Just Call Me Queen Antacid.

Gyno:

I am now the proud owner of a shiny new, installed merena IUD.  The installation SUCKED.  it was almost as bad as the uterine biopsy.  First she had to "measure my uterus"  It was exactly as painful as a half-time biopsy.  After I finished yelping and the assistant instructed me to take cleaning (labor anyone?) breaths.  She said "ok now that is the worst of it'  followed by "except for just this" as she poked me up in a way that felt like pin the tail on the ovary.  I yelped a gian F**ck while laying on her exam table and viola…The sucker was installed.  Menopause junk hopefully solved.

Upper Endoscopy:

Two days later I went in for an upper endoscopy to check out the status of my band, esophagus and stomach.  The doctor who performed the exam, unlike the gyno. was very interested in the fact that I was retaining water like no tomorrow.  He poked and prodded my left ankle and said..yes, if you are having edema like this in your legs all of your internal organs are bloated up too.  I was out in seconds after he said it and woke up goodness knows how long later back in the prep room.  I was a tad miffed that he told all of what he saw to my husband and didn't even wait long enough to at least have me listen in a woozy state.  He said to my husband that: yes my esophagus and stomach were 'inflamed'.  He said that he took a biopsy and he said if it keeps up they will  probably need to pull the band (my knight in shining armor of a husband said--I don't see how inflamed automatically means she will not be able to lose the band.  why so?  and he said it put the doctor off and he back pedaled.

Lame Fill:

I immediately went to my next appointment-band fill.  We discussed the Upper endoscopy but she had no results.  She said they would be done in a week (it has now been 9 days and no results).  She then said that my new meanie surgeon would only allow me to have one cc of fluid into my band per month.  It is going to be almost a full year!!!  She gave me my measly 1cc and sent me on my way.

The result:

The merena IUD is pretty awesome.  It kicked in about 2 days ago.  I had a single moment where I got a little misty for  no reason whatsoever but that was really it.  The water has been shedding.  I can get my wedding rings back on.  No bleeding thus far.  On the down side I am having 3 hot flashes a night. Like clockwork-3 am, 5 am and 8am.  it is the really hardcore kind too..wakes me up all of the way when I am scrambling to get every inch of blanket off pronto.

The fill has had brief moments of a little bit of change-like I needed to slow down a little and chew more but..no restriction really.  I am happy I can feel anything but I have a long way to go..My weight topped at 202 when I got my fill.  I have not gained any more but I have no lost anything either.  I do think the end of water retention has helped with the stomach pain and shoulder pain a lot.

I have also been religiously taking a prilosec in the morning and two tums before bed at night.  Who knows what the magic is but for now..I am hedging all of my methods.  I do not want to lose this band.

so..mixed results but a bit of promise I hope.