Lisa's Story - Page 55 - ThinnerTimes

JenBear7 · 06-14-2007, 09:47 PM

So glad you are doing "better" lisa! I stopped in to see how you were doing... Stay in bed! It may be boring.. but its for the best! THanks for the updates... Take care of you!

OsoDelDesierto · 06-15-2007, 08:26 AM

Lisa, I'm so glad you're home and posting, but your story is really frightening. Yikes! You are an incredible trooper and I am in awe of your strength and courage. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

As bored as you may become with laptop, remote, and Sudoku, please keep resting! There's nothing so important or interesting as to risk starting the bleeding again, so stay on your bony behind, channel surf, and be waited on like the beautiful princess you are

You continue to be in my thoughts and prayers and I wish you a smooth, swift recovery from here on out...

LisaBoston · 06-15-2007, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OsoDelDesierto

Lisa, I'm so glad you're home and posting, but your story is really frightening. Yikes! You are an incredible trooper and I am in awe of your strength and courage. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

As bored as you may become with laptop, remote, and Sudoku, please keep resting! There's nothing so important or interesting as to risk starting the bleeding again, so stay on your bony behind, channel surf, and be waited on like the beautiful princess you are

You continue to be in my thoughts and prayers and I wish you a smooth, swift recovery from here on out...

Gee thanks everyone. Yes I am listening to the doctor and not doing anything. Its quite boring, but my health is the most important...I am no good to anyone (including myself) if I continue to be sick.

Scale reads 164 this morning...I still suspect 5+ or more pounds of fluid. Its damed if I do and damned if I don't. I need to walk to keep the swelling down, yet then I bleed. If I lay, sit and rest, then the bleeding is minimal yet the swelling increases. You should see my thighs and hips....I don't recognize the person in the mirror. I took measurements last night for comparison and I have 2-3 inches on both my hips and waist than before surgery. This will come down with time. Don't get me wrong, I am not too concerned about the numbers on the scale or the inches - I just wanted to point this out for others to know when and if they have the surgery....its reality. Time will tell.

Thank you all again for your well wishes. If you are scheduled for tummy tuck or thinking of it, I don't want my story to scare you...more so educate others that anything can happen. I have my moments of regret, then look down and think..cool - no more flapping. I know when I can get back to my walk/run routine and the flapping and pain are not there, that I will be thankful that I had the surgery...right now its still a little foggy...and may be for some weeks!

MiladyB · 06-15-2007, 12:36 PM

Lisa, I for one am very glad that you are willing to "tell it all." As you know the same procedure is coming down the road for me. I have to be honest it scares me more now than it did before reading all about your complications BUT it is something that could be a reality for any of us and I am a firm believer in going in with my eyes wide open to the "what ifs". I feel the more prepared I am to possible complications the stronger my mind will be IF any of them happen.

J & D · 06-15-2007, 01:13 PM

Lisa:
Your strength and courage is just awesome. We can't believe what you have gone through. You continue to be in our prayers!!!! You are truly an inspiration to us. Take Care!!
Jim and Dorene

ladytonya · 06-15-2007, 01:21 PM

Lisa, you are amazing! I know you will be happy once you can get back to walking and don't have that yucky ole pannus flapping around any more! I know that I will need the pannus removed plus I want my boobs and arms done. One problem, however, is that I am an absolute wimp when it comes to pain! I don't know if I could do it! You go, girl! Rest up, stop bleeding, and you'll be back to walking in no time.

LisaBoston · 06-15-2007, 02:23 PM

Another thing came to mind today after PMing with another TT member.

I had issues for a variety of reasons, one of which is the fact that I carried most of my excess weight in my midsection. Very little on my arms, legs or hips. Although I did loose weight on those area's the tummy was by far the worst and the worst for my health. Loosing over 20 inches on my waist and almost the same on my hips made a BIG difference in my body. The weight off my hips was from the front area, vs on the actual hip.

My body saw this excess weight as another organ (the skin is the largest organ, but the fat in itself on the skin makes me refer to it as its own organ).

So for me having lost a great deal of weight in this area means that I had plenty of extra and large blood vessels to keep this "organ" alive and healthy. Food loved to feed this organ. With the weight loss, it left saggy skin and tissue, thus the reason I had the second surgery. I would not have done this surgery if it wasn't for the flapping and thus causing pain.

I guess each person has to weigh out the pros/cons of flappy skin but the lesson we need to learn is that with the excess skin and tissue we need to understand "what" can happen. You can take 10 of us, have the same surgery and get 4 different results...we all started off different, we may not all end up the same.

If someone were to ask me if they should have this surgery, I would certainly tell them its a personal choice. Look at why you are having it, go into the procedure educated on what could happen. No different that the GBP. Some of us were really lucky, some in the midrange and others wish they never had it.....what cards we are dealt is anyones guess.

Escondido Elf · 06-15-2007, 09:16 PM

Oh, my God! I am so glad you're doing better. Your post was so scary to read!

Blueyz · 06-15-2007, 09:35 PM

Good point Lisa..in regard to the surgery and how it can be different for everyone. Look at me and how many times I have been disected over and over. I had my abdomen cut from hip to hip 2 times or 3..can't remember and from sternum to pubic bone 3 or 4 times...when I should have been cut 2 times. Complications can arise from any surgery and we just don't know how it will affect people. I just count my blessings that I am ok now and I am thankful that you are ok now, too.

I hope you are feeling better every day.

sdgrrl · 06-15-2007, 11:11 PM

You're absolutely right about some people not having any problems and some people many, but from my experience and those of our TT people, there seems to be a higher percentage of complicaions on pannis and tummy tucks than other body parts, no doubt from your explanation of your "belly organ." Like Rain, I had drains for weeks and still ended up having to go in to have "the waterbed effect" drained out with needles and 2-4 60cc syringes full at a time for a long while. I still ended up with a baseball sized seroma on the left side. It caused big problems for Doc Potts when he did the GBS, and I know it contributed to the bowel obstruction fiasco.

Poll: how many of us have had pannis/tummy tucks with absolutely no problems? No overactive drains, no seromas, no infections or split open incisions? I would truly love to know the ratio of problems to none.