smbergie200

Im not going to lie - I did have some pain, but with my pain killers and lots of bed rest I made it through this. Heck - I still have my drains in 35 days post op - that alone sucks. Yes healing takes quite a while - definately not 100% anytime soon. Hey - remember - no pain no gain - thats always how life works. lol

Miami Florida

One of my main frustrations with my body after I lost all the weight was the way I looked in a T-shirt. Yeah I could get an XL and drape it over my self and hide my tummy but thats no fun. I wasn't an Extra Large person anymore so why should I be doomed to still wear clothes that are too big for me. Im still only 35 days post op from my extended tummy tuck and still swollen, but am VERY pleased with the way I look in a T-Shirt now. And get this - Its a MEDIUM! I never thought in a million years I would ever be wearing a medium ANYTHING. Once I pack on a bit of muscle and a 6 pack I will be unstoppable with this shirt on. Watch out ladies. lol $5,800 + Lots and Lots of Pain = Price for Extended Tummy Tuck. Looking Super in a Superman Medium T-Shirt = Priceless. P.S. YES the extended tummy tuck is worth it!

I needed about 3 weeks. I don't know how long from exercise - I havent asked the doctor yet.

My surgical weight loss center sucked! The girl that handled insurance couldn't even get the right documents faxed to the insurance company. I eventually just faxed the missing documents to the insurance company myself. Then after surgery I never saw my surgeon for follow ups - I always got stuck with some fill in doctor. In truth unfortunately most businesses today have zero customer service and suck. Bariatric surgery is a business and they are there to take your money. Don't let a crappy doctors office make you feel like giving up. Be strong and fight for your health! You got this!

Perfectly natural to be nervous. I believe VSG will be the gold standard of bariatric surgery down the road. Your stomach works exactly the way it did before just smaller. I get full now on much less food - and have reduced hunger. Oh - did I mention I would NEVER have been able to lose the weight without this miracle surgery. Your health is the most valuable thing you have. You are making the brave decision to reclaim it. You are worth it and life is too short to be obese, sick, and unhappy. I have zero regrets and would do it over again in a heartbeat.

For me exercise - even a long walk helps give me accountabilty and think twice before swallowing anything high calorie with zero nutrition - aka junkfood. No need to spend hours and hours at the gym either as life is too short to become a slave to the gym, but physical activity is a must for weight loss and maintanance when you hit goal. Gym is healthy - enjoy your new active lifestyle.

I think I remember hearing that good relationships stay together but bad relationships probably don't make it. Bariatric surgery divorce statistics supports this and I myself did end up getting a divorce. My ex and I both got the surgery and realized that besides food we really didn't have much in common. Not to mention I was a pretty crappy husband being obese and miserable in life and that didn't exactly strengthen our marriage either. We remain long distance friends and have moved on with our new skinny lives. I never became a party animal or a model - Im still my self - just healthier and happier. If you find your relationship having issues there is nothing wrong with a little counseling. Not to worry - if its real love and you have a good relationship now you should be ok.

United States - Miami, Florida to be exact. Cost 5800 dollars and surgery was done in a hospital with an overnite stay.

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/71301-my-skin-pictures-speak-a-thousand-words/ This post has some better excess skin pics of me.

5800 dollars was my total price. Im far from rich and saved up for part of it and financed the rest. I'll pay it off in a couple of years.

When I said "two surgeries" i meant my vsg surgery and my tummy tuck - not 2 tummy tucks. My doctor did not need to tighten my muscles because they were not damaged. Unfortunately the doctor doesnt know untill he gets under there and most people need muscle tightening. I lucked out because yes I hear that adds quite a bit of pain to the procedure. He actually said I got a good looking 6 pack underneath so Im pretty excited.

I get alot of comments on my posts that my skin "wasn't that bad". I guess the photos I was using as before plastics didn't quite show the extent of the damage that obesity did to my stomach so I am here to set the record straight with pictures. While I understand that there are much worse cases of excess skin, for me it was unacceptable for me to live the rest of my life looking like I did. I guess I set my standards high - some people can deal with their skin, but I could not so that is why I got my extended tummy tuck. I can now look in the mirror and smile and thats all that really matters. I don't have to hate my reflection and that is a priceless feeling. Heres the pics. food. There will always be reminders with scars and stretch marks, but at least now I can feel comfortable in my own body. Lifes to short to hate how you look. But thats just my opinion.

Sure here are some before plastics pics for you.

Just wanted to update you guys with some new pics and updates on my progress so far. Im 26 days post op now and doing quite well. My energy has pretty much returned to normal. I am able to stand up pretty straight now, however I still feel my skin pulled tight when I do. My leg pain has gone away which is a blessing. As far as sensation when I touch the skin goes, I still have many areas that have not returned back to normal yet. The bad news is I still have my drains in. I had a little drain dramma a couple of days ago. They started to pull out and lost suction. I had to make an emergency visit and prayed that the doctor would just take them out. He would not, because I was still draining more than over 100cc per 24 hours. 30 was the number he wants to see, so I was not even close. I asked him why its taking me so long to get these drains out. He said that the reason it is taking so long is because I am a weight loss paitient and a man. He explained that men have more lymphatic tissue than women and when I was heavy I developed alot of extra lymphatic tissue that I no longer need. So the body has trouble getting rid of all the Fluid since the lymphatic system was damaged during the tummy tuck. I could be explaining this wrong, but I think thats what he said or something close to it. So long story short - I have drains still for who knows how much longer. He said I would blow up like a baloon if he took them out early so I am fine with suffering a little bit longer. He did tape the exit wounds where the drain tubes come out of very well with waterproof stuff so I am much more comfortable now. They wont pull out again thank goodness. That was freaky. The doctor took the surgical tape off of the incision when he fixed my drains and this morning I worked over an hour to remove as much glue as possible. I am really really pleased with how my scar is healing. I am also very pleased with how my bellybutton looks. I am blessed with good skin that doesnt scar that bad so I am really happy about looking forward to a nicely healed scar that should hide pretty well. The weirdest part of the tummy tuck surgery was the fact that the incision NEVER hurt but it sure as heck looked like it hurt. Oddly enough my worst pain was in my thigh area from nerve pain. Well enough of my blabbing - heres some pics for you.

Long story short - my stinking drains are coming out on there own. The actual white part of the drain is exposed in both drain exits and the suction is gone from my drain bulbs. Of course the wound around the drain is leaking now since the bulbs cant do there job. Ive had these drains in for 3 weeks now and I honestly don't think I can take it anymore. I have to drive 1 1/2 hours to my doctor tommorow so he can do whatever he decides to do. I hope he takes them out, but Im still draining over 100cc per day in each drain. I think I might beg him to just take them out and take the gamble with the fluid buildup. Its been 3 stinking weeks. I honestly just want to cry. Im not in pain - im just sooooooo frustrated. I almost want to rip these stinking things out myself right now!!!!!!!!!!! Wish me luck - Gonna see the doc in the morning.

With a little trial and error I figured it out. I took square gauze pads and cut a slit about half way down and slid it down over the drain tube and secured with tape. Then I got an ace bandage and wrapped it around my waist a few times to keep things from moving around. So far so good. I start work again tomorrow so I am glad I got the problem resolved. Because I am able to sleep good now I feel my energy returning and am super happy with that.

Alright - my drain tubes exit out the back of my extended tummy tuck making it very hard to get comfortable when sleeping. I guess I slept on them wrong and they just hurt and ache. I looked at the wound and its not infected or anything. Is there any type of cream or technique or magic powers or pointers that can make this more pleasant. Tylenol is all Im allowed and quite frankly its a crummy pain reliver. Thanks for any help. I got to deal with this for two more weeks. But yes - I remind myself - its worth the sacrifice of comfort at the moment. Im gonna stay positive and be a trooper.

Alright - my drain tubes exit out the back of my extended tummy tuck making it very hard to get comfortable when sleeping. I guess I slept on them wrong and they just hurt and ache. I looked at the wound and its not infected or anything. Is there any type of cream or technique or magic powers or pointers that can make this more pleasant. Tylenol is all Im allowed and quite frankly its a crummy pain reliver. Thanks for any help. I got to deal with this for two more weeks. But yes - I remind myself - its worth the sacrifice of comfort at the moment. Im gonna stay positive and be a trooper.

Alright - my drain tubes exit out the back of my extended tummy tuck making it very hard to get comfortable when sleeping. I guess I slept on them wrong and they just hurt and ache. I looked at the wound and its not infected or anything. Is there any type of cream or technique or magic powers or pointers that can make this more pleasant. Tylenol is all Im allowed and quite frankly its a crummy pain reliver. Thanks for any help. I got to deal with this for two more weeks. But yes - I remind myself - its worth the sacrifice of comfort at the moment. Im gonna stay positive and be a trooper.

It is not unrealistic to picture yourself looking awesome in a bikini. A good doctor can do some incredible things with plastic surgery. Im still healing from my tummytuck, but I will post some good before and after pics when I am back to myself again. Don't ever give up on your bikini dream. It will happen!

Sleeves are AWESOME! Congrats on your upcoming surgery - and the begining of your new skinny life.

When in maintainance soda won't kill you, but diet soda is full of poison sweetners and actually has been shown to cause weight gain and appetite stimulation even though it is zero calories. Drink mostly water and if you must have some poison every now and then you will probably survive. I don't really care for how soda feels when I drink it, but I have had one every now and then.