Two down, two to go...

Had my 3 week follow-up today. Doc allowed two of my four drains to come out. Yay! It would have been three, but my slow drainer decided to make a show this morning and put out 40cc so there went my hope of that one coming out. Good news is that I didn't feel a thing! Literally did not know she did it. She said, "On the count of three, blow like you are blowing out a candle." Well that must have been one stubborn candle because I'm pretty sure I saw the wall move I blew so hard, but it worked. I had two stitches that were "spitting" that they took out. That hurt WAY worse than the drains coming out, but my scars are looking wonderful and to keep them that way I needed to let her pull those out.  

He is having me wear a strap to help my right implant drop. He wanted me to wear it over my right breast, but under my left--just not really possible so I'm kind of just angling the strap up and away from my left and hoping for the best. 

He said I can start doing light exercises to my tolerance, although he was surprised I even wanted to try with drains still in. I just really miss the gym and the positive energy there.  I figured that even if I just take a slow walk on the treadmill I'll get myself back into the habit and hopefully start rebuilding some stamina. He is really, really pleased with my progress. I showed him my before before pictures--prior to my bypass. He was astonished by my progress and very appreciative--the nurse said he has never had a patient actually bring the pre-weight loss picture. I then had to show it to about 5 other ladies in the office once word got out. I received such wonderful feedback--made me feel so pretty and successful.

Oh, and a nice unexpected surprise--they have a medical spa on site and I'm going to get a chemical peel and 6 laser hair removal sessions for my underarms for $350.00.  It's like $1500.00 worth of services, but my girls are hooking me up! They are so nice there!

Feeling a little better everyday--finally feeling more human. Went to the park yesterday with my girls and took a little walk around a pond. Actually had to run for a few feet when a little 2 year old boy fell head first into the water!! Poor thing. Thankfully his dad got to him before I popped a drain trying to run and luckily the boy was okay.

I'm off to try to regain feeling in my behind. :) Have a good night all!

Denise

Wow Denise.  Exercise at 3 weeks is incredible.  You go girl!

I'm so glad everything went well and that they treated you so great.  And spa treatments too?  That's great.  I'll be curious to see how well the lazer hair removal works.

I'm so glad you didn't jump into that pond.  What a breeding ground for infection that would have been!!  I'm glad he was ok.

Oy, you're making me think about my tummy tuck coming up, my surgeon says he takes all the drains out at 1 week PO. If you've still got 2 drains in at 3 weeks, I'm worried I'll end up with a seroma if mine all come out at week 1! I'm gonna have to ask my surgeon about that.

I'm glad to hear you're going out and about, doing stuff with drains in. They can't be THAT horrible if you're able to go to the park with them in. (though I'm sure they're not pleasant)

And how the heck does he expect you to wear the strap on ONE boob? I don't think this guy has ever tried wearing it himself, it's impossible. What I've read of some ladies doing is wearing a stretch sports bra, "on" the boob that doesn't need the strap (so, over the boob, the correct way) and then folded up above the boob that needs the strap so that it's pushing down on the top of the breast. I haven't tried this myself but some of the girls on the Just Breast Implants forum do it. I don't think it provides as much pressure as the strap though.

Just make sure you wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often at the gym, it's teeming with bacteria! Glad to hear that you're feeling well enough to be back in action!!! 

I have heard of lots of people getting their drains out at 5, 6, 7 days out and having no problems. Remember, I had the entire circumferential incision and 14.5 pounds of flesh cut off my body. There is bound to be some extra fluid to be drained that you won't have with a tummy tuck being that you are much slimmer than I was. Surely worth mentioning to him if it is a concern though. The drains really aren't a huge deal. Granted, I'm no fashionista with this fanny pack (or belly pack as it is in my case), but I'm not here to win any contests. I just had to get the hell out of these 4 walls! They will occasionally pull when I sit or have to go up a stair, but all in all, not too bad.

I just bought a good New Balance sports bra yesterday and did wear it exactly as you described. I just hate the feeling that the boob is being pushed out to the side instead of toward the center. Oh well, hopefully it won't need to be on long and doing my massages will offset any outward movement of the implant. Why can't this stuff just be simple? It amazes me how many ladies have complications with their implants frm reading on the justimplants forum. I only know a couple gals that have them, but never heard a word about trouble.

As far as the skeevy germs at the gym, I am a psycho about hygiene when I'm there. I even wipe down my water bottle after I've touched it during my workout. Of course, there are always the fifty million bacterium I come in contact with when I go out the door, but I try.

Hope you are progressing well! I need to get some pics up. I'm waiting for my befores from my surgeons office. Should be here in a day or so, then I'll get some shots taken.

Have a good evening!!

Exercise, just a double four letter word to me:) Cabin fever starts to set in must get out of house. I didn't have access to fanny pack like cool people (Going to have to bust out Memebers Only Jacket) but I actually wore athletic shorts and just put the bulb in the pocket and pinned it there. Just put sweat pants over them seemed to work pretty good last couple weeks for me.

Hey! If you keep working at it, maybe someday you can be cool like me. I think the Members Only Jacket is a good start!

Looks like my aspirations for the gym were short lived--I went to sit down in my recliner tonight and landed a little funny which caused me to pull the drain. Well, the stitches that hold it in ripped out and the drain tubing started to pull out. Well, once I decided I wasn't going to puke or pass out, I wrapped tape around the tubing and secured it to my thigh. Now I am scared to move. I guess I'll give the doc a call tomorrow. I could still see fluid moving through the tubing, so I know it is working. Hopefully they'll just tell me to keep it taped. Or maybe I can pull it out myself when it slows down. Crap. Really didn't want to be dealing with a loose drain. 

When I wished for the the drain to be out, this is NOT what I meant!!

Night!

Denise

Cool like me, that's the name of the night club I just opened last week. Only people to show up were my folks and my 2nd cousin Mortimer with the lactating 3rd nipple, but things should pick up this week as I think my liquor license may get approved.

I think I will just hijack this thread like I'm going to do with the support group, I don't want you to BREAK A NAIL (yes the gloves are coming off now) typing on your laptop in the widdle column. And walgreens is having a sale on depends if you can't control yourself (ok now I'm pushin it).

I'm jealous you got your WLS approved through insurance but good for you. Wow you spent some serious coin for your plastics I hope your happy with your results so far. I spent about 8500 on extended TT, hernia repair & gynecomastia so I don't think I did too bad as insurance paid for hernia which made the rest a little cheaper. I posted a couple months back asking about deducting this on taxes and people said they had done it. I know I did it with my WLS so I figure why not plastics, I will set some money aside incase IRS comes after me but definately let me know what your accountant says for those of us that can afford to have one.

So at the risk of not wanting to sound like a perv, I wish you luck at the Renaissance Festival with the drains and the swelling and stuff Ma Lady.

You just have your birthday earlier in the year before me I doubt you are older than me. You're maybe more mature and act like an adult cause I sure don't cuz girls have cooties and stuff. My dad was 300 pounds when I was born back in the day he was the whale like I used to be. My mom was 300 when she was pregnant with my sister and me seperate times. My dad most of his life was between 200-250 my mom is over 300 now but she won't say I don't ask. My sister is around 400 pounds with a bunch of co-morbidities, she don't want the surgery is afraid of not waking up blah blah & she is a vegetarian. (Now your thinking what does she eat, everything but meat) & whoever heard of a fat vegetarian:) For the record no BS my dad has had 3 strokes, 1 heart attack, 2 triple bypasses, 1 procedure where they drill out arteries to unclog them and he now has 5 stents. MY FATHER HAS BEEN A VEGETARIAN FOR OVER 40 YEARS, NO MEAT, NO CHEESE, NO EGGS JUST SKIM MILK. So where does this leave me? I am sorry to hear about you losing both of your follks when they were still young, I feel fortunate to have both of mine still.

The vertical sleeve I have is like duodenal switch without the bypass. I have 33 titanium staples looks like a zipper. They essentially leave you with a hot dog shaped stomach and remove the rest it's laprascopic. To this day I still have no hunger pains HEHE. I've lost almost 75% of my excess body weight, so my results have been about as good as people who had full bypass. I just absorb everything I eat and no gas issues (butt I used to represent back in the day).

Funny how my friend at work doesn't make but that's ok. If you want a good frozen tikka masala go for the Tandoor Chef tikka masala in red box, it's pricey but not real hot at all. I know they sell it at whole foods, you have one over at annapolis in your area. (This is where internet makes life a little creepy) If you like chinese go for the peanut butter chicken best there is hands down for me.

Went and saw surgeon today no seroma yah for me. I can finally quit wearing binders now to,a couple pounds back on guess I shouldn't have eatin gallon of cheese popcorn. On side note did have orange b___l movement wonder if two are related.

Warren is a little busy right meow trying to get other rich folk to cough up some dough so he's busy. I did find a nice rusty walker for you though, figured that's close enough. I can tell your drunk with power over this DRAINERS thing, too bad we could have helped alot of people but i'm shallow and greedy i've moved on. Oh wait you should be getting list of demands in mail for hostile takeover soon as I obviously can type a lot more than you and can ramble indefinatley. (At this point I have broken all my nails, bleeding nuckels, I am typing with pencil in mouth so take that you ^%]';.

wow I think I ran out of cyberspace typing I scare myself sometimes.


Later
Bubba

I know I wrote a short novel last night, but I got a giggle this morning. I was watching a show called Kickin' It on Disney with my daughter and one of the boys on the show was talking about being a stinky teenage boy and he pulled out a necklace he was wearing made of those little smelly trees!!! It is even on the intro to the show. It cracked me up and showed me I have a future in sitcom writing!!!

Have a great weekend!!

You are an industrious little bugger, aren't you? Night clubs, hostile takeovers, cheesy popcorn! How do you find the time to ramble endlessly?? Don't think I hadn't debated the Depends. No money for that, so I was just going to use one of my daughter's pull ups--don't hate.

Was WLS an exclusion on your insurance or did you not qualify under their requirements or did you have no insurance or should I ask 37 more questions? Speaking of creepy internet usage, why do you have no profile on here? Are you being stalked by some jilted weight loss support group groupie?

More mature--surely you jest!  I'm a ripe old 40, but act all of 23 most days--and that's being generous! If I had to guess how old you are based on your writing, I'd guess 38. Not exactly sure how a 38 year old writes, but that's my guess. If I'm within 3 years on either side I win a stuffed animal, so get ready to hand it over. And I will not accept something sculpted out of the lint from your belly button (my gloves are off too sucker!!). So you have some wicked awful family history.Remind me never to become a vegetarian!!  I've got some pretty wretched familial history myself--diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes, cancer, you name it. BUT, I was a very, very healthy fat girl. No comorbidities of major significance but enough nonlifethreatening ones to qualify for insurance coverage. At this point I have low blood pressure, an unusually low pulse, and low cholesterol with high good cholesterol. I am the picture of health. Until I croak when I go hang gliding!

So how do you work your way through airline security with all those staples? Do you get sucked against magnetic surfaces or what?? You really should be proud of yourself--75%--that is huge!! Did you tell me already what your highest weight and current weight is? My stats actually scare me. It sounds like I am talking about an offensive lineman from a football team. Granted, I don't know you any better than I know my neighbor 3 doors down, but I'm so happy for you!  And no gas. You should be elected to to public office. That would be a nice change from the politicians that are all full of hot air! I guess you will be equally happy to know that I have lost 85% of my extra weight (high: 335, low: 187) and I also do not have any particularly bad gas. Granted, French onion soup and I have a special relationship that ends with my being able to inflate a hot air balloon, but as a man I am sure you can appreciate that talent!! 

Okay creepy internet guy, I am waivering between cancelling my account and being thankful for your research mindedness. I do love me some whole foods even though I can no longer afford their goods. Peanut butter chicken--seriously right up my alley. Sounds yummy.

Drunk with power--no. Drunk with sangria--yes!!! Can you drink? I actually had a little run with drinking too much several months back. I'm not sure if it is the same with the sleeve, but with gastric bypass you get drunk fast and sober up fast. I learned my lesson and now only occasionally get hammered. Tonight is one of those times. I am in such discomfort with my poor low back (that was one of my comorbidities--herniated lumbar disc at L5-S1 and degenerative arthritis--I'm a medical transcriptionist by trade, I can talk S-L-O-W-L-Y if need be!!! :) Or is that type slowly?) Anyway , I have a really bad lower back and my back hurting from sleeping in a recliner has me more than willing to have a drink or three! Do you drink alcohol? Should I ask 38 more questions?

Glad you aren't dealing with seromas. So here comes an item from the ooh, that is seriously gross files--remember that drain that pulled part way out? Well, I noticed today that the other bulb, the one that wasn't pulled part way out, kept inflating. Well, I go to the bathroom today and squeeze the air out and reseal it. It continues to inflate. I hear this weird bubbling sound. I figure there is a leak in the bulb or the drainage tube is coming disconnected from the bulb. Well, neither is the case. I listen closer. It is actually coming from the hole in my thigh. The drain had pulled out far enough that the slits in the drain to allow the fluid to go through were showing so there was no suction to the bulb. Ewwwww! Get this--I pulled the drain out all the way! I literally pulled out my own drain! Seriously??? Thank God it wasn't painful. I didn't even want to pass out. But now I am already seeing an area of swelling at my incision. I was told that there is an on call surgeon that can tend to my seroma, but I really would rather not give up the party I'm supposed to be at tomorrow in exchange for having my seroma drained. I think I just need to go to the inner city, score some syringes, and drain the sucker myself. Ugh!

For the record, I type 90 words per minute. You will NEVER out ramble me! Back away from the cheesy popcorn dude!  The orange is clearly a sign that you've overdone it! Am I really not worthy of anything more than a rusty walker? I thought I at least ranked a regular walker with some nice tennis balls on the legs!! I am deeply hurt. But I think there is still hope that we can help others if we stop our self serving agendas. How can two people who have been so successful with our weight loss efforts not be less selfish with those less fortunate than ourselves? I think if we charge an ungodly amount for dues, we should be able to make a nice little side income for ourselves!!

Well, I should get myself tucked into this oh-so-comfy recliner. Time to find my pull up so I don't have to interrupt my restful slumber to use the bathroom!!

Have a great weekend!! Hope you have something fun planned!

Good night!

Denise
Former DRAINERS leader and co-founder (yes, I am easily deterred!)