I haven't posted in forever. :cursing:

I visited with Dr. Fred Duffy (referred to me by my band surgeon) on Thursday. Even though I thought that my breasts were large and heavy, Dr. Duffy put my DD's in perspective... In the world of big breasts, mine aren't that big.

Sooooo....

Insurance will not pay for my lift/reduction. That's okay though.

I have over the past 12 months scrimped, saved and liquidated some assets to set aside money for my body transformation. I am happy to say that my surgeries will come in $4,000 under budget! :thumbup: :thumbup:

So I have the estimate, I have the money and now I just need to schedule my surgery date. I am shooting for the second week of June.

I feel that this is the end of one phase of my life (the fat phase) and I am opening a new chapter. I can't wait to read my future...

The date is closing in...

I am scheduled to be at the surgery center at 8:45 a.m. on Friday. My procedure should start at 10:45 a.m. The time estimate is 3-5 hours.

I am terrified. This is a surprise. I can't believe how scared I am about this. I have to get a grip. I have even thought of backing out. :rolleyes2:

I am afraid of failure, pain, disfigurement, success, etc. I can't even pinpoint the root cause of my fear. I am over-analyzing this for sure.

I will try to post after I get home from the surgery but who knows...

Hi Steph,

Just wanted to check in, say Hi and let you know that I'm sending quick healing vibes your way!

Don't worry, you'll do just fine. Just last Friday (June 13) I underwent 8 hours of surgery. I had an "open" myomectomy in which the Dr. opened up my uterus and removed five fibroid tumors plus an ovarian cyst -- and at the same time I also had a full tummy tuck plus a breast lift with augmentation.

Just six days later I'm doing fine and feeling great. I was in intense pain for not more than an hour immediately after surgery, as it took just a little time for my pain medication to "get ahead" of the actual pain, but after that I rested quite comfortably with almost no pain. On Friday I was pretty zonked out, but as I said comfortable. Saturday I was able to get out of bed and into a chair and by Saturday night I was walking.

Good luck and try not to worry -- you will sail through this and will be SO happy that you did this!!!!

We will be eagerly awaiting your update -- talk to you soon :thumbup::smile::smile2:!!!!

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers everyone.

My sister lives in Las Vegas but she surprised me last night by walking into the bowling alley (I bowl league on Thursday nights).

She and my husband have been conspiring for several weeks.

I am so happy that she is here. I will try to post again soon. We are on our way to the surgery center.

One word.......OUCH!

I am done. I was in surgery for 6 hours and they removed 10 pounds of fat and skin.

I'm happy, I think.

Way too early to tell anything yet. I am going to lay down. I will post pictures later of everything that was removed. It's pretty incredible.

congrats! hang in there!!!

Congratulations... you made it through!!! Sending pain free and quick healing vibes your way. Remember to move and BREATHE!!!!!

Take care of yourself and enjoy the entire process.

I'm not ready for before and afters yet. Soon, I promise. It looks like they must have really hacked up my breasts but they made them beautiful and perky C cups. I don't have that much bruising either.

If you click on the picture it should open in a bigger window.

Edited June 24, 200818 yr by bosteph

Steph, so glad you're on the road to recovery. What a nice treat that your sister got to be there. I know that must have helped a lot. Keep taking good care of yourself and let us know how things are going. Becky

I'm squinting at these posts (because I forgot my reading glasses) and I must say that the three-picture shot of the skin and fat removal caught me by surprise. Through my squinty haze, it looked like some sort of crazy cooking class demo.

Glad you are safely out of surgery and in good spirits. I bet you'll look great!

Wow! Love the skin pictures! That's a lot of skin! Can't wait to seethe actual results! Hope your recovery is smooth and you're feeling better soon!

Hi Steph,

So glad to hear that all went so well with the surgery and you are on the road to recovery. Sounds like everything is turning out beautifully -- SO worth it, right?

I hope you are resting comfortably -- big hugs to you!!!

I went to the doctor today. Good news - he is very pleased with my progress. I am walking upright and off the pain meds. Bad news - no drains were removed today. I am going back on Friday and he believes that 2 or 3 of the 4 will come out then. I got my work releases and stopped by my office.

I am working from home for the rest of the week. I will be returning to the office on Monday. I am relieved that my initial plan is working out.

My sister is returning to Las Vegas in the morning and that makes me sad. She just bought a new house and has to get back though.

A few points to consider...

If you can't get the "extra high" toilet seat, the blow up ring in the pharmacy (for other "butt ailments" :sad_smile:) works great.

I did high Protein liquids for two days before my surgery to limit the bowel issues. I believe this has helped tremendously. I did have a BM today and it went very smoothly. :w00t:

I cannot stress enough that you need the softest sheets that you can find. Don't spend big money on sets if you don't need them but single sheets (get at least 2 so that you can always have a clean one) are a MUST!

You are going to be sweaty, sticky, itchy and grimy. Sponge baths, followed by baby powder on your backside (no incisions should be powdered) are the BEST!

A quality caregiver is a primary concern. Even though your husband loves you very much, he may not be the best qualified candidate. :tt1: (My DH helped my sister sneak in from Vegas as a surprise - god bless him and her!)

My pain meds were two pills every 4 hours. I took one pill (broken in half for easier swallowing) every 2 hours. I think that it helped with the pain roller coaster.

Stock up on liquids to get you through the first week. I cannot imagine getting something stuck on top of the surgery pain - YIKES!!! :thumbup: Back to the post lap band comfort stuff - popsicles, Jello, pudding, Soup, etc.

Looking back at my instructions that were given to me before the surgery, I have to laugh. The pamphlet actually says that "sexual activity is discouraged until at least your first post op appointment." Dear god, if anyone feels up to sex right after this surgery I bow down to their physical superiority. :laugh:

Thanks for everyone's happy, happy, healing thoughts. I promise that I will post before and afters soon. Right now I look like the Michelin man. :tongue:

Thanks for posting your experiences and I'm glad you are recovering!

Thanks for sharing your journey with us. I am 29 pounds from beginning this part of my journey. I plan to have the same procedures that you had plus surgery on my arms as well (if I can find a doc to do all). Reading your story has really helped me know better what to expect!! HOpe you continue to heal well and quickly!! Thanks for being an open book.

I don't know that I could have handled one more procedure. I really needed my arms since that was pretty much the only thing that didn't hurt.

TxBecky told me that the thighs hurt the worst and boy was she right. Those things are still hurting and I can't imagine when they will stop. Every time I stand, sit or move - a sharp twinge takes my breath away.

All in all, I am very happy that I had the guts to get through this. Truly the first 48 hours are the worst. After that, it's not that bad...

Wow Steph! Your recovery is going remarkably well. I can't believe you are going to work on Monday. You sound like Frangi. Possibly you both may be from another planet!

It is wonderful that things are working out as you'd planned. Continue to rest as much as you can and enjoy the little bit more time you have around the house.

You made some excellent points for those who go next. I'd also add that I found a shower bench to be a great extra to have post-op. I already had a nice little teak number, but I think you can rent a plastic model for a few dollars.

Amen on the sexual activity. Seems like they wouldn't need to even put that in the pamphlet, but there probably is somebody out there (who is on drugs for sure) and would think it sounded like a good idea. Ouch, especially if you've had your thighs done!

Continued good healing, Becky