7 weeks on...

Well its been 7 weeks, and what a relief to no longer have to wear the gurdle, summer is here and I dont think I would have coped in it day and night on those hot summer days....

The swelling seems to have gone down now and I have lost 1 size in clothing, so I am now fitting comfortably into a size 16. My scars are healing well, there is no tenderness at all and I am still completely thrilled with the outcome.

My biggest challenge this summer is to let myself relax about my arms, all the dresses out at the moment are sleeveless and Im having some issues feeling comfortable about that. I also have a party to go to that I need to wear a cocktail dress ( something I have NEVER done before) Ive always avoided them or made up and excuse as to why we couldnt go cause I was too embarrassed about not being able to fit into a cocktail dress.

So the pics I'll download today are of me this morning, in a dress again ( dresses have become my best friend) and a sleeveless one at that......

Bring on Summer......

Its a Dress!!!!!!

Well its 3 weeks since I had the op now, and finally I am really feeling back to normal, I can go to the shops again now and not feel like I am going to collapse... hence why Im in a dress!!!!!!!!! haha, I bought this dress a year ago cause I just loved it, got it home and when I put it on I couldnt get it over my stomach... but I couldnt bring myself to take it back.... so today is a very exciting day for me... Im wearing dress and thats something I havent done in a VERY long time.......

2 Weeks Post Op

Well its been 2 weeks today since I had my op, amazing how fast that time has gone. Im at the point of feeling frustrated at the moment. Im still having to sit in this reclined position which makes doing anything really difficult, not suppose to be driving until my bandages are off (which I have snuck out a few times..) and am still having to sponge bath.....Oh what I would give for a long hot shower!!!

Friday I have an appointment with the Surgeon to have these bandages off get my stitches out of my belly button and should get the ok for showering and driving and sitting - whoo hoo.

Apparently the sitting thing has something to do with the flap (as they call it) I think that is the piece of skin they have pulled down and stitched. They said I must sit this way as to prevent the flap from dying???? so Im not sure but it sounded yukky so Im doing as Im told....

Anyway just thought I'd post a pic, not much has changed since the week one photo...

Must have's for Tummy Tuck

Since going through this process there are a few things that I either had taken with me which made life so much easier or things that I wished I had taken, so I thought Id share them with you so when you too go through this you'll know up front what would make life easier:

Hipster undies

- now even if you would never consider wearing them now, they are perfect for after the op as they sit under your scar and believe me after the op this is all you'll want to wear.

Roll down elastic waisted stretch cotton pants

- I just bought the yoga style 3/4 length ones from Katies which were perfect as you really wont be able to have anything firm

Singlet tops with built in shelf bra

- with all the tightness and the gurdle you have to wear a bra felt like it was taking my breath away so if your happy to go bra-less then do, but for those of us who like a little support these singlet tops are the way to go

Neck Pillow

- you know those squashy little ones that are for travelling, I found that being restricted to lying on my back and elevated and being someone that likes to sleep on their side, I really needed something to support my neck when I slept.

Cream and Lip Balm

-with the aircon my skin and lips was sooo dry, even to the point my lips were splitting.

Since being at home and wanting to sleep in my bed I have bought a bed wedge from "hospital at home" which is just like a triangle firm pillow that allows you to sleep elevated. This has been the most comfortable thing I could find that kept me in the same position as I had in hospital

Weightloss

I forgot to mention...... My doctor said he removed 5kgs of skin and fat from my stomach and 500cc's of fat from each flank (hip)......

Day 8

Im sitting here this morning and cant believe its been a week since my surgery, everyday everything is getting easier, like this morning when I did my sponge bath and I didnt need to sit down half way through....I had a much better nights sleep too and manged to sleep till 6am instead of 4am!!!

My Dr came in this afternoon and we agreed that since Im going stir crazy I can go home, I still have one drain left in though and this will have to stay in and I will need to come back in tomorrow and have it taken out. So I jump with joy and he agree's to do the big reveal and let me have a shower before he redresses the wound....

Im so excited when I see my tummy without the corset... cant believe what a difference its made...nurse takes some pics for me before they bandage me all up for another week.

So home I go... have to go back to Dr's in a week for stitches in my belly button to come out and to have the dressings taken off but he tells me that I dont need to keep the corset on... Whoo Hoo....

What a week.... So that never ending search to reveal the one within is feeling closer than ever....

Day 7

This morning I woke with a burning sensation on the scar when I moved to get out of bed, I had however had the best nights sleep during the night with almost no breaks in sleep, so I had stayed still all night.. It did hurt getting out of bed, but by the time I made it to the toilet all was good and I'd loosened everything up.

Dr called this morning and said another 2 drains can come out today, feeling a little dissapointed as I would have liked them all out so I could go home, as lovely as the break from reality has been I am missing my family and am bored out of my brain.....

Day 6

Last night I woke twice through the night with aching in my torso almost flu like, nothing that panadol wouldnt take away though. Then woke again at 5am with a real pulling feeling to my incision - not painful but really weird and tingly. Asked nurse about it and he said that when you start to heal your scar starts to shrink and thats why its feels like its pulling... so all is good..

Decided to get up and have a wonder around, my beautiful nurse brings me a cup of tea and everything feels better LOL.

After a sponge bath again and freshening myself up I am feeling on top of the world... today I am aiming to walk a lap of the ward every hour and manage to, every day I notice such a difference in how much easier things are getting.

getting funny fluttery feelings under my skin today - almost like when you first feel your baby and its like butterflies....feels really funny!

Day 5

Feeling quite exausted today I think I may have overdone it with my 3 laps yesterday...manage though to give myself a sponge bath this morning and wash my hair, have to sit down half way through though as I become light headed.

Aim is to stay out of bed and sit in the chair until lunch today, then I know I'll be sleeping all afternoon....

The nurses surprise me and come in and say were taking a drain out today - ahhh I think, Oh no this is going to hurt......I am so scared its ridiculous! The nurse is wonderful and soo gentle and it slides on out without me even feeling it ( well that is until the end bit that feels like a rope with a knot in the end) and as she gets to the end she says take a breath in and she tugs the knot through - again NO pain.... but awww I was nauseous.... haha

So now 3 more drains to come out, they dont like to rush it cause apparently you can end up having to have the fluid syringed out if they take them to early - YUK!

Day 4

Still have my 4 drains in and know that day 4 was the day that they often come out..... as this was the thing I was more nervous about than anything else I am feeling quite apprehensive...

But feeling a great sense of freedom today I decide to try walking a lap of the ward.... What a shock I can only manage baby steps and every step makes me so exausted......I manage 3 laps and then back to bed for nanna nap time....

Tonight I finally experience pain!!! But no not where I am expecting it..... its in my back! and as the nurses explained I am using my back muscles when walking to compensate for the ones Im not using in my stomach at the moment, but boy it hurts and I ache all night......

Day 3

This morning I am given the great news I can get the IV and catheter out, they figured seeing as Im not using the PCA there is no point in having it, and I am keen to get out of the bed!

The nurses prepare me for the fact that when they get me out it is going to hurt and that we will just sit on the edge of the bed first , then lean forward till my feet touch the ground and stand bent over like a little old lady..LOL.. then I am to shuffle to the chair...

I am so excited and soooo scared that I am going to be in pain and rip in half that I take it soooo slow, but once again am shocked there is no pain. Im not going to say I didnt feel tight cause its the strangest tightness feeling. But there was truly no pain. Once in the chair I am so exausted I fall asleep immediately...

I stay there for about an hour and a half so excited to be out of that bed, but it all becomes a little too exausting and so I opt to go back.

Now having panadol orally every 6 hours, I have a dull ache feeling all over but nothing that panadol cant take away...

Day 2

Had a pretty restless night, mainly with a sore bum having to sit in the same position with my back and knees elevated.

Oh and maybe cause I couldnt stop looking down... LOL.... it was somewhere around this time I remember sending my girlfriends a Txt message saying "OMG I can see my fanny - Lovin myself sick" LOL.

So today they are still keeping me bed ridden, thinking the pain will come today, everyone has warned me day 2 is the worst. So I am prepared for a rough day. Nurses come in to sponge bath me and tell me to press the PCA cause they are going to roll me. I am immediately nervous... and really cringe as they begin to roll me, but again - nothing! No pain! So I am thinking ok maybe the anesthetic is still working....

But no the entire day Im fine, no pain... uncomfortable from that position I have to stay in but not in pain.... exausted though, even 5 mins of talking and Im needing a nanna nap to catch up, you know when you feel like your awake and your still chatting but your eyes are glued shut.... haha or is that just me cause I can talk under water...

Lovin Myself Sick

Well Im back and soooo excited by my new look. The whole week was the most amazing experience and I am sooo happy with the results even though I still have swelling.....

Whilst in hospital I kept a diary so I could update my blog on my thoughts and feelings of each day. I wanted not only a record for myself but one for anyone considering having the surgery to know what really to expect. I know we all have different experiences but this is mine....

Tues 22nd Sept

Arrived at the hosp right on 7am - nervous as hell.. my husband trying to be funny on the way to the hosp asks me if Iam a donor!!!!!!!! (now in his brain he was thinking fat and skin donor and wanted to know if I wanted to donate my bullnose verandah for research LOL) but I was thinking OMG do you think Im going to die......hahaha funny now I can look back at it...

Anyway after arriving at the hosp, I said my good byes to the kids and to Ben and went on in to the prep room, to be calmed immediately by the beautiful nurses telling me how lucky I was to be having the hottest anesthetist they had ever seen. Well they wernt wrong (and in a state of pre med and nervousness - I told him didnt I hahaha).

By the time all the admin stuff was done and I changed into a gown they were ready for me... there was no backing out now! Off to theatre I went. I was told the op would take around 4 hours and it was right on 8am as they wheeled me into theatre.

Next thing I remember is being woken by Mr Hotness himself in recovery and looking straight at the clock and it was 2.30pm, apparently I have been told by the nurses that whilst they were trying to wake me, I was shaking my head saying "No No No, I'm Shopping" - how appropriate for me hahaha.

Back to the room we went at 3.30pm in quite a sleepy state. I remember saying to Ben, they must have me drugged real good cause Im not in any pain....

I was hooked up to a PCA, had a catheter in and 4 drains, they were also pumping IV antiobiotics, fluid and panadol through the drip. But I was feeling really comfortable and didnt need the PCA.

Tummy Tuck $$$$

As Ive had a few emails asking lots of questions regarding the prices and whats covered etc. I thought I'd pop them on here for you.

As I am having my tummy tuck done due to weighloss and previous ceasarians I am covered under medicare number 30177 as a life altering procedure (not just cosmetic), this does not however mean that I am covered by medicare for the procedure it just means that my private health insurance will cover my stay in hospital and the theatre costs. I still will have to pay the following:

Approx cost of Surgeon $6000 - out of pocket expense - not covered by fund or medicare

Approx cost of Anethetist $1700 - you get about $388 back from medicare

Approx cost of Assistant $500 -not sure on rebate for this one

If having Liposuction you are looking at around $2000 - not covered as this is classed as cosmetic, therefore they also then charge you for a portion of the theatre time in which the lipo will take and this has been estimated by the hosp to be around $500.

So all up you are looking at around $10,000.

You can however claim 20% of anything medical over $1500 in next years tax return so thats at least something...

And you can apply to APRA to have early release of your superannuation to have this procedure done provided your doctor is approving you "medically necessary and placing you under that item number mentioned above".

So there you have it, from what I hear, its pretty much the same price whomever you go to, but its nice to choose someone who you feel comfortable with.

Stay tuned for the gross "before" pics that I will post later LOL

xxTrish

Then because this is classed as cosmetic

The completion of my Journey

Oh my goodness this year is going fast isnt it...... once again I am shocked by how long it has been since I posted... well life has been treating me pretty good with the band, a while back I had a fair amount of fill taken out and decided to try life for a while with a little more normality.. well this has paid off, my weight dropped again and I am now happy to say Im down to 94kgs and have decided to go ahead with the tummy tuck.

All year I have been listening to the opinions of others and how they would express that maybe I was rushing it and that i should wait but I have done a lot of soul searching over the past few months and decided that I am very happy where I am, I am proud of myself and what I have achieved not only for me but for my family. The only thing holding back that last incling of confidence would be the huge amount of skin hanging in front of my stomach which is as Ive mentioned before causing more problems that just costmetic.

So Ive decided to go with it and complete my journey...

The big day will be the 22nd of Sept, I am so excited but also nervous, thankfully I have some wonderful friends who have already been through it to ask lots of questions to, and a fantastic surgeon who is about the only one Ive ever met with a sense of humor and a great communicator, hence makes this easier and gives me more confidence in the decisions I am making.

So stay posted people, of course I'll add some before and after shots soon

Take care

xxTrish

About time!!!

I thought I would come on and do an update and I was shocked that it had been sooo long.  It feels like yesterday when I was on here and it was January... I couldnt believe it.

Well the past few months have been pretty smooth with the band. I only had one hiccup around Easter when I got the flu and the constant coughing chose to tighten my band. To which my beautiful Dr Fill came and did a house call and took 3 mls out...... and could'nt that come at a nicer time... I was very naughty and totally took advantage of it being Easter and all the Hot Cross Buns and Chocy's.... hence why I managed to gain 3 kgs in one weekend!!!!!

So from then week by week I have been going and having 0.3mls put back in, and at the moment I am managing most foods but in a baby bowl. Which is the place I really like to be. Its amazing how much you enjoy the taste of food when youve been too tight to eat it....

I now weigh 96kgs. I have been to visit a few plastic surgeons in the past few weeks too, as I have been left with a very large over hang of skin and everything down below seems to have headed south too. The surgeon assured me that by having a tummy tuck and by pulling everything back up not only will I realise I DO have a fanny.... but I will loose that weak bladder aswell....so in my eyes there is really no reason NOT to.....BRING IT ON!!!!

I have decided on a lovely surgeon who is new to Newy and plan on having the surgery at the end of the year. I would hope that I am around the 90kgs by then. Which really should be an achieveable mark.

Well thats about it for now. Till next entry, take care xx

Still in my Happy Little Place

Well nothing much has changed, its just dawned on me that it coming up to 2 years since I was banned and wow alot has happened in that time.... most of all I would say that I am content these days, I am comfortable in my body for the first time in years.
Since my last post I have lost another 3kgs and although I have been this weight before, this time its different, everything seems to have shifted into a different place. I have gotten alot of compliments of late even though my weight has been relatively the same.
Anyway not much to tell, Just wanted to touch base and say Hi......Oh and I guess to tell you that yes I am loosing and still eating. Im back at that happy place where really anything will go down,but it is taking me around 30mins to eat anything. I personally think this is a good place to be.
Attached Ive added a pic of me, this is of the board shorts that I had on in the photo of me in the pool below. At that time a size 26 was snug and I was having trouble getting clothes. This is the only item of clothing I have kept from "the old me" as it was a true indication of how big I was, boardies as many of you would know have no stretch in them. So I am very proud to say I can not only fit in one leg of them know, I can put my kids in them too...lol.