GREATFUL

OH, and I was also down 2 more lbs this morning. So I am back where I was pre-surgery. I can't wait till all of swelling is gone and I can see the 5lbs of skin/flab he cut off show up on the scales. Funny, so much of having a TT is a waiting game - wait for the surgery, wait for the drains to come out, binder to come off, to shower, to poo (lol), to walk standing up, etc.

Had another good night. Feel very rested. Some friends came over lastnight and visited, they were amazed on how well I am doing. I just sat in the recliner. Some of my girlfriends are brining food today for my DH and they are going to stay to watch chick flicks. Drains are still producing around 50 cc or ml (I cant remember which one) each time. Emptyed them about 2 times yesterday. Still taking pain meds, I believe it is smart to stay on ahead of the pain for the first few days. I don't know how others feel about that. When I had my 2 c-sec and hist, I did that also, and I had a very good recovery. PS told me that you do not heal as well when you are in pain, because your body is busy fighting the pain and not busy healing. Take care all, Later Laura

Thanks Josie and Mimi. I cannot wait to see it without the binder also. But I am going to try to make until Monday. My biggest fear about removing it before then is the chance I will mess up the pain pump some how. Do not want to be without it until it is empty. I truly believe it is what has helped me out the most. Josie my surgery last 3 hours and he took off around 5 lbs. It is amazing how good I feel. But I am taking it easy, I just want to heal and not mess anything up. Take care, Laura

Good for you Allie. Like you, at first I thought I needed the lower body lift. But my PS did convence me that I did not need one. I am only one day out, but I think he was so right. I carried most of my weight in my tummy area. I am excited for you. December will be here before you know it. Laura

I have before pictures on makemeheal. Only after are with the binder still on. Will take some without Monday. Password is - OMGnoflab http://www.makemeheal.com/pictures/viewAlbum.php?albumid=9792.

Mimi - I have 2 drains and the pain pump. Laura

PS said that he removed approximatley 5 lbs. I thought it would be more. But, I can already tell a diffrence, even with the binder. I have not looked at it without the binder. That will happen Monday.

Had a good night, only had to get up once to pee. I slept in the bed with my wedge and pillows under my knees. I feel real good this morning, hope it stays that way. Taking the pain med every 4 hours. I have a very exciting schedule planned for me today. Pee, take pain med, and sleep. Hay I might just throw in a movie for the fun of it. I have to bragg on my PS. He called me last night around 8:30 pm just to check on me. Not his nurse HIM. He wanted to make sure I was not in any pain, drinking lots of fluids, and peeing okay. Oh, yesterday before they took me back, after he marked me up, we all joined hand and said a prayer. Not your typical PS. He is not only a wonderful PS, his is a wonderful christian man also. I am very lucky. Drugs kicking in, back to bed. Laura

I am awake, very groggy and doing well. Surgery was at 8:30 am and got home around 2:30 pm. My wonderful DH is the best nurse in the world. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. I am looking forward to seeing what it looks like. Back to bed for me. The newly flattened Laura

Thanks everyone for the info about the pain level. I had horrible sholder pain with the lapband also. So we shall see. I have been running around like a chicken with its head cut off today. Running errons, picking up the house, cooking, gardening etc. I looked up at the clock and half of the day was already gone. One way to keep your mine off your surgery, keep yourself so busy you can harley think. I am planning a nice romantic dinner for me and my nurse (DH) tonight. I am going to try to get my DH to check in here for me after surgery. Thanks for all of the positive vibes....keep em coming.

Good for you... Drain Free at last. I know that has got to make you feel a bit more normal. So have you had to wait to shower all of this time? That would drive me nuts. Take care, Laura

TOMORROW BABY!!!!!! I can't believe it is almost here. I took off today because....well I just wanted too. LOL Knew I would be no good at the office. And I wanted to do just what I wanted to do today. Mess around the house, clean, cook, go grocery shopping, run errons etc. I am scheduled for 8:30 AM, have to be there at 7:30 AM. So this time tomorrow I will be there being preped. My DH shared with me lastnight that he is so worried I will be in alot of pain. Some friends of ours have been talking to him. One of them, their daughter had a TT years ago, and well, she was a big baby about the pain. And that is all they talk about. So he is a little concerned. I listened to him, we talked about the pain pump, and the wonderful drugs that he is to give me every four hours. I know that he loves me and hates when I feel bad in any way. He is very sweet...awwwwww. LOL Do you think some of it is how you expect to hurt or feel? If you expect to hurt you will. I am not being a pollyanna and thinking this will not be painful, but I am just trying to be positive about it. We shall see. Take care all....later Laura

I sure hope it grows back. Do you thank they make little lady toupees.......lol. No suitcase to pack, surgery is outpatient. I will be coming home the day of. Surgery Center only 15 min from house. No children at home, all grown and on their own. Only my wonderful DH and me. He will be takeing care of me. I am very blessed, his makes a great nurse. I keep joking with him that I am going to get him a short white dress with a little hat to wear and ask him to bend over alot. LOL He will be with me 4 days until he has to return to work. Then I have a few girl friends who are going to come stay with me during the day. We have a housekeeper that come every other week and she is scheduled to come the day of my surgery. So it will be nice to come home to a very clean house and not have to worry about it. My DH is neater than I am, so it will stay clean until she comes back in a few weeks. He likes to cook and will take care of himself in that department. I have a few things cooked up also. I have purchased, no salt crackers, puddin, Jello and some EAS shakes.

Josie - Thanks for your nice comments concerning my abundant flab. I am so looking forward to having it gone. What is funny, and this might be TMI, I am looking forward to being able to look down and seeing my pubic hair. I have only been able to see it in the mirrow. SORRY, that was TMI...... Does anyone else have that little bald spot from the skin rubbing? Allie - Surgery is THURSDAY, yep this THURSDAY!!!! Day after tomorrow.... two days from now. A little over 48 hours from now. Can you tell I am excited. I can hardly stand myself. Oh, a comment on the pics. The one where I am in jeans... thoses are size 8 jeans. I was so excited to get them on and zip them up, that was until I looked in the mirrow and saw the muffin top. I can't wait until it is gone and try those bad boys on again. Did anyone else take bromelin prior to surgery? TWO days and counting!!! Laura

If anyone is brave and not overly worried they might go blind, I have my before pictures posted on makemeheal.com: //www.makemeheal.com/pictures/viewAlbum.php?albumid=9792al.com - password is - OMGnoflab Dont forget I warned you, it is not a pretty sight. But just wait for the after pictures....... we can only dream.

Hey Allie - great job on the weight loss. I am so excited I could pee my pants. Only a few more day. I could not sleep last night for everything running through my head. Work, well that is another thing all together, lets just say I have been less than a model employee today. Cannot stay focused on anything that does not have anything to do with my TT. I am ready. Laura

PS is going to put a patch behind my ear for nausea. It worked well when I had my band. Hope is does this time also. We shall see. To be honest I am so looking forward to the down time. It has been non stop for the past few months. Work has been crazy and then my Dad getting sick. I am so very lucky to have my wonderful DH who is going to baby me for 4 days. I will be on my own after that but plan to be a lady of leisure. A few books I want to read, a stack of movies I want to watch and a knitting projects that I want to finish. Have my leave approve with work, not expected to come back until Aug 10th - 3 weeks off. Laura

Sue - Thank you for your thougts. YES I will have the wonderful pain pump. I am so very glad, I have heard good things about having the pain pump and how much it helps the first few days. What kind of pain med did each of you have? He has given me the liquid loratab. I was given that after my band surgery and found that it did not work all that great for me. Do you think if I call the PS office and tell them that that they would give me something diffrent, just in case? I just want to say on top of the pain, I am such a wimp. THREE DAYS and counting...... Laura

Scrappy, I just noticed that you are almost exactly one month ahead of me. Nice to have someone to talk to that is experiencing what you will soon be going through. Be prepared to have your brain picked....thanks for sharing. Thanks Laura

Four day and counting!! OMG, it is this week. I am having my TT this week. I am so very excited. Suprising, I am no longer nervous, I am very calm at this moment. That may change as the week goes on. I have to work Mon and Tues, Wed I have taken off to do the things that I feel need to be done before surgery on Thursday. I just don't thing I will be any good at work on Wed anyway. Going to do some cooking for my wonderful DH, who will be my nurse for 4 days. And plan to do all of the last minute gardening that will need to be done. (Planted a huge veg garden this year, what ever was I thinking) DH will have to take care of it for the next 2-3 weeks at least. I have lined out one of my very good friend to take me to the PS on Monday for my follow-up. I have another one who has offered to take me to the second follow-up. A few have offered to come by Sat and sit with me and watch chick flick if I feel like it, I told them "Sure, that will be great, but forgive me if I nape throught the movie" they both said "Heck we will nap with you, we can start the movie over". Now that is some good friends. I am so very blessed to have such a wonderful network of friends. Have some before pictures, will post them when I have some after pictures to go with them. Take care all, and thanks for all of your encouragement and support. Laura

Scrappy - My PS has said nothing about drinking any Protein drinks. But, I know how important it is to keep your protien intake up for the proper healing. So, I have my Protein shakes and some shots on hand. Plan is to try to keep the grams up around 100 for the week after surgery. Heard that somewere here and it was a good point. FIVE DAYS and counting!!! Laura

scrappy - I took mine just for me to have. I took them myself standing in front of my bathroom mirror. Nothing special.... Yesterday it was a week until my surgery. Found myself all day long thinking..... this time next week I will be leaving for the hospital, this time next week I will be getting maked up by the PS, this time next week I will be.... you get the picture.....All day long, can you tell I'm excited and can't wait. This weekend going for a Motorcycle ride with my DH. We like to ride and I know that it will be a while before I will be able to do it. So that will help pass the time. Have a few more items to pick up at the store. My housekeeper will be coming to the house Thurday while I am having surgery, so that will be nice to come home and have the house all nice and clean. Waiting............... Laura

Right now, a week from now, I will be in surgery!!!! Took before pictures last night. OMG, I have looked at myself and knew my tummy was bad, but seeing the pictures, just call me Jaba the Hut. It just makes me even more sure that I have made the right decison to have this TT. Can't wait to see the after, can only get better.

Well, had my pre-op visit yesterday. Talked to Doc about the boobs, decided to wait. Surgery time is already scheduled and time is not available to do the breast at this time. And he thinks I might feel diffrent after the TT, he thinks they are not that bad for a 45 year old woman who has lost almost 80 lbs. We shall see. Did my blood work, chest Xray, paper work, and of course gave them the money. I had some questions and concerns. He had told me no Vit E. Well my multi vit has some in it. He told me that that amount was okay, and to keep taking the multi vit. And good call on the Vit C guys, he was happy I had already started taking 1000 mil of it daily. He has aready call in the prescription for pain meds, and he is going to provide me an extra binder. I requested that so I can have one to wear while washing the other one. I have the surgery on Thursday, and will have my first follow-up on Monday. He said the second follow-up will be determined by the amount of out put from my drains. I will be required to call the nurse each day to tell her how much it is putting out, then she will tell me when to come in to have them removed. He said that would save me from haveing to come in, just to be told that they cannot be removed, and have to come back in a few days. I thought that was smart. What did you wear home from the hospital? Did you wear something like loose warm up bottoms? I was thinking more along the line of a button up Moo Moo, so I would not have to worry about putting on any kind of pants. I am so excited I am about to bust out of my skin. 8 days and counting. OH, went to Victoria Secret's yesterday on the way home from the Doc. They were having a panty sale. I bought 6 pairs of bikini undies. I have not has any of those since I was in highschool. I cant wait to see how they look after surgery, now I look like a bullfrog in a thong. Laura

NINE DAYS......whoooo hoooo. I am in the single didgets now. Have my pre-op appointment today. I decided back in Feb, when I started this process, to only go with the TT. Now as I look at myself I am thinking I am going to be sorry I did not go ahead and do the breast also. I do not think I need a lift just some filler. I think I will talk to the doc today and see what he says. These last 10 lbs I have lost seem to all come from the boobs. Do you think I am being to hastey? Should I wait to see what it looks like after the TT? Or would it be cheaper to do it along with the TT? I just know that I would like this to be my last surgery and be done with it, but want to be happy with how I look. Laura