When the self-pity phase kicks in...

Oh that's tough. This makes me nervous too. I've been scheduled to undergo the knife soon but a different procedure. Mine is minor, I guess.

Funnily enough, this doesn't scare me off doing my arms and breasts in the fall. But the LBL and the a modified thigh lift together is so much. And I'm struggling with the enormity of the two big surgeries at once. Gwen told me not to do thighs with anything else, but I thought since just half my thighs were being done I could handle it. I don't think I can handle it at least not well!!

Good to know. After I heal from this and pay it off, I want to have my medial thighs done and the back half of my LBL. I would love to have it done in one surgery, but I'm wondering how wise that is.

I can so related to the horribleness of feeling helpless. Before my hysterectomy my bladder had a mind of its own and I had the most appalling "accidents". It always made me feel like such a helpless baby.

I am so grateful that you have good friends who can help you even though it feels better to do it yourself.

Thanks, Janet! The accidents are so humiliating and humbling. And the helplessness afterward is just awful. I couldn't be more grateful for my friends either!

If your original compression garment is a bit loose, tuck in a soft wash cloth to help tighten in areas where it's too loose.

I loved the crotchless garments. So easy to use the bathroom, nothing had to be removed, just pants or pull up the maxi dress.

It's actually incredibly tight to where breathing and eating are sometimes an either or option. The surgeon said it's the right size though...

Because I have groin stitches, the crotchless garments are partially sewn shut so they don't rub the stitch line. So no peeing through the hole or using one of those women pee funnels. Just open enough to give me front and back wedgies!

My garment was not that tight after a day or two, so I might be a bit concerned about how tight it is. I actually emailed to ask if I should go down in size because I wasn't feeling like I was a sausage anymore and they told me it should be snug but not hard to breathe/eat, etc. They said if it's hard to breathe you can end up with tissue death from lack of blood supply.

I'm exaggerating a bit, but eating makes it tighter and then breathing is a bit less comfortable than before. It's not a huge struggle to get it back on so I don't think it's too small.

I am calling today about the urge incontinence thing this morning though. I can't live like this. I hope he has an answer or a solution.

I had groin stitches from a small thigh lift (front to back groin) and totally crotchless garments. I did wear a thin shirt under the compression garment after a week or so, because the zipper up the sides and eyelit hook were hard on my skin. I drew the swell hell card and was like a sausage. I could eat, but only a few bites. It was like being newly sleeved.

Eventually, the swelling goes down and the compression garment fits right. You can do this!