Well I did it. After much searching and studing, I took a deep breath and made the call. I have an appointment for a consultation for a tummy tuck on Feb 9th. I am excited and nervous both at the same time. I am working on my insurance to help pay for a portion at least, we shall see. When I spoke with the PS office they infomed me that they deal with weight loss patients alot, and have worked to get insurance to at least pay some of the cost.

I have been reading the post on all of you who have been where I am at now. THANKS for the info. I will be counting on your further help and wisdom to get me through this process.

Laura

Since my TT I have been trying to keep my protein up to 100 grams per day. I don't know if it has helped or not, but this morning I was down another pound. I am not that worried about loosing weight during this time, just not gaining. Plus I have read that protein helps with healing. I would love to be at my goal by my Birthday in August. Six pounds, we shall see, hard to do when you cannot exercise.

Going to have a big day today. I am going to the grocery store. Weeee. Just need a few things. One of them being I NEED TO GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE! Going to get some fresh fruit. Dont need any veggies, my garden is coming in now, and we have tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, etc, coming out our ears. My poor DH is not a gardener, but he has been having to pick it each day. He has been a real trooper. One of my Best Girl Friends is coming over tonight to watch chick flicks. So today is going to be a good day. Can you all think of some low salt, movie watching, munchies that I can make for us tonight? I guess if nothing else it will be fruit and vegies. Or no salt pop corn.

Take care all,

Laura

Laura I love the go lean crunch cereal its sweetened with honey and has fiber and protein in it. I like to add mixed nuts to that but I do salted. Not all that low in calories tho. I eat a lot of grapes too the seem to remind me of my munching days. Pretzels arent too bad if you can find unsalted. Another thing I have been eating is sugar free finger jello.

I woke up this morning with my back killing me. I will be so glad when I can sleep on my side. The drains are coming out of my hips so it makes it hard to lay on my side. It really sucks to wake up in pain, puts a damper on the day. I think I am having the hormone flux, I am very emotional, and well, my DH he can't do anything right. Luckly he is gone for the morning, gives me a chance to get my head around this. I am such a baby.......

Laura

Laura:

Chin up and positive thoughts! I hope your back stops hurting you soon. I'm a side sleeper too. Have you tried sleeping on your side with pillows wedged up on both sides of you? That was helpful for me.

Please be patient with your DH because at least he's trying to be helpful. I had to do most everything on my own after the first two days and it's hard.

Hot showers might help with your back aches.

Hope you feel better soon. It might just be damn boredom and not hormones that are making you be emotional.

Take care, and think about the positive side of all of this - a flat tummy and feeling better about yourself!

Sue

Laura, I feel bad for you feeling bad!!! I think you are having a little post op depression, maybe from the anesthesia and "let down" from being so pumped up pre-op? I hope you feel better real soon.

Mimi

Hey All,

I am doing so much better today. Sue, I would take a show if I could, boy would I love to take a shower. Still have my drains, and PS said no shower until they come out. I am hoping it will be tomorrow. They have slowed down the last few days. PS told me to call when they were below 30cc for a 24 hour period. They were below that Friday and Sat. and looking good today. So I will be on the phone with them in the morning and hope they can get me in to get ride of these things. I cannot wait to take a real shower. I have been able to wash my hair in the sink with DHs help, and even sat on the edge of the tub and shaved my legs yesterday. That helped me feel better, but a real shower.....now that is what dreams are made of, LOL.

Mimi, you may be right. I thing maybe I was coming down from being so pumped up before surgery. I slep good last night. Took pain meds before going to bed, woke up at around 4 am to go potty and took more. I woke up around 8 am well rested and ready to go. No back ache. I think my problem is that I am a side sleeper and still have my drains, in my hips, so that makes it had to try to sleep on my side.

Take care all,

Laura

Yesterday was a great day. I got my drains removed and the stitches taken out of my BB. I feel liberated. PS said that most people feel like that, and then they turn around and over do it and undo all of the great healing that has happened. SO, it is his policy to be on bed rest for 48 hours after having your drains pulled. He says that when the drains are pulled out, the healing that has happened around where the drains are has been removed. And that has to reattach. I trust him and and he is a wonderful PS....so I am doing my very best to stay down for 2 days. It is hard. But after I got home I did notice a burning sensation in my tummy, he said I would feel that, that is where the drain tubes were. So I iced down and stayed off my feet. I have a few movies to watch today and going to be a very good patient. Just so happy with the results so far, and do not want to do anything to mess that up.

So far my swelling has not been that bad, but I am only 12 day out I know. Watching the salt, taking bromeline, drinking lots of Water and resting.

Okay, my DH......I think he is afraid to say I look good. Because I will think he did not like me before. He is funny that way. He just does not say much....I have to ask him "Honey how do you think my BB looks" he will reply "Looks good, but it was not that bad before". So last night I had a talk with him, and told him I know that he loved me the way I was. But, I need him to love me the way I am now. So I think it helped. we shall see....Did anyone else have this?

I have taken new pictures, if you wanna see.....

Password: OMGnoflab

http://www.makemeheal.com/pictures/viewAlbum.php?albumid=9792.

Take care all,

Laura

Edited July 28, 200917 yr by LauraP

Wow! I checked out your new pics. You look so good.

I don't have a significant other right now so I cannot comment on how he reacts to my plastic surgery changes. However, someone that I haven't seen since January saw me yesterday and he told me that I look fabulous! Another person told me that I have the abdomen of an 18 year old - not bad for 49!

I noticed where your drains were on the pics. Mine weren't on the sides they were on the front of my abdomen about 4 inches away from belly button. No wonder you couldn't sleep on your sides. Now you can!

Rest up and enjoy hot showers again!

Enjoy the new flat tummy!

Sue

Laura, Congratulations, and your tummy looks wonderful!!!

Laura, you are healing so well and look amazing. You are a doll for sharing your progress with us. I hope you are sleeping better now.

Mimi

Thank you Sue, and yes it is much easier to sleep now with the drains out of my hips. It is eashier dressing also, it seemes liked everything I put on pulled or rubbed at my hips.

Shalee04 - Hey Girl how are you doing? I followed your journey and it sure helped me prepar for mine. Thanks for the nice comment.

Mimi - Thanks, I am very pleased about how the healing is going. And yes, last night was much better.

Take care all,

Laura

Laura,

You look fabulous. I'm really considering scheduling mine in Nov.Just trying to work out all the numbers. My son and husband graduate next year and we planned a cruise out of Rome and wasn't planning on PS this year with the cruise, but want it so BAD....

My hubby sounds a lot like yours. He loves me as I am and don't understand why I want to change, but he's okay with me having PS.

Thank you for sharing your journey. Our stats are not that far off. It's funny how God created us all different. There is no way I could fit in a 10 dress. I'm so broad up top i barely fit a 14.

Skinnyjeans, Thanks for the fabulous comment. Boy do I understand the wanting it BAD thing. It was like when I made up my mind I wanted the lapband surgery, well that was all I could think about. I stayed on this site all the time, reading and reading. Then when I made up my mind to have the TT well it was the same thing.... So what are you wanting to have done? Just a TT or some other work also?

I have been watching what I eat since surgery to have the best healing possible. Salt intake, because of swelling, Protein for healing etc. Well, big bonus, I have dropped 3 lbs since surgery. I am so excited, just 5lbs from goal. I know that he took off 5lbs of skin, so I was expecting some weight to come off, so we shall see. I so want to reach my goal by the end of August. He said I could start walking (mild) tomorrow. Isn't it funny, when you have one part of your body look good, instead of thinking "How nice that looks" you think "My ass sure is flabby" LOL

Today is going to be a wonderful day. No drain tubes and I had a shower......now that is a good day in my world!!

Take care all,

Laura

I'm sure everyone else is thankful that you finally took a shower too.

LOL - I bet they are..... but I was doing what my mom called "all that was possible"

Wash up as far as possible

Wash down as far as possible

Then wash Possible....

Laura