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!

hi lellow,

i read on another thread where you say how great you are doing....very happy for you. this is very encouraging.

your exercise ability at this stage makes me very happy.

i had my pre-op yesterday and they stressed the need to get up and moving to aid in recovery. i'm so afraid of blood clots that i think i will do this. either that or my sister in law (nurse ratchett) will get me going

i'm happy you feel so well.

thanks for the info

Josiebies,

exercising feels good, surprisingly. It 'loosens' the tightness in my incisions and gets the blood flowing in those areas. A lot of the areas that were numb are getting some feeling back now and I'd like to think that it has to do with the increased blood flow.

I do think being up and moving helped a lot. But don't forget to rest too!

Josiebies,

exercising feels good, surprisingly. It 'loosens' the tightness in my incisions and gets the blood flowing in those areas. A lot of the areas that were numb are getting some feeling back now and I'd like to think that it has to do with the increased blood flow.

I do think being up and moving helped a lot. But don't forget to rest too!

Lellow... you and juli have me in aww.. you are both back at the gym so early and doing wonderfully!!!!

whats the secret?!?!?!

im a little over 7 wks out and seem like a wuss in the excercise department.. lol:lol:

Jeni-

You just need to "GIRL UP" and do it.

Come on!!! Go and do it.

Lol I only just read your post Jeni. For some reason it didn't come up in my subscribed replies.

I just kept pushing myself, I suppose, and I found the more I exercised, the more supple my incisions got! So yeah, I guess I 'girled up' as Juli so aptly put it!!

I called my Dr today because I'm a little bit unhappy that my mons area isn't flat enough. It spoils the silhouette imo and I want to speak to him about the amount of lipo he did. I don't think he did enough, but want to hear what he has to say about it.

I se him next Wed, so we'll see how it goes.

Otherwise, I'm pretty good. Went back to work and by the end of the day am pretty swollen. But I'm glad to be 'back to normal' and the reaction I've gotten from my workmates about my new body has been awesome!

This will be my last post in this thread! Yay!

I've had another fill - 0.4cc. He put in 0.3 ccs but when I drank some water, it was going through too easily so I asked for a little more. I now have excellent restriction. Not as much as pre-Body Lift (when I was pretty damned tight) but enough that I'm not eating more than a cup or so of food per sitting.

I also saw my PS on Wed and we spoke a little about my mons area. He thinks it's still swollen and will subside more, but suggested that in 6 months I may want to come back in for some lipo in that area, and around my tummy area to get a more 'defined' waist.

I left his office and went home, and made the decision that no, my mons area just isn't so much of a problem that I want more lipo, esp if there still is some swelling and it's likely going to subside some more. And I really don't think I need a more defined waist - I'm now an Australian size 8 (A size 4 US sizing, according to my new Sass and Bide jeans ) - so you know what? I'm happy with myself!

My incisions are fading nicely. I don't have any area that's even puckered a little, so everything's nice and flat. I'm exercising normally (though I've dropped a few sessions because I'm still losing about a lb a week, and I don't want to lose anymore) and even the swelling at the end of each day isn't so bad anymore.

So that's it from me, I think. My PS was a success beyond all my hopes and I feel great. My lapband is working for me, and I don't need to see my bariatric surgeon again until I feel I need to, and so it's now about going out and living life. And that's pretty much what I intend to do now.

Thank you everyone who's supported me and encouraged me here. I have appreciated every post and every kind word!

Edited May 15, 200917 yr by lellow

Wow, congratulations Lellow!! It's so good to hear the success stories and to know that there comes a point when the "journey" has ended and you have happily arrived in Slimsville with good health I hope I can join you in that fine destination soon!

I'm very happy for you!

Sounds like you have a great attitude. Thanks for sharing your journery. Wising you the best now and always!

hi lellow

congratulations and thank you for all the help you gave me.

you are definitely a success story both as a patient and more importantly as a person

thanks again'

josie

Hi eveyone,

I've had a couple of people ask me to post new pics of my body lift, and I finally took some.

I am 4 and a 1/2 months post op now and most days forget that I've had the surgery. My weight has stabilised quite nicely (I am finding it relatively easy not to lose or gain) and I do believe that I have nearly no swelling left as a result of my PS.

So if you'd like, please feel free to check out the new pics in my albums! I am pretty sure that my 'bare torso' body lift ones are restricted to friends only, but my other progress pics are open to all.

Thanks for posting those, Lellow I'm still heading in for the same on December 7th and getting nervous now. It helped seeing the wonderful effect it can have!

Thought I'd resurrect this thread as two things have/are happening this month which will 'complete' my body metamorphesis.

Firstly, I got a tattoo around my my body lift scars. It covers most of my stomache and goes around the back. It took 10 hours and I still have a couple of hours of touch up to do in a few weeks to completely finish it. The tattoo has meant that I will now wear bikini with pride, coz let's face it, with a tattoo like that, who's going to be looking at the scars? lol. Pics are in my private album (for friends)

And then on the 28th of Oct, I'm getting breast augmentation. I didn't do it at the time I had my body lift despite my surgeon strongly suggesting it. My husband at the time wasn't keen for me to do it so I respected his wishes. But I've been single now for 6 months and I realised that I really do want to 'fix' my breasts up, so organised a consult and booked my surgery!

I'm having anatomical (tear-dropped) shaped implants placed, and at 390cc, it'll take me to a full C, small D cup, which for my frame (I'm a size 6 Australian, which is a size 2 I think US sizing) means I will look proportionate. Or a little bit bust anyway lol!

I'm going away on holidays on Friday for two weeks, and get back 5 days before my surgery, so the time should go very fast!

I really do feel like this will be the final stage of my 'journey' from lapband to the person I always knew I could look like in my mind's eye. I've had great support previously in this forum, so wanted to let you know about this final phase!

Lellow I am so insanely happy for you!!!! You will love love love your new chest and the tattoo was a superb idea. Enjoy your vacation!!!!

Mimi

Thanks Mimi! For being happy for me and for your picture comments re my tattoo photos! I'm super excited about the BA! Had my pre-op consult yesterday and now I just can't wait! the 28th seems so far away!

I tried on the different sizes again and I still think a 390cc anatomical implant will make me look rather busty, but my Dr reckons better go a little big than a little small. :thumbdown: The one down is 345cc and that would make a a C cup and I don't think that's quite enough lol!

My only regret is that I won't have a rockin' rack for my vacation but that's okay, I'll have a rockin' rack for our Australian summer! I wish I hadn't waited so long to make up my mind to do this, I might have already done it by now if I had moved a little faster!

Edited October 6, 201015 yr by lellow