I can't believe the day has finally arrived!!!  I will be getting up in exactly 12 hours to head to the hospital for my LBL.  I feel like it has been FOREVER since my first consult in April, but at the same time, these last few days have flown by!  It's a strange feeling to catch a glimpse of my stomach in the mirror today and realize that all of that skin will be gone by this time tomorrow!  I am all nerves at this point, but I know it will all be worth it once I'm back up and running :)

I'll try to post when I get home to share some of my experiences, since I have learned so much about what to expect from all of the posters on this board.  I may even try to figure out how to do some before and afters during all of my downtime in the next few weeks. 

Erin

Good luck girl and good job! 

Sending you prayers and best wishes! We will all be thinking of you tomorrow!

Good luck Erin!!  I hope that your surgery is perfect and that you heal quickly.  Please do come back and share your experiences with us.

I'll send good thoughts for you tomorrow!

Praying for you!! Just be sure to ask for what you need from the nurses and stay on top of your pain meds.

Looking forward to hearing how things go!!

Best to you!

Denise

Last October I had my LBL.  It was so life changing!!!  AMAZING!!!!  Then next few weeks will be in your rear view mirror in no time.  Just hang in there and endure the swelling for a bit.

I'm sure you are out of surgery at this point and I hope well on the road to recovery!  Stay on top of your meds for the first few days!  (This is not a time for bravery! :-))

Hope all is well and your recovery is going smooth.

Hope to hear how things are going soon ~ take care of yourself.

Let me know how things go.  Sending good thoughts your way!

Hey everyone.  I came home yesterday, I've just been too worn out to check in until now.  Everything went well and I was released about 24 hours after surgery.  The LBL ended up taking about 6.5 hours rather than the 3-4 hours they had originally estimated.  They took off about 6.5 pounds of skin!!  I just got a good look at myself today when I took a shower and changed the dressings.  Things look a little "funky" right now, but I can already see a huge improvement and know it will just get better as the swelling goes down. 

I've got a pain pump and 4 drains hooked up to me now.  I could do without those, but I know they're helping with the pain and pressure, so I'll put up with them for as long as I need to.  The worst part has been the muscle pain from them tightening everything up.  I'm on Percocet, but it's making me a little nauseous, so I'm taking Zolfran along with every dose.  As long as the nausea is under control, I've been pretty comfortable. 

I'll post another update soon.  I feel another nap coming on now since the Percocet is kicking in!