“May need a revision! Waiting for a second opinion!”

I am 43 yrs old and have 3 children (26,11,10) and a Foster parent to 4 active little boys (4,5,6,8). I believe my highest weight was around 240 lbs. I finally lost the weight and got to about 160 lb in 2006. I so wanted a TT then but could not afford it. And for whatever excuses I can come up with I let myself go again and gained alot back and got above 200 so now for the last time I have lost most of the weight and went for my PS consult on April 13 and booked for surgery for May 2/11.

It's all very fast but makes the anxiety less. lol. It is discouraging to do all the hard work and look down and always see your fat flapping tummy! So this is for ME and all the people that have opinions as to why I shouldn't do this can keep their opinions to themselves!

Updated on 28 Apr 2011:
Need to go to the PS office on Sunday to do some laser treatments and then to the hospital at 8:45 a.m. Monday with surgery booked for 10:45 a.m.

Updated on 4 May 2011:
2 days post op and doing okay. Little crampy and uncomfortable but nothing unbearable. My husband is being such an awesome nurse!

Updated on 10 May 2011:
So today was my post op appt. The doc changed the dressing and redressed it all :0( so I really did not get to see anything again. Oh well this dressing stays on 3 - 4 weeks then I guess it's ready to come off and away I go. Have alot of discomfort since the dressing change though. Swelling is really bad tonight. But no apron!!!! That was the point!

Updated on 18 May 2011:
So a little over 2 weeks post op and I feel really good. Over did it a bit yesterday picking up heavier things then I should have been! So was kind of uncomfortable last night. Would I do this again? HELL YA in a minuet! I am already trying to find out how soon I can get my thighs done! I hated them when I went for my consult but he talked me into a Breast Reduction instead. Although I love the new smaller more upright breasts that wasn't my concern. They don't show in shorts and a bathing suit. Have appointment with PS today so we'll see what he says.

Updated on 19 May 2011:
So I went to see PS yesterday! He says that the lumps I feel from the lipo are normal(although he tried to tell me it was my ribs I'm like I do know what my ribs feel like considering it's lower then my ribs!) and to keep massaging now towards the back! He also says all my incision ripples are from swelling. He wants me to leave the bandages on for as long as possible (5 weeks total if possible) I had asked him about using Vit E or Bio oil on the scar and then he stated he wants me to use some sort of plastic covering (silicone?) for the next 3 to 12 months! Grrrr...... Although he explained it well in the way of the the support the plastic will give the scar so it can not pull apart or widen.

On a good note he gave me permission to start using the bike and treadmill in the house! Woo hoo. Was anyone else told they had to stay out of the sun? Although I have found out it does make me swell like a balloon.

Swelling must be going down I have lost like 5 lbs in the last 4 days. Getting expensive buying these compression garments - they keep getting loose and need to buy new ones. But I suppose that is the cheap end of this! Does everyone have to wear these for 3 or 4 months?

Updated on 19 May 2011:
I forgot to add that I wanted to seriously discuss when and how much to get my thighs done and the PS is so frustrating he just blew me off again! Said when you change one thing then the rest will sometimes change! I'm like the loose skin will not just disappear! Maybe he doesn't like that surgery but won't admit it.

Updated on 26 May 2011:
My name is Linda by the way! When I joined the sight gave me the name! Then after so many posts I figured if I changed my name ppl wouldn't know who I was! Well went and seen PS at outpatients department today. He took all the plastic sheeting off my incisions finally today. He said my incisions looked really good and like I was 6 weeks post op instead of the almost 4 weeks that I am! So that was good. He is insistent that I use the Steri-strips and/or the silicone sheeting till the incision is no longer red at all! It is a support thing. If the incision has support then it will not be able to spread apart and make a thick scar. Makes since to me. But my problem is the steri-strips don't seem to be sticking to my skin very well anybody else have this issue!
So needless to say I was very excited because this was the first time that I've got to see my incision on my tummy or my breasts! So cool.

Updated on 28 May 2011:
Now that the doc took that second skin off that was driving me crazy I just traded it for the incision being crazy itchy now! Must be because it is drying out now and it wasn't before. The incisions on my breast are the worst at the moment. The Steri strips I'm supposed to use won't stick so got some paper tape will try that and see if that will work and actually stick. The sun and heat make me swell up like a balloon anyone else have this fun? But I wouldn't change a thing though I do not regret my decision to have this done at all!
 

Updated on 6 Jul 2011:
9 weeks post op on July 4 and I have been having discharge from my Belly Button for a couple weeks now. Called PS office a couple weeks ago receptionist said she'd call/email PS and get back to me. No answer so left a message on the 4th still no answer so finally called today (blocking my phone number) and got the receptionist and she did her own research but hadn't talked to the PS yet he is just to busy with other patients!!! Grrrr. Would I recommend this office to anyone NO! She thinks it may be an infection as I do but will see if she can nail down the PS today for an answer. I'm frustrated cause it's summer I have 6 kids they want to go to the beach can I go in??? We are going camping at the beach for 2 weeks at the end of the month can I do this?? They call back want me to go to out patients at the hopital - little tough with 6 kids that I'd already promised to go to the beach. So now I'm supposed to wash with soap and water and use pollysporn and because it's so long after surgery can't possibly be an infection! Not sure I'd recommend this PS. Going in on the 12 to talk about the amount of loose skin I still have on my tummy. Sorry for the vent just frustrated. I was told go to the beach enjoy the sun but stay out of the water. :0(

Updated on 11 Jul 2011:
Belly button is good now - wish they would have told me 3 weeks ago to use polly :0D
I just find it sad that I have to block my number so that the receptionist will answer the phone. Really makes me feel unimportant when I've only had 2 concerns since my surgery it's not like I was calling every day!

I do have an appt on Tues to have a chat with PS about the amount of loose skin I still have. I don't know how to broach all of it. When I look back at the pics I have lots of bruises where he did the lipo so why didn't I have any on the abdomen where it was supposed to be done (that was the decision between lipo or muscle tightening) I know I look better then where I started but I am dissappointed with how much skin I can still grab on my abdomen.

Any ideas would be helpful.

Updated on 11 Jul 2011:
Well polly worked well to clear up my belly button issue. Now if I didn't feel so unimportant at the PS office. Have to actually block my number for them to answer my calls that is absolutely rude considering I've only called a couple times with legitement concerns.

I do have an appt with the PS tomorrow to discuss the loose skin I still have. I also have a question about the lipo - I was supposed to have lipo of the abdomen but I had no bruising like I did everywhere else? (I had to choose between lipo or muscle tightening)