Sweet Pee

You are looking great Jane. You are doing great not to rush into exercise. I can only walk, which is something I am not use to doing, but I know my body is still in the healing process, even though it has been 5 months. Everyone does not heal at the same rate. I know when my husband gets a cut on his hand, three days later if has completely healed, but whenever I get just a small, tiny cut on my hand, it takes 3 weeks to heal. I am the slowest healer ever! Whenever you are ready, your body will know let you know. GelZone is great! I like use Tamanu oil and Rose oil on my scars before I wrap up with the GelZone. Thank you for the pictures, and updates about your plastics. Smile.

The price list is here, but you do get some savings when you do multiple procedures.
The only way to really know is to get a quote. What I will say is that I paid less, way less, for getting all my procedures done at once then I was going to pay for just having the extended Tummy Tuck and breast aug/lift in the USA.
http://www.medicaltourism.com.mx/mtpl.html
AkMama - I haven't had alot of pain... I expected the thighs and arms to really really hurt and they haven't. The thighs are definately most difficult to live with though. Do you have any idea how hard it is to go for 6 weeks without parting your thighs or otherwise stressing those incisions? (get your mind out of the gutter!). getting in and out of a car, bending and reaching down low, daily normal tasks - you CAN do them, you just have to be careful to not do them - not because of pain but to avoid putting tension on the incision and widening your scar. I had the added bonus of having some skin problems. I have very delicate skin and the tape caused one abrasion. Anyway, it is all coming along okay.
I think the very hardest thing for me personally is accepting the physical limitations. I have found this to be very very hard. I realized that it reminds me of my darkest days of being 300+ pounds. I am a naturally high energy, likes to move and do stuff kind of person... and to be forced to sit... or lay... and rest... day after day... has definately played with my mind. Sometimes, it makes me feel fat and I have to remind myself that I am not fat, I am not disabled, I am just healing.
I have literally been watching the doghair grown on the carpet. My horses are filthy (caretaker feeds them, but doesn't really attend to them like I would). I have felt stircrazy at times and thank goodness I have friends who have rescued me by getting me out of the house, but like a baby I would get tired fast and need a nap. It sucks. I would say that around week 3 I was regretting surgery - not because of pain, i was happy with results, but because I felt I was going crazy not being able to do the most simple tasks for fear of interfering with my healing.
Anyway, my summary is that I worried way too much about pain and stuff and underestimated just how long it takes to heal. In another week I am cleared to start exercising, but I don't think I am really ready to do much besides walking. I am supposed to be okay to ride horses in 3 weeks, but based on how I feel now - no way - I need longer. I still have trouble opening heavy doors at commercial buildings - like wow - I used to feel so strong and now I am a weakling. (horses are a highly physical activity as they can do unpredictable things and they do weigh like 1200 pounds!).
I think I am finally ACCEPTING that this takes a lot of time. All I can say is I am sure glad I waited till autumn to do this. I would have cried over losing my summer (horseback riding, camping and hiking season) because it takes MONTHS to be back to full steam. Well, at least for me and probably for most people that have so many procedures at once.
I finally no longer regret having done the surgery and really am pleased with my results. I was always an apple shape and to finally have something that is more balanced, and womanly looking... makes me so happy. My clothes fit better and people see the difference in my shape even under winter clothes.
My ex made the statement that I needed to do plastics to sort of close a certain chapter and I think he was right. I can see that it is making me feel just so normal, which is all I ever really wanted.

A custom made shaper? That's wonderful!! That means I could get one with extra extra strength lower gut control!

I have a friend who wears tortuously high heels that always end up hurting her feet. Her motto is 'It hurts to be beautiful'! Lol

Amanda, Dr Sauceda anestheologist uses, when possible, twilight sedation combined with an epidural instead of general anesthesia. They also put a pain reliever in the epidural that is effective for a day so you wake up from surgery feeling pretty good. What that means is that you breath on your own the whole time and don't have some of the negatives of general. I personally get very sick to my stomach with general - they have to pump me full of anti naseau drugs and I still feel queasy and yucky. Some surgeries are done this way in the usa, but not usually plastic surgeries. I consulted with a PS in the USA that had a shoulder surgery done using twilight and he was a big advocated since you recover easier (initial recovery) without the general anesthesia. i am a little unclear why it is not more commonly used in the usa, but i think it has to do with the risk of lawsuits for any doctor that does anything "different".
Lisadaze, here is a piece of advice from someone who has lost alot of weight. Don't worry about skin or plastics or any of that. Focus on the positives, focus on losing some weight and regaining good health. Focus on enjoying your new body. Honestly, life is SOOO much better at half my former size, plastics is only icing on the cake - I could have been quite happy without without it.
You know, alot of this journey for me personally has been learning to love my self and my body more unconditionally. Accepting my imperfections with the confidence that in the "big picture" I like myself and who I am. What I have noticed is that people that don't make that mental shift are not happy with their plastic surgery results either - even when they have great results. my results are NOT perfect, but significantly improved. What PS did for me was make me feel like my body looks pretty normal for a 49 year old woman, and if I may pat myself on the back, better then what i typically see at my local grocery store because i am fitter than many women my age range.

(if you can't see this post without a bunch of extra HTML code, go here: http://sleevers.wordpress.com/2013/11/10/you-may-be-doing-better-than-you-think/)



Or math games geeks play.



So I see people posting how they’ve lost a lot less than those who were sleeved the same day as them. “I’m 3 months out and I’ve only lost X but everyone else has lost so much more than me.” Theoretically we all understand that if someone has a lot to lose, they will lose faster than someone who has less to lose.



But here’s an example to make it real. There’s me, with 80 lbs to lose, and there’s my friend Emily who has 180 lbs to lose. Mine are actual results, and I made up the results for Emily.



Wow, I’m doing really badly. I’ve “only” lost 35 lbs in 3 months and Emily has lost 79 lbs! Obviously, I’m failing.





But you want to know a secret? I didn’t entirely make up Emily’s numbers. Look at the picture below. Can you guess what I did?







Yup. I messed around with the numbers until Emily had lost exactly the same as I had in terms of percent excess weight to lose. I have 80 lb. to lose, she has 180 lb. to lose. In order for her to match me for percent of excess weight lost, she has to lose considerably more than I do during the same time period.



Poor Emily is having to work a lot harder to get the same results I am. And what do you know, I'm doing just fine.



This is why I strongly believe that we should move away from total pounds lost, and move to percent excess weight lost to gauge where we are in our journeys.



Here’s how to calculate your %EWL:

[Total weight lost/(Starting weight - Goal Weight)]*100
[35/(230-150)]*100
(35/80)*100
=44%
Who knew Math could make you feel better hunh?



Btw, if you're total math phobic, give me your start weight, your current weight, and your goal weight and I will do this for you.

I know this sounds crazy, but it works wonders. Have you heard of the Oil Cleansing Method?
http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/
It's basically cleansing your face with oil - it removes all dirt and makeup, gets the gunk out of your pores, and leaves you nice and moisturized. It's good for all skin types, including acne prone or oily skin.

Anybody use him for plastics?? Very interested in him and his work. He responded so quickly and called me less than a day after my email to him. Love how he cares and explains himself with full details. Looking on using him for my LBL and lift without implants. He said he will do a fat transfer to help with my lift . If you've used him Id love to hear about it!

Or in a candle lit room after downing a bottle of wine

Laura-ven......Then and now.....

Little Laura-Ven

Butter in his early days...

She is right though- some people make some dumb ass comments and silly statements/questions on here- I choose to scroll past those threads though. Everyone doesn't have the same level of intellect and it's each of our choices to hit the button to respond- you don't have to. At the same time the thread title was a bit punchy, but I still think everyone needs to relax a bit- and realize too you're dealing with people who can't eat for comfort anymore! A bit touchy to say the least. I know I am at times.
{)i(} Sent from my iPhone using VST {)i(}

if they made a full body suck-in suit, ankles to wrists like a superhero, I would totally buy one!

I usually wrap one of those ab sweat exercise wraps around my waist, before I put on my shaper. It helps! I can't breath, or eat, or talk, but I'm looking sexy. Then I put on my high heels, and my toes hurt, my feet hurt and I can't walk, but hey, I'm looking sexy!

Wow nurse Bonnie. That is awful and I cannot imagine your sense of betrayal.
I hope this doesn't dissuade you or others from owning your courageous decision to change your life and have WLS. Yes it does sting, but know that if someone betrays you like this, their friendship is not as critical to your existence as your decision to save your own life. Keep owning it and know that true friends will lift you up on their shoulders and carry you if need be.

I usually wrap one of those ab sweat exercise wraps around my waist, before I put on my shaper. It helps! I can't breath, or eat, or talk, but I'm looking sexy. Then I put on my high heels, and my toes hurt, my feet hurt and I can't walk, but hey, I'm looking sexy!

Yes i have done better actully starting to lose

What a great thread! I love that the three of you can support each other and do this together.
It gives me hope for when I will no doubt be posting something similar in the future.

I can eat more tan the two ounces but I try not to because I can feel overly full. I feel like I am stretching my poor little pouch so I'm going back to measuring. Also I drink a full 8 oz of Water 30 min before I eat. That helps with my Portion Control. Good luck Hun!

Ok confession time...
I have gotten completely obsessed with the gym and weighing mySelf. (I've lost 130 btw)
I eat whatever I want in moderation. I'm in the gym so much that it burns off right Away
I love the attention I get. Reminds me of when I played football in college.
I hated throwing out all my old jeans. It's like burning money. I'm so upset
I feel constipated a lot. I started taking Metamucil to regulate myself, but Jesus. I go to th washroom like 3 times a week.
At my heaviest April 2013. 320
November 2nd 2013 195

I think PS really take special care as to how they sew, tape, or glue us up. My LBL flat scar has almost blended into my natural light brown skin color. It is just a little darker. It looks much better than my VS scars. My VS scars look exactly like Laura's too. I did not treat my VS scars with silicon wraps, and now they are raised and dark. They will still be there even after a TT or LBL just a little lower. My advice - treat them now while they are still fairly new, then later when you have plastics, they will not be as noticeable. I plan on asking my PS for scar treatment on my VS scars when I see him again because nothing I do is helping. Of course my VS was back in 2011. :-). :-) :-)
Also when you are ready for plastic surgery, be sure to choose a doctor that understands and frequently work with those of us with tan pigmentation. They understand any mistakes will show up!