I'm still here

Thank you so much LJM - I just sent them to you . . .

Okay, ladies . . . I need some help. I have pictures that were sent to me in the form of an email. Does anyone know how to get them from my email to here? I am sorry I'm so 'computer-challenged' - I really need to go take a course of some kind to get me up to date. I will gladly post them if someone can help me . . . About the photographer - I think I set her up really, and I truly appreciate her honest answer. She wasn't being rude, she just answered what I asked. I still can not figure out why my middle is so 'round'. As I was walking this morning I was pushing and pinching on it and it is as tight as a drum - it is just soooooo . . . round - I actually hate the way it looks. Do y'all think 8-10 pound can make that much of a difference??? I am still trying to get rid of the pounds I gained since being un-filled. I have decided to really amp up the exercise and see if that helps; and it probably wouldn't hurt to start paying more attention to what I eat. I am one of those dummies who thinks because I can eat so little, it won't hurt to eat what I want. Probably a bad plan. Thanks in advance for your help ~

Hi again everyone ~ I saw my band doctor on Wednesday of this past week and had another small fill. They say I am now back to where I was before the unfill a couple of weeks ago, but it does NOT feel like it. I can eat things I would not have even attempted before and I feel hungry all the time. Grrrr. My band doctor also looked at my stomach while I was there and said he thinks it looks great. I don't think it looks great - my upper abdomen looks pudgy, especially now compared to my very tight lower tummy. I saw my PS yesterday and according to him, I am doing wonderfully. He said that he pulled it as tight as he could without causing compression problems for my organs (that I of course didn't want) and said several times that I could walk down any beach in a bikini and no one would ever think I'd had a TT. But - when we were taking pictures I casually said to the photographer, 'Shouldn't this part be flat too?' and she said, 'Yeah, it usually is.' Man I wish I'd never asked her that! So then my PS came back in with the pictures and showed me how only a certain 'envelope' of fat and skin can be removed, and said only if he had done the 'T' incision could I have had a 'tighter' result. So . . . I need to just wrap my mind around the fact that this is what I ended up with and move on. I am going to try to lose between 10 and 20 more pounds and bump up the exercise to see if that helps get me to where I wanted to be. It seems maybe it would have been a good idea for me to wait until I was at goal to have my TT. I have a really stupid question - After a TT, can you still improve your abdominal area with exercise? If so, I am going to have to take that approach to get the final result I wanted. My husband has now decided that I have 'a very distorted body image' and I am starting to wonder if he is right - ???

I wanted to pop-in and say 'good luck' tomorrow, I know you are going to do great! Check back in when you feel up to it and take it easy for as long as you need to. It will be so worth it when one day you wake up and feel normal AND your 'jelly roll' is gone . . . Woo Hoo!!! Best of Luck ~ sending only positive thoughts your way!

I agree with Steph - pardon me for saying . . . DUH! Did she not know the difference in an unfill and a fill ??? Grrr . . . :confused2: Sorry - I think I am especially cranky tonight (Did I mention that I got a terrible sunburn at the baseball tournament yesterday ? Wah wah wah - but it HURTS!) so I probably should sign-off until tomorrow when I have had some zzzzz's. Good night ~

Thank you ladies for your replies . . . LJM, if I didn't know better, I'd think your pic was of me! That is exactly what I look like and I am thinking it probably doesn't help that I've still got about 6 of the 8 pounds that I've gained post-op hanging on. I am sooooo hoping this will go down some more - the wierd thing is, I didn't really notice it right after the surgery - it seems to be getting worse instead of better - ??? Whats up with THAT!?!!! We are in full-swing tournament baseball (and still doing Little League too) so it is entirely possible that I am over-doing it. I'll let y'all know what my PS says on Friday after I see him. Karey you always seem so 'level-headed' . . . That is good for me. Thank you . . . Sorry to scare you Steph - I didn't have any 'work' done 'up there' either and I am worried that my watermelon may be my 'guts', you know, organs and other important stuff - gosh I hope not. It may turn out that I am gonna need to lose 20 more pounds instead of 10. Grrrr. I promise I will do my best to get a CD of my pics from my PS on Friday. I am so completely ignorant about how to load them onto the computer and don't have the slightest idea how to get them onto here, but I am hoping if I can get them in CD format, one of you sweetie-pies will help me . . . Good night friends,

Hi everyone ~ I am curious if any of you are having the same upper abdomen issues as me, and if so - does anyone know what the heck the deal is . . . Before I had my TT on 2-19-08, I was fat and flabby and it was pretty much evenly distributed on my abdomen. After my tuck, my lower abdomen area is so tight that you could probably bounce a quarter off of it, but my upper abdomen looks huge to me. The best way I can describe it (still have no pictures - sorry) is that it looks like a watermelon. It is tight, but very round . . . There is a noticeable drop-off between my 'watermelon area' and the tight area. I go back to see my PS on Friday and am very anxious to hear what he says about it, but in the mean time - I'd like to know if anyone else's stomach looks ( or did look) like that and if so, if it is going to even out. I really don't like the way this looks. Thanks,

Sending positive thoughts your way Julie - I am 8 weeks post-op today and can't believe I have this behind me . . . Yay - the time has flown by and the recovery was much easier than I expected. You'll do great and be so glad you did it when it is all over!

Hi Ladies ~ Just wanted to pop in and say hello . . . I have spent the past week unfilled due to a virus (from hell) and was mortified that I'd gained 8 pounds when I went in today to get filled half-way back up. My Doctor said 5 of those are probably fluid my body needed from being dehydrated, but I am still bummed. I didn't get unfilled before my Tummy Tuck and did fine, so to have to be unfilled and lose ground due to a virus is very disappointing. I go back next Wednesday to hopefully get back to my 'sweet spot' - As it is right now and has been this past week, I could eat one of my kids if they slowed down long enough . . . Grrrr. I hope you are all doing well - where is Baby? I haven't seen her post in a while and I am worried about her. I also wanted to check on Jen - how are you doing after your recent surgery? How did your exam turn out?

Sooo . . . I am home from my appointment and have I mentioned lately that I LOVE my doctor??? Dr. Spivak for President!!! He is the sweetest man. Instead of telling me what a moron I am, he just politely filled me half-way back up and will do the rest next Wednesday. He said it is a bad idea to put too much in at one time. He prefers to let the body adjust to the gradual re-filling of the band. Patience are not my strong suit. He did do the fluero (sp?) and said everything looked perfect, which eased my mind. I was up ummmm . . . 8 pounds today from last Wednesday (ouch) but he said 5 of them are probably fluid my body needed from being dehydrated from the virus - Let's go with that . . . It sounds better than gaining 8 pounds in 6 days, and I'm not sure I consumed that many extra calories . . . That would be like - 28,000 extra calories - no way! I guess it is too soon to know if the fill today is going to make much difference; I've not tried to eat anything since leaving his office but do know from past experience that when filled to 2.0, I needed more - seems my 'sweet spot' is about 2.3 and a half - 2.4 is too tight . . . So - the afternoon begins . . . Baseball practice at 5pm and club volleyball at 7:00 - I hope you all have a wonderful evening. Thanks again for the support ~

Thank y'all for being so kind (and honest) - I am really bummed about what I have done to myself. I don't even want to weigh tomorrow at the doctor's office to see how much I've gained in a week, but know there is NO way he'll give me a fill without seeing a gain. What an idiot I've been. I just thought I had the 'munchies' after my surgery and before I was unfilled - I had no idea . . . I feel like all I have done is EAT for the past week, and I don't mean a bite here and there - I am talking really eating, like pre-band eating - you know, the kind that got me into this mess to begin with . . . Grrrrrr. Anyway - my appointment is at 1:30 tomorrow and I'll let you guys know how it goes. With any luck my doctor will give me a swift kick in the pants (and a fill) and that will get me back on track. Thanks again for your support, always. Although I don't post that often, I do spend time every day here reading many of your posts and know that I can get an honest answer when I need it.

I am wondering if anyone else on here who has gone through the pain, agony and expense of having plastic surgery is now having trouble controlling their eating??? I am so disgusted with myself I can't see straight . . . Here is the deal - I did not get an unfill before my TT, so post-op I didn't have any trouble controlling how much I ate, my band continued to do that for me. But - it seemed to be getting progressively tighter and then I ended up with a throwing up virus, and by last week - couldn't even swallow water. So . . . I went in and they took out about half of my fill. Not good . . . Here is my problem - I have eaten everything that wasn't crawling or nailed down for the past 6 days. I am scared to weigh! I am going back tomorrow to argue my case to be re-filled, even though they told me that I could not get filled again for 14 days. If I wait 14 days, I'll be up 25 pounds! It is almost like my head is saying 'eat it, eat it, eat it while you can!' and I feel awful. My upper abdomen is so tight it feels like it is going to POP and I can't believe I can't control myself ! I am just curious if anyone else has been as careless (or stupid - ???) as I have? I guess 'misery loves company' and I'd like to think I'm not the only one who has done this. With any luck, I'll get some of my fill put back in tomorrow and that will put the brakes on this a little. Honestly, before this episode I didn't realize how little control I had over my eating.

Best of luck to you Julie, I am about 6 weeks post-op from my TT and am so glad I did it for myself.

I want to complain . . . I've had a migraine since Wednesday and because of this dang band I can't get my medication down, so it won't go away. Any one else on here have migraines and if so, how do you treat them? And I'm hungry and too restricted to eat! :tt1:

Just checking in to see if you'd posted yet today Kendra . . . Thinking of you.

Glad to hear you lost 20 pounds - maybe you won't be so full of yourself from now on!

Hi Kendra, I too came here to check on you tonight . . . I am glad your appt went well and know that you are in good hands. Keep your chin up. Please keep us posted after your appt on Friday.

Amy - are you using the Micropore tape over a silicone sheet or just by itself?

YEAH !!! She's young and she carries her weight very well . . . . I'd love to be a fly on the wall during her first fill (she doesn't mind THAT needle), her first pb (hopefully in public) and the first time she can't swallow her spit . . . And, I am not a mean person . . .

Hi LJM - I was about 10 days late this month after my tt.

I was about 10 days late after my recent tummy tuck . . .

Me too - but she thinks we are stalking her . . . ha :crying:

true . . .

This is hilarious . . . You know what you are??? You are a BRAT (among other things). I would love to see your stats, but I notice that you haven't posted them. So I challenge you to do that - post your stats you young hot thing!

OHMYGOSH - I love REO Speedwagon, now I'm gonna have to see the movie!