Questions.... my nerves are shot!

So I have a surgery date of october 1st for a belt lipectomy, I didn't think I would have all of the money in time until my family came through last night... I guess I didn't really think it would happen... Now I'm so nervous when I had the RNY I had nerves of steal up until laying in the pre-op area and having my iv's put in by then they gave me anxiety meds and I was fine. I woke up from the gastric bypass in so much pain and my mother actually came to see me and left before I was given pain medicine. When I complained the nurse looked at me and said "you had your stomach cut open what did you expect"? So waking up is scaring me but I am going in for my pre-op apts on Friday and I'm going to talk about this with my surgeon and anesthesiologist. I guess I just need to vent I don't know how to deal with this anxiety I never get anxiety I've always dealt with things by standing strong and just doing it but this is killing me. I know I have to do it I can't live with this skin. So now that I've said all that I do have a few questions.

 

I haven't been able to find anyone that had a belt lipectomy where they cut you all the way around lipo and cut my stomach up the center. So if anyone reads this that has some insight on pain and recovery would be appreciated :)... I've been standing in front of the mirror pulling skin on different parts of my body and can't believe how tiny I am under all this skin I'm a size 12 now 5'3 and 175 pounds. Most of the info I've read says they usually take off around 10 pounds of skin, so I was wondering if anyone could share how much skin was removed and how tight do they pull everything because if I pull everything as tight as I can all around my body there has to be more like almost 20 pounds of skin and fat. 

 

One more question... I can't afford for my breasts and arms to get done anytime soon but in the next few years I will find a way. So for those with a huge apron when it was gone where you boobs, arms or thighs not as big of a deal to you or did the skin in other places end up bothering you even more?

 

Anyway sorry for all the babbling my nerves are just gone and I think I need some valium lol... Any advice is appreciated, all I can say is thank god for who ever created this website and all of the awesome people who contribute to it I would never have done the RNY or started researching plastics without all of the support I have been able to get on here. So thanks guy!

I have no advice but boy do I share your fears about post op pain.  

My plan is to wait a year to a year and a half after reaching my goal to take the plunge.  The funds should be in place by then but the anxiety has already started.  I'm just in the research stage. 

I keep reminding myself that millions have made it through plastics procedures and millions more will make it as well.  If they handled the discomfort, we can too. 

Talk to your doc about pain control...you will likely wake up with a pain pump, morphine...waking up wasn't the most painful part.  Yeah, I wont say it was a walk in the park, but the pain is quickly forgotten.

They took off 7 lbs on me.  I was told there wasn't alot of fat left in my skin, even though they took off a large amount, it wasn't heavy.  I did go on to lose more weight post op due to illness, but will gain some back with new muscle mass (don't want to gain fat so much).

I guess because of my anatomy and because I lost so much weight, I still have quite a bit of extra skin on my sides.  Ihave a large roll on my left side that is currently driving me insane (and my husband because I talk about it so damn much).  Hopefully I will learn to live with it...but I think with so much loose skin there is just only so far they can pull it.

I think the rest of you might drive you more nuts, or you can get zen with it.  I am going back and forth between being happy with the way things are and wanting to get right down to surgery again.  I know I cant for at least a year (if ever, I am not sure I can convince a surgeon to touch me after my complications, or my husband to be ok with it...I might have to fake my own disappearance) so I am going to do a couple things.  I am going to work on getting back in shape after my extended down time and see how I feel about my body then.  There were parts of me that didn't look too bad when I was fit, and now they look awful.  And I am going to try with all my might to learn to be happy with things as is.

I need some Valium too...just cause I could totally use a chill pill these days :)

My first surgery which consisted of a lower body lift and butt augmentation (scar that goes all the way around), breast lift and upper body lift (scar along sides of breast and across back at bra line).  My pain was ok.  I was on percocet and a pain patch (can't think of the name).  My 2nd surgery was my vertical thigh lift (scar from groin to knee) and arm brachioplasty (scar from underarm to elbow) that surgery hurt by far MORE then my last.  I didn't have the pain patch so not sure if that had something to do with it.

As far as the other parts of your body.  During one of my MANY conferences a doctor described it like remodeling an old house.  You get the carpet done and you notice how much you need to paint the walks or the drapes need updating, etc.

Ms Shell

Thanks for sharing all the info guys... the anxiety is getting a little better so hopefully this will be over before I know it... thank god for oh! lol

 

thanks again!