redwinelover's Journal, 17 November 2010

ahhh YOU and that shopping....I don't know which make me more jealous...ALL the clothes your getting or ALL the joy your having??? ha ha ha BUT you deserve it....and YOU go for it. I cannot wait to see you xmas photos....I still remember one I say with Homer Santa....I swear we have him also in this house...somewhere....lol BUT we wanna see NEW and IMPROVED RWL photos first.....so you pick out one of you many new outfits and snap away girl.....Come on...... Inspire us..... XOXOXOXOOX  

It is such fun to go shopping when we get slimmer and downsize! Once you get used to your new body, you might gradually change your style and for that you wouldn't know for now. So I'm glad you shopped with good discount cuz by next winter, you may want to try whole different look of outfits on you. But shopping is always so fun! Especially when we find real good deals. You should look really pretty with all those cute sweaters. I'm also so glad for your fast recovery. Happy Thursday! 

A backache ~ hmmmmmm ~ could that be from carrying around those big bazooms? LOL ~ I usually hate shopping, but once I start, look out. You HAD to have fun if you got that much stuff. Yea, Christmas is fun here too, just not very cold and for sure, no snow. Glad to hear you are feeling so much better. What did I tell you!! I am really anxious for those pictures.......... 

K- big talk from someone who has YET to post a picture of herself! lol... yeah.. you thought that might just go unnoticed, huh? C'mon, girl...you know me better than that! You first...tag, you're IT! You know...said with LOVE :D 

Happynow... yes, shopping is definitely more fun when you like the way clothes look on you! I've stepped WAY out of my comfort range here. I've never worn skinny jeans, or legging, or jeggings! lol... so I'd say "my style" has changed. And I want an occasion to wear some of these sexy shoes I've bought! (all dressed up...no where to go!) It has been a relatively quick recovery. Thanks, and I hope your day has gone well! 

NN... ah ha ha ha ha.... truthfully, they aren't THAT big - just to ME since I had so little pre-surgery! And yeah (this will be news to Klannoye) ... I am NOT a mall shopper. Generally avoid them like the plague. (sorry all of you mad mall shoppers!). But you know what? I think I may just like them a bit more with the new bod! lol... AND... you were so right about my turning that corner and feeling so much better! You just don't think it's going to happen and suddenly you realize you feel pretty darn good! Oh, it most likely won't be very cold here, either. And definitely no snow! But I can pretend when the house is all dressed up for Christmas! Thanks again, NN... I really appreciate your support. It means a lot to me. 

Oh, how I love to hang out with you with jeggings. We can call jeggings night out! Yes, with those heels. But make sure to pack a pair of comfies in the car so that you can change as soon as you're back to the car. That's what I do. 

The surgery to me was a lot more to do with the therapy it gave me to NEVER get FAT again and the scar shows that the battle of the bulge was won. The bigger the better in my opinion but I am a guy so please respect that my hormones are wired different LOL... Was that a slap you just gave me? OUCH!!! I know of some friends who have had breast reduction as they were too large then had a lift to make them bigger but not as big as before... Total cost was like $5000 

Happynow... that would be a blast! I just put on the shoes to show my daughter, who is a good three inches taller than I am, and I was towering over her! She actually looked intimidated and BACKED away from me! LOL!... But yes - those shoes? Would DEFINITELY need a spare pair of comfy ones at the ready. I think they would be my "one hour" shoes!  

Gizmonel - I get that.. the scars being battle scars that you've won. Me? I'm vain and a "girl" and would prefer they not be there~! lol.. THAT'S not gonna happen. I'll be fine when they fade. And yes, I agree... I cannot IMAGINE getting fat again! Ruin all this pretty work? The pain? The MONEY!! Uh-uh... so hopefully THIS is where my vanity will pay off - too vain to get fat! lol. No, no slap to you... you were okay when I asked if you'd had a boob job! lol... when I just ASSUMED you were female! If you can overlook that, I can overlook the truth in that men and women ARE wired differently. And I say, AMEN to that! :D So what surgery was the total cost only $5,000 for??? SOMEONE got a good deal! Mine was SO much more than that... Again, GOOD reason to NOT get fat again, huh?  

Well I prefer them not be there too but its either a hip bone to hip bone scar or a big thick tube of skin and fat around me LOL... My scar is getting lighter but some spots are dark still. I actually felt no pain during surgery or after surgery and have not since then may be I was just lucky hehehe. Vanity? Yes I agree its to do about that but for me it was more about feeling good inside and out after losing 60 pounds and keeping them off for four years and a bit longer. I may gain 5-10 pounds in several weeks but to be honest I am always within 170-180 which is 60-70 pounds maintained and I am happy with it. I am fairly muscular and am boxy shaped at 5'4 I could stand to go down to 160-170 but I really don't think I will look healthy with the muscle and sucked in face etc. LOL I also feel weak in workouts if I go down too low so its a trade off really as the few extra pounds give me a good workout performance if that makes sense. Well maybe when I was 245 pounds I could have had a boob job but not now ROFL. I can over look that buddy! Really we are wired the same but in a different way LOL. My friend had her breasts enlarged for $5000. My other friend had a lower body lift and tummy tuck for $10,000. My surgery was $7000 which included flank removal, tummy tuck and light lipo in flank area. Getting the surgery was a contract to myself to never get fat again!!! 

A tip for you... If you rub some coconut oil plus bio-oil on your scars they will flatten out quite nicely really fast. I did this starting at four weeks post op 

Hi gizmonel... Well, I have those surgical grade silicone sheets on all my scars. I'm supposed to wear them pretty much around the clock for a minimum of three months and up to six months. So far, so good. All my incisions are nice and flat and pretty thin already. The hip to hip one is of course, the most prominent one. But really? For it's size it doesn't look bad at all. And I've only had the silicone on for 11 days now! And you can't put any oils, creams or lotions on the scars and cover them up with the silicone. But I'm using the coconut oil on the rest of my tummy that doesn't have the silicone on it! I have a short vertical scar from my old belly button (didn't have enough excess skin to remove up to where my belly button was, so I have a 2" long vertical scar there that stops about 1 1/2" below my belly button), and this incision is the most faint already. When it's completely healed, as long as I don't mess anything up in the meantime, it'll probably be almost unnoticeable. Or it may look like a stretch mark. But I'll take it! And yes, it sure beats excess, wrinkly belly skin! Any day! And YES, you were lucky to not feel any pain. Weird, really lol... are you SURE they stitched up your ab muscles? The rectus abdominis muscle? Because that's what usually causes the pain. And a separation of those muscles usually happens to women that have had babies... so is it possible you only had fat and skin removed and didn't need the muscles stitched? Because when they do, usually you can feel the stitching at first (they flatten out, these do not dissolve, they're permanent, which keeps those muscles together) and the stitches (and pain!) run from just under the sternum between the breasts (or pecs - he he he) and the stitches run straight down the middle of the belly to the pubic bone. And sure, for me a lot of it is vanity...losing excess skin isn't about being healthier, it's about looking good! And yeah, I think it's to help the OUTSIDE match better to the inside - that feeling good inside and out. Oh, and you got a good deal on your surgery, too! I had a tummy tuck, lipo on my flanks, a little bit of lipo on my outer thighs (was supposed to get it on my inner thighs, as well, but my 8 1/2 hr surgery ended up being 9 hrs before he got to the inner thighs and felt it best to stop there), a breast lift with Strattice, and augmentation, and it was A LOT more than your surgery. So yes, it's my contract to NOT get fat again! (besides, my husband might kill me if I did! The judge would call it justifiable homicide! lol) And hey, send me your link to your blog!  

I enjoy the lights and decoration this time of year and would appreciate seeing your creative design when you post the pictures. You're almost healed I am sure and soon this will all feel like a dream. Enjoy the Season, TOWANDA!!! 

RWL, I am working on my decorating outside. Got the sleigh and reindeer, santa, and the nativity brought up from the shed. Nativity if all set up, just need to replace some bulbs, and some of the lights that stream down from the giant star to the nativity. Can't wait to see some of your pictures! And I am so glad that you are doing so well. You are amazing!! Just don't get carried away, and remember to take it easy! After all when the guests get there, they are going to be so busy looking at you that they aren't even going to notice anything else! ;)  

Hi Lisa - thanks, and yes, in many ways it DOES feel like a dream. :D And I so love to look at Christmas decorations - makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Brings back memories of my mom piling us all in the car and driving around to look at Christmas lights. Nice memories!  

ctlss... Oh girl, you'd definitely win a home decorating competition. I don't do the outside except for the front door area and the front window. I leave the rest up to my husband and nearly every year he says, Do we have to put lights up this year? I almost think he asks that just to tease me! But inside? Wish I could start right now! But... we'll wait until after Thanksgiving. As for our company... man, I HOPE they're not all looking at me! lol... remember- no one has been told about this...just my FS family!! (well, and a few close friends...but no family members!) Hopefully all they'll notice is that I've lost weight. Hmmm... it'll be interesting. So ctlss... you'll post some pictures of your home all done up in lights and decorations, right? I'll bet it's gorgeous!  

I had some of my ab muscles stitched but mostly my lower abs as it was all stretched out! I had drainage tubes for four weeks and the strips on me for four weeks which surgeon then removed and the internal stitches dissolved. I agree about the vanity and yes I did it to look good and not feel good LOL now that I got both I am blessed that I will never go back to that point! My surgery lasted four hours but only because they had to go all the way around me to cut it all off. 

gizmonel... the day after my surgery, I could actually feel some of my stitches just below my sternum. Now THAT was a weird feeling. I think they've all flattened out now, though - but those are permanent stitches there. Good thing they got flat... can you imagine maybe even seeing them under the skin? lol... my surgery took 9 hours, but I don't know what portion of that was for the lift and augmentation. So it sounds like you had a lower body lift? Because you said they had to go all the way around you to cut it all off?  

Wow, the chart looks fantastic rwl! I haven't had the chance to catch up but skimming the lines seems to indicate that you are doing great after the surgery and are happy overall. I'm glad to hear it! Gotta run today...