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I used ScarAway silicone scar sheets....the long ones...I think they are about 7 inches.

I also posted this question on the plastic surgery board, but thought I may get more feedback here :-) Has anyone used silicone scar sheets for their scars from either the sleeve or plastics? I had a tummy tuck & panni in April, so it's been almost 7 months, I've been wearing ScarAway silicone scar sheets religiously. When I was putting on new sheets today I noticed that the box said "for best results use 8-12 weeks." Ummm I've been using them for more like 28 weeks. Lol. If you've used them, how long was it for? After a certain amount of time does it quit making a difference? They're not exactly cheap & they're kind of a pain in the butt, so if they're not useful anymore, I'm cool with that, :-) Any experience with this? Thanks in advance!

It was not an easy recovery, but it was SO worth it. My surgeon did an awesome job. In my blog (themeiamnow.blogspot.com) just a couple posts down I have before & after pics. The results were way better than I could've hoped for! And insurance paid, so even better! Lol. Good luck!

Before my tummy tuck I was seldom without spanx to hold on my excess tummy skin.

For me the biggest thing was getting it covered by insurance. Once that was in order it was full speed ahead!

I think it's pretty normal to get "cold feet" as the date approaches. I just tried to stay focused on the reasons I chose to have the surgery in the first place when that happened. The first weeks are hard. I'm not gonna lie. For me, the actual surgery and physical part was't too terrible. My pain level was totally manageable without pain meds. The harder part for me was the emotional adjustment. It is so worth it in the end, though, and I would do it over again 100 times if I had to in order to get to the place I am now Good luck!!

That's awesome! Congrats and good luck on your journey~

Walking can help move digestion along for me when something feels "stuck" like that. For me the worst thing is just sitting or laying around and waiting for the feeling to pass.

Congrats on taking the first step. For me, it took about 8 months for me to meet all of the requirements for my surgery. It just depends what your insurance requires (most require a 6-month "monitored weight loss" program with your surgeon's office as a minimum) and also how far out your surgeon is scheduling. Once I met all my insurance requirements I had the surgery scheduled within the next month. Good luck! And yes, I think insurance covering 80% is great seeing as a lot of policies won't cover it at all.

If you are looking for something with a lot of support like an ab binder, I bought mine for after my tummy tuck off of amazon. I think they were around $20 and were great.

I shop at BariatricChoice.com a lot for Protein supplements. I really like the protein hot chocolate, pudding, and jellos.

You absolutely should take whatever time you need. You do not have to tell anyone what you are having done. I just told people at work that I was having surgery. No one asked what it was for and I didn't tell them. If you plan on doing the FMLA paperwork, though, you will have to disclose on the paperwork what you are having done, but that is only supposed to be seen by your HR/FMLA person. I chose not to tell people mainly for the reason you said. I didn't want people to resent me for taking time off for something they viewed as elective. And I CERTAINLY didn't tell them what I was taking a month of for with my tummy tuck! lol.

Mine only had me do it for 1 week.

I definitely felt the same way after surgery. Every day was an improvement, but those first few weeks for me were really just about surviving and getting enough fluids in. It was WAY more emotional for me than I ever expected. Physically it was ok, but it was an emotional struggle. I promise it gets way better and you will be so pleased with the results if you stick to the plan.

When I was first starting the pre-op process my mom tried for the entire 8 months leading up to surgery to convince me that I didn't need it. "Why don't you try a diet??" Ummmmmm....jee.....hadn't thought of that. Lol. Since I had the surgery and have had such amazing results, I haven't heard a peep from her since :-) Funny how that works. In fact now she's telling my sister she should have it. Just stay true to what you think is best for you. It sounds like you are already on the right path by realizing that the surgery is not going to fix everything, but will give you a tool to help you on your journey to get healthy. Good luck to you!

137.2 for this week.

That is a tough one! It takes so long to drink Water that it seems almost impossible, but eventually it all falls together.

Good to hear that you found your "comfort zone" as far as your weight. I find that my body seems to settle in around a certain weight. I could probably really push it and lose another 10 pounds, but can stay with little extra effort right around 130. It's funny how our bodies know just what to do when we give them the chance.

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Awesome! Congrats!

Oh yes. Especially at 4-days post op, you are still battling head hunger big time. I remember sitting there in my recliner, just a few days post op, with the TV on thinking that I never noticed how many freaking food commercials there are! And driving places, how many fast food places there are. It was very irritating! After a while, as the cravings died, that stuff looked less and less appealing. There are still days for me (now 2 years post op) where I all I can do is think of food. But for me, at this point, those days have more to do with outside stressors and my mind/body wanting to revert to my old coping mechanism of numbing the stress with food. So, I guess the moral of the story is that I think what you're experiencing is totally normal for the stage you are at, and that it will get way better as you stick to the program, but there will still be days - even years post op - where you are still fighting the good fight. :-)

You are still definitely in the healing phase and also the awesome rapid-weight-loss stage. I"m 2 years post op and sometimes I really miss that crazy restriction at the beginning where you can only eat a few bites. I have to do re-sets of liquid diets every so often to get some of that back. I know it is hard because emotionally there is an adjustment period where you are kind of "grieving' the loss of the ability to eat the way you did in the past - and for me the loss of a coping mechanism. But if you are able to deal with some of the underlying issues that frame your past relationship with food, when the restriction lessens as the healing progresses, you will be in a much better place to forge a healthier relationship with food moving forward. Good luck!

when was your surgery and congratulations on all of your progress Thank you! It was September 12, 2013. I'm a bit over 2 years post op.

You're welcome!

how long was your waiting time I would say about a week or a week & a half