Team Salama

Sorry ladies, I've been M.I.A adjusting to my new body & trying to get back into the swing of things. I am going to try to be as in depth as possible (like i always am) on my journey home and since. I am 2 weeks and 5 days post op.
"Flight Home"
So, I booked my ticket on Priceline.com because it would be cheaper and I bid for the lowest price, so you dont know the flight info until they accept your pffer & automatically charge your card. When you bid, and most flights on the sight period, have connections. I had 4 flights that day because I had to stop & pick up my son. Big Mistake! If you can, get a nonstop flight, it will be well worth it. 2 flights may have been manageable by myself, but the extra 2 with my 8 month old son, was too much. Flight 1: Ugh. I had a middle seat. It is so uncomfortable having to sit on the boppy pillow between 2 people. There is not enough room & I hate invading people's personal space. I didnt want to bother the guy on the end to let me out to walk during the flight, so I sucked it up. I think this was an hour or two flight. And it was a full flight so I couldnt switch seats. I think I knelt facing backwards after they turned off the seatbelt sign. Ok. Second flight, this time before they started boarding, I showed the lady at the counter my doctor's note and asked her for an aisle (spell check) seat...she was so nice, she gave me a whole row to my self! Yay! I slept the whole flight. I noticed that if you ask, and they are able to accomodate you, they are more than happy to do so, but a lot of times, they cant, but they'll try. Definitely, ask ahead of time before you board for any switches. The next 2 flights with my son were really tough. I should have arranged for his dad to pick him up from my Mother's house...but I'm always trying to be superwoman lol. I wont even get into details about those flights because it's mostly negativity.
"Packing Tips"
-Pack light. You should be able to fit everything in a carry-on bag. Why pay to check it in & why wait for it to come off the cart to pick it up?
-Dont bother packing underwear or bras. You wont wear these for a couple months, especially while you are in Florida.
-Dresses, Dresses, Dresses. Long Dresses. The easiest & most comfortable.
-Leave room for your garment to take home.
-Dont bother packing any pajamas. You will most likely sleep in just your garment unless you like to be really warm when you sleep. But some nights you will get out of bed up to 10 times to pee. You wont want to undress yourself everytime for this. If you wear pajamas, I recommend dresses.
-Pack comfortable slip on shoes. Just one pair should be just fine.
"Life Back at Home"
Sleeping in my own bed was so much more comfortable. I slept like a baby the first night. When I got home, my 8 month old son was very clingy to me, and his dad was at work, which was hard. The first week or so, he was afraid of me leaving him again (even though he never cried because of separation from me while he was at my Mother's house). So carrying him around was kind of hard, and still is, especially since I cant bend all the way over because I am still wearing the cardboard. Luckily, the first night, my son & I were so exhausted, we went straight to sleep.
"Eating Habits/Weight"
I eat whatever I want, whenever I want. Pre-surgery, I never had a problem maintaining my weight. Once I worked to get where I wanted to be on the scale by dieting and exercising, it was easy for me to stay there without any more dieting or exercising. I think my pre-op weight was about 123 and now (even though I havent weighed myself in about a week) is probably 116-118. My intentions were to gain weight before the surgery so I would have more fat to take, but I actually ended up losing a couple of pounds by accident because I was sick with strep throat.
"Driving"
Ugh! What a pain in the a**!! LITERALLY. I use just the boppy pillow alone, I didnt like when I tried extra pillows or a towel for back support. It makes my butt hurt, even though my commute to work is only 10 min. one way. I only drive if i absolutely have to. I feel like my butt is melting away when I drive lol.
"Work"
Everyone is giving me so many compliments on how much weight I lost and how skinny I look. I still wear my maternity work pants (casual attire) to work & you cant tell as much in my work clothes. I told my job that I fractured my tailbone falling, which explains why I cant sit, & why I drive with the boppy pillow. & why I occassionally call off lol. That story seems to work just fine. I even have co-workers who say they can relate to me because they had the same injury. You can see the cardboard through my shirts, I told them I wear it to help my posture due to the injury. I either stand or kneel during meetings and at my computer desk, which is very uncomfortable.
"Nite Life"
I am only 21 and this past weekend I went out to a few bars/clubs in pants, a cute top and like 6" heels. I couldnt sit, of course, and I had my friend drive, but I had a great time.My body looked amazing! The amount of attention I get now, is embarrasing sometimes. I got tons of attention before I got the surgery, but now its ridiculous. Its bittersweet. By the way, I dont wear the cardboard or foam when I go out the house, except to work. I definitely wore the garment. Nomi said that I could start going out without the garment for a couple hours the third week.
"Self Confidence"
The first week back home, I didnt feel as confident. I was still recovering. I had no desire to get dressed and put clothes over this stupid garment or comb my hair try to look cute. Now my second week at home, I decided to get out the house and showcase my new nody! And oh my goodness! It felt so good! I feel like the total package now. I combed my hair lol. I got dressed and went out. People that know me and dont know about the surgery, seen me this weekend and didnt notice that I had any work done. Good or Bad? lol. Its a good thing. Before I had surgery I would wear clothes to trick people into believing that I had a really nice butt lol. but now, i dont have to trick them anymore, my body looks so amazing in clothes. A guy at the bar told me I have an hour glass figure and he wasnt lying.
"Lose of Volume & Body after Surgery"
I probably lose about 30-40% of my volume in my butt :( but its still really big. I m very short, so right now it is the perfect size (so everyone says) because it looks very natural. I hope I dont lose any more, or I'll start feeling like I wasted my money. I'd like it to look bigger when I am completely naked. Now my stomach & Back, I have no complaints. My back has no fat & neither does my stomach! Dr. Salama truly took everything. I cant wait to go bikini shopping! I havent had a bikini body since I was in middle school! I dont think my waist could have ever naturally gotten this flat. My stomach still has irregularities but they're not that noticeable.I have a tattoo on my stomach that has shrunk and I may need to get it covered up. I had stretch marks on my sides before surgery and they are still there, but they shurk drastically and are really tiny now. I am going to buy some Mederma to put on them. Also, my butt has softened up alot. It giggles when I walk :)
"Garment"
I got 2 medium garments when I was in florida and I really need to change to a small asap.
"Massages"
I am a bad girl. I havent got any massages since I've been home. The first 3 or 4 days back home, I needed one so bad. I had so much built up fluid in my stomach and my back. It was very swollen and very uncomfortable. I was mireable about that. I had a really hard time finding someone who sounded like they knew what they were doing. By the time I did, I didnt feel the need for a massage anymore. I still have a little bit of swelling on my sides (flanks) and back, but it's minimal. I had read that there is no true need for massages, but I'm not recommending whether or not to get them. That is your own decision. It definitely saved me a few hundred dollars lol
"Back Pain!!"
During my second and third week post op, I have been having back pain. On a scale of 1-10 its varies between a 4-7. I have no idea what its from. I am going to call the Dr.'s office today and ask is it normal. It's more sore. Probably from the standing and sleeping & driving in uncomfortable positions. I take extra strength tylenol when it gets unbareable. I still have some of the percocet left, but i havent taken any of that since like the 3rd day after surgery. My upper back has some numb spots, which is weird.
"Showering"
When I first got home, I still was getting dizzy and light headed during my shower so I made sure my son's father was there everytime to watch the baby and keep an eye on me. He helped me change my gauze and lotion and dress me. He's a great guy :)
The dizziness lasted about 2 weeks post op only during shower time. I dont know the reason behind it. Remember to breathe steadily during your shower. I shower everyday right after my bowel movement. Ladies, DO NOT go #2 with the garment on. Ewww. disgusting.
"Pants Shopping"
Nightmare. No jeans fit me right anymore. They will fit my butt, and not my waist. Too loose even for a belt.
Leggings/Jeggings (leggins that look like jeans) are going to be your best friend after surgery. They fit like a glove. I wear a 1/2 or 3/4 in jeggings
Ok ladies, I cant think of anything else right now. Sorry this update is so long. Let me know if you have any questions. I am about to upload some pics. I am going to upload them anyway, even though I dont want pics of my tattoos up revealing my identity. But its not like Im a celebrity lol. whats the worse that could happen. Good luck future bblers and happy healing.

Considering Coming Alone?

Honestly, from my experience, I wouldn't recommend coming alone. But before I elaborate, I want to say that I very strongly believe that anything anyone else can do or handle, I can. There are women who go alone, & they would be able to give you a better idea of what it's like alone. For me, I needed help dressing and undressing if it was pants, but most definitely with my garment, which I take off every night to shower. My first shower, I needed my friend to wash my back and my second shower I almost fainted, so I needed my friend to bring me water and make sure I was ok. Almost passing out scared me, so it was nice havin her here for my other showers so I knew if something happened, I would be ok. On the other hand, the chances of you actually passing out are very slim. It's just nice having someone to keep you company. I was blessed not to go through any stage of depression or severe pain, but I would think it would be better to have someone go through it with you. My friend can't cook, so I did all the cooking, but maybe the person you bring will be able to cook for you :) you don't want them waiting on u hand and foot because you want to exercise your body. My suggestion, exhaust all of your options of bringing someone with u. I payed for the entire trip & expenses for my friend and I (which was really expensive) but her company & support was well worth it :) If you can't find someone, I would come alone & hire the nurse for however long you feel you need them & have a very positive "can-do" attitude and take this experience head on. Good luck ladies!

You ladies are so welcome for the updates. It was my pleasure. I went into as much detail as possible so that you wouldn't feel so blind & unaware. But please understand, every experience is different and you won't what yours will be like until you actually go through it yourself.