I'm baaaaaa-aaaaaccccckkkkk!

I'm getting pics from the surgeons - I have the front series (pre-op initial consult, about 2-3 weeks after the first round, and 1 week after the second), and am waiting on the backs.  When I get them, I will have them available - particularly to anyone on this board with questions.

I had no drains with the first round, but one drain on each side this time.  Drain on the no-clot leg came out the day after surgery, drain on the clot leg came out after 4 days, although that was more because they were concerned about the potential of draining.  My actual production was low enough that it would have qualified to come out the day after like the other leg.

Glad you're back and on the road to recovery!

Kay

Thanks, Kay!  It's nice to be bac****xcept at work... it was nice sitting around watching chick flicks and knitting - LOL!)

Rebecca, I've always thought you were superhuman!  :)   I'm sorry that you ended up back in the ER but so happy to read that everything is healing.  Jeans two weeks post op is amazing!

How long were you out of work after your first surgery?  I'm starting to think about getting a consult.  My surgeon told me to go now but I still want to get off more weight.  I'd like to go when I'm a normal BMI.

Like Chickenman from the mid-60's "She's everywhere!  She's everywhere!" (may be a Chicago thing...)

I was out for 2 1/2 weeks with the first round, and 1 1/2 weeks this time.  Both times I needed at least one day that first week back off because of fatigue, but not for any other reason.  Try the consult - you might be surprised at what the surgeons tell you.  And, how close are you to a normal BMI?  If they remove 10 pounds of skin (about what was taken off me, and I was not considered to have "a lot," would that put you in the normal range?  Even better, what's your body fat content?  If that's in the normal range, your BMI may be a garbage number based on bone density and muscles.

Hi Rebecca,  You did great with time off work.  I think that's what's concerning me the most.  My Sleeve surgeon told me last week at my 1 year appt, to go have my consult now.  I'm 11 pounds from a normal BMI.  I won't have surgery for awhile, so I guess it wouldn't hurt to get the consult and at least know what $ I need to come up with.  I don't know about bone mass etc.  When I get down another 10 pounds I'm going to go find a dunk tank or something similar to measure body fat etc.  I know I'm still high.  My tanita scale says it's something like 34%.

See, that made a huge difference for me.  Between the 3 body fat calculators I have access to (none, unfortunately, a dunk tank), my body fat was between 19-21%, which for a 55 year old woman is basically no body fat left.  Because of that, I was a candidate for the reconstruction much earlier than I otherwise would have been.

See if your gyny will authorize a DEXA scan for you: it frequently comes under the heading of woman care.  I had one last year, and insurance will cover another next spring, so I plan to request it again at that time.

At my one year follow up last week, my Sleeve surgeon set me up with a Dexa scan on April 15th!  What information will that give me?    I wanted it done so that we have a base of knowledge for testing later on.  I've been having some leg pain so he wanted to check out my bone density.

The DEXA scan will give you bone density on your major support bones: pelvis through knees.  Given that, in your case, there is a reason to do it other than baseline, they may do more.  That's great that it's coming up! 

Welcome back Rebecca!!  Glad they got you fixed up quickly.  Sounds like you are doing great.

I remember Tim Conway on the Carol Burnett show.  They were the funniest people in the world!!  I still laugh when I think of some of their shows.

Linda