WOO HOO!

Well, I got on the scale this morning and I finally made it to the 150's. I was 158!  Even if it was surgically removed two weeks ago, it shows that the swelling and fluid is almost gone. I still have no idea what size I will be wearing so I guess the day the last two drains come out I will go shopping at GW boutique for at least one pair of jeans. I'm not buying a lot of things this time, just incase my body decides to get to goal, which if I lose 8 more I will be at the top end of Dr. Bours goal. I would love to get to 145, I think that would be a good weight for me, hell 125 would be a good weight for me too, I just don't see it happening ,lol. Now I just need to start exercising to get the last few pounds off, so someone push my butt into gear. Any good ,inexpensive gyms around? Mary

Way to go Mary ! I'd love to see the 150's by Christmas, but I dont' think it will happen. I'm at 169-172 on any given day. Scale won't move beyond that. But, I've not been exercising much either. I'd love to be able to join a gym but with my work and school schedule it is not possible. I'm happy for you, I know you're excited. I'd like to have the tt - bl also but my insurance will only cover 15% and I'm sure it is out of my price range. Keep up the good work. Anita

Thank you! I know how it feels to keep hoping for the scale to move, I am the number one "stall" person. You can look on my page and see my weights and how long it took to drop. Believe me, if I hadn't had the LBL/BL then I would  have been at 169 for the next few months. Doctor Bour was right, I was carrying most of my last few pound in the middle, and no amount of exercising was going to make it go away. Even when I was thinner I stil had that "baby fat", lol.  Your lucky if your insurance will pay anything on the TT/BL, mine would'nt since I never had any problems with skin rashes or breakdown. I paid the full amount out of pocket with a home equity loan. The entire thing cost me $11,702.00, about the price of a cheap used car, lol. I'm hoping I don't depreciate as fast a car does, lol. It was well worth it to me to be able to feel better about the way I look and the way my clothes will fit. I'm still trying to get use to looking at myself in the mirror, it's like looking at a stranger. I actually have breast that look up now and a flat tummy. Hopefully something will work out for you and the TT/BL will be in your future.  Take care! Mary

Hi Mary! I am so glad you are feeling better! What exactly is done with a LBL & BL? You didn't have implants, right? I have $18,000  saved back from an inheritance from my Godmother who passed away last year and I am hoping it will cover everything. Does that cost include the surgeon, hospital and EVERYTHING or is that just for part of it?  I am having lots of pain in my stomach area from the weight of my excess skin and also lower back pain but no skin rashed or breakdowns so I guess we will never know. I had my GB out last week and for a couple days after surgery I was having to lift up my excess skin when I first got up from a sitting or laying position because it felt like someone was ripping my skin off. It was worse the GB surgery itself! I made sure Dr. B documented it today at my visit. I am down 57% and he was very happy. I can't wait to see the new you!

Hey Karen! The lower body lift is where they cut you 360 degrees around your body, it lifts your butt and pulls some of the lose skin up from the tops of your thighs. They also pull the lose skin off your belly and cut it off and move your belly button back where it should be and tighten the abdominal muscles. I had a lot of stretch marks from having my daughter and I still have some of those but less and the ones that were high up near my waist are now all down below my belly button. I had enough breast tissue left, lol, that I didn't need implants, he said the only reason he would suggest them would be if I wanted a lot of fullness and cleavage at the top. Actually, at my age I just wanted to have them up off my belly. My breast were  and have been most of my life a D, they are now a C and I am very happy with the size. I have lots of fullness at the top without the implants and my breast now look like an younger womans. My daughter says they look better than hers now, lol. They use what is called a key hole incision where they cut under and up and around the nipple, the nipple is relocated to a higher position on the breast and the areola is made smaller and more youthfull. Every time I look in the mirror I feel like I'm looking at someone elses body, it's so strange. I have to get use to my breast   again, they get in my way now, lol, but at least I don't have to tuck them in my waist band of my pants, lol.I am very pleased at just 2 1/2 weeks out, he kept all my incisions real low and he uses no external stitches they are all inside. I did have 4 JP drains and I am down to 2 now and hoping they will come out Monday, so far that has been the worse part of it all, and it is tolerable. I did have a small place open right at the crack of my butt where the incisions come together and I'm not sure what he will do with that yet, I have to keep saline soaked gauze there to keep it moist so it will close up. I had the same thing happen when I had one of my back surgeries, the scar that went to my butt crack split open, it hurt, but it did heal. I should know more Monday after I go back to the PS. I had mine done at their surgical center, since my insurance wouldn't cover any of it, it was the cheapest way to go. It is outpatient surgery that way, but to me it was not any different than being in the hospital. I figured all they would do at the hospital is check blood pressure, and administer pain meds and the doctor would come in the next morning look at your surgery sites and send you home. I am perfectly capable of taking my own meds, and the bandages stayed on for 5 days before they were removed when I went back to him.The doctor personally called me that evening and the next morning to check on me, so I felt I was still being cared for by him even if he wasn't there in person. My total cost was $11,702.00 for everything and that includes all post-op visits. If I had wanted the implants it would have been an additional $900.00.  I would reccomend him anytime and if your interested in using him he is Dr. Lovett at Upstate Plastic Surgery which is off of I-85 and Pelham Rd.  I think you have more than enough money for yours, so can I borrow some to have my face lifted? lmao  Take care and good luck with yours when you have it. I hope to see you at a meeting soon. I am hoping to to this Tuesday if I get the other drains out and get find some clothes to fit. Mary

Man does that sound like that hurts (LOL)  but it also sounds like what I will probably need. I am hoping to get rid of those pesky rolls around my back too and it sounds like that would take care of them. I am starting to have hanging skin on the inside of my thighs at the very top. I also have some "bat flaps" but they are not too bad right now. Luckily I don't have the extra skin under my *****so far). I know what you mean about your breasts - it would be nice to have mine back where they belong! My only concern is (shhh -  don't tell anyone about my wild side) that I have a tattoo on one of my breasts near the top and wonder if it will be ruined. I guess I will deal with that when the time comes! It may not affect it since the incisions are UNDER the breast. How long do you have to be out of work? Some of that money will also have to be for me having to take time off from work without pay so sorry, I won't have much extra to loan you (but if I come across some more - LMAO!) I can't wait to see you again!

He told me 3 weeks, but I am taking at least 4. I don't think I can do my job at 3 weeks and hope I will be better by 4, lol. My ab muscles are still really tight and sore feeling when I am on my feet for any length of time, even with the body garment I have to wear. I just keep forgetting It's only been 2 weeks and I had a lot of things done to my body, I guess I am in just a hurry to get it all over with. Actually the pain wasn't near what I thought it would be. It was more of a burning feeling and not so much like  hurting or stabbing pain. But, everyones pain level is different. My by-pass was nothing, I never even got my pain meds filled and never used anything after it . With this I did take tylox the first week and he changed it to lortab the second week with flexeril as my muscle relaxant. He will keep you well stocked with pain meds if you need it. I'm not getting paid to be out of work either, the short term disablility wouldnt pay me anything since this isnt covered on my insurance, they considered it exempt from coverage since it was an elective surgery, it sucks, but not much you can do about it, insurance is the pits, and never seems to be there when you need it the most. Take care! Hugs, Mary