Frangipani

I did start a thread before this one was started, but I'm having a tummy tuck, breast lift with implants and GYN surgery (myomectomy to remove a large fibroid) on June 13. I can't believe how many of us are having PS over the next few months!!!!

The Dr.'s office just called and ladies, we have a date!!! Not June 11 as I had really hoped for the purpose of having my husband there, but June 13!!! I'm sure my husband would re-arrange his schedule for me so that he can still be there, but I'll have to talk to him about this and see how much additional stress this would add to his life if we did so. It's really hard for him to be away during the week, which is what would need to be done if I had surgery on June 13. I will be in the hospital from Friday through Monday, and there is absolutely no need for him to be there then, as there will be lots of people around (many more than I'll want I'm sure). Just thinking out loud, ignore me if this is just way too boring..............

LOL Jody, you're cracking me up too -- you silly girl :thumbup::w00t:! And you're definitely right, it could speed up the healing process! Another random babble about this whole thing is that I'm trying to arrange it so that my husband can be there for a few days. I am really hoping to have him in Miami for about three days after I'm released from the hospital. He has a very grueling work schedule and works long and horrendous hours, and I can usually manage things just fine without him. However, I think this one is going to be a little tough and it would be really nice to have a loved one around. If I can't get the right dates so that he can be there, I have lined up a terrific service where they come to your hotel (or home or whatever the case may be). Here's their website Plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery recovery care services in South Florida. I assume they have this type of service in other major cities as well. The thing I liked about this company is that they are totally flexible. I can just call them up and use them on an "as needed" basis. So for example, if my husband is able to be there with me, and I'm still feeling like I need to have someone around after he leaves, I can just let them know and they will send someone out. How cool is that? I talked to them at length on the phone and they are really super nice too! However, knowing me, I will be probably trying to climb out of bed the day after surgery, so that I can catch a sale at Steinmart (my favorite store on the planet), or some such nonsense. I am not one to sit still very long, unless they have me under heavy sedation, and even then..........

I did a 30 minute abdominals/pilates class and one hour of yoga today. Have a great night everyone!

Hi BBK, So glad to hear that you're up and about! Considering all that you've been through in the past week (pneumonia and all), I would say that it's pretty amazing that you're already starting to climb the walls. Since I haven't had the surgery yet, I don't know what to tell you about the port, but I'm sure some of the veterans will be giving you their feedback on this issue soon. Enjoy the rest of your day!

Still plugging away on the dates, this process is very sloooow....... But that's Miami for you -- even though Miami has a US address, it is by no means "American." Thank goodness I live on an island, and know Miami well, or else I would be climbing the walls right now! By the way, my GYN is such a handsome hottie, WOW!!! He looks like a movie star! That's great, because if you are going to lie around in pain for three days, it's nice to have someone around who's easy on the eyes -- right :cry_smile:?

Hi Mindy, Thanks :hurray:! Unfortunately the Ullery's website was the one that was downloading in QuickTime (not sure why, but probably something I'm doing wrong). So in case anyone encounters the same problem I had, you can find it through the iTunes store as Stranger suggested BUT when you find it, you have to click on "See All" in the upper right hand corner of the page because the first screen only offers you the option to download week nine. Thanks a lot for the help finding this Stranger :hurray:! Thanks for saving me $30 too :hurray::smile::thumbup:!!!! This podcast will be very helpful because up until now, I have been timing myself by fiddling around with the stopwatch feature on my iPod. The guy who made these is great -- huh? What a generous thing to do and share with others!!!:cry_smile:

Hi Becky, So glad to hear that you were able to get some of your questions answered to put your mind at ease. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed that the upper GI will give you more positive news! I don't want to be unfilled if I don't have to. It took me four fills to reach my perfect "sweet spot," and I don't want to have to start this process from the ground up again. My bariatric surgeon told me that in Mexico they often like to see patients unfilled prior to surgery, just to be absolutely, completely safe, but he also told me that if I didn't want to be unfilled, I could go on liquids for a day or two before surgery, just to ensure that there won't be any problems. My US doc agrees, so I think I'm going to try to get through the surgery with my current fill. I have been at my "sweet spot" since February, but in the past few weeks I've been feeling like perhaps I could use a minor adjustment. So, staying "as is," is a compromise that seems reasonable. Also, my Band and I have an excellent relationship, and even when I'm tight I can eat absolutely anything (including bread, rice, all types of meats and vegetables, etc.), so I don't anticipate any problems. I will be in a large hospital in the Miami area for three days after surgery, so if I have any problems, there will certainly be someone around to unfill me if need be.

Hi Becky, How did everything go today?

I got session one of week two of the Couch to 5K plan in tonight, and Molly, during the first interval, I had a "leadless legs" moment. Gravity took over with a vengeance very quickly thereafter but.... I got a glimpse of things to come. An absolutely adorable young boy of about seven decided that he wanted to do my intervals with me -- so we raced (he won, of course :thumbup:). Have a great night everyone!

Wow, I need to catch up with all these new postings! Michee, you look wonderful and the transformation is truly amazing -- you look like a totally different person and a real hottie to boot :thumbup:! Marathinner, huge transformation for you too, and in such a short time!!! You must be so pleased and eagerly anticipating the future as well! Pizzi, thanks for sharing your journey with us, the photos are amazing. You seem to be brimming with enthusiasm and joy, and I am just so happy for you!!!! Congratulations on all the wonderful things happening in your life right now!!!!

Hi Stranger, and Whosyadaddy, Thanks for the encouragement. I just completed session one of week two, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I can honestly say that I probably would have just repeated week one, if you two hadn't given me a little push, so thanks again :thumbup::smile::thumbup:! Stranger, I tried to download the podcast, but it seems to download in QuickTime, and to convert it to iTunes, it appears as if I need to pay $29.00 to upgrade to "QuickTime Pro," -- do I have to do this? Or am I doing something wrong? Free would be a lot nicer than $29.99, if at all possible............

Best of luck to you Nip50. It seems like the ladies posting here have been on a real winning streak with the insurance companies, so I'm guessing yours will come through as well, but I am still sending good vibes your way. I never thought I'd say something like this, but WOW, I am so jealous of your skin conditions ladies!!! I mean, who would have ever thought that something like this could save you thousands of dollars!!!! I keep looking, wishing, hoping that a rash will appear somewhere on my lower abdomen, but so far nothing................. Really rotten luck, is all I can say :thumbdown:.

Thanks Coach! I at least need to give it a try, right? And the running track is right next door to the hospital..... You are off the graph with the exercise and weight loss, Daddy! Congratulations!!!!:thumbdown::thumbup::w00t: Thanks for the feedback Bigbaby -- it's good to know that this is an option as well.

Dave, Becky made the comment the other day that scales "lie, lie, lie," and I am absolutely convinced that she's right about this. I used to live and die by the scale, but I'm over it now. For example, right now the scale is moving very slooooowly for me, but my body continues to move at a steady pace in the downward direction. I bought a fitted blouse last month (size Medium) that was just wee bit snug in through the waist -- now it is way loose in through the waist. How can this happen if I'm not losing fat or pounds? It can't, plain and simple....... Same thing with you -- losing 2 inches in through the waist is HUGE and there is no way a dumb scale will ever convince me that you haven't lost weight. I don't know exactly what the problem is with these scales, but they are woefully inadequate as a device to accurately measure our bodies.

Jody, LOL, you and I were thinking and writing the same thing at the same time. Molly, Congratulations on reaching Onderland! Way to go Girl!!!! :tongue2::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

It's hard to predict for sure how much/little discomfort you will have after surgery, but I live in the Caribbean, traveled to Mexico for my surgery, got on a plane 72 hours later, and flew back home with zero problems. I tired easily for several weeks after the surgery, but that was about it. If you are taking a business trip, it might be a bit much though, unless you have some down time. Naps help a lot! Good luck!

Hi Becky, Whoa! This is just so frustrating, isn't it? What has health care come to these days? So indifferent, bureaucratized and just well......insane!!!! I am keeping all of my toes and fingers crossed for you. I still feel like this will turn out to be a non-issue (or a minor issue) that will not hold up your PS or cause any major problems, Becky, and I am sending tons and tons of good vibes your way. As for what's going on with me, the GYN finally called!!!! We had a short, but highly concentrated talk and I got all my questions answered. It is best to do an open myomectomy, for the reason of less scarring (although I figured that out before the Dr. called back because I found diagram on the Internet that showed where the incisions are made with the robotic assisted surgery). It turns out that if I were to get the laparoscopic surgery I would end up looking like a pin cushion by the time it was all done with the combination of scars from the Lap Band Surgery and myomectomy, so that decision was easy once I understood this. I have had open abdominal surgery before and I am not looking forward to the pain, or the recovery but what can I say? In fairness to all the Doctors I have spoken to out there, it has finally hit home to me why they tend to favor hysterectomy over myomectomy. A myomectomy is a more complicated operation, has a higher risks for complications and more often requires blood transfusions. In fact, my Dr. just did a myomectomy yesterday and (as per his expectation pre-surgery) the patient is in the ICU because she had a lot of fibroids, lost lots of blood, and the operation was just that difficult. This does give me pause, but the myomectomy is still my preference at this time -- although I assume that I have up until a day or two before surgery to make the final decision. I don't have a confirmed date yet, but am still working on June 11. But now it's time for the surgical coordinators for the two Dr.'s to take over. In talking to both ladies, they are incredibly competent, knowledgeable, and organized, so its time for me to totally bow of out this and just wait for them to set everything up. Will update as I know more. Keep your chin up Becky!!! I think it will all turn out well for you.

Hi Jody, Thank you so much for caring and asking :thumbup:! I'm still waiting for a return call from my GYN, and at this point I'm getting pretty frustrated. I know he's busy, but gee whiz, at this point it is pretty inexcusable that he has not taken five short minutes to return a phone call. The surgical coordinators cannot do her job (per the Dr.'s instructions) until he has spoken to me, so I am really getting pretty ticked off at this point. They know that I live 1,100 miles away and that I cannot simply drop in at their convenience. :eek::mad::tongue: Thanks for letting me vent about this........ Apparently the Dr. also told his surgical coordinator that I should go with the "open" surgery, which is contrary to what he told me (i.e., that laparoscopic might work well because the PS does not need to cut through the abdominal fascia). Because I know almost nothing about any of this, I'm really confused and not quite sure who to turn to for a definitive answer. All I know is that I want to minimize all pain and all risks. I probably could talk to my plastic surgeon about this, but he's a busy guy too and I don't want to waste his time before I have talked to the GYN to see what his thoughts are exactly. How's everything with you Becky? Hopefully much better!!!!

Hi Jenny, Good luck with your surgery tomorrow!!! Let us know how you're doing when you feel up to it. :smile::thumbup:

I have been a yo-yo dieter for some time now and have fluctuated from a size 6 to my highest weight last year, size 26. I have consulted with plastic surgeons during my previous downward cycles, so I definitely knew that there would be work to be done at some point. However, I was not ready to focus in on plastic surgery until I was closer to goal because I simply did not know what was going to "bounce back" and what wasn't. I am very pleasantly surprised that the skin in my upper abdomen and body has fallen back into place very nicely and I have smooth skin, no fat and a slim waist. However, I am quite surprised (extremely appalled actually) at how poorly the breasts, buttocks, and pannus made it through the battle. I honestly figured that it would be a waste of time to focus in on this issue earlier in the banding surgery/weight loss process, and looking back, I was right. The "wait and see" approach worked very well for me. In fact, if you had told me early on in the process that I might need to have my breasts and buttocks lifted after I lost 100 pounds, I might have gotten very discouraged about the whole thing, as these were issues that had never been a problem for me in the past. Now I'm okay with it though, because I have worked very hard to get this weight off, and I feel that this plastic surgery is a thank-you gift to myself. Hope this helps a little ! I very much appreciate your highly educational posts and your sincere efforts to advise us, Dr. Schulman.

Hi fellow Couch to 5Kers! I finished week one, but I'm really wondering if I'm ready to move on to week two. Has anyone stayed on week one for two weeks? Or should I just try to push this to the next level? Today (my last session of week one) went fine, but it was still a real challenge. It's not so much the cardio part of it, it's my body -- which just feels very heavy and sluggish when I'm running......... Thanks for any advice/suggestions :wink2:!

Okay, when exactly does the "legs-of-lead" stage end, Molly -- any idea? Hi Guys! I just realized that I haven't checked in for the past few days, I have been hanging around the PS forum. Pizzi -- welcome back!!!!! Thank you for sharing your photos with us. You look great and really healthy, and I also must say that your Aunt is so adorable!!! Jody, I hope your knee is better. And I hope all you Mothers had a wonderful Mothers Day :smile:! Even though I am not a Mom (except to my two cats, aged 19 and 2), I went to a really lovely Mothers Day party yesterday. All the guys cooked and waited hand and foot on the ladies, and surprisingly, the guys are pretty darn good cooks. The food was outstanding and I ate more than I usually do. (Unfortunately, the scale is beating me up for that today , but oh well....) Just to catch up, on Saturday and Sunday I did one hour of cardio and today I did another session of the Couch to 5 K running plan. Looking forward from moving on from "Legs of Lead" to "Chariots of Fire." Have a great night everyone!!!!

Hi Diane, I cannot believe that I just found this thread, but add me to the list of those sending lots and lots of good vibes your way. That is a really funny story about DH, he sounds like a wonderful guy. Thank goodness you have him at your side to see you though this. Best of luck, and I hope you are able to arrive at a decision that gives you peace and comfort very soon.

You make some good points ladies, but my feeling about this is that 15 years from now, my body will have shifted enough that I will probably want to have some additional PS done anyhow. This is not to say that I want to have more surgery or spend the money again, but as we age that's just the reality of things. As far as the longevity of the implant, I too have heard from my Dr. that they may or not need to be replaced. In fact my Dr. told me that he recently told a patient who had 15 year old saline implants that they were fine and did not need to be replaced at this time. I am actually more concerned about the implant I already have now, my Lap Band. When I read some of the stories from people who have had their bands for 5 years or more, I'm really beginning to wonder if that will need to be replaced. I hope not because it will give me zero satisfaction to replace a piece of hardware on the inside of my body..........