[jiffypop]

well. that's what the plastic surgeon said when he examined my batwings!!!!

the pics are taken [trust me, they won't be posted!!!! no sense making anyone ill!] and now the effort to get insurance approval begins. like the surgery, apparently the insurance approval happens in stages. the first will be the 'circumferential lower body lift.' have to document medical issues in order to get this through, and get as many docs on board as possible.

and he said that for this part of it, i'll be out for at least 6 weeks. maybe 8. the timetable is july/august, depending on how annoying the insurance company is.

and guess what!!! I GET TO GATHER AND SUBMIT ALL THIS INFORMATION!!! is'nt that THRILLING??!!!! i'll have to be somewhat organized, and that alone might be the death of me.

he's a real nice man. he spent the better part of an hour with me not rushed at all. lots of conversation, questions on both sides.

and what might be the best of all HE HAS A VERY FRIENDLY SCALE!!!!n according to this one, i've lost about 5 pounds since last week!!!!!

that's pretty much the full report. there's a lot of work to be done, but off we go!!!!

[ageoldie]

WoW Jiff, I'm so proud you are going through with this!!! I think you will be amazed at your body after this is over, but boy...6 to 8 weeks seems like forever.

Keep up the good work, and I'm glad you are not depending on me to keep you organized! But I have no doubt that you will make it.

[jiffypop]

but barb. i was hoping... <jk!!!!>

[Meg]

Isn't that just the best feeling when the doctor tells you it's skin and not fat? (even though we have to get rid of the skin?) My doctor pretty much said the same thing to me: "it's skin -- nothing but skin -- yards and yards of skin" and it was like this HUGE burden lifted off my shoulders. I felt like: "OK, doc, I've done my part; I've taken this poor old formerly obese body about as far as I can -- now it's your turn". And has he come through for me!

Jiffy, sweetie, you will do just fine with the lower body lift. If a wimp like me can sail through it with no problem, you'll hardly even notice it. It's been 15 months since mine and the scars are so faded that you barely can see them (and they're in a very discrete location anyway ).

I suspect that the 6 - 8 weeks recovery time is the usual conservative doctor talk. You'll be bouncing off the walls much sooner than that, I'm sure.

Here's my #1 lower body lift tip: TONGS. Kitchen tongs. I couldn't bend over to the floor for a while so I armed myself with a pair of kitchen tongs for picking up anything out of reach (like disgusting teenage boy dirty socks that stand up by themselves -- but you need tongs for those anyway ).

Tomorrow's LBL tip will be how to wash your feet in the shower when you can't bend over.

It's gonna be AWESOME!

[debkay2]

Jiff glad to hear your moving forward in your plastic surgery quest. I don't envy you the insurance "junk"

Debbie

[Chickadee]

Good for you Jif. I keep watching shows on Discovery Health on bypass patients having body lifts and think of you. What a hassle getting all the info you need, but it will be sooo worth it. We won't be able to say "how's it hangin' " to you anymore, will we?

Your little(er) Chickadee

[SeekInnerThinChick]

Meg's right about the kitchen tongs. Also compression bandages, if the doc says it's o.k., and a fanny pack for gear and water, so you don't have to stretch or reach too far at first. Anti-itch creams for the scars.... and lots of meds, never skimp on the meds....

[peach pit]

Originally Posted by Chickadee

We won't be able to say "how's it hangin' " to you anymore, will we?

Your little(er) Chickadee

No, but we can call her Kathy Lee....cause she's gonna be so PERKY!!!!!!


Jiff....sleeveless shirts are on sale NOW....you should stock up on them 'cause after your swelling goes down your gonna look GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD in those suckers!!!!

6 to 8 weeks out of work? can't imaging that THEY are gonna be REAL thrilled about that!!! Where are you gonna re coop (couldn't resist)

Jiff unzipped...

peach

[jiffypop]

the work conversation was entertaining today. as soon as i got in this morning, i sent THE OFFICIAL EMAIL to the two VPs and the owner. in less than 5 minutes, i was hauled into the corner office. now, these are people who will ignore or deny ever receiving emails...

'what's this? i thought you said 4 weeks!!!!' when did it turn into 8? when will this happen? we want 30 days notice. you're going to be out on disability and that means you won't be able to work at home!!! '

my answers: the doc said it would be 6-8, i tried for 4. it didn't work. he's gonna cut abdominal muscle. that's what'll take that long. and i'll give you as much notice as i get, i promise you. but this won't be happening until the middle of july at the absolute earliest, and more likely august.'

them: we're going to have to work hard to find someone. how long will you be in the hospital? [me: about 4-5 days. will you send me flowers? them: of course!]

them: who will take care of you when you get out? would you consider a rehab center?
me: was in one a couple of years ago. will fight tooth and nail to stay out of it.

and on and on and on. the most bizarre combination of blind panic and concern that i've ever seen!!!!

and PERKY and JIFFYPOP have NEVER been used in the same sentence, and my expectation is that they never will!!!!! of course, dropping from a DDD to a C would help the disposition here!!!!

and meg.. sitc... everyone who reads this... keep the info coming!!! i need all the help i can get. and SITC... i already have TWO fanny packs. i had to get a bigger one [quiet peachie!!!!] because of all the crap i have to carry in order to hike safely in the summer: water, doggie benadryl, topical benadryl, epi pen, inhaler, cell phone. it's always something!!!!

[MrsJim]

Miss Jiff! WOWZERS!!!

Now you can start reading...along with doing the insurance stuff There are a ton of PS sites - check Meg's Loose Skin FAQ on Maintainers. I can't recommend two books enough: A Smart Woman's Guide to Plastic Surgery and Two Girlfriends Get Real About Cosmetic Surgery The last one is actually an entertaining read!

SITC: Just FYI...it's not really a good idea to put anti-itch cream (or any cream or ointment not recommended by your surgeon) on incisions. During my "itchy time" what worked for me and was highly recommended by my surgeon was Benadryl (the oral kind, not the topical kind). Jiff'll want the scars to heal nice and clean and as invisible as possible - you don't want to put anything on them that'll irritate them and make them red and icky. As far as compression bandages...again, always listen to your surgeon. Jiff, you'll likely wake up with some sort of garment on after you come out of the OR! On the pain meds...I was on Percoset for the first, oh, four days but had to stop taking it because it, um, stopped up the old plumbing if you KWIM. And that reminds me of something ELSE you might want to have on hand if you have muscle repair done: Magnesium citrate. There's just no way of saying this reeeeal delicately, but you'll kind of lose your capability to 'push' for a week or two...and that really helps.

If you have access to a comfy recliner, that's probably going to be the best way to rest and even sleep. Pillows - LOTS of pillows. Good books, but if you're getting your muscles repaired, no laugh-out-loud type of comedy (you're going to feel like you've done 1,298,398 crunches...no pain unless you're a chronic belly laugher like I am...DO NOT WATCH SOUTH PARK... just a warning!).

Woo hoo! Keep us posted chickie!

Getting late here...need to zzz...

[peach pit]

Originally Posted by jiffypop

them: we're going to have to work hard to find someone. how long will you be in the hospital? [me: about 4-5 days. will you send me flowers? them: of course!]

Jiff, They ain't gonna send you jack.

them: who will take care of you when you get out? would you consider a rehab center?
me: was in one a couple of years ago. will fight tooth and nail to stay out of it.

Oh gosh, Jiff....that rehab center was just sooooo much fun!!!!!



and PERKY and JIFFYPOP have NEVER been used in the same sentence, and my expectation is that they never will!!!!! of course, dropping from a DDD to a C would help the disposition here!!!!

I'm tellin ya Jiff....you're gonna be PERKY!!!!!!

and meg.. sitc... everyone who reads this... keep the info coming!!! i need all the help i can get. and SITC... i already have TWO fanny packs. i had to get a bigger one [quiet peachie!!!!] because of all the crap i have to carry in order to hike safely in the summer: water, doggie benadryl, topical benadryl, epi pen, inhaler, cell phone. it's always something!!!!

I'll be happy to keep the info coming....I have so much of it!!! by the by....you are not too good with numbers...you might want to slip some of your emergency numbers in that fanny pack, toots!!!

with love,
peach

[SeekInnerThinChick]

Mrs. Jim: my surgeon recommended a hemorrhoid cream on the incisions, once they had sealed, and it worked great for me. Cortisone creams might be an option for a short time. Also just plain petroleum jelly, or a "jelly cloth" with a topical anesthetic. Benadryl would very definitely make me massively red and itchy, as well as making my heart race-- can't go near the stuff.

[MrsJim]

Originally Posted by SeekInnerThinChick

Mrs. Jim: my surgeon recommended a hemorrhoid cream on the incisions, once they had sealed, and it worked great for me. Cortisone creams might be an option for a short time. Also just plain petroleum jelly, or a "jelly cloth" with a topical anesthetic. Benadryl would very definitely make me massively red and itchy, as well as making my heart race-- can't go near the stuff.

Seek - I wasn't aware you had PS? What's the scoop?

Regarding Benadryl - it not only stopped the itching for me, but it also put me to sleep (I actually used Walgreen's generic version "Wal-Dryl" - I'm a skinflint! ) I've heard that some people take Lecithin supplements as well. The source of the itching following PS is actually due to the nerves healing, and lecithin is supposed to speed that healing process.

Following my PS' orders, I cleaned my scar twice daily with hydrogen peroxide diluted 50/50 with water and applied Neosporin ointment and a fresh dressing. After the stitches were removed and the scar had healed, I've been using silicone gel sheeting during the day and applying aloe vera lotion in the evenings. So far my scar is fading and flattening nicely and I'm VERY happy with my result!

Here's an article on scar therapy from www.tuckthattummy.com:

Scar Therapy and Keloid/Hypertrophic Prevention

Many people believe that Topical Vitamin E will help with their scars, and that is fine for some - it very well may. However, a study published in Dermatologic Surgery (04/99) reported that topical Vitamin E had no effect and even worsened the appearance of incision lines/scars in 90% of cases. An additional finding showed an increase in cases of contact dermatitis (1/3 of the cases in the study). Some cases even showed an excess production of collagen which increased the vertical height of the scar. The New York Times later reported these findings several months later in a June 8th issue.

I am not saying that all cases will exhibit worsened scars with the use of topical, full strength Vitamin E - but some very well may. I personally believe it is better to be safe than sorry and have always chosen a regimen of surgical paper tape for the first initial healing phase and then have switched over to silicone sheeting. However, Vitamin E does have free radical eradication properties and may be very effective. Be sure that you wait long enough after your surgery to take Vitamin E because of its anti-platelet properties. BE SURE to ask your surgeon before resuming any anti-platelet inducing medications such as Vitamin E and aspirin, or aspirin products. Failure to do so can prohibit clot formation and cause hemorrhaging.

Silicone sheeting is becoming more popular for flattening and fading of scars. It is unknown if the Topical Gels are as effective as the sheeting although some doctors believe it is more the pressure of the sheeting rather than the substance it is made from. I personally do not like topical gels but do find them effective and less of a hassle than the sheeting for facial applications or small, discolored flat scars or scrapes.

Many surgeons are beginning to use surgical paper tapes such as Steri-Strips by 3M Corp. These paper tapes have shown considerable flattening and fading in patients who were given paper tape over no scar therapy directly post-op.

Some surgeons even suggest that you apply Retin A to the incision line (once it has healed closed) and cover the scar with paper tape. Wait several days and repeat until the scar has faded. Many liposuction scars are treated this way, and very effectively I might add.

The bottom line is, not all therapies will work for every patient, however please discuss your options with your surgeon - he or she may not suggest any or only a few of the above therapies. Please do not go against your surgeon's instructions.

I believe - just judging from my own personal experiences - that most plastic surgeons are perhaps more concerned with scar appearance than 'regular surgeons'. Nine years ago, I injured my right wrist in an accident and was stitched up in the emergency room. I still have a 1 1/2 inch keloid scar on my wrist today (as well as a minor scar underneath). In fact, when I was consulting with my PS initially, I expressed my fear and showed her the scar - thinking I was one of those people who have a tendency to keloid. She reassured me that she would ensure that I would have a beautiful result and NOT keloid, as long as I followed her instructions. A year after my lipo, there are only VERY faint, non-raised tiny marks where the cannula went in, and 5 months after my FTT, the scar, while still red, is noticeably flatter and fading. I couldn't be happier!

[jiffypop]

keep all this scar advice coming ladies!!!!! when i totalled my car and went through the windshield [another wonderful day that peachie remembers but i don't!] i was stitched up in the ER by a plastic surgeon. there are 12 stitches on my face, but most folks don't notice the scar.

i used pure aloe vera - from the plant - on it every day after the stitches were out. i have no idea if it helped or not...

benadryl = diphenhydramine = antihistamine. some folks can handle it, others can't. i do fine on the topical, but have bad reactions to the oral [although maybe the whopping huge dose had something to do with it!!!!]

SITC: it sounds like your doc was trying to keep inflammation down, and karen's doc's goal was keeping infections away. just glad it worked out well for both of you.

and peachie.. you're right. you DO know too much <sigh> but aren't you glad that i can at least list what i'm supposed to be carrying?????

we don't want to go into the rehab place again, do we??????

[SeekInnerThinChick]

Mrs. Jim: I've never had elective plastic surgery, just been under the knife many times, either trauma or disease, a case of One Damn Thing After Another. Some of the repairs were to my face, which gets the plastic surgeon involved. But my biggest scar was a result of PCOS, running from hip to hip, something like a tummy tuck. That was done by an ob/gyn/surgeon who was a woman, and really cared about the quality of the scars she left behind. Her stitches were amazingly tiny, like embroidery. Better than the plastic surgeon's work, IMO. She clued me in on Preparation H. And you won't believe me, but you can put that stuff on undereye bags and it temporarily tightens things up. Works well-- just don't tell anyone...

Jiffypop: Definitely skip rehab, boooorrrrrrrinnnngggg! I'm crossing my fingers for you!