ms.sss

@Moa: wow! congratulations on all your success! you look amazing, and comparing the two close up head shots before and after, you look about 15 years younger now! (the fab hair and clothes make a difference too ❤️) As far as goal weights go, if you want to lose more (and your doc is ok with it), then by all means go for it. If you are happy where you are (and you do look great, lady) then that's cool too. Your goal-forever weight ideally is whatever you feel comfortable at and can maintain. I agree, whatever loose skin you may have under there, you hide it well P.S. I just had an arm lift, breast lift and tummy tuck 6 days ago. Of the three, its the tummy tuck that is the most annoying in terms of recovery (for me) because I can't stand up straight and my back is paying for it. With that said though, my recovery from my WLS was much, much more painful than this. But I've also read from others who have said plastics was more painful than WLS. 🤷🏼‍♀️

...off to google what an upper back lift and lower back lift entails...

Day 5 Update: P.S. I haven't taken any pictures yet. I missed my chance after my shower today as I forgot and put my garments back on. I can't really see much of the incision as they are covered with steri-stips anyway, but I'll try to remember at tomorrow's shower time...

Today's highlights: Actually went Costo shopping with Mr. this morning for some last minute pot-luck parties shopping. The greeters asked if I wanted one of these motorized shopping cart-moped combos, and while I was tempted just for the fun of it, the point was to get some walking in, so I declined. It was the most exercise I got at one shot in 5 days. I was pooped...went home and took a 2 hour hap afterwards. Had my first follow up with my surgeon this afternoon, and he is pleased with the healing, etc., etc. The swelling I continue to have is normal. Suggestion: drink water, move around, it will get better. The itchiness I am experiencing is normal. Suggestion: drink water, stay cool, take Benedryl, it will get better. The dizziness I am experiencing is normal. Suggestion: drink water, move around, eat more, get up slowly, ease up on the narcotics, take the prescribed Iron, it will get better. My tight feeling va-jay-jay is normal. Suggestion: apply ice packs as needed, it will get better (He also said does not look odd to him. He says I may not be used to the way it looks because I can actually see it now. Before the TT, there was excess skin above it the hid it lower between my legs.) I am now free to shower. Any steri-stips that fall off or get loose are to be covered over with a new steri-strip until my next appt on Jan 8th. Am to continue using my arm compression garment, sports bra & abdominal binder. When the tech was changing my dressings, I started to itch really badly. It seemed to get worse as the appointment went on. By the time we were walking to the car in the parking lot, it was so bad I was almost crying. Mr. drove us to the closest pharmacy and bought me a rapid-acting liqui-gel Benedryl. Within 10 minutes I was feeling better, and in another 20 minutes the itchiness was gone. BENEDRYL PEOPLE. BENEDRYL IS YOUR FRIEND. (but it does make me quite sleepy). My long-awaited shower was a tandem one, as Mr. insisted he be there in case I pass out or something. I didn't pass out. But I did have him wash my hair. I am anxious to stand up straight as the sore back is screaming at me. And I thought I would be able to do so by the time our annual 5-xmas-parties-over-3-days party marathon kicks off tomorrow night but its looking like its not going to happen...

Safe travels home, @sillykitty !!

This actually brings me ask another question...for those out there who had arm lifts? Can you see your incision line when you look down? @rs ? @mousecat88 ? @catwoman7 ? Edited to add: Actually, I guess i could see at least part of my line if lifted my arm and twisted it outwards...so the question above is for when your arm is just in a normal resting/hanging position...

Ok, and I finally have a definitive answer to this question. I have a line from my elbow to the bottom of my armpit (from the arm lift), and then another line down my trunk with the starting point at the highest part of my side-boob and along the under-boob (from the breast revision reduction/breast lift)....so two unconnected lines. ...though I still haven't seen it myself. My surgeon used his finger to show me where the beginning and end lines were.

yes - I was completely numb from navel to pubic bone for the first year post-surgery. My sensation started to come back after 12 months, but definitely not all of it (yet). I'm probably still a good 50-75% numb. I understand that some people never get their sensation back - and for others they do mostly, but it's not uncommon for the numbness to stay permanently along the incision lines. Ok, so yeah, I am definitely numb or something along my tummy incision line. When I touch it, i feel the sensation somewhere else. Like further up my abdomen and deeper inside. I've read @mousecat88 describe something to the same effect, and my doc says it happens, so I'm not worried. Just weirded out. My arm incisions are numb as well, but don't have the phantom-sensation feeling. My boobs are not numb. And my nipples still have sensation. Both of them. BONUS.

Yay for Ace Bandages! (Though I'm the opposite, am so much happier with a garment + sports bra than the bandages, lol). And yes, the shower was heavenly...for the most part. Mr. insisted that he get in the shower with me after he heard my surgeon tell me at our appointment today to be careful, as I may get lightheaded with the temperature changes and/or the removal of my compression garments. So I had company for my first shower in 5 days. I think I would have preferred to stand in there alone for like an hour. On the bright side, I had someone to wash my hair and other hard to reach areas. Did he say how long you have to wear the bandages for?

Just came home from mine. Drains are out!!!!! OMG they felt weird coming out. Off to a long awaited shower.....🙌🏼

LOL, I'll put a comment down for the carbonated drinks question, and leave the rest for the others... My team's reason for the no-carbonated-drinks directive was this: sugary sodas aside (this falls under the no-sugar-directive, which I figure we all understand), carbonated drinks tend to fill you up which leaves little room in your stomach for stuff you actually need, like nutritious food. My team does not use the "it will stretch your stomach" reasoning. And after some of my own research, neither do I. With that said, I was drinking sparkling water at around month 4 (and still do). Told my team, they were not concerned.

According to MFP, I averaged 326 calories during my 3rd week post-op. I'm 1 year 2 months out now and I can do 1600-2000 cals on an average day (but there are still days I can go as low as 600 and then other days when I can go up to 3000).

Now these types of posts are the ultimate. Cheers!!!!!!

Wow, another Winter 2019 PS patient! We need to start a club. ❤️ RE: numbness: I can't tell yet if I have any numbness, haven't been really able touch any of my incisions yet as they are all covered up under tape and stuff....

I loooooooooove reading the "I feel pretty damn good" posts. Gives me all the feels. ❤️ You look fabulous.

Yesterday, Sunday, Dec. 22 Maintenance : 5'2" / 1yr PO Sleeve / ??? lbs (last weight in 115.0 lbs on Dec 18th) ---------------------------------------- I am legit scared of putting more food into me as I've been poop-less now for 7 effing days. ---------------------------------------- 12:00pm - Black Tea + Protein Shake (1 scoop Isopure Dutch Chocolate + decaf coffee + Clearlax) 3:00pm - salad greens w/ vinaigrette + 1 fl oz pumpkin seeds + 2 oz roast beef 7:00pm - salad greens w/ vinaigrette + 1 fl oz pumpkin seeds + 2 oz gala apple + 1.5 oz roast beef 8:00pm - 1/2 cup cottage cheese + 1/2 fl oz pumpkin seeds + 15g blueberries + 1 tbsp dried cranberries ---------------------------------------- Totals: 651 cals - 68g Protein - 27g NET carbs - 28g fat

For me, it depends on the day, they type of food, and/or how much time I have to eat my meal. There are days I can easily eat 2 cups of food if you give me an hour and a half to do it. There are other days when I can't/won't eat 1/2 cup of food in the same amount of time. Overall though, on a "normal"/"average" day, it takes me about 45 mins to 1 hour to eat one one of my "regular" salads, which generally consists of 75-100g of salad greens, 2-4 oz of some protein or other, and some toppings. Been doing this since about August-September this year, so at about the 10 month post-op mark, same stage as you are right now. Now, the foods that fill me up faster/longer are: shiratake noodles, pork (cooked any way but especially when grilled), sashimi. So if eat any of these during a meal my ability to eat anything else is reduced. Every day is really different. I just go with it.

More micro-improvements today. Reaching a little higher, standing a little straighter. Getting up and down from a seated/laying position is no big deal, and apparently I'm speed walking. The Kid called me "Energizer Grandma" when she saw me high-tail it to toilet hunched over with my cane cuz I had to pee so bad after a nap. Took a narcotic pain med this morning, and I think that is the last of them for me. Gonna just stick with the Tylenol now, not just for the minor aches, but for this non-stop dizziness I'm still experiencing. Been doing laps around the kitchen every hour and that seems to help both the achiness and dizziness, but the head spinning comes back soon after I sit down (unless I lay down) and the achiness comes back if I stay too still too long. My right arm & hand is no longer swollen, but my left forearm still is, and the left hand just barely...but at least now I can see the wrinkles on my knuckles again! My va-jay-jay is also feeling so much less tight, but is still looking up at me when I look down in a seated position. I did not notice before, but my thighs are actually a little swollen. My boobs continue to be a non issue. My drains are draining very little now. One drain has collected maybe 10 mls since 9:00pm last night (about 21 hours) and the other one has collected even less in the same period. Both are coming out tomorrow, so I'm definitely looking forward to that. I was feeling this unbearable itch on my left shoulder blade under the ace bandage wrapped around my boobs and Mr. went digging under there to scratch it for me. He found what he thinks is a popped blister right underneath the velcro that was touching my skin there. He put some gel on it, covered it with a band-aid and put a piece of cotton bandage between my skin and the Ace. I'm now thinking I've got a bunch of blisters under all these bandages. Can't wait to see what the incisions look like when they change my dressings tomorrow...one more sleep!

aww...sorry to hear about your continued troubles with that wretched garment of yours! Perhaps your Dr. can give you some ace bandages to use instead? Or maybe he/she'll say you don't even have to wear anything anymore *crosses fingers*. I took the boob bandages off a couple hours ago cuz the itching was driving me crazy. Happy to report no blisters! I replaced the bandages with a previously approved sports bra, which fits looser than it did before...does this mean my boobs got even smaller???? To me they look the same size, just perkier and higher...am going to need to get re-measured later to figure out. And with the boob bandages gone, the arm garment/shrug is loose again across the bodice, but the sports bra is at least keeping it in place (am wearing the bra over the arm garment/shrug). I'm sooooooo looking forward to my own shower today! My surgeon says when drains come out, I can shower...which is in exactly in 8 hours and 18 minutes from now. Were you able to reach up and wash your hair on your own?

On the website at the upper right corner of the banner, there is a dropdown labeled "+ Create". Then you select "Blog Entry". See image below. But I don't think there is an option to do this on the app (well at least I couldn't see it there...)

I think its a combination of pain meds, not enough physical activity and not enough food. Am working on each of these...

Day 4 Update:

What other procedures are you looking to get?