Once I had gastric-by-pass surgery in 2004 I thought - hey, I will lose my weight and be healthy and happy. Well, they tell you that you are going to have all this "extra" skin hanging around that with my "age" will not shrink back up and go away.
"Hey, no problem, I can deal with that." You say. Okay, then about 3 years after your surgery you still can't wear clothes you want because you have this "massive" roll of extra "you" hanging around your middle. Okay, then I will have a tummy tuck you say - okay. That shouldn't be a problem. I will do it on my holiday break from work. That will give me three weeks to get all better and return to work.
Then you think - "if I have the tummy tuck" I will have these "saddle bags" hanging on my hips and they are going to look awful. So, back to the surgeon you go and she suggest "lipo" to remove these areas you so dislike. Not a problem.
December 19th, I had surgery - I checked in at 11:30 AM. I had 4 hours, yes FOUR HOURS, of cutting, removing stuff, redoing the muscles structure to "pre-pregancy days", then lipo.
I was dressed and escorted from the surgery center at 6 PM - THAT SAME DAY.
Okay, first indication - when I stood up - the nurse, myself and Jeni were standing in a LARGE pool of ME that leaked out from somewhere. The nurse isn't sure where or what to do. She is the only one there by now. No doctor to call. Okay - let's stuff some gauze up there and put pressure on it and stop the out pouring.
My poor husband is outside in the car waiting on us. He has no idea of what is happening inside.
They park me into the car (with extreme pain going on) and take me home.
I remember telling the nurse I was afraid of getting blood on my white carpet - yep you guessed it - I left blood from the back door to the bed. Jeni had to use the little green machine to clean that up. The first of many "cleanings" that mom would impose on them for the next few days. (That thing would not stop leaking.)
You want to know what is really crazy about all of this? That this major of a surgery was not done in a hospital setting where I could be kept overnight and watched. In fact, I really needed a hospital for a few days. Then again, as expensive as the surgery was, I would not have had it done had I had to pay for a hospital too. That would have sent the price way up there. This was ALL CASH baby! Insurance does not pay for Cosmetic Surgery.
It has now been TEN DAYS and I am so proud of my tummy tuck - I am FLAT as a board. It is beautiful. As for the LIPO - what the "$%^" was I thinking? THAT HURT, I am so bruised - like someone beat the crap out of me over and over again. It will take a total of six months for the total results to be in, but as of right now. TUMMY TUCK A++++ LIPO - jury is still out on that one.
My hubby was my hero on this - but of course, he has informed me that this is it - one more surgery and he will divorce me. He has been my nurse, my helper and my friend through so much. I couldn't have a sweeter, more loving hubby. (And of course he told me to write that. lol)
Jeni was a godsend, she helped me with dressings that dad couldn't handle. She will be a good surgical tech when she finishes school.
