Hi everybody. I wanted to start this thread to document the plastic surgery journey that we are about to start on. Frangipani & I both were banded last August and have each lost over 100 pounds. Since we have been traveling the lapband road together and now are about to have PS at the same time (me on June 12 & Frangi on June 13) we thought it would be appropriate to share a thread.

We have both learned so much from those who have gone before us and our hope is that our stories can be of some value to others.

I am having a lower body lift and medial thigh lift. All of my pre-op testing is done and now I'm just nervously waiting for my big day, which is less than two weeks away! I will post clothed before and after pictures for sure and I'll have to think about more revealing pictures later.

Fragni, Hope things are going better for you and that your healing up nicely. I hope to have even part of your strength with me tomorrow and in the days to come. You have been an insperation to alot of us on LBT.

See you in the flatlands....

Hi Ladies,

Sorry I've been offline for about a week now. In addition to dealing with this wound, I've been very obsessed with the election and all the crazy things going on with the economy. WOW!!! It's been a very crazy few weeks -- huh?????

I must say that it's been very interesting being in one of the big battleground states during this time. It seems like just about every day at least someone is campaigning here. Yesterday we had Obama in Miami and Hillary in Fort Lauderdale

Anyhow, getting caught up on my postings..............

Happy Belated Birthday Frangni, I totally missed it sorry.

Glad to hear the wound vac is doing it's job. How is everything else going?

So does J-Lo have to look out for her new competition? :-)

Shalee, than you so much for the birthday wishes!!!!

Things are going well. The wound is improving, but not completely healed yet. However, I have definitely turned the corner with all of this and my energy is back 100% -- which is a great relief.

Frangi - good to hear from you. Wishing you a quick recovery and a speedy trip home... .and that your house isn't a wreck!

Thanks Karen :thumbup::smile:

I have been lurking here forever, but haven't posted before now.

You have been pretty quiet Frangi - how are you doing? I had a wound vac and know they are annoying - but they are amazing when you look at the results for chronic wounds that won't heal. How long are you going to need it? How is the swelling? Do you still have excess fluid in the surgical area? How are you actually feeling these days? Is your energy back - most important can you shop til you drop? Curious and caring minds want to know

Becky - I was so sorry to hear about your loss. Please take care of yourself and let us know how you are doing when you are able.

Jacquie

Hi Jacquie,

Thanks for the nice message! My energy is back 100% now -- thank goodness. That was the worst part of this whole thing really.

I do still have drainage, but it is much improved over what it was a few weeks ago. My Wound Vac will come off tomorrow. The wound is not completely healed yet, but it's time for me to go home. Tomorrow will be four weeks in Miami and I can't stay here forever after all!

Did you keep your Wound Vac on until your wound was healed -- or did you have it removed beforehand?

I am so glad you posted -- it's really helpful for me to have someone to compare notes with. Thank you so much for that!

Fragni, Hope things are going better for you and that your healing up nicely. I hope to have even part of your strength with me tomorrow and in the days to come. You have been an insperation to alot of us on LBT.

See you in the flatlands....

Shalee thank you for that lovely message. You really made my whole week with that one :cool2::smile::tt2:!

Trust me, you'll do wonderfully. I'll be back online regularly now and will be following your progress closely!

Once again -- sending good luck and big, healing hugs your way!

Frangi, So glad you are doing better. Sounds like you are beginning to feel like your old (or new) self.

Frangi

Great to hear from you again!! I am so glad you are back to your energetic self. I hope you have an uneventful trip home - as I am thinking it is not always that way from what I have read here :sad_smile:

I was really lucky in that they used the wound vac more as a precaution for me (I also had 45 staples), so I had it for the 10 days I was in hospital, but didn't take it home. The bad things were that because it was a precaution, they actually packed the ENTIRE incision with the foam(from hip to hip). Let me tell you they gave me drugs before they changed it the first time since it was taped directly over my genitals. Not a very pleasant way to get "waxed" :rolleyes2:. The other bad thing was that I had the huge 20 lb hospital vac, so initially I couldn't even get out of bed without a nurse because I couldn't lift the machine. After a couple of days, I figured out how to "tie" the vac machine to my IV pole (where it stayed), so that I could get some independance. Once I figured that out, it was no problem.

I am assuming you aren't taking the vac with you? Is the wound totally closed? How is the swelling?

Jacquie

Fragni, how does the wound vac work and what did the part of your insision look like that they are using it on????

I have one spot thats pretty icky and Dr is watching is closely. I am worried about it, but he and my hubby tell me not to worry, but I do anyways. I thought about asking him about a wound vac when I see him today, but was wondering how it works, and what the part its be4ing used on looks like,

Ok back to bed for me,

Hope all is well with you and your new smoking body, I now really think of you and Karey as superwomen!!! I don't think I could go through this again.

Frangi, So glad you are doing better. Sounds like you are beginning to feel like your old (or new) self.

Hi Renewed Hope,

Thanks honey! How are you feeling? :w00t::smile::w00t:

Frangi

Great to hear from you again!! I am so glad you are back to your energetic self. I hope you have an uneventful trip home - as I am thinking it is not always that way from what I have read here :biggrin:

I was really lucky in that they used the wound vac more as a precaution for me (I also had 45 staples), so I had it for the 10 days I was in hospital, but didn't take it home. The bad things were that because it was a precaution, they actually packed the ENTIRE incision with the foam(from hip to hip). Let me tell you they gave me drugs before they changed it the first time since it was taped directly over my genitals. Not a very pleasant way to get "waxed" . The other bad thing was that I had the huge 20 lb hospital vac, so initially I couldn't even get out of bed without a nurse because I couldn't lift the machine. After a couple of days, I figured out how to "tie" the vac machine to my IV pole (where it stayed), so that I could get some independance. Once I figured that out, it was no problem.

I am assuming you aren't taking the vac with you? Is the wound totally closed? How is the swelling?

Jacquie

Hi Jacquie,

Thanks for the additional feedback and info. :tt2:

No, I won't be taking the Wound Vac home with me because there is no service for it in the VI. My wound isn't totally closed, but it's coming along nicely, so I'm okay with going "vacless" at this point.

For whatever reason, I have never had much of a problem with swelling, so that part is fine. How about you?

Fragni, how does the wound vac work and what did the part of your insision look like that they are using it on????

I have one spot thats pretty icky and Dr is watching is closely. I am worried about it, but he and my hubby tell me not to worry, but I do anyways. I thought about asking him about a wound vac when I see him today, but was wondering how it works, and what the part its be4ing used on looks like,

Ok back to bed for me,

Hope all is well with you and your new smoking body, I now really think of you and Karey as superwomen!!! I don't think I could go through this again.

Hi Shalee,

So nice to hear from you and glad to see you posting again. Thank you for the nice comments -- you're such a sweetie! :smile::smile::smile:

The Wound Vac is a machine about the size of hardcover book that attaches via a hose to the wound which packed with a sponge material that's covered with a sticky, plastic wrap material. You carry the Wound Vac around with you like a purse as it continuously suctions and drains the wound which speeds up the healing process. My wound was fairly large and deep, as by the time I made it back to Miami the breakdown was fairly significant.

I had an area of breakdown during my TT surgery (Round 1) which I didn't go into a great deal of detail about because it healed quickly and fine -- so don't worry, I suspect things will be fine for you too. According to my Dr., this problem that I am having now is fairly out of the ordinary.

Keep resting and getting better and take it easy -- you'll be healed and smoking hot in no time at all! :smile::smile::smile:

Good to hear from you again Frangi!!! I am so glad that the wound is coming along. It is weird how something that small can be such a big deal! How is the "booty" looking these days? Are you happy with the result so far?

When are you heading home?

I don't have lots of swelling on the right side, but my left is still pretty swollen (where they put the drains back in and finally took out last week). I measured my "scar line" right after the surgey and it was 28 inches - today it is down to 22 inches, so I guess I can say that the swelling has decreased significantly.

I don't even want to talk about my genital area. I have this swelling that looks as big as a large grapefruit, right from the scar line down. I didn't have a mons lift, so I know some of it is from having "overweight" genitals, but it keeps getting bigger (kind of makes me crazy actually). I had the drain there removed last week and am seeing ps again on Oct. 31 - so I will see what he has to say. I am hoping he can do something!!!

Take it easy and let us know how you are doing!!!!

Jacquie

Hi Shalee,

So nice to hear from you and glad to see you posting again. Thank you for the nice comments -- you're such a sweetie! :cool::smile:

The Wound Vac is a machine about the size of hardcover book that attaches via a hose to the wound which packed with a sponge material that's covered with a sticky, plastic wrap material. You carry the Wound Vac around with you like a purse as it continuously suctions and drains the wound which speeds up the healing process. My wound was fairly large and deep, as by the time I made it back to Miami the breakdown was fairly significant.

I had an area of breakdown during my TT surgery (Round 1) which I didn't go into a great deal of detail about because it healed quickly and fine -- so don't worry, I suspect things will be fine for you too. According to my Dr., this problem that I am having now is fairly out of the ordinary.

Keep resting and getting better and take it easy -- you'll be healed and smoking hot in no time at all! :cool2::smile::w00t:

How are you doing Fragni???

I asked my Ps about the wound vac, he said I didn't need it, But each time I see him my wound is bigger. Right now the one on my right side is a hole about the size of a quarter, maybe a little larger. The wound on the middle of my tummy between my BB and pubic line is abut the size of a credit card, a little smaller. We are hoping that it doesn't open up, but it is showing small tears along some of the edges and I worry about it. He has us putting on Wet to Dry dressing 2 times a day, I dont see how that will help this hole close up, but he say's it will. Other then these 2 issues everythng else is good, breasts look great, my tummy is flat. I am trying to keep a positive attitude, but some days it's hard, I have a swiss cheese belly my hubby says... GEE thanks DH. hehehe

Hope all is well with you, let us know.

sending good healing thoughts your way...

How are you doing Fragni???

I asked my Ps about the wound vac, he said I didn't need it, But each time I see him my wound is bigger. Right now the one on my right side is a hole about the size of a quarter, maybe a little larger. The wound on the middle of my tummy between my BB and pubic line is abut the size of a credit card, a little smaller. We are hoping that it doesn't open up, but it is showing small tears along some of the edges and I worry about it. He has us putting on Wet to Dry dressing 2 times a day, I dont see how that will help this hole close up, but he say's it will. Other then these 2 issues everythng else is good, breasts look great, my tummy is flat. I am trying to keep a positive attitude, but some days it's hard, I have a swiss cheese belly my hubby says... GEE thanks DH. hehehe

Hope all is well with you, let us know.

sending good healing thoughts your way...

Hi Shalee,

Good to hear from you!

I just returned from Miami a short time ago. I stayed there longer than I needed to, but I got all caught up in the election and I was enjoying myself as well!!!! So it was all good.

Sorry to hear about your wound problems. My wound also got a lot worse before it got better, but trust me, it will get better. Just keep doing what your Dr. tells you to do and it will be fine.......

The Wound Vac is a remarkable device, but unless health insurance is covering it (which mine remarkably did, even though it didn't cover my PS -- go figure......), I think it would be cost-prohibitive to have one. I believe the cost is something like $100 per day, plus supplies which are also quite expensive.

Nutrition is important at this time. Eat well and take lots of vitamins. Every day now, I take a multi vitamin in addition to Zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin B complex, and a mega dose of Vitamin C. All of these things will help the healing process.

More later....... This is actually my second reply. The first one was longer and I accidentally erased it :smile2::mad::thumbup:! So I am running a bit short of time now, but will log on later.

Big hugs to you!!!!! And again, it will all be just fine sweetie. If you had seen my wound breakdown you would have freaked out, but it's nearly all healed now and I feel great!

Frangi, So glad you are almost completely healed. What a long recovery this has been for you. Enjoy feling great!! You earned it!!

Frangi: As your wound has healed, how does the scar look? Are you going to need scar revision? Are you happy with how your bottom looks now? I still feel like my bottom is a little too big and one side is still a little bigger than the other. My ps says that can easily be fixed with a little lipo in the office. Oh boy, more lipo! Not inclined to do anything about it right now. My enthusiam for ps and pain have decreased! LOL! Glad you're doing better. I've been wondering about you. Take care!

I too am curious as to how the scar looks from the wound breakdown?? I look at my hole and think it's never going to heal and fill in.

Edited November 18, 200817 yr by Shalee04
edit

Hi Frangi

Just wanted to wave hello and let you know I've been thinking about you. I hope you are catching up on all things at home and that you are completely healed.

Take care of yourself and Happy Thanksgiving!

Frangipani???? where oh where art thou???

Hi All,

I know it has been forever since you have heard from me. I didn't realize how much time had passed!

Shalee, thanks for remembering me and sending me that PM and raising me from the dead !

Well, since I last logged on in November of 2008, a lot has happened. First of all, I fell into a bit of a funk when the wound fell apart. The scar was extremely ugly and I had absolutely no idea how long it would take before the revision, but the Dr. estimated that it would be about six months after closure, which would have put me into May of this year. The whole idea of waiting that long was frankly, depressing, and I guess I just sort of drifted away from here. I'm very sorry about that, as you have all been such wonderful, supportive friends.

The good news is that I didn't need to wait nearly that long. Dr. M felt my pain and came to the rescue when I made a follow-up visit to Miami in December. He told me that theoretically he should wait the six months, but that since everything had closed up, he thought I could have the revision done in January -- which I did have on January 29.

The revision surgery (3 hours) was done in the hospital, but I'm happy to say that all went well. I was required to stay overnight, but I felt just fine and within minutes arriving in my hospital room, I had my lipstick, mascara, and nice robe on, and that ugly, old hospital gown off!

This time I stayed in my hotel as much as possible for about one good week after surgery. I did develop a bit of a drinking problem during my recovery, since the only fun thing to do was to sit around the hotel and drink, but I'm happy to say that I am clean and sober once again! (Though I am enjoying a small Baileys cocktail as I write this)

My results turned out to be even better than after the first surgery and I am very, very happy. In fact looking back, I actually consider myself lucky to be able to have a second shot at this.

I did have a little "flap necrosis" on the right side, but the Dr. thinks we can even that out with some fat injections. At any rate, I'm not too concerned about it. It's really not that noticeable unless you happen to be staring at my naked backside -- which people are not really lined up around the corner to see yet, but I hope they will be soon :tongue2:

Here's my problem now:

Now that everything is fixed up, my inner thighs look horrendous. I kid you not! So, I will need to do one more surgery -- medial thighs, which I plan to do very soon -- within one month.

As you know, I have pretty much faced my surgeries head on and without much fear, but the medial thigh surgery is scaring the S#%T out of me. Not so much the surgery, but I am fearing the results and the scars. The Dr. plans to do the groin incision, but I have concerns -- a lot of them....

If there anybody out there who has had the medial thigh surgery and would like to give me some feedback, that would be wonderful! Primarily I am interested in knowing the following:

1) Are you happy with the results?

2) Would you do it again?

3) Do you feel that the scar from this procedure is (was) an acceptable trade-off for the improvement you gained?

My concerns about this surgery are keeping me awake at night, so I would be most thankful for any feedback.

Well, this has turned into a novel and you are probably all nodding off now, so I will stop. It will take me a little while, but I will catch up with everyone's threads. I am sure you are all looking hotter than hot.

I will be back..........

So good to be back on the board with all of you wonderful ladies (and guys) talk to you soon!