I have lurked through all the threads for as long as I have been a member here and found great inspiration from all you lovely ladies and gents. With encouragement from Kareyquilts I am starting a new thread about my LBL. Tomorrow is the day and I am freaking out. Up until this point I was pretty calm and collected. I am no stranger to surgery and have had some plastics already (breast augmentation 3/07 and lipo pre-band) I usually know what to expect but this is unchartered territory!

I am 5'9'', currently 163lbs and look like I'm wearing a potato sack from chest down. I have waited for this day since well before I was banded and although I feel sick to my stomach with worry I am excited that all the hard work is paying off. Never in a million years did I think this day would actually come, very surreal

I have all my meds lined up, comfy clothes laid out so they are easy for my boyfriend to find (lord forbid he have to venture into the closet - he'd get lost;) ) I have my dogs looked after, food bought and prepared, a landry list of people that will be helping over the next few weeks but somehow I feel like I am forgetting something.

So although this post is somewhat disconnected, it is how my brain is running at the moment, million miles a minute in a million directions. If anyone has any words of advice they would be greatly appriciated!! ***head spinning***

Prayers and best wishes!!!! Keep us posted. You're doing what lots of us still only dream of!! I hope to be where you are someday! In fact, I PLAN on it.

Hi MimIN! Congratulations on your LBL. I plan on having a LBL when I reach goal. Hope your surgery went well and let us know how you're doing when you feel up to posting.

There is NOTHING I love more than following the progress of someone who's the same height and weight as me, lol. I'm five ten, 163lb. I'm not so bad with the loose skin but it definitely gets a bit worse, the further down mybody you go!

Keep us posted and pics pics pics!

Aw, good luck today!

Looking forward to watching your transformation.

hugs

Good Luck To You! I Wish You Were One Of Our Patients So I Could Brag About How Successful That You Have Been! Keep Up The Good Work! You Deserve Kudos! You Are In My Thoughts!

Cheryl From Dr Keith Mcewen's Office

Hope all goes well, can't wait to see pics. Prayers for quick healing and fast recovery.

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!

Do they do an inner thigh lift as well when they do a lower body lift? or do they just cut at the waist around to the back?

Mimin: Oh my gosh! You started your own thread and I missed it until now. I didn't even get to say a prayer for you, but I'll start and send you positive healing energy! They planned on 7 hours?!! It took 4.5 hours. Did you stay overnight? I can't believe you already posted. You are a super star! I have my first consultation for a lower body lift next Thursday and then another one on Dec. 18th. I'm going to do it, so I'll be watching your experience carefully. Afterall, we are September band sisters! I'm so proud of you. I'm scared just thinking about it, but I'm going to do it. Are you wearing the compression garment? How many drains did they put in? Let us know all the gory details. I need the information. How many surgeons did you go to? How did you decide who to use? On a scale of 1-10 what is the pain like, etc. I can't believe you did it. Way to go! Remember, if you decide to do pictures, they don't have to be nude. People can get the idea... Congratulations! Wow!

Do they do an inner thigh lift as well when they do a lower body lift? or do they just cut at the waist around to the back?

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!)

Mimin: No inner thighs touching is a great accomplishment. Sounds like you're doing well. Again, way to go!

Mimin: Oh my gosh! You started your own thread and I missed it until now. I didn't even get to say a prayer for you, but I'll start and send you positive healing energy! They planned on 7 hours?!! It took 4.5 hours. Did you stay overnight? I can't believe you already posted. You are a super star! I have my first consultation for a lower body lift next Thursday and then another one on Dec. 18th. I'm going to do it, so I'll be watching your experience carefully. Afterall, we are September band sisters! I'm so proud of you. I'm scared just thinking about it, but I'm going to do it. Are you wearing the compression garment? How many drains did they put in? Let us know all the gory details. I need the information. How many surgeons did you go to? How did you decide who to use? On a scale of 1-10 what is the pain like, etc. I can't believe you did it. Way to go! Remember, if you decide to do pictures, they don't have to be nude. People can get the idea... Congratulations! Wow!

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!

Congratulations Mimin,

I can't wait to see the results. I know you will look and feel fabulous. I can't wait to get rid of my panni and have my FTT, BL. I will post pictures because I find it so encouraging to see everyone's progress and will share mine so others can benefit.

I am so excited for you. Congratulations.

Ana

Congratulations Mimin I'm so excited for you. I can't wait to see your after pics.

Mimin: Glad your pain level is down! That's a great idea to have 2 surgeons to cut the time down. I doubt that I'll have that as an option. I'm going to interview 3 doctors, just picked #3 yesterday. I've heard that the drains are a pain, hope you don't have to keep them in too long. Can you believe how much your life has changed in such a short time? When I think about it, I can't quite grasp it. I'm still not totally comfortable in my own skin yet, an like The Ghost, I worry that it will all go away some how, but I think that getting the LBL definetly makes it a more permanent arrangement! I'm really happy for you and know from other's experiences that you'll be feeling much better soon. I'm so glad that you started this thread because I know that it will help people. For one, it is helping me. I appreciate everyone who has shared the journeys. It's getting closer for me and it really is calming to have others who have gone through it to explain, share and commiserate with. I'll keep you in my prayers!