general_antiope

Mimi it was more fun than I anticipated. Those suckers have a heck of a tight turn radius. Skinny, I'm eating primarily lean Protein, then whole grains, fruits and veggies. Still can't eat a big Amy, doc says I have 2-3cc of fill. Half a salmon filet last night...felt like a million bucks afterward. Had eggs this morning. I have trouble working up a reliable appetite. I'm sure it's the drugs. But I did some great shopping, Have an awesome Sunday folks :thumbup:

Day 5 post op. My percocets ran out and I switched to Tylenol with codeine. I'm more aware of all my stitching and can tolerate the discomfort most of the time. Getting out of bed was surprising today because I can stand up straighter. My quads stopped burning from the hunched walking I would do and I feel actually good today. I have feeling in my nips which is great, and every now and again I get little twinges in them as things heal and close. Right now it feels like a horde of tiny healing gnomes are all over me, mending torn skin and slapping awake nerves who fainted. It's not unpleasant. I feel like a giant ant hill. Today mom and I are gonna go out shopping for food. I'm psyched to be in one of those scooters at the supermarket. I'm not sure I'm allowed to operate those while on codeine but my mother has a twisted sense of adventure and finds it fun. My bodylift incision is pretty ugly. It's tailored in the same way as my arms, so I don't like to look at them. They don't hurt but they look painful. Everything around my waist is numb thank god. I do have some tension blisters on the base of my spine on the scar. Doc says it's very typical and they will go away. I ignore them and cover everything with a light sterile dressing. The stool softeners have not worked yet. We will pick up some additional supplies today to help in that area. I can feel activity and pressure but no results yet. Any advice on this? I decided not to share any pics until I have healed a little more. My belly is swelling big time. I look like a tube now. Doc says it will peak Sunday and then a big flushing will happen. Definitely looking forward to that. At least my hands returned to normal size. I looked hilarious. Ok nap time, then a busy afternoon. Going to continue kissing up to mom because she is actually taking the first two drains out on weds. Need to stay on Nurse Ratchett's good side you know ? Lol.

Hi fanny, glad you're home at last. Sounds like hubby is not used to being needed in such a basic care way. Of course he loves you and probably reacts first to not being able to "get it tight without being told" with bravado. Give him patience. The best thing I can suggest is to try to train him on the job. Tell him what to expect in the next few weeks, give him a list of food you would need, warn him YOU will be emotional because of the anesthesia and general trauma to your body. That way he is more comfortable and in control and not likely feeling terrified and inept as he might, but would never admit. We look a fright right now. Praps he is feeling nervous, anyway lots of praise for his patience and thoughtfulness. Just my take on it, hope it helps some. Praising my caretaker (ie mom) has helped me a lot and she is a professionnal nurse. She was very impatient with me years ago while I was down from back surgery. So far I keep my complaining to a minimum and work hard at being a willing patient...changing my own drains, keeping my med schedule, getting in and outbid bed. Even planning showers I say what I need and how it will go. She seems happier following clear instructions rather than having to think for me. Mebbe that is similar to your husbands reaction to food planning. Give him a list :rolleyes2:

I don't have much to add that others haven't already said, skinnyjeans, but I love reading your updates :rolleyes2:

EEE allie :rolleyes2: Yeah I didn't get any such restrictions either. I just had 2 weeks of being mindful of arms over the head. I have picked a few things up off the floor that were high enough to reach. Still working on putting my own pants and socks on lol. Meowwwww nice hair and bikini!

OK i am trusting you all to keep my confidence :rolleyes2: I have arm and bewb pics, I couldn't get to the tummy, got tired. These aren't the best pics, I will try to get some good ones this weekend with my mom. Max swelling is due Sunday, so, there may be more to come. Also still waiting on my before pics :w00t: Edit: please friend and private msg me for album info Not a lot in there now but thought I would give you an idea of what I've got. EDIT: Keep in mind I went in 216, and according to the doc, they took off 13 lbs of tissue!! omg. I still want to lose weight after this. They feel my breasts will hold up and my tummy will stay flat.

Fanny LOL. Did you get a mastopexy/lift and implants...? do you have the new nips and the anchor scar? I have to say I am surprised at how I don't really notice the anchor scar. I'm gonna try to get some pics of my bewbs and arms right now and upload them. We'll see how it goes :-) My mom is horrified that I'll be on the internet, but I will keep the face out of it. I wish I had before pics...I might have some in sports bras around here. Mimi, I am so excited for you. The BEWBS ARE AWESOME. Srsly if this is all I had done it wouldn't be so bad. The mobility in my arms is more than I expected. Definitely the TT will have you down a bit longer, methinks. OK off to take pics.

Allie, I tried to sneak onto my moms scale when she was out but it doesn't have batteries. Thwarted! I emailed my docs to find out how much came off in surgery and they said pathology hadn't gotten back to them yet. Thwarted again! I'm gonna say I lost at least 15 lbs of tissue given the drastic change in my blood volume (13.5 to 9.9). And I'm sure my lack of appetite is forcing my body to use reserves to heal and is finally burning stored fat. So let's say at least 20 lbs light than when I went in. I may be back in the 190s and not realize it. But I don't truly care about the scale, it's just something to pass the time. Yeah I can't wait to feel human again. Tonite I'm getting another reiki treatment, I will see if we can get some scary pics on my phone here. I am black and blue and green and red! Mimi what procedures are you getting done again

Lmao I love my spelling errors. Sorry.

Sorry I'm doing this on my iPhone and it misspells things and cuts me off. Anyway, the labia major were chubby too and accepted I'd live with if. But now I have the petite, proportionate mons AND labia, when I went to wipe after peeing I was like.. Holy CRAP! I don't know how he did it. I cried when I told my mom lol. Had a few weepy episodes from post op and sheer geatefulness and happiness. So excited about the mons and labia. Unexpected surprise. I can tell you the first two days post op were so hard I didn't even care about how I looked. I wanted to rest and have stuff heal. Yesterday and today Noe that I feel better I keep chacking out my bewbs. Lol.

hi mimi! Yeah post op care is critical. Yes I can see the arm op site, the stitching is fugly. No other word to describe it, there is blood and bruising and swelling, but with my arm down, it looks slender and proportional. The way he has sutured them up shows me how it will dissolve into a pencil thin line...it's probably a sewing technique with a name but I dunno what it's called. It's like he debulked the arm flap, trimmed the edges of the wound, then folded them down once, then stitched them. It looks like a little hem but when the stitches dissolve I can see it will lay flat. I will try to get pics tonite or tomorrow. My before pics are taking a while, the dr's office is busy in december. My doc is a bit of a renegade in the compression area. My arm dressings are off, and the drugs make mr basically not feel the arms or bewb pain. I have great mobility in my arms which I was concerned about... He brought the arm incisions down thru my armpits and connected them with the breast lift. The result is twofold; one, no side boobs!!!!!!!! Ah mah gah! Lol. The other I'd I have s smaller armpit and he told me as he marked me up that it was likely I would prespire much there anymore... Sweat glands gone. Most people use just an anti deodorant. Major bonus! The binder has been reduced to 1/3 it's size and basically holds my drains. I felt better with it off. I guess I'm weird?? He said I could wear the whole thing but not tight. He says blood must get to the area to heal the tissue. I want my soft bra back on, bug my mom has to do laundry lol. So I've got no compression but feel fine. I do understand that pulling/burning pain in the groin or hip ppl have described. I think it's just a drain not playing nice with the incision, and fades quickly. One thing I cannot believe is my mons. Oh my god. The belt lipectomy is done beautifully and looks like I'm wearing a sexy g string. My mons was flabby, and even the labia (outer) seemed loose because my body was creatively finding

Hey ladies, quick update. Healing rapidly. Skinnyjeans I am not driving, lol, my mom is a crit care nurse and has been on top of everyone getting me what I need. I'm at her home for now, possibly another week. Took the second shower today, could straighten up. Even with swelling it is such a huuuuuge improvement! I'm gonna get my before pics from the doc hopefully this week and we will take some post op pics soon. My moms doing reiki treatments on me that I swear are working. The difference between yesterday and today is noticeable. My major challenges right now are trying to cough up lung fluid and sore quads from all the walking I do. Lol. I fit into a smaller hoodie post op than I did before. Now I'm focusing on stretching out percocet doses and getting food in. So far I can only tolerate broth and my favorite yogi whole grain cereal. Ok I'm gonna nap now, will be around later.

Wow. I made it. Definitely was a rough couple of days, but i've seen the bewbs and they are perky. belly is flat yet swollen, arms are great. my surgeon really did a fantastic job. i had some trouble with the morphine, i lost a lot of blood volume (13.5 to 9.9)and it resulted in heart palpitations and sweats. So the switch to percocet wasn't smooth, spent a good portion of the day today in severe pain but it did all come together. I'm gonna have a longer recovery than I think. Thanks for the well wishes...showering tomorrow and driving home. been a challenge, but I've been kicking butt. thanks for the support everyone. sleepy time.

WOO HOO Fanny let's rock it!!! GOOD LUCK GIRL!

Sorry for the blogging here, but um, just feeling chatty. Welp. I'm ready. I will ask my mom to post an update to my facebook sometime tomorrow, if possible. She and technology have an uneasy, mutually suspicious relationship so we'll hope for the best. By Tuesday PM I should be discharged to the hotel and can at least update via my iPhone. I was up early today and I'm singing songs to myself, changing the lyrics to amuse myself about my impending surgery. I woke up a few times during the night and wondered "is it over yet?" and was disappointed yet relieved to know it hadn't happened yet. Isn't that crazy? I'm in such good health right now, nothing hurts, I've got full mobility...I had my arm over my head this morning in bed and thought, well, I won't be able to do this tomorrow. I must admit I'm curious to know how bad the pain will be. I've coped with some severe physical pain in the past (lumbar surgery) and I know how to deal with life when I pull a back muscle or pop a disc. Familiar, you know? The inner control freak wants a full accounting upon waking up after surgery of how we're inhibited. Heh. I feel mostly planned. Was thinking about Allie and her sexy little size 6 self, too, wondering when I will be able to change my facebook status to "Kate is now a size 8." LOL. I've never been below a 14 since I was an adult, so...I'm looking forward to it. There is more to this story, and I just couldn't freaking be happier. Any last minute words of advice?? I'll be taking some pics today, and having my mom also take pics tonight (specially the arms, so mimilou can see the before and after :-) ) I'm thinking maybe Wednesday before the first shower we'll take more pics. Yeah I'm probably more nervous about posting my nekkid body than having the surgery. but hey...you ladies shared it all (and boy did ya, Allie LMAO, I keep hearing "BEST O EVER" in my head) and it was so important for me to know the beginning and the end with pics. I want to have realistic expectations.

Fanny! I'm scheduled Monday too for a lower body lift, breast lift, and arm lift. An added bonus is my surgical team's also doing a "flank plasty" that will connect my arm lift to my breast lift and REMOVE the bra rolls. For good. Flappy side boobs, back rolls, bye bye!! I am so freaking excited for BOTH of us. Are you going to post pics?

Allie I am LMAO at your sexcapades. You can tell your joy has increased...as for the O's, I suspect a lot of the improvement has to do with your happiness level. You have body confidence!!! I am so freaking happy for you. You know, I was looking at your photo album and I'm thinking...bikini. I have never looked twice at a bikini. I wonder if that might be in my future once my working band does its job. God I'm getting excited all over again to be back in the "losing" phase. I remember when I went to the info session with Dr. Ren about the band, she said, people on the Band lose an average of 50 - 55% of their excess weight and keep it off long term. I swore that I would lose 100%...and yet here I am. I'm so damn lucky that this story isn't over for me. Also, I TOTALLY know how you feel with the band not working right. My crap has not worked for 3 years now. After I dropped the first 100, the hunger crept back in and I was back to eating total crap. It's a miracle I didn't gain all my freaking weight back, but I just am so frustrated at the mental addiction and noisiness in my head about food when the fill isn't working. In 3 years, with no help from the band, I've only gained a net of 20 lbs from my lowest. Not bad. Some months I got filled and it held for 4 days, I dropped 9 lbs. Then it drains. Sometimes it goes completely empty, but it usually just drains past the magic part, and the hunger is back. I almost miss productive burping. I try not to be mad that it's 5 years later and I'm STILL 50 lbs heavier than I want to be, but I thank god every day I'm no longer 300 lbs. So. I know how you feel with the "damn cheeseburger." I deal with that every day. I finally gave up before the surgery, I just watched my calories. Forget trying to lose weight. I have too much going on to fight that battle right now. I haven't gained, but I can't do liquids like I wanted. I just want that feeling back. It was so freeing, to not think about food. You're gorgeous, you have an awesome husband, a renewed life...you are there, sister.

You're healing very well!! Great pics skinny :wink2:

What kind of lotion??? Did you rub it on your wounds? I will be doing my last minute shopping tomorrow. I want to pick up hibiclens and some baby wipes for sure. I'm staying overnight at the hospital one day, then an area hotel for another night. Wednesday morning I'll be showering for the first time with mom's help, and the doc says he wants to make sure I don't pass out or "have any leaks"...lmao. There is definitely some differences in my healing plan than most other people here. My doc does not believe in binders. He's used them most of his career for body lifts (it's his specialty) but the past 3 years he stopped, and says the results are better. He feels the blood needs to flow to the healing areas, not be constricted. He also does a quilting of the skin, attaching it directly to the muscles which reduces the drainage post op, so we'll see. He says I can wear one if I feel I need one, but stresses it cannot be tight - ever - and not to sleep in it. I'm on the fence. I've seen his work, it's ridiculously good, and the guy has over 600 body lifts under his belt. I kinda believe him. So we'll see!! I'm game to try. Allie, most people know about it but I am not posting ANY pictures on facebook...too many acquaintances :wink2: I'm not ashamed of the band or the PS :biggrin: I've come too far. Thanks for your sensitivity though. Just friended you.

Hi everyone! Wow, is all I have to say. I can't even believe the surgery is in two days. I don't know where the past few weeks went, I've been getting crushed in my dad's business. I think it's a good thing, because the surgery has just been an event I had to plan logistics for. I haven't been sleepless, I don't get any bubbles of fear inside. On the other hand, it all caught up with me last night and I had an emotional cleansing. Just for no reason, I was crying last night. I tried to write through it...I wasn't afraid, I wasn't angry. I just had to cry, and boy did I let it out. Since I had my monthly friend over a week ago, I couldn't chalk it up to PMS. I suppose it's normal. I have conflicting feelings right now. On the one hand: AH MAH GAH ITS FINALLY HAPPENING! My mind continues to blown. I cannot BELIEVE I was able to get this done. I cannot BELIEVE I could finance it, I would never have dreamed in a million years this would be done in 2009. The opportunity only presented itself because I started searching for an "eventual" surgeon and it all fell into place. I hear about people whose self confidence SOARS after surgery of this type. I'm a confident person, but I have zero body confidence. Anything will be a mental improvement. I have plans for rollerblading, biking, actually attempting to date in the spring. Wearing clothes that flatter me, looking less bulky and blocky. Having a band that WORKS! Oh my LORD I can't wait. The end game of being in the 150's is back. I thought it was out of my reach - again. It's the green grass on the other side. Thrilling and nerve wracking. On the other hand: It's not a huge, epic deal. It's healing I have to go through, it's being put out of commission for a few weeks. It's complications, and they must be dealt with. This is just cosmetic surgery. I want to tell everyone, and yet, not tell anyone. Yesterday, I had an interview with a MRT, a musculo-skeletal reconstruction firm. I opted to donate the excess skin to this foundation. The interview was incredibly nice. They kept calling it a "gift" I was giving. My skin will go to a few different endeavors, facial reconstruction, arterial repair, even breast reconstruction for women who survive breast cancer. It makes me put this surgery into perspective, you know? Yes it's life changing for me, but I can help change someone else's life, too. It made me feel a million times less self-centered. I laughed with the interviewer and told him this is USDA Grade A skin...it's been well fed, well protected, and has never seen the sunlight. Today and tomorrow will be whirlwinds. I am up early to write my final paper and email it in, I have to clean the whole house top to bottom, have my neighbors over this afternoon who will be feeding the cat and watering the plants. I'll be packing today. Sunday I have to get my car cleaned, get my food together/food shopping, and drop the dog off to be boarded for a week. I won't have time to sit around and think about this. Allie - 24 hour care for 4 days was great info. I'm staying with my mom until Saturday. The docs feel I will be off narcotics within 4 - 5 days. I asked them about the pain, and they said the breasts and arms will be almost nothing, according to their patients, it's just the abs that hurt. I'm having a breast lift, not implants...I have pleeenty of bewbs for a D cup so it's just skin being stitched together that will hurt, not muscular pain. When I get home, my neighbors will be on call to help, and I have 3 friends who offered to drop by that second week, also I have a service coming in to run the doggie since I won't be able to do more than shuffle around with her. I am not sedentary, I walk her over an hour a day, so I think I will heal pretty quickly or at least get back into walking her (slower probably) fairly quickly. I do have a high pain tolerance and a stubbornness to be indepedent. I just hope it's enough to get me through :biggrin: But I will have people coming to visit daily. skinnyjeans: LOL I am DYING to jump out of this skin. haha! I actually bought some mineral oil. I had a really rough time with constipation after back surgery, I ended up impacted. UGH sorry for the visual, but it's reality. I've also got a fantastic dietary Protein shake called Shakeology and it has fiber and probiotics in it, which I'm on today and tomorrow, and all next week. I think this will lube up the ole intestines and keep stuff moving. I'm definitely concerned! My mom is a nurse, so if this doesn't keep me healthy there are enemas and suppositories and alllll kinds of fun she can inflict on me. I'll let y'all know. smitten: Thank you for the congrats! I'm expecting to be useless for 2 weeks. By the end of the second week, I expect to be driving again, fully independently functional even if I'm slow moving. I work from home, so I'll be back to work sooner than most. If I worked in an office I'd need a minimum of three weeks off, according to the docs. Well ladies, I WILL post pictures. I'll have to get a Make Me Heal account because I will post the full monty, it's just a body and I gotta stop be embarrassed by it. Even though I am still overweight. Dammit. Is anyone on facebook? Please add me -> Kate Eryn Campbell in Exton, PA. I will post there from my iPhone right after surgery, not sure I can login here for a few days. In the midst of all this, my main laptop asploded :wink2: and Dell is coming to my mom's house on Thursday to fix it, not sure I will have my backup laptop. I am an internet addict. I realize this. LOL. Thank you guys so much for the love and support. Can't wait to get on with it. Kate

Men. LOL! Skinnyjeans, you look AWESOME!! I have a similar belly, and I'm so excited to have no "hangover" my panties. Woo hoo. Hibiclens? I don't know about this. Can I get this over the counter??

Shalee, lol, I failed on liquids so far. Heh. I'm eating well, but after a fill on Sunday I'm loose again :thumbup: oh well, it's the LAST TIME this will happen after a fill. The suggestion was great for that Protein bullet. Never heard of it! I use Shakeology + a Peanut Butter bolster. I like it because it also has Probiotics, anti-oxidants, Vitamins, minerals, and Fiber, and will be a great post-op regimen to help with the slow-down of digestion. Man those percocets really mess me up, so I might get some additional stool softeners. Thanks too for the reassurance about the "not being at goal" thing. I'm taking this as the blessing it is. :biggrin: Kydime - I asked the doctors I interviewed: - Did they have experience with lap band patients - How many similar surgeries have they done (Mine has done over 600) - How many required revisions has he had within 6 months - What is their revision clause - Did they have anyone else in the OR performing the operations (am I a teaching patient) 80% of the docs could not answer the first question right...so I kept going. I ended up choosing the surgeon my lap band doctor (Dr. Ren) suggested. It was important to me to find someone who knew lap band/massive weight loss. I'm so, so glad I held out. Well it's ten days away. I sent all money away. Every last penny. I'm not really nervous, just impatient for it to be over. I do get a little nervous thinking about waking up after surgery...I absolutely hate that feeling of disorientation and realizing it's over and I missed it all. LOL. It was the reason I never took naps as a five year old, much to my mother and pre-school teachers' dismay hehe. I also don't like the feeling of gas and drugs in my body as soon as I wake up from surgery. Just ready to get on with healing.

tlambright - WOW this friday!? That's tomorrow! You must be so excited/nervous! Hope you will keep us posted on your recovery! Good luck!

WOW 16 syringes of fluid! lol, that qualifies as a lake. What a relief it must have been for you :confused: I guess those drains have a job to do. Was it on the side where the drain fell out? Glad you got it checked out. Thanks for sharing with us!

/HUG allie!!! Best wishes and prayers for a smooth operation and speedy recovery.