kareyquilts

Diane: Thanks for the tip about Ebay. I forget about them! BJean: I was just going to call the doc about another fill (I only have .5cc) and now you have me pysched out. I definetly don't want to be in Puerto Rico and be too tight. I know my band doc will only add another .5 cc. I had 2.25 in my band before surgery. Do you think I could be too tight on 1 cc? Decisions! Decisions!

Diane: That's interesting. I've been trying to decide if I should get another small fill before my trip. I'm worried I'll gain weight, but I guess I should be patient and maybe exercise some self-control! GRRR!

I'm doing really well. I saw the doc today for my 1 month check up and he said I could start walking and doing upper body workouts. Said to wear the compression garment to work out and a sports bra. Also, said I could go to a stage 2 compression garment or a spanx type garment. I have to say that I'm kind of dependent on this compression garment now, even though it bugs the heck out of me. It feels wierd without it. I guess it's time to get back into real life!

BeckyinTexas: Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! May God continue to bless you in your efforts. You're an inspiration!

Amy, I think the wedding dress drama is resolved. Here is what happened. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f12/kareyquilts-tummy-tuck-bl-lipo-ba-52831/index15.html Fran: It does hurt. I think within the next week you won't be as painful. I rarely having any burning sensations now. Just stay ahead of the pain with your meds if you need them. I took mine at night for about a week to help me sleep. You're going to be stiffer at night and when you first wake up, becuase the lymphatic drainage depends on body movement to circulate (unlike, say your heart). So night and waking up is the hardest. Try to pump your legs and move a little when you are resting and it should help. Are you happy with the results? Hope your recovery is getting better!

Well, this afternoon the bridal shop called my daughter. My husband had called the manager and had a nice long talk. She called my DD and told her that her father was a gentleman and that it was obvious that he loved her very much. After his call, she called the designer (finally) and they are overnighting another size 6 dress with the correct bustline. However, the boning is still in the dress! She said that my daughter was the first one to try on or order his new design and since then they had upgraded the dress and added boning. Wierd, huh? She said that removing the boning would not interfere with the integrity of the dress. That the designer and the bridal shop wanted my daughter to be happy and that they would take care of the alterations at no charge. She also said to please call her father and let him know that it was going to be alright so he wouldn't worry anymore! Wow! That must have been some phone call! My husband is a veterinarian and he does have a gentle way about him. He must have conquered her with kindness. So, I guess it was best that he talked to her. I'm afraid, I wouldn't have been so nice. Hopefully, the drama is over and all will be well! Thanks for the input!

Thanks! I'll keep you posted.

BJean: It does sound that your DD has a wonderful mother-in-law. The Bridal Shop is insisting that they can take the boning out and remodel the dress so it's just perfect. I personally think that the designer should be informed that whoever they contracted to make the dress did not follow his design. I don't want to put a damper on the big day or have my daughter upset, but I just think this is so much BS! I really wonder if we shouldn't just go around the Bridal Shop and contact the designer ourself? My daughter doesn't want to make waves, but I think we spent enough money that we should get what was ordered and not some bait and switch. Of course there are more expensive dresses, but if a designer is going to put his name on it, it should live up to the brand. My DD goes in for a new fitting tomorrow, the boning will have been removed and I guess we'll see from there. Thanks for your import.

Christine: I swell in the upper tummy too. Hate it! The bridal shop won't give us the designer's phone number. I am going to the designer's website, but I don't really know if he'll see our complaint. I think he should know that his dress wasn't made to specifications and did not look like the trunk show dress. My husband is going to call the bridal shop on Monday. Hopefully, he'll get more of a response than my daughter did!

That's very cool about your wedding dress! My energy level sounds similar to yours. I'm okay until about 5 or 6 and then I'm a little painful and cranky! Don't know what I would do if I had a 1 year old. My 9 year old is helpful, but we have the lessons, etc. If we get a refund on the dress, than we won't have time to get a new dress made. The wedding is in less than 2 months. I think that the designer could put a rush on his dress and make good on what we bought. My daughter looked for several months and it took her a long time to choose her dress. She loved the sample dress and knew it was the "one". I think they should fix it. We shouldn't be penalized for their screw up. My husband will be making some phones calls Monday morning. I think that my daughter was too nice. She said she was in schock and just trying not to cry. We'll see what happens.

Amy: How is your energy level? Is it getting any better? I guess that is my biggest complaint. I'm more tired than I think I should be. I look at certain areas on my body and have little complaints, but when I look at my before pictures I know that I look a lot better than I did and try not to be obessive about it. Really glad I took my own nude before pictures! Amy, my daughter is having a major issue with her wedding dress. It has nothing to do with lapbands or plastics, but check out my rant on my thread and give me your opinion about what we should do? Thanks! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f12/kareyquilts-tummy-tuck-bl-lipo-ba-52831/index14.html#post778901

Okay fellow plastics patients, I need your opinion about a rant I just posted on my plastics page. My daughter's wedding dress has nothing to do with lapbands and plastics, but I still need your advice and opinions. Here is the link: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f12/kareyquilts-tummy-tuck-bl-lipo-ba-52831/index14.html#post778901 Thanks!

Here's the thread link: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f12/kareyquilts-tummy-tuck-bl-lipo-ba-52831/index14.html#post778901. Fellow September bandsters please check out my rant about my DD wedding dress! Thanks!

BJean: Maybe it's just what your band is use to that makes the difference?! Would you go to my thread on the plastics sections and read my post about my DD wedding dress? You're so level headed and would like your opinion. Thanks.

Okay, I have a rant to make that doesn't have anything to do with my PS. I just got a call from my daughter who went for her first wedding dress fitting in San Francisco. She ordered a dress from the designer Lazaro and we took a big bite in the budget and sacrificed to buy this dress. Well when my daughter went to try on the dress, it was totally different than the sample that she tried on! The dress had stays in it, which she said make it impossible to sit down it. The bodice was totally different than the dress she tried on and the lining was different. My daughter had pictures of her in the original dress with the designer (it was a trunk show) and the bridal shop she ordered the dress from said that is what happens when you buy a new design that has never been manufactured before. They are going to take out the stays (which I think will affect the integrity of the dress) and alter the bodice, etc. Of course, we will have to pay for extra fittings and alterations! I wanted to call the designer directly because: 1- maybe someone else ordered a dress with stays and we got the wrong one and 2- I think the designer needs to know that his dress wasn't reproduced correctly and have the opportunity to make it good. We paid $4,000 for the dress. Don't you think it should be right?! My husband is going to call the bridal shop on Monday morning, but what can we really do? The dress had to be paid in full before they even started making it? Does anyone know how to find out how to contact the designer directly? I just think this is BS!

I use progesetrin cream and estrogen, testerone cream vaginally. Let the good times roll!

I had my fill on Friday and the doc actually mentioned the folds in the stomach theory. She said that a lot of her older (meaning have had the band for a while) bandster need less of a fill. I know that isn't your case Diane. The doc only put in .5cc which isn't much at all. I'm going to Puerto Rico in 2 weeks and she didn't want to give me too much for that reason. I complained but my DH was with me and he supported her. GRRR! Anyway, she also said that the band seems to tighten when you go from high altitude (Utah) to sea level. So I guess I'm stuck with a small fill for a while. My appetite doesn't seem to be as much since my surgery so hopefully it will be alright. Wish fills were more of an exact science.

I had tumesecent lipo. They took how about 1700 cc or about 3 pounds of fat. They lipoed my flanks (hips, back and bra area). I am extremely happy with the results. I also had a tummy tuck and between that and the lipo I am down about 1 1/2 sizes on my pants.

Cheryl: I hope your surgery went well. If you haven't already check out the Make Me Heal website. It has lots of tips for after care. My biggest suggestion for you at this point is to take your pain meds at regular intervals and make sure you stay on top of it. It takes a lot longer to feel better if you wait until your painful to take your meds. I hope that someone showed you how to get up and down and out of bed. Try to keep your upper body elevated and put something under your knees. I promise you that you'll feel much much better within the week. Please if you have any questions, pm me or ask here and I'll try and give you support! Good luck~ and welcome to the flatlands!

I agree with Tami. I just had tumescent lipo a month ago. My doc did put in some lidocaine with everything else and it did help with the pain. Everything looks pretty smooth and my doc was able to take 3 pounds of fat off my flanks. It's still a little painful, but well worth it.

StephC: That's interesting about your sister. My gynecologist said that too. We do store a lot of estrogen in our fat. Her take on it was that was one of the reasons to get the TT and get that fat off. She said it's not good for us. The fat stored on our stomachs has a lot of estrogen and the estrogen fights our weight loss efforts. It's the ole protect us for childbearing stuff. She told me that the last 10 pounds would come off easier without the stomach fat. Also said that it puts us at a lower risk for type 2 diabetes if we don't have the stomach fat. What she didn't tell me was how it was going to make me a hormonal mess for a while! Had insomnia again last night along with hot flashes and then feeling so cold I couldn't get warm. My husband piled the blankets on me and I finally warmed up enough to go back to sleep, took about an hour to warm up. It's a little crazy, but hey, my stomach's flat and this to shall pass! Right?!

Well it's after 1:00 in the morning and I have insomnia again. I hate that. My husband woke up with a headache and now he's sleeping and I'm awake. I've been having a lot of hot flashes. Had to go off the hormones for surgery and started back on them last week. UGH! Been having a lot of mood swings and sensations in my breasts like milk let down, etc. Really fun stuff. I finally called my gynecologist and she had me come in a get a progestrine shot to kick start my hormones. Actually made me feel much calmer. She said I might need to take them every other day for a while. Think she might be right, that's about how long the effect lasted. I'm thinking that the anestesthia and all the changes could have a lot to do with the mood swings also?! Well, maybe I'll take a sleeping pill.

Okay, about exercise. My son is in his last year of medical school, so he isn't an expert, but he is very opinionated! He told me that exercise causes micro tears in the muscles and that is not something that you want after a tummy tuck, especially with muscle repair. He said that I am at a lot higher risk for getting a hernia for a while and need the time to heal. His feeling is that mild walking is the only form of exercise for at 6-8 weeks. I see my PS on Monday and I'm going to try and pin him down. My son went into a lot of detail about wound healing and how after 2 weeks the wounds are healed on the surface but not in the deep tissue. I guess I will listen. Besides my energy levels just not that great. I'm on the go all day, but by the end of the day I'm super tired and whining. Patience is hard. Lynn: I had a vomiting episode about a week after my PS and it was miserable. Unfortunately, I ended up having to have an unfill. I couldn't even hold water down. Tomorrow I go for a fill and I'm quite nervous about it. Never have been nervous before, but it was awful. Just don't want to be too tight!

Well Neal, I'm glad you stood up for yourself. I hope it pays off! Have you started exercising since your surgery? I'm wondering if the swelling is going to happen if it should be ignored or tolerated and we should push ourselves or if the swelling is natures way of saying to slow down? Anyone have any theories on this?

Diane: I can feel your anxiety and I hope that all is well with your fill. I find that my band seems to get a little tighter about 1 week after my fill. Maybe it is the folds in the stomach theory. I can't imagine that there is anything wrong with your band, because if there was, I think you would feel tight not loose. Hopefully this fill will be the trick. Good luck. Keep in touch!