JulieNYC

Ugh. No. I tired of my bugg pretty quickly and I loaned it to my SIL to use for a while. The bugg is great, but it works best for me when I'm actively trying to break a plateau. That's when it's worth sacrificing my outfits over, you know? Wink.

Diane, I may be coming late into something that's already been discussed -- apologies (and I promise I'm going to get caught up on LBT this weekend!), but do you think maybe you need a fill? Don't struggle if you don't have to, you know? Thinking good thoughts for you, Julie

OK, so I called my PCP and she'll give me a referral to have a visiting nurse service come to my office 3 times a week and drain my seromas for as much as 6 weeks if I need them to. YAY. I don't know if I'm going to actually take her up on it, but knowing I don't HAVE to do it myself really takes the pressure off somehow. Ahhhhh.

I'm glad you're having such a good exercise week, Betty. That's great. Keep up the good work. You have to do all my exercise for me too, since I can't. I'm home in bed today. Just can't face the world right now. Too many needles. (I'll come out of this funk soon, promise).

Thanks to all for your thoughts and kind words. I'm home in bed today. I can work pretty efficiently from here, so it's not a problem in terms of my job. I'm giving myself a full pity party day, then tomorrow, I'll force an attitude change. OH_Julie, you really made me laugh. Thanks!

It's awful, yall, really awful to have to do this yourself. Keep that in mind as you consider PS/Mexico/work schedules, etc. I'm having a pity party today.

Christie, Mine is below my ribcage on my right side. About 2 inches up and 2 inches to the right of my belly button. It's placed where it kind of looks like I have really rockin' ab muscles -- like the beginning of a 6-pack (haha), so I don't really mind it so much either.

The "clutter" analogy sounds like Fly Lady philosophy -- do you know of her, Boo? If not, you might check it out. I think it's flylady.com. I'm so, so sorry about your flight and thankful you're ok. I'm not much help to talk about it -- my fear of flying is too great. I'm so glad you're ok. My legs are a little better today (knock on wood). Trying to take it easy. NO IDEA when I can return to exercise. Probably a month from now. Ugh.

YOU CAN DO IT, LJM. Just think, you're only talking about NEXT MONTH for PS! Just flip the switch in your mind, buckle down with the protein shakes, exercise and knock that weight off. Woohoo! GO LJM!!!

What kind of PS? (I'm sorry -- I know you've probably discussed this on other threads, but this one doesn't say!) If TT or TT/BL, I could have gone back to school after 2 weeks -- not before because I couldn't have driven. I couldn't have lifted anything at 2 weeks, but I could have driven and gone to class. Maybe even at 10 days, though that's really pushing it. I know you're going to hear this over and over, but the unknown is whether you'll have complications. It's not likely, but if you do, it could jeopardize your whole semester. That said, if it were me (though I'm self-admittedly aggressive), I would do it. Take the extra week off and just do it.

Lest anyone think PS is all fun and vanity, I've developed seromas (pockets of fluid accumulation that are too big for the body to absorb) in both of my legs. I just had way more fluid with this surgery than with the others and though it was time for the drains to come out (they were really irritated), my body is still making fluid that now has to be drained by needle. The joy of this, is that I have to do it myself, since I'm back home in NYC (PS in AL, you'll recall). Ah, such a delight. My Dad showed me exactly how to do it and made me practice before I left, but it's NOT FUN, particularly for a non-medical person such as myself. He says it SHOULD resolve within 10 days or so, but let me tell you, YUCK. (The good news is, it's not particularly painful to do the draining as I don't have much feeling near the incision on my legs anyway. It hurts more to let the fluid build up to where the spots on my legs are tight to the touch.) It's an annoyance more than anything, I guess, but I do find it depressing as well. Diane, how long did it take to get your seromas under control?

Karey, I'm not sure what I think about your port situation. Now, a few more weeks out, if I had to do it again, I'd still change my port, but in all honesty it doesn't make a very big difference on me. I can still see it naked, though I can't see it through clothes anymore. It's a subtle difference. I'd hoped it'd be greater, but then again, it's "my fault" for electing to keep it on top of the muscle. As to your choice in doctors, my feeling is that port replacement is super simple, in terms of technical skill. General surgeons and plastic surgeons are not normally Inamed approved for port replacement, but they install very similar ports all the time for other types of patients. It didn't concern me at all to let a PS do it. It wouldn't concern me to let a doc who didn't know there was a LP port do it either -- I think it's a "no brainer" kind of procedure. Now, whether I'd want a surgeon who wasn't well informed as to the band to operate on me in general is another question. But the port replacement itself doesn't raise a flag for me.

OK, now that I look at these pics, I have to tell you, honestly, they look so much better in person. I don't know if it's the harsh lighting or what. I think part of it that doesn't come through is that I'm really very small now. Like, I'm wearing size 2P pants now, which is hard to tell from the pics, due to the proportions.

I'm still very swollen, so don't judge results just yet (though I'm very happy!) Dad says my upper thighs will still go down by 30% or so. Attached is a before and 2 week post-ops of both legs and a close up of the scar (which is well placed, don't you think?) The before (before both thigh surgeries): And the two week post-op afters of the inners:

Karey, Your pay it forward post is really important. I've been barely present on the forum for the last few days (computer access is tough when I'm not home) but won't you please start a thread on the Life At Goal forum for it?

Ahh, the last of the stitches came out today. I'm officially DONE. I hae healing to do, but the procedures are officially OVER. It was a little emotional, actually, when he was cutting the last stitches. We had a good father/daughter moment. I feel like I thanked him honestly for his help and that he heard me (he doesn't always hear me). That's about all I can handle for today. Talk to yall tomorrow!

LBL includes a lateral thigh lift (outer thighs). Medial thighs (crepy inner thigh skin) is usually done separately because there's a high risk of complication if you undermine the entire leg at once. (That's my PS's view anyway!)

I guess it's that I felt every single procedure I did was reconstructive and not cosmetic. I felt the TT/BL were even more than reconstructive and bumped all the way up to necessary. I'm an extreme case though, starting at 33 years old with a BMI of 68. 5'1 and closer to 400 lbs than any other century marker, well, leaves its mark. I suppose the ease of access and affordability of having a PS as a father play a role too. I certainly don't advocate this much surgery for every band patient (not that you're implying I do -- I'm pontificating). But, I wouldn't give up any one of my procedures, even in hind sight! Your drain won't even hurt for a minute. More like 5 seconds, if that. Good luck with getting it out! My drains came out yesterday and my stitches come out today and then it's shower time. Ahhhh!

Alynne, Don't worry about the drain. In my experience, it probably won't hurt. I had 2 removed today and they didn't hurt. Of my 10 drains over the course of my 3 surgeries, 9 didn't hurt AT ALL. The tenth, I won't lie to you, hurt like a B***** but it was over before my brain registered the pain, so it's really tolerable, even under the worst circumstances. I had that "what have I done to myself" moment too, particularly with the TT. I remember it vividly. I had it again with the outer thighs. With this last one, I never regretted it, even when I was vomiting when I woke up in recovery. Anyway, you're doing great and don't feel like you have to post pics until you're ready (if ever). It's one of those things that you get more comfy with over time. I started out very self conscious about it and now I'm eager to post them because I see how much they encourage those behind me in the journey. Take care and happy healing.

Drains out, life is good!! I'm officially on the mend now....

Glory be! The drains are OUT!!! WOOHOO!!!!! Freedom! And tomorrow, the last of the stitches come out (breasts and tummy are out -- just legs remain). You know what that means -- SHOWER, GLORIOUS SHOWER!!! Ahhh, can't wait. Wow, my TT revision is better than I thought. It was simple, painless, and I'm ready for bikini season! Can't wait to post pics. I think I'm going to do a culmination thread where I do before and afters of all my PS areas in one post. It'll probably take me a whole day to assemble, but should be fun!

Well, I thought it was time to leave the old TT thread and start a separate one for my lateral thigh lift and brachioplasty that are coming up on November 8th. I figured months and years down the road, it'll be easier for someone considering the different procedures to find info if the threads are appropriately titled, so I'll have a thread for this surgery, and then probably another for the medial thighs and mons lift that I have planned for December 20th (assuming all goes well with the recovery from the November 8th surgeries). As backgound for anyone who hasn't followed my first round of PS, I had an extended TT and breast lift on March 28, 2007, approximately 11 months after my band was placed. I am 5'2 (when I stand very very tall!) and I started at 358 lbs. I was at 199 when I had the first PS, which was somewhat controversial because obviously 199 isn't goal for someone who is 5'2. I went ahead with it because my pannus was so large and completely in my way in terms of exercise and the timing coincided with a job change, which gave me the time off I needed. Plus, I'm in the fortunate position of having a father who is a plastic surgeon, so cost wasn't too much of a concern (it's not free, but it's close) if and when I needed a revision (which, BTW, I do need). Lateral Thighs OK, so November 8th. The lateral thigh lift is the last MAJOR surgery I'll likely have from my morbid obesity. It's a very big surgery, particularly for me because I have an extreme amount of excess skin on my legs and bottom. Basically, they will re-open my TT scar on the sides and continue it around until it nearly makes a circle, as if I was wearing a belt. Then they pull up the outer thigh and butt. I'm expected to lose about 5-7 lbs in skin. It's not expected that I'll need any lipo in conjunction because I'm supposedly quite thin, but for the skin (or so they tell me). Supposedly there will be some improvement to the inner (medial) thighs as well, but they do think it's a near certainty that I'll want a separate operation for that, even though the scar is bad and many people would rather live with the excess skin. Mine is extreme enough that they think the scar will be outweighed by the improvement. Medials will likely be December 20th, along with a mons lift. Brachioplasty (arm lift) As for the brachioplasty (arm lift), I've been working out my arms for 2 years with a trainer my muscles are really great (if I say so myself!). I toyed with not having the arms done. Like the medial thighs, the scar is really bad if you're not a candidate for having them done through the arm pit (my hang is all the way to the elbow, so I'm not a candidate). Once again, my Dad said that the scar is bad, but that my extra skin is bad enough to justify it. If my Dad weren't the PS, I don't know if I would be having the arms done. I trust him completely when he says it will be worth it. I guess it's that I know the extra skin is bad, it's just that the legs are SO SO bad that I don't question them for a moment. the arms, well, I usually wear sleeves and they just don't bother me as much. Anyway, I'm doing it. As it can be done in conjunction with the lateral thighs, there's not much more surgical risk, so that's the plan. I will post pictures along the journey, including before shots. 16 days in counting. I expect this will take me from being a size 6P to a size 2P (on bottom) -- something I truly can't fathom as I still see a heavy girl when I look in the mirror. I don't know if my top (4P) will change a size or not. Probably not. My rib cage is large for my frame and I don't find myself not buying things because they're too small in the arms -- they're more likely to not zip up the side, etc. So there we have it. This forum was such a major source of support during my first round of PS. I look forward to sharing this journey with you as well. To be continued....

I was told 2 minutes total for the TT scar, twice a day, massaging in Nivea cream. I try to do that, plus I go to the masseur once a week and let him do it for like an hour.

Email me any time you want, to talk about your trip, Boo. You know where to find me! Here's a link to registration for the race, if you decide to do it.... NYRR Well, I got a fill, but it's not enough. I'm getting another one tomorrow. I'm so sick of wanting to eat all the time. Arrrggg!!!! I hate, hate, hate that feeling. Have I mentioned how much new appreication I have for my band??!!

Diane, Yep, Dad's big on massage for the scar line, once it's healed over (maybe 3 weeks). Sounds like our doc are on the same page....