zzroged
When does the head catch up with the body after WL?
Jul 18, 2011
I read a post on a UK weight loss forum titled Body dysmorphia which I could really relate to - here's a few words from some of the comments which really stood out to me :
* I know that the trousers I bought this week are a 12 and probably a little loose - I know that my size 14s are too big.
* What I can't do is see myself as a smaller person.
* I still think of myself as fat.
* Do you think it might just be a consequence of losing weight so quickly after a lifetime of being fat?
* Will I adjust eventually?
* I can not hold up an item of clothing and guess whether or not it will fit, and constantly try on a few sizes too big.
Here's a link to the site, if you want to read more : www.wlsinfo.org.uk/forums/showthread.php
I guess I wondering when my head will catch up with my body so that I don't relate so much to the comments above.
I KNOW :
I've lost 139lbs
Reduced my BMI from 46 to 25.1 and am so nearly normal on the BMI scale - 1lb away
I've gone from a clothes size UK 24 to UK 10 (US 20 to US 6)
I've reduced my body fat from 49% to 22%
I CAN SEE :
That I've toned up and I can certainly see that I am smaller than I did when I started
That the excess skin and fat are no longer there (I've just had plastic surgery)
I have shape and curves and definition
I CAN FEEL :
That I'm smaller, leaner, more agile, more sexy
That I'm fitter NOT fatter
BUT what I struggle to see and am coming to terms with is how I am in comparison with friends and others - I still see myself as being bigger than them, even though I'm now smaller than some of them and the same size as others - it's weird isn't it? My context is all changed.
Here's a few examples of what I mean :
I met my pilates teacher the other day whom i've not seen since before my plastic surgery, she commented on how great I look and then asked what size clothes I am wearing - I told her UK 10/12 and she said "that's the same as me" - and I was astounded - because I would never have thought that and that's not what I see - I still see me as much larger than her !
Gok Wan presenter of How to Look Good Naked www.channel4.com/programmes/how-to-look-good-naked is really good at helping women come to terms with accepting their body shape and I really recommend taking a look at his show and/or reading his books.
I've just had a thigh lift and my still swollen thighs are 22 1/2 inches (they started at 31 inches before I had my sleeve) and I keep looking at them trying to decide if the surgeon did enough work, are they too big, are they in proportion to my body etc ...
So here's a perfect example of what Gok does to help put things in perspective (this one is specifically focused on a lady who thinks she has large thighs www.howcast.com/videos/337234-How-To-Look-Good-Naked-Line-Up-Of-Thighs. I can relate to this one in particular, but thanks to Gok I've just realised that my thighs are now average for the UK and am getting some more perspective on this.
He does lots of different comparisons of different body issues and almost every single time the person with the 'issue' puts themselves completely at the wrong place in the line up and they have to re-evaulate their perspective when they are told where they really are - so I guess what I'm saying is - I'm not alone in this head/body catch up journey - it happens to us all.
But when does it all join up? and when does our head perspective catch up with our body?
I'm not too sure - but what I know is that I didn't gain the weight as quickly as I've lost it and undergone my transformation - so I should expect my head to take a while to catch up. After all in just 16 months I've achieved a lot and have undergone rapid adjustment.
The one phrase which really stuck a chord with me from the UK posting is this one
* I think it's just adjustment though, because I am really happy with my size and shape now.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO LOOK BACK AT WHERE WE STARTED TO REMIND OURSELVES JUST HOW FAR WE'VE COME
I Love my Sleeve !
2 comments
* I know that the trousers I bought this week are a 12 and probably a little loose - I know that my size 14s are too big.
* What I can't do is see myself as a smaller person.
* I still think of myself as fat.
* Do you think it might just be a consequence of losing weight so quickly after a lifetime of being fat?
* Will I adjust eventually?
* I can not hold up an item of clothing and guess whether or not it will fit, and constantly try on a few sizes too big.
Here's a link to the site, if you want to read more : www.wlsinfo.org.uk/forums/showthread.php
I guess I wondering when my head will catch up with my body so that I don't relate so much to the comments above.
I KNOW :
I've lost 139lbs
Reduced my BMI from 46 to 25.1 and am so nearly normal on the BMI scale - 1lb away
I've gone from a clothes size UK 24 to UK 10 (US 20 to US 6)
I've reduced my body fat from 49% to 22%
I CAN SEE :
That I've toned up and I can certainly see that I am smaller than I did when I started
That the excess skin and fat are no longer there (I've just had plastic surgery)
I have shape and curves and definition
I CAN FEEL :
That I'm smaller, leaner, more agile, more sexy
That I'm fitter NOT fatter
BUT what I struggle to see and am coming to terms with is how I am in comparison with friends and others - I still see myself as being bigger than them, even though I'm now smaller than some of them and the same size as others - it's weird isn't it? My context is all changed.
Here's a few examples of what I mean :
I met my pilates teacher the other day whom i've not seen since before my plastic surgery, she commented on how great I look and then asked what size clothes I am wearing - I told her UK 10/12 and she said "that's the same as me" - and I was astounded - because I would never have thought that and that's not what I see - I still see me as much larger than her !
Gok Wan presenter of How to Look Good Naked www.channel4.com/programmes/how-to-look-good-naked is really good at helping women come to terms with accepting their body shape and I really recommend taking a look at his show and/or reading his books.
I've just had a thigh lift and my still swollen thighs are 22 1/2 inches (they started at 31 inches before I had my sleeve) and I keep looking at them trying to decide if the surgeon did enough work, are they too big, are they in proportion to my body etc ...
So here's a perfect example of what Gok does to help put things in perspective (this one is specifically focused on a lady who thinks she has large thighs www.howcast.com/videos/337234-How-To-Look-Good-Naked-Line-Up-Of-Thighs. I can relate to this one in particular, but thanks to Gok I've just realised that my thighs are now average for the UK and am getting some more perspective on this.
He does lots of different comparisons of different body issues and almost every single time the person with the 'issue' puts themselves completely at the wrong place in the line up and they have to re-evaulate their perspective when they are told where they really are - so I guess what I'm saying is - I'm not alone in this head/body catch up journey - it happens to us all.
But when does it all join up? and when does our head perspective catch up with our body?
I'm not too sure - but what I know is that I didn't gain the weight as quickly as I've lost it and undergone my transformation - so I should expect my head to take a while to catch up. After all in just 16 months I've achieved a lot and have undergone rapid adjustment.
The one phrase which really stuck a chord with me from the UK posting is this one
* I think it's just adjustment though, because I am really happy with my size and shape now.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO LOOK BACK AT WHERE WE STARTED TO REMIND OURSELVES JUST HOW FAR WE'VE COME
I Love my Sleeve !
No exercise = frustrated ! & The 4 Hour Body
Jul 16, 2011
Mmmm - I guess this is a new area for me - I'm officially frustrated at not being able to exercise ! NEVER did I think that a 'formerly fattie' (aka ME !) - would be complaining about lack of exercise - but there you have it - it's true !
I've had two sets of plastic surgery - TT with muscle repair and breast lift 2 1/2 months ago and an inner thigh lift and arm lift 5 weeks ago. My surgeon is very strict on resuming exercise after surgery and has a 2 month block - so by the time I'm cleared for exercise from the second round of surgery it will be almost 5 months since I've been able to exercise and I normally would exercise at least 5 days a week.
So - technically I'm cleared now for exercise of my abdominal muscles - but have you ever tried to exercise your tummy without using your arms and legs ? slightly difficult if not near impossible !! I guess I didn't think that through when I was staging my surgeries - but I guess it would be difficult to stage tummy and thighs together as there are opposing forces with the surgeries - and also I don't think that I would fancy having the two surgeries together - particularly as I'm going through a tough recovery with my thighs. Seriously the arms and breast are such a walk in the park compared to the thigh lift !
(I am walking - but having to restrict this to indoor walking in the malls as it's really hot here and I'm still wearing compression garments -making it hotter - and I still have healing incisions on my thighs so have to go careful - and frankly walking doesn't do it for me - I like to get hot & sweaty and get my heart rate really high - and walking doesn't do this for me anymore)
I guess I'm frustrated as :
a) I'm really missing exercise - I miss the physical exertion and the routine
b) I miss the fantastic feel good feeling that I get when I've finished
c) I'm losing muscle definition in my arms, legs and abs - something which I worked really hard to get through a heap of exercise
d) I'm missing the sense of achievement at challenging my body to do more - higher intensity/lift heavier weight/run faster/run further etc
So there you have it - I'm missing exercise and am becoming body vane !
I guess as I've got slimmer and fitter I have become much more aware of my body shape and composition - and was beginning to like how I looked in the mirror (with the exception of the fat and excess skin which I've now dealt with). I liked the muscle tone and definition I was beginning to shape - and whilst I know the muscles are still there - they are not as defined - HOWEVER - I know they'll come back when I'm cleared for exercise - so I'll just have to be patient and wait up for being cleared in approx 1 months time. In the meantime I'll spend some time doing research on new exercise routines and planning a programme to get me running again and how to improve my timing for the next 1/2 marathon I've entered in Feb next year.
I'm also reading Tim Ferris - the 4 Hour Body www.fourhourbody.com/ which is quite interesting - see the strapline below !
4 comments
I've had two sets of plastic surgery - TT with muscle repair and breast lift 2 1/2 months ago and an inner thigh lift and arm lift 5 weeks ago. My surgeon is very strict on resuming exercise after surgery and has a 2 month block - so by the time I'm cleared for exercise from the second round of surgery it will be almost 5 months since I've been able to exercise and I normally would exercise at least 5 days a week.
So - technically I'm cleared now for exercise of my abdominal muscles - but have you ever tried to exercise your tummy without using your arms and legs ? slightly difficult if not near impossible !! I guess I didn't think that through when I was staging my surgeries - but I guess it would be difficult to stage tummy and thighs together as there are opposing forces with the surgeries - and also I don't think that I would fancy having the two surgeries together - particularly as I'm going through a tough recovery with my thighs. Seriously the arms and breast are such a walk in the park compared to the thigh lift !
(I am walking - but having to restrict this to indoor walking in the malls as it's really hot here and I'm still wearing compression garments -making it hotter - and I still have healing incisions on my thighs so have to go careful - and frankly walking doesn't do it for me - I like to get hot & sweaty and get my heart rate really high - and walking doesn't do this for me anymore)
I guess I'm frustrated as :
a) I'm really missing exercise - I miss the physical exertion and the routine
b) I miss the fantastic feel good feeling that I get when I've finished
c) I'm losing muscle definition in my arms, legs and abs - something which I worked really hard to get through a heap of exercise
d) I'm missing the sense of achievement at challenging my body to do more - higher intensity/lift heavier weight/run faster/run further etc
So there you have it - I'm missing exercise and am becoming body vane !
I guess as I've got slimmer and fitter I have become much more aware of my body shape and composition - and was beginning to like how I looked in the mirror (with the exception of the fat and excess skin which I've now dealt with). I liked the muscle tone and definition I was beginning to shape - and whilst I know the muscles are still there - they are not as defined - HOWEVER - I know they'll come back when I'm cleared for exercise - so I'll just have to be patient and wait up for being cleared in approx 1 months time. In the meantime I'll spend some time doing research on new exercise routines and planning a programme to get me running again and how to improve my timing for the next 1/2 marathon I've entered in Feb next year.
I'm also reading Tim Ferris - the 4 Hour Body www.fourhourbody.com/ which is quite interesting - see the strapline below !
An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman
VSG Dumping - Yuck and my new 'ultimate goal'
Jul 14, 2011
Urrrgh - I feel so ill - and all because of a little bit of peanut butter !
I just had some peanut butter and then OMG have I dumped on it - you know the feeling - sweating, clammy, feeling sick, feeling tired - yuck. The peanut butter - which I thought would be a nice treat today - is now in the bin as it makes me feel yuck. I thought that my dumping days were over - but oh no they are not ! - just goes to show that sleevie is in charge and not me !
Early on in my weight loss journey I dumped on syrup and have avoided syrup since then which is no bad thing - but I seem to be ok on sugar in other forms - albeit I eat in moderation eg 1/2 a muffin, 1/2 a scone etc. But today, 16 months out, for some reason peanut butter has not gone down well even though I've had it before and been ok on it - so I've decided to avoid it going forward - not such a bad thing as peanut butter is always a bit moreish to me - and anyway- who can stop at a tablespoon full of deliciousness? and the calories are always really high.
Anyway, I'm just 1lb away from goal and peanut butter isn't going to help me get there.
How come 1 lb seems so near and yet so far away ? Anyway - I'm going to commit here - publicly - to avoid peanut butter and all non veg/fruit/dairy carbs until I get to my normal BMI goal (1lb away) and until I reach my "ultimate goal" - half of the highest weight I've ever been - which is just 6lbs away.
I know the last 6lbs are going to be hard - after all I'm not exercising at all at the moment due to my recent plastic surgery, and the last few pounds are always the hardest - but here goes nothing - I WILL GET THERE and am going to target getting these last 6lbs off by the end of Aug.
Wish me Luck !
Debbie
2 comments
I just had some peanut butter and then OMG have I dumped on it - you know the feeling - sweating, clammy, feeling sick, feeling tired - yuck. The peanut butter - which I thought would be a nice treat today - is now in the bin as it makes me feel yuck. I thought that my dumping days were over - but oh no they are not ! - just goes to show that sleevie is in charge and not me !
Early on in my weight loss journey I dumped on syrup and have avoided syrup since then which is no bad thing - but I seem to be ok on sugar in other forms - albeit I eat in moderation eg 1/2 a muffin, 1/2 a scone etc. But today, 16 months out, for some reason peanut butter has not gone down well even though I've had it before and been ok on it - so I've decided to avoid it going forward - not such a bad thing as peanut butter is always a bit moreish to me - and anyway- who can stop at a tablespoon full of deliciousness? and the calories are always really high.
Anyway, I'm just 1lb away from goal and peanut butter isn't going to help me get there.
How come 1 lb seems so near and yet so far away ? Anyway - I'm going to commit here - publicly - to avoid peanut butter and all non veg/fruit/dairy carbs until I get to my normal BMI goal (1lb away) and until I reach my "ultimate goal" - half of the highest weight I've ever been - which is just 6lbs away.
I know the last 6lbs are going to be hard - after all I'm not exercising at all at the moment due to my recent plastic surgery, and the last few pounds are always the hardest - but here goes nothing - I WILL GET THERE and am going to target getting these last 6lbs off by the end of Aug.
Wish me Luck !
Debbie
Arm & Thigh Lift - 4 weeks out - Pics
Jul 12, 2011
Sunday was the 4 week anniversary of my inner thigh and arm lift following a TT with muscle repair and breast lift 7 weeks before then.
Overall I'm doing well - I developed a hematoma in my right thigh about 2 weeks after surgery which had to be manually drained (yuck) and then syringe drained a week later which I've blogged about before. As a result of the extra weight of the hematoma I also popped some stitches in my groin incision and also along the innner thigh which meant that the incision didn't heal up as quickly as the left leg. It also means that I'll need to have minor revision work done once I'm healed. The right thigh is still not fully healed up, but it's getting better each day and i'm confident that by my next appt with the surgeon the incision will be fully closed up.
I have to admit I'm getting somewhat fed up of dressing/redressing wounds - seems like I've been doing it for the last few months - and I guess apart from a 2 week gap between my TT/breast lift recovery and thigh/arm lift - that's true ! - it will be nice to move to not needing to dress any wounds and just being able to leave them alone !
Despite the complication (and the swelling which is still a lot) I'm pleased with the results on my arms and thighs and whilst the thighs are the hardest surgery to recover from in terms of discomfort and swelling, it's still worth it ! I think that the thighs are still very swollen and will take longer to go down than the arms etc.
I'm still not cleared for driving - he wants my incisions to be fully healed up first - and whilst this is frustrating - I think he's right - as the tension does pull and make it uncomfortable when I get in & out of my 4x4 - and I know I would be in the car constantly if I was cleared to drive !
I'm cleared to start using silicon strips on my arms and one of my thighs so have started on this, plus I am using Contractubex on the scars which is what my surgeon recommends for scar management - it smells pretty vile, but seems to be doing the job on my other surgery incisions so I'll carry on working with it.
I'm still wearing compression 24/7 - my surgeon wants me to stay in them as long as possible - suggests 2 months 24/7 will give the best results as my skin is quite thin and he said that there is a danger the skin can stretch whilst it's swollen - so whilst I have a big love/hate relationship with the compression garments - I'll follow his instructions and carry on wearing them - I am hunting for some new ones but am having problems sourcing items to be shipped to the UAE - I'll persevere and am sure I'll get some soon. I would like to move to second stage garments which don't have the open crutch and are a little tighter - plus I'd like to order some garments in black which I think will be easier to hide under my workout gear etc - not that I'm cleared for working out - it's just that I am more comfortable wearing sports gear at the moment.
Anyway, must stop rambling - I've included some pictures to show progress.
I've included a couple of the hematoma - you can see what amazing progress my body has made in healing in 2 weeks on the hematoma - once he drained it - it seemed to improve daily - I'm still bruised and swollen more in that area - but I think it's incredible how quickly we can heal after major surgery.
7 comments
Overall I'm doing well - I developed a hematoma in my right thigh about 2 weeks after surgery which had to be manually drained (yuck) and then syringe drained a week later which I've blogged about before. As a result of the extra weight of the hematoma I also popped some stitches in my groin incision and also along the innner thigh which meant that the incision didn't heal up as quickly as the left leg. It also means that I'll need to have minor revision work done once I'm healed. The right thigh is still not fully healed up, but it's getting better each day and i'm confident that by my next appt with the surgeon the incision will be fully closed up.
I have to admit I'm getting somewhat fed up of dressing/redressing wounds - seems like I've been doing it for the last few months - and I guess apart from a 2 week gap between my TT/breast lift recovery and thigh/arm lift - that's true ! - it will be nice to move to not needing to dress any wounds and just being able to leave them alone !
Despite the complication (and the swelling which is still a lot) I'm pleased with the results on my arms and thighs and whilst the thighs are the hardest surgery to recover from in terms of discomfort and swelling, it's still worth it ! I think that the thighs are still very swollen and will take longer to go down than the arms etc.
I'm still not cleared for driving - he wants my incisions to be fully healed up first - and whilst this is frustrating - I think he's right - as the tension does pull and make it uncomfortable when I get in & out of my 4x4 - and I know I would be in the car constantly if I was cleared to drive !
I'm cleared to start using silicon strips on my arms and one of my thighs so have started on this, plus I am using Contractubex on the scars which is what my surgeon recommends for scar management - it smells pretty vile, but seems to be doing the job on my other surgery incisions so I'll carry on working with it.
I'm still wearing compression 24/7 - my surgeon wants me to stay in them as long as possible - suggests 2 months 24/7 will give the best results as my skin is quite thin and he said that there is a danger the skin can stretch whilst it's swollen - so whilst I have a big love/hate relationship with the compression garments - I'll follow his instructions and carry on wearing them - I am hunting for some new ones but am having problems sourcing items to be shipped to the UAE - I'll persevere and am sure I'll get some soon. I would like to move to second stage garments which don't have the open crutch and are a little tighter - plus I'd like to order some garments in black which I think will be easier to hide under my workout gear etc - not that I'm cleared for working out - it's just that I am more comfortable wearing sports gear at the moment.
Anyway, must stop rambling - I've included some pictures to show progress.
I've included a couple of the hematoma - you can see what amazing progress my body has made in healing in 2 weeks on the hematoma - once he drained it - it seemed to improve daily - I'm still bruised and swollen more in that area - but I think it's incredible how quickly we can heal after major surgery.
16 Months Post VSG - 99% EWL - 1lb to final goal
Jul 09, 2011
Yay - 16 Months Post VSG and I'm at 99% of my EWL a loss of 139lbs with my final EWL goal of a normal BMI just 1lb away ! - WOW proof that my sleeve really rocks ! I'm just 10lbs away from being half of my former self which is just weird - how on earth did I allow myself to get so big and not notice/care?
If you are considering a VSG or any other form of weight loss surgery - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT - my only regret? - I wish I had done it sooner. Sure I've had to change the way I eat & take a good look at how I was living my life - but was it worth it? - HELL yes !
EATING for nutrition and energy is the new 'normal' for me - and heh - what's wrong on feasting of chicken, steak, seafood along with lovely fresh veggies and fruit? - with the occassional treat of ice-cream or a macaroon - the thing is I can do all of this and not feel deprived.
EXERCISE is a part of my daily life and I miss it when I don't do - I miss the increased energy it gives me, I miss the new friends I've found through it, I miss the 'feel good' seratonin hit I get, I miss the sense of achievement I get when I do something new or work out at a new intensity - or run a 10k or 1/2 marathon - nothing can beat that feeling.
BODY - I'm loving my new body - now that I've nutured it back to where it should be I'm loving the way in which the weight loss and exercise have toned and firmed me up, I'm loving the results of my plastic surgery which finally remove the saggy bits of me which sadly wouldn't shrink back after too many years of being abused. I'm loving the fact that I feel sexy and confident.
CLOTHES - I'm enjoying shopping for new clothes (poor hubby's not loving the impact on the bank account !). Now I'm shopping for clothes that I LIKE - not which just FIT ! I'm loving that I'm a size 6-8 (who would have ever thought that?). I'm loving that I look great in exercise clothes, dresses, a bikini (my first in about 20 years !) & I'm wearing heels - not flat comfy shoes. I can buy clothes from just about anywhere - not just a few PLUS size shops.
I'm LOVING MY SLEEVE !
3 comments
If you are considering a VSG or any other form of weight loss surgery - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT - my only regret? - I wish I had done it sooner. Sure I've had to change the way I eat & take a good look at how I was living my life - but was it worth it? - HELL yes !
EATING for nutrition and energy is the new 'normal' for me - and heh - what's wrong on feasting of chicken, steak, seafood along with lovely fresh veggies and fruit? - with the occassional treat of ice-cream or a macaroon - the thing is I can do all of this and not feel deprived.
EXERCISE is a part of my daily life and I miss it when I don't do - I miss the increased energy it gives me, I miss the new friends I've found through it, I miss the 'feel good' seratonin hit I get, I miss the sense of achievement I get when I do something new or work out at a new intensity - or run a 10k or 1/2 marathon - nothing can beat that feeling.
BODY - I'm loving my new body - now that I've nutured it back to where it should be I'm loving the way in which the weight loss and exercise have toned and firmed me up, I'm loving the results of my plastic surgery which finally remove the saggy bits of me which sadly wouldn't shrink back after too many years of being abused. I'm loving the fact that I feel sexy and confident.
CLOTHES - I'm enjoying shopping for new clothes (poor hubby's not loving the impact on the bank account !). Now I'm shopping for clothes that I LIKE - not which just FIT ! I'm loving that I'm a size 6-8 (who would have ever thought that?). I'm loving that I look great in exercise clothes, dresses, a bikini (my first in about 20 years !) & I'm wearing heels - not flat comfy shoes. I can buy clothes from just about anywhere - not just a few PLUS size shops.
I'm LOVING MY SLEEVE !
Thigh Lift - Hematoma Update 3 weeks out
Jul 03, 2011
Yesterday I went for my 3 week follow up following my inner thigh lift and arm lift 3 weeks ago.
As I'm now a bit more mobile I decided to take a taxi to the surgery - 30 min ride - then return via the Metro and Mall on my way home - I'm still not cleared for driving for another couple of weeks or so, so braved the hot temperatures and sand storm to go out - yes in full compression garments ! So, I've become an expert 'master of disguise' now as I can manage to hide my compression garments to wear "normal clothes". So yesterday I set off in a lovely little knee length sundress - topped off with a little ballet type shrug to cover my arms, black leggings to cover the legs and a 'modesty protector' to cover the final bits of the compression top and cleavage - basically it's a piece of lace and fabric which you clip onto your bra to hide cleavage - I use it quite a bit out here if I'm going to the mall etc where it's not appropriate to show too much cleavage or legs etc (Dubai is a muslim country). OK - it's now hot ! - I've got on about 20 layers plus compression - but look great - who would know that I was wearing a scaffolding set of support garments underneath ?
Anyway, the hematoma is still there, but not as big as it was last week - although it's still uncomfortable - think small squishy melon rather than watermelon inside my leg and you'll get the drift - well that's what it feels like ! This week the swelling is more fluid rather than hard so my surgeon decided to try and drain it using a syringe - (it seems like the special 4 handed inner thigh massage special that I had last week is now off the menu since I'm healing - darn - he is such a hottie !). Anyway, I digress and am somewhat dreaming as actually the manual drainage last week was not that pleasant - but in my dreams it most certainly was !
He managed to get a small amount of fluid out of my leg without too much pain as mainly I'm numb and he said there would probably be some more to be drained next week he then removed all my other stitches from my arms and legs and covered them with tape and sent me on my way. (I have one wound which is taking a bit longer to heal than the rest - it's where I popped some stitches, he has said he will revise this for me when it's healed if I want, although he said it would probably heal up nicely on it's own as the scar will contract - apparently it just involves a few stitches - I'll decide about this at the appropriate time)
I asked him if I could be cleared to be more mobile and do more walking - eg would it help/make the hematoma worse and he said "you can never be too sure - do what you feel like doing and see"
So after my appointment and a quick Caribou stop for a nice latte and 1/4 panini, I decided to put his advice to the test and took a taxi to the Mall and took a leisurely walk to the book shop and then to the Metro. On the way home I had an unpleasent sticky feeling on my legs and when I got home - saw that my thigh had leaked lots of liquid and blood all over me - so the hematome was draining nicely - just all over me and my white compression garments - YUK ! Anyway, it probably wasn't too bad - it's just that blood and stuff always looks worse than it is (I think). So my leg is all wrapped up, it's still oozing a bit - but I figure that it's better out than in and its feeling a bit more comfortable which has got to be good.
Cleaning Compression Garments
Anyway, if you ever get to a position when your compression garment is covered in blood and gore try the following :
- according to the internet you are supposed to soak everything in cold water and the stain disappears - NOPE
- you can try soaking it in salt water - doesn't work
- you can add washing power, washing up liquid, liquid soap, baking power - individually, together etc in any combination you can think if - NONE OF THEM WORK & you might just be cooking up a bit of a chemical reaction in your kitchen !
So, against all the advice given on my garment - I added neat bleach and it worked immediately - quickly followed by a machine wash on cold and hot tumble dry - all of which are against the instructions of the compression garment - so don't try this at home and/or if you do I take no responsibility for the outcome ! But hoorah - I now have an 'off-white', 1 size smaller pair of compression leggings which fit - though how much longer they'll last before they disintegrate who knows !
Will try and post pics later, but there are improvements.
Anyway, am off to try another 'compression garment disguise outfit' and to buy some non wired bra's for my new improved bust and some smaller panties which fit - I'm so over the sagging hipsters which don't stay up on my new flat tummy !
7 comments
As I'm now a bit more mobile I decided to take a taxi to the surgery - 30 min ride - then return via the Metro and Mall on my way home - I'm still not cleared for driving for another couple of weeks or so, so braved the hot temperatures and sand storm to go out - yes in full compression garments ! So, I've become an expert 'master of disguise' now as I can manage to hide my compression garments to wear "normal clothes". So yesterday I set off in a lovely little knee length sundress - topped off with a little ballet type shrug to cover my arms, black leggings to cover the legs and a 'modesty protector' to cover the final bits of the compression top and cleavage - basically it's a piece of lace and fabric which you clip onto your bra to hide cleavage - I use it quite a bit out here if I'm going to the mall etc where it's not appropriate to show too much cleavage or legs etc (Dubai is a muslim country). OK - it's now hot ! - I've got on about 20 layers plus compression - but look great - who would know that I was wearing a scaffolding set of support garments underneath ?
Anyway, the hematoma is still there, but not as big as it was last week - although it's still uncomfortable - think small squishy melon rather than watermelon inside my leg and you'll get the drift - well that's what it feels like ! This week the swelling is more fluid rather than hard so my surgeon decided to try and drain it using a syringe - (it seems like the special 4 handed inner thigh massage special that I had last week is now off the menu since I'm healing - darn - he is such a hottie !). Anyway, I digress and am somewhat dreaming as actually the manual drainage last week was not that pleasant - but in my dreams it most certainly was !
He managed to get a small amount of fluid out of my leg without too much pain as mainly I'm numb and he said there would probably be some more to be drained next week he then removed all my other stitches from my arms and legs and covered them with tape and sent me on my way. (I have one wound which is taking a bit longer to heal than the rest - it's where I popped some stitches, he has said he will revise this for me when it's healed if I want, although he said it would probably heal up nicely on it's own as the scar will contract - apparently it just involves a few stitches - I'll decide about this at the appropriate time)
I asked him if I could be cleared to be more mobile and do more walking - eg would it help/make the hematoma worse and he said "you can never be too sure - do what you feel like doing and see"
So after my appointment and a quick Caribou stop for a nice latte and 1/4 panini, I decided to put his advice to the test and took a taxi to the Mall and took a leisurely walk to the book shop and then to the Metro. On the way home I had an unpleasent sticky feeling on my legs and when I got home - saw that my thigh had leaked lots of liquid and blood all over me - so the hematome was draining nicely - just all over me and my white compression garments - YUK ! Anyway, it probably wasn't too bad - it's just that blood and stuff always looks worse than it is (I think). So my leg is all wrapped up, it's still oozing a bit - but I figure that it's better out than in and its feeling a bit more comfortable which has got to be good.
Cleaning Compression Garments
Anyway, if you ever get to a position when your compression garment is covered in blood and gore try the following :
- according to the internet you are supposed to soak everything in cold water and the stain disappears - NOPE
- you can try soaking it in salt water - doesn't work
- you can add washing power, washing up liquid, liquid soap, baking power - individually, together etc in any combination you can think if - NONE OF THEM WORK & you might just be cooking up a bit of a chemical reaction in your kitchen !
So, against all the advice given on my garment - I added neat bleach and it worked immediately - quickly followed by a machine wash on cold and hot tumble dry - all of which are against the instructions of the compression garment - so don't try this at home and/or if you do I take no responsibility for the outcome ! But hoorah - I now have an 'off-white', 1 size smaller pair of compression leggings which fit - though how much longer they'll last before they disintegrate who knows !
Will try and post pics later, but there are improvements.
Anyway, am off to try another 'compression garment disguise outfit' and to buy some non wired bra's for my new improved bust and some smaller panties which fit - I'm so over the sagging hipsters which don't stay up on my new flat tummy !
Arm Lift pics - 3 weeks post surgery
Jul 02, 2011
With all the focus on my thigh lift recovery and hematoma saga, I've been somewhat distracted and not really posted anything much about my arms lift which I also had done 3 weeks ago today.
I have to say the arm lift is such an easy recovery - once again - my surgeon said they would not be too painful - and once again he was proved right - though I told him that maybe he should have a surgery one of these days so that he knows how it feels to be recovering ! - this was in response to him saying "I know, I know" - when I was saying a few mega "OUCH THAT H.U.R.T.S !" curses to him when he was draining my hematoma the other day (I vaguely remember swatting his arm away from me too - oops sure your not supposed to hit your surgeon !).
Anyway, the arms - really are not too difficult a recovery - the first few days it's difficult as your range of movement is restricted and it's difficult to do things for yourself (or you have to be reminded that you really shouldn't). I've kept my movements limited to following the surgeon's instructions as I don't want to risk getting the scars wider - so am limited to not putting my arms above my head (makes washing your hair a bit of a challenge) and also have restrictions on lifting anything heavy - but heavy was not defined ! - I've seen others say no more than 5lbs so I've tried to stick to this rule.
My main challenge has been reaching things - either too high - or too low. The too high things would normally have been solved by standing on a step/stool thing - but as my thighs were done at the same time and lifting my feet up high was a challenge and a big NO, NO. The too low things have been sorted by either using a long pair of kitchen tongs to grasp things (since I can't bend over due to the thighs) or simply going without - who needs to wear underwear or nightwear !!
Anyway, I've had to resort to asking hubby to leave things on the counter/table/dressing table etc so that I can reach them - including coffee mugs/cereal/bowls/plates/clothes etc. Also it's meant adjusting my palate - as somehow I always crave the sauce/condiment/food item - which I simply can't reach ! On the surface that sounds fine - BUT I HATE CLUTTER - so psychologically - it's somewhat FREAKING ME OUT ! - but I can live with it for now.
I'm wearing a lovely cute (SO NOT) compression tank top thing in beige/puke colour which is not the most comfortable garments (but I wouldn't go without it as I need the compression) - they got it for me so that it would give some support after my breast lift - but frankly I hate it with a vengence as it squashes my new perky boobs, so I'm getting a new one today at my follow up appt which provides the arm cover without the breast cover.
In terms of pain, I'm more uncomortable than anything - the arms swell as the day goes by - so the garment feels tighter and I can feel my incisions pulling. The incisions under the arms are much better than I thought they would be - they are more delicate - but a bit of padding/gauze keeps them fine - and they have healed beatifully.
I have to sleep with my arms raised on pillows which is no biggie as I'm now a newly converted back sleeper - I'm still sleeping with my legs raised to help the thighs drain - so am surrounded by a wall of pillows every night.
Anyway, here are a few pics to give you an idea of how they are healing - my surgeon doesn't like doing straight lines as he said a curved one is less obvious - though at the moment I can't help thinking it looks a bit like a shark bite (well that's the story I can tell if anyone spots it !) There's also a slightly different cut on one arm compared to the other because of how lopsided my arms were in terms of fat and skin. He also does a zig zag cut in the arm pits which apparently causes less constriction. Anyway, as usual - I'm bruised and still swollen so know the results will get better over time.
Debbie x
17 comments
I have to say the arm lift is such an easy recovery - once again - my surgeon said they would not be too painful - and once again he was proved right - though I told him that maybe he should have a surgery one of these days so that he knows how it feels to be recovering ! - this was in response to him saying "I know, I know" - when I was saying a few mega "OUCH THAT H.U.R.T.S !" curses to him when he was draining my hematoma the other day (I vaguely remember swatting his arm away from me too - oops sure your not supposed to hit your surgeon !).
Anyway, the arms - really are not too difficult a recovery - the first few days it's difficult as your range of movement is restricted and it's difficult to do things for yourself (or you have to be reminded that you really shouldn't). I've kept my movements limited to following the surgeon's instructions as I don't want to risk getting the scars wider - so am limited to not putting my arms above my head (makes washing your hair a bit of a challenge) and also have restrictions on lifting anything heavy - but heavy was not defined ! - I've seen others say no more than 5lbs so I've tried to stick to this rule.
My main challenge has been reaching things - either too high - or too low. The too high things would normally have been solved by standing on a step/stool thing - but as my thighs were done at the same time and lifting my feet up high was a challenge and a big NO, NO. The too low things have been sorted by either using a long pair of kitchen tongs to grasp things (since I can't bend over due to the thighs) or simply going without - who needs to wear underwear or nightwear !!
Anyway, I've had to resort to asking hubby to leave things on the counter/table/dressing table etc so that I can reach them - including coffee mugs/cereal/bowls/plates/clothes etc. Also it's meant adjusting my palate - as somehow I always crave the sauce/condiment/food item - which I simply can't reach ! On the surface that sounds fine - BUT I HATE CLUTTER - so psychologically - it's somewhat FREAKING ME OUT ! - but I can live with it for now.
I'm wearing a lovely cute (SO NOT) compression tank top thing in beige/puke colour which is not the most comfortable garments (but I wouldn't go without it as I need the compression) - they got it for me so that it would give some support after my breast lift - but frankly I hate it with a vengence as it squashes my new perky boobs, so I'm getting a new one today at my follow up appt which provides the arm cover without the breast cover.
In terms of pain, I'm more uncomortable than anything - the arms swell as the day goes by - so the garment feels tighter and I can feel my incisions pulling. The incisions under the arms are much better than I thought they would be - they are more delicate - but a bit of padding/gauze keeps them fine - and they have healed beatifully.
I have to sleep with my arms raised on pillows which is no biggie as I'm now a newly converted back sleeper - I'm still sleeping with my legs raised to help the thighs drain - so am surrounded by a wall of pillows every night.
Anyway, here are a few pics to give you an idea of how they are healing - my surgeon doesn't like doing straight lines as he said a curved one is less obvious - though at the moment I can't help thinking it looks a bit like a shark bite (well that's the story I can tell if anyone spots it !) There's also a slightly different cut on one arm compared to the other because of how lopsided my arms were in terms of fat and skin. He also does a zig zag cut in the arm pits which apparently causes less constriction. Anyway, as usual - I'm bruised and still swollen so know the results will get better over time.
Debbie x
Just signed up for my next 1/2 marathon
Jul 01, 2011
OK - I admit it - I'm bored ! Recovering from 4 plastic surgery operations in just 7 weeks - is somewhat BORING - I had a 2 week 'gap of freedom' between my first set of surgeries (breast lift and tummy tuck) before having my second set (thigh and arm lift) and during that 2 weeks I think I drove the length and breadth of Dubai and visited all my pals, every mall etc !!
Well - now I'm somewhat housebound again and going slightly stir crazy ! (I'm not allowed to drive for 3 more weeks so am dependant on friends for lifts etc, it's also massively hot and humid now so too hot to walk outside even at night time - and to add insult to injury - even if I do make it out, I'm not able to sit down too much when I'm out as the thighs are still tender ! aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh - but apart from that all is well !!)
So this morning, i signed up to run the Ras Al Khaimer (RAK*) 1/2 marathon in Feb next year. I ran the 1/2 marathon this year somewhat slowly - but at least I started - and more importantly finished ! I was somewhat ill prepared for the race, after all I only ran my first ever 10k three weeks before the 1/2 marathon and on race day I hadn't a clue about the route or just how far 21k's would be (sure I knew it would be 2 x a 10k and a little bit more - but boy did it seem like a lot harder - the 10k was kinda fun - the 1/2 marathon mostly sucked apart from the start and most definately the finish - in between there was a lot of pain/discomfort and swearing ! - don't let me put you off though - crossing the finishing line was the best thing I have ever done - particularly as loads of my friends said they were going to do the race and in the end I was the only one who followed through and did it.
Anyway, I'm not cleared for any form of exercise for another 7-8 weeks yet and to be honest I'm missing exercise terribly - but also - can't imagine doing anything but a slow walk/shuffle at the moment coz of my delicate thighs ! I must say thighs are the most frustrating/hard surgery to recover from - all the rest seem like a 'walk in the park' in comparison (even without the hematoma complication - I still think they are the worse).
So I'm going to use the time productively to start planning out training routes and working out what type of training programme I want to follow to properly prepare. It will be a challenge to start training in Sept as it will still be hot here - but I think I'll have to start on the treadmill in the gym anyway to begin with and will probably do the C25k programme again.
Anyway - that gives me a bit of work /research to do in my downtime to reach my goal of running it in less than 2 1/2 hours. I also want to enter the Dubai 10k which normally takes place in Jan - and want to run this in less than an hour which I think is totally doable. Who knows I may challenge myself to do more runs once I start again - I know I enjoy doing them (in a weird pleasure/pain way) - and it does kinda get addictive !
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My twitter challenge #operation_frugal_girl - is going well. So far we're still eating normal meals. Grocery shopping of dairy/eggs/fruit & veg this morning was very reasonable - less than £30 which is a big difference than the £120+ bill we normally have each week.
I made a list of all the food we had in the house yesterday - and was somewhat amazed at just how much we have - I'm fairly sure that we can make the whole of July without too much difficulty - albeit there might be some unusual meals on occassion.
OK - off to do some research - if you want inspiration to start running take a look at this blog - this guy inspired me to start running - bendoeslife.tumblr.com/ he's currently doing a bit of a tour of the US - so you never know, maybe he's coming to a city near you.
Off now to research tumbler.com and to decide if I am going to set up an external blog site.
Debbie
VSG March 2010
TT and Breast Lift April 2011
Thigh & Arm Lift June 2011
TAKING IT EASY - NOW !!
1 comment
Well - now I'm somewhat housebound again and going slightly stir crazy ! (I'm not allowed to drive for 3 more weeks so am dependant on friends for lifts etc, it's also massively hot and humid now so too hot to walk outside even at night time - and to add insult to injury - even if I do make it out, I'm not able to sit down too much when I'm out as the thighs are still tender ! aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh - but apart from that all is well !!)
So this morning, i signed up to run the Ras Al Khaimer (RAK*) 1/2 marathon in Feb next year. I ran the 1/2 marathon this year somewhat slowly - but at least I started - and more importantly finished ! I was somewhat ill prepared for the race, after all I only ran my first ever 10k three weeks before the 1/2 marathon and on race day I hadn't a clue about the route or just how far 21k's would be (sure I knew it would be 2 x a 10k and a little bit more - but boy did it seem like a lot harder - the 10k was kinda fun - the 1/2 marathon mostly sucked apart from the start and most definately the finish - in between there was a lot of pain/discomfort and swearing ! - don't let me put you off though - crossing the finishing line was the best thing I have ever done - particularly as loads of my friends said they were going to do the race and in the end I was the only one who followed through and did it.
Anyway, I'm not cleared for any form of exercise for another 7-8 weeks yet and to be honest I'm missing exercise terribly - but also - can't imagine doing anything but a slow walk/shuffle at the moment coz of my delicate thighs ! I must say thighs are the most frustrating/hard surgery to recover from - all the rest seem like a 'walk in the park' in comparison (even without the hematoma complication - I still think they are the worse).
So I'm going to use the time productively to start planning out training routes and working out what type of training programme I want to follow to properly prepare. It will be a challenge to start training in Sept as it will still be hot here - but I think I'll have to start on the treadmill in the gym anyway to begin with and will probably do the C25k programme again.
Anyway - that gives me a bit of work /research to do in my downtime to reach my goal of running it in less than 2 1/2 hours. I also want to enter the Dubai 10k which normally takes place in Jan - and want to run this in less than an hour which I think is totally doable. Who knows I may challenge myself to do more runs once I start again - I know I enjoy doing them (in a weird pleasure/pain way) - and it does kinda get addictive !
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My twitter challenge #operation_frugal_girl - is going well. So far we're still eating normal meals. Grocery shopping of dairy/eggs/fruit & veg this morning was very reasonable - less than £30 which is a big difference than the £120+ bill we normally have each week.
I made a list of all the food we had in the house yesterday - and was somewhat amazed at just how much we have - I'm fairly sure that we can make the whole of July without too much difficulty - albeit there might be some unusual meals on occassion.
OK - off to do some research - if you want inspiration to start running take a look at this blog - this guy inspired me to start running - bendoeslife.tumblr.com/ he's currently doing a bit of a tour of the US - so you never know, maybe he's coming to a city near you.
Off now to research tumbler.com and to decide if I am going to set up an external blog site.
Debbie
VSG March 2010
TT and Breast Lift April 2011
Thigh & Arm Lift June 2011
TAKING IT EASY - NOW !!
My blog is the OH 'featured blogger' & Operation_Frugal_Girl
Jun 30, 2011
Imagine my surprise when I scrolled down the OH monthly newsletter email to see some before/after pics of me on the front page ! It seems that my blog as been picked as the 'featured blogger' !! - WOW - not sure how they picked me - but I guess it's good news as I'm attracting more 'friend requests' and comments on my posts - so I guess people are finding my ramblings interesting !
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It's a long weekend here in Dubai, my husband had Thursday off due to a public holiday and Fri/Sat is our weekend - with Sunday being a normal working day (took a while to get used to that when we moved out here - as there is something so wrong about going to work on a Sunday !).
My recovery from the thigh lift and arm lift is going ok - still healing on the thighs and the hematoma is still causing me some issues - but all -in - all I'm doing well. I'm relaxing on the sofa whilst poor hubby is doing the laundry and cleaning the kitchen - I'm feeling a bit guilty - but it won't hurt him and I did make him bacon & eggs for breakfast!
For July I'm starting a bit of a challenge - I'm twittering about it (my new hobby) and am calling it #operation_frugal_girl - basically I'm seeing if we can survive the month of July by only eating up items which are in my fridge/freezer and pantry - supplemented with minimal bought in supplies of dairy, fruit & veg & eggs. I read somewhere that this is a good way of saving money on groceries and also it's a great way of eating up some of the supplies we have stored.
I always thought it was normal to have supplies of food/produce in stock - it's something that my family have always done. But when a friend helped me do some food shopping after Phase 1 of my surgery and she put my shopping away she was surprised at the amount of food in my cupboards. When I went around to her house - she literally had 1 weeks worth of shopping in her cupboard/fridge etc and that was it. It made me kinda feel guilty for having so much food - and then wondering if somehow this helped me get fat over the years - as basically if I fancied anything eg munchies/snacks, a second breakfast etc - it was usually close to hand in my overstocked supplies and I didn't even need to leave the house to 'treat' myself.
So it got me thinking about why we have such a large stock of food :
My grandma was a child of the second world war - and I think she hoards food as part of a reaction to post war living when people stocked up with as much as they could get/afford due to rationing. Her view is that 'stock is as good as money' so she is always prepared to feed a casual visitor or passing rugby team ! - however, she is also famous for giving little food parcels to visitors of 'food to be eaten up' which is usually approaching the sale by/best before date - so maybe her system doesn't work too well.
My mum fed us all on a very restrictive budget when we were kids - as she got more money I think she also started stocking up on food - probably as a bit of a 'comfort blanket' so that there was always food available to see us through any future lean times - even now, when we are all grown up and left home - she has a huge freezer and larder stocked to brimming with food - for those 'just in case' moments ! She also can't resist a bargain - so her cupboards are full of the 'buy one get one free' type of produce, or bargain /reduced items.
Me - well- I like to think that I'm always prepared - I have enough tins of things to add to mince etc to make a crockpot of savoury mince/chilli etc - I batch cook/freeze a lot which means you have to have a lot of stuff to hand when you want to do that - but now I have a freezer full of meals which need eating ! Also, living in Dubai is different in the UK as the majority of food we eat is imported - and sometimes for months on end you won't be able to find a certain item - eg your favourite cereal/sauce etc - despite hunting around all the different shops. Then when you see it you buy lots of it to stock up for the next time the container of whatever doesn't arrive in Dubai - we all seem to do that which is partly why there's nothing on the shelves when you want it ! - so we have plenty of stock in our cupboards too of our favourite items. Also every time I go home to the UK I bring back a suitcase full of my favourite UK items which I can't buy here - or are way too expensive - so again I have a hoard of stock !
So this is going to be an interesting month, I anticipate saving some money, eating some interesting food choices (Xmas Pud in July anyone?) and maybe becoming more adventureous by using up some of the things either in interesting combinations, or just by trying things that I've bought on recommendation but never tried. It's going to be a challenge doing this with my protein requirements- but I'll give it a go - after all there's nothing wrong with chilli, prawns or steak for breakfast right ?
Here's the article, and a link to it incase you didn't get it - I get mine emailed to me.
www.obesityhelp.com/magazine/June-2011-Newsletter.html
13 comments
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It's a long weekend here in Dubai, my husband had Thursday off due to a public holiday and Fri/Sat is our weekend - with Sunday being a normal working day (took a while to get used to that when we moved out here - as there is something so wrong about going to work on a Sunday !).
My recovery from the thigh lift and arm lift is going ok - still healing on the thighs and the hematoma is still causing me some issues - but all -in - all I'm doing well. I'm relaxing on the sofa whilst poor hubby is doing the laundry and cleaning the kitchen - I'm feeling a bit guilty - but it won't hurt him and I did make him bacon & eggs for breakfast!
For July I'm starting a bit of a challenge - I'm twittering about it (my new hobby) and am calling it #operation_frugal_girl - basically I'm seeing if we can survive the month of July by only eating up items which are in my fridge/freezer and pantry - supplemented with minimal bought in supplies of dairy, fruit & veg & eggs. I read somewhere that this is a good way of saving money on groceries and also it's a great way of eating up some of the supplies we have stored.
I always thought it was normal to have supplies of food/produce in stock - it's something that my family have always done. But when a friend helped me do some food shopping after Phase 1 of my surgery and she put my shopping away she was surprised at the amount of food in my cupboards. When I went around to her house - she literally had 1 weeks worth of shopping in her cupboard/fridge etc and that was it. It made me kinda feel guilty for having so much food - and then wondering if somehow this helped me get fat over the years - as basically if I fancied anything eg munchies/snacks, a second breakfast etc - it was usually close to hand in my overstocked supplies and I didn't even need to leave the house to 'treat' myself.
So it got me thinking about why we have such a large stock of food :
My grandma was a child of the second world war - and I think she hoards food as part of a reaction to post war living when people stocked up with as much as they could get/afford due to rationing. Her view is that 'stock is as good as money' so she is always prepared to feed a casual visitor or passing rugby team ! - however, she is also famous for giving little food parcels to visitors of 'food to be eaten up' which is usually approaching the sale by/best before date - so maybe her system doesn't work too well.
My mum fed us all on a very restrictive budget when we were kids - as she got more money I think she also started stocking up on food - probably as a bit of a 'comfort blanket' so that there was always food available to see us through any future lean times - even now, when we are all grown up and left home - she has a huge freezer and larder stocked to brimming with food - for those 'just in case' moments ! She also can't resist a bargain - so her cupboards are full of the 'buy one get one free' type of produce, or bargain /reduced items.
Me - well- I like to think that I'm always prepared - I have enough tins of things to add to mince etc to make a crockpot of savoury mince/chilli etc - I batch cook/freeze a lot which means you have to have a lot of stuff to hand when you want to do that - but now I have a freezer full of meals which need eating ! Also, living in Dubai is different in the UK as the majority of food we eat is imported - and sometimes for months on end you won't be able to find a certain item - eg your favourite cereal/sauce etc - despite hunting around all the different shops. Then when you see it you buy lots of it to stock up for the next time the container of whatever doesn't arrive in Dubai - we all seem to do that which is partly why there's nothing on the shelves when you want it ! - so we have plenty of stock in our cupboards too of our favourite items. Also every time I go home to the UK I bring back a suitcase full of my favourite UK items which I can't buy here - or are way too expensive - so again I have a hoard of stock !
So this is going to be an interesting month, I anticipate saving some money, eating some interesting food choices (Xmas Pud in July anyone?) and maybe becoming more adventureous by using up some of the things either in interesting combinations, or just by trying things that I've bought on recommendation but never tried. It's going to be a challenge doing this with my protein requirements- but I'll give it a go - after all there's nothing wrong with chilli, prawns or steak for breakfast right ?
Here's the article, and a link to it incase you didn't get it - I get mine emailed to me.
www.obesityhelp.com/magazine/June-2011-Newsletter.html
Nip & Tuck - Things I found useful for recovery
Jun 29, 2011
So I'm still healing from my surgeries, and find myself with lots of thinking time on my hands. So here goes a post on things I've found useful to have to support my recovery. Not all of these are essential, or necessary - but are things that I found useful.
NOTE : I had a breast lift & tummy tuck with muscle repair followed by an inner thigh lift & arm lift 7 weeks later - so all items were used at some stage of my recovery - I needed more support/gadgets etc with the thigh and arm lift.
Small computer table with wheels - holds laptop, coffee etc within my reach and I can easily move it from room to room without having to lift anything
Small tray and/or box - to hold all my essentials together - pills, remote control, eye shades, lipsalve, iPhone, pen & pad - easy to move around rather than individual items
Pillows - lots of different sizes to support various limbs and body positions required after surgery - I didn't have a recliner so this worked well
Dictation Software - I found an app on apple called Dragon dictation (free) - which allows you to dictate emails, messages etc and converts words into text - very useful for the first couple of weeks to keep in touch particularly if you've had an arm lift and are restricted in movement - sure it's not perfect - but it reduced the amount of time I need to spend typing. I used it a lot to help post my blogs and keep in touch with my family in the UK
Small box - to hold all of your dressings, gauze, tape, creams, gloves in one place
Panty Liners - useful to help stop wounds oozing through to your clothes and/or compression garments - buy the unscented ones !
Breast Feeding Pads - yup you read right ! - I used these for additional cushioning of my wounds when I needed extra padding - eg under arms after breast lift, around crotch of compression garment after thigh surgery to reduce pressure on the sensitive areas etc
Eyeshades - useful in hospital and at home when you gotta catch a few zzz's during the day
Pill Box - helps to keep on track of your daily medication and vitamins. I used this in conjunction a pill reminder software programme which reminded me when to take the pills (Pill Reminders - a free app on the apple store)
Panadol Night - (paracetamol and diphenhydramine) - basically a painkiller with a light sedative which causes drowsiness. Helped me sleep. NOTE : I checked with my surgeon that this was ok to take and he was fine with this as I was discharged with panadol (paracetamol) painkillers only
A Shewee ( www.shewee.com) or equivalent - which helps when using the bathroom - saves on getting dressings/compression garment wet and saves you having to sit down on the loo - which was extremely painful after my inner thigh lift.
Moist toilet tissue - again - useful in the bathroom to help with cleanliness. I also had medicated handwashes/antiseptic wash and gauze etc set up in the bathroom to maximise on hygiene - particularly for the thigh lift
A picker upper thingy - to pick up everything that you drop on the floor and just can't reach down to get - I didn't get one of these - instead poor hubby had to follow a trail of everything I had dropped in the day (lots) when he got home from work every night !
A small step - useful to reach things in the kitchen when you can't reach, useful to rest feet up on whilst using the loo after thigh surgery so you can get comfortable (some people invest in a raised toilet seat)
Plastic Stool - used in the shower as a seat for first few showers after surgery, used as something to lean on when sitting on the loo after surgery, used as a small portable table - lots of different uses
CLOTHES TO WEAR AFTER SURGERY :
I didn't buy anything specially for surgery, but here are the things I found useful to wear (Note : I wasn't discharged with any drains so didn't have to deal with drain issues)
Loose yoga pants and loose T-Shirts - hide a multitude of dressings/compression garments
Long flowly maxi dresses or sundresses - as above
Cotton Body or cami top - useful to wear under compression garment (if your surgeon allows) - makes it more comfortable
Wrap around cardigans/shrugs or a wrap - covers up compression garments or post-surgery bra when wearing sundress
UV arm sleeves - can be worn with your regular T-Shirts to hide compression garments - particuarly useful when wearing arm compression garments - which are just plain ugly !
Leggings - worn with sundress - hides surgical stockings and/or compression leggings
Loose PJ's - worn most of the time when at home - COMFORT, COMFORT, COMFORT !
OTHER HINTS AND TIPS
Stock up the fridge/freezer/pantry with items you will want to eat after surgery
Be prepared to increase your protein intake if you can - eg shakes/Isopure Clear etc
You won't be able to reach everything in your cupboards - so either re-arrange them or leave things on the counter top so they are close to hand
You'll probably be bored, so get some books/magazines/DVD's in
Recognise that your standards of tidiness/cleanliness in the house - are probably not the same as your boyfriend/husbands/friend/family etc - so be prepared to overlook this for a while whilst you are recovering - take a deep breath and relax!
I think it's common to feel a sense of 'buyers remorse' at some stage in your healing process - use OH forums to seek support/help etc
YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE AT RECOVERY - SO FOLLOW YOUR SURGEON's INSTRUCTIONS AND BE COMPLIANT !
That's enough from me, off to catch some more zzzz's
3 comments
NOTE : I had a breast lift & tummy tuck with muscle repair followed by an inner thigh lift & arm lift 7 weeks later - so all items were used at some stage of my recovery - I needed more support/gadgets etc with the thigh and arm lift.
Small computer table with wheels - holds laptop, coffee etc within my reach and I can easily move it from room to room without having to lift anything
Small tray and/or box - to hold all my essentials together - pills, remote control, eye shades, lipsalve, iPhone, pen & pad - easy to move around rather than individual items
Pillows - lots of different sizes to support various limbs and body positions required after surgery - I didn't have a recliner so this worked well
Dictation Software - I found an app on apple called Dragon dictation (free) - which allows you to dictate emails, messages etc and converts words into text - very useful for the first couple of weeks to keep in touch particularly if you've had an arm lift and are restricted in movement - sure it's not perfect - but it reduced the amount of time I need to spend typing. I used it a lot to help post my blogs and keep in touch with my family in the UK
Small box - to hold all of your dressings, gauze, tape, creams, gloves in one place
Panty Liners - useful to help stop wounds oozing through to your clothes and/or compression garments - buy the unscented ones !
Breast Feeding Pads - yup you read right ! - I used these for additional cushioning of my wounds when I needed extra padding - eg under arms after breast lift, around crotch of compression garment after thigh surgery to reduce pressure on the sensitive areas etc
Eyeshades - useful in hospital and at home when you gotta catch a few zzz's during the day
Pill Box - helps to keep on track of your daily medication and vitamins. I used this in conjunction a pill reminder software programme which reminded me when to take the pills (Pill Reminders - a free app on the apple store)
Panadol Night - (paracetamol and diphenhydramine) - basically a painkiller with a light sedative which causes drowsiness. Helped me sleep. NOTE : I checked with my surgeon that this was ok to take and he was fine with this as I was discharged with panadol (paracetamol) painkillers only
A Shewee ( www.shewee.com) or equivalent - which helps when using the bathroom - saves on getting dressings/compression garment wet and saves you having to sit down on the loo - which was extremely painful after my inner thigh lift.
Moist toilet tissue - again - useful in the bathroom to help with cleanliness. I also had medicated handwashes/antiseptic wash and gauze etc set up in the bathroom to maximise on hygiene - particularly for the thigh lift
A picker upper thingy - to pick up everything that you drop on the floor and just can't reach down to get - I didn't get one of these - instead poor hubby had to follow a trail of everything I had dropped in the day (lots) when he got home from work every night !
A small step - useful to reach things in the kitchen when you can't reach, useful to rest feet up on whilst using the loo after thigh surgery so you can get comfortable (some people invest in a raised toilet seat)
Plastic Stool - used in the shower as a seat for first few showers after surgery, used as something to lean on when sitting on the loo after surgery, used as a small portable table - lots of different uses
CLOTHES TO WEAR AFTER SURGERY :
I didn't buy anything specially for surgery, but here are the things I found useful to wear (Note : I wasn't discharged with any drains so didn't have to deal with drain issues)
Loose yoga pants and loose T-Shirts - hide a multitude of dressings/compression garments
Long flowly maxi dresses or sundresses - as above
Cotton Body or cami top - useful to wear under compression garment (if your surgeon allows) - makes it more comfortable
Wrap around cardigans/shrugs or a wrap - covers up compression garments or post-surgery bra when wearing sundress
UV arm sleeves - can be worn with your regular T-Shirts to hide compression garments - particuarly useful when wearing arm compression garments - which are just plain ugly !
Leggings - worn with sundress - hides surgical stockings and/or compression leggings
Loose PJ's - worn most of the time when at home - COMFORT, COMFORT, COMFORT !
OTHER HINTS AND TIPS
Stock up the fridge/freezer/pantry with items you will want to eat after surgery
Be prepared to increase your protein intake if you can - eg shakes/Isopure Clear etc
You won't be able to reach everything in your cupboards - so either re-arrange them or leave things on the counter top so they are close to hand
You'll probably be bored, so get some books/magazines/DVD's in
Recognise that your standards of tidiness/cleanliness in the house - are probably not the same as your boyfriend/husbands/friend/family etc - so be prepared to overlook this for a while whilst you are recovering - take a deep breath and relax!
I think it's common to feel a sense of 'buyers remorse' at some stage in your healing process - use OH forums to seek support/help etc
YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE AT RECOVERY - SO FOLLOW YOUR SURGEON's INSTRUCTIONS AND BE COMPLIANT !
That's enough from me, off to catch some more zzzz's
