Wendy Kohlhoff

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Bill and I are doing fine.  I've passed up my goal weight of 155 and now weigh 135 (give or take two pounds) throughtout the week.
We both are loving our new lives. 
Bill had his plastic surgery (Tummy tuck and brachiaplasty *arms*) done a few weeks back.  He's still finding it so strange to look down and actually see his belt :o)  You have to love the little things.
He also convinced me to buy a bikini.  Yes, I bought a two piece bikini.
Still can't believe he talked me into it.  But you know what. I put it on and looked in the mirror and I wasn't horrified, so I guess that's a good thing.
Not sure if I'm brave enough to post a picture. I guess it would look better than my pre-op plastic surgery pics LOL.
Bill still has one plastic surgery procedure to do.  He was supposed to have his chest done at the time of his tummy tuck but Dr. Nazarian was afraid of compromising blood flow to the surgical area. So he goes back in May to finish the job and to get rid of his dreaded "Man boobs" *no laughing* most of you guys had to deal with these things.
Bill has gone from a size 56 pants to a size 38.  I have gone from a 24/26 to a 6/8.  That's half the size I was in highschool at my smallest. So I'm pretty darn happy.

Been a little while since I posted.  So I thought I'd at least make a current post.
I am now almost 3 months post op from my plastic surgeries.  All is well.
Doc cleared me to stop wearing my binder and I enjoy the break from it once in a while but I still wear it.  Sometimes I do feel a little puffy and it helps.
I'm thrilled with the results so far and I think it will only get better as time goes by.
My only complaint now is that some of the dissolvable stitches that were under the skin (that didn't dissolve) are starting to poke their way out and I HATE that.  Gonna get the tweezers out and start going to town on the little buggers.
My hubby took me shopping for basically a new wardrobe the other day.  I hope it wasn't too soon.  I had mostly 12s at home and I had to cinch them up with belts.  I picked up all the jeans in 10s. Thinking I was safe there. And had to get 8s instead.  I even tried on a 6, that would have fit had I not had kinda chubby kneecaps. LOL  But I love my clothes.
I lived in Tees and sweatpants for so long, I had no concept of nice or stylish stuff. But now everything is cute and adorable and fitted.  My casual stuff could pass for semi fancy. It's a nice feel.
I have even bought heels and tall boots. Which I never would have attempted before.
My husband will be getting his plastic surgeries in December sometime I think. We have to wait until soccer season is over because we are coaching my daughter's team in AYSO again this year.  The difference is...We can keep up with the girls this year :o)

I added a handfull of pictures from before my plastic surgery and after. I think it posted the after first, but I guess that's okay.
The before pics were taken the night before surgery on June 5th, 2007.  And my after surgery photos were taken June 18th,  twelve days post surgery.
I still have two surgical drains remaining that I'll be getting out at the end of this week, I pinned them to my shorts so they are kind of out of the way.
I'm also still very swollen, but all in all I think it's an ominous change from before.  Just wanted to share...I'll post more pics after I'm all healed in a few weeks.

 I should have posted sooner. I'm doing just fine since my 3 plastic surgeries on June 6th.
I had my Tummy, arms and thighs done all at once by Dr. Nazarian. He's AWESOME!!! 
Here's a little informational post. I'll try to be honest but not to graphic.
We went to the hospital early Wednesday morning on the 6th of June.
We left home about 4 am. Got to the hospital about 5:30 am. (The same hospital Bill and I had our RNY surgery at in April of 06.
 Got checked in and waited for them to come and get me.
Nurse came to get me about 6:30 Surgery was scheduled for 7:30.
She was familiar to me. So I told her how she'd been one of the ones that took care of Bill and I after our weight loss surgery a year ago. She remembered us. So did almost everyone else. That was kinda neat.
I got all dressed (or undressed) for the surgery. They took my blood to make sure I wasn't pregnant...LOL That would have been hard to explain since Bill's had a vasectomy. But I was fine.
Doc said it would be a lonnnnnnnggggg surgery. Like 12 or 13 hours.  He considers this an art and takes his time on everything. That was a little scary. I wasn't sure how I felt about being under anesthesia for that long. They told Bill he should get breakfast and lunch and maybe see a movie during the day.  Poor guy I felt soooooo bad.
I got my entire body drawn on by my surgeon, he explained everything he could and promised he'd take good care of me. And I knew he would. He was telling me how if he made it  too tight would possibly damage blood supply, Too loose wouldn't make me happy so he was going to get it just right. :o) 
I got my back painted with cold surgical cleaning solution so it would be sterile if they had to do anything else during the procedures..
I got my IV and that's all she wrote.  Seriously. I still have yet to know they are putting me out. Everytime... I'm just chatting away with Doctor Jackson, the anesthesiologist and then it's lights out.
They woke me up and it was late. I know it was like a 13.5 hour surgery.
I always shake bad for hours after anesthesia and Bill was right there. I don't remember much, but everytime I'd start to wake up and start to shake uncontrollably, he would stroke my face and it would just stop. There really wasn't much pain.  The nurse said she asked me and I said it was a 3. (that's not bad) and it wasn't bad.  All the incisions on my thighs, groin, tummy, back and arms were pretty numb so relatively painless. I was surprised.  My stomach hurt but he had removed and stretched out muscle and re anchored it along with the tummy tuck and I think that's still what causes any pain I had.
I had a really hard time waking up all night long. I don't remember much.
Except they kept piling on blankets on me to keep me warm and my poor husband Bill had just one blanket and a cot and he was freezing. I kept trying to focus and tell him to take some of my blankets I had like 7 on me. But I couldn't make a coherent sentence yet.
In the very early morning, I realized that the anesthesia was wearing off but I was still feeling loopy and finally stopped letting them give me pain meds. I wanted to wake up and be alert and have breakfast with my husband and go home. So I dealt with a little more pain for a clearer head.
Surgeon came in, unwrapped my bindings and showed me my new stomach. (YES IT'S FLAT) and my new belly button was really high, and it looks like the naval of an orange, rather than some deep cavernous cave like I used to have...LOL
 But I've never had a flat stomach ever, so I didn't know this was normal placement for the new button...
He was REALLY proud of his work! He just beamed at how awesome he did. It was funny. And he said after breakfast, I could go home.
Cool.
So we went home. I still had 6 surgical drains, one in each thigh, one in each arm and 2 in my tummy. I don't like them though, but I dealt with it.
Bill took wonderful care of me.
I now only have two drains in my stomach. (got 4 out five days out of surgery)  So they get tucked up in my shirt.  I look like I'm hoarding a little hourglass or something under my shirt. But better 2 than 6. I get my stomach drains out on the 21st.
I keep waiting to see if some store owner is going to think I am shoplifting or something. I laughed and said I'll just show them what it is....Ewwwwwwww. It would serve them right.
Bill had a binding garment custom made for me.  It's awesome.  It fits so tight, I have to have help putting it on, but the more support, the better the outcome will be.  I think I have to wear it for a while, so I'm glad it's comfortable.

Any complications? Just a couple.  I had an allergic reaction to my antibiotic and got hives pretty bad.  I got that changed to a new one, and those cleared up.
Then I started getting a weird temperature fluctuation. My temperature would go from 94 degrees to 101 degrees all day long.  As we started discussing it with he doctor, I thought maybe it was a narcotic interaction, so I stopped taking the vicodin pill that I was taking at night, and as of a couple days ago, I have been fine. I'm finally sleeping thru the night and having VERY strange dreams now though.
Saw the doctor the other day to make sure those temperature issues stopped.
He, for the third time ranted and raved about my new tummy. And says Bill
has been so great. He wants to hire him. He says none of his patients come in looking so good and so cared for as I have been. Thanks Bill!!!!!
He is an amazing hubby....
I'm still pretty puffy from swelling, but it's better than I thought it would be.
I've been taking things pretty easy, but Friday night.
we went out to see Fantastic Four 2.
I will try to take a couple post op pics soon. Maybe in my bathing suit. I took a coupke before pics, I'll take some soon before i'm healed and I'll take some later when all is right with the world.
I will. I promise...Just getting my nerve up. To put that bathing suit on again.

Yesterday was my pre-op appointment for my plastic surgery.  I had to talk to the surgeon and get my bloodwork done.  All in all it was a good day.
First I met this very nice girl that is going through the process of getting approved for weightloss surgery...Somehow she just knew I'd had it so we chatted up a storm...I hope I was helpful.  I also told her about OH here.  Maybe she'll stop by and join.
Saw the doctor.  Found out about what he's going to do to me...Still terrified, but it sounds like eventually it will be so good.
I don't wanna get my hopes up...You know, and get dissapointed, but he showed me where the incisions will be made and it covered a lot more area than I thought it would. Hip to hip...I was so worried I'd still have my saddle bags after. And when he does my arms, he may try to get my side by my chest as well. And the thighs too.....
Getting excited too now.
I wore a new dress that my daughter's bought me for Mother's Day and  a new "Wonder" bra that I bought.  I felt good. And with a lot of denile prior, finally admitted I looked good.  Got so many sweet compliments that day, I thought I'd leave with cavities.
Speaking of cavities...I'm going to get my bottom braces put on my teeth today...Wish me luck.  I don't think I'll be happy.  I've been pretty depressed about the top ones, but at least they are clear, the bottom ones have to be silver because my teeth are just too small. *Pouts*
But I guess. I'm in it this far, might as well go all the way.
Anyway...My plastic surgery is June 6th and my Gastric Bypass Surgeon is doing it. So I know and trust him already.  He's going on a little family vacation and he's returning right before my surgery date...Another plus I think...He'll be well rested and bright eyed and bushy tailed :o)
Oh did I mention that the other day I bought my first little black cocktail dress...Literally little black dress...It's a size 10. (I'm still pinching myself)

I was laughing at myself today.  I used to not do anything for myself. Never spent money on clothes, never treated myself to something special. I only did for others in my family.
One time...After my father in law passed away, I used a little of the money he left us to get laser eye surgery.  I knew it was something he would have wanted me to do.  That was it.
But after GBS one year ago, I seem to have found a new lease on life.  I care about how I look, how I feel, how other's perceive me.  I hope that doesn't come across as conceited...Because I'm not.
I have my plastic surgeries planned for June 6th.  Lets fix the tummy, arms and thighs all at once. And last Tuesday...What did I do?
I went and got braces for my teeth.  I'm 37 years old people and I got braces.  25 years late on that.  I joked with my hubby that maybe people will think I'm younger now.
So new wardrobe, 20/20 eyesight, straight teeth, no tummy or floppy arms and legs...What's next on the horizon?
Guess we'll see.

Well I did something silly...I entered a radio contest.
It was a local radio contest for 100.1 The Edge.  Called "Bust You Up"
We have a famous plastic surgeon out here named Dr. Chesky.  He's on TV and stuff and he advertises on their station.  We he thought he'd give away a "Boob job" okay Breast augmentation. 
I thought I'll we had to do to enter was to write a little short biography about ourselves...So in fun, I did it.  Told them how I'd suffered from obesity since I was 20, and had weight loss surgery last year and
lost 120 lbs...Sadly most of that I think was in my chest.
Well I was a finalist in the game...But it wasn't just a biography.  The finalists had to compete in games and stuff on the radio.  And I was gone to Maui the week they started it.
Unfortunately, the players get voted off by the listeners and since I wasn't there that first week, they must have gotten a little ticked at me and I was one of the first voted off.  Me and this other lady (She seemed a little chubby and older like me, perhaps in our 30s) got the boot.
Lets just say pretty much the rest of the 9 ladies in the contest looked like little cheerleader types.  I figured it would be a popularity contest and I never expected to win. But I was a finalist and that's pretty cool.
I never would have given up going to Maui with the love of my life over a possible set of new "hooters". LOL
The radio host completely agreed with me.
Besides I hear that push up bras and those little gel inserts are all the in thing now :o)

Well it's been one year for both Bill and I.
It's very exciting for me.  I know it's always a hard road to do the surgery and recover, and get the weight off, but the rewards outweigh all that.
Bill has lost almost 180 lbs. And I've lost almost 120 lbs...I fluctuate a lb or two, but I'm almost to goal. (Wow that's almost 300 lbs between us...We lost the equivilent of an obese person)
I'm working on getting my plastic surgeries scheduled in June, I'm sure I'll lose those last few pounds I want gone by the time they remove all this skin.
So if you are a year out from surgery, how did you celebrate?
I'm learning more and more how to reward myself with things that don't involve food for celebrations. 
Bill and I went all out for ours.  It's a big deal. We are alive and healthier than I think we've ever been now.  So we went to Maui for 8 days.  Hawaii has always been a favorite place for us but this time was almost magical.
Where to start?  Plane seats.  We fit. We didn't have to put the center arm rest up, we didn't need seat belt extenders.  I walked straight down the airplane aisle didn't have to turn sideaways.  Oh and the security gal looked at our IDs and gave us the eye.  Yup that's really us.
Maui was awesome.  If you haven't been you need to go.  If you have...Go again.  My God that place is magical.  I do love the big island of Hawaii a little more, but Maui's beaches cannot be beat.
I lved walking and not getting winded.  Being able to climb down or trek up hills to see sights I never could have gotten to before.
But the one thing that really stands out that's really on more of a personal level *blushes* we are back to having a normal "sex life". Like we are in our early twenties again or something.  No more blood pressure medications, no more asthma or fatigue. It was like being on our honeymoon again.  I came home and more than one person said I seemed love struck. And that's a good word for it.  Who knew what my weight had caused me to lose all these years.
So if you are post surgery. Congrats. If you are pre surgery, Good luck. It really is life changing in such a good way.

Happy Surgiversary to us!

 

So No insurance for the plastics...Well Aetna said they'd cover the muscle operation (something hernia thing) so Dr. N is going to do the plastics for me at the same time.  He's going to give me half off of the 3 procedures and the hospital will be covered by Aetna. So out of pocket it will be about $6000, ($2000 per procedure). 
I'm going to make the appointment for sometime in June after my oldest daughter Alycia graduates in May from High school.
Excited and very very scared.  Just like before, I don't like the idea of being put out and the concept of not knowing how painful it will be is daunting.  But forum post seem to say the pain is managable.
*crosses fingers*.
Just wondering how much weight in skin I'll lose...How I'll feel about going home after one day with *eww* drainage tubes. And what size jeans I'll be able to squeeze my butt into after all the swelling is gone.
LOL You know me, just trying to keep positive about it all.