rs

Look at you!

Fantastic topic! I'm six weeks post- op and so far my non-scale victories are
1) Much better sleep - my sleep apnea and snoring are gone (after 40 lbs lost.) Incredible. I now sleep through the night when before I would awaken every couple of hours sometimes knowing I was choking.
2) Much lower food costs - and since I had to pay for the surgery myself (BMI was 34) I've calculated my lower food bills will pay for it within three years and after that it's money in the bank making for an easier retirement. As you can imagine prior to my pre-surgery liquid diet then now post-surgery I was spending a lot of money at the grocery store plus sometimes eating out. I could eat a huge amount at one time and was used to doing so. Now I average about 850-900 high quality calories a day and love seafood - no, not the breaded stuff I used to eat but salmon, shrimp, lump crab meat, etc.
3) My plantar fascitis is gone and I can now walk without pain or worry, though I make sure to always wear good support shoes with gel inserts - no way do I ever want that again (like walking on shards of broken glass.) Am looking forward to joining a local once-a-week walking/hiking club when they start up again after winter.
4) Lower blood pressure. Prior to surgery it was 140/90 - doctor ready to put me on medication. At my one month post-op check it was 100/60! The nursing assistant took it twice because she couldn't believe it but when I was younger and thin that was normal for me. My resting heart rate was 62 bpm but prior to surgery was 85 bpm. So my heart is not working nearly so hard. I don't know what my A1c blood sugar is now since it won't be checked for a couple months but it was pre-diabetes before surgery. Since I'm virtually off sugar and starches it has to be in the normal range now plus I no longer have to get up multiple times each night for the high blood sugar side effect of having to go to the bathroom frequently.
3) Planning to travel with my sister - before we couldn't share a room because of my snoring and choking from sleep apnea waking her up so we would have had to pay for separate hotel rooms, making it much more expensive so a lot less trips would be possible. Now we can share a room with separate beds saving money that can be used for more trips. And because my plantar fascitis is gone we can explore each location fully with long walks. We're planning on spending Xmas and New year's 2020-21 in Paris [emoji4]

You look amazing! Gorgeous dress. I agree with what @ms.sss said - wear what *you* feel best in. Not knowing too much about the big meeting, I don't know if maybe something a little looser fitting would be more suitable. In any case, you look fantastic in this dress so if it's the one you feel best in then by all means wear it to that meeting!

Update: Since putting on the scar tape, a lot of the achiness & soreness in my armpits & boobs had lessened significantly. However, last night both my boobs started aching in the underboob areas.
So...Mr. suggested I get some compression going across my chest. Since my sports bras are just not tight enough, I fashioned a vest with some ace bandages.
OMG my under-boob pain went from like a 6 to a 3 almost immediately. AND for some reason, I have ZERO armpit soreness now (dont know if its related or just a coincidence)
I heart compression.
Here is my new look (arm garment + sports bra + ace bandages + abdominal binder). I'm calling it mummy-chic.
Now I want to get some leg compression socks...

Statistics
Cost: $16,000 for breast lift AND FLEUR DE LIS STYLED Tummy Tuck (saved up and self paid)
Date: January 21, 2020 surgery date
Surgeon: Dr. Dana Goldberg, Jupiter, Florida
Three days before surgery Hibiclens antispetic showers and application of Mupirocin ointment. I ate my regular routine and variety of high quality salads, fresh fruits, nuts, veggies, baked seeded crackers (Firehook brand) with cheese nibbles along with hot tea/1% milk + 80 -100 oz. Water per day.
Day One
Surgery 9:00am - 3:30pm yesterday. Was administered Experal, Valium (if needed) and Enoxaparin. Recovery time until 6:00 pm. Hubby takes me home and I'm in bed by 8:00 pm until 5:00am to empty pressurize drains (3) + urinate. Off balance a bit and slumped to the floor. Puppy to the rescue! Not a fall - just loopy and off balance a bit. Walked around the house with my walker device twice. Surgeon does not want me bent over but standing straight up.
Day Two
Today follow-up appointment at surgeons office 9:15am. Everything looked great and they were amazed with my healthy appearance. I believe this is attributable to clean and simple eating, Water, no sugar or salt or little processed products. 5 pounds of skin was removed and I feel so much lighter! That puts me at 124! - Of course, after swelling and settling in the next weeks and months to follow maybe more.... I had them take a picture of the removed flesh. I see it fascinating, not morbid. After all, it was a part of me once. Got a glimpse of the girls aka. breasts today and I love them!!! Perky and pretty. No longer the inherited elongated missels downward from my mother and Aunt! Haha.
Other supplements to help with pain + wound healing are daily Juven drink, Arnica, stool softener, Oxycodone graduating to Tylenol as needed. In other knee surgeries - I found keeping ahead of the pain was better than when in pain.
Overall, so far, this whole process has been intriguing AND not as bad as I thought. Sensing a good premise of what's to follow. My compression garments and socks actually feel really good - stabilizing me + fit well. They placed pads between the stitches and garment. So far feeling not pinching or discomfort. We are having crispy cool whether and enjoyed a walk down the block with hubby and puppy this afternoon. Tonight Hubby's making our favorite navy bean Soup with loads of veggies, cloves + baked ham cubes for flavor. He also made Chia pudding to die for made with vanilla, pear, orange, macadamia nuts, cacao powder... Nice winter recipes.
Very excited and feel most fortunate to take this next step to what will become another game changer. I want my 60's to be a fabulous decade!
Do hope all the ladies in our winterized plastics group continued best wishes and quality healing. Addie ;]

You always look fab [mention=321469]GreenTealael[/mention] - deliberately blurred pxt or not.
Love the print on your cute dress [mention=348107]AngieBear[/mention] and your checked pants [mention=354457]shanza[/mention].
Out and about this morning hunting & gathering to restock the stores ( no weapons needed on my expedition ). Picked up top at 50% off sale yesterday . Let’s say yes to checks. And I always love a wide leg pant esp no Iron pants.

Piggybacking off of my previous post.... Losing all my extra padding on my butt sure makes it hurt so much more when I fall on my tailbone. Ouch!

OOOOH, I’ll join!
Since surgery I have low blood pressure, so any time I bend over, do yoga, get up from a seated/lying position I get dizzy and faint. I passed out gardening.
I wanna work in my garden, dammit! And now that I’m smaller and there’s less pudge in the way, I wanna do yoga! And planks, and all the things.
*kicks rocks, carefully and from a fully upright position to avoid passing out*

Had a haircut for a big anniversary do that people will be at that I’ve not seen for years. Before my 120 lb loss. I said ‘please cut it to my shoulders’. It’s two inches above that... just below my jaw. I’m gutted. FML.

I think we are at the same party. Meet me at the bar.

• I had a flatter stomach and smaller thighs BEFORE this Tummy Tuck, sigh.
• My pants are tight, sigh.
• My right boob looks bigger than my left at the moment, sigh.
• I have resorted to stuffing my compression garment and armpits with ice packs, cuz my boobs and armpit incisions have started to ache lately, sigh.

3 hours ago, Michael S said:

My coworkers just think I am on meth.

😆😆😆

I agree. It is a conscious effort to try and get that much and it’s usually at 10pm when I realize that I have probably only gotten 30 in so I force the rest.

Warning: This is a long Read.
Hey peeps,
Feels like its been a while since I've posted on here...I think because alot of my initial apprehension/anxiety/fear of navigating maintenance has basically disappeared. I feel way more confident and secure that I've got this in the bag, so long a I keep up with my "good" habits, i.e., tracking my food, weighing daily, take my vites, drink my Water, getting in some exercise.
Background reminder: I am almost 15 months post op from sleeve surgery, and I've been in maintenance now for about 7 months. I stopped weight loss mode at 127 lbs, and weighed in 115.4 lbs this morning.
Prior to the PS recovery stage I am currently in, I finally figured out that with my normal activity level (5km run daily + 15 mins strength training), my maintenance calories average about 1800-2000 a day.
My activity level for the past month however has been virtually null (save the last few days when I started walking 5km day, with the occasional short distance run in there somewhere), and my calorie intake has greatly varied day to day (MFP tells me I roughly averaged 1500 a day for the past month) and this combo has me maintaining 115 lbs.
Though I think the lack of exercise/strength training is starting to show on my body parts. My thighs are looking soft, the muscles in my arms and shoulders look less defined, my butt is actually looking saggier! How much this is related to the PS swelling or repositioning, I dunno. I am told I will not see my what my post-plastics final body for another several months. In any case, I am ACHING to be able to run like the wind again and work on some body toning.
Regarding food choices, I still stay away from bread, Pasta &rice. I have the occasional sugar-laden mixed drink (which I often pay for with dumpings), and my chocolate and Desserts intake has probably quadrupled (again, which I often pay for with dumpings). Regarding dumpings, I notice I am more likely to get more severe symptoms if there is nothing else in my stomach, which, when I am drinking or having dessert, is often the case.
I can definitely eat alot more in terms of volume than 6 months ago. Though my capacity is inconsistent in that there are days I can eat lots, and other days when I don't...and there seems to be no rhyme or reason for it.
I continue to believe that I am all that and a bag of chips, and my confidence in myself and what I do is filtering into my life in strange ways. I am so much less angry and annoyed. I have way more patience with others and feel like I am less judge-y. I am not harsh on myself anymore, which makes me less harsh on others, I guess.
I no longer really care what (non-essential) people think of me, nor do I feel the need to be liked and appreciated by them. On the flip side of this lack of concern, I am fine with "cutting the fat" from my life so to say, meaning that I recognize which relationships or interactions are worth working on and maintaining, and which ones I just step to side from.
I am quite comfortable with silences now.
All in all, I'm feeling pretty great, and quite happy where I find myself these days.
Ok, I didn't mean for this post to be so long and oh-so-reflective, lol. Just wanted to give a how-I-am-doing-in-maintenance update.
How are the other maintainers out there (new and old) doing? Would love to hear from you guys ️

[mention=334772]rs[/mention], should've just followed your lead a week ago!
I put the silicone tape on tonite and my achiness/soreness on my incisions seems to have gotten exponentially better. I feel soooooo much better all taped up again.
I'm going to have to go out and buy more of this stuff in bulk now. I want to wear them forever.

Thank you [emoji172],
What type are you using?

18 hours ago, GreenTealael said:

I already started using silicone scar tape and will care for it diligently.

First off, you look amazing! Just a comment to say that I love having the silicone tape on my arms. I feel like the incisions are well protected. And I barely even feel that the tape is even on. Just replaced the first set (?) tonight, after wearing for a week. It was still working fine but I just felt like it was time to change it. Just cuz.

13 hours ago, ms.sss said:

I think I may have developed a sort of masochistic affection for my compression gear

Heehee this made me giggle

Isn't your silicone tape re-useable?

Seeing my collarbone for the first time in forever was one of the first e
NSVs for me. I still love seeing them.

[emoji8]

Been working from home the past couple days due to snow and ice. Not getting up and walking around as much as I would if I was in the office so it's no surprised that my elbows are a little extra swollen. Other than that my arms feel pretty good. Not too much stiffness when I extend them. I really like this silicone tape. I kinda think it's keeping the wayward sutures under control too. I've only applied it once so far plus a couple small strips that I had to redo. I can see I won't have enough for a full second application so I had to order another box. I didn't see it come in a larger length which would have been nice, and probably more cost effective.

... I want that held-together feeling back that my steri-stips gave me too!!!

Man, so much conflicting information. I wish there was a standard everyone can agree on .

K, new decision: I'm going to wait until the weekend, and if I'm still scabby & pink AND the achiness hasn't gone away, then I'm going to try the silicone sheets for 2 days and see if that makes me feel better...

16 hours ago, ms.sss said:

I've still got sections that are scabbed over or freshly un-scabbed (very light pink skin that looks like it needs to heal a bit more) so am going to wait unitl I see my surgeon again at my in 2 wks, or when my scabs & pink skin are gone, whichever come first.

Uh oh mine are like that too. But my Dr said it was ok. And it really does feel so much better having it on. It's like a very light weight compression garment with no chafing. Just feels good to have everything held together. It's hard to get it to stay down near the elbows after awhile though. Some of it rolls/lifts and it's sticky. I haven't figured out how to make it stay.