Plastics done :)

[nursejenny07 401]

Post op day 9: today has been great! I slept in my own bed last night for the first time since surgery and it was AMAZING, lol. I had a bunch of pillows to help keep me propped at a good angle, but it was so nice to sleep in my own bed again!

I had a little cry moment last night as my husband put our daughter to bed because I have felt so useless. I know I've said it many times here, but the hardest part of this for me has been the down time and not being able to help around the house. It wouldn't be so bad if we weren't working to get our house listed on the market in early July. BUT, Everything is coming along, and we'll be ok! After my moment of crying, my wonderful husband assured me again that everything is ok, and eventually I'll get back to my normal self. Until then, he's got it under control and wants me just to focus on healing.

Today I have noticed a big increase in my energy levels! Probably thanks in part to the wonderful night of sleep in my own bed! Our daughter is at day camp today and tomorrow, so I'm taking advantage of the time to focus on myself. I did do some cleaning, but mostly I have kicked back in the chair with my feet up and rested! I even went out for lunch with my husband. I have had virtually zero pain today. Mostly at this point there is just some stiffness and soreness when getting up in the morning, and some swelling and soreness at the end of the day before bed. My incisions feel great, and standing up is fine now, it all still feels very tight, but not at all painful.

I'm looking forward to my other two drains coming out in Friday, and plan to take some more full body progress shots then.

So happy I was able to go through this whole process, and continue loving my results more every day! [emoji173]️

[illailla 79]

i can't believe how different you look directly after surgery...congratulations

was there a reason why you had plastic surgery 3 years post op? also how did you get the ball rolling? is it a long process to get approved for plastic surgery? i am aiming for plastics next summer and i'm trying to figure out when i should get it rolling

Edited June 22, 2017 by illailla

[nursejenny07 401]

i can't believe how different you look directly after surgery...congratulations
was there a reason why you had plastic surgery 3 years post op? also how did you get the ball rolling? is it a long process to get approved for plastic surgery? i am aiming for plastics next summer and i'm trying to figure out when i should get it rolling

Hey there . Thanks so much! It's amazing how immediate the transformation is!

To be honest, I was ready for plastics a year ago, I had been maintaining my weight, felt good, and just thought the time was right. The universe had other plans, lol! I had consulted with two plastic surgeons and had decided which one to go with. That's when it all went wonky. I learned that because this procedure is elective, it would. NOT be covered under my short term disability plan at work. FMLA was approved, which would protect my job while I was off...but I would not receive any pay. I couldn't afford to pay for the surgery AND take 5 weeks off without pay to recover. I ended up having to cancel my plans, and we waited another year so I could save up my vacation time. It all really worked out for the better. I found another surgeon, who I just adore, and who ended up doing my surgery for me. We saved up additional money for the surgery so we could pay 100% cash, and I had enough vacation time to take time off to recover, and still get paid. I'm taking 5 weeks off.

My insurance plan does not cover any part of my procedure, so I was completely self pay. We knew that plastics would be something I would want/need, so we saved for about 2.5 years to be able to pay for the surgery. We did not want to finance or create additional debt for this surgery, so we made sure we had enough cash to pay for it. In the end, it actually came out to be slightly less than we had planned, so we had additional left over.

Most surgeons book out quite a way, so I would give yourself at least 6 months before when you'd want to have surgery to start scheduling consults. I had my consult back in December, just before Christmas, and booked my surgery for June. She did have some opening sooner, but we planned for summer and around our daughter's school schedule. As hard as it is, because the whole process is so exciting and you're just ready to get it over with, try to see at least 2-3 different surgeons. You want to feel totally comfortable with them, and with their price point. You don't necessarily want to go with the cheapest option, but I saw 3 surgeons and one was about $10k more than the others, mostly because he was with a very prestigious practice. He was amazing, but I could not justify his prices just because of the name of the practice. Price was important, but mostly I needed to feel confident in my surgeon. Dr. Folk's work is AMAZING, she is kind, personable, honest, and very well known in the area as a top surgeon (I work in the medical field, and she is well known amongst nurses and other doctors as being one of the best). She had everything I was looking for, and from the first moment I met her, I just had a great feeling. I knew she was the one!

Plastic surgery obviously Isn't something we go into lightly. It is expensive, life altering, major surgery, and you want to feel really good about who you go with. Even if insurance DOES cover some or all, finding the right surgeon is so important.

I wish you luck! The time flies, and your surgery could be here before you know it! [emoji1]

[illailla 79]

Hey there [emoji4]. Thanks so much! It's amazing how immediate the transformation is!

To be honest, I was ready for plastics a year ago, I had been maintaining my weight, felt good, and just thought the time was right. The universe had other plans, lol! I had consulted with two plastic surgeons and had decided which one to go with. That's when it all went wonky. I learned that because this procedure is elective, it would. NOT be covered under my short term disability plan at work. FMLA was approved, which would protect my job while I was off...but I would not receive any pay. I couldn't afford to pay for the surgery AND take 5 weeks off without pay to recover. I ended up having to cancel my plans, and we waited another year so I could save up my vacation time. It all really worked out for the better. I found another surgeon, who I just adore, and who ended up doing my surgery for me. We saved up additional money for the surgery so we could pay 100% cash, and I had enough vacation time to take time off to recover, and still get paid. I'm taking 5 weeks off.

My insurance plan does not cover any part of my procedure, so I was completely self pay. We knew that plastics would be something I would want/need, so we saved for about 2.5 years to be able to pay for the surgery. We did not want to finance or create additional debt for this surgery, so we made sure we had enough cash to pay for it. In the end, it actually came out to be slightly less than we had planned, so we had additional left over.

Most surgeons book out quite a way, so I would give yourself at least 6 months before when you'd want to have surgery to start scheduling consults. I had my consult back in December, just before Christmas, and booked my surgery for June. She did have some opening sooner, but we planned for summer and around our daughter's school schedule. As hard as it is, because the whole process is so exciting and you're just ready to get it over with, try to see at least 2-3 different surgeons. You want to feel totally comfortable with them, and with their price point. You don't necessarily want to go with the cheapest option, but I saw 3 surgeons and one was about $10k more than the others, mostly because he was with a very prestigious practice. He was amazing, but I could not justify his prices just because of the name of the practice. Price was important, but mostly I needed to feel confident in my surgeon. Dr. Folk's work is AMAZING, she is kind, personable, honest, and very well known in the area as a top surgeon (I work in the medical field, and she is well known amongst nurses and other doctors as being one of the best). She had everything I was looking for, and from the first moment I met her, I just had a great feeling. I knew she was the one!

Plastic surgery obviously Isn't something we go into lightly. It is expensive, life altering, major surgery, and you want to feel really good about who you go with. Even if insurance DOES cover some or all, finding the right surgeon is so important.

I wish you luck! The time flies, and your surgery could be here before you know it! [emoji1]

Wow the more I'm hearing about surgery coming out of pocket instead of being insured the more I'm thinking it's not going to happen for me.

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[KDM74 186]

Has anyone heard of places in Mexico or the Dominican Republic that offer plastic surgery at a much lower cost? I used to have a co-worker that went to the DR, stayed at a resort for plastic surgery for a week and it cost $7000. I doubt I'm going to be able to afford $22000!

I am day one post op from an LBL with abdominoplasty at University of Florida Shands Teaching hospital and the price was $9200 and it is outpatient. Look into teaching hospitals. I am VERY happy with my results so far.

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[katyyakyak 5]

Thank you. I will definitely look into it. Just starting this journey and with only (did I say only!) 30 pounds down my stomach almost looks worse with the extra skin, so I'll definitely be wanting plastics.

[nursejenny07 401]

Day 11 post op: I can't believe it has already been 11 days! Everything has been going perfect, and I feel amazing. The past few days my energy has definitely returned. Not completely to pre surgery levels, but I feel like I'm relatively productive and don't need naps!

I had another post op visit today and my two remaining drains were removed, woohoo! They weren't terrible, but it's just nice not to have to deal with them anymore. Having them removed is not painful. Just a strange tugging sensation, but it's over in a second or two!

All the tape was removed from my incisions, and I was given the silicone scar sheets to start using. I also purchased, at an extra cost, a serum that will help further fade the scars. My incisions look beautiful, and I'm certain in time the scars will be barely visible.

When I got home I took some new progress pics (now that the drains are gone). And even 11 days out I am just over the moon with how everything looks!!! I love my stomach and my new belly button!

I'm still sleeping propped on pillows, but only because I'm nervous to try sleeping on my side or stomach (I'm normally a stomach sleeper). No good reason why...just a mental thing. BUT, I've been sleeping well in my own bed. I am sore and stiff in the morning, but that wears off quickly once I'm up and moving around.

I have no problems with mobility, other than being slightly slower than normal. I can stand up straight, bend, squat, twist... I do still like to sit with back support, only because without it my back gets a bit sore after a while.

I'm still wearing my stage 1 compression garment, but was cleared today to move to stage two (spanx). My surgeon just wants them to have shoulder straps so they don't roll down, which means I need to return the two I bought before surgery and exchange for a different kind. My stage one garment is from mid-calf to shoulders (open in the front so I can wear my own bra), but the new one will only need to go to the knees.

Well, I think that's the latest and greatest. I'll attach the newest pics!

Hope everyone has a GREAT day! [emoji173]️   

[JupiterinVirgo 846]

This post moves me to tears. I am so close to being a normal weight, and I have been dreaming of having corrective plastic surgery on my body. And when you said you nearly cried when you saw your flat belly, I nearly cried! I'm really happy for you!

[nursejenny07 401]

This post moves me to tears. I am so close to being a normal weight, and I have been dreaming of having corrective plastic surgery on my body. And when you said you nearly cried when you saw your flat belly, I nearly cried! I'm really happy for you!

Thank you!!! The time really does go by so fast! It doesn't seem like that long ago I was 262 lbs, tired, unhappy, unhealthy, and ready to make a change! I hope you're at your goal in no time and can get the plastics you've
dreamed of too!

[nursejenny07 401]

I forgot to write yesterday, so thought I'd post a quick update before the family wakes up! Not too mucin new to report! Still feeling great. Spent most of yesterday cleaning and packing (but within the limits of my recovery restrictions! NO lifting!). I actually didn't take any pain meds yesterday, except for the Celebrex prescribed by my surgeon (I take twice daily). I started the silicone scar strips on my front and side incisions. They aren't hard to use, and are super sticky on the skin side, so they stay in place even with all the moving around. It's still comforting to have something on my incisions, so I like the scar strips!

My daughter wanted to have a camp out in the living room, so we did! I'm loving all this time with her. I usually work 40 hrs a week, so having this time with her during recovery has been an extra blessing. We watched a movie, ate popcorn, and made ice cream sundaes. It was great. We both ended up sleeping on the couch (one at each end) which was slightly less than comfortable, but still better than my first night on the couch after surgery, lol!

I'll update again later. I'll weight myself and take measurements tomorrow since I'll be 2 weeks post op!

Have a great day!

️ Jen

[up4challenge 54]

@nursejenny07: Congratulations. Thanks for sharing your experience and pics. Love that you took the time to share your experience. You are a true inspiration for me .

I too think of getting a plastic surgery done, but the thought of it freaks me . Anyway, I ran this by the surgeon who performed my VSG and he has asked me not to even think about it for the next 1.5 years (I had my surgery in Dec 2016).

Edited June 27, 2017 by up4challenge

[nursejenny07 401]

@nursejenny07: Congratulations. Thanks for sharing your experience and pics. Love that you took the time to share your experience. You are a true inspiration for me .

I too think of getting a plastic surgery done, but the thought of it freaks me . Anyway, I ran this by the surgeon who performed my VSG and he has asked me not to even think about it for the next 1.5 years (I had my surgery in Dec 2016).

Thank you! I'm happy to share! Going into plastics comes with so many questions, and I know reading about the experience of others really helped prepare me! Good or bad... You know what you're getting into!

It feels like it is going to take forever for the time for plastics to come, but it really does get there quickly, and is worth the wait!! I still can't believe my sleeve was almost 3 years ago. My life has changed so much since then, and I'm so grateful for this journey!

Good luck to you!!!

[emoji1] Jen

[nursejenny07 401]

Hi all! Sorry it's been a few days since my last post! Been busy packing and cleaning! We met with our realtors this week and signed all the papers to put our house on the market! We'll be listing and starting showings July 8, while we're on vacay in California, visiting family. We figured that would be easiest since we'd be out of town and our three dogs will be out of the house. Fingers crossed we get an offer that first week! Meanwhile, my husband has been talking to a few people back in Virginia, so we're getting closer to having a placed to live lined up there [emoji1].

Post op wise, I weighed in and repeated my measurements on Monday, which was exactly two weeks post op. Here are the stats:

Weight: preop 169.4, 2 weeks 172.2 (she removed 7 lbs of skin, and a lot of fat through Lipo, so I still have a lot of swelling and Fluid retention)
Waist at belly button: preop 34", 2 weeks 37"
Hips: preop 44", 2 weeks 41" (this is where the bulk of my extra skin was)
Left thigh: preop 25", post op 24.5"
Right thigh: preop 25.5", post op 24.5"

I've definitely still got a lot of swelling. My poor feet look like balloons by the end of the day. I know this will just take time.

Pain wise I do great during the day when I'm up and movingly. My incisions don't hurt at all, and my muscles are feeling pretty good. I have a couple spots where I can feel what I think are suture sites in the muscle, but is a really weird tickle sensation, not pain, and only when I move a certain way. I still have a lot of numbness on my abdomen. I can feel pressure, but not light touch (around belly button and incision mostly). I also have a couple
Spots that are VERY ticklish. It's almost like a hypersensitivity where my skin fold was. I'm wondering if it's like a "phantom limb" kind of thing. Not painful at all, just weird.

I developed a rash on my abdomen that was soooooooo itchy. I seem to remember something similar after my sleeve. It was only on my abdomen, and I don't think it was allergic. I got some hydrocortisone cream, which helped. I also washed my compression garments and am trying to let my skin breathe more. It's getting better.

The hardest time for me is sleep. I cannot seem to get comfortable at night. I have still mostly been sleeping on my back, at an incline, propped by pillows. I wake up often with muscle soreness and butt pain. Last night for the first time I attempted to sleep on my side. It wasn't very comfortable. Not necessarily painful, but not comfortable. This morning I woke up with a lot of muscle soreness. It's a odd thing to basically have zero core strength, but feel like day two after a crazy workout!!! That's basically what it feels like. Crazy sore after a really good workout. I'm hoping this gets better soon!!!

I'm so grateful I was able to take 5 weeks off from work (I had to use all of my vacation time) but I can't imagine being back at work at this point! Not without being able to get a good night's sleep! I don't go back to work until July 17, and am grateful for the time off!

I will get some more progress pics soon! I forgot to get more on Monday!

Thanks to everyone for the continued support and reading my long posts!!

Have a great Wednesday!

[emoji173]️Jen

[Stella S 612]

Nice it took me 25 days to return to work I think 5 weeks is better. This is so much more than say a C-section. I am excited for the positive changes. VA has some nice parts [emoji3]

[hmills653 365]

Thanks for the updates. It really helps to see what someone is going through to help you decide if this is for you.

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