Hi everyone,

I haven't been here in a long time but wanted to reconnect with you guys :scared2: I'm getting ready to finish my journey.

I'm getting cosmetic surgery in 5 weeks. I can't wrap my head around it. I've wanted this for so long, but yet, having the band for 5 years, I seem to be doing everything in my power to sabotage myself from being lean. My band is leaking - we think it's the port - and there have been a lot of bumps along the way that has stalled, reversed, and slowed down my weight loss.

I'm not mad about it; my journey has been unique. I can't even begin to describe the things I have learned about myself. It all unfolded the way it should have, I suppose.

But, just when the surgery was most out of reach - I'd gotten laid off - miracles happened and now I'm not only having my leaking port/tube fixed, I'm getting everything done, by one of the top cosmetic surgeons for post bariatric weight loss, two weeks before my 34th birthday. What an amazing turn of events.

I'm scheduled for a body lift, breast lift, brachioplasty (arms) and flankplasty. The only thing he's not doing is my thighs because they don't need it. Yet. lol. They're also replacing my port to a low profile one. Dr. Joseph Capella in Hackensack Medical is my guy. I researched tons of surgeons - this dude is mine.

All this, and I am still clinically overweight. I am shaking my head at the irony of it all.

Yet, why not? My leaking lap band is getting costly for twice-a-month fills. I have no local support group and live alone, so solitary eating is the biggest culprit. Getting the lap band fixed will help me in January shed the last 30 lbs of fat, and work on my lean muscle building.

I suspect that having the surgery will drastically change my relationship with food -- by having beautiful, reliable restriction that helped me lose 100lbs a few years ago (and mercifully helped me totally forget about food) and will give me a shot to my self esteem that has been sabotaging me.

I know it's purely psychological, but I would work SO HARD, and work out, and track my food...especially over the summer...and start losing..10 lbs, 15 lbs...but I would look in the mirror at the "frownie moustache" of my stretched belly, suck it in, ALMOST see a normal shape...and then become depressed knowing that nothing I did would ever fix 30 years of being obese. Then, I would stop trying.

I have loved watching my fellow bandsters go through the surgeries and can think of nobody better to share it with.

Dec 7th is the date. Oh my gosh :thumbup:

Kate

I can't thank you guys enough for all the support. I really felt better listening to all the words of encouragement.

I took some pics today, I'm beginning to like them. My belly is ridiculously swollen. I have this fantasy that it's all one giant seroma. lol. oh well.

I love the side/profile pics, I can't believe those are my bewbs. I know if I lose another 30 lbs that I will have more sag. My thighs may need a lift then, too. But I'm feeling better about things in general.

The Works, Arm Lift, Brachioplasty, Reduction, Breast Lift, Mastopexy, Pictures, Photos

pass: th3workz

You look very good in your pics. Did you take any befores? I like how perky the boobs are. Just the right size. Once the swelling goes down too the tummy will be very nice. It reminds me of mine. I think it's more swelling and not seroma. I did notice how much lower your scar is. I bet because you had LBL and not just TT. That will be nice for bikinis. Also I guess they did you lapband replacement first. I was wondering if you would have any of those scars.

You keep on healing and taking it easy. You are beautiful.

Thanks skinny I like how low the scar is. I'll take more pics of the belly incision once the drains are out tomorrow. I do have before pics, but my doctor has them. I asked for them but they are super busy...I'll mention it again tomorrow. It is a drastic, drastic difference.

But when I get them, you'll see how majorly they changed my mons. It's so small now. Hopefully I can have them email the before pics tomorrow...and I'm sure I'll be prancing when these DAMN drains are out. lol.

Our bellies do look very similar

You look fabulous!! The boobs are simply gorgeous and the rest is great too! Odd again, the differences in surgeon's approach. I had 3 of my 4 drains out on Day 2 and the 4th one out on Day 3, but have had all the incisions covered with surgical tape and have been told to keep that on for six weeks*, so I haven't really seen the incision line yet. I'd be a bit weirded out by seeing the drains and the incisions, but I guess you do what you have to do when told by the experts, eh?

Looking good, girlie!

* I have to change the tape weekly but can shower with it on and the doc's nurse has changed it the last two times as part of the service. I have to do it myself for the next 4 weeks though, so I guess I'll see them soon

OHHHH Kate you look great! Your boobs look like you had implants put in!! They are so perky and full! Merry christmas eve and good luck getting your drains out today and finding a new outfit! xoxo

WOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

DRAINS ARE OUUTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111

lol. Oh man thank god. It was minimally aggravating but I got through it. Each drain had its own pain. First, they numbed the openings...which I did not feel. Hooray for numb skin, LMAO. Who wants to feel a needle in their vajayjay? Not me. That was a pleasant surprise.

The right drain had a startling moment of EEEK when I felt tugging/tearing on internal tissue in my back...like skin had overgrown the drain. Good news was, the pain was instantaneous....stopped immediately. More good news: nothing ripped, Doc said it was a good thing (liar, people say that when birds shit on you, too...still a LIE. What is good about bird shit?!?! Nothing!) and it meant the tunnel was closing up, that it's not totally a good sign if your drain comes out easily.

The second drain hurt at the opening, burned. But that side just seems like it was uber sensitive anyway, cause the first drain that came out of that side stung, too. But nothing unbearable. I tried to make a joke out of it in the moment and said "FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUDGE." Like Ralphie in A Christmas Story. Guess Doc was concentrating, not even a chuckle.

I do feel tons better...I hope I sleep better tonight.

Docs told me a story of Me After Surgery. Apparently I was quite "belligerent" on the table and kept trying to get up and fight them after I was brought out of anesthesia. LOL. The Phys Asst told me it was kind of funny...and now that he says it, I feel like I have very faint memories of people yelling at me and me just being stupendously pissed off. I remember people saying "Stop moving, Kate" lol.

They say I'm healing fabulously well. In addition, I've been given a green light for having my nightly baths...the doc says nothing's really going to get IN or go very far, but since I am bleeding a little from my drain holes I'll give it a few days to calm down. I'm a bath ho. It's my nightly bath ritual...might be why I am not sleeping right! I need my lavendar aromatherapy, dammit.

Have a great holiday, everyone!

Yay Kate! Enjoy your baths and have a very Merry Christmas!

Kate:

Your pics look great! You're never going to have to wear a bra. I'm extremely jealous!

Great to get the drains out too. Now you can have baths and feel like a human again.

Enjoy the new body!

Sue

Yay, Kate, drain free, yippee. Wonderful Christmas present, indeed. Your pictures are wonderful, thanks for sharing.

Mimi

Hey Kate! I am so glad you got them out. I wish they had numbed me when they ripped them out.. Holy Moly did that hurt.. definetly a ripping type of pain. I was yelling "holy sweet mother" lol. The pain did stop pretty quickly but I was exhausted from it lol.

I am so happy to hear you are doing so great! Having the drains removed makes you feel like a hot girl now doesn't it lol! And Kate you are one HOT girl now! Merry Christmas!

Yay Kate!

Glad the drains are out and all is healing well. I've always wondered if I ever come out of anesthesia doing strange things? Funny.

Glad you can resume you nightly baths. Rest well.

Tiff

Hey Allie thank you so much YES I am feeling hotter as time goes on. Can't wait for the swelling to go down, my hips are so swollen I can't keep underwear or pants on. They really took any ass that I might have had, and my pants, now that the drains are out, are all falling off my butt!!! WTF!!!

So I'm playing with some exercise routines to start in a few weeks when I'm cleared for working out to add mass on my hiney. LOL. Lunges and squats will soon become my best friends. Doc says the swelling will go down and give me more curve in the back. In the meantime I call myself "Tubey McTuberson."

Small price to pay for all the good I got done :thumbup:

Still not sleeping through the night, the thick incision around my waist goes numb and wakes me up. I'm sure it'll ease up when the stitches eventually dissolve and flatten out. It's exhausting for the moment.

I'm going to take pics of the stitches on the side of my boob that HAVE flattened out. Oh, my, lawd the scar is VERY thin and is already fading - it's not dark pink or red. Guess these dudes knew what they were doing. Will let you know when I have them up.

Skinny, lol yeah I dunno about the post op thing. I know I Didn't Feel Right and I guess I was trying to shake it off. Ha.

Kate, I am sorry you aren't sleeping all night, hopefully it will change soon. It is great that your suture line is healing so well most places. Do your arms hurt? Or can you do everything with them?

Mimi

My arms are healing slowest in my opinion. The armpits are closing noticeably, so that creepy sticky feeling of the healing matrix is lessening. It does sometimes feel like there's a bunch of clothespins on my arm, a general tight feeling, but it's not that bad...easily ignorable. Just "weird."

Yesterday and today I've been having pain in the lower right abdomen...a pulsing, throbbing pain that was aggravated whenever I lifted or walked. Doc says "You're overdoing it again aren't you???" and says it's most likely scar tissue as long as I am not short of breath. So I'm sitting here like a lump watching more TV than I ever have in my life. On the upshot, I found a couple of infomercial items I now want to buy...a device to help me paint walls easier (point n paint!) and some closet organizational items. Someone call an intervention if I start raving about those shake weights.

I can do most everything with my arms except stretch/reach. Gotta be careful washing my hair and blow drying it, I can feel the stitches straining. Truly, it improves a tiny bit each day...or I'm getting used to it.

How long til your surgery, Mimi??

Just 8 days, Kate. I hope I have not committed to going back to work too soon, I use my arms a lot at work, I write a lot, transcribing and carrying out doctor's orders. I am only taking off 16 days.

Thanks for the update on your progress. I hate that you are having that strange feeling in your tummy.

You made me laugh with your "intervention" comment!!!!!

When will the stitches come out of your arms?

Mimi