Wednesday, June 24, 2009

This was a post that I did not publish...why, I dunno know...there are several. So, I am going through the list of "draft" posts and will be publishing them...then I will get back on track!

Eleven years...thin, some would even say skinny. You see, 11 years ago, I had what is called a Vertical Banded Gastroplasty. It was, and still is, the best thing I could have ever done for myself...but with risks, which I will refer to my personal risks after the outline.

  • The short and long-term risks of vertical banded gastroplasty include:
    Incisional hernia.
    Dehiscence.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Formation of a stricture at the site of the plastic band.
  • Damage to the spleen. Due to the close proximity of the stomach.
  • Regaining weight. A 10-year follow-up study of 70 patients who had had a VBG found that only 20% (14) of the patients had lost and kept off the loss of 50% of their excess body weight.
  • Ongoing vomiting and heartburn. About 20% of patients with VBGs report long-term digestive difficulties.
    Psychological problems. Some people have difficulty adjusting to the changes in their outward appearance and to others' changed reactions to them.

Now, that being said...
On December 29, 2008 I had to have surgery to fix the band eroding through my stomach and esophagus. There were a whole mess of complications going into the surgery and few more thanks to the doc cutting my spleen. Since the repair, I CAN EAT everything without getting sick. I have gained weight, which terrifies me but most importantly, I feel so much better. I am having problems with extremely low energy, from the spleen complications. This is a big issue! And the Rheumatoid and Fibro does not help, as it is a very common complaint among RA and Fibro patients.
Today is one of those days. This last weekend was fast, fun and furious but boy am I paying for it today.

So, do I recommend a lap band type of surgery for morbid obese patients? Yes, I sure do!

Have a beautiful day and a better tomorrow!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I never would have know the old you was you, Arlene. You certainly look like a million bucks today. Hope you're doing well. I miss you.

Terry said...

Hello Arlene,
WOW, you look amazing and you've kept it off for 11 years. Maybe I should get one of those, ... probably too expensive for me. I do have a rusty utility knife and a couple of zip ties in the shop, how hard could it be to do it yourself?

You're right, the RA and the RA drugs both promote fatigue. My RA had me exhausted Tuesday and I slept 14 hours, I don't think I ever slept 14 hours as a teenager or from a hangover!

You look great, take care of yourself and keep up the good work.

John Tessman said...

wOW CUZ !! DANG TO THINK WE ARE RELATED LOL YOU LOOK LIKE MILLION BUCKs ! Praise god your doing so well keep it up..Terri sends her love as well as I ..