'm talking motion sickness so bad, I feel I'll just using an escalator from one floor to another. I try to avoid elevators or riding in other peoples cars for more than a few minutes because I get sick. It's that bad. So I think I became accustomed to always being in a pretty constant state of nausea. So I took the zofran "just to see," and it ended up helping the cramps. Which made me think about how often I thought I was hungry and ate, and maybe I was just feeling sick instead. Also, today I went for a pretty long walk, about an hour and a half. It felt really good to get up and walk around. I did occasionally have to stop and lean on a bench or a tree, not for being winded, but because my legs felt so weak. But I feel really good now. Additionally, I'm learning the "quirks" of the balloon. For example, I get much more pain and discomfort while sitting. While working my other job as a massage therapist, I noticed that when I bent over at an angle, I got the burning and cramps again. So this balloon is kinda forcing me to be more active. I cant sit and watch TV, so instead I get on the stairmaster in my garage and watch TV, or I pace, or I go for a walk. It seems like this balloon will be great for not only my diet, but by forcing me to be just that much more active.
So far, I am exactly 10 pounds down. I started at 244.4 lbs and i am 5'8". I lost about 6-7 pounds in the first 3 days. The last few i actually fluctuated a bit until finally landing at exactly 234.4 lbs. My goal weight with the balloon would ideally be 180, but I would just love the get out of the 200s.
Tips!
- Get yourself one of those pillow with the arms so you can sit up in bed, and a GOOD airplane pillow. Throw another pillow under your knees, and suddenly sleeping sitting up isnt anything to complain about.
- Have a barf bucket or emisis bags nearby, just in case.
- Set alarms for your medications on the exact moment the meds say for the first 2-3 days. After that, extend the window by an hour or so to see if you're still having symptoms.
- Carry your meds with you! All the time!
- Also get some tylenol. No NSAIDS with the balloon, or you risk ulcers! I got extra strength quick release ones.
- Get some antacids. I have an over the counter pill, plus the old fashioned chalky Tums. I bought the chewy kind, but the texture freaks me the hell out. It's like a mixture of melted salt water taffy and pre-chewed bubble gum.
- Get sugar free popsicles. Not the Popsicle brand, those are trash. Try to get the real fruit one. They are so refreshing and help give you something other than water.
- If you do not like sugar free jello, do not buy $20 worth of sugar free jello. If you weren't excited about eating it pre-balloon, you won't be excited to eat it after the balloon. Trust me.
- Get some GOOD protein shakes. For clear protein, I got Protein2O in pineapple coconut (its really good, has a very mild protein-y aftertaste, but hardly noticable at all) and premier protein clear drink in orange mango (also good, but a lot more of a protein and vitamin c aftertaste). For non-clear protein shakes, I really love the muscle milk 100 in chocolate. I also got premier protein in chocolate, which I drank regularly pre-balloon so I know I like it, and I got it in banana too, but I havent tried it yet. Just make sure you brush your teeth after.
- Have some sugar free sports drink on hand. I got propel, but Gatorade or powerade or vitamin water works. This is especially important the first few days when you arent really taking anything substantial in, and doubley so if you end up vomiting.
So Far So Good...
So far so good. I had the orbera balloon placed on Tuesday august 14th. I had worked a night shift and was off at 4 am that morning, so not having anything to drink after midnight was really difficult. But overall, the staff was really amazing, Dr Rahimi came into the pre op room and introduced herself, got to know me a little but and told me about herself, which was nice. I could hear her joking with her staff and they were all in a good mood when they wheeled me in, which made me feel comfortable in their confidence.
When I went home the day of, I didnt feel great, but I didn't feel as bad as I expected. This can probably be attributed to the IV, the pain meds, a d me being super diligent about taking my meds at the exact right time. I did have two brief bouts of nausea, but no vomiting. Because I worked a night shift the night before, I basically drifted in and out of sleep all day, and all I held down was water and propel.
Day 2 was definitely the toughest. The stomach cramping has been the worst today, hands down, even when I took the medications to stop it. It kinda felt like a really strong hunger pain that wouldnt release. Walking and standing up made my stomach feel better, but I'm also really weak, so that's hard to do. I attempted a few tiny bites of jello, and that just made it worse, and I've had maybe a quarter of a Protein2o drink. Part if this could be that I wasnt consistent with my meds today, I got a little confused with time and where I was for a moment lol. I took a tums, and that's made me feel wittle better. I was able to have an entire sugar free popsicle but only because I wasnt biting it. I'm to about to take my meds and go to sleep soon, I'll update with day 3 later.
When I went home the day of, I didnt feel great, but I didn't feel as bad as I expected. This can probably be attributed to the IV, the pain meds, a d me being super diligent about taking my meds at the exact right time. I did have two brief bouts of nausea, but no vomiting. Because I worked a night shift the night before, I basically drifted in and out of sleep all day, and all I held down was water and propel.
Day 2 was definitely the toughest. The stomach cramping has been the worst today, hands down, even when I took the medications to stop it. It kinda felt like a really strong hunger pain that wouldnt release. Walking and standing up made my stomach feel better, but I'm also really weak, so that's hard to do. I attempted a few tiny bites of jello, and that just made it worse, and I've had maybe a quarter of a Protein2o drink. Part if this could be that I wasnt consistent with my meds today, I got a little confused with time and where I was for a moment lol. I took a tums, and that's made me feel wittle better. I was able to have an entire sugar free popsicle but only because I wasnt biting it. I'm to about to take my meds and go to sleep soon, I'll update with day 3 later.
Provider Review
Board Certified Gastroenterologist
26732 Crown Valley Pkwy., Mission Viejo, California