48 Year Old Male Lower Body Lift After Large Weight Loss. - Golden, CO

Well here I am at 3 weeks, and I’ve had my first minor setback (at least I hope it turns out to be minor). I had been getting a little more active and I “sprung a leak” right in the middle of my belly. I sent some pictures to the nurses at my PS’s office and they asked me to come in. They said it was not the result of activity but rather a small area where the skin was not getting good blood flow and unfortunately the opening was likely to get a grow and continue “leaking” for a while before it got better. By today (the next day) I can tell you they are correct. It has grown to about a ¼” opening, and there are two other spots on the incision line near the area that look like they can break open soon. The nurses assured me that it was not a result of my activity but rather just a somewhat normal occurrence because the skin was pulled so tight that there are small areas not getting good blood flow. They gave me an antibiotic cream and some gauze to dress the area and change out each day. The leakage is small; it results in about a dime size area of blood after 8-10 hours. This area also remains swollen, but the nurses felt it was all going to flatten out. It’s a bit frustrating because my recovery was going absolutely so easily, and it feels like a setback. I was hoping to start swimming laps and now that I have an open wound that is a big no, so I just need to let my body do its thing and recover. I have a trip planned in a couple weeks and was hoping to do a little surfing the first week of April and golf the second week of April….come on body, do your thing and heal so I can have some fun.
On the good side of things, I can’t even feel the incision line along my back and before my surgery that is what I was most worried about. I’m also sleeping in my bed and can even sleep on my side like I normally do, pain is being managed by just a few Advil per day. Normal life will return soon enough, can’t let myself get frustrated by a somewhat normal setback…

Well today marks 2 weeks. I can’t believe the transformation. Someone gave some good advice to make sure you take a lot of before pictures which I did. I’m almost 50 and I think my midsection look better than it did when I was 20. The recovery has been good/as expected. The only surprising thing is the fatigue that sets in so quickly. I have started to try and eat more and more to get my energy, taking some short walks, running errands. What really zaps me is sitting at my desk, which unfortunately is what my job calls for. I’ve set up a sort of recliner position on a couch and work from a laptop. I was a little concerned with the swelling at the incision right above my groin, but I took some pictures and sent them to Dr. Vath’s office and they got back to me quickly and assured me that this was normal swelling. So far, I continue to be happy with my decision, anxious to get back in the pool, and then back on my surfboard. Thanks everyone for your support.

Well it's been 11 days and I'm doing pretty well. I'm not talking any pain meds except for Tylenol. I still find sleeping in either the recliner or couch is more comfortable then lying flat on my bed. My incision is healing well; there is one spot that is a little sorer then the rest. My belly is quite flat (which is awesome) and then I have a pouch where the incision is, but I'm thinking that is just swelling. I'm struggling to find my appetite, so in addition to what I am eating I am drinking a few bottles of ensure every day. Today was the first day I tried to do some real work (and by real I mean sitting at a desk and doing paperwork). Sitting upright is the toughest position for me. I worked for about 3 or 4 hours and found myself completely exhausted, so I laid down and fell asleep for 3 hours! Then took the dog for a short walk. I also ordered some GelBands yesterday and am looking forward to something a little more comfortable then the binder (which I wear 100% of the time). I am so thankful that Dr. Vath was able to do the surgery with NO DRAINS, because my morning shower is probably my favorite time of the day. So bottom line is I am quite happy with my progress, though some days are slower than others. I can hardly wait to get back in the pool to start swimming laps, which will really make me feel like I am getting back to normal.