frumpynomore

Today is day 11 and everything is moving right along. The Nurse called me yesterday to come in and have the 2nd drain tube removed! OMG! It feels great to no longer have drain tubes! The fluid in the tubes before they were removed was an orangish yellow and very thin. The incision area still doesn't hurt. The drain tube incisions are very sore but nothing Tylenol can't handle. Since the drain tubes have been removed I was cleared to sleep in a recliner. RIGHT! I sat down in it o.k. and had some trouble pulling the arm on the side to bring up my feet because it takes some stomach muscle BUT when I tried to push down the feet to get up I absolutely couldn't!!! My boyfriend and I tried everything to get me out of the chair without a pull on my stomach. My boyfriend even tied a rope from the leg of the dresser so I could help pull myself forward but that apparently takes stomach muscles too and I just couldn't do it. So, needless to say I'm back in bed on my back again! I'll give the recliner another try in a couple of days. Very upsetting! Other than that everything is going great. The nurse said bedrest for 3 more days to help prevent a seroma since the drain tubes are no longer there to release any fluid build-up. Real tired of laying down all the time but if it keeps a seroma from forming then I'm o.k. with being on my back a few more days!

PERFECT!

You are completely right... The VSG was nothing compared to the TT! I went back to work one week after my VSG and only had to deal with eating frustrations. The TT, to me, has been very painful and uncomfortable. It's not EXTREMELY painful and I would do it again in a second but it certainly puts you down for awhile and you HAVE to have help for at least the first 3 days. Everyone is different though and you may not have as tough experience as I am. The results will be well worth our time!! Thanks to eveyone for all the encouraging words and I'm glad to hear that I'm putting out a positive energy as my posts are not to bring anybody down but they are to be just one persons personal experience with a TT in hopes to maybe answer questions that others may have that might help them make a more informed decision of getting a TT an/or to provide a realistic account of what a person may go through in recovery of a TT. Thanks for all the support!!!!!!

The best advice I can give you is...do not worry. i have read on here of different incision pains and they all eventually go away. I wouldn't worry about the blurry vision either but you could call your doc and ask him to calm your nerves. The scale WILL go down. I know at several different times after surgery I and almost everyone else on here worries about the weight dropping. IT WILL as long as you are true to yourself and remain honest to your diet. That doesn't mean you have to be perfect either. Just do your best and if your diet falls off the wagon...pick yourself back up and get right back on it. Good luck on your journey!

Hello everyone! I had the VSG Dec 13, 2012 and am doing great! I have Fibromyalgia, arthritis, and Hoshimoto's which has attacked my thyroid and now have Hypothyroidism. I have taken all the drugs that have been mentioned already from you all and more. Nothing ever really made me feel remarkeably better so I have chosen to take the holistic and natural path and find that for the most part I feel better. I truly believe that the VSG did most of the work. I have been mostly concerned about whether or not I'm going to gain the weight back since I have so many ailments I'm fighting against. It's been a little over a year and I'm maintaining so far. I just had a TT Jan. 3rd, 8 days ago and am doing great. Am happy to have found a group that I can relate to!

I feel the same way as both of you. There have been a couple of women in other departments that have had bariatric surgery in the past years and this one woman constantly cuts them down for doing something "so ignorant" and " taking the easy way out". While she is about 60lbs overweight herself and pays for a gym membership for over a year and hasn't been there once and says she can't understand why she can't lose weight because she says she really doesn't eat that much or bad things while I watch her come in with Burger King or Wendy's for lunch and snacks on microwave buttered popcorn everyday for a snack!!! BUT this woman feels she can cut down other people that have decided to take control over their weight issues and finallyput a stop to the insanity! This woman is just one of many with the same opinion as others which is exactly why we find it hard to tell the " whole" truth. I would love to be able to be 100% truthful and open as this really goes against my natural grain of being honest and open to a fault but IT IS ME...It doesn't make us dishonest, wrong or indifferent...it's just the society that we live in...a form of self preservation and what we all have to deal with...

You are so welcome! It helps me from going stir crazy laying on my back.22-23 hours a day! Just got back from the doc and had my right drain tube removed. It was completely painless! In fact, it was like a relief. It feels great not to have it in. Doc said not to use the maxi pads over the incision anymore. The steri strips are still on it and if they begin to peel I'm to replace the peeled part with medical paper tape. He also said my binders were not tight enough. They should be extremely tight but with no pain. I also had to buy a piece of 1" foam from Michaels craft store. Doc said to cut it about 4" wide and long enough to go from right under the breast all the way down to the crotch. Lay it there and then put the binders on. It helps make the tummy flatter and reduces the swelling by adding cushion that the binders can push down on. So day 8 is going great so far! Oh, out of all my meds so today is the first day with no pain help except for Max strength Tylenol but I really don't have any pain just somewhat uncomfortable at times. I will definately be able to go back to work om Jan. 21st!

Got great news tonight...my doc's nurse emailed me to come in to thier office tomorrow and have my right drain removed! At 9:30am tomorrow morning it will be out! I can't wait! I've heard that it sort of hurts so I'm a bit nervous but overall I'm thrilled!

I completely agree...there are surgeons in the U.S. that are willing to do more than one procedure at a time. I am not taking any comments as argumentative at all as I have said I'm not a doc and God knows I know only my own experiences and information from the consults that I personally have had. I too don't want to misinform anyone. Thank you for clarifying as I often find myself cutting short my explanations or feelings when I'm typing it out and then once i've hit the "post" button I realize I should have explained better or made myself more clear as to what I was trying to say. I too am new to plastic surgeries and keep a very open mind to new information so all opinions and facts are welcome to me

WOW! If epidurals do not work on you then I believe you are making a very wise decision to postpone some of the procedures! Your natural instinct of being scared is telling you something and you are smart to listen to it. HUGE WARNING flag that the doc is still willing to do all those procedures at one time with you under general anesthesia! To be under as many hours as it will take to complete all those procedures is highly dangerous and increases your risk of death exponentially! I am not a doctor and it is not my intention to scare you or talk you out of anything but just from the research I have done I feel the need to voice my concerns to you. 48 hours of labor with no pain relief??!! Wow! You were put in to a situation where you HAD to have nerves of steel just to get through it! Your second child is lucky they exist after going through the first nonworking epidural!

WOOHOO! I've finally made it to Day 7! No new news. Everything is about the same as it was yesterday other than I feel like I am able to stand a little bit straighter and walk a little bit easier. Missed another medicine dose last night which means I got more sleep! I took some pics yesterday that I will post once I've recovered.

I CANNOT IMAGINE HAVING ANYTHING ELSE DONE WITH THE TT!!! I know people are doing it but they must have nerves of steel and an ungodly extreme high tolerance to pain!!! At least you are not going alone! Your apparently having it done out of country because U.S. docs won't do that many procedures at one time. I'm sure you are also aware that you will not be under general anesthesia and that is how the docs out of country can keep you on the table for so long performing so many procedures at one time. I wish you all the luck and I will keep you in my prayers for a speedy recovery and as least painful surgery as possible! I would love to see post pics!

DAY6 and everything is going great! I can stand a little bit straighter and I actually slept through my 2 am med schedule which means my pain level is down and I actually got to sleep longer than the usual 3 hour interval I'm going to take a few pics today so that at the end of my recovery I will post pre, during, and post TT pics.

Yes, Butterthebean, my VSG directions were very similar. It just kind of stinks but knowing it will increase the possibility of healing quicker than I will certainly put up with it! Today was much better than yesterday as it seems to be the pattern. My friend that has been coming during the day and helping me had a job interview today so I actually was on my own the whole day for the first time since surgery. I did fine with no problems. I can get up and down from bed with little pain now. It still hurts doing it but the stomach is less soar and I've got the technique down on how to position my body and how to pull up on the headboard to lift myself up and lower myself down. I found that it's just much easier to stand up while eating. Sitting just hurts the stomach and it feels like I might split a stitch or something. I just stand at the breakfast bar leaning over of course. It's also better because the food goes down easier. The binders really restrict food passage especially sitting down. The nurse emailed me today telling me that I can now start taking the drain tube fluid measurements twice a day instead of three times. That means that the drainage has reduced enough that I don't have to keep as close track of it. YaY! Drain tube removal is just around the corner. The best part of the day is changing your clothes in the morning. After wearing them and sleeping in them all night your body actually aches from the binders being in the same place so long. It feels so good to remove them and put them back on. Since I'm in bed 90%of the day I just wear sweat pants and a cammy that is long enough to pull down to the top of the thighs. You really want your shirt to be that long so you can wear the binders without them rubbing you raw or giving you blisters. I have to wear two "3 panel" type binders and one has to be wrapped around the groin area and the other overlaps the bottom one and goes up under the ribs. With all the stretching your stomach is very numb so the binders can give you blisters without you even knowing it. The day after surgery you can take off the gauze or bandages. There is paper tape covering the incision. So that the binders don't rub the incision raw or open I use 2 thick generic maxi pads. I wear the sticky sides out so they stick to my cammi and hold the pads in place. Their a lot cheaper and fit just perfect. Well, another day down and one more day closer to a bikini swimsuit this summer!

I personally wouldn't trust any doctor that runs a sales special and advertises it! In fact, my cosmetic surgeon doesn't advertise at all. His website doesn't even advertise it just shows a picture and his phone number and address. My doc says its because a good surgeon doesn't need to advertise...they get more business then he can handle by word of mouth he said and to always beware of a doctor, lawyer or dentist that advertises!

Yes, I've asked him 3 different times now. I explained to him before the surgery that I have a high tolerance to painkillers due to being on them for various operations and for long periods of time. His reasoning is that they keep you too sedated for his liking. He wants his patients alert and aware and not sleeping all the time. He said he wants movement, not alot, but enough to also prevent blood clots and he said that his experience is that his patients heal faster and get back to normal daily activity if they are not on painkillers such as Darvocet or Demoral. He wants me to get up out of bed every 1-2 hours and just walk around for a little bit. So, it's hard to understand right now but it makes sense and I am coming along pretty good so maybe he's got it right. I am getting plenty of rest though since he also requires me to lay down most of the day. It's just that the sleep is on and off throughout the day and night for short intervals. I don't feel tired really just would like to sleep some of the pain away...

I actually had correspondence with Dr. Sauceda and got a quote for various procedures. After many emails and questions I had I found out why Mexico docs are willing to perform MANY procedures at one time. I was told by the doc that he would do a full body lift, a thigh lift,and a boob lift with new implants all in one operation for $16k. I then went to 3 stateside doc consults and 2 of them would only do one area at a time and the third would do 2 at one time. This made no sense to me so I emailed Dr. Sauceda back and asked how is it that in the states docs don't want to do more than one or two at a time because of the time you will be under general anesthesia but he is willing to do everything at once which will keep me under for 10-12 hours??? He emailed me back and told me they don't put you under general anestesia!!!!!! They give you a local twighlight that puts you in a twilight sleep so you are NOT completely out and you CAN wake up in the middle of it. I'm sorry but I'm just not willing to take that chance! I've heard alot of good about Dr. Sauceda though if someone is brave enough!

WOW! First I want to tell you that you look FABULOUS! CONGRATS on your weightloss and how quickly you have done it! Your apparent dedication is inspiring! I just had a TT but I didn't have real loose skin or scarring above the belly button. I have seen on Youtube and/or other websites some TT's that were done with excess loose skin and scarring above the belly button and although the new tummy was not perfectly smooth it still looked GREAT and the bottom line was the patients loved it and they no longer had to deal with the extra skin issues. None of us will ever have a bathing suit models belly but does it really matter? We are REAL people that have experienced real problems and issues that we have OVERCOME AND DEFEATED and have come out the other side as better people. Trust me...you will be happier with however your belly comes out looking after whatever plastic you decide on. I'm still healing from mine and really don't know what the final outcome is going to look like but I can tell you that as long as it is flatter and I don't have the loose skin issues to deal with in clothes then I will be 100% satisfied as I , like you and all the others on this blogsite, are already WINNERS! Good luck on your journey!

I started noticing light hair loss around 6 months and at 7 months there was no denying it. Everytime I showered the drain would clog up with my hair and the water would be just over the top of my feet due to nondrainage. Tehn when I combed it out another handful would come out. At 10 months out I noticed there was no more pooling of water around my feet. There is still a little but not enough to clog the drain. I'm almost 13 months out and haven't noticed any regrowth yet. I'd say I've lost 1/2 the thickness of my hair. I bought a wig but it hurts my head to wear it all day so I rarely wear it. I just fix it the best way I can to limit how thin it looks and hope for the best. I'm holding on to what everyone says about it eventually coming back!

No luck with sleeping more than a couple of hours at a time. It must be due to the way I have to elevate my legs...flat on back with no pillow for no head elevation, knees straight up from hips and feet straight out from knees. It doesn't allow for any movement so when you unconsciously need to move in your sleep you physically can't so I think that's what wakes me up. I wake up with the worst back ache and have to get up out of bed and move around for 5 minutes or so and take this time to use the bathroom too. Getting up and down from bed is the most painful part of moving. You CANNOT physically do it alone for the first 3 days. Yesterday was my first day that I could hang on to the headboard with one hand pulling myself up at a partial slant to the side while my other hand pushed down on the bed behind me. Very painful to do but I must be able to conquer it by myself completely by Wednesday because I will no longer have anyone around during the day to help me. I hired a friend of a friend that just happened to have gotten laid off from work not long ago to stay with me during the day to help me out while my boyfriend is at work. Her last day is today, Tuesday, my day 5. I've been paying her $75 per day which sounds expensive but it includes her helping me with everything from the first horrible couple of days when I had to do a standing squat over the toilet to urinate and she had to hold me up and then clean me up and the floor, give me my meds empty the drain collection cups, prepare my breakfast and lunch and fix dinner before she left. She has had to run to the store for me and does the topical daily house cleaning. She has been a godsend and I couldn't have done it without her! Nobody will be able to do this alone and don't even think about trying it alone! I can do everything myself now just very slowly and movement is still very uncomfortable BUT again it gets a little better everyday. I made a grave mistake in not taking into account the amount of max strength Tylenol I had left last night! I woke up a couple of hours ago and it was time for my meds, Tramadol and Extra strength Tylenol (Celebrex every 12hours) and I am out of the Tylenol. You are probably saying to yourself that Tylenol isn't much of a painkiller anyways but when all your doc will give you is Tramadol, a very light painkiller, the Tylenol becomes extremely important to help with the pain. So, needless to say the pain will not completely go away and I'm holding my breath waiting for my friend to get here to run to the store for me. Overall I still feel better than yesterday. Progress...day by day.

WOW! You look like the little sister to your old self! Beautiful transformation you have made!

CONGRATULATIONS on the first day of the rest and BEST days of your life! I just had my 1 year anniversary on. Dec. 13th and yet it seems like it was just a month ago. The next year is going to fly by as you will be so consumed with the day to day positive changes in your life. So glad to hear that you faired the surgery well. Best of luck on your journey!

Today is day 4 and it is amazing how much better I feel today! I'm still on all the meds but the pain has definately dropped to just a level of discomfort. It's easier to walk and can stand a little bit straighter which has taken a lot of the pain out of my back. I showered for the first time this morning and I guess do to more movement and lack of energy I got real dizzy and neauseous. I was fine again after I rested for a bit. Today just seemed like a real turning point in my recovery. I only had two small naps and have been awake most of the day with very little pain. Eating still feels very restricted due to the binders but because I can sit up for about 10-15 minutes longer its allowing the food to go through my stomach more making lying down more comfortable after eating. Drain tubes are producing much less today. The right one only had 18cc's for a total today which is close to nothing. Hopefully it will be removed soon. Called the doc because I still hadn't had a bowel movement by this morning and he said to take a stool softener. I did and everything is fine now and working. Hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight. Changed my binders today and took another good look at the tummy and WOW! It has relaxed some more just overnight and it is looking fabulous!!! I am soooo happy with the outcome so far! The TT was so worth the pain! If the worst is over then 4 days of hell was NOTHING compared to the loose skin I had to look at, work to hide, and live with before! Just for the record i am following all the docs orders and lying down 90% of the day with legs elevated from the hip. I want to heal correctly and as expediantely as possible so I'm taking no chances. Also, as far as the scar goes...I was worried that the scar would be so gross and unattractive and actually thought that the loose skin might look better than a nasty scar BUT BELIEVE ME the scar is nothing but a line from hip to hip and the whole rest of the stomach is beautiful whereas the loose skin was the WHOLE stomach and there was nothing that I could begin to call attractive. Tomorrow is another day down and another day that I will feel even better! Thanks again for all the support and hopefully in some small way I can help someone make a clearer decision on whether or not to get a TT by giving a real life day to day account of the recovery process.

Here it is...2:45 am and awake again. I wish I could sleep for more than 3 hours at a time! Pain killers have worn off and everything is hurting right now. Got to sit up and take my meds. Damn how I hate trying to sit up and trying to lay back down again! I'm getting real tired of the constant pain. Yes, it's different levels of pain and discomfort but I am getting weary of it at any level. I don't think I've mentioned how terrible it is to eat. The binders restrict the amount of food you can eat at one time and you can't stay sitting up for any great length of time either. So, you sit as long as you think is safe which is never quite long enough for the food to leave the tummy so it keeps coming up the esophagus siince you have to lie flat on your back and you keep fighting to keep it down. I've read that docs have different restrictions and some want your head elevated but my doc says no head elevation at all if I want to insure no seromas. You must eat very small quantities at a time each time you get up to go to the bathroom which for the first 2 days seems to be quite often from all the fluids they pump into you during the TT. Anytime You have to use your stomach muscles there is pain so I have my bedside table as close to my bed as possible so I cqn reach everything lying down. My boyfriend built this contraption for me that he attached to the bed much like the arm that hangs over a hospital bed that holds a little T.V. But mine is to hold the ipad I'm using. Since I have to be on my back the ipad hangs upside down over my head so i just look straight up and type lying on my back. It's been extremely helpful and made it possible for me to continue to communicate whenever I want. Well, I'm going to try and go back to sleep and hope this pain subsides soon. Still lots of pain but longer times in between the real painful moments but still NO REGRETS!

Had a little mishap tonight... My boyfriend was trying to help me sit up from a lying position and instead of pulling me up to a seated position he pulled me up too far and i slid off the bed on to the floor. It felt like every stitch inside and out busted open!!! For the past day my right drain tube's liquid has been a yellowish/orangeish color but a few minutes after the slip there was red blood in the tube. I watched it for awhile and it never amounted to much in the bulb so it seems to be o.k. I guess I probably busted a few inside stitches or something but i'm fine now. GEEZ! As if I didn't already have enough pain! I just keep telling myself...tomorrow I'll feel better! I want everyone to know that through all my trials, tribulations and pain that i have been through I would do it all over again! When I changed my binders today I actually felt good looking in the mirror! I am so happy with the way my tummy looks! I have NO REGRETS!