pssk

Hi Kris. I’m doing well at 3 weeks except I am still quite swollen on incision line. Primarily it is centered above pubic bone. What bothers me is that I am more swollen right of center than left. The pubic area is also swollen. I thought I would be able to look down and see my pubic bone! Lol

How are you doing?

I paid just under 8k but I was given a discount by surgeon as a hospital employee as a professional courtesy. The total included the surgery center and anesthesiologist fees.

I would also budget for a couple hundred over that for supplies. I found I was ordering things on Amazon because I was going through supplies. Between combine pads, gauze pads, tape, random digestion meds, neosporin, spare binder, etc., it will add up!

I was at goal for slightly over 2 years. I remember reading that it is good to wait at least a year but there are people here on BP that did not wait and did great.

One of the bonuses with a TT is they do a mons pubis lift so that issue is corrected. 😊

Tummy Tuck (included muscle repair no lipo) on 1/19/22
I am 2 weeks PO tomorrow

The good:
I felt the pain was less than I imagined. I felt sore (and still do slightly) of course but it was far less than I anticipated.
The horrible pouch, AKA Joey, is GONE! What a relief! Good riddance to Joey!
At my appointment yesterday I was told I am healing VERY fast and ahead of the curve. They said I look more like 4+ weeks. Everything looks good!
I’m pleased already with my results even with the above the suture line swelling mid line.

The bad:
Constipation experience 2-3 days post op (I’ve blocked it out). I won’t get graphic but dear lord this was not good! The pain of this while being sore and stitched up was horrible! Yes, I took all the stuff yo prevent this. However, each time I get surgery this happens to me! I’d rather give birth!
The drains…. I knew I would hate them and I did. One drain leaked from the site for 7 days. Once that was removed it helped a lot. The second drain (non leaker) was just removed yesterday so I am feeling like a human!
Indigestion and gas have been an issue. It is quite unpleasant to be bloated with when you are stitched up.

Advice:
You need a person to help the first few days for sure. Changing dressings, emptying drains initially would have been impossible for me if I didn’t have my husband. Don’t try this alone!
Get a recliner. We already had an electric one so it helped me a lot. I sleep in it and don’t think I could possibly sleep anywhere else as I am NOT normally a back sleeper. The recliner helps adjust your position so you can find the sweet spot where you don’t hurt.
Drink lots of fluids and eat foods that do not create gas.
Be kind to yourself. If you are like me, you have wanted this surgery for a long time. Don’t try to do too much so that you cause a complication.
Have a firm pillow at hand so you can press on your tummy when trying to get up in the beginning or sneezing/coughing (ugh).

I hope this helps someone. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Day 2 post Tummy Tuck. I’m sore but honestly feel better than I expected. Can’t wait for the drains to be out and then I’m sure I will feel normal. The results look good so far. No more folded roll hanging! Yeah!!

I’m scheduled for 1/19 so a month away! I’m excited and of course, nervous. I’m am most dreading the drains. Blech! I had a drain once from a surgery for a day or so and despised it.

I was going to do the lift but decided to wait because I wasn’t convinced I really needed it and that it wouldn’t change much.

However, the TT should make a big difference in my life!

So how bad is the swelling after the surgery? Will I be able to fit into my work clothing? I tend to wear dresses or elastic waist pants (hence the need for TT).

Oops…1/19 is the date. I’m anticipating 2 weeks out from work with possibly working remotely the second week. Dreading the drains but nobody near by does the drainless TT.

Hi,

I am planning on only doing the TT. I’m 2+ years post vsg and that is the big issue for me.

How far out from TT are you? Are you happy?

Thanks!

Hi,

I have scheduled my TT surgery for next month. I know the surgeon mentioned that I will be given a binder but I have read that most people buy a faja. A faja is a girdle; right?

What ones do you recommend? I would like to be prepared before the surgery. 😊

Thanks much!

Will it be tough working with the patients at this point? I’m work in health care but I am in a non clinical desk job. I am wondering how much time off I will need realistically when I get my TT

You look amazing! Who is your doctor if you don’t mind sharing?

I work for a hospital system and I can tell you that the hospitals LOVE elective surgeries. Hospitals lost millions in the beginning of the pandemic if they weren’t doing elective surgeries.

Honestly, the same people who would criticize you for getting WLS would do so whether there was a pandemic or not.

And yes, these same people will also criticize you for being obese. I say EFF ‘em!

Nothing they can say will matter when you are a healthy weight and feeling great! 😊

Everyone looks SO GOOD!!! Congratulations to all of you!!

You really look amazing!!! Congratulations!

On 11/03/2020 at 09:45, seaforest said:

Hi Psssk,

Yes, I am returning to work on Thursday which is my two weeks and my job is sedentary. Actually, mostly, I'll be working from home with Zoom meetings with one or two exceptions. However, I think I might've enjoyed another week as I am still rather tired.

Dea

On 10/26/2020 at 09:31, seaforest said:

Hi folks, Felt like updating so here I am. All has gone well so far. They found I had a hernia during the surgery so that got taken care of. Pain hasn't been bad at all but I did do my pain meds for the first few days. I'm looking forward to getting rid of drains and being able to lie down instead of "beach chair" sleep. Anyway, I find myself super grateful for my good health and a few more pounds gone. I did the fleur de lis Tummy Tuck. I can tell things are different but haven't really "seen" myself yet. Best wishes and Happy Halloween to all!

On 08/21/2020 at 19:52, sillykitty said:

Heading out to happy hour

On 08/23/2020 at 21:12, Darktowerdream said:

If I did then I didn’t have enough left to notice that I did. I had a hysterectomy in 2010. Then maybe a month before my gastric bypass surgery in April 2019 (somewhere thereabouts) I had a oophorectomy along with other pelvic surgeries to try to fix some post hysterectomy problems. They took one ovary covered in endometriosis. Later on some months after my gastric bypass I had to have another oophorectomy and to redo a surgical repair as well. So that put me into menopause. It’s hard to say since maybe menopause impacts me differently with having adult onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia and pcos ...

08/22/2020 05:20 PM, 2Bsmaller18 said:

You look great! You look like you were never heavy, you look completely proportional. I feel like I still have big calves and wish I had more of a waist but we always see things in ourselves to criticize that others don't notice.

@2Bsmaller18 I’ve never had much shape, I think the Faja gives some illusion of a waist. Probably a nice side effect of the belt lipectomy that I didn’t even think about was creating some waist definition. My having plastics was more for reasons beyond aesthetics. The physical effects of the excess skin and laxity, Including of the abdominal muscles. Although honestly I weirdly don’t have the normal curvature you have in your back that gives your butt definition because my spine is twisted (rotatory scoliosis) it’s just flat as a board. My stomach, butt and thighs were the biggest, I guess I never swelled as much in my calves except post op. My calves and fat piggy feet were huge when I came home. But I think that maybe taking turmeric gummies helped quite a bit. Using the Faja is what helps waist train and give definition especially post op so I plan to use it for a while. And then switch to just waist trainer. Not just to maintain the results of the surgery but to try to help with my severe back pain from degenerate disc disease, arthritis, and the scoliosis.

I’m very critical of myself and have a hard time when people comment what I look like. I don’t tend to see it. Or sometimes don’t interpret what they say as good. Ie. When someone says things like if you lose any more weight you will disappear.

and I’ve just been rambling ....

On 08/20/2020 at 11:19, ms.sss said:

Went out to patio dinner last night and it was chilly enough to have to wear a sweater. Is summer over already?? What the eff am I going to do when all the patios close???

https://www.bariatricpal.com/gallery/image/96814-20-aug-2020/

I love reading these threads so thanks to all of you for sharing.

I go for my first consult next week. I’ve been sitting at goal for months now even though I am only 10 months post op.

I suspect this is my happy weight even though I wanted to stretch it to 5 lbs less.

My limbs are very slim and butt, etc. just have this belly situation. I think a Tummy Tuck will do the trick. I’m 56 so I’m not trying for a bikini body. I just want to tuck a shirt in again before I die. Lol

I also don’t want to get too thin because tbh, wrinkles really POP when one loses weight after a certain age. Have you ever noticed how much better elderly people look when they are chubby versus skinny?

I always say that chubby is good at only two points in your life... as a baby and as an old person.

I have also chosen to keep it to myself with very few exceptions.

Aside from not wanting to hear people’s opinions pre-op I also didn’t want to be the poster child for WLS afterwards. I didn’t want the constant questions, tbh.

I also worried about failure. I didn’t want to fail and have to be the poster child of wls failure either.

As I am almost a year out now I am feeling more comfortable. I have recently told someone who struggles with weight and was asking/complimenting me each time she saw me. I finally told her because I felt it would help her. Funny thing is she said SHE had had vsg a few years ago (prior to her joining our company) but has gained a lot back.

It is very interesting all the different feelings we each have about this... all of it personal.

I have worn and loved many fragrances. Several of the Chanel already mentioned. I have always wanted No 5 to work for me but it just doesn’t.

Lately I am on a kick wearing Elizabeth and James Black. I also wear Amethyst. And even layer them.

Black Opium is also a recent favorite.

I also love The Loft but they got enough of my money during my Covid19 shopping spree. Lol

I agree with the others than the loss is noticed more if you wear clothing in your new proper size. I know you started this thread months ago so I’m thinking that by now you are being complimented like crazy!

At the beginning of the Pandemic I had a regularly scheduled appointment with my PCP done via conference call. She asked me at that time if I was stressed and I said I was fine. Since the appointment I have had issues with sleep and admittedly done more wine drinking than normal. Both stress related.

I’ve kept my weight down but I am pretty sure that I would have reached my stretch goal by now had I not overindulged in drinking.

I’ve reeled the drinking in... Just for reference I hadn’t drank since prior to pre op diet. My surgeon really stressed the dangers of transfer addiction in bariatric patients. I’ve never been an alcoholic but I did drink socially before then.

Covid19 has made people experience an awful lot and made people do things they might not normally do. I believe the repercussions of the pandemic will be felt for years after the virus is defeated.