MimIN

I KNOW you can drop the 20 you want to by surgery! It's so much easier to buckle down when there is something to work toward (for me anyway) We will keep eachother in check! Jamie (my boyfriend) was on the nutrisystem plan for the last 3 months and dropped 85lbs (I hate him:) ). I thought about nutrisystem too but he decided the Abs diet was much the same and it was cheaper. I like the convienience of nutrisystem though! As far as the Chantix I called their "perscription refill line" and asked for a refill to be called in. They called me back and said my Dr did not authorize refills and she wants to see me before refilling the script. So dumb! It really does work but not a good idea to stop taking it before one is ready, I still have cravings for those stinky cancer sticks and it takes everything for me not to go running to the gas station to buy some! When do y'all want to start the challenge? Jan 1? What kind of parameters do we want? Whatever we can lose by March 4th? I'd like to lose 20... I have done well today, I restarted the band test AGAIN but I have not cheated today!

Chantix works wonders and that is what I was using. I am like a month smoke free now and I ran out of pills about a week ago. I have to go into the Dr to get a refill on them (she's stingy) but she's not back until the 5th! By then it will be 2 weeks without so why bother? I just b*tch a lot and eat a ton, lol. I have a low profile port since the beginning however it was moved and it kind of hurts! I can't remember what it felt like when I was first banded but I don't remember it hurting. I don't know what a regular port looks like, is it big? I opted to have an unfill because I had so many problems after my BA and the LBL was so much bigger of a surgery. Now I wish I hadn't! I can eat a lot and right now I am lacking control. Jamie is starting the Abs diet tomorrow and I may try jumping on that wagon with him.

March 4th! How exciting! Congrats! Time will fly by. With both of my surgeries I booked a couple months out and before I knew it I was crying over the checks I had to write:) I had heard something about the pouch test a long while ago and I googled it; Google is my best friend! I haven't been doing so well... My biggest problem right now is I am wide open AND I quit smoking. Usually at this point I would start to smoke again but I'm not giving in! I have needed to quit for a years and now enough is enough. I have registered for the Indianapolis 500 Mini Marathon and I'll never make it as a smoker! I have a date made with my fill Dr on the 5th, hopefully that will take care of some of this!

Karey, did you schedule your surgery? Did you go with surgeon 2? Ghost - I am right there with you. What makes me angry is as I eat the stuff I 'shouldn't' I tell myself I shouldn't and I keep doing it! I need a fill something terrible but I don't want to mess with it until I am over feeling like poo. Have any of you heard of The 5 day pouch test? (Surgical Weight Loss 5 Day Pouch Test) I started this today with hopes of regaining control over my eating.

Hi all! Hope everyone survived Christmas! I am starting to feel better and hope to have clearance to return to work after my appointment tomorrow. Something about sitting on the couch day in and day out with no purpose is depressing! I am posting again to see if we can round up more troops for another challange. Anyone interested in starting New Years day? I have ate myself stupid and I personally need a kick in the pants! So far we have Kareyquilts Theghost Harlito MimIN Anyone else?? It's all in fun to help keep eachother in check!

Hi all, thank you so much for the kind wishes. Just wanted to check in and say I am doing ok (Sorry Karey!). I have had to go back to the Dr a few times to get checked, drained and update the meds. The infection is still present but it is getting better. My left thigh is the size of china making my right look super skinny, I'll never complain about big thighs again if this goes down I swear! Christmas plans have changed, I can not travel so we had to stay home. I was really looking forward to a Christmas home with my family for once but it is more important to rest and get better! I hope everyone has a great Christmas and New Year!

Tami: You will have to let me know what the PS says about your thighs! Mine has said he can do an inner lift that will take care of the cellulite and flub but that leaves me with scars that run from crotch to knee - I don't want to be a patch work doll nor do I think I want anymore major surgery. It is so frustrating to have an ideal of what you will look like, spend a boat load of money and not get what you had expected. I took your advice, I threw away the chocolate and put the scale in Jamie's bathroom - he's dieting and needs it but I don't want to see the stupid thing! I watch Nip/Tuck - LOVE IT! Ghost: Thanks for sharing! I had read that a couple years ago but it is still funny!

I haven't updated in a few days, but today I went back to my PS because I am having some incision issues where it has pulled apart above my butt crack and another site about 6 inches away. I thought that this was the worst of my worries. Last night I noticed some discoloration on my left hip that was tender to the touch and that my left thigh was twice the size of my right thigh so I figured I'd address that too while I was at the office. This morning my hip was bright purple, traces of purple color lead down my thigh and it was very painful to the touch - lovely. Well I have a pretty nasty seroma and infection in my hip/thigh that is causing a lot of swelling. It was aspirated and I will say it is the single most disgusting thing I have ever seen. I have been put on heavy antibiotics and a new drain is in place in this area. This will remain for another week atleast and then back to see what's going on. It's sad that I was much happier with my results 4 days after surgery than now. I hope it gets better and I start to look human again:(

OMG TAMI LOOK AT YOU! Smokin hot! I have a pair of lucky's that I cant wait to wear however at this rate it will be awhile! Something about cute lil designer jeans that makes me happy. Kind of dumb, lol. A belt lipectomy is a lower body lift (or similar) isn't it? I am having a heck of a time healing, swelling is out of control. I am now 18lbs heavier than I was the day of surgery and a 7lb difference from yesterday. Yay for drain removal:phanvan I'm trying to chill out and should stay the heck off that scale! Karey: I am neurotic! I remember gaining like 10lbs with my BA but still I flip out when the scale goes up. Old habits die hard and right now I can eat a moose per sitting (and getting quite close). I need to start journalling again and be accountable for the crap I put in my mouth. How do you feel after your second consult? The two have similar recommendations as far as TT and not a full lift but how they'd go about it is much different. I like that he didn't recommend getting your arms done with a TT - believe me you'll need those arms! My surgeon said the similar about lipo on the abdomin, he thought it was a waste of time when he could just cut it off and made a promise if there was fat in there he'd take it, lol! Now I am only 3 weeks out but right now I think if I had done it all over again I would have gone for an extended TT and not the full lower lift. My biggest concern was my thighs and to be honest there is a minimal all over improvement. The sides and tops look great, back of thighs are better but the meaty thigh itself is still showing cellulite and 'wobbly' movement. I am pretty disappointed with it... but again, I am neurotic and a perfectionist and want instant gratification so it may be different in a couple months:) Ghost: I think the idea of blogging all our food is a great idea! I am eating so much more than I did before and it is freaking me out (yet I can't stop!) Did you have any incision issues with your TT? I am having some BIG ones and I just want to scream! I think I'm at the 3 week post - op funk, ugh. Food Intake 12/18 Breakfast Isopure Protien shake with banana Lunch Chicken streaking burrito with cheese, sour cream, black/pinto beans and rice (ate 1/2 so about 1.5 cups) A lot of tortilla chips and salsa Snack small bag of M&M cookies from the stupid vending machine Dinner Hamburger patty with cheddar cheese 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes Snack if I had to guess I'd say 20 hersey truffle kisses 100cal sunchips that is all I can remember....

Hi all! Hope everyone is well and ready for Christmas. I'm sure not but hope to be in the next week. I wanted to know if there was any interest in another challenge? I know we've been going strong more than a year and the activity on this thread has dwindled as we all are busy with our lives. The challenges in the passed helped keep me on track and gave me something to work toward. I had surgery a little over two weeks ago and also had a significant unfill and have found myself eating pretty bad due to boredom and slipping back into old habbits. I am up 10lbs right now, hoping that it is swelling but I'm no so sure and really need to find the inspiration to get back on track. I'd be willing to keep track like I have in the passed and will promise to get onto the board to tally and post the results weekly. Any interest???

Losingjustme: Thank you so much! It's been an interesting adventure thats for sure:) Kyethra: I cannot wait to get back into the gym, I need to do something about this flat bottom! I have heard the stairmaster, squats, lunges etc will help build it back up - I hope it works! Kristin07: Not much of a development in the last week, I am soo swollen moreso then I was in the last pic, I can barely fit into my pre-surgery clothes:( I ended up ripping stitches above my rear so healing has slowed down some. When I'm feeling better about myself I will take more pics, I am hoping that starts to happen as I get back to work next week. It has been a nice break but I am ready to go back!

At 30 (29 when banded) I had great hopes that my skin would bounce back. Well it didn't. I had a lot of loose sag in my stomach, butt and thighs. I could not fathom losing over 100lbs and still feeling fat and gross so I opted to have a lower body lift. I am now a little over a week post op and feeling pretty good all things considered.

I have no patience at all so the waiting will drive me mad! I will be able to wear low riders and cute undies. My incision is right along the pubic bone (much lower than I expected!), low across hips and right along the top of my rear. It was important to me to be able to wear a bikini that is in style and low riders/hip huggers. Now that I can wear them I want to wear all the cute clothes and they come low in the rise these days!

Thanks everyone! Seeing them side by side really helped lift my spirits. Day 6 now and it seems the swelling is going up rather than down and my tum doesn't look as good:( I am feeling a bit better today, still uncomfortable and will be taking my 'optional' second week off of work, there is no way I could go back yet even with a desk job. Sunshine: I did not need a blood transfusion during my surgery. I knew it was a possibility but I it was never explained to me as required but "hey just in case, sign this release". Jachut: You look FANTASTIC in your avitar, I only wish I looked that good after losing the weight! The butt lift is pretty amazing (now that I am getting over the mourning of my old badonkadonk I am starting to like it) I've compared the pictures and am in awe that this is the same butt. I was YOUNG when I got lipo (23) and the surgeon never explained to me that it was going to make me saggy in the long run and he actually recommended it. It ruined my body:( I was young and dumb and didn't ask enough questions or do the research. Live and learn; I went into my last 3 surgeries over educated. Karey: Come to Indy! I have a couple spare rooms and 2 miles from the surgeon;) Really my surgeon is amazing (but he is spendy!) he's done both my proceedures and if my lift turns out as good as my girls I will be happy!

last night I was feeling cruddy so decided to take a picture. Well it has made me feel better! If nothing else I am very happy with my tummy. Here is a before and after at 4 days.

I have had a low profile port since the beginning, the surgeon I went to put it in most people because it saved time and money down the road when they wanted a low profile port. My port was always in the same spot until it was moved Friday, now it is a few inches higher. MY PS moved it to a 'meater' place where it wouldn't be as noticible (his words). I opted to have a substatial unfill before surgery but that was my choice and was not a recommendation. When I had my BA in March I did not have an unfill and swelled up to the point where I could not take my pain meds and I had a hard time even drinking so I had 1 cc removed from my band. I'm going to go back for a fill probably in mid-January. Keep me posted about your consult, I am so excited for you!

hey Karey! I wasn't really happy to hear about the inner thigh lift but it was not the first time he has mentioned it. A number of years ago I had lipo on my lower body and it did more damage than good, especially on my thighs. The skin is VERY loose but I had hoped with the LBL it would get them to a point where I'd be happy... and maybe it will, I have to learn PATIENCE! *I have none!* The main questions I asked the surgeons I interviewed were about lap band experience. Because it is 'newer' I was really worried about the port being damaged. I asked my surgeon about his experience with post-bariatric patients, I asked how many lapband patients he had worked on. I asked if he would move my port and if he knew how to suture it back down so it was accessible for future ajustments. I asked if he thought a lower body lift was my best option and asked for other recommendations. I told him exactly what I wanted and asked for his honest opinion to make sure I had realistic expectations (I am learning that even with that I was still expecting much more I also asked him to show me what my results would look like. He was able to pull and pinch areas to show me what my midsection would look like aswell as thigh/butt (I swear it is flatter now but that is a whole other bitterness;) ) I also asked about recovery time, how much time I would need off of work/gym etc. I met with my surgeon several times before I committed and I think I beat every one of these questions to death along with random others that came alone but I am neurotic!

Thank you Julie! Right after I posted I decided to call my surgeon. I was a emotional mess so the nurse asked me to come in and like a twit I drove myself in :faint:. Iam glad I went, he removed some of the dressings and addressed a lot of my concerns. He says that the j-lo butt I'd been hoping for was never there but promised that as the swelling went down, my tush will drop and I'll get the contour back. As for my thighs he says the swelling will go down, they will get smaller but to get them exactly as I want them I may need an inner thigh lift. Ahh well, I'm going to try to be patient, let time take its course and when I can get back into the gym see what I can do with what I have. Now I am exhausted and it is only a 2 mile drive, lol.

Hi All, It has been a few days since surgery, I've been home and sleeping a lot. I have been really dopey and decided today I was going to move off of the pain pills and onto advil so I can focus on something rather than my pillow. I feel pretty good, the pain is minimal and I am moving around ok (look rather ape like but whatever). Today is really the first time I've taken a really good look at what was done. I am really happy with my stomach, my belly button looks pretty good and the incision is really low, two of my many concerns put at ease. However I am really not happy with how my butt or thights look right now. I believe women should have curves and I always have had curves and it's like I lost them last Friday. My butt is flat and I have no hips that I can see. I told the surgeon Ididn't want a flat butt and he assured me it wouldn't be. Now my thighs...ugh... I can still see cellulite on the lower part of my thigh and it's still wobbly for lack of a better explanation. So today I guess is a bit of a down day, I knew I would not be *perfect*after surgery but I expected it to be different. Anyone experience similar? I am hoping that the shape of things will still change and that my thighs will tighten and my butt will make an appearance but I have no idea if I am grasping for straws or what....

Hey Karey! Thanks for the prayers! Me and the lappy are attached at the hip, lol. I had my laptop at the hospital too but I couldn't see straight enough to write anything to anyone. The surgery was scheduled for 7hours but my surgeon and one of his collegues do their bodylifts (and other large surgeries) together to help reduce the amount of time patients are under. I did stay over night at the hospital and I am really glad I did. around 10pm, 8 hrs since surgery I thought it was time to get up and start moving. The nurse advised against it but humored me anyway. I was able to swing my legs around to the side of the bed but when I sat up I thought my butt was going to come unglued and bust open at the seems. It was by far the worst pain *I* have ever had but after 2 nurses and an orderly got me back on my back and a couple morphine shots I was fine:) Today though I am uncomfortable but the only time it really HURTS is when I cough. Yesterday I would have told you it was a 10 on the pain scale but today it's about a 4. I am a big baby when it comes to pain so my 10 may very well be a 1 or a 2 for someone else. :girl_hug: I got consultations with 3 surgeons and ended up going back to the same surgeon that did my breast augmentation. He did a great job on my girls but what sold me was that I'd have 2 doctors for the price of one. I have two drains located above the pubic bone and they're nasty. I am wearing a compression garment. I had lipo done on my thighs as well but I was not ordered to wear anything on them, I thought that was odd but I'm not the Dr so who knows. I have taken some before pictures and will wait until I have after pictures if I do post them. May not be so hard if I can post before and after's side by side. I still can't believe how flat my stomach is and it's swollen bad, lol! Let me know how your consult goes! I am so happy I did it and I know you will be to!

Some surgeon's may do an inner thigh lift with lower body lift but unfortunatly, not mine, his LBL is a tummu tuck, butt lift and outter thigh. I'm 24 hrs post op and can already see a huge difference without the inner thigh lift, my thighs are swollen but no longer touch (first time EVER I think!)

Thank you everyone for the well wishes! All went great. The surgery was scheduled for 7 hrs and it only took 4.5. I can already see a huge difference (NO MORE CELLULITE!) and I am very VERY swollen. Lastnight I hurt bad but today it is better and they say it weill get easier as each day passes. Although I look like a victim from Texas Chainsaw Massacure I love the results and love my surgeon!

Thanks Karey! Surgery is tomorrow, I have to be at the hospital at 6:00am so that is 11 hrs from now, I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't freaking out! I am scared to death! I am debating starting a new thread, if even just someone to vent and freak out to, lol.

I go weeks sometimes without making it on here so I don't think I will start a separate thread. I'm also a little horrified at the thought of posting before and afters of my half nekkid body, lol. I may feel differently after it is done but right now that freaks me out. The family opinions are mixed. For the most part they seem supportive but really I don't care what they think, its my money and I'm doing it for me:)

Hey Bjean and Karey! How was your holiday? Mine was nuts entertaining two sets of parents, siblings on both sides and a grandmother! It was fun but I am very excited to have my house back - last people are to leave tuesday. Karey: I am still having surgery and it is coming up quickly, Friday! I am super excited and Friday can't get here fast enough. I had not really told anyone about it and like a dumbass I left the surgery appointment card on the side of the fridge and a couple nosy family members read it. I then had to explain and before I knew it the whole crew knew. Not so secret now! I was in Atlanta for a couple weeks on training and gained a few lbs, I've been home almost 2 weeks and those couple are gone so I bet it is water:) Have you met with a surgeon yet? March is just around the corner, how exciting!