Can't believe this day has finally arrived! In less than two weeks, I'm going to have a tummy tuck, breast lift with augmentation and lipo. I think I was 20 shades of red today when I had to get my before pictures. :wub:Then the nurse called to say that my front shot didn't turn out well and to please come back in the next few days and do a retake! :scared2:Oh, bother! I have such mixed feelings. I still expect the PS to call and tell me that maybe I should lose a few more pounds first. I can't believe how much shame I still have in my body. I wonder when you get over this?! I think I had to sign about 30 different places for consent and possible complications. Reading everything that could happen is enough to make you want to run right out of the office!:tongue: I remember that I felt the same way before my lapband surgery, so, I'm hoping that it's just pre-surgery jitters! Trying to picture what I'll look like afterwards is really hard. I keep grabbing my stomach and trying to picture it smooth and lumpless! Okay, that's hard to do! I couldn't decide if I should have the breast augmentation and at first the nurse tried to talk me out of it, saying that I would just be smaller and perky. I was ready to accept her opinion, but then she said, after closer inspection that she thought I should get the augmentation. It's hard to know when you don't get to talk to your surgeon about it. I've seen him twice, but the augmentation is more of a last minute thing. I just hope I made the right decision. It's all very nerve wracking. I'm trying to put a positive spin on all this, because I really have a bad case of the nerves! I want to share my journey with anyone who wants to come along. I will post before shots with my after shots. Love to have you join me on this adventure! Wahoo!:cursing:

Nope I'm on liquids for two weeks. I'm having trouble getting in all the liquid, but I think each day I do better as the swelling is going down. I'm looking forward to mushies though. That's next week.

T

Hi Karey ~

I am so frustrated, I just typed you a long message and I must've clicked the wrong button because it disappeared. Now I am down to 'should have been in the shower 15 minutes ago,' so this one is going to be short and sweet . . . more later.

1. Do you think the lymphatic massages are helping? I am considering having some but wanted to ask you first what you thought about them.

2. I have been using the silicone strips for a few days now and they are no problem at all; I just wear them under my torture garment all day long. BUT - I do think I may be having a reaction to the 'retention tape' that you have to put on top of the silicone to hold it in place. When I took it off last night it was all itchy and red. My friend who is a nurse (and recommended the silicone sheets) is going to look at it for me this afternoon.

Gotta run for now - I hope everyone has a great day!

Lynn: I definetly think the lymphatic massages are helping. My swelling goes down, I feel better and my range of motion seems improved, plus it's relaxing! I still have glue and stitches sticking out so I haven't tried the silicone yet. If the tape is irriating to you, it will probably be irritating to me. The tape they had on my breasts really started irriatating me. Keep me posted.

Well it's after 1:00 in the morning and I have insomnia again. I hate that. My husband woke up with a headache and now he's sleeping and I'm awake. I've been having a lot of hot flashes. Had to go off the hormones for surgery and started back on them last week. UGH! Been having a lot of mood swings and sensations in my breasts like milk let down, etc. Really fun stuff. I finally called my gynecologist and she had me come in a get a progestrine shot to kick start my hormones. Actually made me feel much calmer. She said I might need to take them every other day for a while. Think she might be right, that's about how long the effect lasted. I'm thinking that the anestesthia and all the changes could have a lot to do with the mood swings also?! Well, maybe I'll take a sleeping pill.

Karey - my sister had a tummy tuck about 4-5 years ago, she was around 53-54 and was in menopause but it was still the pre-meno stage. But when she had her tt it threw her headfirst into full blown menopause. I guess that we store our hormones in our fat, she had so much of her fat cut off that it did a number on her. She really had a horrible time with the tt, not bc of the surgery - she said as far as the surgery went she was back to norm in a week - but it was the mental that really took its toll on her. She keeps assuring me it won't happen to me - but I'm prepared bc knowledge is power.

Karey, no ma'am, I'm not the one with the band. That would be my darling wife. Joy is down 80 so far.

StephC: That's interesting about your sister. My gynecologist said that too. We do store a lot of estrogen in our fat. Her take on it was that was one of the reasons to get the TT and get that fat off. She said it's not good for us. The fat stored on our stomachs has a lot of estrogen and the estrogen fights our weight loss efforts. It's the ole protect us for childbearing stuff. She told me that the last 10 pounds would come off easier without the stomach fat. Also said that it puts us at a lower risk for type 2 diabetes if we don't have the stomach fat. What she didn't tell me was how it was going to make me a hormonal mess for a while! Had insomnia again last night along with hot flashes and then feeling so cold I couldn't get warm. My husband piled the blankets on me and I finally warmed up enough to go back to sleep, took about an hour to warm up. It's a little crazy, but hey, my stomach's flat and this to shall pass! Right?!

Are you on hr's? I was at a St. Pats party and there were 3 of my gf's there who are 51 this year and all 3 smack dab in the middle of menopause. One of them is on pills, and I understand they are stronger then the patch, one of them is on the patch and loves it, said it does the trick and the 3rd is on nothing - very naturalistic approach. I figure when it gets bad enough I'm going for the patch. Sounds like its low dose and gets the job done. The one on the pills said she's calling her gyno to switch to the patch. I figure why be miserable? Oops - all that said and I re-read your post and see you did get a hormone shot. I hope you're feeling better.

I use progesetrin cream and estrogen, testerone cream vaginally. Let the good times roll!

Isn't it crazy how on one hand we can look forward to getting through menopause and then on the other the dread of knowing what we have to go through? Hmmm... kinda like ps. :thumbup: I can't wait to get it done and yet dreading the pain and down time I'll have to go through.

Okay, I have a rant to make that doesn't have anything to do with my PS. I just got a call from my daughter who went for her first wedding dress fitting in San Francisco. She ordered a dress from the designer Lazaro and we took a big bite in the budget and sacrificed to buy this dress. Well when my daughter went to try on the dress, it was totally different than the sample that she tried on! The dress had stays in it, which she said make it impossible to sit down it. The bodice was totally different than the dress she tried on and the lining was different. My daughter had pictures of her in the original dress with the designer (it was a trunk show) and the bridal shop she ordered the dress from said that is what happens when you buy a new design that has never been manufactured before. They are going to take out the stays (which I think will affect the integrity of the dress) and alter the bodice, etc. Of course, we will have to pay for extra fittings and alterations! I wanted to call the designer directly because: 1- maybe someone else ordered a dress with stays and we got the wrong one and 2- I think the designer needs to know that his dress wasn't reproduced correctly and have the opportunity to make it good. We paid $4,000 for the dress. Don't you think it should be right?! My husband is going to call the bridal shop on Monday morning, but what can we really do? The dress had to be paid in full before they even started making it? Does anyone know how to find out how to contact the designer directly? I just think this is BS!

Okay, I have a rant to make that doesn't have anything to do with my PS. I just got a call from my daughter who went for her first wedding dress fitting in San Francisco. She ordered a dress from the designer Lazaro and we took a big bite in the budget and sacrificed to buy this dress. Well when my daughter went to try on the dress, it was totally different than the sample that she tried on! The dress had stays in it, which she said make it impossible to sit down it. The bodice was totally different than the dress she tried on and the lining was different. My daughter had pictures of her in the original dress with the designer (it was a trunk show) and the bridal shop she ordered the dress from said that is what happens when you buy a new design that has never been manufactured before. They are going to take out the stays (which I think will affect the integrity of the dress) and alter the bodice, etc. Of course, we will have to pay for extra fittings and alterations! I wanted to call the designer directly because: 1- maybe someone else ordered a dress with stays and we got the wrong one and 2- I think the designer needs to know that his dress wasn't reproduced correctly and have the opportunity to make it good. We paid $4,000 for the dress. Don't you think it should be right?! My husband is going to call the bridal shop on Monday morning, but what can we really do? The dress had to be paid in full before they even started making it? Does anyone know how to find out how to contact the designer directly? I just think this is BS!

I would talk to the manager at the Bridal shop, show them your original pix. The dress bodice should be as close to your originals as you expected. And at $4000.00 I would think the bridal shop would be doing whatever they can to help this situation get solved. Also I was never charged for any of my fittings, and I had 4 of them, it is just part of bridal shops customer service for going thru them.. Alterations Yes I had to pay to have a Bussel put in. But to have to pay for extra alterations becasue your didn'y get what you ordered is ridicules. if they cant have a new one made for you, Ask./demand the bridal shop comp the alterations... It's not like you went to a davids bridal and bought off the rack, you bought an expensive dress and bridal shop shouldn't want to have an unhappy bride and mom....

Oh gosh, you poor things!! Just what you don't need right now.

Bridal salons operate very differently. Some offer the fittings and alterations as part of the purchase price. Many of the high end bridal salons do not. In fact, a large part of their profit comes from alterations.

$4,000 is so much money! But unfortunately designer gowns these days can run into the tens of thousands. When you oder a dress (as we did too for my DD) the Bridal Salon is not really in control of what the manufacturer chooses to send. So although you expect the salon you're dealing with to make it good, many of them just don't take on that responsibility. They think that you've made the decision but they're just providing the means for you to get the dress from the designer or manufacturer. Like a middle man. And any problems/alterations will be additional charges.

All that being said, I do believe that you should have recourse since the dress your DD tried on is so very different from the one that was delivered. Comfort is so important on the day. It can mean the difference between having a wonderful experience and being absolutely miserable.

People in the wedding business know that you'll probably never be buying another Lazaro wedding gown and they are unbelievably independent. I don't think that you should give up though. I believe that you should fight this until you and your daughter are satisfied. Believe me, they will all try to intimidate you into tears. Don't cry, just stick to your guns and insist they make it right.

Most of us will wring our hands and cry and feel vicitimized under those circumstances (wedding planning is emotional on a good day) but we will throw up our hands and pay whatever they're demanding just to get through that part.

Our floral designer was fired a few days before my DD's wedding without our knowing it. The flowers that were delivered were not exactly what we ordered. And I am very particular. The people they sent to do the tables and back drops couldn't speak English (or acted as if they couldn't). The tables looked like crud and if it had not been for the planner we had, everything would have been just awful. She jumped in and in a matter of a couple of hours, redesigned the tables and back drops and it was beautiful. Not what we ordered, but beautiful. Btw, after the reception, there were little daisies all over the dance floor, that had just fallen out of the bridesmaids bouquets. That was pretty sad, especially since we had not even ordered daisies as fillers. But you know what? People still say that it was the most beautiful wedding and most fun reception that they've ever been to.

I did not demand any part of my flower money back because I was so glad to just put it all behind me. However I regret that I didn't because some other unlucky girl and her mother probably had to go through the same thing with that florist. I should have ripped them a new one, if you know what I mean.

Good luck. I'll be pulling for you. My only real advice is that you try to enjoy the process as much as possible and to help your DD enjoy it as well. I have to tell you what a wonderful mother-in-law my DD got. She came to my home the day following the wedding with a check for $5,000 to help defray the costs. She was so delighted with the wedding and how we treated all of their guests, she wanted to do more than her share. Neat, huh?

BJean: It does sound that your DD has a wonderful mother-in-law. The Bridal Shop is insisting that they can take the boning out and remodel the dress so it's just perfect. I personally think that the designer should be informed that whoever they contracted to make the dress did not follow his design. I don't want to put a damper on the big day or have my daughter upset, but I just think this is so much BS! I really wonder if we shouldn't just go around the Bridal Shop and contact the designer ourself? My daughter doesn't want to make waves, but I think we spent enough money that we should get what was ordered and not some bait and switch. Of course there are more expensive dresses, but if a designer is going to put his name on it, it should live up to the brand. My DD goes in for a new fitting tomorrow, the boning will have been removed and I guess we'll see from there. Thanks for your import.

I guess I yacked too much and didn't make my point. I definitely think that if there is a way to do it, you should contact the designer. Surely he has some kind of website. If not, maybe the bridal shop has a contact point for him that they can give you.

Sometimes the bridal shop's gowns have been so abused by people trying them on, they don't maintain them as they should. One of the swankest bridal salons we went to had try-on dresses that were dirty and even torn in some cases. The worst were the Vera Wang gowns. They were really popular right then and I suppose everyone wanted to see how they looked in a Vera Wang.

If the shop removed the staves in order to make it more comfortable so that girls would buy them, that would definitely be a case of "bait and switch" as far as I'm concerned and the bridal shop should be held responsible.

karey I sure hope you can get some satisfaction from somebody. What has happened is not right and it is extremely disappointing. Those places are counting on girls feeling like your DD who don't want to be accused of being a "bridezilla" plus they don't want to have to go back for refittings to a place that is unhappy with them.

It's gotten to be kind of a sketchy industry, I think. There's just so darned much money involved in weddings, and like so many other businesses in the U.S. these days, they have gotten greedy and forgotten who pays the bills - the customer! Good luck and keep us posted.