The good, the baNd and the ugly.

Sep 30, 2011

I have a surgery date for my new band - November 1, 2011 at 7:30am.  I am very excited and also very apprehensive.  I don't want to have another band slip :( 
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August 24, 2011 Unbanded

Aug 26, 2011

Doing okay so far.  No pain.  Running errands, etc.  Decisions, decisions.  See the surgeon for a follow up in a week.  Will know more about what condition my stomach was in then.
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Very Long Story

Aug 23, 2011

It's a very long story but tomorrow, August 24, 2011, I will be having surgery to have a look at my band.  It will either be repositioned or removed.  The likelihood of it being repositioned are slim to none.   In the even that it's removed I will have the decision as to whether I want a new band or a sleeve in 2 months.  That decision could be influenced by the condition of my stomach after the band is removed.  I have been 6 months with no restriction and it's not pretty.  This is a result of a slipped band.  I suspect it occured on December 31 when I had the stomach flu and some intense vomiting.  This pretty much sucks but somehow I will make it work.  Things could be much, much worse in life.  It's only a lapband....
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Arm lift was February 10, 2011

Feb 21, 2011

I had my arm lift (brachioplasty) on Feb 10th.  It went very well and so far recupping has been okay too.  I got the drain out of my right arm today and am hoping for the one in the left arm to be out by the end of the week.  I will post comparison pictures in a few weeks.  My the largest part of my upper arm measured over 18 inches prior to surgery.  Today it measured about 14...and it's still a bit swollen.  I've been off since surgery day but go back to work tomorrow.  Wish me luck :)
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A year and a half...time for an arm lift

Jan 30, 2011

It's been 6 months since my last post.  Not a lot has changed weight-wise, although my size has gone down a bit more.  I have my brachioplasty surgery scheduled for February 10th at 1pm.  I am super nervous!! I don't like the idea of having a surgery and feel very foolish for having an elective surgery to solve a skin issue.  But..... I have my mind made up to go through with it.  As I have said before, my arms are exaggeratedly large.  I measured them today - keep in mind the actual arm/muscle portion is normal but has a huge amount of hanging skin/flesh - they measured 18 inches.  That is several inches larger than the men in the family, and they are fairly large guys.  As a visual, I can take a hair band (the kind the teenage girls wear to hold the stray hairs around the forehead/ears in place while play sports) and put it on my upper arm - it fits snuggly enough to hold in place.  I plan to document this portion of my journey so stay tuned....info and pictures to follow in the upcoming weeks. 
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~~~ONE YEAR~~~ 86+ pounds gone

Jul 16, 2010

The before/after pictures speak for themselves - check them out.

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Unfill

Jun 27, 2010

Reflux at night sucks!  I went in on Thursday, June 24 and we decided to take out a full cc.  I feel so much better now but don't have a lot of restriction.  I am going to make it work for me though.  It's a TOOL, April...it's a TOOL!!! 
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86+ gone

Jun 21, 2010

Well, I am coming up on the one year mark.  Just finished 11 months last week.  In reality it's gone just as smooth as I had hoped and I think I've lost more than I expected based on what I was told was the norm.  My next goal is onederland and should see that in about 5 more pounds.  My ultimate goal is not extravagant - just about 25 more pounds.

I've made a decision for brachioplasty this fall and am considering a tummy tuck by next summer.  Other areas could use some fixing up if I was in the 'getting awesome' business, but I am not.  I just want to take off the exaggerated effects of trouble spots I've had for years.  It's not that they are a little bulgy or rumplfy, its that they are massive and awkward.  It makes it hard to buy clothes in the correct size, as the upper arms are usually too small for the rest of the shirt to fit or if the arms fit the shirt is huge.  The same for pants - the legs are way too big if they fit through the tummy.  I like to say that 4 c-sections is to blame for that but I think it's more hereditary. 

Reflux continues, especially after last week's fill - refill actually, from when I got drained in prep for the minor surgery I had.  Even though I am at 5.25cc instead of 5.5 as I was, I feel much more restriction.  So - I am going to give it another week to even out and if it doesn't I am going in for an unfill.  I don't like not being able to eat or drink after 6pm in order to avoid the reflux when I drift off to sleep.

Would I do it again?  YES!!
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Bumps

May 13, 2010

Have had a couple of bumps in the road but nothing I can't handle.  After the unfill, which I previously mentioned, I did fine for a while.  About 5 weeks ago it was necessary for me to have a gynocological procedure that required anesthesia, so I saw my band surgeon and he took out a lot of fluid in prep for surgery.  He left me with 3.75cc.  I went in 2 weeks later and had 1cc added taking me back up to 4.75cc.  I don't have a lot of restriction but I still have a very mild case of reflux at night so I am not getting a fill.  I can eat supper as early as 6pm and still burp the taste of what I last ate the next morning.  I found if I take 3 Tums an hour before bed I am much better. 

So - it's going to rely on me more than the band right now.  I have only lost 5 pounds since my last update of having lost 75 pounds on March 10.  Recently I hit 80 pounds.  I have 30 more to go to get to my goal. 

Sooooo wish me luck!!  Hope you all are well.

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-75

Mar 11, 2010

just sayin'... minus 75... 
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About Me
MO
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Surgery
07/15/2009
Surgery Date
Nov 18, 2008
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