Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Pre-op appointment and instructions...

My pre-op appointment was yesterday, April 25, 2011.  While walking into the facility, I said to my husband, "Oh man, the next time I am walking into this place, I won't be leaving the same person... terrified!" He put his arm around me and said I'd be fine, I'm tougher than I know =)

Without further ado.... here's the news:

Some good, some bad.  Bad news first... I have to drink the GoLYTELY bowel prep 72 hours prior to surgery, and then have a low residue diet up until then =/  At first I was told I would not have to do this because I'm not having liposuction or muscle tightening, but apparently doc changed his mind.  My tattoo (tramp stamp), upon further measurements, might not be fully removed... Also, I had decided (after MUCH deliberation) that I wanted to go with a full C cup versus a D....well, unless I want some serious scarring and potentially odd looking breasts, I have to go with the D.  Not so bad, just a little worried they will still sag or be lopsided.  I need to quit worrying!

Good news is with the high profile silicone 500cc implants, I won't have to get any other incision except for around the areola.  Not sure they will be lifted enough to look natural...? but hey, I trust his judgment.  More good news is that I confronted him with a story from one of his past patients who had difficulties and he was very open to explaining the issues involved and how his business and technique has changed since then.  He also explained that he will give me very specific instructions on how to handle recovery & his cell number if I have any questions.... so I feel more comfortable.  Prescription pain pill for recovery? PERCOCET. Thank you Lord! I was worried he'd give me something like Tylenol 3 since I cannot handle any vicodin lol 

The next 17 days are going to FLY by... I have so much to get ready around the house. I want to clean everything, prepare my "recovery station" and have everything ready to go for the morning of the 13th.

My basic instructions 10 days prior:

  • stop taking all herbal supplements (talk to Dr about other meds you are taking)
  • fill all prescriptions and bring them with you to surgery
  • take vitamin C 500mg & zinc 50mg daily
  • begin drinking protein shakes (I recommend Jillian Michael's chocolate powder shakes)
  • set up a "recovery station" where you have:
  1. bottled water & straws
  2. prescription medication from Dr
  3. pillows
  4. heating pad
  5. lotion
  6. wet wipes (preferrably antibacterial)
  7. phone & charger
  8. laptop & charger
  9. blankets & extra pillows
  10. crackers and pail w/plastic bags for nausea =/
  11. flashlight
  12. camera
  13. mirror
  14. thermometer

72 hours prior:
  • Start GoLYTELY prep
  • Low residue diet and clear liquids (basically I can eat eggs, fish, chicken, vegetable & fruit juice with no pulp, breads (with less than 1 gm of dietary fiber-includes pasta, chips, crackers & cereal), white rice, and broth based soups strained
  • wash with antibacterial soap (dial)
  • remove nail polish & all jewelry (so I don't forget to leave it at home!)
  • pack hospital bag in case (toothbrush, deodorant, brush, contact case, extra undies, etc.)

I guess there's not much to do other than the things listed above.... I keep thinking how WEIRD it's going to be, having this huge operation and then an hour after waking up, being able to walk out of the office? WTF?! I hope I really am as tough as my husband likes to believe =/ 

Found an excellent blog from "Kimmers25" which discusses everything from preparation, emotions, physical pain, recovery, etc. of a tummy tuckhttp://www.realself.com/forum/month-month-diary-post-tummy-tuck Just wish I could find a body lift blog... it'd be so helpful because I have so many questions!!!

Some tips I have stolen from the internet about preparing for surgery...
I'm sure I'll have more to add to this list but it's bed time =)

first of SEVERAL videos...

don't worry, they're not all going to be picture clip videos =)

sorry for the low quality... but it appears better when kept small- the pictures are really blurry when stretched to full screen.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

22 days!

I spoke with my brother about my upcoming surgery... I don't feel comfortable telling everyone but I knew it was important to tell family.  Anyway, he took me by surprise and wasn't too hard on me.  I just got the "too expensive" and "is it worth never waking up?" lecture.  At least he's growing up some.  I honestly expected for him to tell me how ignorant, immature and selfish I was being.  I thought I'd have to show him pictures lol

Speaking of pictures, I've been taking a weekly update to show my progress in the gym.  Not like you can see much muscle through the skin, but I had some fun with this week's tummy pictures so I'll share them =)


(look at my tummy birth mark... in line with my belly button but I can stretch it up to my chest!)


Where'd the tattoo go?! haha



I deal with this everytime I SIT :(



Trying to fix the arms myself... just filling the skin with muscle ;-)  hope I don't lose too much of it during recovery!!!


Monday, April 18, 2011

Party time!

I am in recovery from a bachelorette party that took place this weekend ;-)  My best friend in the whole world is getting married April 30 and we rented her a bus to take us to the Landing in St. Louis, and then back to some of our hometown bars.  Quite the experience.... tequila is hard to recover from! 


Me and the BRIDE, beginning of the night... April 16, 2011
(27 days prior to surgery)


Yes... this is a stripper pole on a bus lol

Proud to say I'm not wearing any restrictive under garmets in these pictures and my stomach doesn't look too bad =)  My arms, however, little rough but I'm not going to worry about them when I'm getting 18k done in surgery to fix my stomach and chest.  I really like that my muscle definition is starting to show in my back and shoulder area, though!  I've never "toned up" like this before and I'm very pleased with the results.  6 days a week of working out has really paid off!!! 

My workout:  I run 2-2.5 miles to begin (avg. speed 6.7mph) and then I rotate muscle groups.... Monday and Thursday I work chest and triceps, Tuesday and Friday- legs and butt, Wednesday and Saturday- back and biceps.  After about an hour of strength, I do maybe 10 minutes of abs (100 reg., 60 cradle, 40 side, 30 bicycle).  At the end of each workout, I head down to the locker room and shake up a Jillian Michael's protein shake.  100 calories and TONS of protein =)

25 days until THE day =)  I've been researching stories on belt lipectomy's and abdominoplasty procedures that people have posted and one I stumbled upon was written by a man that posted about every 3rd day and was very informative of his recovery.  I'm starting to feel more comfortable with getting this done and with talking to people about it.  He said in his blog that the best thing you can do to prepare for this surgery is to be healthy and in shape.  He also had no muscle tightening or liposuction and his recovery was pain & problem free =D

Monday, April 11, 2011

Lucky me!

I have such an amazing life. My beautiful kids...

My perfect husband...


Truly blessed!

BIG NEWS:   Today's weight was 139.4!!!!!!!!!   This is the first time I have seen the 130's on the scale!  So proud of myself =)  Trying to keep at it until surgery so I weigh as little as possible when it comes time to remove the extra skin.  Goal is to be under 135 by May 13, which at this point is pretty possible!  Feeling great about myself lately =)

Mark and I did a bunch of yard work yesterday; got the bushes and magnolia tree planted in the landscaping, trimmed our dying oak, and I picked up after the dogs.  Today it's raining so I'll be keeping busy inside... not really something I'm good at when it's warm outside!!  Anna has her 9 month doctor checkup, can't believe my little baby girl is already 9 months, they grow up too fast!  

32....

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Awaiting Friday the 13th!

So apparently I'm an idiot and the last post should have actually been titled 35 days until surgery... regardless, as of today, 33 days until surgery!  Seriously freaking out! 

Purchased my first bikini today.  Size SMALL bottom and EXTRA LARGE top lol. Not kidding.  Mark's mom is supporting me completely in this process and it's amazing to have someone that can talk me through all of my doubts.  Without her, my brother-in-law Charlie and Cindy (my kid sis who I LOVE LOVE LOVE), I'd have never gotten by.  These people are true GOD-SENDS!

Friday, April 8, 2011

34 days until surgery =)

Some people completely support my decision to have cosmetic surgery done, while others are negative and tell me that I don't need it, I'm already beautiful, it's a waste of money, blah blah blah.  Honestly, my mind is made up and I'm getting the surgery.  It wasn't a decision that came over night.  I have thought about the pro's and con's of surgery for years.  It's going to happen!

Got on the scale today and weigh 140.2, almost to the 130's!  I want to lose as much weight as possible prior to surgery.  Working out 6 days a week isn't easy but I think that if I'm well toned and have lost any possible fat, I will be more prepared for surgery.

Call me a worry-wort, but I'm frustrated that there is not more information about preparation for body lift surgery online.  I found this site: http://www.tuckthattummy.com/consultation_info/prepare_home_print.htm and I guess a tummy tuck is close enough to a body lift but I feel there is more I should be doing to get my body ready for this.  I guess my doctor will give me instructions at my next appointment, which is on April 25. 

(taken 4.7.11)

If I ever feel that surgery was not worth it, I'll look back on these "before" pictures and remind myself just how bad it really was.  140 additional pounds of fat used to be held by this skin!  

Thursday, April 7, 2011

A bit of history...

280 pounds

This was me.  You could say I had a bit of a problem ;-)  To make a long story short, I have been massively obese for as long as I can remember.  After having my son July 4, 2007, I weighed in around 280 pounds.  The most shocking part of this story is I did not feel the weight.  I felt beautiful, alive, healthy and happy.  I realized when I couldn't walk up the 10 steps from my basement without breathing like I'd just ran a mile that I was wrong.  It took me until November, 2007, to buy a scale, some stock in SlimFast and a bottle of hydroxycut pills.  My sister allowed me to borrow her treadmill, and so the dieting game began!


260 pounds

Quickly, I realized that pills, restricting calories and meal supplements were not going to get me anywhere.  I researched calories in fruits, vegetables, meats and the snacks I liked and built a meal plan to keep me around 1500 calories per day.  This was low for my basal metabolic rate (referred to as BMR from this point on), basically the rate in which I burn calories.  I was running/walking and doing Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred.  I began dropping weight the right way and felt great about it.  On average, I'd lose 15 pounds per month. 


170 pounds

In 2 years (November 2009) I got down to my goal weight of 150 pounds.  I didn't have gastric bypass or the lap band; I didn't use Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem; I did this by myself, with no workout buddy, no gym membership and no idea that I would be trading one ugly for another. 

Even though I persistently exercised, the excess skin on my stomach and arms was not shrinking.  I used firming creams, ate foods high in antioxidants and vitamin E, worked my arms and abs almost daily and still, no results.  By October of 2009, my incredible and amazing husband finally agreed to go for baby number two =)  We got pregnant right away and I had a whole new challenge:  stay healthy and manage my weight while pregnant!


June 22, 2010 (160 pounds)

On July 6, 2010 my baby girl Anna Kaeli was born.  I ended up gaining about 25 pounds during the pregnancy, which was easy enough to work off.  My step-mom-in-law bought a gym membership for our family at the local recreational center and by January, we started the gym.

140 pounds

Now here we are, April of 2011 and I weigh a healthy and happy 140 pounds.  I lost half of my weight! 

So, that's the history.  You might be wondering where the circumferential body lift and mastopexy come in... let me explain:

From the very first day I started working on losing weight, I explained to my husband that if I was successful but had extra skin, I would want cosmetic surgery to remove it.  I had done my research and any story about massive weight loss normally coincided with a story of massive excess skin.  In 2009, after reaching my goal weight, I began going to consultations with plastic surgeons in the St. Louis area.  I was most interested in an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), brachioplasty (arm lift) and mastopexy (breast lift).  The price tag?  Anywhere from $25,000.00 to $30,000.00.  My hopes faded; I could never afford that.  I had given up my position as an office manager in a law firm to become a Domestic Engineer (stay-at-home-mommy).  My husband is a union carpenter and basically, we live paycheck to paycheck.

On April 1, 2011 (yes, Fool's Day) I met Dr. Timothy Bradley, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who has his office in Swansea, Illinois.  MUCH closer to home!  You can check him out here: http://www.drtimothybradley.com/ .... anyway, he was the first doctor I have truly felt comfortable with.  He is practical, professional, experienced and very intelligent.  With every consultation I had gone to, not one doctor had told me I had the option of either having my abdominal muscles tightened or not.  Dr. Bradley explained to me that I would need a Circumferential Body Lift (also known as a belt lipectomy) versus a tummy tuck because I had excess back skin.  He then explained to me that I was a rare case because I would not have to get my abdominal muscles sewn together nor would I need liposuction!  I left there knowing that he was going to be my surgeon and that I was having a body lift and a breast lift with silicone implants performed.  The surgery is set for May 13, 2011.  Friday the 13th, go figure!