gatric balloon fitted 5 days ago - chatters wanted UK

Hi all,
I just found this thread, and so thankful its here, I have felt alone. I had my balloon insertion Wed 30th June, so its early days 4 in total. I still get the gastric pains and they double me up when they happen, I feel quite sickly too. I was advised for first 2-3 days to eat sloppy food only ie..soup, mash potato, porridge etc. today i started my sloppy lumpy food, so far so good, i had half a weetabix in warm milk for breakfast, and quarter mash pear, I chewed until it almost dissolved in my mouth before swollowing, I havent felt hungry at all but now 9 hours later just had sloppy mash with cod flakes and chewed well before swollowing. I know i shouldnt wait 9 hours inbetween food, but i just am not feeling hungry, plus when i get the gastric pain it really wipes me out, i slept almost 3 hours this afternoon. I have had to go sick the last 3 days, but hoping i am well again enough to return back tomorrow. I am drinking plenty of water tho, even though i am sickly i have been able to keep everything down, i was only sick the once, that was the first day if my balloon insertion.

I am 5ft 3 inch and i weighed in at 20st 4lbs before my insertion, I was shocked to see that as I just had body stat test done at the gym a week before and weighed in at 19st 7lbs. I am sure the excess was due to me doing my last bit binging before my insertion...

thanks for reading.
michelle
 
Gastric Balloon

Had my balloon fitted 9th. June have been sick every since. Billious most of the time, dry reach contantly, live on buscopan and nexium, have lost about 5 kg.s but at a price. Going back into hospital Sat. 10th to have another gastroscopy to investigate if the balloon has dropped or moved in some way. When I spoke to my doctor he said my case very unusual, IS IT?? OR IS THIS MORE THE NORM THAN NOT. Please respond.
 
If you read back in this and similar threads, you'll see that unfortunately, your case is nothing unusual. A lot of people suffer with nausea, vomitting, stomach cramps, fatigue and all those things. I doubt that your case is something that people haven't come across before, but of course, considering the price for the balloon and everything, the nurse and doctors would tell you that it is unusual.

When my gastric bypass nearly killed me, I was told that it was my fault, and completely unusual. After some research, I found out it's a common complication which they should have warned me about. Never forget that surgeries like these are mainly about money for the doctors, not about your personal well-being. Sad, but true.
 
Its 3 weeks since i had my balloon inserted, and i feel great, a week ago I went back to the gym and according to their scales i was just over a stone lighter, a week before my balloon was inserted i had a body stat test done at the gym so i can go by their scales, i promised myself i wouldnt go on the scales all the time, just around once every 3-4 weeks, I dont want to be disappointed if i dont see any weight come off.

I have noticed, i feel hungry on a morning, i have my breakfast, then lunch, then by tea time i just feel too sickly to eat, by bed time i feel stuffed as if i had just eaten a huge meal, i drink water alot, at least 2L a day, but i feel i am a little dehydrated, the signs are there,...next step is the docs i think.

I can lie on my left side as i feel sickly all night, so i stick to my front, back and right side...dont know why that is. I tend to feel sickly quite alot but my body just wont react to it and i cant vomit, I do eat much smaller portions, and feel i eat better too, although I can still have a blow out, like the odd chomp, or curlywurly...etc. I am very impatient and want to see what i look like in 4 months...or even how much weight i will have lost..
 
Michelle

You might need to move your balloon. I find that if I am feeling sickly it is because my balloon has shifted down and I need to move it back up. I lie on my back and I can feel it and then I gently push it up and to the left. My best spot is just in under my ribs. If my whole abdomen is soft, then the balloon is up under my ribs. I suppose everyone's best spot is different. My doctor did say to lie on my left side to shift it, but I can't feel it very well like that, but sometimes I will tilt to the left to help it shift. Hope that helps. Oh - I also find that I eat even less at night. The morning through to lunch seems to be my best eating time and then nothing in the afternoon usually and a light dinner. If you are drinking over 2l a day that is way more than me. I would be a litre to 1.5l and my hydration levels are fine.
 
Same as you

DRIVEZY said:
Had my balloon fitted 9th. June have been sick every since. Billious most of the time, dry reach contantly, live on buscopan and nexium, have lost about 5 kg.s but at a price. Going back into hospital Sat. 10th to have another gastroscopy to investigate if the balloon has dropped or moved in some way. When I spoke to my doctor he said my case very unusual, IS IT?? OR IS THIS MORE THE NORM THAN NOT. Please respond.
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I had my balloon fitted on 10th August. I've been the same, I've been so sick and have chronic indigestion and acid. It's gradually settling, at least i'm not throwing up as much but is that because of the anti-sickness pills i dont know. I'm belching for England, you can't take me anywhere at the mo.

How did you get on when you went back to hospital?
 
Hi,

Sorry, feel as though I'm jumping in in the middle of someone's conversation here, but just want to warn everybody - PLEASE go really carefully when the balloon comes out. Mine came out in March, and I have now regained one & a half stone (which is 50% of what I lost whilst the balloon was in place. :( ).

Why has this happened? Well, various reasons - since it came out, I've had a foreign holiday, 2 big family parties, a couple of visits to relatives, various other social occasions; all of which have made it hard to stay on track. But I think the balloon experience also made me feel very deprived of the foods I enjoyed, and it was too tempting to "make up for lost time" when it came out. You think to yourself "ooh, I'll just relax & enjoy myself for a week or two, and then get back on the straight & narrow" - but in my case, the last bit was easier said than done. So I'm feeling really sorry for myself now, although I know there's only me to blame :nopity:

At least I am not right back at square one - yet! (still 1 & a half stone lighter than before the balloon went in) and I now feel ready to really try and get back on track - will probably join a slimming club & see how that goes.

Sorry if I've brought the mood down for everyone - it's just that I know that not many people bother to post on here after removal of the balloon, so I thought it was fair to warn everyone to be on their guard. Of course, my case may not be typical (hopefully not anyway!).

Good luck to everyone who is going through the balloon experience at the moment - just don't do what I've done; it's a hell of a lot of money down the drain!! :banghead: Take care everyone xx:seeya:
 
Hi Cuddlymum

Thanks for the word of warning....i often worry about that, my balloon is due to come out around 30th December....In a way I hope its well into Jan when they send for me.

I have gone off track for the past week and gained 4lbs, and really need to get focused again, so it shows just how easy it goes on and how hard we have to work to get it off, its harder to stay focused to keep it off after too, the Balloon is meant to help condition our brains into eating smaller portions for when it comes out. But it doens help in telling us what we are eating is the 'wrong' sort of foods, that is all down to us.

I wish you luck in getting back on track and getting those pounds off again.
 
Hi Michelle,

You're so right about how easily the weight can go back on! It's so much easier to gain than it is to lose, huh? :rolleyes:

I have actually now joined a diet class (Slimming World) to try to get back on track. I've tried diet classes before, with little success - but I think the whole balloon experience has changed my attitude (well, put it this way, I know I never want to go through 6 months like that again - or anything remotely similar!!) I have realised I need a long-term plan where I don't feel deprived; and Slimming world is a good diet for people with big appetites - but I know it's going against everything the balloon was trying to achieve!!
Anyway, I lost 6 pounds at my first weigh-in, so it seems to be working! :hurray:(only had one weigh-in so far).

With hindsight, I wish I had joined a class as soon as the balloon came out. Or at least got SOMEONE to monitor my weigh (eg family Dr or whatever). That's a suggestion others might wish to consider? With my balloon company, I do get telephone support for a year (due to finish soon) but I've found it's been as much use as a chocolate fire-guard! :( I've lied on the phone to the woman! :eek: - I really need face-to-face support!).

Anyway, rambling on a bit here - I don't think I really have much more to contribute to this particular forum, but I may pop on from time to time to see how everyone is getting on!

Take care x :seeya:
 
I had my ballon in Jan and lost 10kgs in the first month then the balloon just stopped working for me and i put back the weight. I was so disappointed I wanted it out but couldn't afford it then. I could eat and drink as much as I wanted. Anyhow I then started doing exercise and I went to a weight loss specialist who then told me about hcg. I started going for the injection once in 10 days and he said I could eat anything before 3pm. its worked well for me. Personally the balloon only worked for me in the first month coz I was sick 90% of the time so the weight did go down. So I think it does work for others but unfortunately didn't work for me coz the lady I went with lost about 30kg on the balloon but since i've started the hcg i've lost 20kg. still have another 20kg to lose but i'm happy with where i am now. if i do crave for choc i do have it but before 3pm and i find that because of the results i see my eating habits are much better.
thot i should share my experience
 
hi i am day 4 from my balloon fitted
feeling very very sick of gases but i am the best of the rest:) cause i went and made my balloon in silence no one knows i did so my doctor asked me to take pain killers i am taking too much only drinking water and a little juice i didnt vomitt at all but really not feeling good sometimes i feel i am delivering my 3rd boy :) from contractions i dont know please tell me what exactly your doctor asked u take improving these gases i keep walking and walking to berb sorry but i am feeling horrible and did yr doctor allow u to take painkillers i hope god bless us it is really painfull
 
hi i am day 4 from my balloon fitted
feeling very very sick of gases but i am the best of the rest cause i went and made my balloon in silence no one knows i did so my doctor asked me to take pain killers i am taking too much only drinking water and a little juice i didnt vomitt at all but really not feeling good sometimes i feel i am delivering my 3rd boy from contractions i dont know please tell me what exactly your doctor asked u take improving these gases i keep walking and walking to berb sorry but i am feeling horrible and did yr doctor allow u to take painkillers i hope god bless us it is really painfull
 
Hello my name is Vanessa,29 years old and I am 25 kg overweight. I am thinking about having the gastric balloon surgery but I am a lil scared. I am working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. Will I be able to go to work after the surgery?
 
vanessaS said:
Hello my name is Vanessa,29 years old and I am 25 kg overweight. I am thinking about having the gastric balloon surgery but I am a lil scared. I am working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. Will I be able to go to work after the surgery?
Click to expand...

I had the gastric balloon and my body rejected it, the clinic failed to tell me that 5% of people may reject the balloon, so after 4 weeks of constant vomiting the balloon was removed. The clinic was very kind and helpful until I had to have the balloon removed, now they so much as don't even return my questions or emails.
Make sure you do your research, from what I have since be told, the band is better tolerated than the balloon.
All the best, I am regretting this experience and feel I was ripped off.
 
Hi Vanessa,

Read your post and just wanted to let you know that having the balloon was the best decision I ever made. The first week was pretty rough and I wondered what the hell I had done and every now and then I had a bad day but not to say a so bad I couldn't work. I know everyone is different and for the first couple of weeks I didn't lose but todate I've lost 21kgs and have no regrets. would do it again in a heart beat.

Good luck and hope your choice is the right one for you.

Bonnybee
 
Bonnybee said:
Hi Vanessa,

Read your post and just wanted to let you know that having the balloon was the best decision I ever made. The first week was pretty rough and I wondered what the hell I had done and every now and then I had a bad day but not to say a so bad I couldn't work. I know everyone is different and for the first couple of weeks I didn't lose but todate I've lost 21kgs and have no regrets. would do it again in a heart beat.

Good luck and hope your choice is the right one for you.

Bonnybee
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Hi Bonnybee,
Congratulations, I have also heard of the wonderful results with the balloon, unfortunately my body didn't tolerate it.
Can you please tell me how many cc's of saline were in your balloon?
thanks,
Drul
 
Im sorry to hear that Drul....
I just had my balloon done two days ago and I am not feeling good at all. I can hardly walk and I have cramps all day long... I am hoping that it will get better. I dont have apetite and I just want to sleep...
Bonny how long ago did u have the surgery?
 
Hi Drul,

I had 600cc of saline put in. Sorry your's didn't work, like I said it was the best thing I ever decieded to do and would do it again. Have to admitt I haven't made it very easy for my poor balloon, I love lemon juice and chillies so eat them on everything, but luckly haven't once suffered from heartburn etc. Oh and sadly I also drink which ain't a good thing but have still been lucky enough to loose quite alot.

Take care
Bonnybee
 
vanessaS said:
Im sorry to hear that Drul....
I just had my balloon done two days ago and I am not feeling good at all. I can hardly walk and I have cramps all day long... I am hoping that it will get better. I dont have apetite and I just want to sleep...
Bonny how long ago did u have the surgery?
Click to expand...

Hi Vanessa,
The cramps go avvay after about three days, so it vvill get better, you probably vvere prescribed some painkillers and antispasm medication that is making you tired, once the cramps stop you vvon't need those. I hope that clinics are telling people to expect that they may have some pretty intense cramping for the first couple- three days.
Hope you are feeling better by tommorovv,
take care.
Drul
 
thank you Drul,

Im feeling a lil better. I am trying not to take the pain killer. the cramps comes and goes. Bonny are you taking any vitamines? how many times a day do you eat? I am not hungry at all but I am trying to have some yogurt or some toast.
The hospital did not tell me about the cramps :-(
 
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