ms.sss

...this is actually a good idea. I've read that the enzyme with the anti-inflammatoriy properties are concentrated in the stem of the pineapple,so maybe I can boil that part...? ...will research some more, thanks for the tip!

Your swelling at 5 weeks is like half of mine! I may have to go find some bromelain supplements (the enzyme in pineapple juice) as the I think I will likely dump if I drink the juice straight. P.S. you are so lucky that you kept your butt throughout the weight loss! va-va-voom...

Sooooo pretty, Sophie-soph!!! Glad to hear you have parted ways with those drains, it's so much better when they are gone!

I totally had to Google SX and the benefits of pineapple juice... P.S. ...and FOUR MONTHS?!?! 😭 ... though @catwoman7 quoted 6 months in an older post...I'll go with yours...lol

BWHA-HA-HA-HA 🤣 We need video evidence!!!

You have a SCOOTER. FOR. STARBUCKS. RUNS. Jeez. I'm lucky if I can find cups at the keurig machine at client sites.

The Open is what I think is the contributing factor to my current state of sickness! I have been getting very little sleep this past week staying up to watch the 3am EST marquee matches. I think it's wrecking havoc on my immune system. We went to the AO way back when we were living there...we always get the typical giant tennis ball souvenir at any tourneys we attend. Each year, we then pull out the appropriate ball from storage and throw it at the walls when we get upset (like this morning's semi-final)...

Thanks ❤️ I did get a little bit of worry planted in me since the appt with my doc. HIs "concern" about my inability to fully extend my arms got me all thinking and now I'm obsessed with stretching them out. I feel like a kid who is behind in class!

Yesterday Wednesday, Jan 29 Maintenance : 5'2" / 1.25 yr PO Sleeve / 113.8 lbs ---------------------------------------- i am sick. I am sleepy. I can't sleep. My boob hurts. It's after midnight. Here is what I ate "yesterday". ---------------------------------------- 10:00am - 1 skinny tea latte + 1 black coffee w/ stevia 2:00pm - salad w/ vinaigrette + green bell pepper + 6 green grapes + 4.4 oz brussel sprouts + 2 sliced bacon + 3.5 oz pan fried chicken + 1 Russel Stover Sugar Free Truffle Chocolate 4:00pm - 1.5 oz dried mango + 2 oz pan fried chicken + 1/2 tsp crunchy garlic chili oil + 1 ATKINS coconut chocolate bar 9:00pm - salad w/ vinaigrette + green bell pepper + 5 green grapes + 1 fl oz blue cheese + 1/2 fl oz pumpkin seeds + 1/4 cup garlic peanuts + 4 oz pan fried chicken + 1/4 slice lemon chiffon cake + 1/2 caramel dacquoise petit fours 11:00pm - 4 seed crackers + 1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter + 1 skinny tea latte ---------------------------------------- Totals: 1887 cals - 92g Protein - 128g NET carbs - 91g fat

It's been 6 weeks since surgery...

<!-- DEEP. THOUGHTS. BEGIN. --> I put on a (new) bikini yesterday to take a picture of myself for this 6 week post op milestone. When I was cropping my head out of the picture on my phone, I was taken aback a little (okay alot) at how my body looks now. For some reason, I never noticed until yesterday how my abdominal muscles are so much more noticeable these days. I knew I had them (I could feel them under my skin), they just never stuck out they way they do now. And my new lifted arms look nice and trim and toned. My arms have NEVER been trim nor toned. I look at this picture and find it hard to believe that its me. I have never looked like this in my life. Even when I was a thin, 105 lb teenager, my body never looked as fit as it does now at 47 years old. Crazy. Thanks WLS. Thanks Plastics. Thanks ME. I am forever grateful and only wish I did more sooner. <!-- DEEP. THOUGHTS. END. --> Anyway, some 6 week post-op highlights/updates: SWELLING & PAIN My waist has returned to pre-op measurements (thank goodness). My lower abdomen and upper thighs are still bigger than post op. So my pants remain tight in these areas, but at least I can button them up now without feeling like I'm going to bust out of them. My right boob is comparatively hard and swollen (vs my left boob) and I have taken to applying ice packs to relieve the achiness. Of all my PS areas, my boobs cause me the most pain (which is fitting since they were the least of my worries in the first weeks after surgery) There are distinct areas on my various incisions that are causing some pain due to the sutures being expelled and breaking the skin when rubbed against. These areas don't bleed, but they ooze. I went for a run this morning and had to stop due to pain. Turns out a spot on the incision of my right side boob split open and bled quite a bit. I had to steri-strip it closed and put a large bandage on it. I still cannot raise my arms to its full extension. There is no pain, just tightness. I need to practice raising them more often. SCARS & SILICONE TAPE I have been using silicone tape for almost 2 weeks now. I take them off to shower and put them back on when I'm dried off. I prefer having silicone tape on my incisions than none. My incisions feel less "tight" (especially in my armpits); the tape holds down any wayward sutures, as well as protects them from any rubbing from my clothes. I don't put tape on any areas where the skin is broken. I put some tape on a couple old WLS keloid scars and I swear they are flatter! They are still dark, but they are not as raised as they were. I guess this stuff works. The areas that have not split nor rubbed raw are healing nicely (no keloids!). There are no raised areas except for one end of my tummy incision, at the exact spot where one of my drains were. And this was the drain that I had accidentally pulled on a and caused bleeding (and PAIN!) while I was still in hospital. FOLLOW-UP APPT with DOC Pleased with my healing, told me that the aches and pain and wounds and oozing is normal. Just keep washing my incisions with soap and water everyday. He applied some silver on all the areas where the skin was broken and it STUNG. But then he applied some silver on the part that I split open during my run and OH MY GOD it HURT. I cried. It's been 5 hours already since he put it on me and it STILL HURTS. I even took a pain killer and I still have to hold the area whenever I move. Told me not to wear the silicone tape all the time, and that I should have about half the day when they are uncovered. No need to wear compression garments anymore...told him I like them, and he said I can wear if I want to, but to have some time (half the day) not wearing them. I am cleared for all "controlled" exercise (lifting, yoga, running, etc). I am not to participate in any contact sports or activities with sudden movements (for some reason zumba falls under this category, lol). Apparently I have not been massaging myself with the correct degree of "firmness". He showed me how hard I should be applying pressure and OH MY GOD, the amount of pressure he applied HURT. I was not massaging anywhere close to that level. I don't even think I can! Speaking of massages, he said I can go get regular ones with my masseuse, no adjustments necessary. Told me I MUST stretch my arms more, as he was not too happy about how far I could raise my arms without feeling tightness. Told me I was in no danger whatsoever of undoing any stitches so I need to aim to stretch further and further and would like to see me have full range of motion by our next appointment in 1 month. Guess i have some work to do! The no swimming, nor submersing in water ban continues. That's all for now. Oh, and here is a side-by-side body comparison pic:

omg, I know how you feel...I've dropped an iPad (or phone) or two on my face on more than one occasion. Ouch!

Same!

You look taller than usual in this pic...love 'em boots. Also, is white the best choice to do painting restorations in, LOL?

@mousecat88 gets all the blame for this (or the credit, lol)

I've generally been feeling good, and in anticipation of getting cleared for free-reign exercise this afternoon at my 6 wk PS post op appt, I put on my running shoes (not boots this time) and a nice solid sports bra for a real RUN around the neighbourhood for the first time in a looooooooong time. Result: Running Fail. I barely did 2km and had to stop cuz my boobs started to ache again. Dammit. It's been about 30 mins since that stupid run and my boobs still hurt. What was I thinking. Geez.

Excellent! Way not to panic with the weight "stability"! Keeping your head on straight and things in perspective will take you far, and will make this journey so much more enjoyable (or at the very least, tolerable) ❤️ Do you track your food intake? P.S. Semi-pro tip: keep up with the exercise, if you can learn to love it and make it part of your forever lifestyle, your body will thank you for it. It may not help as much in weight loss as food intake does, but it does wonders for your well-being and your "well-looking", LOL. Congrats and keep on going on!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: WOW. Definitely a HUGE difference, LOL! You look so great (and happy!) ❤️ P.S. Nice view!

Yesterday Tuesday, Jan 28 Maintenance : 5'2" / 1.25 yr PO Sleeve / 113.8 lbs ---------------------------------------- It's after midnight, and I'm posting yesterdays menu now. We are up to watch more tennis tonite, and I figure if I post my menu now, I won't eat any snacks?? #yeahRight #wishfulThinking. Though I'm not sure I am going to last till the 3am EST Nadal match since I am still running on empty from the night before AND I just downed 2 shots of amaretto... On another note, we successfully gave away most of my bakery booty from the other day to friends and family. And whatever we kept for ourselves is officially no more as we ATE. IT. ALL. See my contribution to its elimination below. HINT: 4pm #yikes. ---------------------------------------- 3:00am - 3.5 oz sirloin steak << I stayed up all night to watch the Australian Open matches and this was my snack, LOL 10:00am - 1 skinny tea latte 1:00pm - salad w/ vinaigrette + carrots + jalapeno peppers + green onions + 1.5 oz meatball + ½ tsp tomato sauce + 3.5 oz pan fried chicken 4:00pm - 1 oz raspberry cream cheese strudel + 4 mini marzipan cookies + ½ egg tart + ½ chocolate pistachio biscotti + ½ nutella sugar cookie + 1 fl oz whipped cream + 2 black coffees 7:00pm - salad w/ vinaigrette + ⅓ cup curried chicken salad (pan fried chicken, mayo, jalepeno, celery, red onion) + ⅓ slice provolone + 1 fl oz blue cheese 10:00pm - ½ shrimp ceviche (shrimp, jalepeno, red onion, cilantro, lemon/lime/orange juice) + ½ cup greek yogurt + ½ fl oz pumpkin seeds + 1 oz blueberries 12:00am - 2 shots of amaretto ---------------------------------------- Totals: 1738 cals - 122g Protein - 119g NET carbs - 90g fat

...I was lactose intolerant already before surgery, but it seems to have got worse afterwards (and still is). I'm 1 yr 3 months post op.

Another item from my Shein.com order: Beige crochet bikini (Size Small); $17 CAD (!!) Not sure I would wear this in the water as the top is pretty loose and I'm sure the smallest wave would result in a double nip slip. BUT if I can figure out a way to McGyver the top so that the boob triangles are closer together, maybe I could...

Parallel Update: Ended up using regular flour for the batter, so I decided not to have any. Instead, I added mayo, curry powder, celery & jalepeno to a few pan fried cubes and made myself some curry chicken salad to go on top of my greens. Itch definitely NOT scratched.

Tomorrow will be 6 weeks since I had my trinity of PS procedures, and I'm heading in for a follow up appointment with my surgeon. Took a picture tonite in rare moment with all my garments and sliicone tape off and put this side-by-side comparison together. I'm pretty pleased with the results so far