NINE WEEKS!!!

You are all going to be sick of me by then, if you're not already.

The downside to my plastic surgery scheduling is that I still have to concentrate on college for the next five weeks and this is more and more challenging as I get more and more excited for surgery.

Last week I got a bunch of supplies. I got an "anti-gravity" chair for recovery, a step stool for the bedside, a shower seat, a wedge pillow (and cover), and some washable incontinence bed pad things.

I also got the ugliest dress ever, which I think will be great for recovery. It's a sleeveless shirt dress that buttons all the way up the front. I ordered a second one once the first one came, so I can rotate. I've also ordered TheraPearls to use as ice packs post-op and a "leisure bra." I think that's it?

So I think I'm making progress. Now I just need the fall schedule for college to post so I can schedule my third surgery.

Now I just need to make sure that I'm able to concentrate on everything else for the next 5 weeks of the term. How did you all keep from bouncing off the walls with excitement?

Oh! I also had the realization that I'm sure the more pilates and other core work I can do between now and my LBL will only benefit me, so I need to make sure I'm able to keep up with that!

I'm five weeks from my arm lift and it's both SO CLOSE and OHMYGODSOFAR. I'm really hoping I won't have just moved in with my boyfriend and three kids a week before surgery, but it's looking plausible. Eep. ;)

I am so excited for you! You are in SUCH good hands - Dr. Michaels will take awesome care of you. I promise, the nerves and anxiety and preparation are so much more than the actuality. Other than the abdominal muscle tightening pain, I really was able to recover fine. You have your head in the game, you are already strong from exercise, and you have an amazing surgeon, so I bet you will fly through this! If I had to choose the most important things for my recovery, it was: sleeping in my bed against a wedge pillow, having my pain meds and water and a snack on a stepstool within arm's reach (couldn't reach nightstand well), a neck lanyard to hook my drains to, and someone to hug you and lift your body to a standing position those first couple of days. You will be sent home with an abdominal binder and with help you can put on any shirt. I wore loose pajama pants for a couple of days. I know Cynthia felt woozy in her first shower, but I was just glad to rinse the crud off! You are mentally and physically ready for this and I can't wait for you to see your new body!!!

What order/combination did you do your surgeries in? I can't remember!

Since I'll be doing LBL and arms at the same time, I figure things that button up the front are better than things I need to pull on over my head.

I also wonder if I'll have a hard time shaking my protein shake bottles - lol. I might need someone else to shake them up for me :D

I did my lower body lift and breasts first, so yeah, I forgot since you have LBL annnnnnd can't use your arms to hoist yourself up, you'll want your partners to help move you to a sitting position from your wedge pillow for a couple of days. My arms were my second surgery, outpatient, and a breeze. My arms and breasts never hurt honestly, but ooooh that muscle tightening in the abdomen!

Stock up on books and Netflix shows :)

I have so many books and shows to catch up on! It'll be lovely. No school until 2 weeks post-op too! Woo!

Congratulations! It is so weird the way we get so excited for these surgeries and then all of a sudden it is over and you are recovering. I was not nervous at all for my first but after I now knew how bad the pain can be the second was both exciting and terrifying. I even scheduled a trip to vegas for the 5 days before my surgery so that I was busy and did not think about it.

The funny part was, I went literally from the airport to sleep for 3 hours and then to the hospital. For the first two weeks post op I was so drugged up that vegas, my surgery and the two weeks following are there but foggy. LOL

Also, I had the same anesthesiologist and the first surgery I woke up so fast that I was still in the OR and they were still bandaging me. I was in a lot of pain at the time so with this surgery I think she gave me so much Versaid that I don't even remember being taken from pre op to the or. I swear my surgeon marked me and I don't really remember anything after that until I woke up in my hospital bed in my room. It is the first time that my memory was so wiped after a surgery and I have had a lot of them. LOL.

Best of luck to you! Time will fly and you will be recovering soon.

I had a friend ask me questions about WLS last night and it was weird since she's super nervous about the idea of surgery. For me, surgery isn't a big deal? Probably because, like you, I've had a number of them in my lifetime and my dad was always having orthopedic surgeries so... surgery was just another thing. And, really, I always think it's easiest for the person getting operated on - I'll just get to sleep! Everyone else is stuck with worrying while I'm in the operating room :P

But I can understand my friend's worries if her only hospital experiences are being in the hospital and having to worry about other people.

Right now, the only thing that I'm really concerned about with plastics is that 10+ hours (my first surgery) is a loooooong time to be under. And then I know it'll take a long time for all of that anesthesia to work its way out of my system. I think I'm also worried about my loved ones worrying? And this time, unlike with my VSG, I'm worried about my mom if I do die. My partners have promised me that they'll visit her lots and make sure she's okay, but that's not really going to help her deal with the fact that I'm dead.

So.... I'd better not die :)

I am not sure why but I never ever think about dying while going under anesthesia. It simply is not an option for me to think about. LOL. Or maybe with so much experience being put under in my head I think that possibility is so slim that it is not worrying about. Making sure I am healthy enough to have surgery is always my priority.

I am sure everything will go great and you and Mom will be back together soon after.

Good luck!

SO super excited for you!!!! You totally got this with the great support system you have at home!!