TheGh0st

OMG girl you've been approved. I'm so excited for you!!!

Neal, Thankyou so much for posting your journey here. We need more men posting. Infact there was a couple guys that post on a local yahoo group of bandsters in my area that were recently asking about other men who had or were considering PS. I will have to forward them a link to your thread. Thanks again and I can so relate to the clothes just not looking right and having to lift that dreaded flap.

I am so terribly sorry for you. I have no words that can explain it or make if feel better. But I know there are others out here that are thinking of you. We can't replace a friend of 25 years but we still care.

Hey I actually have a couple of size 12 jeans and cords I'd love to offer to another bandster if anyone is interested as well as a few other clothes I no longer fit. I planned on eventually donating them to goodwill or a womens shelter but would actually rather pass them onto another bandster working her way down the scale. PM me if any of you are interested in a more detailed list. Warning on the pants I am 5'2" so most are short leg though even with a short leg they were too long but rather than cut them shorter making it even less likely to find someone else to give them to I duct taped them up inside the leg.

Hey silly comment. Are you having to pin those drains to you all the time or just for the pics? I know your an old pro at this PS thing but I had a little fanny pack the docs office gave me to tuck my two drains into when I had the Tummy Tuck. I really liked it, pinning them up just made me nervous and it was easier to camoflauge them in the fanny pack when I had to go out.

HOLY COW:eek:. I am totally floored:faint:. Your afters are totally AWESOME!:clap2: You know it is so easy for people to look at your clothed before photos and think why would she ever want to have more surgery you looked freakin' HOT already. But the difference is just amazing, absolutely AMAZING!:whoo: I am so happy for you:D. (still hate you and want that friends and family discount:heh:, but happy all the same )

OK Paulax - you asked for me to pipe in. To be honest I was so desperate to get the skin removed I didn't even want to know the risks before hand. I believe they are higher than the band surgery and my family fought me hard enough on that one so I didn't want to find any ammo for them this go round. But since you asked I did find an interesting site. Link to info on Tummy Tuck (also has a link to some pics): Abdominoplasty Link to info on avg doctor rates for various Plastic surgeries. But NOTE this does NOT include the facility or Anethesia fees which can nearly double some of these costs. Still this is VERY interesting wish I'd seen it before looking around. http://www.plasticsurgery.org/media/Press_Kits/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=23422 Info about patients satisfaction with Plastic Surgery (Still doesn't give actual complication statistics but it is an interesting read) http://www.plasticsurgery.org/media/statistics/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=23761 Here are a couple links about the stats I just found as well. (This one is just an overview of a larger study but stiil lists some stats and might be a good jumping off point for digging further into google for the full report) Abdominoplasty and abdominal contour surgery: a na...[Plast Reconstr Surg. 2006] - PubMed Result (This one is lengthy with lots of stats but maybe a bit confusing.) Tummy tuck complications Finally here is a link suggesting the importance of using prophylactic antibiotics in abdominoplasty operations. My doctor did use antibiotics post-surgery. Didn't really ask why but I'm glad he did now. Elsevier Are you still glad you asked Paulax?

Don't stress the holiday meals. Double check your doc's guidelines but I think I was back to eating most foods after approx. 3 weeks. Just in much smaller portions. I remember thinking how in the world can 2 tablespoons of Mashed Potatoes, 2 pieces of over-cooked broccoli and a piece of chicken the size of 2 fast food chicken and MAYBE one bit of pumpkin pie afterwards, possibly make me happy? Well first off having foods "make me happy" is part of what got me where I was. But ultimately I found that the meal described above did make me "happy" and it took me just as long to eat as everyone else at the table so my fear of finishing in two seconds flat then sitting there feeling like a freak and left out as everyone else continued to eat wasn't founded either. Actually I think I felt more uncomfortable in previous years as I desperately tried to eat enough to feel satisfied without everyone noticing just how many seconds, thirds, fourths I'd gone back for and still wishing I could have ate more. Oh, and in the end the one bite of pumpkin pie turned into more like 1 slice (average person's slice not my pre-band 1/2 the pie slice that is) It just slid through the band a little too easily, still I lost 3 pounds that week if I remember correctly, so it was all good. A couple tips - Not only should you try to serve your meal on a dessert plate or coffee cup saucer. Try to find a set of "children's flatware" The doctor's office I go to hands out some for free at their support groups that looks quite nice (silver with clear acrylic handles). I also saw some online at flatwareoutlet.com that looks just like an adult silver set just smaller. It sounds silly but it really does help keep you from taking too big a bite, as well as making that 2-tablespoons of mashpotatoes feel more like 10-15 bites instead of 1.

Great Post Lap_dancer

I don't want this thread turning into an argument between me and others over whether you should delay the surgery or not. I'm sure you appreciate the comments on both sides of the point however, ultimately the decision is yours alone and not our place to judge. I'm sure everyone of us will be behind you 100% on your band journey wether it begins on our timetable or yours. Personally, I delayed mine by a week or two as well. I had delayed mine from the beginning. The doctor had been willing to do it in August but I had some work and home obligations I really didn't feel I could neglect during the recovery. I was also tempted to postpone it further as I have 6 family B-Days from Sep 25th through Oct 9th. including my & my toddler son's b-day's. Then there was T-day, Chistmas, etc. If I had allowed myself I could have easily found reasons to wait forever. I'm glad I didn't postpone the surgery even longer. Afterwards I found that I was back up and running in under a week not the 2-4 weeks the doctor was telling me. But I still have NO, I repeat NO regrets waiting those extra few weeks to get past the other obligations I had first. My point. In 2 years time I doubt you are going to give a flying fig wether you had the surgery in November or December, probably even January. Only you can decide if you can handle juggling todays issues and your recovery. So please don't take anything we say out here too seriously. The only regret I have over my surgery date is really too silly to even take seriously. That is that it was so close to my birthdate that I'm having a hard time convincing my husband or family members to treat my "bandversary" as a new holiday that deserves its own celebration (and gifts ofcourse!).

so... that paypal debit/mastercard. What happens if you use it to pay for the surgery in December before the funds have been deposited? Will the card get rejected? If so can you call Mastercard and ask if it can be changed so it doesn't get rejected? I know this is a lot of work but if my math is correct for every 10K extra you show in income for the year that is another $750 you can't deduct on your taxes. Assuming you fall in a 15% tax bracket that comes out as $112. I suppose that isn't as large a difference as I thought when I started typing this. Maybe it's not enough to worry about. Then again maybe your income will continue to climb and by the end of next year you could be looking at an income of 20-30K more than you expected. So why risk losing more money next year when you know you could get it all this year?

I still like the idea of trying to find some way of paying for the surgery in December on some type of credit then cashing out your VR money in January. It would have to come from your own credit too, it couldn't come from money borrowed from friends or family or I don't think it would count. Maybe you could get several low limit / high rate cards that would add up to the surgery cost. As long as you paid them off immediately there wouldn't be any fees. Or if you talked to your bank maybe they could set you up with an overdraft protection on your check account. The downside to the overdraft would be they do charge a fee when the check hits but its still should be smaller than the tax benifit you would gain by pushing this through in December. I also think that if you write a check in December but it doesn't clear until January it still counts as December's business so if you could convince the doctor's office to hold the check until Jan 1. that would work as well. I know its a bit of a long shot but you might be surprised, the last two places I worked at regularily held off on depositing funds near the end of the year so it would look like they had made less money. If someone had asked them to hold a check at year end they would have been glad to (heck, they probably already were planning on it).

Yeah, the issue with Kim aside, it was probably Amy's time to go. She really didn't seem to have her heart and body into it the way the others do. Ofcourse us viewers really don't have the best picture of what is going on there. Only what the editor's let us see. They could probably spin the clips on any of the players to look just as *whiney* as Amy did. Even though I wasn't routing for her, part of me really wanted to. If only to show Kim that Amy could do it without her. But then again. Look at Amy's now pics - she busted out and lost 100 pounds without Kim or Vivian so I guess she still did show Kim and without the rest of us having to watch the drama each week.

PS - another catch - have you and your family spent more on medical this year than you expect to next year. (Lapband aside that is) If you decide to have it this year you will want to take every and anyone you can in for check-ups, dental appointments, whatever you can think of. And refill all possible prescriptions before the end of the year as well. As the money you spend on them also counts. For tax records - I was able to call the various pharmacies I frequented and they were able to print an annual report for me to give my accountant. Same with the co-pays and other out-of pockets for the doctor's offices.

hmmmmm..... Are you also saying you can't afford to pay for the surgery until after you pull out the money from this virtual game? But by pulling the money out you will ruin your SSI status? If my assumption that you do is yes. The flip to that is that you only qualify for a deduction for the portion over the 7.5% level and paying for it in a year with a smaller income would put that threshold lower giving you a larger deduction. This makes me wonder if you could schedule the surgery for sometime mid to end of December pay for it with a credit card in December. Then cash out the Virtual Money January 1 and immediately paying the credit card off so it doesn't have any fees. This might allow you the best of both worlds. A larger refund for this year but not being disqualified from SSI until next year. Talking to an accountant is always the BEST advice. But sometimes it doesn't hurt to get ideas from places like here first then run it by them.

Like Pattypoo said you can make this work if you want/need to. But I can totally understand if you decide to postpone it a couple weeks. You will probably never find a "good" time to have the surgery but it sounds like you have a lot on your plate right now. More than normal that is. Would it be possible to just postpone it a few days? The best would actually be the Friday right after Thanksgiving, or possibly the following Friday. That would give you both a little more time to settle into your new home and job. And a Friday surgery would give your husband the weekend to help care for you. The surgery hits everyone different and I'm a bit of a stubborn old bird but for me I was well enough to have been back to work in just a couple days. But I really appreciated having the help at home that first day or two.

All in favor of re-instating Santa's right to say "HO HO HO!" and removing Derrick's rights to same said phrase say "Aye!" Aye!

Don't forget, once you hit that 7.5% threshold you can deduct ALL your family's medical expenses for the year. Not just the band related ones. On the financing question. I too say ask a professional accountant, but I would think it would also depend on how you had financed it. If you did NOT finance it through the doctors office but financed it by taking out a second mortgage, on a personal credit card or some other method then I would think it would get deducted the first year, not as you pay it off. After all the medical bill was paid off fully the first year as far as the doc is concerned. The fact you took a loan out from a 3rd party should not affect that. AGAIN I AM NO PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANT NOR DO I PLAY ONE ON TV OR ONLINE.

The trainers all seem a bit competitive with each other as well. She was also Jillian's Replacement last season so she is probably even more upset by the idea of her team not making it as far as Jillian's. Especially after Amy switched sides. *RAVE* Still ticks me off that she couldn't apologize to Amy for lobbying to get her voted off before. I know Amy came across as a bit whiny in the editing of the show but Kim was in the wrong on that issue and should have apologized for getting involved with the "game-politics". I know I never would have trusted Kim again if she had been my trainer either.

I wonder if they do something similar just for the arms and thighs?

Thankyou Mariposa It's good to see you! I know I'm pushing myself more than I should. Its just so hard not to with my personality. But honestly, I am trying to keep myself in check as much as possible. The doc had cleared me for switching to the Spanx 2 weeks ago but when the swelling started to increase I switched back to the hospital garment on my own as a precaution. As far as the pitting edema in the legs, I'm a bit prone to it I think. I first had (or at least noticed) it when I was pregnant with my son 4 years ago. They diagnosed it then as pre-eclampsia. Only after the pregnancy it never went away. Atleast not until I'd lost over 70 pounds 3 years later. I remember being very afraid that it was a sign of either heart or liver failure as the internet suggested and that it would disqualify me for the band. But before the band surgery I was cleared of either problem. I still worry a bit though that my tendency to "pit" anytime I swell might be a sign of an increased risk for either heart or liver failure.

Thanks everyone! I haven't posted this thread for the compliments but they are still appreciated :Banane20:. My doc is requiring I wear a compression garment for the first 3 months post-surgery. I'm using a Spanx that goes all the way up to my bra line. I'm suppose to wear it 24/7 only taking it off to shower (or take pics). After the increased swelling over the weekend I did put the hospital garment over the spanx for even more compression the last 2 days and went back to wearing some compression stockings as well. I've also tried to take things a bit easier this week but haven't been putting my feet up under my desk like I could/should. The swelling has gone down considerably in the last 24 hours. The doc wanted to see me today to try to drain off some of the excess (i.e. giant horse needle !) I'm going to call this morning in the hopes of talking him out of it.

Location: USA - Kansas City Procedure(s): Brachioplasty (Arm Lift) - $ 4,500 Extended Tummy Tuck - $ 8,500 Full Lower Body Lift - $ 13,000 Inner Thigh Lift - $ 8,000 Notes: I only had the Extended Tummy Tuck but went ahead and listed the other prices I was quoted. These prices all included the Hospital's Facility and the Anathesia Fees as well as the Doctor's Fees.

THANKS Juli! I kept thinking my belly button was too low. Guess after so many years of all that extra skin hanging below it my perception was a bit distorted. But my new belly button is starting to grow on me now. Paulax - I meant to take a camera that morning but forgot. So I don't have any pics of the surgical markings or the excess skin. I did ask the doc at my follow up and he says they don't take pics (at least not on non-insurance patients) unless the patient specifically requests it and provides a camera. The scar line is slowly starting to distort a bit. Not sure if it matters to me it is still so low there is no risk of it showing above my underwear. But 24 hours out it was much straighter across. I think it has slowly pulled up some of the skin from my upper thighs which I suppose isn't the worst thing that could have happened. I'm also having a problem this last couple days with increased swelling. With that relative coming into town last week I think I pushed it to much. The doc had cleared me for walking but I'm not sure he meant for me to be on the go the entire day and night with only 4-6hours sleep per night and no real down time just lying down with my feet up reading or watching TV. I can tell that the Seroma in my stomach has really increased since I saw them last week and my legs are having pitting edema nearly as bad as when I had pre-eclampsia during my pregnancy 4 years ago. I took a lasiks pill they gave me a couple weeks ago when my legs started swelling before but it hasn't seemed to work this time. Think I'm going to have to cave and give them a call. I REALLY REALLY REALLY Don't want them to put drains back in me OR try to pull the fluids out with a needle again like the did last Wednesday. At least not without pain meds this time. Hopefully they can give me another dose of Lasiks and it works this time. In the mean time I know I know quit pushing myself. Honestly I did try. I didn't lift anything over 5 pounds (Well maybe only once or twice) but I was on my feet way too much. Things should be calmer this week.

Lizzie - It's great to see you on the "other side". I'm glad you were able to work past your families issues. And congratulations on your weightloss so far. You are doing GREAT!!!