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04/22/08

Apr 21, 2008

Yes you read that right, it's 2008!!!  It's been SOOOO long since I've been here to visit my profile and I've missed it very much!!!  I can't believe all of the amazing changes that OH has made to their site.  I had to copy and paste all of my old profile into new entries, but I think that what I've gone through could be helpful to maybe just ONE person, so I've been sitting here for the past few hours doing that LOL
A lot has happened since my last post LOL  The plastic surgery itsself went great!  I had a full tummy tuck w/ muscle repair, breast lift and implants done.   The first 10 days were VERY rough, my breasts were so swollen and hurt like nothing else!!!  As for the tummy tuck, I had no pain at all.  Apparently it's somewhat normal for people to have nerves severed, and that must've been the case with me, I considered it a blessing though as I don't know what I would've done with all of the pain because I had NONE down in that area!!!  I was very tight and bent over for about a month though!  After I was cleared to lay out in the sun, I was outside in my tankini visiting with friends and noticed that my top looked WET, so I lifted it up and opened the bottoms and noticed I had two HUGE water pouches over my TT incision.  Long story short, I hadn't drained all of the way, and the heat/sun had boiled up my fluids and I ended up with two third degree burn marks above my incision, which resulted in some major extra scarring.  Btw, he did my implants a tad bit bigger than I wanted as well, he said my skin was too stretched out and had to "fill up" what he couldn't take off LOL  They are now DD.  I cried when I bought my first bra, but I now am ok with them LOL
About 9 months out from my plastics, I noticed that my breasts were sagging pretty badly again, so he brought me back into his office May 07 to have my lift redone at no extra cost.  That surgery went fine as well, but I think that my breasts are worse off than before this surgery.  My left implant didn't settle the way that my right one did (I'm assuming that it's because I am right handed and helped to heal the muscle better/faster) and I am considering going back to him one more time before leaving Germany this September to attempt to correct it one more time.  The only reason I'm considering this is because it's at his cost once again, and if I wait until we get to the States, I will end up paying out of pocket again!  He's an amazing surgeon, for anyone here in Germany, please do NOT let my dilema's detour you from using him!  I would reccomend him 100 times over!!
On the weight loss front, I've gained slightly.  I was doing very well, maintaining between 130-137, until my period started really acting up, and I went to my GYN and found out I had a grapefruit sized cyst on one of my ovaries.  It took a few months to get things situated and for me to get in for yet another surgery, to have it removed, and in that time and in the time since having the removal, I've gained up to 144 lbs.  I'm thinking it could possibly be from hormones, but I don't know.  I've made the decision to really start working out and trying to drop those pounds again.  My goal is to be at least 135 lbs, but I'd like to get back down to 130 lbs.  
We are awaiting orders to leave Germany and return to the states.  We find out for sure where we're going next month (May) and right now it's looking pretty good that we're coming/going back to Texas, but this time in the San Antonio area.  
I've been a housewive since living over here and have decided that I'd like to go to nursing school and do something in the bariatric field.  I feel like I've helped a lot of people through my story, and I feel so passionately about the gift this can be, I'd like to help others for a living!
Anyhow, I am going to try and become more active with this site again, and keep my profile updated!  So if you care to be my support, or to become friends and you're reading this!  I welcome you!!!!

05/15/06

Apr 21, 2008

Well I am getting really excited about my plastic surgery!!!
Only............ to go :)

The money's out, ready to change hands! My Pre-Op is on Tuesday the 23rd @ 6p in Frankfurt and then he will put me in a bed, I'm assuming to fast me for the night. Then I go in for my surgery the next morning. Don't know the exact time yet, but I am so freaking EXCITED!!

On another note, Ced deployed this past wednesday to the middle east. No worries, he's not in Iraq, he's in a smaller country close to Saudi. I have an awesome friend here who's gonna help me out while I'm down and she's gonna come with me down to Frankfurt.

I'm really nervous too, but too excited to worry too much LOL Ced is gonna be back in four months, so I'll be pretty healed by then and he'll get to see the better end of it, not the nasty begining of the healing process LOL

Anyhow Ya'll wish me luck!!

05/03/06

Apr 21, 2008

okay so a lot has happened since my last post. I found out that I was denied :( It's not REALLY that big of a shocker, but considering that a tricare rep told me since they paid for the gastric bypass I would be garunteed a tt approval, I had a little hope. Oh well, I decided to go ahead with the surgery anyways. I'm having it all done on the 24th of this month! I'm soooooooo excited! I've already signed the contract, decided on the size of the implants (it's a secret ;) ) and transferred the money from my account to theirs :) I'm so exicited I can barely stand it. I'm starting to get prepared for my hubby leaving, my upcoming surgery and the LONG surgery recovery and summer w/ the kiddies and no hubby LOL

I'll be sure to update as soon as I get home and am good to go!! TAKE CARE

04/09/06

Apr 21, 2008

Okay so things aren't going so well on the Tricare paying for plastics events in my life!!! So after my last posting, the lady from the main European office contacted me again and she informed me that I had actually been DEINED for the breast surgery!!! She and I were both in shock that I had been denied yet a surgery was still scheduled!!!! Needless to say, that was a real blow, I was so upset I cried. If I would have just been denied from the jump, it would've been one thing, but to have been lead to believe that I was approved, have had surgery scheduled only to find this out, it was not cool. So I figured screw it, Ced is getting his yearly reenlistment bonus next month, so I went ahead and called the doc in Frankfurt to set up an appt for my breasts. The Tricare lady also wanted to know why I hadn't tried for a tummy tuck and I told her that I was told I was approved for it as well, and she said no paperwork had even been submitted for it!!!! I told her I had made the appt w/ the surgeon, so she rushed the referral for the tummy tuck. I had my appt w/ him on Saturday and am very pleased with him. He did say that he didn't think that Tricare would approve me, because he has NEVER had any tummy tucks approved through Tricare, but we should still try since they paid for my WLS (I also had been previously told by a Tricare rep that because they paid for my WLS they would automatically approve me for tummy tuck~I guess we'll SEE LOL). I am going to have the Lift, Augmentation, and TT done at the same time and if Tricare approved me for the TT, my breasts will be around $3000-3500!! If not, all three procedures will cost me $7,000. I was lucky enough to have been told about this doc. He did all of his certifications in America, he does Dollar for Euro (the Euro rate is KILLING the doc, so if he didn't do that, it would've been WAY more) and he was very open and honest about his issues in the past (how many ppl w/ infections he's had, etc.) Keep me in your prayers please cause I would much rather pay $3000 than $7000, but even $7000 for all three procedures is GREAT!!!!

On another note, I, for some reason, have gained like 7 lbs out of no where in less than a WEEK!!!!! I don't know what the hell is going on, but I am NOT happy about it!! Just thought I'd share :)

04/04/06

Apr 21, 2008

Hey everybody, just thought I should fill ya'll in on what's going on with my plastics. So the Tricare office here in Bitburg had my surgery for my breast lift scheduled for May 3rd, but I just really started thinking about it and was NOT comfortable with this doctor, so I got a hair up my ass and decided to call the main European office and find out if I could go to another doctor. I already had one in Frankfurt in mind. So anyhow, as I'm talking to the lady she tells me that yes, I can go to this doctor but asks me the name of the doctor I was supposed to be going to, so she could cancell the surgery, only to tell me that he's not even approved by Tricare to do surgery! WOW.......I asked her what would've happened if I would've had surgery w/ him and she said "you could've ended up paying out of pocket for a portion or ALL of the surgery". I would NOT have been happy!!! So now, I'm waiting on the office here to get off their asses and set up another consultation with the doctor in Frankfurt. Kind of bummed out because I already had the lift and tummy tuck approved and was only a few weeks away from having my breasts fixed, but happy that I'm not going to him. He wasn't trying to hear my concerns/needs and I just wasn't comfortable with him. Now I'm going to have to go through the whole approval process again. I'm just praying that this doctor doesn't take as long as the other one did!!! Another downside is that my hubby is deploying next month, so now I'm probably going to be having my surgery while he's gone (unless it takes as long as this last one did), but I'm blessed enough to have some really good friends here who are willing to take care of the kids while I'm down and also come and help me out! I'll be sure to update again as soon as I find something out!!!

Next Friday is my two year anniversary btw! I can't believe how great my life has been for the last two years, all thanks to gastric bypass!!

01/26/06

Apr 21, 2008

Okay this isn't an update, I just have to share something that I am so proud, honored and excited about!! My surgeons office (Dr. Einspanier & Dr. Frazee) are trying to put together and publish a cookbook for WLS patients and maybe even sell it nationally, and I keep in contact with one of their nurses and she had emailed me about the project and asked if I wanted to submit a testimonial and before/after pictures. I would do ANYTHING for the people in this office, so of course I wrote a testimonial and emailed Michelle my pictures and today she emailed me and said that Dr. Frazee would like to use my Before/After pictures as the cover of the cookbook and insert my testimonial towards the front of the book!!! WOW is all I can say! If I wasn't already so proud of myself for my accomplishments, I AM NOW! I will be sure to keep you all up to date about what's happening and even where/how you can purchase the book if you'd like :)

01/24/06

Apr 21, 2008

I figured I should go ahead and update what happened with the plastic surgeon since I hadn't done so yet. It went PRETTY well, he agrees I definately NEED the breast lift and could benefit from a tummy tuck as well, which is AWESOME news!!! He doesn't want to do both surgeries at once since one pulls up and the other pulls down (although I think that OTHER people do it like this) and wants to proceed with my breasts first. He sent me for a mamogram to make sure they were healthy and now he's waiting on the report from the radiologist and then he will submit his report w/ a request to Tricare to pay for the costs for both procedures. The one BAD thing was that when I mentioned possibly getting implants as well, he seemed to have wanted no part in it. I told him of my desire to have implants and he said that I would have "plenty of my own tissue left to fill a good sized cup". I asked him what size he was talking about and he said a "SMALL B" !!!!! WHAT?!?!?!?! Okay for those of you who have known me forever, I was BORN with C cups, and as shallow as this sounds my breasts are a big part of me. The thought of having SMALL B's makes me feel a little numb inside. I am in no way comparing myself to a breast cancer survivor, but when those ladies have masectomy's and then have their breasts re done because they feel like a part of them is missing, this is how I feel. I lost my breasts due to weight loss rather than cancer, but it's the same effect to me. Anyhow, I am going to wait until my approve/denial comes and take it from there. He did say "well we can do the lift, and if later you want implants we can go back in and do them". Why would I want to have TWO surgeries when I can do them both at once, and financially, it would be a whole hell of a lot cheaper to just pay for implants out of pocket, rather than paying for the whole implant procedure out of pocket. I'd just have to pay for the actual implants themselves if Tricare were to approve me for a lift. I found a really cool message board on a site called HelpMeHeal.com today and there is a plastic surgeon from Houston who's on the board so I dropped him a line and asked him for his opinion, and he told me I am JUST in my thoughts on this. He also said that normally WLS patients do NEED implants with a lift, especially someone with my story. I'm just going to wait for the approval/denial from Tricare and go from there. I'll be sure to update as soon as I find something out. The Tricare rep told me it would be about 3- weeks so I should hopefully know something by Valentines day. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers that it goes well.

01/11/06

Apr 21, 2008

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone! Hope all who read this had a wonderful holiday season! Here's another year to continued success in all of our journeys :)

I had a great visit to the states, got to visit the in-laws for a few weeks in Dallas, made a side trip to Las Vegas to visit my best friend for New Years and had a blast!!

I am so excited, I have my first consultation with a plastic surgeon on Friday. I am really nervous that it's not going to go the way I want it to or I'm not going to get approved. Wish me luck! I am going to try and get approved for a tummy tuck and a breast lift w/ augmentations. I am POSITIVE that Tricare won't cover the implants, but if I can get them to pay for the lift, I plan on paying for the implants out of pocket. I will be sure to get on here this weekend and fill you in on what the doc has to say!

TTFN!

11/08/05

Apr 21, 2008

Hi everyone! I hope this update finds all my favorite ppl out there well and ready for the holidays! I KNOW I AM! My mommy and daddy are coming over for their first European vacation in two weeks and I can't wait!!! Don't really care about thanksgiving since I don't eat much, but I am so looking forward to my parents' visit :)

I am starting now to look into having some plastic surgery done. Not going so well with Tricare thus far. Anyone have and stories or advice for me. I REALLY REALLY need a breast lift and would love to have a tummy tuck. I have already been told they WONT approve a lift, but the doc put in a referral for a "reduction" for me. Hopefully the german surgeon I go and see will be willing to put it in like that. As for the tummy tuck, they are giving me hell about that and now I am being asked to come back in to see my PCM so she can submit a package to the surgeon. It's really frustrating!!! Hubbys says we'll pay out of pocket for my BL if we have to, but I KNOW we can't afford TWO procedures out of pocket so hopefully they will pay for at least one!!!!

I am so happy with the results I have gotten from the WLS and I am still YOUNG so I would love to be totally happy with my body you know? Is that too much to ask?? LOL

Anyhow hope everyone is doing good. If you haven't said hello to me in awhile, please do! I MISS all my wls support!!!!

08/29/05

Apr 21, 2008

Ok so we moved again.....we're at our second base now. I actually LOVE the house and the community up here is great, but it's out in the country LOL You get all the smells of farm and funk, but it's sooo pretty up here it's worth it :) We're finally settling in and JC started school today, the girls start next monday. What am I gonna do with my time? I'm actually gonna start hitting up the gym after I drop them off and hopfully starting down that path which I should've taken from the begining of this journey. Hopefully it's not too late! That is definately one thing I regret cause my body is sagging like it's nobody's business and from what it looks like, I won't be getting any help from Tricare over here with plastics. I am very depressed about the way my breasts look and they will DEFINATELY have to be fixed, there is nothing I can do about them, but hubby said we'd take care of that ourselves if need be.
About Me
Bitburg, TX
Location
25.5
BMI
RNY
Surgery
04/14/2004
Surgery Date
Feb 08, 2004
Member Since
Before & After
rollover to see after photo
this was pre op and I weighed in at 250 the day of surgery
240lbs
140 lbs Valentines Day '08
140lbs
Friends 6
Latest Blog 51
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