So I will start the plastic surgery thread.

There was a comment/question about waiting a year after to get plastic surgery. My doc said that used to be his recommendation but he feels now after seeing both results that there is no difference. If you have a lot of skin it is not going to go away. If you have minimal amounts of skin, it might. He feels that sometimes it is better to have it sooner because people can get so discouraged with their extra skin that they start gaining weight. I am going to post my belly pictures so that you can see what I am dealing with. I look at myself in the mirror and think DAMN you look good. Then I take my clothes off and feel like a total failure. I know MESSED UP, but just wait until you see the pictures.

Salsa,

I don't know how I missed your posts last night, I must have been writing at the same time you were posting!

I definitely want to see the pic with the pants turned inside out -- you are too funny! :rolleyes2::biggrin::biggrin:

Thanks Frangi. I always appreciate your kind comments. I am going to try to calm down a bit about all of this. Seeing those pictures yesterday just made me want to shout from the roof tops.

Thanks Frangi. I always appreciate your kind comments. I am going to try to calm down a bit about all of this. Seeing those pictures yesterday just made me want to shout from the roof tops.

LOL Becky! You are definitely going to be one hot Mama -- no doubt about it.

Quick story, not related to you -- but you talking about shouting from the rooftops reminded me of this,

I swear to God that it seems as if half the women on the planet who have had breast procedures takes a vacation in the Virgin Islands shortly afterwards and every single one parades through town in a skimpy bathing suit top. If that isn't bad enough, a good number of them seem fully prepared to show us even more at even the slightest provocation!!!

I truly hope that my breast implants do not re-hardwire my brain in this way because frankly, it is a little embarrassing to see grown women acting like this.

Not only that, the locals here are very proper, traditional, modest, and fastidious about their appearance and dressing and acting properly is quite important around here.

Skimpy clothing is absolutely frowned upon in anyplace except the beach, and these poor women often subject themselves to very unkind treatment by the locals when they walk around town half dressed, as the locals consider this to be one of the highest forms of disrespect for their island and their culture.

I have kind of appointed myself as sort of a "cultural conceierge" and whenever I can, I try to explain the local norms and standards (in a nice way) to people so that they don't have problems.......

That said, I drew the line at a guy standing on a street corner in town in a SPEEDO!!!! Yes, a Speedo!!!

I'm sorry, but I just can't look a man wearing a Speedo in the eye with a straight face, and he was left to fend for himself!

Edited May 24, 200818 yr by Frangipani

What the hell are people thinking? Outside of the Olympics when is a Speedo ever appropriate? I am not surprised at what women will bare in public, because I see it all the time even here, but a man on a street corner in a Speedo? Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

What the hell are people thinking? Outside of the Olympics when is a Speedo ever appropriate? I am not surprised at what women will bare in public, because I see it all the time even here, but a man on a street corner in a Speedo? Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Becky, I have no idea what this guy was thinking. Obviously however, he was not a married man because no woman would ever allow her husband to walk around like this.

Okay, one more story and then I'll quit clogging up the thread with OT stuff. About a year ago I was sitting at a beachside restaurant and this really, really drunk guy suddenly decided to go skinny dipping (another thing absolutely frowned upon around here).

If that wasn't bad enough he then decided to walk into the kitchen stark naked (thankfully, my food had already been served to me :rolleyes2:).

The cook at this restaurant is a very lively, feisty, local lady and when she turned around and saw this naked guy standing in her kitchen, all hell broke loose! In fact, if I had been able to take a video of her reaction, I would have won the grand prize on America's Funniest Videos, for all time!!!

As drunk as that guy was, he had all of his clothes back on (including shoes and socks) in about two seconds flat because she went after him with, lets just say.....a very sharp cooking utensil.

I swear to God I was not able to compose myself for nearly an hour after that because I was laughing so hysterically. It was truly one of the most hilarious things I have ever witnessed in my life :biggrin::redface:! Every time I see that cook we talk about this and we still laugh ourselves silly about it.

Edited May 25, 200818 yr by Frangipani

I guess there is a small down side to living in paradise - the obnoxious tourist! But they do provide good material for cocktail parties. I wonder where that guy is now and if he remembers making such an ass of himself.

Wow! Thankfully, I'm not in a beach area (more rocky cliffs), so people stay more covered in my new neighborhood (that's all a beach or two south of La Jolla). We get a ton of international tourists, but the ones that crack me up are the hairy dudes that wear a TON of cologne and walk shirtless by the ocean. I seem to get the 70+ year old versions of the same guys hitting on me now - yeeek! At least they're sweet so it's amusing and harmless.

i am getting SO excited for you guys having PS so soon!!

i agree - dont get clothes crazy ... cause even 3 months (OMG - 3 months???) down the road even though i'm not dropping weight (grrrr), i have dropped a couple more sizes. now i just wear things that hang until im pretty much at goal...

Hi LJM,

Thanks for the nice message, and for sharing our excitement with us :scared2::smile::tongue2:!

Obviously you are definitely losing weight, even if the scale isn't showing it right now.

Keep up the good work with all of your running, LJM! You are a true inspiration!!!:smile2:

Ladies,

I need to get my dates straight. Becky you are June 12th and Frangi you are June 13th right?

Becky, will your sister post your progress so I can fill Frangi in?

Ladies,

I need to get my dates straight. Becky you are June 12th and Frangi you are June 13th right?

Becky, will your sister post your progress so I can fill Frangi in?

Hi Jody,

Yes, you have the dates right. My surgery is scheduled for 7:30 A.M. on Friday the 13th :eek:. Good thing I'm not superstitious -- huh?

Since I'm having just about everything but the kitchen sink done, I assume I will be in surgery until at least 1:00 or so, and perhaps even a bit later than that.

I plan to call you that evening, but if you don't hear from me until the next day, don't be concerned. I will PM you with my hospital info, and if for some reason you don't hear from me, you can call the hospital directly.

I hope I will be well enough to call you on Friday evening, because I plan to be on an absolute mission to be up and about, and doing as much walking as I can ASAP!

They apparently plan to keep me in the hospital for three days because of the open GYN surgery, but I'm having a really hard time imagining myself lying around in bed for three days. As I said before, they'll probably catch me trying to sneak out of the hospital to go catch a sale at Stein Mart :sad:!

And Becky, that is a good question. Who is going to be updating us on your progress?

Edited May 27, 200818 yr by Frangipani

Wow...I kind of wish that I was staying in the hospital. Though I will probably be glad to be at home after it is all done. A six hour surgery as out patient makes me a little nervous. Though the doctor didn't seem like it was a big deal. She does almost ALL of her surgeries as out patient surgeries. I think my surgery will start at 6:30 am. DH works during that time and we can't afford to have him take it off so I think I will be driving myself to the hospital. Then he will be there when I get out of surgery. I still have a ways to go...we will figure it out later!

Jody, you are such a dear to be following us so closely. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness. My surgery is at 7:00 on the 12th. Last week when I was seeing my ps I also took a tour of the "guest suites" as they call them, where I will be for two nights. I confirmed that they do have wireless internet so I hope to be posting that evening or at least by the next day. I'm with Frangi on this; the sooner I can get up and move around the better. If I'm just not up to posting, I'll get my sister to report in.

Tomorrow is my upper GI, which I'm convinced is going to be completely normal. All of my symptoms have subsided and I've been feeling great again. I'll report on that tomorrow afternoon.

I really can't believe our surgeries are in just a couple of weeks. This month has flown by. Yes Frangi, it is a good thing you aren't superstitious. I hadn't even thought about you being scheduled on Friday the 13th. It just makes your story that much more interesting!

Frangi, have you told all of your friends and family about your upcoming surgery? I don't mind anyone knowing that I'm having PS, I just don't want to worry people needlessly. I haven't told my parents or my children. My sister thinks I should tell them. What do you all think?

LJM, thanks to you also for following along with us. If I end up having trouble with the hospital's internet, would it be ok if I call you and get you to post for me?

Jody, you are such a dear to be following us so closely. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness. My surgery is at 7:00 on the 12th. Last week when I was seeing my ps I also took a tour of the "guest suites" as they call them, where I will be for two nights. I confirmed that they do have wireless internet so I hope to be posting that evening or at least by the next day. I'm with Frangi on this; the sooner I can get up and move around the better. If I'm just not up to posting, I'll get my sister to report in.

Tomorrow is my upper GI, which I'm convinced is going to be completely normal. All of my symptoms have subsided and I've been feeling great again. I'll report on that tomorrow afternoon.

I really can't believe our surgeries are in just a couple of weeks. This month has flown by. Yes Frangi, it is a good thing you aren't superstitious. I hadn't even thought about you being scheduled on Friday the 13th. It just makes your story that much more interesting!

Frangi, have you told all of your friends and family about your upcoming surgery? I don't mind anyone knowing that I'm having PS, I just don't want to worry people needlessly. I haven't told my parents or my children. My sister thinks I should tell them. What do you all think?

LJM, thanks to you also for following along with us. If I end up having trouble with the hospital's internet, would it be ok if I call you and get you to post for me?

Personally...I would tell them. I think they would be hurt to know that you didn't share this with them. I would never dream of not telling my brother. He has to be prepared if anything does (God forbid) go wrong. He has no living parents, and I am his only sibling. Before I had my lap-band surgery he made me promise that I would make this work. He told me that I was not only having surgery that was going to be life threatening to me, but that I was taking his life with me as well. I think I have made him proud. He just told me the same thing yesterday. You had better make sure this surgery is worth it, cause you know it isn't just you! I do think we have to think about our families, and I would think that they would want you to tell them. If your child was having surgery wouldn't you want to know?

Just my opinion!

TxBecky,

i was going to volunteer, but i didnt want to sound all creepy ... :biggrin2:

you can give me a call and i'll post here...

C

Jody, you are such a dear to be following us so closely. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness. My surgery is at 7:00 on the 12th. Last week when I was seeing my ps I also took a tour of the "guest suites" as they call them, where I will be for two nights. I confirmed that they do have wireless internet so I hope to be posting that evening or at least by the next day. I'm with Frangi on this; the sooner I can get up and move around the better. If I'm just not up to posting, I'll get my sister to report in.

Tomorrow is my upper GI, which I'm convinced is going to be completely normal. All of my symptoms have subsided and I've been feeling great again. I'll report on that tomorrow afternoon.

I really can't believe our surgeries are in just a couple of weeks. This month has flown by. Yes Frangi, it is a good thing you aren't superstitious. I hadn't even thought about you being scheduled on Friday the 13th. It just makes your story that much more interesting!

Frangi, have you told all of your friends and family about your upcoming surgery? I don't mind anyone knowing that I'm having PS, I just don't want to worry people needlessly. I haven't told my parents or my children. My sister thinks I should tell them. What do you all think?

LJM, thanks to you also for following along with us. If I end up having trouble with the hospital's internet, would it be ok if I call you and get you to post for me?