put tummy tuck and gastric bypass pics on web page

Well, I put them all on a MSN web page group thingy, hopefully it works. http://groups.msn.com/JudiD-sTummytuckandGastricBypasspage/shoebox.msnw is the web thingy... feel free to join. or if you want me to send you an invite thingy let me know thru here. [email protected] ok Please keep in mind these are *graphic* due to having a full belt lipectomy ok! Hugs Judi

Okay - Judi, those are graphic!! Not really that bad, but I saw some piercings and tattoos that I didn't expect to see. Is there a certain meaning for the heart on the belly? Anyway - wow - you must feel great! I bet that absolutely everything is different because of the surgery! Can't wait to find out for myself! I am hopefully calling someone this next week to try to get in. My main concern is trying to get insurance coverage and that I want another baby. Will have to wait and see. Thank you so much for sharing! Hope that you are healed pretty well. God bless, Andrea

Andrea... I am glad you are going to be making some phone calls about the tummy tuck too... for starters, I was not totally ready for it.. I know I wasn't. But, Grinnell surgeons are very good, and have all the paperwork all ready and do it all for you. It was basically *my time* according to them, because I had stopped losing weight for 6 months I believe. just maintaining now. As far as children, I am not done either! However, the doc said do it now, and when you do stretch out, it wont be nearly as bad, and I will never have as much of a pouch as I did before... The heart on my belly, was for 4 friends who died in high school. 3 of them went under a semi trailer the first weekend of my senior year. THey were a year younger then me in school. They had called me that night wanting me to go out with them, and I couldnt, because I had been sick with mono. I felt a lot of guilt for many years, but the week after I turned 18 I got this tattooo (whenI could get it on my own) and it is a broken heart bleeding 4 blood drops.. the other girl that passed was a few years before that, and I always felt a lot of guilt for that too. She had a lot going for her... and passed a snow plow on the way home and it was a horrible accident. hold all your family and friends near and dear. Anyhow.. I have continued to try and make contact about the thighs, it sounds as if there is NO way title 19 will pay, so I will wait for that until I graduate college this May. Judi

Morning Judi, Thanks for sharing Wow they do cut you all the way around don't they?! How are you feeling now? Your belly looks just like mine! Silly question, did the surgery get rid of your "roll"? I just hate that!! Jeans fit fine, even a little loose around the waist & here's that roll sticking out. Hope you are feeling ok....hey the bf mmmm mmmmmm mmmmm, shame on me! Hugs Carolyn

Carolyn Your so cute, LOL anyhow.. yes, he is the BF... soon to be HUSBAND!!!!!!!!! he proposed, and I said YES! anyhow, it wont be until next March I think... we havent decided yet for sure. Yes, it got rid of my roll... feels great, but the cut in the back hurt SOO bad.. I couldnt lay down flat for weeks.. I had to sleep in my lazy boy and everything. Yes, things are great.. thank you again Judi

Wow! Judi, you are one brave girl to put those pictures out there, much less to have it done. You look great. Can't say I like the tatoos & piercings, but, hey, I'm OLD! I'm so glad you posted them. I was wondering where the drains are when the back is done. Now I know. I also now know what a "anchor" incision is. On the PS board they refer to that all the time when talking about TT's but I had never seen one as mine is just a big "smile." Has the redness started to go away yet? I'm wondering how long that takes. One more question- I'm full of them. Did you get any seromas (pockets of fluid that had to be drained)? If so, how did you know that you had one? I started getting more uncomfortable (but not that bad) a few nights ago so called the office yesterday & sure enough, I had one. He drained off 175cc. Guess I shouldn't have complained so much about the drains. Thats as much as I was dumping out in 3 days. Again, thanks for posting the pictures. It really does help to see before & after pictures. Dixie

Grins.. sorry bout the tattoos and piercings.. have had them for many years.. well, the sunflower was to celebrate how much weight I Had lost.. little did I know the next year I would be cut like that! lol When they do the back (or the full belt lipectomy) I personally had 4 drains. they all stuck out my side (you can see them in some of the pics) the 2 lower ones went to my back, and they criss-crossed inside my back and drained that way. The other 2 higher ones went to my belly. believe it or not, they were removed first. It was the back that too longer to stop draining. and to be honest again, I kind of fibbed and had them take them out when I was probably not done draining but I couldnt stand them ANY MORE!!!!!!!!!! the redness has gone down quite a bit. I am about 4 months out, and have stopped wearing the binder most of the time, however, I need to get back to wearing it. I think I might have some fluid in there. HOWEVER... when I was stil going back there the first month (to the doc) and there was a few spots we thought there was fluid... he stuck a BIG OLD DDANG needle into the incision to try to drain it........ OUUUUUUUCH.. ok, well, I didnt feel it.. but STILL! he didnt get anything out at all, every time he stuck it in me like 5 times. I did feel it once though, in my back, and it hurt like HECK.. and I told him too.. I jumped thru the dang cieling.. he couldnt believe I could actually feel it, but he just figured he had hit a nerve right by there.. um.. YEAH!!!!!! oh my! I am glad I got it done, wishing I could get the thighs done.. just a few more months til I get on regular insurance hopefully! Judi

Hello Judi, thanks for sharing your pics I need to post some im feeling much better now since they took my other drain out and the staples im sore but not like I was. im hopeing to wear reglar clothes soon how long was it for you? i know i need new underwear lol they are falling off. thanks for sharing take care Laurie

yeah laurie.. I was in 9's for underwear.. now 8;'s.. havent been in size 8 undies for many years.. since I was like 15.. because I always had that tush! the regular clothes? well.. about 3 weeks I think... of course, by then, I was back in classes at college.. so I had to put on jeans and stuff, and it felt funny! I found a big panty thing I got at Target that goes up my belly, its nuetral colored, that I wear under clothes, instead of the binder Judi

Thank you so much for sharing your personal photos with us. I find this so educational. Did this really help with the thighs at all or just lift the butt? I am a year out and thinking of this stuff and don't know what direction to take. One thing is insurance if mine or my husbands will pay anything. My worst area is my thighs I can hide the skin on my abdomen with clothing. I would like the excess removed on my abdomen but if I had to choose I would do my thighs. But again thank you for being gracious with sharing with your personal photos. This site really is an educational site for many. Incisions look good did you have some excess drainage in the back I see some larger scabs at your march pictures. Did you have alot of pain? Thanks again! Kim L. -162 (300/138)