Mommyslittlemonster

Almost 5 months PO

Banded in 2006 Haven't Regretted It Yet! - Federal Way, WA

Tummy Tuck As Part of my Mommy Makeover- Amazing! - Mountlake Terrace, WA

Totally depends on you, everyone is different. I personally lost 18 pounds before my surgery even happened, thanks to the liquid diet I had been on for three weeks prior. I think I lost about 60 pounds altogether in the first eight months or so. I hovered around 70 pounds down for several years until finally I lost an additional 30 pounds in the last three years or so. It's been 7 years and I'm still 10-15 pounds from goal. For me, I got so close to my goal weight and became so healthy, the goal itself stopped being so important. I think I realized that ultimately, being healthy was the real goal, and I've achieved that.

I just read your story and looked at your pictures and wanted to say you look awesome! Good job on your massive accomplishment. Have you had any work done on your upper arms? Your arms look super thin and I was curious. I've lost 115 pounds and had my TT and BA/BL five months ago, all that is good but I still have extra skin on my arms.

I wish! I was self-pay for both procedures. Thank God for my dad, who paid for the lap-band and then seven years later, co-signed for the care credit so I could have my mommy makeover. Thank you!

The surgery and recovery was easy. I was back to work the next week. The only issue I had was the clear liquid diet I was required to be on afterward. I found that I wasn't getting enough calories and it was making me weak and dizzy. They let me start on full liquids early because of this and everything was fine. An on-going problem was pb'ing (productive burping) and that is strictly a result of over-eating, and causes the lap-band version of vomiting. If you don't overeat, you don't have this problem. By year 7 (about 6 months ago) I started having heart burn that wouldn't go away. I hadn't seen anyone at the lap band center in years so I finally decided to go in. They took all of the saline out of my band (which I needed to do anyway as I was about to have a tummy tuck) and within 12 hours or so, the problem was gone. So this probably means my band had slipped and by taking the fill out, it was able to slip back in place. I have not gone back in for a fill and I don't plan to. I have no restriction now and I don't feel that I really need it as I have developed good habits and can lose weight without the help of my band. I am at about 150 pounds and within 10 pounds of my goal.

Originally he wanted to wait at least six month from my initial surgery but then because I've been having healing issues with my vertical incision on my right breast, he wants to take care of it sooner rather than later.