I'm still here

I am soooo happy - I survived the drains !!! I just came from my appointment and am now DRAIN FREE ! I feel like a new woman . . . :confused:

I just got home and am now DRAIN FREE !!! Yay !!! I feel like a new person . . . I am so glad to have that part behind me and Dr. Heller said everything is healing right on time. Hope everyone else is doing well today - I am anxious to hear from LJM.

I'm here too . . . Hang in there Tonya - I have no doubt you'll get back on track in no time. Where are you going on your next cruise? My kids want to go to Hawaii this summer, but we have to work around baseball - I always end up paying way too much for a vacation because I can't book in advance.

Hoping you are doing well Julie - I am 9 days post-op and have survived the drains surprisingly well . . . Thanks for your encouragement along the way.

Good Luck tomorrow LJM - I'll be thinking of you . . . :rolleyes2:

I am glad to hear you are doing well Neal . . . I am hoping to get my second drain out tomorrow. Dr. Heller removed the first one this past Tuesday and that was the wierdest feeling! I had totally prepared myself for it to hurt like crazy, so I was shocked that there was no pain - just that wierd sensation. I have no doubt over-done it this week, but I am bored out of my mind! My lower back is killing me, but other than that - I have zero pain.

Me TOO !!! I have been up all week and I am really feeling it today - my lower back is killing me! I had the same problem after the band surgery and ended up having to take an anti-inflamatory to get it under control. Other than my back - I have ZERO pain. I haven't taken a single pain pill and Dr. Heller removed my pain pump last Friday - ??? I don't know if it is because my stomach is so numb or because I can't think about anything except how bad my back is hurting! I went back on Tuesday and he removed the first drain and I am hoping that he will remove the second one tomorrow . . . I have been surprised at how 'well' I have coped with the drains - I really thought I'd be freaking out about them, but all in all - they haven't been that bad. I am glad you mentioned the stiches - I have a few in random places and the pokey edges are driving me crazy. I need to remember to ask about them tomorrow, and I think my belly-button is coming 'un-raveled' . . . :rolleyes2: I will PM you Amy and give you my cell number - maybe if you have time, you can call me when you come to see Dr. Adam and we can meet for lunch or something. I am in League City.

Wow! You look awesome Amy - I still can't even stand up straight and I am 3 days ahead of you . . .

Absolutely! I paid $500 for it and don't regret it for a second. Best of luck on your upcoming surgery.

Isn't that the TRUTH!!! I didn't realize how MUCH of a stomach sleeper I was before this . . .

Hello Everybody ~ Thanks for the well wishes . . . I am now 5 days post-op and am up 'puttering around' a bit today . . . God bless pain pumps! Mine was removed on Friday and I am certain it was a life-saver. I have yet to take a pain pill since surgery, but am having incredible lower back pain. I did after being banded too - ??? I haven't taken any pictures, but I am sure I will be pleased with the results, compared to the bulge that used to be my tummy. My doctor took before pics and I am anxious to see the comparison. I have a lot of brusing around the incision and still have my two drains. I am MOST HOPEFUL that those will be removed when I see my doctor again on Tuesday . . . Everything I have is crossed - although I have to admit, the drains aren't as awful as I expected them to be. Who was it that said 'Expect the worst and you'll be fine?' . . . Excellent advice. I had a little bit of lipo in my inner thighs and finally got up the nerve to look at the inside of my legs with a mirror. Wow - I guess the bruising explains the incredible pain when I sit down. One of my biggest concerns was post-op nausea and vomiting because it has always been such a problem for me in the past. This was by far the best 'post-op' experience I have ever had, no nausea AT ALL . . . I ended up NOT getting an un-fill, and I am SOOOOOO glad. The only problem was apparently, morphine makes me 'Chatty Cathy,' and apparently I came out of recovery talking my head off and didn't stop until my friend who stayed with me in the hospital said, "LYNN! Shut up and go to sleep!" That was about 2am. I hope everyone else is doing well . . . Have a great Sunday!

Wow !!! Thanks for all of the good thoughts and prayers. The surgery took about 4 hours and I spent one night in the hospital. I am moving around really slowly and am hunched-over, but that is just part of it. It is hard to tell what it looks like bacause I've got so many tubes - 2 drains (GROSS!) and a pain pump too. I really haven't had alot of pain, but I suspect that is because of the continuous delivery of meds with the pump. I have a feeling I'm going to miss that little sucker when it runs out . . . Getting up and down is hard, but overall I think I feel good. I am just glad I didn't back out! Thanks again for all of your thoughts . . . :tongue2:

Thank you Jackie . . .

Honestly, I think I may be in a slight stage of shock . . . This happened soooo much faster than I had planned, so I really didn't have time to freak out about it or talk myself out of it . . . I have casually thought about it off and on for a very long time, but only recently (like within the last month) went for some consults and decided to just do it already!!! I have cleared my schedule, methodically marked things off my 'to do list', have a dear friend coming to stay with me, have drivers for my very active kids lined up and have paid for it - so I guess I am doing it on Tuesday . . . ha. :wink_smile: I have been waking up in the middle of the night for the past few nights without explanation and I think I mentioned the outragious restriction I am experiencing . . . That is why I have decided that stress can affect our restriction. My band doctor had said that, but I thought it was 'wierd' when he first suggested it. I am excited, but very nervous - of the 'down time' more than anything, and the drains . . . I am totally grossed out by the drains, but have decided to just deal with them when I wake up. Dr. Heller said the surgery should take about 3.5 hours and I will spend one night in the hospital. If I wake up without post-op nausea, I will be the happiest girl in the world because that is usually a HUGE problem for me. They will be giving me some new wonder drug called EMEND 3 hours before surgery that is supposed to help with the nausea . . . I am praying it does. I will keep you all posted ~

Julie if you don't post soon I'm putting out an APB on you !!!!!

I have the same issue with the random tightness and have started to believe that stress affects my level of restriction . . . For example, my last fill was PERFECT up until about 5 days ago. I am starting to really feel anxious about my upcoming Tummy Tuck on the 19th (this Tuesday) and all of the sudden - I can't get hardly anything down, sometimes not even liquid . . . Strangely, chocolate goes down fine at any time . . .

I am with Kare - where is JulieNYC??? I scheduled my TT for Feb. 19th and I want her to know . . .

Three more days for me (not counting today and the day of the surgery of course) . . . OMGosh! I just fell out of my chair . . . :thumbup:

Eugenia and Neal, I am so glad to hear that you have your surgeries behind you and that you can begin the healing phase now. I am right behind you with my TT coming up on Tuesday . . . Neal, I hope you are feeling better. Thanks to you both for posting.

Thank you . . . Or BACK OUT !!! ha - :scared2:

And I forgot to mention that I am most freaked out about the drains after the surgery, but have had some very reassuring words from HarleyNana, JulieNYC and Enterprise01 about those, so I am going to try to quit obsessing about them . . .

Hi everyone ~ I am new to this thread and would like to join this group if I may . . . I started 'thinking about' having a TT about a month ago and am now scheduled for next Tuesday morning (the 19th) . . . Wow! I guess that doesn't give me much time to panic or hopefully back out, since I've already paid for it . . . Here's a little about me . . . I am a 40 year-old married mother of two awesome kids, ages 14 (daughter) and 9 (son) and my husband is pretty awesome too (most of the time) . . . We live in the Houston area and I spend most of my time as a 'taxi driver / ATM machine' for my very active kids. I was banded on 1-12-07 and have lost a little over 50 pounds. I can live in this body, but do not enjoy the roll of blubber around my middle, so I am getting rid of it. My husband is not excited about me having the surgery, but he is supporting me. Let's hope all goes smoothly . . . Dr. Lior Heller who is with Baylor is doing my surgery and I will stay in the hospital for one night. I have friends who have offered to help me after I get home, but I am counting on being 'just fine' - then I want to LOOK as 'fine' as HarleyNana . . . Wow! That's about it from here - I hope it is okay that I jumped in. I have been reading these posts for a few days and am anxious to hear from Neal and am glad to hear Nina is doing well. Have a great day ~

Maria - best of luck with your pregnancy, September will be here before you know it! There is nothing sweeter in this life than a baby to love. I am scheduled for a TT and possibly lipo (haven't made that decision yet) on February 19th. Now that it is scheduled, I am getting really nervous . . .

HarleyNana - where are your pictures honey??? I can't believe how quickly this is happening . . .

Karey ~ I think the lipo could be done as an out-patient, so I wouldn't have the expense of an over-night stay in the hospital. I'm just afraid if I don't do it now, then I won't do it later. It makes more sense to me to do it all at once while I'm already going to be 'down' than to do it later and have to deal with the healing issues again. I plan to talk to Dr. Heller about the lipo more on Friday when I see him and will tell him that I think I'd like to go ahead and do it if he thinks I am going to want to do it later. I am sort of a chicken and am afraid I am going to back out of this surgery as it is . . . I am totally freaked out about the drains.