rs

I decided to show the "skin issues" that i could care less about after losing 202 pounds. This honestly doesn't bother me one bit, it's reality. As you can see my giant gut is gone and your stomach wrinkles a bit, my ribs are showing (at 175 lbs or 79 kg in the second picture) but you can still see a little man boob left.... this is reality folks. When you are 377 pounds or 171 kg this is the best i can do. I just want to help others and have no shame in my new body.
I literally have no worries, I'm proud of the hard work i've done and you should be too. No surgery needed as far as i'm concerned.

6 hours ago, FluffyChix said:

over my sharpei hips/bottom

Lol @ sharpei. Such an accurate description of the excess skin. I'm gonna start using that to describe myself. Hahaha

8 hours ago, 2Bsmaller18 said:

Another question for you. Based on the arm lift when would you be able to color your hair at home? I am guessing the 3rd maybe 4th week?

Were you able to physically tie your own shoes, get dressed etc after a few days? When would you have been able to help a child tie their shoes etc? I am trying to figure out a guess of recovery and scheduling.

@2Bsmaller18 Nothing really to add that ms.sss or mousecat88 hasn't already said. One thing I initially thought was that I wouldn't be able to bend at the elbow right away, and I was wondering how the eff I was going to feed myself! Turns out it was never an issue. I was also surprised that I've never needed assistance in the bathroom. I've just been wearing yoga pants this whole time. I did need help with shirts up through the first week or week and a half. I'm now about 2.5 weeks out and have stiffness when my arms are outstretched. Not too unbearable, mostly just uncomfortable and a bit scary to me because it's unfamiliar. Seems I need to do more stretching.

5 hours ago, ms.sss said:

Good point. I can raise my arms higher if I keep them straight. When they are bent at the elbows, the range of motion is much smaller.

@ms.sss that's interesting that your have a more difficult time when your arms are bent. I'm the opposite. I have a tougher time when they are straight. Something pulls from just above my elbow halfway down my forearm. 🤔

this is the extent of my scarring on my arms. looks lighter actually, but I'm in a dark office right now. lol. that line underneath is just from the seam of my compression garment.

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47 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

does your surgeon not require you to wear compression garments/ace bandages anymore?

@ms.sss At my one week check up last week when I was whining about the garment he put on the ace bandages instead. Said ideally he'd like compression for 4 weeks. So I probably still need to be doing something. I actually ordered one of those other styles that someone here on BP (sillykitty? or mousecat?) recommended. It should arrive tomorrow. It'll be interesting to see how today goes working for 8 hours on the computer. Since my arms will be bent all that time I'll need to make sure to take breaks to stretch and elevate them periodically. It'll be a challenge. I get pretty laser focused at work and often times won't even leave my desk to go to the restroom for hours. Yes, hours. I know, that's not good.

Update: Swelling and pain around elbows and forearms are much better. Yeah! I think there are a couple things that contributed to the improvement. I returned to sleeping more traditionally, lying horizontally with a regular pillow under my head. For the past two weeks since the arm lift I was sleeping at an angle using a pillow wedge thing, mostly because it seemed best when I had the drains. But the angle made it harder to get my arms lifted higher than my heart. Now lying horizontally it's easier to get my arms up higher. I've also been making more of an effort to move my arms more, slowly of course, and I think that's helped stretch out the stiffness and pain I was having. I haven't worn the compression garment or ace bandages in a day or two which may also be helping. I noticed I pretty much don't have any pain on my incision lines. In fact I can even lie comfortably on my side which is how I prefer to sleep. So thankfully it seems that I've turned a corner. Just in time to return to work in the morning! (Although I'm just going to work from home these next two days instead of going into the office).

Semi on topic. But I actually really like Edamame & Black Soybean Pasta. They are pretty decent substitutes for regular Pasta and have a huge amount of Protein, and moderate carbs.

I think you have sort of alluded to it in your post: you need to move or change your positions often.
I have been walking more and more the past 3 days and this morning I was able to stand up straight. I sat down afterwards and watched a 1 hr TV show and when I got up I was hunched over again.
In terms of my arms, I am also making a point of moving them more (specifically raising them higher) and again, I notice the more i move them the less stiff they are.
So while I liked being waited on by Mr. and the Kid for the past couple weeks, it is better for me if I do more stuff for myself as it makes me move around and loosen up....even if it is less efficient.
...In terms of the pain & swelling near your elbows, do you know if your surgeon did any Lipo there?

I still have swelling around my elbows, and now I noticed I can't fully straighten my arms without it hurting just below my elbows. Guessing I've been mostly keeping my arms a little bent these past two weeks since surgery, and now the muscles have conformed to that position. I've been trying to keep them elevated but I now realize that I tend to keep them bent when I do. I've been switching up between the God-awful compression garment, the ace bandages, and having nothing on. I'm trying to slowly stretch them but it hurts. I wonder if heat or ice will help. I'll call the Dr on Thursday, after the holiday, but until then does anyone have any thoughts?

I'm happy to report that I'm down another lb CW 175.4. I've lost a total of 9 lbs the past 3 weeks getting back on track!!!! I'm happy that I am able to lose at 1200 cals. I'm hoping i won't have to lower my cals as I've seen that many ppl don't lose over 800 cals. I workout a lot and I'm pretty young so maybe I'll get away with 1200.

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Ok, is this any better? I'm having a bit of a crisis. Everything is too big.
Except these damn pants. They're super tight across the hiney!
  

@AngieBear

It's supposed to be drapey and romantic looking? It's super sheer. So I need something else? I was hoping to wear my pearls. I got the necklace from Dad at 16 and could never fit it around my neck twice. Until now. Ha!

Ummm, of me in my jammies at 9pm?

Congratulations! Indeed rejoice! Reaching that milestone has been one of my favorite moments on this journey. Enjoy!

How many days post op we’re all of you able to drive? Go to the grocery store by yourself etc?

@ms.sss when do you think we can shave under our arms? Pretty soon I'm going to be able to start braiding under there! Also, have you used deodorant again yet? Dr said I can use it, but I haven't because the incisions freak me out.

Could be dehydration. At least that's what I found is the cause with me.

Good for you for recommitting. You've got this!

I love it [mention=348107]AngieBear[/mention]. You do look like you should be starring in a sci fi movie or series - costumes by Jean Paul Gaultier. And how amazing to be making your own dress form. Wow.
Packing for shopping trip to Melbourne but looks like I won’t be taking this skirt. Sad face. I bought it & matching top about 8 yrs ago. Just loved it & was so happy to be able to wear it again. Now two months later & the waist band barely clings low down on my hips. Sigh!
(Looks like I need to tighten the straps on my new bra - my boobies look a little low slung 🤣.)
What swelling [mention=333899]sillykitty[/mention]? Looking fab!

This is the one I get whenever its on sale at costco (price is in Canadian Dollars, lol)