ddani

I am two weeks out from a crazy lot of surgery: Corset Abdominaplasty (a kind of tummy tuck), lower body lift and silicone breast implants. Today is my first day back at work and I'm feeling great, but still a little sore. I was really worried about being able to be back to work in two weeks, but it was no problem (office job) -- I probably could have been back last Wednesday after the drains came out. I'm thrilled with the results in my tummy and breasts, but still waiting to see how the lower body lift works out after the swelling goes down more. I'm happy to answer any questions about the surgery or recovery. I've noticed that most posts are from people getting single procedures, so I thought there might be some interest in what it's like to have several at once. Some info: - I was banded in february 2007 and lost a little over 100 lbs -- currently just inside the "normal" range for my height. - The surgery took 5-6 hours and I spent two nights in the hospital - I had four drains that were removed 9 days post-op (could have been done 7 days, but the holidays got in the way). - I was on Morphine for two days in the hospital, percocet for 3 days at home, then switched to nucyntra (narcotic without the side effects) for another few days. At about 10 days out, I switched to advil and I'm still taking them, but can skip the one in the middle of the night without too much problem. - It took me two days to be able to walk around and five days until I could walk a mile (slowly) on the treadmill. I'm going to start walking daily on the treadmill today (increasing speed and incline over time) until my doctor gives the go-ahead to get back to spinning and weight lifting. Happy to answer any questions!

Tazzy: It depends on what you are getting done. I've heard from folks just getting a Tummy Tuck that a recliner really helped. For me, the multiple surgeries meant I was most comfortable in bed, propped up with pillows (including a wedge) and with a pillow under my knees. I needed help getting out of bed the first couple of days home. Once it came time to shower, I needed help getting out of the compression garment. I also needed DH to hold the drains while I showered. I guess what I'm saying is that I mainly needed someone to be there to help me. In terms of "things" to have around the house, there was nothing critical -- but I'll tell you a few things I liked to have. 1) lots of pillows and blankets (I was cold all the time); 2) a big cup of Water with a cover and straw (I felt dehydrated and wanted to move as little as possible); 3) a gentle-sounding timer to remind me to take my meds (I used the one on my iPhone); 4) a little pill holder (small bowl) to keep my next dose in by my bed - just in case DH wasn't around when my timer went off; 5) a box or two of gauze pads to put between the compression garment and my skin over the incisions if they got a little weepy or damp from the shower (I prefered the ones that were covered like the absorbent part of a band-aid because they didn't stick to the incision) -- it really sucks when your compression garment gets stuck to your incision; 6) something to watch TV/movies on from the bed. I used my iPad constantly to watch Netflix (no, I don't work for Apple, despite sounding like a commercial). 7) A couple of pairs of really big sweatpants and extra-big sweatshirts that zip up the front -- for the first week, I wore my husbands pj bottoms because even my "big" sweats put pressure on the incisions. Baggy sweatshirts with pockets help conceal the drains when you are around other people. Let me know if you have more questions. Hope this helps!

I did have to pay for all my surgery. I didn't even try to get insurance to cover it because I knew, in my case, there was no medical necessity. There are some people I have seen online who have been able to justify it to their insurance companies (at least partially). You should definitely reach out to them and see what their secrets are. The costs in my case were substantial. I live in Richmond VA and had a top surgeon here do the work. The total cost for all of my procedures was about $26K. I'm thinking about having a thigh-lift in about a year which would add another ~$10K, but I'm not sure I will do it. My advice for now is to stay hyper-focused on eating right and exercising every day. The results I achieved from the Lap Band are WAY more dramatic than what I will get from the plastic surgery. I'm excited about these recent changes, but the real life-changing event for me was getting banded. The rest is just icing on the cake. Best of luck with your weight loss!

Yep, definitely had the real lower body lift -- full circumferential incision. And since I had a corset abdominaplasty, I have an incision from just below my chest, straight down to the one that goes around my middle. I had lipo on my thighs and auto augmentation on my bum -- that's where they take some of the fat left over from the body lift and put it back on your tush to maintain your curves. I still don't have my stitches out, so I don't know if you will be in MX long enough for that or not. I'm guessing your flight back will be pretty uncomfortable after just 12 days, but I could have done it so you'll probably be ok. What does your doctor say about travelling so soon?

I was a member of this forum a couple of years ago and have just re-joined (lost my login info). I was banded in February 2007 and have been near my goal weight for a couple of years+ -- started at 265 and am now holding steady at about 160. I am THRILLED with my success, but hate all the excess skin that shakes when I exercise and spreads out over the bed when I lay down. I am planning to have some significant plastic surgery in December and I really have no idea what to expect, other than what my surgeon tells me. I don't know anyone who has done this before, so I'm counting on my fellow banders to give me the straight story. I could really use your help and support! The current plan is that I will have a corset abdominoplasty (tummy tuck that goes vertical rather than horizontal), lower body lift with auto augmentation (fat added back to my butt), liposuction from my thighs and silicone breast implants. The surgery will be long (8-hours) and I will need an overnight stay. I'm planning to follow it up a year later on with a thigh-lift, but it all can't be done at once. The good news is my DH is a stay at home dad, so I will have lots of support. The bad news is that I am the only breadwinner, so I MUST be back at work after 2-weeks. Anyone out there had anything this extensive? Any advice, stories, details? Anyone think I'm crazy to think I will be back at work (office job) in two weeks? I need all the advice I can get!