I had my first consult with my plastic surgeon today and am now booked in for a Torso Lift on the 2nd of April.

I will need to get completely unfilled one week prior to the surgery, and while I'm recovering in hospital, my bariatric surgeon will visit and refill me. I can commence walking as soon as I'm home from my week-long stay in hospital, and work up to my regular exercise regime over the following 4-6 weeks.

I'm being ring-barked, plus having skin removed from my upper tummy, my stomache muscles knitted together and lipo on my mons area to remove any fatty deposits that have remained there.

My surgeon says he usually asks weight loss patients to wait until their weight stabilises, but in my case, my loose skin, he believes, has more to do with my previous pregnancies, which has been exacerbated by the weight loss, so he's happy to do it now.

So the countdown begins!

Thanks everyone for posting your good wishes!

It's 7.30am here in Western Australia and I'm about 6 hours away from surgery now. I've just had Breakfast (my last meal before surgery) and am about to take my reflux pill.

I've got 3 hours before I have to be at the hospital. Have finished my huge list of things to do late last night, so basically, except for needing to have a shower and get dressed, I've got plenty of time to sit here and obsess about the upcoming surgery.

Actually I'm surprising calm about it. I looked at my belly this morning and said a fond goodbye!

I won't be able to post about how I fared until either my DH brings my laptop in to the hospital on Saturday, or until I get home 7 days from now. But as soon as possible after that, I will try to get on and let you all know how it all went.

Thanks for all your support ladies! You've made this so much easier for me to deal with. Not sure what I would have done without your wonderful encouragement and advice!

Juli, good luck for the 6th!

You're going to love the flatlands!

Hi all!

I'm typing this at 8.30pm while sitting up on my hospital bed. I'm about 4 days post-op.

The surgery went very well! I haven't had the dressings changed as yet as they've remained dry and clean, so haven't had a look at what my scars look like. But from what I CAN see, it's beautifully neat and I can't see one stretchmark in sight!

I'm a little boxy from the swelling but even so I can tell that my tummy is flat. And even with the swell, I already have a decent waist, and my butt is not the least bit sagging. It's tight and all I feel when I touch it is muscle and bone. NO fat!

My PS removed 3.5kgs of tissue, and since my op has insisted that I eat well at every meal 'to aid my recovery'. So I have, and haven't felt guilty about it. But tomorrow, my lapband surgeon comes round to refill my band up to 80% of what he removed 2 weeks ago, and as of that point, I'm back on the wagon.

I had 4 drains put in at surgery, and two were removed the day after surgery. Another was removed yesterday and now I have one that's unfortunately still draining a bit, so it's staying for the time being. I was on a pain pump for two days but it made me nauseous and so yesterday morning, my PS agreed to take my IV out and now I'm only oral pain meds only.

So all in all, I'm feeling great! The pain wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'm now in a compression suit and can even get myself on and off my bed, and around my room on my own. Still hunched over, which is a killer on my back, but having an adjustable hospital bed helps heaps!

I'm staying in hospital until at least Wed and then will hopefully get to go home to recuperate.

So just wanted to let everyone know I'm alive and well, and so happy I did this! I'm just going to concentrate on recovering now. I promise I will post pics once I'm home, upright and my dressings are off!

Congrats Lellow! So glad to hear you're doing well. Heal up and take it easy.!

Sam

hi lellow,

so glad you are doing well. i am following yours and and oh julie's surgeries closely as i have tummy tuck and boob lift scheduled for may 11th.

i'm a baby and really scared about after the operation. you give me hope that it may not be so bad.

thanks and keep us posted

Thanks oneflew! I'm taking this time at the hospital to really take it easy and rest. I know I won't have the kind of attention that I do here with the nurses when I get home, so am trying to enjoy it while I'm stuck here anyway!

josiebies, congrats on your upcoming surgery! I'm glad I made you feel a bit better about the pain. Honestly, I thought it would be excrucriating, and it was not a lot worse than the lapband surgery, if you ask me. Sure, you don't heal as fast as with lapband surgery, but the pain is definitely manageable.

And imo, the pain is worth the results. I still can't believe my 'overhang' is gone and that my tummy is flat! I keep smoothing my hands over my belly just to remind myself it's true!

Lellow, thank you for the upbeat and informative post and congrats on arriving at the "flatlands"!!

Mimi

Lellow: Congratulations! I hope you know how lucky you are to have your surgery in Australia and get to stay in the hospital for 4 days! Here for some it's a say day out procedure. I was lucky, I got to stay overnight and was kicked out at 6:00 am for the next victim! You're going to love your new body!

Mimi, thanks for popping in and checking up on me!

Kareyquilts,

OMG really? Day surgery for a body lift? I didn't even get OUT of bed for 36 hours!! I can't imagine having to pack up and go home!

Yes, Australians are lucky then! I'm staying in hospital at least until Wed, which will make 7 days here. 7 days of seeing my PS every morning, having nurses constantly on call, and having all my meals cooked for me.

Okay I will NEVER again complain about being stuck in hospital!! AND I have complete respect for (and am in complete awe of) all of you who have gone home straight after surgery!

Edited April 6, 200917 yr by lellow

I am having my surgery on April 30th. I am having a 360 degree tummy tuck, fleur de lis, liposuction, hernia repair, muscle repair, and port revision. Surgery will be around 6 hours and my PS is sending me home the same day. I'll have a 45 minute drive home and then another 45 minute drive back the following afternoon to check the incisions. I'm a little worried about going home so soon, but he says most people do really well and are able to go home the same day. I hope this is the case.

Congrats on your surgery. It sounds like you are doing really well. I will be anxious to see your pictures when you are able to post them. Take care and get lots of rest.

Cathy

Wow, Cathy, you're a superhero! I got out of surgery at 8.15pm and didn't even come to until about 4am the next morning.

Though I imagine there is some theraputic value to being in your own bed. I miss mine!

Just saw my PS and my drain has to stay.

He'll reassess tomorrow, but did say that I'll likely be able to go home tomorrow after he sees me, so I'll be able to spend the easter weekend with my family.

Now just waiting for my lapband dr to come see me to refill my band. I miss never being hungry!

Wow, Cathy, you're a superhero! I got out of surgery at 8.15pm and didn't even come to until about 4am the next morning.

Though I imagine there is some theraputic value to being in your own bed. I miss mine!

Just saw my PS and my drain has to stay.

He'll reassess tomorrow, but did say that I'll likely be able to go home tomorrow after he sees me, so I'll be able to spend the easter weekend with my family. :beer_yum:

Now just waiting for my lapband dr to come see me to refill my band. I miss never being hungry!

So glad to hear you are doing so well... !!!

dont feel bad about the drain i had all four of them in for 10days.. so not too bad....

somehow the results make us feel so much better!!!

Thanks for popping in to check up on me Jeni! How have you been?

As for me, I was discharged from hospital yesterday and am finally home 7 days post op. My Dr changed my dressings yesterday and I got to see myself for the first time, and I can't believe how flat my tummy is!!

He did such a neat job, and I'm incredibly happy with his work! I had a huge lot of tattoos on my tummy and back, and while most are now gone, there is the remnants of two half butterflies coming out of my new belly button, and two bits of vine coming out of my back incision. But all in all, they don't look so bad that I'd be rushing out to get them removed!

Could have been worse. My PS reckoned that initially he thought the mangled butterflies would be coming out of the incision above my mons. That would have looked really wierd! Lol!

I also got refilled yesterday finally and my lapband dr weighed me while he was at it. I'm 67.3kgs now (down from 70kgs on the day of the op) and I still have a bit of swelling going on, so I'm ecstatic!

I'll take pics soon, I promise!

Edited April 9, 200917 yr by lellow

Lellow, glad you sound so upbeat and hearty and are happy with the results. I can't wait to see pictures!!!

May continued success come your way!

Mimi

Thank you Mimi!