A Quick Update

Hi all,
     Just a quick update. I am doing well. I went back to work on Monday. I am not lifting anything but other than that I can pretty much do everything else. I am bruised but not too sore. My stitches are healing okay. I have to go to work so bye for now.
Cheers!

Day Two

Hi all,
     Today is the day after. So far so good. I am sore of course, bruised like crazy and moving is a bit tricky. Other than that I am doing well. I am not using any pain meds except for a bit of Advil and that is just to help swelling. My doctor put a compression belt on me. I thought it would be more like a compression garment like a jumper that goes down the legs to the knees and all. It was not. I bought a jumper ahead of time. I took off my belt to shower today. My blood pressure dropped like crazy. I put on my jumper and showered with it on. I washed out my belt and dried it (all while wearing my jumper). I let my jumper dry on my body. Tomorrow when I shower I will take my belt off, shower with my jumper on, then change jumpers (I got a couple more today at Walmart). That should help with the blood pressure drop.
     Other than that I am doing fine and it is not as bad as I thought it would be. Of course I look like I was beat with a bat. I look slightly slimmer. I know it will take a long time to get rid of the swelling. I am excited to see the results!
Cheers!

On My Way Home

Hi all,
     Well it is done! It went well (except for the IV).  I am a bit sore. Not bad. Of course I cannot really see what it looks like so far. I can feel swelling, but a lack of the fat. I am able to get up, walk around, get out of bed and more. Going to the bathroom hurts. Stairs are tricky, but manageable. I'm able to lay down and be comfortable. So far, so good!
Cheers!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow...

Hi all,
     The big day is just around the corner. I am super excited. I am also a big ball of nerves. So nervous in fact I have not had an appetite the last couple days. I have been eating as much as possible. I know I need to. I want to tell my Facebook family about this, but I have not. I am a bit afraid of being judged. But hey it is my body I have to live with. Not theirs.
Cheers!

The Mirror

Hi all,
   Three short days till surgery. Yikes! I am excited, nervous.

     Today after I showered I noticed myself in the mirror. I did not like what I saw. I do believe once this is all over there will be a huge difference.
     At work I wear a uniform. The pants do not fit me well. My pants at home never fit well. I am sure there will be a difference. I am so excited to get into my clothes on the other side. I know I will never be perfect, but I hope to be happier with my reflection.

But I am nervous. Going under and the pain thereafter scares me.  I keep thinking it's worth it, it's worth it. It's all totally worth it.
Cheers!

5 Days Away from Liposuction

Hi all!
     I am five short days away from having liposuction!!?!! On that thought I have continued to do research on the topic. I have been watching YouTube videos on people's previous experiences. I saw one yesterday and it has me slightly concerned. She was a few days after her surgery explaining how she feels. She was very happy with her results. However she would get light headed to the point of passing out. I wonder if it is common. I guess I am not very scared. I have a few concerns, but for the most part I am so excited I can hardly contain myself.
     I guess I will do more research. I have a lot of jeans that are tight on me, so I am excited to be able to fit in them better. If they are too loose, I guess that will be a good problem to have.
Cheers!

Date changed, bill paid

Hi all,
     I meant to post this a week or so ago but here it goes: my work schedule changed and therefore so did my surgery date. I wasn't about to put it off longer. I have waited years to do this. So it is three days sooner. Next Friday May 6th, 2016 at 2:15 PM. I took the day off from work since I can't eat anything that day. It's hard to focus at work with an empty stomach. I will have 2 1/2 days to recover. Also I have paid the bill. Everything is ready to go ;)
Cheers!

One Week Away

Hi all!
     So today I am officially one week away from having liposuction on my ab, love handles and legs. The hospital called to confirm everything. I cannot wait. Luckily for me I will be very busy until my surgery. We just moved into our new house on Wednesday. I have already taken down all the ugly wall paper out of the kitchen and removed all the old cabinet handles. Needless to say I still have lots to do. I know time will go by fast. Soon enough it will be time for surgery!
Cheers!

No New Clothes

Hi all,
     I don't know about you, but I love to shop. I am pretty thrifty but I love new clothes. Especially if it's a good deal. The day I decided to have my surgery I also decided no new clothes until it is paid off. I decided this for two reasons. Firstly I have a surgery to pay for. I need to concentrate my money there. Secondly I am sure my shape will be changing to the point that clothing will fit different, so what's the point of buying new clothes.
    But here is the problem: I love shopping. I still go to the mall and shop. I just haven't been buying. I did buy a couple shirts and a pair of jeans at the thrift store but they were name brand and really good deals. The jeans are Miss Me jeans. They are 28's. I wear 29's now. I can fit in them, but they are tight. I am concerned about this whole size thing because I have three pairs of Miss Me's and a bunch of other really nice, expensive jeans that might not fit after all this is over. I take care of my clothes and they last a long time. I'd hate to have to retire some of my favorite clothes. In the scheme of things I guess it's not a bad problem to have.
Here's to smaller sizes!
Cheers!

Watching Botched

Hi all!
   This morning I am watching Botched. I came across it while turning on some background noise. I am putting away laundry :)  a girl was talking about how she felt now that she is happy about herself and her image. She said it is amazing how she feels now that she is happy with herself. I am so looking forward to that feeling. A few people have criticized me for this.  Read my lips: I don't care! I know I will be very happy. Most people are excited for me though. Even my fiancé says if it goes well for me he wants to do it.
     I guess the message I want to send today is as long as it is safe and something you can afford safely you should go for it. Don't let snide comments change your desires. As long as it is safe of course.
Cheers!

Research

Hi all,
     So to curb my mind of having to wait for surgery I have been doing a lot of research. I want to know everything I can to optimize my recovery and results. Notice I have recovery first. Yes this is a cosmetic surgery. Yes I am doing this for looks.  But taking care of my health is most important. A few subjects I have researched  include:
Recovery ideas
   How to optimize recovery time
Personal massage
   Anti edema massage
   Personal vs. Professional massage
Compression garments
   How long should I wear it? (I am opting to wear it longer)
   Can I wear something else?
   I only get one set. How am I gonna wash it?
   I am considering wearing full spanks while showering so I can hand wash and dry my garment
   Are they comfy?
   What use do they serve?
Recovery time
   I have surgery on Monday. I am supposed to work Wednesday and Thursday that week for 12 hour shifts on my feet.  I am thinking that's not going to happen.
Diet before and after
   I am a vegetarian
   This requires extra protein
   I am looking into powders and veggies that have lots of protein
   Low sodium and avoiding processed foods is a must
   I do not drink alcohol, smoke or do drugs or drink caffeine or pop so that is good.  Those things are bad.
Supplements before and after
   Arnica
   Essential oils?
What to do
   Elevate feet
   Walk a lot
What not to do
    Don't become a lazy log during recovery
    Don't excersize too much
    Don't touch incision
   Don't clean incision with peroxide etc.
Lipo vs. Tummy tuck
   I used to weigh more (read first blog passage)
    I had a BIG bouncing baby boy
   My stretch marks have stretch marks
   What can I live with
   What are my options?
   Do I really want a big house scar around my midsection? (No, I don't)
Loose skin
   How bad will it be
   What can I do to minimize it
Pain
   I'm not so worried about pain, I'm worried about being able to function with it
   I cannot take narcotics. What will work to help curb it?
Excersize
  Walking is good
   Body building not so much, at least not for a couple weeks
Possible results
   I expect to deflate my spare tire
   I plan to work on toning up afterward
   I expect to have loose skin
   I expect to have a few pounds removed, not a whole bunch because I am realistic
Lots of before and afters
   I love the pics they use to advertise. These ladies look like they have never weighed an extra ounce and have never even seen a stretch mark.
   Therefore I look at lots of result pictures.
   I don't like setting myself up for disappointments. I don't expect to look like a Victoria's secret model. I just don't want to look like a pear. If that means wearing a full swim suit from now on, but looking good in it that's fine. I had a kid. Stretch marks are not removable.
How much fat is removed?
   2.2 lbs per 1000 cc of fat, a max of 5000 cc. Per procedure (I know it won't be that much) I read a question someone asked about being a 5'4" woman weighing 250 lbs and is it a weight loss option. No. When I was heavier I never considered it. I knew I had to loose all I could before doing lipo.

I guess I have more questions. At first I didn't know what to ask. I think asking as much as possible will make me more prepared. If you are considering lipo do research. Be realistic.

As a side note I looked up other non invasive options and plastic surgeons all say the same. Nothing non invasive will give you results like this.
That's all for now!
Cheers!

Dropping in

I am just dropping in to say I am so excited for surgery. Also the cost is a couple hundred more because I have to be put under a little longer than planned originally since I added my thighs. :)

Liposuction Story

I am writing to document my journey into the unknown. I am having liposuction. That's right. I am going to have my fat sucked out of me. There are a lot of questions that come up with this subject.

So first: why?
Well because I want to. But a better answer is this: there are just some places that never go away. I am fairly thin. I am 5'4". I weigh between 130 and 135 and I have a medium build. I am 31 years old. When I was in high school I weighed between 120 and 135. No matter how good of shape I was in I always had a gut. Fast forward a few years and I put on a lot of weight. 195 was my weight to be exact. I decided two things at this point. One: since I was married I decided to have a child. Two: I decided I needed to loose weight. Well of course I got pregnant right away. I lost weight during my pregnancy. But then I retained a lot of water my last month and I put on a lot of weight and that gut I had got all messed up. It was then stretched out and misshapen and still fatty. So a year after having my son I was still overweight. I was about 185 and not having any luck loosing weight. I went to my doctor for help. She prescribed me Phentermine. It worked. I have maintained my weight between 130-140 for 6 years. I know I can maintain my weight for life. I refuse to buy bigger clothes. I refuse to ever be heavy again. So since I am the size I want to be I want my body to be proportioned.  That gut I had in high school is now worse. I also have deposited weight the whole way around giving me the spare tire look. And as the cherry on top of this sloppy Sunday the inside of my legs are getting chubby. I hate getting older. So that is why I am having lipo.

What:
To be exact I am having lipo on my entire abdomen the whole way around. I am also having lipo on the inside of my thighs.

When:
May 9th, 2016 at 9:00 am.

Who: (I know these questions are a bit out of order but hang with me for a sec)
Dr. Ross. He was the first doctor in Minnesota to offer lipo. He lepromisesic Femina in Minneapolis. I chose him for two reasons. He has 30 years of experience. He also has fair prices. As the kicker he is honest and up front about possible results, cost, everything. I feel like I can trust him. I am a great judge of character and he's a great character.

As a side note he is not the first doctor I have spoken with. I first went to Sono Bello. I liked that I don't have to be put under, but I don't know I'd get through it well awake. Also the cost for just abdomen was like 8 grand. Ouch. I checked out Cool Sculpting. I figured no needles, no surgery, no promises less cost. NO! About 10 hours in separate treatments will remove up to 20% of the fat at best altogether, but no guarantee. $9,600. And only the front of my stomach. No love handles, no inner legs. I actually laughed at them. How do they dupe people into that??
The cost of my entire surgery which removes up to 90% of fat is $4,070. I can afford that. Dr. Ross is the first person not trying to rip me off. And I am being put under which is good because I get squeamish.

So I think I answered most questions.
32 days...