dixielee
Due to a mass found in my abdomen that will require a hysterectomy & further testing, I was not able to have my surgery on my scheduled date, Sept 16, 2003. I will now have to wait 10 to 12 more weeks.
I have a new surgery date. It is Dec 9, 2003.
Jan 28, 2004- I am now 7 weeks post-op and things are going great. So far I have lost around 55lbs.
April 18, 2005
OK, so it's been a long while. I'm just not very open to sharing everything that is going on but here is a bit of an update.
I am now 16 months post-op. My weight has dropped from 342# to 183. I am 13# from my personal goal of 170# and 28# from my surgeon's goal. I have had almost no problems except that my weight loss slowed at 9 months & it has been very difficult to lose since then.
I had my first plastic surgery on March 1, a Tummy Tuck performed by Dr. Bastug of Waterloo. I am thrilled! My new tummy is flat & hard. The surgery wasn't bad at all but the recovery is a lot longer than I expected. At 7 weeks I am still recovering & it probably won't be complete for a few more months. I have to be careful lifting but for the most part my life is back to normal. I have been warned that I will experience swelling for several months, especially toward evening. That's when I resemble a Ken doll! My scaring is minimal; it is fading more everyday.
I have challenged myself to lose another 25 lbs before I go back to see about fixing my legs. I have lost 7 lbs of that goal.
August 26, 2005 --Well, if I waited to lose 25 lbs I'd be waiting forever, I'm afraid. My body has just decided to rebel & I'm stuck at 180#. On Aug 22, I had the second phase of the belt lipectomy performed at Sartori Hospital in Cedar Falls by Dr Deniz Bastug. This procedure removed over 4# of skin from my backside which resulted in a bottom that is no longer saggy. He also did lipo on the saddlebags. Although I am only a few days post surgical, I can see a big difference, especially on my thighs. I no longer look like I'm wearing riding britches. I am quite swollen right now so I still weigh what I weighed before the surgery but hopefully that will go down soon. For the next couple weeks I will be taking it very easy. I have very little pain, by the way, although the 4 drains hurt some.
12/20/2005
Mery Christmas everyone! Wow, have things changed in the last few months. I recovered from my plastic surgery with no major problems. I have decided that this is the last one though. Although I like how I look, I really don’t like how my body feels. It’s hard to explain but I feel constantly like I have a tight belt wrapped around my middle. The sensation is there all the time. I imagine it is caused by the combination of the muscle tightening & the scar tissue. I don’t think my wound healed real well from the second surgery but I can’t see it well enough to tell. It feels like maybe some of the layers beneath the skin separated somewhat so the part that healed is wider than normal. I know that doesn’t explain it well, but that is just how it feels to me. From what I can see, it still looks good. In a couple weeks I am having a tiny revison done in the office. I have a tiny tuck that causes it to look like I have the world's longest butt crack. This surgery is done on one side & then the patient is turned over & it is done on the other side. It is located at the point where the two parts came together. It will be a simple process to release the tuck & my plastic surgeon assures me I can go to work that night. Hope so as it is the last working day of the year & we will be very busy.
In addition, I hate the numbness. I understand it is normal to experience numbness along the incisions for a year or so & I am ready for that to end. However, I also have some permanent numbness caused by the liposuction in my right hip & thigh. It was something that I was warned about, perfectly normal, but it probably will be permanent. It doesn’t affect my movement, it’s just that constant feeling of numbness. No more lipo for me.
In October I had a very scary & painful evening. Had my husband been in the house, we’d have been heading to the ER but he was milking & I was so out of it, I didn’t have the sense of mind to get him or to call my surgeon. Finally, with a heating pad & lots of Tylenol, I fell asleep. The next day I reported it to my surgeon’s PA & the testing started. I won’t bore you with the details but after about $10,000 worth of test, they decided it was a non functioning Gallbladder & it was removed 15 days ago. I also had previously scheduled surgery to support the bladder & alleviate stress incontinence, so it was done at the same time as the colocystectomy. My surgeon & his Ex-wife(my gynecologist) both worked on me while I was out. My pain is gone & even better, I no longer tinkle (Blush blush). If you have this problem like millions of other women and want to get rid of it, ask your gynecologist about the TVT. It’s great. It’s a mesh tape that is inserted under the urethra & supports it. Usually it’s done outpatient & you can go back to work in just a few days. Recovery has been so easy. I just have two tiny holes in the groin area & a small incision in the vagina.
One week later, I became a grandmother for the first time! A beautiful Emilee Dawn was born on Dec 12 & Grandma is in love! This was a major reason that I had for having the WLS. I had no lap to hold a baby on. Sunday I held her for 3 hours as she slept so Mom could get some much needed rest. I am happy to report that I have a lap & intend to use it constantly in the next, oh, 20 years or so.
Oh, if you click on the website above, you can see pictures from my two plasic surgeries, and, if they are still there, pictures of Emilee. :-)
March 2006. It's been a year since my tummy tuck & it's been an interesting one. In December I had my revision of the second plastic surgery & although it didn't help the butt crack problem, the discomfort I reported is gone. I can now press on tha area & there is no pain. The numbness is still there so I am sure it is permenant.
A week or so ago I decided I was having a midlife crisis. I turned 55 in February, had 4 surgeries last year, became a grandma, and will be losing my job this summer. I think I earned a midlife crisis, right? So what did I do about it? I got my belly button pierced!!!!! I love it & if you want to see it, check out the last page of my tummy tuck album at http://photobucket.com/albums/b69/dixielee50/ Feel free to explore through my albums. I love to share htem.
Dixie