StephC

Hi girlfriends! I'm home. Still kinda wiped out. My sleep is crazy with the pain meds I seem to take these long naps and then I'm awake a few hours, then another long nap. They took 6 lbs off my tummy, so far it looks pretty good but I havent' really looked at it real well. With the binder and dressings and drains its hard to tell what it really looks like. I go Monday to get the drains out and hopefully I'll feel up to taking a pic. Va - good to hear you got a job! woohoo! Boo - your day is soon approaching... I'm feeling ya, the excitement and everything. Take it easy and rest as much as possible. Love ya all! Gotta go nap.

well my sleep habits have changed. I'm sure its the pain meds, which have me napping instead of sleeping. Its also the bed. I can only lay on my back for so long and then it starts aching. Earlier in the evening, I was walking through the house doing little things dh kept saying stop it and sit down I'll do it, but I was just so tired of sitting. But I obeyed and sat down. I'm really taking it VERY easy. The surgery was a breeze. In fact I felt better coming out of surgery then I did with the band. I don't remember the recovery room at all, I woke up in my own room. Which btw, somehow I got a private room. Oh yeah that was nice. The first night my nurses sucked. They were a couple of young girls, I don't know if they were understaffed but they were not very attentive. I got to my room at 11am and I was drowsing on and off all day. At 8pm I called the nurse and said I need to move. So she comes in and I said I need my catheter out and I want to get up and walk - my back and butt were sore from laying all day - she had already acted like I was inconviencing her when I called her in and she says well actually the dr doesn't want your cath out until morning. I said NO - no he told me as soon as possible so I can get up and start moving. So she says ok I'll be back after I do these other patients. (I couldn't beleive she would lie to me like that) 2 hours later she comes back - 2 hours! And that was bc I called again and said did you forget me? So she gets me up and takes me to the bathroom, just a very quick little walk and back to bed. So an hour later I have to pee again. She comes in and takes me to the bathroom and left me there. WTH! So then I put myself back to bed and an hour later I have to pee again. (I peed every hour the first day after the cath came out) She tells me that the iv is on battery and I can take myself. Needless to say I told all the other nurses about it the next 2 days! After her the other nurses were like angels of mercy. My dd was there all day friday and helped me up and around. The dr didn't let me go home bc I had so much drainage and was still using the pain pump quite a bit. So Friday they weaned me to percocet. I was nauseated alot of the time and I also had a headache. They gave me anit-nausa meds and told me the perc should take care of my headache - which it didnt' so I tolerated a headache most of the time. Back to the drains - the nurse from hell never drained them so I think they looked worse then normal. The extra day in was ok, I was able to get up and sit in the chair and started to feel alot better. My dr said he was very tempted to take the drains out on Sat. since they had really slowed down but decided to wait until Monday to see how they are. My binder is too big. Unfortunately they are one size fits no one - thats what the dr told me..haha... I guess I'm a shorter torso then most so the stupid thing rubs my boobs and my legs. For all of you about to have it done, the first day is the worst, just enjoy sleeping and healing. I have had one moment when I thought my goodness is this really worth it? But then it passed and I know in a few days I'll be feeling alot better. The pain really isn't bad, its like a burning - and I dont' really need to take the pain med as much as it says to. I can take tylonol in between and be fine. My hair is greasy and gross, I was going to wait until Monday and have one of my girls wash it for me but I don't know if I can wait til then. No showers for awhile, something about my belly button. I've only seen my belly a few times but already it looks so much better. I have the little pouch at the top where he said he couldn't get the fat from.. I expected it... but otherwise I think it looks pretty good. I'll wait until he takes the drains out to take a picture. I never noticed anyone elses drains but mine have a spring inside and the idea is the suction helps to pull the drainage out. I think it works. Somehow I'm a pound less with all my clothes on, binder and drains then when I went in so I dont think I have as much Fluid retention. That and I was peeing every hour! I'll check in when I'm up and about. It was nice to read all of your good wishes. Becky - have you heard from ins. yet?

Hello friends! Well I just got home. I'm beat, going to take a nap. Everything went well, he said he was able to pull the muscles tight and define my waist, and he cut off 6 lbs! I'll post pics when I'm up to it.

thanks Bman and Jill - I'm sooooooooo excited. I'll post pics as soon as I can. Say a prayer for me.

Thanks Kat! You all are so nice and I'm just as excited for you too! I went and got most of my fill out - they got 7 of the 8.5 that I had. I haven't been able to tell a difference yet but then I havent' eaten yet either. I guess I'm too excited to think of food. I got to be at the hospital at 5:30 so that means we leave the house at 4:45. I took a sleeping pill in hopes that I can fall asleep by 10 - its only 6:30 now. I got my sheets changed, a load of clothes in the dry and one in the washer and my kitchen is clean now I just need to sweep and I'm ready to go. Heck I even have my clothes for tomorrow laid out. I got everything done that I could think about at work, and they are all ready to have me gone. LOL just leave already! LOL Finally I said ok, I think you all can survive a week without me. Got my dogs groomed. Geesh I can't think of anything else. My sister had a tummy tuck a few years ago so she is excited for me too. She said you'll be wearing a bikini and I said yeah right - I'll just be happy to get into a one peice without my flap hanging out the legholes. I'm off - I'll check in asap - hopefully I'll only be in one night. Read ya later!

Tomorrow is the big day - wow - I can't believe its here already. I'll try to post in the morning before I leave and then when I get home (hopefully Friday). Pray for me.

I've never lost my love of salty or chocolate - I just figure its something I'll always have to deal with and keep control of. Everything in moderation.

oh yeah thats right ... for my steadies who aren't even checking... 2 days till my tt!

I do know what you mean Well have fun hon, I'm sure he'll be happy to see the "little woman" Boo - ah the poor baby, all that in the same day. What a happy birthday. We talking about graduation parties last night at the banquet we were at and Liv said no one will come anyway, and her gf's mom said why do you say that? She told her about the 16 party and she said what? didn't whitney go and Liv said no... it was graduation and goes on making excuses for why no one came. So here we go again with the graduation party.

Amy said she's not wearing hers anymore so thats encouraging. I guess its an individual thing. My dr also said the same as Amy's about only wearing the spandx underwear or like under armor for comfort. I'm hoping by July I'm able to go without. Can't believe its only 2 days!

Hey Julie - wow you look wonderful, so tiny! I was also wondering about the tt after you lost the 60 lbs. Did it make a huge difference? I know you had a revision but when you say revision was it just a little tightening of the skin or did they have to do the full pulling tight of the muscle and everything?

Amy are you still wearing your compression garments?

Oh geesh thats not what I wanted to hear. :coolgleamA: I'm going to have to wear those things all summer? yikes. I'm thinking surgery May 1st - compression garments are going to be hot and stinky July and August! LOL I guess I better buy more then a couple. Anyone else want to jump in and tell me how long you wore your compression garments?

Lynn I wish I could see your before pics too. I think you look WONDERFUL!!! I hope I have the same results. As far as the little swelling at the top of the tummy, I'm thinking I'll have the same thing. My dr said he can cut off the stuff hanging on the lower part but he can't do anything about that fat up there. Thats why he wanted me to lose more - but dang girl you look hot! It makes me feel alot better seeing your results. Tell me your stats - how tall you are and how much you weighed before surgery (I got to do my computing to compare and hope I have as good of results) :coolgleamA:

I was getting around pretty good after a few days - luckily I dont work much in the winter so I was able to just take it easy -but if I had to I could have went to work after a week - thats at a desk job.

Christine can you believe how fast this past month has gone? wow So girlfriend how are you feeling? Are you back to your old self yet? Still wearing the compression garments? Its almost 2 whole months since you had yours. Do you think most of your swelling has gone down? You are my inspiration!

oh Boo I know how that feels, well how you feel about the b-day party. It's happened to my dd too. Her sweet 16 was horrible. We had the whole shabang and it ended up being her boyfriend and a few of his friends, and 2 cousins. It hurts a mama's heart .. to say the least! I'm so happy she's a senior! She's always had a hard time with the kids at her school (very small school, her entire sr class is only around 50 kids) but we live a few miles closer to another small town and thats where her boyfriend and her girlfriends are. Its just been so hard, especially since she's had to live in the shadow of a VERY athletic brother and Miss Popular sister. She did ok while they were in school but her sophmore year she was alone, her sister had graduated and she was just a lost sad little girl. The crazy thing is that she's beautiful, seriously. I often wonder if that was the whole problem, jealousy? Who knows? All I know is I'm so frickin thankful that she's a senior and we are done with all the bs! Gingerbug - woohoo! Hubby will think he's got a new woman! How exciting! Did you go out and get some sexy lingerie? Something to go with that sexy name? Fill us in on how he reacts! Boo - how excited are you for the tt? Good grief I can't sleep without sleeping pills! If I wake up in the night my mind goes right to the tt! I'm freaken obsessed! Tonight we have a honors banquet for dd, tomorrow we do a fundraiser for the church - then Wed I go for my unfill and take my dogs to the groomer. These next couple days are gonna fly. Yay!!!!!!!! I wish I was as small as you, so I would have the best results but I want it done now. Anything has got to be better then this!

aahh thanks Becky you're so sweet - I hope it all turns out good. But like I said before its gotta be better then what it is now. Julie - day 5 I need to come into work for a little bit, but we are closed on Mondays so I'll be the only one here so I can come in my jammies if I need to. And I'm only 2 miles from my house so its not such a big deal, I figure if I'm not up to coming over by myself I'll have dh bring me over in the evening, I can do everything I need to in about a half hour. But day 8 is my dd's senior night for track and the parents walk out on the field with the kids. I also figure I'll just park up close and just get out of the car when I need to walk out. I'm a pretty fast healer. When I got banded I had it done on Monday and was out shopping on Thursday - I know this is alot more intense then the band but still I think I'll do ok.

Bandfan - we're almost there! Exciting hu? Just a couple more days and you'll be banded and hopefully I'll have a flat tummy. I've never had a flat tummy in my life, even when I was thin I had a little pouch. Why don't you have someone to drive you? My hubby isn't sure if he's going to come yet, I told him he didnt' have to (but I think I want him there) my bestfriend offered to come and my daughter. The thing is that I know me and surgery, I like having someone there before surgery to reassure me and pat my hand but then afterwards I don't want bothered, I just want to be left alone to sleep and let the nurses take care of my needs.

Where is everyone? come on, whats going on?

Becky don't worry about being a pain in the butt. I would call them twice a week. I did call them twice a week. I was told by one of them at the insurance co that they appove it within a day so then I gave them 3 days... lol .. I was afraid I was getting on their nerves but hey they approved me! I'm still praying for you.

geesh you guys are all so sweet, I think I look horrible! Not just my belly but my fat thighs too. I hope I have good results but in the back of my mind I can't help but wonder if it is really going to turn out good. I know everyone else has had such good results but its just so hard to imagine that its even happening for me. Kat you said about excitement being all consuming. YES! Heck YEAH! I took a sleep pill tonight in hopes that I'll sleep all night without waking in the night thinking about it. Seriously its all consuming! Luckily I have a busy next couple of days - of course I work all day M-W then Monday night is a honors banquet for dd, Tuesday is a fundraiser for the church kids, Wed after work I get my UNfill and take my dogs to the groomer and I'm sure I'll be freaked out and going crazy with the house, laundry and all the last minute stuff I'll think about. So its like I'm going to bed tonight and wake up for surgery. I wish. I took some more pre-op pics in my older dd's bikini - well it has a longer top and bikini bottoms, but I'll wait to post that after surgery - hopefully with my new tummy. As far as something to clean me out before surgery? No - just nothing to eat or drink after midnight - for an 8am surgery. Thank goodness. I had my bladder lifted a few years ago and they made me drink that nasty diarrhea inducing stuff. Thats cool they did the laser hair removal, I assume they'll shave me. I don't know about the mons lift, I think he said it'll get pulled tighter when they stitch me up but I don't think I have too much excess there. I don't know if I mentioned this earlier but the lady from my church that had Dr.Borkow said she was out the next day. He had told me to be prepared to be in 3 days but I'm hoping that I'll be out the next day, that'd be great. I'll post as soon as I'm up to it. Julie you seem to be doing so good. Its really encouraging for me bc I have things that week that I need to be at. How were you feeling on day 5? Were you able to get up and around pretty good? Thats the day I have to go in to work for payroll, only for about an hour or 2. Then on day 8 is dd's senior day at track so I have to walk out on the field with her (in front of everyone) so I'm hoping I'm able to walk pretty good by then. Thanks again - I'll be back before Thursday.

My friend who had gastric bypass and lost about 200 lbs had a tt about a year ago. She said she still has that upper fat under her ribs. I guess its just something we'll have to deal with.

I know its hard to believe by looking at those pictures but I am in a very comfortable size 10, I could probably squeeze into a 8 but would have the muffin top hanging down over the sides and I've gotten to the age where its all about comfort! I'm hoping after he cuts of the excess I'll be in an 8. We'll see.

My new before pics. I never wear bikini panties, can't stand the feel of them under my apron but I stole a pair of dd's for the before and afters.