tummy tuck

[Meme 0]

Telly are you going to let your hair grow now. I think you look good with it short. I think that with all the hard workouts my hair was too long, so I cut it all off. I think that I will keep it short until I get to my goal

[gonnabethin 10]

You look GREAT!!! Good JOB!!! The before and after look like different people!!

[ReneBean 3]

Telly - you look fabulous!

You will have to keep us posted on how the healing and stuff goes - since I know there is a Tummy Tuck in my distant future. Your doc really did a superior job with the belly button. It takes a lot of the fear out of it for me. I too have seen some scary looking belly buttons. yours looks great!

Sugar - good luck with the giving up the cigs. Just think - you have Telly's flat tummy to inspire you. Next time you get a craving - come look at Telly's belly.

:]

[Telly 4]

Meme - yes I love it short. So carefree and less hassle but I'm thinking of letting it grow out just a bit, then once it's there, I'll decide where to go. You are right though, with the crazy workouts I plan on getting back into, I think my hair needs to stay short, wearing bandanas to catch my sweat is easier on my neck, no hairs to clear away when I sweat like a crazy mad woman.

Gonnabethin - Thank you lady! They do don't they. I think I've grossed people out with the before's belly. But I really did not want to gross you out with the scar pics so I did not and will not post those till they are fully healed.

ReneBean

ROFLMAO @ Rene, that's cute! Telly's belly... it's swollen though. Can't wait till it goes down. He did a great job on the belly button. They go inside and find the old belly button attachment and make a hole and attach it, and stitch you. It's a new belly button but underneath, it's your old one attached. Makes you feel whole. Also too, you get to watch the entire procedure.

[kareyquilts 1]

Wow Telly, you look fantastic. I'm looking forward to more pictures and reports. Are you in a lot of pain? Keep us posted, cause we all want to do what you did!

[Telly 4]

I am 8 days post op and I am in no more pain, just some swelling discomfort. My belly feels quite swollen, more so now that the drains are removed, also too, I work from home and I've been sitting up working about 12 hours a day so the swelling is going to happen. I am told it will subside about 60% within the next few weeks. I stopped taking pain meds last Saturday. I feel pretty great with the exception of the swelling.

Thank you for asking and I will continue to post more pictures in a few weeks.

[indianlight 2]

I had my lapband done in India September 2005 and then returned in April 2006 for Tummy Tuck, arm lift and Lipo in the tighs. I am so glad that I had it done, but the pain was awful at the time. Would I have it done again, not all at the same time. The total cost for the surgeries and 17 days in the hospital (this was my choice rather than going to a resort and traveling back and forth to the hospital for care with all of the pain) was $5,790.00. This included all the meals etc and my husband stayed in the room with me. It is a long way to travel, but when you can't afford US hospitals this is surely the way to go for hospital care.

Telly - that bellybutton is fantastic, it looks real...

nanaholmes - you say you had an arm lift and thigh lift, what are the scars like? I was told by my local dr that they are really bad and not to even consider these as you can no longer wear shorts or sleeveless tops. I'm nowhere near needing these yet, but suspect I will in the future and would appreciate your thoughts...

[spldgrl 0]

Oh so gald to see this post- hope you dont mind I have questions that I'm stressing about- I am scheduled for tt and breast lift Jan 25th. my port is noticable. I can feel it very close to skin- how did the port deal with the tightening of the muscles with TT? any special procedures or anything? did it move?

Did you have the pain med bag thing in? or oral pain meds?

I am working with stregnth trainer on legs and arms do you find that your legs so more work? I was told you dont stand up straight for 3-4 weeks to keep muscles tight, is that true?

My surgeon is very good and highly recommended by 3 docs- but the port makes me nervous- is it even that close to things moved by the TT?

Thanks for the help-

[kareyquilts 1]

Telly: The pictures were awesome, I especially liked the before and after shots of your belly button. I am really inspired! I hope you'll let us know how everything goes in the months to come. Thanks for sharing and being so brave.

[Eficka 0]

Telly, you are so brave. I see those pics, your belly looks great. Before I was thinking about the Tummy Tuck but it looks like too much pain.Im a wuss. You look awesome!!

[kareyquilts 1]

Telly: When you have your surgery in Mexico, who takes out the drains and does your aftercare?

[AngelaT 2]

Telly...you look awesome!!!!!! Wow!!!!!!! May I ask how much a TT costs in Mexico?

[Telly 4]

Karey - Thank you

Indianlight - Thank you

Brenda - I understand you feeling nervous. I think it's natural. The port was seen, I actually saw it as I was awake the entire procedure. It was stitched to me very well, it was right above where he cut me flap off. He didn't need to reposition it, just pushed the tubing up a bit while he sewed me up. It didn't need to be repositioned or anything and the tightening of my muscles does not interfere with my port. I feel great and with the same restriction as before, my belly is a bit swollen but once it is down I will feel for my port and I know where it is.

I had oral pain meds prescribed and ready for me as I left the facility but before surgery I was set up with an IV with a push of something to take of the edge, then antibiotic injected into the iv. I had IV antibiotic until my discharge, then antibiotic meds with pain meds ready in a bag as I left.

My legs are strong already, probably the strongest thing on my entire body. I find that my back aches alot and I work the back more, simply b/c you are right, I have to slouch over, bend over and not stand up straight for a few weeks. They tell me that the muscles are stitched in your abs, so to stand would prematurely stretch them as well as stress them. Bending over allows less stress on them and once healed and scarred in place...standing up straight will make the muscle tight! Tight is what you want, not a stretched out muscle as before the surgery. You'll have that pulled abdomen look. Just think...Beyonce, Jessica Alba, Shakira.

If you can see your port buldging now then you may want to ask for a low profile port upon having your surgery. The port is much more smaller and alot less noticeable. I heard that a doc did a port exchange for $700usd.

Hope I answered your questions.

Eficka - Thank you and pssssh! If you had lapband surgery then you can have this surgery. There is a slight pain difference but mehh.

Karey - Well the nurses were going to remove it on Friday, my last day in Mexico but my doctor said no. He said he would rather me wear my drains on my flight home than remove the drains before I left Mexico. He stated that if I were on the flight and had no drains and developed what's called a "seroma" I believe, then that would have me in pain. A seroma is a Water pocket that can grow enormously under the skin that must be drained. He told me that after day 6 - 10, I could go to my PCP and he can remove my drains in an office visit, or...I could remove it myself. I told him that I may have my PCP do it but asked for instructions on how to do it. I ended up removing them myself. He told me to clip the large black stitch on my skint that holds the drain in place and just simply pull out the drain. I did it and it wasn't painful, just felt weird. It seemed neverending. Finally got that sucker out and realized I was sweating, lol but it was fascinating. The ends of the drain has about 1000 holes in it for drainage purposes. It was pretty amazing. Therefore I had 3 options, either stay in Mexico longer and have the surgeon's staff remove my drain or have my PCP do it, or I remove it myself. Something about me too is when I had my c-section (my 4 year old) I wanted to remove my own staples so my ob/gyn gave me the staple remover and I took it home and removed all of them.

Also the doctor told me to go ahead and have my PCP remove my stitches after day 10. I asked if I could do this myself and he said "surely". He stated that at the end there is the "end stitch" or something like that.. and to clip it and remove the entire stitch. He said it was all one piece and it's like an unraveling of some sort but that I'd have to pull it up. I want to do this myself. I'm excited to. As well as my belly button. But if I feel I can't do it, I will go down the street to my own doc for help.

AngelaT - Thank you. The TT cost $3,800.00 USD but my plane ticket was about 333.00 and hotel was 69.00 per night for 7 days. My husband and daughter flew with me so the total cost was about 5k ish

Hope I answered all of your questions.

[ANEWROC 0]

You look great!

[~Jules~ 0]

Telly,

You look amazing. You are so beautiful. You are so helpful to so many of us on this website. Thank you for sharing your journey. You are truly an inspiration!!!!