sid_n_reagans_mommy

Also wanted to give an **update**... Had my second follow-up yesterday and the doctor had to remove 60cc's of fluid from my abdomen. It did it hurt, but freaked me out!!! I haven't had any drains since 8 days after my surgery. He said that this kind of thing can happen in about 20% of his patients. I go back for another follow-up next week and he said most likely he will have to do it again . I also wear my compression garment 24/7 , one because I'm supposed, but it gives me some comfort from feeling like my guts are about to rip open. Still on pain meds, but doing ok otherwise.

Thank you so much!! I can wait for my tummy to flatten out and get my spray tan!

Just thought I'd update... Healing is going well but still swelling a lot in my lower abdominal area I was brave enough to try on a two piece bathing suit!!!! Please ignore my knee high socks!! Haha I actually was having a rough day... Asthma and still pretty sore

My doctor said that he didn't think my arms needed the full arm lift, and that he really likes to avoid doing those because the scars they leave are very bad. So he did a mini arm lift (a cut up in the armpit) which will pull things a bit tighter and my scars will be hidden

No my insurance did not cover any of my surgery. This is all out of my pocket. I was supposed to go back to work after two weeks.... But I don't think they understood what I do for a living lol.... I am an industrial maintenance technician, picture auto-mechanic but for equipment that fills a manufacturing facility. I think I will need an additional week or so off, I will talk to my doctor on weds at my follow up. But I think for a desk job, majority could go back after two weeks for sure.

My doctor is in northern Virginia. You can look him up on his website bjcohen.com.He is awesome! I'd rather not share my exact cost, but I believe he is reasonable! You will get a free consultation, plus he came in 2K less than a doctor I saw in Fredericksburg, va and that's with more work and silicone and not saline implants! His staff and him have been wonderful! Can't wait for my follow-up with him! not even close to healed and I'm thrilled with my results!

Here is a pic of my mini brachioplasty... Can't see full results yet, but I think I'm glad he talked me out of doing the full arm lift... Those scars aren't too pretty

Sorry if these are too graphic! :-/ I'm still pretty swollen! Can't wait to be healed and get some tan on this body!

Here is one of my part of my TT incicision & new belly button w/ drain.... Other pics are too graphic sorry

Are you still in pain two months later?! :-O what has healed the quickest?

No, I was self-pay for my VSG as well, I actually went to Mexico for that. There just wasn't a big enough cost difference between Mexico and my surgeon here, plus all of the immediate follow-up care required for this procedure.

Hi all. I just had my plastics this past tues (tummy tuck, breast aug w/ implants, mini brachioplasty). The dr said he removed 7 lbs!! I haven't weighed the last few days because I've been so far out of it! But hopefully it will put me right around 125 lbs! this surgery has been the hardest to recover from. Up until 90 mins ago, I haven't been able to keep anything down, which includes pain meds, antibiotics, and the Valium. Hoping it gets better soon! Can't wait to see my results!

Thank you all for the well wishes! I will definitely post pics once I begin healing up. My insurance doesn't cover plastics, so this is out of pocket. I went to a surgeon that works in the northern Virginia, Maryland, and DC area. They did give me plenty of pain meds, and this morning was the first time I was able to keep then down, so I think they are helping a lot now!

I will be 7 months out on the 15th. I am 16 lbs below goal weight and I am having plastics on this tues. I also am an industrial maintenance technician (far, far from a desk job), and I went to two different doctors & they said I would be ok to go back to work in two weeks... Oh, and I'm having a TT, breast lift/implant, mini-arm lift.

I have my consultation today with a plastic surgeon. I am just over 6 months out from surgery but I don't plan to get my surgery until March. I am currently 12 lbs below goal & I plan on getting off another 20 by march. I've seen a lot of people saying surgeons sayin to wait until 1-2 years out for skin to "shrink", however, there is no way I'm waiting that long!! Anybody have experience with plastics this early out??

So I went to my consult! And got the green light! Looking forward to the new-new me!!! :-D

Great job! You look awesome!

Today is so bittersweet to me! I reached my initial goal of 150.0 lbs (I was 217.1 surgery day) today! I am thrilled beyond words, but I'm scared too. This is the lowest weight I have been my entire adult life! I have dropped weight a couple times before (the lowest being 155.0 lbs), but always gained back and then some. I want to maintain my weightloss! I also however, am scared of losing too much weight! I was revised (band-to-sleeve 6/15/12) and I honestly feel like all I do is eat! Not a lot each time, but still! Plus I don't exercise (I know this is terrible, but its the truth). I really don't want to get below 140ish...

I didn't take any photos on my day of surgery or since then to mark progress, but here is one of me a little over two years ago and one from a couple weeks ago

Thanks all!! You are right! I should relish this moment and save the worrying for another time

Thanks you guys! Looking at these pics side by side is a huge reality check for me!

I had mine done 2 months post-sleeve, seperate incisions (sleeve done in Mexico & incisions are mostly on my left side-- your gallbladder is in the right side attached to your liver), but laparoscopically. I also had to have stents put in my ducts (and my gallbladder removal was emergency surgery). I was out of work for a month, but I am a maintenance technician (very physical work)... If it had been a desk job, I could've been back at it in two weeks.

Just wondering if anybody else is in my shoes... I had my gallbladder out 2 months ago. I had two emergency surgeries back-to-back (one to remove gallbladder & another to place stent). Ever since then, my guts have been WACKO! Sorry for TMI, but I have the runs on average of 3 times a week. Another thing is when I do get the urge "to go", the pains feels different then before... Like, I feel like I am going to have the runs every single time, but its not that everytime (if this makes any sense?). Anybody else? Does it get better? I know the dr said some people can be sensitive to fatty foods after losing their gallbladder, but this doesn't seem to correlate to my diet.

LOL no need to be sorry , after all, I started it! Haha! That is kinda what it's like for me now, when it hits me, I gotta go now! Well, at least I can look forward to things improving a bit at some point...