kareyquilts

Lori: I thought your after pictures looked great. Dr. Saltz did a revision of my tt, when he did the thigh lift this time and my stomach looks really great. I liked it before but he was able to get more skin and it does look better, so that is something for you to look forward to. Yes, I still like Dr. Saltz. I wish he was a better communicator and that they gave you more information for after care, but I think he is a very gifted surgeon and I can find out the information that I need. Glad your band is alright. We should really meet sometime.

Dr. S: Thanks, once again for the clarification. I wish there wasn't such a social stigma to having a face lift. I don't know why, but I'm hesitant to have a face lift. It's one thing if something doesn't look quite right on your body, where clothing can cover it and totally different if something doesn't go right on your face. I guess I'm too close to having just had surgery, but I'm fresh out of courage for now. Hoping for some good alternatives, at least for the time being.

Susan: I hope your pre-op goes well. If you don't qualify for the drainless surgery, don't fret. Drains aren't that bad and your kids will feel sorrier for you if they can see a little blood! LOL! It's always nerve wracking to anticipate surgery, so just accept it as part of the process. Your going to love your new body!

Hi, Dr. Schulman! I have a couple questions for you. I had Thermage about 6 weeks before all my plastic surgery. I was very happy with the results, but skin seem to be tightening well, especially under my chin. But sense my 7 hour plastic surgery, all my skin looks droopey, fine lines are creeping across my face and any progress I made seems to have been reversed, if not accelerated. Is this normal? Could the pain medication have affected my results? I asked my ps about doing the Thermage before my surgery and he said it should be fine. As you know, Thermage is expensive and I'm wondering if this is a temporary set back or what? Also, I've been reading about Fraxel repair lasers (CO2 type) and wondering what you think about them? The hype is that they are better than the ablative CO2 lasers because there is less down time, the skin is tightened and the neck can be done? Is this true? I remember you saying that the CO2 laser is the gold standard. I find all of this confusing...

Shalee: Glad you get to move around more. I know mentally what a big difference that makes. I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time. I wish your doc would get more aggressive with the wound healing, but maybe patience is the key. Keep us posted! Wishing you the best!

Loridee: Goodluck with the fill? Do you still like Dr. Saltz? Deepinfl: Wow! I think you're the inspiration. Way to go with your weight loss! lipstix: I agree with you! I know that I am an emotional eater and I have thought about getting some counseling. At this point, I'm just hyper-aware of what I put in my mouth and try to process it myself. My new fill is helping, but eating is always an issue! I wish us all luck!

Cori: Thanks for the well wishes! I hope you have a great Thanksgiving as well! My band seems to have settled down a bit, so I think I'll be able to eat some good ole turkey! Went back to my doc yesterday for my 6 week check up. Did that go fast or what! I'm doing well. I still have a few issues on my back side that he said will take another 2-3 months to completely resolve. Have some weeping back there, but I guess its fine. He wants me to keep wearing my compression sleeves and keep compression on my upper stomach. Bother! Tired of it all. He also told me not to gain any weight, that I'm the poster child for body contoring and that everyone in the office looks up to me. I guess that was a compliment?! Trying not to gain weight, but it's not always so easy, is it? Especially with the holidays upon us. Also told me no weight lifting and to take it very easy with the exercise. Grrr! Don't exercise much and don't gain any weight. Okay, I can do it! I'll just think myself thin!

Marjorie: You've been silent for too long! How are you doing now? How are the complications? Hope you're doing alright! Thinking of you!

Manatee: So easy to obsess over our bodies after all the hard work, then plastic surgery opens this whole new world of possiblities... Much better to get busy and try and live a balanced life. I've been there. I could get more procedures because this ole body isn't anywhere near perfect, but I'm trying to switch gears and think about being healthy and helping others, etc. Your ps will help you get tweaked and it will all be good!

Shalee: Glad you're doing better. I think a little walking around is not going to hurt either. I know that the pain meds make me feel terrible, glad you can do without them! Give us an update after you see the doc!

Shalee: Plastic surgery is not for wussies! Nina, a gal on another thread, said her French plastic surgeon told her that, plastic surgery takes 3 things: courage, time and money! I couldn't agree more. Even though my doc wants to do my inner thighs, I'm simply out of courage and I don't want to take anymore time out of my life. I bet you're going to look awesome after you're all recovered and you won't need anymore surgery! At some point, you've got to accept yourself, be thankful for all the good ways you look great and love the other parts even if they're not perfect. That's what I'm going to do from here on out. On the fill thing, it kind of is the pits to have to start eating like a bandster again. I was like you, no restriction. I had a hamburger the other day and pizza last week. Today, I could only eat 2 bits of my Kashi cereal, it just didn't feel good going down. It's back to the basics for me. Chewing slowly and eating smaller amounts. In the long run, I know it's for the best and faced with the possiblity of not having a lapband, I'm thankful that for now, I do. I know it's helped me to get to this point and that it will help me maintain. I will keep telling myself this, until I really do feel greatful again! LOL!

Donna: It isn't fair, is it?!

Shalee: Glad you got to get a way, even for a short time. Good luck with the doc on Monday. I had a fill under fluroscopy yesterday. I haven't had any fill for 4 months. I have gained 3 pounds since my surgery and was feeling a little out of control, appetite-wise. The lapband doc thought my band did not look right, and that I might have another slip (had to have band replaced in July). He said that since I wasn't having any symptoms that it might be normal for someone who has had to have revisional surgery. He went ahead and gave me a big fill (5 ml). I was too tight and had to go back in today. He took out .5 ml. I'm still burping and feeling that heavy feeling in my chest after eating a small amount. Sometime, I think, I just can't get a break. When I talked with him today, he told me to think positively and we will take it one step at a time. Not to worry about my band, that I'm just too tight. I just remember how I felt for weeks before my band slipped and it's very similar. I would like to think that I have learned enough and changed enough to maintain my weight without my band, but it's a very scary thought. I don't want to go backwards. I like where I'm at. Has anyone else thought what they would do without their band? Sometime, I think I need counseling for all of this!

Yeah! Life can return to normal. Congratulations! Have fun shopping!

Glad you're doing so well. I am feeling better everyday, also. Would love to know if you learn anything about having skin removed on the back. I have extra skin that goes over my bras, but I'm pretty tired on being carved up! LOL!

Frangi: As your wound has healed, how does the scar look? Are you going to need scar revision? Are you happy with how your bottom looks now? I still feel like my bottom is a little too big and one side is still a little bigger than the other. My ps says that can easily be fixed with a little lipo in the office. Oh boy, more lipo! Not inclined to do anything about it right now. My enthusiam for ps and pain have decreased! LOL! Glad you're doing better. I've been wondering about you. Take care!

Renewed: Of course there are hormone changes, with all the estrogen that is stored in the fat cells, there are bound to be many many changes. It will all even out as I'm sure you are discovering. Glad you liked the bendryl, it's my new best friend too. Happy Healing!

Shalee: What a pain! Hope it gets better soon! Thinking of you and sending you positive healing vibes!

Love everyone's thoughts! It really helps! Renewed and Shalee, hang in there! It will get better. Shalee, my doc said that after 3 weeks in bed, it wasn't going to matter anymore because I wouldn't be able to pull anything more apart. How long is your doc going to make you rest? I'm hoping to be able to start exercising again in 2 weeks (at the 6 week mark). My ps said absolutely not to do anything but walk until he sees me again. Hopefully, I'll get the okay. I know from the last time, that it's really hard to get back to your past level, but it doesn't take as long as you think it will, when you first start back. I bet within 3 weeks of exercising again, you'll be getting close to your former glory! Here's to better days!

Becky: So excited for you. I have been following your progress on Dr. Schulman's thread. You have gotten a lot of good information here. Will you have help once you get home? You really will need some for at least 3-4 days. If I were you, I would get as much of your Christmas done ahead of time as you can, because you are not going to have the energy to do alot for a few weeks. The only other advice that I would add would be to really watch your diet and eat alot of good protien and vegetables, it really does aid in the healing process. Also, if you drink hot water with the juice of a lemon in it and a little honey for sweetener, it will help with swelling and water retention. I also believe in arnica and used it before and after both of my surgeries. I really didn't have as much bruising as a lot of people have had and I think it's because of the arnica. Keep in touch. Wishing you the best!

Marjorie: Glad you posted your frustrations. People need to know that sometimes there are complications and that it sucks! Plus, now we can give you our condolences. So sorry you have to go through this. I know it's the pits! It will get better, I promise! I hate having patience and I bet you do too! I want to be all better today! Everyday gets better for me and it will for you to. Do you have to go in and have the seromas drained? Are you back on antibiotics? How is he having you take care of yourself? I could tell you to try and look on the bright side, but I know how hard that can be. I guess, just hang in there!

Okay, I feel like philsophizing a little today, so bare with me! I think this whole plastic surgery journery is quite a mind trip. It's like before you've lost your weight and you think that when your thin your life will be so different and not only will you look better, but you'll be happier. Now that is true to an extent, but your still the same person and you still have alot of the same problems, you just look and feel better (which is a BIG deal). That is how I have felt after all my plastic procedures. I have these huge expectations and I always feel a little let down. It's wonderful to be rid of the tummy flab and the bat wing arms and the droopy thighs, but now I have the scars and the other body parts that don't look so good and I'm still the same person with the same problems and my husband doesn't love me anymore or less than he did before. Not sure if I can describe the feelings, but it's like coming down from Christmas or a wedding or any other big event, except that there is a lot more pain involved. LOL! Has anyone else experienced this after plastic surgery? If your contemplating ps, you should keep this in the back of your mind. I'm thinking that these feelings are normal (or hoping that they are). There are also the mood swings from the anesthesia, the isolation and the hormone changes (when fat is removed, estrogen is also removed since it is stored in the fat cells). I seem to go from feeling very happy to depressed and tearful in short spans of time. Part of that, I'm sure is poor sleep. Pain disrupts the sleep and than whiny comes next. Anyway, would love other peoples thoughts on this. Hoping I'm not alone in feeling this way!

Renewed: I have alot of itching as well and have a difficult time sleeping. I take half a dose of bendyral at night at it helps the itching and the sleeping. I was getting really weepy and found that if I can get a good nights sleep, I don't feel like crying as much. Anyway, that's my tip for the day!

I would also be very aggresive about the massage. It really can help. Best wishes!

Marjorie: You are doing fantastic and I love that you shared some of your weight loss journery. Wow, but you've come a long ways baby! I love my arms and don't mind the scars as much as I thought I would. I'll post pictures in a few weeks probably so you can see. It's not a bad recovery, except for the first few days, but not that much pain. Anyway, glad your recovery is going smoothyly!