TheGh0st

5' 2-1/2" (That 1/2" is still important to me :Banane35:) At heaviest 254 a size 24 was extremely tight (picture leaning backwards on bed to get button on then much jumping up and down to get the zipper closed. A couple weeks ago at 165 (Pre-Tummy Tuck) I was a size 10. I'm post-op now but can't tell you what effect it will have on my sizing yet as the swelling is still atrocious and with the drains still in I can't wear anything but my pj's & sweats at the moment. The doc seems to think it will bring me down to around 155 and a size 6 though. Seems pretty heavy to me for that weight but then I still have pretty hefty thighs, arms and a size Holy "F" chest.

Mine is talking like one or both should be out by this Friday. If not maybe the following Wednesday, which would be just over 2 weeks. He didn't say anything about infections, but I've been worried myself. He did put me on a round of pre-medative anti-biotics, maybe that is one reason why. He also seemed to think my drainage was dissapating faster than most. Right now I'm only emptying it twice a day with 20-30cc in each bulb. I could actually go to once a day but didn't like the idea of leaving it there that long to coagulate. (GROSS) I'm always extra carefull to wash my hands thouroughly as well as around the drain incision site and it's "drain" opening. I use an antibacterial soap and some polysporin on it each time I empty it. Still I will be glad to be rid of these as soon as possible.

They shaved only the "necessary areas" but I guess our opinions of necessary differ. They shaved around the incision site but not at all around the drains. Which is where it keeps pulling the most. Nor can I really shave it myself now, without nicking the stitches they've used to keep the drains in place. Oh well, hopefully they will be out with in a week or so.

Congrats!!!

I'm with Laurend, Wasa & Marimaru - I would like to think I would not personally choose an abortion, though until I am in that position it would be wrong of me to assume an absolute stance. Either way, I would never presume to force my own opinions onto others through laws.

Thought I'd go ahead and add mine to this thread as well.... The post-op pics are less than 24 hours after surgery.

Here's one to add to the definition list: MONS LIFT: lifting of the excess skin in the pubic area.

Hi everyone! I finally got the pics from my neighbor. They don't look too terrible considering the swelling. I can't wait to see how I look once the swelling begins to go down instead of up.

Thanks TexasRose - got a love your band-date (its my birthday) by the way. Looks like your staying on track as well. You go girl, and we'll see you on the passing for thin thread sooner than you think. I'm still recovering from my TT but am hopeful that the loss of excess skin will help me get over that last hump in my mind.

Karey, It can vary from person to person I hear. But I will agree 100% the drain tubes are the WORST. It sure doesn't help that they have to be placed right in the middle of my pubic area. VERY uncomfortable. I wish I would have shaved pre-surgery though I'm not sure how much that would have helped or if I would have just been complaining about the painful stubble. I ended up with 2 drains, the doc said there might have been as many as 4 but he didn't need that many on me. Don't know how he decides that. I have to empty them whenever they start to get full and record on a log sheet how much fluid came out of each drain tube. At the end of the drain tubes are these fist sized plastic balls that catch the fluid. When you empty it you squeeze as much air out as possible before resealing them to create a bit of suction on the tubes. After the first few days the fluid changes from bloody to kind of yellowish with some pink tones to it. The doc says he uses the log of how much fluid comes out of each to decide how long they stay in. He might even pull one out before the other. I've only been draining mine twice a day and even at that the ball are only about 1/4 full. The doc seemed a bit surprised at how little fluid I was getting out and says that is a positive sign. I hope he is right but I am very "puffy" everywhere else, feet, hands, face. I feel like a giant staypuff marshmallow girl. The hospital gave me a special compression garment to wear after surgery. it is a strechy back brace thing with 3 pairs of velcro flaps that come round the front. They want me to wear this for the first 3 weeks then switch to the spanx for another 3-4 weeks. The spanx would be hard to put on right now because of the drains. I only take it off to shower and wish I could shower with it on as well. It's not that it hurts to have it off it just feels VERY WIERD. I can't describe it. It's almost like you feel if you don't have it on your insides might fall out. Kind of a seasick feeling, not painful. That's one reason I still don't really know what I look like, I rush to put the binder back on as soon as I get out of the shower. I don't even want to take the time to stand in front of a mirror right now. Hopefully I (we) will be able to look at the pics tomorrow night. I've left an e-mail and a phone message for the neighbor that the pics didn't come through. So hopefully she will get them resent tomorrow.

Mazie - Sorry to hear about your husband. I'll keep him "and your budget ;)" in my prayers.

Hi all. I am really trying to take it easy. It's just so BORING. I've got a pile of books here and love to read but everytime I start I just doze off. And I NEVER fall asleep reading. I suppose that's a good sign I'm really not ready to go back to work. The pain has really been ok. Just a sore muscle pain like you worked out too hard, combined with that very annoying hair-pulling pain when I move wrong. Today I think I'm going to only take the pain meds once every 6 hours instead of 4 and see how it goes. The swelling really is starting to set in. They said it would peak at 5-10 days and this is 5 days right now. My whole body is swollen my little feet look like I was right back at my highest weight and my fingers and face are also very puffy. I think I'm glad I had the band loosened before surgery, I think if I hadn't I wouldn't have been able to swallow my own spit at this point. Not everyone reacts this way I hear, lucky me. I'm trying to force down lots and lots of water today in the hopes it might help speed up flushing out the swelling. Last night I ended up sleeping with an ice pack on my nether regions. Being they are the only area not wrapped up like a mummy they were really swollen and tender. I swear I have no idea how anyone could bear a mons lift. All I have is some drain tubes sticking out of there and I'm cringing like a baby everytime I shift wrong. The ice packs really helped bring the swelling there down to a bearable level, and the tenderness has come down as well. I'm frustrated that I still haven't get those pics from my neighbor. Unfortunately she spends most weekends with a boyfriend, so I'll probably have to wait until tomorrow night to get her to resend them now. Crazy but I still don't really know what I look like now either, but I am finally starting to feel well enough that I might just unwrap myself long enough to take a look in a mirror.

My husband pulled the pain pump tubes out of me this morning. One didn't hurt at all the other felt like he was trying to pull out a nose or pubic hair. I kept grabbing his arm and digging my nails in. He is lucky I didn't draw blood. But over all I guess it wasn't too bad. I have two drains in me right in the front center of my pubic hair area, which makes it a bit akward and uncomfortable to wipe in the bathroom. If I barely brush against them or tug on them it feels like I'm pulling on my pubic hairs. I've been taking 1 pain pill every 4 hours like clockwork, the doc said I could take as many as 2 but so far I've stuck with just the one. It leaves me with kind of a dull pain across my stomach, sides and inner thighs. With the pain pump gone today has been the most uncomfortable but still bearable. Getting up and down is difficult but do-able. It almost hurts less if I just do it myself. I even wanted to go into work for an hour or so yesterday and today but DH & DM (Dear Mother) refused to drive me over. They are probably right not to let me go back so soon, I'm just getting antsy stuck at home with work piling up over there.

My neighbor took a couple after pics Wednesday night and just e-mailed them to me today. Only with such a low dial-up speed at home I'm having a terrible time opening the pics in order to get them posted. If I can't get them to open soon I'm going to try to get her to resend them one pic at a time as an attached zip file instead of imbedded pics in the body of the e-mail. Hopefully that will help. I'm actually just as anxious as you guys to see the pics as I've had this binder on 24/7 since surgery except for when I took the pics and showering today. And both times it felt so wierd not being wrapped up I was too focused on getting re-wrapped to take a good look in the mirror.

BooBoo Brandy, I am glad the appointment turned out well. Hopefully you won't need the anchor scar, but whatever they end up doing I'm sure you will love the results. You look absolutely fabulous without the TT right now (clothed that is) but I can totally relate to not feeling as fabulous when you know what is lurking underneath. Keep us posted on insurance and a date.

Fantastic!!! I will pray for her family, but at least she hasn't had a re-occurance of the staff land her back in hospital. I was worried.

Hi all, and I'd also like to THANK Machele for posting for me. I am doing so much better than I expected. My neighbor who had a extensive TT & Lipo (but no band) said she had slept nearly 5 days straight post surgery only waking long enough to drink a yogurt smoothie with her meds. I was actually up and walking around a bit last night after my morning surgery, and am even better today. I think the pain pump they have sending a steady drip of local anethesia to the site is really helping. Don't get me wrong I am SORE. I feel kind of like I just did several hundered sit-ups or was used as a punching bag. Still I'm pretty clear headed and antsy to get out doing things. I even joked with my DH about going in to work for an hour or two this afternoon, but he wouldn't drive me over. I am hoping to get the neighbor to take some post surgery pics tonight or tomorrow if I can get the DH out of the house long enough to do so. The doc said he cut away and lipo'd approx 10 pounds though the scale is actually a pound higher than pre-surgery right now with all the fluid retention. I also talked the doc into lipo'ing just a little off the top of both my inner thighs. They are still big but it removed a little extra bump of fat I've always had at the top of both thighs. Thanks again for everyone's words of encouragement and I'll try to get back on later tonight if I can. Everyone's support here has really been a big help.

THANKYOU EVERYONE for all your words of encouragement. I'm sitting here surfing Lapbandtalk one last time this morning before heading to the hospital. I am so excited/nervous/scared... I just can't wait for this to be done and behind me. Everyone here has been such a support for me. I don't know what I would have done without you all.

Yes, yes!!! How did you consult go? Inquiring minds want to know.

I'm saying a quick prayer for you before I go under the knife myself today. Here's hoping you will look back on this as the blessing so many of us here have. See ya on the band side.

Hoping to post something by Friday. Unfortunately I don't have a laptop so it will either mean sitting at the computer in the guest room or trying to talk my internet challenged mother through the process from my bed.

Yeah, My DH is fond of repeating that stuff about how you never really know who you are talking to online. And that some of us on Lapband might just be pervs in disguise pretending to be WL Patients. I can just see the Headlines "Serial Murderer Stalks Emotionally Vunerable Bariatric Patients Online". You know even if it were true I'd rather live my life out in the open :hippie:than hiding behind some wall. :car:

Congrats and good luck to you too!

Actually for me he can frequently be both at the same time. Like the Darling Husband who went the extra 9 yards :eek(without telling me) to put away the stuff I asked him to unload from the car into the entry, but then the Damnd Husband turned around threw away nearly $100 in rebate receipts in the process and said it was MY RETARDED MISTAKE for leaving the receipts in the bags. :frusty: I've got the neighbor lined out to help with post surgery photos probably Thursday or Friday once DH is back at work and out of hair. :heh:

Amy - Are you still on any pain meds? If so you should probably start taking some Colace as the meds can cause this "back-up". It drives me nuts how the docs never remind me of this until after it becomes a problem.