Now that I have my pre-op pics from the doctor I thought I'd start this thread. I have learned so much watching Julie and Puddin I wanted to follow their example and share my journey as well.

I am posting my surgical pre-op photos below but am leaving my before/current photos of my clothed self off this thread for now. Somehow that makes me feel just a little more exposed on this thread. Silly I know since my photos are already on several other threads.

Thanks for the welcome. I'm going to be having a 360 body life in the spring late summer. I can't wait. Thanks for doing the thread for us to read. It's been a life saver the past few days. I want to unhinge my jaw and tip the fridge up and suck it all in. LOL what a visual. Anyway I'm finding my way back to the wagon and hopping back with both feet. I'm on a mission now.

This may be the wrong place to ask, but what is a 360 body lift???

Nancy can back me up on this but I'm pretty sure it is the same as a Lower Body Lift (LBL). As I understand it on a LBL they cut you all the way around the waist. They do it very low across the front just above the pubic line like my Tummy Tuck scar but then the extend the incision all the way around the back until it meets up somewhere near the tailbone I believe.

You look amazing!!

Diane, I would be interested in the discount for the contouring undergarments if you still have access to them.

How are you feeling?

I had a breast reduction last March. Went from a 34GG to a 36 D or C sometimes a 34 DD depending on where I go and who measures me.

Someone sent my husband a sympathy card right before my surgery.

Tummy tuck is maybe next year. I had to have vericous vien surgery in Nov and have to have my other leg done again most likely the end of this month of February. So thats enough surgery for me this year!

Who was your band Dr?

Sunsett - It was good to get a chance to talk to you over the phone. Here is the link.

:: E-Store

Just in case anyone is wondering. I don't get any kind of credit for anyone that purchases these garments just figured I'd offer the link for anyone interested in the discount. I heard about it at my last support group. It is a link through to a company called Countour MD from the :: LAP-Band® System :: Surgery Weight Loss Procedure website. According to the support group speaker from Countour MD if you link through from New Hope you get upwards of a 30% discount depending on the garment compared to if you just go straight to Countours website. Though to be honest I just tried looking a couple garments up by going through the link and by going straight to the website without the link and saw no difference. Perhaps it doesn't show until you get to checkout, and I didn't have time to check that out.

LOL I will find out about the discount and let you all know what I find out!

Thanks for calling Diane it was great talking with you too.

Just noted the wierd "wording" on the links. Both links work but they don't read like they did when I typed them. The first link is to the E-Store area of New Hope Bariatrics website. The second link is to New Hope's main page. Odd but oh well it works.

Hello, I cannot find the pictures of the surgerys any help would be appreciated k

Try page 9 of this thread. I think that is where at least one set is posted.

Diane: Thanks for the links. When are you going to post more pictures. The last ones you still had the drains in. I'm assuming that the swelling has finally gone done?

Hi Karey, I've been telling people who have been asking about pics to look at page 9 but just realized it is page 15 that has the one month pics added in. I have my 3 month follow up appt on the 25th and might post some more photos then but don't think they will really show any difference. Infact I fear they would show a regression. I haven't changed my ticker but I've been creeping up to the 180 mark which is real scary. I can definitely tell I still have swelling (all over not just in the stomach) but am having a hard time believing that I haven't gained some weight. After all I started pre-surgery at 173 then they removed over 10 pounds. I even hit 163 once, hence my ticker. So how could I possibly be walking around with 17+ pounds of swelling?

Thankfully I was able to get in for a fill yesterday. The doc I use has been very backed up for the last few months but has finally got some needed additional staff hired and trained. I can already tell I have some restriction back but am afraid it still isn't enough.

Through the holidays I felt so loose I'd eat way more than I wanted and still not feel full. You would think I could have just embraced and enjoyed the freedom to eat old foods like pastas and breads. But it was miserable feeling constantly hungry and constantly watched with a critical eye by my family. Now with this new fill I am able to get full on modest meal but am still finding myself hungry and wanting to graze within an hour or two of eating. I have another appointment for a fill in 4 weeks. Hopefully this one was at least enough to stem any weight gain until the next one.

OK it is way too late for me to be posting responsibly. Worse I've already tortured one other thread with this post. But, please forgive me for the "Korn" factor.

here goes....

I just got done watching a 4-hour silly Fantasy mini-series with Beau Bridges no less. I know I'm a geek. But two korny phrases kept popping up in the movie that I couldn't get out of my head. The more I heard them the more I felt them somehow appropriate.

"Only through belief can one truly see"

and

"Faith preceeds the miracle."

In other words for us to see ourselves reaching our goals we must first believe (or have Faith) that they are even possible.

OK you can all stop gaggin now.

Diane: My you were up late last night! I love corny movies and I don't think that "Faith proceeds the miracle" is corny. It's true. Belief is the first step in any change. I just went to see my band doc yesterday to try and coordinate getting a lower profile port at the same time as my TT. She didn't even know there was a lower profile port which didn't exactly fill me with confidence, but she did call the company and find out. So, she said that she has hospital privileges at the surgical center that I'm going to, but that the surgery center is not approved for the band. GRRR.:angry She is going to work on that. JulieNYC's father put in her port, so I don't know if she's feeding me a line of bull. This doc is not the doc that did my surgery, he left town and his patients were referred to this doc, whom I've seen only 3 times for fills. Anyway it may work out. I'm digressing, because what I wanted to ask you is about your fill level. My band doc said not to take out any of the fill when I have my TT. If it's good leave it be. I remember that you went back and forth on this subject and I'm wondering if you would take some out again or have left it in? You know at this point, I feel like I could control myself, but time after time, I read on here where people have an unfill and gain weight. I think we underestimate the power of our band. Anyway, I'd appreciate your feedback.