Two Days Post Thigh Lift/Lower Body Lift Revision

What a crazy couple of weeks it has been! I have been doing a lot of traveling for personal and work reasons. During this travel, I have spent a lot of time thinking (because you have time to do that on plans and car rides) about how my life has changed in the past couple of years. I have the opportunity to do so many more things now that I’m not trapped in a 450 lb body. I feel great, I look great, and I am healthy!

At almost 450 lbs, I never would have been able to fly in a plane without buying a second seat. I never would have been able to wear nice, properly fitting clothes and heels with confidence while giving a presentation at a conference last week. I never would have been able to spend the weekend doing all kinds of fun things in a fun city – like visiting a jazz club, comedy club, and the zoo! Even if I had the physical stamina to last through these activities, the embarrassment of trying to navigate around in these situations with such a large body would have been extremely difficult.

So, two days ago (on Thursday), I went to New Jersey to have a medial thigh lift procedure and revision of my lower body lift with Dr. Capella. The surgery took about 3 hours and I was able to go home the next day – which I did, since my husband had to work on Friday. I’m happy to report that things went well and I”m doing ok.

What I find the most interesting is that I’m in some discomfort, but not really a lot of pain, to be honest. I haven’t taken a pain killer in over 12 hours and I may try to stay away from them from this point forward. I got sick this morning with terrible headaches and throwing up and I think the pain meds were just not sitting well with me!

I was disappointed to wake up and learn that I had two drains put in – that was a bummer. Dr. Capella had said I wouldn’t need them, but I guess when he got in there he saw that I had a seroma and fluid buildup left from the first surgery that apparently wasn’t noticeable during my checkups? It’s news to me too! You would think I would have noticed fluid retention, but I guess not lol. SO, he said to get the best result, he put in drains to make sure all of the fluid comes out. Annoying, but for the best I’m sure!

My incisions look like I expected them. I was surprised by how much of the lower body lift he revised though. I thought he was just taking up the sides a bit, but I’m cut almost the entire way around. Even though things are going well… ugh, I think this is IT for me! I’m tired of recovering from surgery lol.

I’ll take some pictures tomorrow to share with anyone that is interested, but beware… it’s scary looking!

Two Years & 255lbs Later…

Today I’m “celebrating” two years since I had weight loss surgery and about 2 1/2 years since I started the journey to a healthier and happier life. It’s funny to think about when I started this process, knowing I would have to go through a six month supervised diet prior to surgery, feeling like it would never happen. It felt like the six months would never end – and here I am years later wondering where the time went.

I can’t describe with words how much my life has changed for the better since this whole thing started. Every time I attend a local support group meeting, I make the joke that I would have surgery annually if I had to – like renewing a lease. While I say that as a joke, it really is the truth.

Gone are the days of being in constant physical pain – and feeling miserable. Gone are the days of worrying about breaking chairs, public ridicule, ill-fitting online order-only clothing, two seats on an airplane, social anxiety, and generally watching life pass me by as a bystander. I feel like I’m living, I feel like I’m alive.

In support group meeting, people often ask me what he toughest part has been. For me, it has never been physical… but mostly the mental and emotional changes I’ve been through in the past 2 1/2 years. The relationships you have with people can change for the better (or worse) when you make a complete overhaul in your life. What I’ve learned is that I needed to be a bit more “selfish” and make myself a priority if I wanted to get to a healthier place and that’s exactly what I’ve done. I make no apologies!

If I had to do it over, I would do almost everything the same. I’m glad I went “hardcore” and was strict with my eating habits for as long as I could go. Losing as much weight pre-op was key. I’m forever grateful that I started therapy during the supervised diet. Attending support group meetings regularly has been integral. Taking pictures along the way really helps in those times when it feels like you’ve only moved an inch, but in reality you’ve gone a mile.

The best advice I can give to anyone starting this process is for you to practice both accountability and personal responsibility. Accept that poor habits have gotten you to where you are, but turning it around is possible. Track. your. damn. food/drink. WEIGH/MEASURE EVERYTHING. Too often, I hear/read about people magically gaining weight or “stalling” in their weight loss… wondering how this is happening. If it’s happening…. you aren’t being honest with yourself about how much you are eating and drinking – plain and simple. No more excuses, no more denial. That’s the best way I can summarize!

What’s next for me? Well, I’m very excited to be finishing the plastic surgery process in just two weeks with a thigh lift and slight revision to my lower body lift – yay! In just over six weeks, I’m turn 30!! I’m very excited about it, believe it or not, because I truly feel as though I’ve gotten better with age! 🙂 I’ll be updating here and there after surgery – wish me luck! 🙂

Same outfit – two years apart!