StephC

Shannon a little dish detergent under the flap will work wonders for an instant rash but beware it is painful. I told my dr that the only thing that would work for me was the athletes foot cream, for fungus, he doc'd that and the ins co never asked to see pics. Maybe just a pic of the rash and a statement from your family dr will be enough. Good luck.

Isn't this whole band/weightloss/ps thing crazy? I mean how it plays with your head. For instance how many of us go shopping and still look at the plus sizes or just still feel like we are that fat person we used to be? Or on the other hand we feel like wow I can't believe I was ever that big and how the heck did I get that way? Or we start questioning ourself on other aspects of our appearance? And then theres the days when we are like WOW I'm looking good? I just think its been a roller coaster of emotions. Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining in the least. I love my band, I love that I lost weight, I love that I'm going to have a flat tummy, I love that I can walk and keep up with the rest of the family, I love that I feel and look healthy - but dang if it hasn't been one heck of a ride!

thanks Christine - Yep Karey its getting closer and I'm fricking excited! My husband won't even come near the computer, all I do is look at tt's. Trying to figure out how mine will turn out. I guess I'll know in about 9 days!

Well Renee I wanted to but I havent' gotten very far. I was only losing about a lb or 2 a month and then went in for a fill and lost 5 the first week, then it slowed down to about 2 more in the next few weeks. I only have a week left so I don't think I'm going to lose these last 8 lbs by then. I got my period so that threw me up a pound but if and when I dare get back on the scale I doubt that I'll have lost any more. But good luck to you! I'm glad you found us.

Funny how so many of us are so alike in so many ways. I'm not a clean freak at any other time but its as if I have to do it all. Like if I'm not there its NEVER going to get done. My family is used to me but the poor souls I work with don't know where I'm coming from. Most of them just nod their heads ok, ok.

wow Amy thats wonderful! You look great! Have you lost more weight?

:glare: Kat we are so alike! I'm always saying things like that to dh. The other day I got out of the tub and said just think in a little over a week I'm not going to have this jelly belly anymore - in the meantime my old 36 longs were swinging - so I grabbed the sistas and said then we can work on the girls. LOL You're lucky to be going out of town for a few days prior, definitly help get your mind off of it ... yeah right! As if you aren't going to be just as excited in Texas as you would be in NM! But at least you'll have somewhat of a distraction. I feel like its happening faster now. Today at work we were going over what I expect out of everyone. :Dancing_biggrin: I'm the club mother - yeah you can bet they all call me a mother behind my back too. Anyway as we were going over what I needed from everyone to get my shtuff in order I was like wow this is really happening fast. I just have to be so stinking organized! It drives me crazy. I can never leave a t uncrossed or an i undotted. Do I sound a bit excited? Not really? Ok I have to go obsess over MMH and see if I can find someone with the same bmi as me.

Good to hear from you Julie. I never thought about the placement of the belly button. Mine is pretty low now, maybe thats why I like the mom jeans that come up above my belly button. :glare:

Yes it does make sense about the pros and cons of how he feels about you. Its such a good secure feeling to be loved like that. I've been married 28 years and dh is the same. Infact I think he feels a bit inferior to me now. He's a little older then me and looks alot older so we get the look, like he robbed the cradle. LOL well robbed the cradle a LONG time ago..hehe I think if its just for you and he's supportive then do it for you. I think those who love us most will step in and say hey wait a minute enough is enough!

Becky you deserve to throw away those straight jackets! You are such an inspiration to so many, we're believing sweetie! Its gonna happen!

I just posted somewhere else and saw my ticker - I'm down to single digits! Nine days! I'm getting so obsessive about it, its all I can think about. Can't wait!

If you are too tight thats not good either. You can get dehydrated and also make bad food choices. Good foods get stuck and are hard to get down but bad food like chips, candy, cookies all go down ok. So if you are too tight you should consider getting a slight unfill. If you find yourself drinking protien drinks bc you can't eat protein thats a real good sign you are too tight. When you say you have a hard time getting water down do you mean as in guzzling water down - which a good fill you can't do - or do you mean sipping and having a hard time getting it down? If you are sipping and its hard getting it down then you need a little unfill. I don't mean to sound so negative but I'm worried about you. Too tight can cause problems. Take care sweetie we dont' want anything bad happening to you.

:thumbup: Those who know me best would agree! I got a call from the hospital about my pre-op testing, I'm scheduled to go tomorrow at 9am. Now I've been scheduled for a month and they call yesterday and want me to move it to Friday. I said no. I said I requested Wed off of work and I know I can't take Friday off - half truth bc no one would care but I know I have the newsletter to send out on Friday and its an all day job - so she hemmed and haa-ed and said they'd get back with me. I said if you want to move me to later in the day I'm willing to do that but I can't switch days. So they called me this morning and said they would just move me up to noon. I'm thinking good grief theres a whole days worth of testing and I'm the only one who can move? Am I being bitchy? My dh said its those damn old retired people. LOL He was joking bc I said theres probably half of them on the schedule that dont' work and they call me?

Karey how does your husband feel about all of it?

I'd say get in for a fill and get in a support group. Tracking your food intake and your exercise is all good too. Remember the band is a tool and won't work unless you USE it. Good luck hon!

:rolleyes2: I never invited this hunkachunk I have hanging around my belly either!!! Yeah I'll post pics. I already posted of my jelly belly on the cosmetic surgery thread. I'll do before/afters. My neice wants the mommy makeover too. Now that I'm getting the tt done I'm thinking how'd I'd like my boobs perked up too. And a little lipo in the inner thigh area, maybe a little nip and tuck in the eye area. :scared2: Good thing I'm not married to a rich man!

I had a friend who had a tt years ago - like 18 or 20 years ago - and she had the vertical scar - I haven't seen her in about 5 years so I'm not able to question her but I wonder if that was the norm back then. I am obsessed with makemeheal and the pics - I go through them and when I find one that has a simular shape to me I put in her stats and see if we are simular in bmi. I'm nuts I know. Totally nuts.

"Have any of you seen the old movies "Summer Rental"? It has John Candy in it. Anyways, there is a female character who got a boob job and goes around showing them off and asking everyone what they think of her new boobs. I have turned into that character with my belly button and tummy. I am always pulling up my shirt and showing people. I have become a freak.":laugh: TOO FUNNY! That'll be me - I already pull my shirt up and say look at this flab - and I show my band scar. OK not to everyone just family and very close friends.

Diane - you are so right in all you said - and I'm not tucked yet! But at one of our support groups we had the pysch there and it was at that point when I was finally in a size 12 and I was asking him do we EVER get to the point that we can look in the mirror and say YES! this is it, I'm happy with what I look like? Because I remember thinking like you "if I only get to a size 12 I'll be happy" but there I was and I wasnt' happy. He and some of the others (who have no idea where we are at) said most people arent' completely happy with the outside so you have to work on the inside. ... yeah you're thinking "SHUT UP!" Give me some real advice. I supose theres some truth in that but its not what I wanted to hear. I'm also like you in that I LOVE my monthly support group - I don't miss it - but no one else has gone as far as me. Theres just one woman ((((Shirley)))) who is getting a pannectolmy done this month too. So although we dont' have anyone to help us through this stuff at least those coming up will have us. I love your comparison with the vaca. Makes total sense.

Lynn I'm one of the few that the ps wanted me to lose more before I had the surgery "for the best results". The reason it scared me is that my ps was pushing and prodding at that fat under my ribs and said the lower stuff he can cut off but theres nothing he can do about that, so I'm kinda freaked about it anyway. Then he said about if I continue to lose weight after the tt the results won't be as good... all that makes me nervous but I was so disgusted with the apron that I had decided if insurance would pay for the pannectolomy and that was it then thats all I'd have done, just cut this extra flap of skin off me. But they are paying for a full tt so I am expecting it to be better then just the panny. So when I say its gotta be better then what it is now I mean it. It scared me but not enough to not have it done.

Karey I think you have so much going on with your life right now, the wedding is a BIGGY - plus the whole hormone thing - I think it might be all of that. I wouldn't worry about this stuff until after you life calms down a bit. Then if you are still obsessing over things - yes - go get some counciling. You dont' want to end up looking like the catwomen. Seriously tho, dont' you think we all look at ourselves and thing alittle nip and tuck and I'd look better. I'm like Boo - I havent' even had the tt yet and I'm thinking my thighs look fat and saggy - then I think who cares. My youngest dd said its not like you wear short shorts. Same thing with my boobs - I kinda wish I'd had talked to ps about having a lift during the tt but then dh says noooooooo I like 'em the way they are. Besides all that, we just dont' have the money to spend on these things and when you know its not an option then its easier to accept the way it is.

keep us posted!

ok so I over reacted - thats wayyyyyyyyyyyy better then what my flappy belly looks like now.

Mommi-hammi - you're scaring me. Thats the area my surgeon is concerned about bc it has the inner fat and he can't cut that off or even lipo it - geesh - I hope I don't have a watermelon under my ribs. Maybe its just swelling.

Ginger - the tummy tuck for me is considered out patient (23 hour stay) but my dr said be prepared to stay 3 days. On the one hand I'm cool with that and think it'll be a good time to just rest. On the other hand theres a few things that I want to be out for. My youngest daughters sr prom - ok so she's going to 2 proms, her bf goes to a different school so she has one the week after too - but still its just hard for me not to be there for her. The whole grand march and taking her for her hair and nails, getting her dressed - it just one of the things a mom looks forward to doing with her girls. So bummed about that. So that is Sat and Sun is her atheletic banquet - I'm figuring on going to it but may be miserable. We'll see how I'm feeling and if I'm allowed to shower by then. The answer to your question, the recovery time is a few weeks. I'm taking one whole week off and then maybe half days the second week unless I feel up to whole days. If I get my work done I'll just leave. But work is another stress for me. I have payroll to do that first week so I'm going to try to go in on Monday while the place is closed and get my work done real fast and then I might have to pop in again later in the week, but again I'm just going to see what happens. Once I get the payroll done I'm not going to worry about it. ugh - you opened a can of worms .. sorry you all had to read all that AGAIN - needless to say its on my mind. Claud - thanks for the update. Sounds like you're doing great.