Gastric Balloon

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Me too

Hi Joanie, I know how your feel. I am on week 6 so quite a way behind you but some days I can't eat anything, other days I struggle through a yogurt, cup-a-soup and crumpet. I was sick last Tuesday and Friday, sick yesterday and this morning so regularly 2/3 times a week.

I don't have the eggy burps or wind but just a lump as tho I have swallowed a bottle top and have to keep sipping water and drinking to get it down. My energy levels are very low and like you I get thru the day then lay down on my left side all evening and weekends sipping water and eating a dry crumpet and fall asleep about 9pm.

I don't go out, or socialise any more as I do not have the energy. or inclination. I can barely do the housework. I have lost a stone but is it worth it? Pretty down and miserable at the moment.

Her again - the only time I suffered with headaches was when I was on the protein shake diet and I was told it was due to not drinking enought water, even tho I was drinking 2 litres a day I upped it to 3 and it seemed to help.
 
Her again,
thank you so much for reply. I am feeling quite overwelmed with the whole thing.
I am having balloon in week and a half and have just felt so rushed with it all from the get go of leaving a deposit. Has bluewaters follow up been good? Dietician?
Congrats on your weight loss, you should be very proud
 
Kelly

I just had my first post insertion check up on Friday the 31st and am down 10 lbs in the first 2 weeks!!!!! As for Bluewater...they are great for keeping in touch with you,,,,,the doctor who puts the balloon in also gives you her home number and cell number and so does the dietician that way you can call them whenever you need to. I know what you mean by feeling rushed but it only seems that way because your brain is saying Oh Sh*t she is really doing this....lol.

You will be absolutely fine.....don't let the first 48 hrs get you down....we all felt the same way after insertion.

Please keep us up to date on how you are doing.

Lastresort.......remember how you mentioned maybe I am not eating enough? lol.....they said that that has nothing to do with my headaches but....I have to almost double my calorie intake...lmao. I am getting about 600 a day and they said I need to be taking in 1200.

I hope you are having a good day today my friend :)
 
Hi All,
Well i have been away at a family funeral for a few days and feel like I have no energy at the moment.... I have no idea how my weight is going at the moment will weigh myself tomorrow (2 week Mark) The clinic said I have access to a phycoligist all right but the nurse said its natural to feel down as my body is adjusting to the lack of carbohydrates!
Her Again so glad you are doing so well .... any smelly burps? I have been experiencing them a bit!! not nice but all in a good cause.
We will all get through this.... keep the chin up :)
 
The mystery of 'eggy' burps solved

Hi Everyone,
I've had a terrible weekend with the eggy burps being overpowering and bad vomiting from Friday night. The stuff that was coming up seemed to be stuff that I had eaten on Tuesday!
I phoned the balloon clinic and spoke to the doctor on Saturday night, he says the eggy burps are common and caused by food rotting and fermenting like wine in the stomach, producing a sulphur gas. He says this is caused by slow movement of food through the intestines.
That explains the burps and the old food that I vomitted.
He prescribed me 10mg of Metoclopramide 3 times a day and doubled by Lanzoprazole from 30mg a day to 60mg to overcome the really bad acid.
I am feeling much better but very weak and tired.
Lost 8lb in 2 days with the vomitting but seem to have put 1lb back on this morning.
I'm going on holiday tonight and dreading the flight in case I am sick.
I'm not sure what I should and should not eat in order to avoid further fermentation. Does anyone have any ideas?
Joanie
 
2 months to go :)

Hello Everyone :waving::waving:

I havent been on here for ages, but I'm 4 months into having mine done now and 3 stone down which is brill. I hope to get another stone off by the end of September which is when it comes out :)
After having such a rough ride at the beginning with the sickness, blood loss etc....I feel that I have done well and I am glad that I kept with it, as in that first week I have never ever been so ill, but hey ho :)

Hope everyone else is doing well

Cornishgal x:party:
 
Really rough week

OMG I feel like crap! I was told at my 2 week check up last friday to double my calorie intake but I am finding it so hard to eat anything now. I can't look at food or smell it...even the commercials are making me ill. I have vomited twice this week which I am sure isn't bad at all but most of the time I just wish I would get sick so I can feel better. If I move around too much or too fast I get queazy feeling. I constantly feel so overstuffed and disgusting.

I know this is only my third week with the balloon in and should be happy that I have been as well as I have..... when they put the balloon in on the 17th of July I weighed 332 lbs.....I am now down to 318 in 3 weeks which is beyond amazing. I just wish I could even enjoy the tiniest bit of food or liquids...and I am sick of people telling me how pale I look lol.

Oh god please tell me this is going to pass.....I don't even feel human anymore :(
 
Hmmm gastric blockage maybe????

Whew I finally got sick and feel great!

I am sorry if this is too much information but I have noticed that when I vomit every couple days that I am bringing up food I ate 2-3 days previous......with what little amounts I am able to consume...there is no way I should be bringing up 2-3 quarts. I wonder if the balloon is blocking the food from leaving my body as I only have one bowel movement a week now ( and it is not due to constipation at all ).

I am afraid to tell the surgeon as I do not want them telling me that they will have to remove the balloon.....

Has anyone had this problem?
 
Hi Her Again,
So sorry to hear you are feeling so bad my friend :(. If you look on the previous page Joanie referred to the fact that she had a blokage and still has the baloon so its possible thats whaats wrong and still possible to keep it. I hope all works out for you.... keep me posted xxx
 
Lastresort

Thank you so much for your support my friend...it is truly appreciated :)

I broke down and called the surgeon at home as I have her home and cell numbers. She explained that small amounts of food have been sticking to the balloon which then collects more food as I eat. I am now back onto a liquid diet for 3 days and then moving onto pureed and then soft foods.

On the upside.....I am down 4 more pounds since last friday which brings me up to 14 lbs in 3 weeks...WOOOO HOOOO!!!!!

How are you doing over there my friend?

Once again thank you for your kind words and support :)
 
Her again

I am in a similar situation. I am into week 8 now and I am still being sick every 2 to 3 days. Monday and Thursday this week and maybe today tho I am trying to hold back!!! I feel much better when I am sick but the process is awful due to the acid. I have eaten nothing today as I feel too ill, all the girls around me are eating sausage and mash and cake which is making me feel ill.

I e-mailed Prague Beauty and they recommended I change my medication so I will print off the 2 items and show them to my Dr and see if they make a difference. I can't believe I am still being ill 2 months down the line. Even the water I have drunk comes back up.

Have you noticed how much people eat now, and how many adverts are about food and also how much people talk about food, I'm getting paranoid.

Fingers crossed :grouphug:
 
Hi Her again,
so glad to hear that the problem may be resolved although it sounds like it will be tough going! I am doing really good at the moment thank god. I really am trying very hard to make sure i drink plenty after i eat and now that i have heard your story i will make sure i continue to do that! I am down 11 1/2 lbs and am happy enough with that. I really have to get myself into the exercise mode next week though as i think i have enough energy and am being lazy! On the up side a friend of mine met a lady today who has a balloon in 3 months now and has lost 2 stone! she wants to lose 1 more stone to reach her target weight. she has done no exercise so far either! she had her balloon fitted in poland. I love to hear the success stories as it keeps us inspired....this lady has been in contact with another lady from cork who has the balloon out 2 yrs and has maintained her weight since. I am going to try and meet the local lady for support. just thought you all might be interested in these stories.
Nan so sorry to hear things are bad for you and fingers crossed the new medication works wonders for you.

CHIN UP and please God we will all be skinny in a few months!! :) :)
 
Nan

Sorry to hear you are having a tough go of it. Sounds like you are going through exactly what I am.....after you get sick today ( lol..sorry ) try cutting back to just liquids for a few days and then slowly reintroduce food back in.

I haven't had any problem with acid reflux or heartburn or anything like that thank the gods! I even took the blocks out from under my bed and am sleeping on a flat surface again.

Lastresort:

Glad to hear you may have found someone close to you that you can meet in person and have that support! By the way 11.5 lbs is nothing to sneeze at WAY TO GO!!!
 
My journey begins!

Hi Guys,
i have been reading all of your stories...the good, the bad and the plain ugly experiences some of you had.
i had a 1st consultation today at Nucleus Healthcare clinic in Newport, South Wales.
Has anyone had their procedure done there?
i am booked in to have the procedure on the 28th August, i am slightly apprehensive to say the least!
i have about 30 kg to lose, after years of yo-yo dieting and being a size 12 1 yr, size 18 the next i am hoping this will finally help me achieve the weight i want to be to help with my body image issues!!
i now kind of know what i'm letting myself in for, any advice would be much appreciated!
suzie.x
 
Hi everyone! Im5 months in, getting the balloon removed beginning of next month. I started off at 14 stone and planned to lose 3. I have successfully lost 2 but have doubts to shift the last stone in the next 4 weeks or so but im still delighted. I have had a bit of an emotional time recently splitting up with my husband and being left with our 1 year old so that hasnt helped really-some days i was eating for comfort and making myself ill the next i wasnt eating at all! I had mine done through hospital group and found there aftercare really poor, i think i have 3 phone calls in 5 months so i've felt pretty alone in it all! Trying to get back on track now though but i notice a huge difference in myself, others have noticed my 2 stone weight loss. I'd recomend the balloon to anyone!
Has anyone still on here had theres removed?Im dreading it a bit although the insertion i cant even remember so im sure it will be fine.
 
Hi Laurie 1985,
You keep your head up you will be stronger after all of this what a time you have had..... my heart goes oiut to you as i no how it feels...good luck for your last month keep us posted xx
 
Too good to be true

Thought I’d cracked it, 4 days without being sick then bang, sick for England this morning.

Her again - Tried to stick to liquids and thought that was the answer but last night I had a slimfast shake for dinner and this morning wham so that hasn’t worked either. I am still sleeping with the bed raised to help the acid but I’m not sure it’s making any difference.

Going to the Docs again tomorrow to get the tablets recommended by Prague Beauty.

8.5 kilos lost so far (nearly 19 lbs) so chuffed to bits about that, just hope it doesn’t all pile on again once I can actually eat. I feel like I have Bulimia!!

Laurie – so sorry to hear about your split especially as eating and weight are all triggered by emotions and mood swings. Hopefully this will make you more determined to say look at me all slim and just see what you are missing! This website has really helped me realise I am not alone in this especially thru the bad times. I have had no after care at all since I left the clinic so this forum has been invaluable. If you look back I am sure there are people on here who have had the balloon removed and can give you some info, if not start a new thread. Can’t believe you didn’t remember any of the insertion, I’m amazed as I remember everything. I’m sure my sedation didn’t work and am dreading having the balloon out.

Although I have had a bad time of it I’m still glad I had the balloon, not sure I could go thru it again tho so I am hoping I can look back on this time when I eat and stop when I am full.
 
I can't give up now

Hi all,
I've had my week in the sun and I am so glad to be back home.

HerAgain, my blockage was within the first few weeks of getting the balloon and my stomach was completely blocked near the exit to the intestines. I couldn't even keep saliva down and was eventually admitted to hospital because of my dehydration and low blood pressure. I was 10 days on an IV for fluids with nil by mouth. A gastric graph and swallow scan showed the blockage and I was scheduled to have the balloon removed however, it managed to dislodge itself the evening before the removal.

Sounds like you have slow movement of food which seems to be really common. I was initially given Motilium to get things moving and it did work.
The doc told me that this slow movment and then the fermentation of the old food was what caused the eggy burps.

Nan, like you I don't think I am eating enough but would prefer to eat only once, twice at the very most and only the lightest of meals.
The acid is unbearable at times and once I am sick this seems to go for a few days. My Lanzoprazole has been doubled to 60mg per day which has helped and I constantly eat Rennies.

I have seriously thought about having this removed over the past couple of weeks and then I look at the scales.
I was 238lb when I started = 17 stone size 22/24 and now at 197lb = 14 stone 1 lb size 20 . Another 1lb and that will be 3 stone.
I can't give up yet.
Despite all the trauma, sickness and looking and feeling pretty awful most of the time I think I would still recommend this process. I think I would have preferred to know all that I know now but before I started on the journey. At least I would have known what to expect. I might have told more people what I was doing.

I initially set a target of 3 stone and then revised it to 4stone. If I get to 4 I may have it removed then but I will wait and see how I feel. Perhaps by then I will be feeling human.
We all need to support each other.:grouphug:
Joanie
 
good news day for me

I just got back from my workout. While I was there I decided to jump on the scales and see how things are going since next monday will be 1 month in......drum roll please......I am down 21 lbs in just under a month!!! and the BMI machine can read me now....50 and up it just reads you at E4 well today I tried it and it read me at 49.7......wooo hooo.

Still having some issues with eating.....I have absolutely no interest in it most days.....5 more months to go, I am sure it will get better.
 
Yay

Her_again - good for you on the weightloss. I had it inserted on tuesday and can you believe it - my weight is the same!!! not happy! lol especially since i have not eaten since sunday. Does the feeling of it being inside you lesson at all. I can see mine poking out.
 
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