nursejenny07

Since surgery I have just been wearing baggy yoga pants, a sports bra, and loose tank tops. Well, and of course my full body spanx compression garment, lol. I haven't even had the energy or desire to put on anything else! Probably won't attempt a pair of jeans for quite a while. I took 5 weeks off from work, but luckily when I go back I just wear scrub pants! [emoji23]

End of post op day 6: today was a good day pain wise! I took one Percocet around 7pm because I was a bit sore and we were planning on leaving the house for dinner (wanted to celebrate my husband for Father's Day). Tough part for me today was just being a bit grumpy because I can't carry my normal work load. I'm a wife, mom, and nurse...so sitting on my duff has not been easy. When I do get the energy to get something done, I wear out in about 10 minutes and need to rest. I know this is normal, and I really should knock it off and just rest...it's just Really really hard! I'll be sleeping in the chair downstairs again tonight, since it has been the most comfortable so far, but can't wait to sleep in my own bed again . Hopefully next week! I can't believe tomorrow will be one whole week once I went in for surgery! Time is flying by! I'm still counting my blessings that recover has been smooth sailing so far. My incisions all seem to be healing well, no bleeding or oozing. I have started unzipping my garment once or twice a day for 10-15 minutes just to let my skin breath and take a small break from the compression. It feels sooooo good, haha! Hopefully tonight will bring a restful night of sleep, and tomorrow will continue to reign my energy! I took a quick pick of my tummy while reclining in the chair... still can't believe this is MY stomach! [emoji173]️[emoji173]️[emoji173]️

Day 6 post op . Feeling really good today! Yesterday was a little rough, only in that I think I over did things and wasn't feeling very well by the end of the day. We're having our bathrooms tiled upstairs, and I went to take a peek. Like a ding dong, I caught my sandal on the lip of one of the stairs and fell not once, but twice. So stupid of me. It hurt, but i caught myself with my arms, and didn't do any damage. I spent the rest of the afternoon resting. Took two Percocet before bed, and slept in our chair vs on the couch. Slept until around 5:30am, woke up, took some meds, then went back to sleep until about 8:30. Feeling soooo much better now! Plan for today is just to take it easy. I noticed I'm able to stand a bit straighter today, so I'm slowly and gently trying to stretch my abdomen. The incision on my back hasn't hurt at all, but the poor muscles are sore from waking hunched all the time. I did take a Valium last night after diner to see if it would help relax those muscles. I think it did help a little! Random stats: Current weight 177lb (up 8lb from surgery, but obviously swelling) Waist circumference before surgery 32", right now 36" Funny because it definitely looks smaller than before, but that swelling is crazy. Thanks for reading all my crazy long posts. [emoji173]️

Awesome!! I had my sleeve done with Dr. Josh Long at Parker Adventist.

Day 5 post op: Just wanted to write a quick little update this morning. To day is day 5 post op LBL and thigh lipo. I am so sore this morning, mostly because I just can't find a comfortable position to sleep in. I really wish I had invested in a recliner! I've been sleeping on the couch downstsairs, and while it's ok for a little cat nap, it has been less than helpful for a full night's sleep. My lower back is definitely feeling the impact of overcompensating for the incisions and walking bent over. None of it is excruciating, just annoying. I'm really hoping I can start sleeping in my own bed soon! I hopped on the scale this morning. I was fully aware the numbers would be up due to all the swelling but was just curious and wanted to track. I was 169.4 on the morning of surgery, and today I was 176. I'm not worried about it and just keepPushing the fluids and giving it time . I think I'm going to try to shower and change my clothes today. It'll probably feel good just to clean off! My last shower was the day I left the hospital (Wednesday). I'm not dirty or gross, but sometimes a nice hot shower is just good for the soul! I honestly expected to be more oozy or weepy from my incisions, especially the lipo, but that hasn't been the case at all. I was fully prepared with chux pads to put on my furniture but haven't had to use them at all! Well, I guess that's my update for this morning. I'll keep you all posted on how things go! Have a great day!! [emoji173]️Jen

Thank you!!! [emoji1]. I just did lipo to the thighs. I may want/need a thigh lift someday, but she really just wanted to debulk my thighs so they remain proportionate with the body lift. Super happy with how just the lipo alone looks!!'

Had my first post op visit today. Everything is going great! Everything seems to be healing well. They think my drains (some if not all) will get to come out on Tuesday. Today they just cleaned the sites and put new stickers down to help hold them in place. Next Friday I'll get the tape removed from my incisions and start the scar care routine. I'm starting to be able to walk upright just a bit more, but not totally straight yet. They told me to play it by ear, and listen to my body. If I'm not feeling pain, I can continue to straighten up more. TMI - but I finally had a BM today. I ended up needing an enema, which I did at home. Really haven't been taking much as far as narcotics, but despite colace twice daily, fiber, increased fluid, miralax, and two doses of milk of magnesia I still couldn't go. I was starting to get really uncomfortable to the point t it was causing some pain, so I decided to do the enema. It worked, and I felt to much better. I still tire out pretty quickly. I don't like being "lazy" but know I need to let my body heal so I rest frequently and take naps a lot. My husband has been so supportive and amazing helping with all the things I can't do. I'm really hoping by next week I'll have more stamina! After my visit I took my garments off to snap a quick update picture. Of course I'm still super swollen, but LOVING my results so far! This whole processing has been such a blessing, and can't wait to see continued changes as I heal more. [emoji173]️

They say you can technically go back after two weeks! I ended up taking 5 weeks, using vacation time, so I could rest more and enjoy part of the summer off. [emoji1]

Thank you! I am so excited about everything! My results, how smooth my recovery has been so far, how good I feel (99% of the time, lol). This has been an amazing journey!

thank you so much! I'm just so happy to have one tummy now! It's the icing on the cake to this whole journey!!! I wish you luck on your journey! You'll be at your goal before you know it!! [emoji1]

Congratulations!! I just had my LBL on Monday and came home yesterday. So far, it has been great. I stayed two nights in the hospital, which was really nice! The first day post op was a little rough, just trying to get up and move more. Nothing the pain meds couldn't help! When I'm at rest, I feel great. Getting up takes practice, but if you use your arms and legs it is ok! I find the hardest thing is trying to get out of bed after sleeping. I slept I. Our downstairs couch last night so I could be up at an angle, but getting up was painful. Just one little spot on my incision, but it went away fast . I am LOVING my results so far. I know there is still a lot of swelling g, but even despite that I am thrilled!!! Good luck to you! You'll do great!!!! [emoji1]

Thank you so much!!!! I've waited so long to get to this place! Hard to believe my sleeve was already almost 3 years ago! The time has flown by! We knew I'd need plastics at some point, and it's so exciting to finally have made it!!! Already I am just so thrilled with my results, and I know they'll just keep getting better! So happy I made the decision to take my life back, get healthy, and now finally have the outside match the inside!!!! [emoji1]

Thank you! I couldn't be more happy!

I was too, but honestly it has been so much better than I had expected! More discomfort than pain, and the meds they give you really help. I'd say the first time or two getting up were the hardest, but then you get the technique down and learn to use your arms and legs more!!! I was so scared I'd be in excruciating pain, but that hasn't been the case at all. And even now, only on post op day two, I notice a difference in how much better I'm moving. I think bottom line is I wanted this so badly, I was willing to face the pain, and I am soooooooo happy I did! [emoji173]️

Aw, thank you!! I am beyond thrilled with the results!! Good luck to you in your journey! It is so worth all the hard work!

Just got home from the hospital! Still feeling pretty darn well, just a bit sore! I am still in awe over how well this whole thing has gone! I'm also attaching some pics to show my progress. The first is from right before my gastric sleeve when I was 262 lbs. second was from the morning of LBL and liposuction surgery at 169 lbs. Third is 2 days post op. Haven't weighed myself since surgery, and I'm still definitely swollen, but feel terrific

Thanks LisaKay! My surgeon is Dr. Stacey Folk. She practices out of Rose hospital in Denver, CO and is AMAZING! Such an incredible, kind, caring, and talented person!! Her entire staff is amazing too!! All together, the surgery, anesthesia, operating room, two night hospital stay (in a place they call "the suites" which is like a 5 star hotel) meds, garments... all works out to around $22k. Every penny worth it! I get to shower here in Just a bit so I'll get my first real look at my results and I can't wait! I am so presently Surprised how manageable my pain and discomfort have been! I'll post pics soon! [emoji1]

I am so incredibly excited. A little nervous, but mostly excited! June 12 I'm going in for my Lower body lift (belt lipectomy) and liposuction to my medial, anterior, and lateral thighs. I have waited so long for this, and it is finally here!! I had my pre-op with my surgeon on Friday, and she got me even more excited! She is really confident that this surgery is going to be hugely successful and the results will be amazing I ended up taking 5 weeks off from work to recover. In the midst of all of this, my husband and I are putting our house on the market, and will be moving to the east coast from Colorado sometime in August (my husband took a new position out that way, and we just couldn't pass up the opportunity). We've been working our tails off getting things ready, packed, and cleaned because we know I'll be pretty useless for a while post-op. Anyway...In preparation for surgery, I've made myself a list of all the "to do" items, shopping, and packing I need to do. I also made a little medication administration record to post on my fridge to keep all the meds straight, and so my husband can help too! I'll be in the hospital two nights. The day of surgery, my procedure isn't until 12:00pm, so by the time I'm out of the OR and PACU, It'll probably be after 8pm. I told my husband just to stay home with our daughter (she's 7 years old). I don't do well after anesthesia (I get totally loopy and pukey) and I don't want her to see that. Plus, it's a little bit of a drive, so no sense in them coming just to see me drool on myself, lol. At my pre-op, I got my VERY sexy compression garment! Mid calf to shoulders, open in the breast area so I can wear my normal bra. Open in the crotch to allow for voiding and drains. So looking forward to that!! Luckily, as an RN, I'm familiar with the drains, but I think my poor husband is going to freak a little. I'll do my best to keep them out of his view. I've been really watching my diet, working up my protein intake each day. I know it's so important in wound healing, so I want to make sure I'm good on fluids and protein before I even go in. T-minus 12 days!! WOOO HOOO!

Great questions! I saw 3 different plastic surgeons in regards to my surgery. I'm going in for a lower body lift and liposuction to my thighs. The quotes I got varied widely. The quotes ranged from just over $20k to about $34k. That included the surgeon's fee, operating room, hospital stay, anesthesia, surgical assist, preop and postop visits... The most expensive quote didn't include the garment but the others did. I think a lot depends on geographical area as well as the practice. Some more well known surgeons can get away with charging more. The surgeon I went with, is a top surgeon in the Denver area, but not the most expensive. The most expensive surgeon I met with was amazing, but works for a practice associated with Hollywood celebrities, and part of what you pay is for those bragging rights, I guess. Paying out of pocket is rough, but at the same time allows you the freedom to chose the surgeon you are most comfortable with, and who you feel is going to do the best job for you. It took us about 2.5 years to save the money to do the surgery, but so worth it. We didn't want to put it on credit cards or go into debt because of it, so we made the sacrifice to save up the cash. In the end we ARE putting it on cards to earn points/miles, lol, but we'll pay them right off with the money we saved. Might as well get a bonus for a vacation later, haha! I have been told by every surgeon I have met that surgery will cover nothing other than a paniculectomy (and the panus needs to hang pretty dang low) or a breast reduction. Everything else is out of pocket. I have heard from others on this site, though, that their insurance helped cover a tummy tuck. I guess it just depends on the insurance plan and your medical history...but it's worth looking into! Insurance companies can be a nightmare, they aren't very helpful unless you speak the lingo, and have diagnosis and procedure codes to give them. Even then, they'll never guarantee you 100% that something will be covered. There will always be a "catch" and even if you meet all the criteria, there is that tiny piece of you that wonders if everything will go through. So stressful. Paying out of pocket is expensive, but I know what I'm getting, and it is worth it Good luck to you, and I hope you get some more answers that help you decide what to do!! Jen

Just curious as to your opinion on travel 4 weeks post op lower body lift and thigh lipo. I'll need to discuss with my surgeon as well...but wasn't sure if any of you had some good input or personal experience. I'll be having my surgery on June 12, and will be taking 5 weeks off to recover. I'm basically using all of my PTO for the year so that I can take the time paid (since this isn't covered under short term disability). I was really hoping to squeeze in a vacation, if at all possible, since it'll be quite some time before I've built up enough PTO to take time off again. I was thinking about taking a short trip to visit family toward the end of my recovery. I would be traveling by air (approximately 2 hr flight), which I know increases the risk for DVT. I wouldn't be doing anything strenuous, just visiting (mostly sitting and chatting). My husband and daughter would be there, so I wouldn't be having to lift/pull a heavy suitcase. Any opinions?? My biggest concerns are DVT (but even then, I think the risk at 1 month post op would be relatively low), and wound healing. I've seen a lot of reports that wounds are still open or not healing well even at 4 weeks post op. Thanks for the feedback!!!! Jen

When I went to my consult for my lower body lift my surgeon mentioned that, based on her exam, I may not need muscle repair. She really couldn't palpate much of a diastasis in my muscles. She said that she would plan on the muscle repair, so we book enough time in the OR, but that if she "wasn't impressed" when she gets in there then she would leave the muscle alone. Basically, the muscle repair adds to risk and recovery, so if it isn't going to make a big difference in my end result she didn't feel it was worth the risk of doing the repair. I guess I'm a bit ambivalent about it. I want the best result possible...but If I'm lucky enough to truly not need the muscle repair, then great! I was surprised because I was obese my entire life, even in childhood, so I thought for sure I would need the muscle repair. Possibly one thing that helped is that I've never been pregnant. That often always leads to the diastasis recti! Good luck!!!

Does anyone have recommendations for scar strips post op? Just curious as to what everyone has used and how well they think they worked. Thanks!

I had another consultation today, and everything went really well! I saw Dr. Dennis Gonyon in Colorado. He was very nice, personable, not intimidating, and didn't try to push extra stuff or convince me I need other surgeries. We decided on the circumferential body lift with lipo on my upper abdomen and thighs. I'll stay in his surgical facility for one night. Quote was for $24,000. More than we originally expected, but I think this is probably the norm for this surgery! (First surgeon I saw quoted me $34,000!). I'm looking at a June 10 surgery and taking 6 weeks off for recovery. I'm so excited and scared! Can't believe this moment has finally Come and is only 4.5 weeks away! They coordinator is confirming her overnight staff for my day of surgery, then we'll move forward with finalizing the surgery date. I'll need preop labs and an EKG which I'm trying to figure out, and will have an official preop appointment before surgery. I'll also be going out on FMLA, and hopefully short term disability...fingers crossed! Woooohoooooo!

I am so excited that I finally have my lower body lift booked for June 8, 2017!! I'll be having the LBL and lipo to my thighs! I wanted this procedure so badly last year, but it just wasn't meant to be! On the plus side, we had an additional year to save more money (and ended up having even more than we thought we would need!) and I'll have enough PTO to take 5 weeks off for recovery! Last year I learned that short term disability does not cover this procedure as it is elective. That's part of the reason I couldn't have it last year. I just couldn't just justify paying for the surgery AND taking the time off to recover unpaid (since I hadn't saved up the vacation time). This is the icing on the cake for me, and such a huge part of my transformation! I have been looking forward to this since even before my sleeve surgery!!! So excited to finally have all of my hard work really show!