JulieNYC

Oh goodness, I didn't mean to worry anyone! Thanks for checking in on me. I'm doing just fine, particularly in terms of the surgery recovery. I'm about 95% recovered and am back to running. My seromas have mostly resolved. I don't have to drain them any more (no fluid is accumulating). I still have one little ball of tissue in each leg, but you have to press on it to see it/feel it, and it gets smaller every day. Dad said it'll take about 6 weeks to go away entirely. It doesn't matter at all -- I'm glad to be at this stage of the recovery. I'll take some pics today. The only thing really going on is my depression is out of control again, which is why I haven't been on the boards much -- it makes it easy for me to withdraw from most everything. I changed my medicine, so hopefully I'll get some relief soon, but that's what's going on. I got a fill and my fill level's pretty good and my weight's steady. I'd like to lose 10 more lbs for my summer marathon -- mostly to get to my best running weight, not because I think I'd look better -- that's a weird thing to say. Anyway, that's the update. I'm glad yall are all doing well too. Take care, Julie

I find people are always complaining about their bands, one way or another, in the waiting room. I try to be really positive and vocal because if I were a new patient listening to all that, I'd be scared to death. And, for most new patients sitting in that waiting room, the band is their best shot at good health, so I want them to want it.

One day you will cross your legs and they will touch all the way down and you will even loop your toes back around the back of your calf a second time without even realizing it. Sometimes I forget how much I love my band. :-)

I'm eating black bean soup for lunch (they like us to do liquids/mushies for a couple of days post fill and I usually don't comply but for a meal or two, but I'm still in compliance mode, haha). I actually feel a difference even on soup. YAY. And I can honestly say I have no desire for Skittles at the moment. I hope I stay full and that the Skittles monster stays at bay! If so, maybe I can actually knock off these last few lbs, get to goal, and turn my focus to maintenance! Wouldn't that be incredible....

I got a fill this morning -- I'm hoping that will help. Actually, I'm certain it will help and I feel good about that. As it turns out, I only had 8.0 in my band, which isn't enough for me. I'm best somewhere between 9.0 and 9.5. So, he put me back up to 9.0 (which is where I thought I was -- I don't want to think about whether I have a leak, or whether Dad just thought he put in 9.0 and he really didn't -- let's hope the latter). I already feel the difference. If it's mental, I don't care, as long as I keep feeling the difference! Bad depression, bad boy problems, bad work week. Luckily, things should calm down at work come Friday. Hope yall are all well.

Well, my legs are better. There are still knots in both of them, but they aren't filling with Fluid anymore (knock on wood), so the knots should get smaller and smaller until they go away. In the meantime, I've started running again, but only very limited distances (under 5 miles) until I see a little more progress with my recovery. I just couldn't sit out altogether -- I was so depressed and beginning to not function (wild) and exercise is the only natural combattant I have. Anyway, it should all be fine. I have to tell you, though. I've been horribly depressed. It's not weight related -- at least not directly so -- it's just my normal depression. I'm so very lonely at core. It doesn't help to simply not "be alone" -- sometimes being with people makes it worse. Anyway, it's a struggle. I'm dating a lot, which in some ways makes it worse too -- like it highlights what's missing in my life, if that makes sense. Anyway, I'm tired of my own problems, so I guess that's my cue to quit writing!

Right leg seroma is GONE. WOOHOO! It's still got a little knot there, but it'll resolve over time and you can't see it -- you have to press on the leg to feel it. YAY. Left leg is much improved. We're not going to drain it anymore and see if it keeps getting smaller on its own. By the end of the weekend I should know whether I'm truly on the mend. Dad says I should be able to return to running in about 2 weeks. YAY YAY YAY. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

That all sounds about right. Driving in 10 days is about right. Don't expect it to be sooner though -- it really will take you 10 days because you're not supposed to stand up straight to put any strain on the tightened muscles during those early days. I felt pretty bad for about a week, then started feeling better and better. My drains from the TT came out in day 6 or 7, I believe. By that point I could hobble around my house and do MILD things (like microwave soup for myself, but I couldn't have cooked dinner for the family, etc.). By 3 weeks out, I will NOT tell you I was 100%. I could certainly have driven kids around and gone to baseball games, etc. by that point (I was back at work, for example), but I tired more easily for a full 6 weeks. I just required more sleep, required more sitting, etc. than what I'd call "full speed." I'm sure you can make it work -- you want and deserve this for YOU!

I'm pretty sure you can lipo nearly every are of the body, including the calves and the ankles, if it's really an issue of fat. If it's an issue of skin, they can extend the medial thigh lift down the entire length of the leg -- not just to mid thigh or to the knee (what I have). That's very uncommon, but I read it can be done in extreme cases. If it's just genetics and you have thicker calves in muscle, I don't know what can be done for that, other than lengthening exercise like pilates and running. There may be something, but I have never researched it. Good luck!

Boo, Increase distances a tiny bit at a time. No more than 10% per week, ok? You should only get that heavy feeling on the very, very end of your longest run. 7 miles into a 10 mile run is too early. My opinion is you risk injury that way, so take it easy. Slow down if you have to. Increasing speed or increasing distance -- never both, ok? I had to stop running again to get my leg seromas under control. I think I'm going to sit out a full 2 more weeks. I hate it, but these things have just GOT to go away. The last thing I want is drains put back in. UGH. Safe training! Hugs, Julie

Well, I MIGHT MIGHT MIGHT be turning the corner on the seromas. My right leg is dramatically improved. If it stays this way, I might not have to drain it again -- it might resolve completely on its own. Last time I drained it was 2 days ago and I only got out 4 cc's (that's very, very little) and though there's still a little knot there, that's normal post seroma and should resolve itself. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, God. The left leg is better too -- not as much better, but I am seeing some improvement. It's not filling up as quickly or quite as much. Still about 15 cc's at a time, which means I have to keep draining it, but it was at about 40cc's, so there IS some progress. Keep your fingers crossed for me. And I haven't even done the betadine treatments yet, so there's still one thing to try if the left leg doesn't resolve. Lynn and Aura, I will answer you both, I'm just fighting heavy depression right now and this update is all I've got right now. I promise I'll come back to address the rest as soon as I can.

I'm sorry I've been out of touch. Work has been INSANE and my seromas are no better, so I really don't have much to report. I'm fighting a bit of depression but I'll try to do better at checking in. We're trying a new technique with the needle draining this weekend -- something to do with betadine (sp?) that I expect I'll be injecting into myself. Glory be. I don't know the details yet -- it just arrived at my office and Dad hasn't called be to tell me what to do with it yet. Ugh. If this fails, apparently I have to go back to Mobile and have actual drains put back in my legs until the seromas go away. I don't know if I'd try to work during that or if I'd take a leave of absence. We'll see.

First, Boo, you're really freakin' funny! Love that line about wishing the garmin would lie like your scale. Haha! Me too! OK, I'm feeling really GOOD. I ran 6 miles today and felt SO STRONG and fit! I didn't run with my garmin because I knew the exact distance of the route I was running and I didn't want to time myself because I'm aggressive with my timed runs and I don't need to run aggressively until my legs are really healed. Anyway, it was a GREAT run, I mean a really great run! It felt so good to be back on track. And I think I've done really well to have so much surgery back-to-back -- essentially 12 straight weeks off running -- and still be able to comfortably run 6+ miles at a reasonable speed. YAY! I was so worried about that! Anyway, that's all my news. I hope yall are doing as well! Tell me stories!

Dawn, I have the Garmin 305 and can't live without it. The minuses are that it take a long time (3 min maybe, but feels like forever) to locate the satellite, but once it does, it really does a great job at logging your distance and speed. I feel the distance is EXTREMELY accurate. The speed is accurate on average (say, every .25 mile) but at any given SECOND can be wildly off (meaning it might say you're running 13 miles an hour when you're really running 6 or vice versa). On the positives, I NEVER feel like I have to run on a treadmill to get awesome stats about my run and I always feel like it's really precise. Last month's Runners' World had a great article comparing and contrasting several models -- you might see if you can find it (I've already thrown mine out because the new one came).

Well, today's the day I was medically released to run (not sure exactly how the seromas alter that, but, anyway) and it was SO GLORIOUS!!!! I did 4 easy miles on the treadmill (sorry Dawn, even 25 degrees is too darn cold for me!!). New fancy treadmills at my gym -- love them! They have pictures you can choose from on an LCD panel, like if you want to run around a track, etc. I really like the track concept. We have no good tracks in NYC (some exist but really small -- no 1/4 mile "normal" tracks), so to run on a tread and watch the little dot go around a track is actually really neat. It's good for speed training and I didn't hate it, despite really hating running indoors. So YAY!! We're all on track with exercise!! I'm still kinda out of control with the food and looking forward to a fill, but at least the exercise is back on track. xoxoxoxox! WAY TO GO BOO ON YOUR 10 MILES!

Yeah, I went from a "big" size 8 to a regular 7. Threw out every pair of shoes I owned and bought about 15 pair last month....

That's without a doubt the best idea I've ever heard! SOLD! Thanks to all for the thoughts. I cancelled the ski trip, have gotten work somewhat under control and otherwise feel more control than I did a few hours ago! Yay.

I did an hour on the elliptical this morning and felt great -- no swelling from it. Might have to live with that for a few more weeks until the seromas are completely gone. For the moment, they're improving, but still there. Draining every 3 days now though instead of every day, so that's easier to deal with.... Betty, keep up the exercise and the food will get better in tandem, you know? I need a fill. I'm going in the second week in Feb and I can make it till then, but I ate 3 pieces of pizza (like full on NY pizzeria pizza) with no problems whatsoever on Sunday. Weight's still hanging tight, so no panic, but that's no good.

Well, insurance wouldn't cover VNS and my PCP won't do it for me. Now, I could cover the VNS costs myself and flex spend it, but I've gotten better with the draining. I'm going to do it myself for now. Plus, it IS slowing down. I'm only draining every 3 days now, instead of every day. I do think there's light at the end of the tunnel, but I think it'll take a couple more weeks to clear up. Meanwhile, I had a binge eating weekend. Hate that. I guess I'll always de-stress with food, on some level. I'm back on track this morning. Tracking calories for a few days, more to feel in control with food than to lose weight at this point (not that losing a couple of lbs wouldn't be nice). Mostly I'm just feeling out of control in life. Work is nuts, dating is weird -- too much interest from some, not enough from others, etc., not enough time in the day. I'm going to look at my calendar and see what I can cancel to feel more in control. Unfortunately, I think my ski trip's going to have to go. It's in 2 weeks and I'm just not healed enough and work is too nuts. Arrrggg!!

Betty, I'd bet you're just not used to the restriction and if you get back to very basics (chewing a bunch, little tiny bites, waiting between the first 3 bites, eatin 1/2-1 cup only at a time) you'll like your fill level. Possible? I'm going back to "old faithful" tomorrow -- counting calories and eating 900 of them/day. Time to be done with all this bullsh!t for me. I've not gained, but I'm making NO effort. I broke doctor's orders and tried to go for a run this morning. I went out for my 6 mile loop and 3 into it, my thighs were noticeably swelling, so I cut it short and came home, frustrated. I feel 100% -- why won't my thighs cooperate!!! Boo, scary about the drug deal - wow! Glad you moved along safely....Yes, you'll make your 10 miles, without a doubt....

A mid-C looks best on my 5'2 frame! Good luck!

Ugh. No. I tired of my bugg pretty quickly and I loaned it to my SIL to use for a while. The bugg is great, but it works best for me when I'm actively trying to break a plateau. That's when it's worth sacrificing my outfits over, you know? Wink.

Diane, I may be coming late into something that's already been discussed -- apologies (and I promise I'm going to get caught up on LBT this weekend!), but do you think maybe you need a fill? Don't struggle if you don't have to, you know? Thinking good thoughts for you, Julie

OK, so I called my PCP and she'll give me a referral to have a visiting nurse service come to my office 3 times a week and drain my seromas for as much as 6 weeks if I need them to. YAY. I don't know if I'm going to actually take her up on it, but knowing I don't HAVE to do it myself really takes the pressure off somehow. Ahhhhh.

I'm glad you're having such a good exercise week, Betty. That's great. Keep up the good work. You have to do all my exercise for me too, since I can't. I'm home in bed today. Just can't face the world right now. Too many needles. (I'll come out of this funk soon, promise).