I am writing for Ronda as I am told by her husband that the surgery went well. She is resting right now and boy is she going to need the rest. She will stay tonight and tomorrow night and then return home Thursday. Updates to follow ! :)
Update.....7:00 pm, she's out cold but somehow managed to open her mouth to suck on a popsicle. NOTHING can keep her from those damn popsicles ! :)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
8 hours till I check in....
I can hardly believe that I leave for the hospital in 5 hrs. I am feeling surprisingly calm. I have everything ready and everything is done...with the exception of one last shower before I leave.
Just took my Celebrex and 2 Robaxin as I was directed. I had a light dinner and now I wait. We will leave the house approximately 2:30am in order to be at the hospital by 5:00.
I am comforted knowing that I was able to find and borrow a power lift chair for a few weeks. My many thanks to Tammy and her mother Theresa for making that possible.
Well, as promised and with a bit of apprehension, I have posted my BEFORE pics. I said that I would be making myself vulnerable...and I have.
I work out very hard and often, but no matter what I do or for how long I do it, I am at the point where nothing else will change...not in the stomach area anyway. I will continue to work out, once I am healed...
As far as the breasts, I am looking forward to no longer having pain and discomfort. So, more than anything, I pray that my doctor, Dr. L. Dwight Baker does what he does so well and that is reconstructing the damage in my chest and giving a stomach that I can not be happy with. I do not have unreasonable expectations...I know and understand that I am no longer 20 years old.
Sinder will be posting on here for me from time to time AND adding some pictures along the way until I am able. Thanks again, Sin.
My surgery time is appox. 5 1/2 hrs. Lord watch over me, keep me safe and guide the hands of my doctors.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
2 more days before Surgery
Well, Thanksgiving and all that goes with it, is now part of the past..PHEW! We made it.
I ate exactly as I had expected...EVERYTHING, non-stop. That's just the way it is in an Italian home. The only OTHER thing I think I did as much as eating while I was there, were the dishes..and that was just to prepare for the next meal. I was glad to do it. I have found, however, that I just can't eat like that anymore. It's sad really, because the food is so absolutely over-the-top delicious, that your mouth still wants more, while your stomach feels that it was going to explode.
I was careful, and made sure that I got my running in while I was down there. Lots of it. When I left here..my weight was 153.4 and I was quite proud of that. However, I refused to touch the scale at my mother in laws house..REFUSED!!! And the more I ate, the further away from that scale I stayed. But, this morning, I had to do it...I got on the scale..and to my surprise, I was EXACTLY the same. 153.4... I was blown away. Finally, I could exhale.
I made the choice not inform my mother in law of my surgery.. I didn't want her to worry. She has enough on her plate..(no pun intended.) Given all that she has going on health wise, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I just wanted her to enjoy her Thanksgiving with her family...and she did. But saying good-bye is always so hard.
Sure enough, the butterflies are starting to set in, slowly but surely. I have made my lists and I have checked them more than twice...
The medications I was prescribed and have already picked up are:
CEFADROXIL 500mg (an antibioticused for bacterial infection)
METHACARBAMOL 750mg (robaxin)(muscle relaxant used to treat pain caused by muscle spasms)
VALIUM 10mg (anxiety/muscle spasm/insomnia)
ONDANSETRON 8mg (nausea)
HYDROCO/APAP 7.5, 650mg (narcotic used to relieve moderate/severe pain)
CELEBREX 200mg (anti-inflammatory used to treat pain)
I sure hope this will be enough!!!
I still have not been able to find a power lift recliner. Everything that I am reading says this is the best thing to sleep in for the first week to ten days following a tummy tuck.
This is concerning because, not only will my stomach have been sliced from hip to hip, but my arms will be of no use because of the breast augmentation. I am somewhat sure there will also be significant discomfort from the VASOR Lipo. I am not kidding myself, I know it will be, ummmm, unpleasant.
The doctors office has already called and confirmed my hospital arrival for Tuesday, 5:00am.
I have already called the doctors office AGAIN and shared my concern about the "perfect incision". I am going to make a template and bring it with me to the hospital. I have done my research and I have seen this doctors work and he is quite talented...BUT..I want to be sure that there is NO misunderstanding.
I chose to have this work done at Flowers Hospital in Dothan, Al. I have been there before, not for myself but for friends, and I have NEVER seen such a caring, qualified and loving staff...EVER. Ironically enough, when I was there for pre-op work last week, the nurse that took care of me was from....that's right, Connecticut. New London to be exact. Small world. Although the doctor and the hospital are in Alabama, Dothan is only 2 hours away, as the crow flies.
I expect I will post my before pictures this evening or perhaps tomorrow. I made sure the pictures were taken at just the right angle. By that, I mean the angle in which "I" think it looks the worst.
My implants, although they look ok when I am dressed, have become quite disfigured over these last 20 years. It's true, that's how long this set has been in...and this was the 2nd set. Now it's time for #3. No, I am not going any bigger or any smaller. Same size, only this time the implants will be beneath the muscle. Again, another reason I may not have such good used of my arms for awhile. A word of advice if you are thinking of having implants put in....DON'T! I am quite serious.
I just finished doing my shopping for the week. The family should be fine... they will have to be. I have been looking for and stocking up on all kinds of wonderful foods to help with the healing process. Pineapple, Mango,..there are so many super foods out there..and they are part of my everyday diet anyway, so this will be no big change. I love CHOBANI yogurt, so I loaded up on those. Sinder will be making me some organic chicken soup for later in the week, or maybe next week. I found a great recipe that included sweet potatoes and she has graciously agreed to make it for me.
I suppose it's time for me to get the laundry done from this past week. I need to know that everything IS done, that can be done.
Till later this evening or tomorrow.
I ate exactly as I had expected...EVERYTHING, non-stop. That's just the way it is in an Italian home. The only OTHER thing I think I did as much as eating while I was there, were the dishes..and that was just to prepare for the next meal. I was glad to do it. I have found, however, that I just can't eat like that anymore. It's sad really, because the food is so absolutely over-the-top delicious, that your mouth still wants more, while your stomach feels that it was going to explode.
I was careful, and made sure that I got my running in while I was down there. Lots of it. When I left here..my weight was 153.4 and I was quite proud of that. However, I refused to touch the scale at my mother in laws house..REFUSED!!! And the more I ate, the further away from that scale I stayed. But, this morning, I had to do it...I got on the scale..and to my surprise, I was EXACTLY the same. 153.4... I was blown away. Finally, I could exhale.
I made the choice not inform my mother in law of my surgery.. I didn't want her to worry. She has enough on her plate..(no pun intended.) Given all that she has going on health wise, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I just wanted her to enjoy her Thanksgiving with her family...and she did. But saying good-bye is always so hard.
Sure enough, the butterflies are starting to set in, slowly but surely. I have made my lists and I have checked them more than twice...
The medications I was prescribed and have already picked up are:
CEFADROXIL 500mg (an antibioticused for bacterial infection)
METHACARBAMOL 750mg (robaxin)(muscle relaxant used to treat pain caused by muscle spasms)
VALIUM 10mg (anxiety/muscle spasm/insomnia)
ONDANSETRON 8mg (nausea)
HYDROCO/APAP 7.5, 650mg (narcotic used to relieve moderate/severe pain)
CELEBREX 200mg (anti-inflammatory used to treat pain)
I sure hope this will be enough!!!
I still have not been able to find a power lift recliner. Everything that I am reading says this is the best thing to sleep in for the first week to ten days following a tummy tuck.
This is concerning because, not only will my stomach have been sliced from hip to hip, but my arms will be of no use because of the breast augmentation. I am somewhat sure there will also be significant discomfort from the VASOR Lipo. I am not kidding myself, I know it will be, ummmm, unpleasant.
The doctors office has already called and confirmed my hospital arrival for Tuesday, 5:00am.
I have already called the doctors office AGAIN and shared my concern about the "perfect incision". I am going to make a template and bring it with me to the hospital. I have done my research and I have seen this doctors work and he is quite talented...BUT..I want to be sure that there is NO misunderstanding.
I chose to have this work done at Flowers Hospital in Dothan, Al. I have been there before, not for myself but for friends, and I have NEVER seen such a caring, qualified and loving staff...EVER. Ironically enough, when I was there for pre-op work last week, the nurse that took care of me was from....that's right, Connecticut. New London to be exact. Small world. Although the doctor and the hospital are in Alabama, Dothan is only 2 hours away, as the crow flies.
I expect I will post my before pictures this evening or perhaps tomorrow. I made sure the pictures were taken at just the right angle. By that, I mean the angle in which "I" think it looks the worst.
My implants, although they look ok when I am dressed, have become quite disfigured over these last 20 years. It's true, that's how long this set has been in...and this was the 2nd set. Now it's time for #3. No, I am not going any bigger or any smaller. Same size, only this time the implants will be beneath the muscle. Again, another reason I may not have such good used of my arms for awhile. A word of advice if you are thinking of having implants put in....DON'T! I am quite serious.
I just finished doing my shopping for the week. The family should be fine... they will have to be. I have been looking for and stocking up on all kinds of wonderful foods to help with the healing process. Pineapple, Mango,..there are so many super foods out there..and they are part of my everyday diet anyway, so this will be no big change. I love CHOBANI yogurt, so I loaded up on those. Sinder will be making me some organic chicken soup for later in the week, or maybe next week. I found a great recipe that included sweet potatoes and she has graciously agreed to make it for me.
I suppose it's time for me to get the laundry done from this past week. I need to know that everything IS done, that can be done.
Till later this evening or tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
7 days til surgery
It's quite warm out this morning and the fog is quite thick. I have one one patient to see before we leave for Boynton.
Yesterday brought a bit of emotional relief..you see, what I failed to mention a few days ago was, Nov. 09th was our 22nd wedding anniversary. We didn't have anything planned, didn't even talk about it. Neither one of us even brought it up. But, that morning, I had an anniversary card for my husband and placed it next to the coffee pot so that he would see it when he went for his coffee. That evening, he brought me a plant, 2 cards and a bit of news. The news caught me by surprise. It seems that the school where he is employed, where he is a teacher and a coach of 2 sports, where he just made tenure...had let him go..he was one of seven that was cut from that facility. Budget cuts they said. My heart dropped, as I am sure his had done earlier that day.
The first thing I thought about was cancelling my surgery. How could I be so selfish as to undergo a surgery of self improvement, when my husband was unemployed? How could we make the payments on this very expensive, elective procedure? That's right, payments...(for some of it, anyways)(Well? What did you think? Did you really think that I had that kind of money just laying around? Are you kidding me?)
OK..now fast forward to last night. My husband comes home and says he was picked up by another school. Well...that was a relief to hear. But, the school isn't 1/2 mile away like the one he has been at, it's 30 miles away. I suppose the important thing is, he still has a job, and for that we're grateful.
I am still looking for one of those mobility chairs to help me after the surgery. I still haven't heard back from my friend, as to the availability of the one that they own. Seems that it is being used by a relative...OK, I need to have a plan B, just in case. I tried calling some of the medical supply places...you would think they would rent those suckers...but NO!!! I just need it for about 10 days.
Time for me to get my things together...our plan is to leave here about 3:00pm. Then comes the 566 mile drive to Boynton. There is no internet at my mother-in-laws, but I will bring my laptop and try to hit one or two wi-fi spots while I am there. (I think I like this blogging stuff...it seems to open the relief valve to my mind...
One more thing...you may find plenty of mistakes grammatically and/or otherwise in these posts. Unfortunately, writing is not something that I do well...it is just something that I am doing. But, rest assured, I will be working on the doing it well part.
Till tomorrow.
Yesterday brought a bit of emotional relief..you see, what I failed to mention a few days ago was, Nov. 09th was our 22nd wedding anniversary. We didn't have anything planned, didn't even talk about it. Neither one of us even brought it up. But, that morning, I had an anniversary card for my husband and placed it next to the coffee pot so that he would see it when he went for his coffee. That evening, he brought me a plant, 2 cards and a bit of news. The news caught me by surprise. It seems that the school where he is employed, where he is a teacher and a coach of 2 sports, where he just made tenure...had let him go..he was one of seven that was cut from that facility. Budget cuts they said. My heart dropped, as I am sure his had done earlier that day.
The first thing I thought about was cancelling my surgery. How could I be so selfish as to undergo a surgery of self improvement, when my husband was unemployed? How could we make the payments on this very expensive, elective procedure? That's right, payments...(for some of it, anyways)(Well? What did you think? Did you really think that I had that kind of money just laying around? Are you kidding me?)
OK..now fast forward to last night. My husband comes home and says he was picked up by another school. Well...that was a relief to hear. But, the school isn't 1/2 mile away like the one he has been at, it's 30 miles away. I suppose the important thing is, he still has a job, and for that we're grateful.
I am still looking for one of those mobility chairs to help me after the surgery. I still haven't heard back from my friend, as to the availability of the one that they own. Seems that it is being used by a relative...OK, I need to have a plan B, just in case. I tried calling some of the medical supply places...you would think they would rent those suckers...but NO!!! I just need it for about 10 days.
Time for me to get my things together...our plan is to leave here about 3:00pm. Then comes the 566 mile drive to Boynton. There is no internet at my mother-in-laws, but I will bring my laptop and try to hit one or two wi-fi spots while I am there. (I think I like this blogging stuff...it seems to open the relief valve to my mind...
One more thing...you may find plenty of mistakes grammatically and/or otherwise in these posts. Unfortunately, writing is not something that I do well...it is just something that I am doing. But, rest assured, I will be working on the doing it well part.
Till tomorrow.
Monday, November 22, 2010
8 days til surgery....
Thanksgiving is only a few days away. Our family typically spends this holiday with my mother-in-law down in Boynton Beach. I am not looking forward to the drive, but I am looking forward to seeing her. She will be having surgery on December 6th...hers is not elective like mine. She has breast cancer...AGAIN. This time, no more lumpectomies. They must remove the right breast. She is in good spirits and is positive that the good Lord will see her through this surgery. She has no fears and no real concerns.
While we are down in S. Florida, we will be tasting some of the best Italian food known to man. I already know the menu...
Wednesday: Menesta and beans..sometimes referred to as greens and beans. This consists of boneless pork ribs, pepperoni, escarole, savoy cabbage and beans....OMG, it is so-o-o-o delicious. And of course, this
dish would not be complete without a huge piece of fresh Italian bread in hand...torn not cut. Pass the pecarino romano cheese, please!
Thursday will be: Meatsauce. If you are not familiar with meatsauce, this consists of: italian sausage, eyeround roast, pork roast and meatballs. The pasta is almost always ziti, because it holds more gravy.
The meatsauce will come out only after the antipasta..this course alone will take hours to enjoy. And then there is the wine...Oh, the wine...(I will be purchasing a case, like I do every year, to bring back home.) You need wine for everything...you need it to make salad, to prepare dinner, to eat dinner, you need it for dessert and you need it for a nap..the wine, the right wine, is so very important...
Then, just when your stomach wants to explode, she will come out and ask if anyone want's a fried egg...that's right, a fried egg...
After each meal, I go out for a walk/run, and this week will be no different, with the exception that now, after running daily for quite a while, I suspect that I will be running longer to help burn off the tens of thousands, of the most delicious calories ever consumed...I have worked hard to keep my weight under control. Make no mistake..one trip to my mother-in-laws house without a plan in place..could certainly ruin everything that I have accomplished. But I would enjoy every bite...
Today, as I have been doing for the past several days, I find myself in preparation mode for my own surgery. I am trying not to overthink it, but I want to be prepared. Medications filled, check. Laundry taken care of, check. House cleaned...well, it's not cleaned enough, but it will be by Monday night before surgery. My main concern is making sure that no infection sets in...no seromas, please, please, Lord...I will not allow myself to overdo it.
Do you know what I worry about...and you will think it's crazy. The scar..the scar from the TT. I understand that it will be significant, but...I want it to be, well, PERFECT. I don't want a "w" shaped scar and I dont want a crooked or an uneven scar..is that asking too much? Oh, I have addressed this with the doctor...your darn tootin' I have..
Wow..we obsess over the oddest things. Or, at least I seem to.
Well, I think that's it for now. I have more things to get accomplished before I can call this day done.
While we are down in S. Florida, we will be tasting some of the best Italian food known to man. I already know the menu...
Wednesday: Menesta and beans..sometimes referred to as greens and beans. This consists of boneless pork ribs, pepperoni, escarole, savoy cabbage and beans....OMG, it is so-o-o-o delicious. And of course, this
dish would not be complete without a huge piece of fresh Italian bread in hand...torn not cut. Pass the pecarino romano cheese, please!
Thursday will be: Meatsauce. If you are not familiar with meatsauce, this consists of: italian sausage, eyeround roast, pork roast and meatballs. The pasta is almost always ziti, because it holds more gravy.
The meatsauce will come out only after the antipasta..this course alone will take hours to enjoy. And then there is the wine...Oh, the wine...(I will be purchasing a case, like I do every year, to bring back home.) You need wine for everything...you need it to make salad, to prepare dinner, to eat dinner, you need it for dessert and you need it for a nap..the wine, the right wine, is so very important...
Then, just when your stomach wants to explode, she will come out and ask if anyone want's a fried egg...that's right, a fried egg...
After each meal, I go out for a walk/run, and this week will be no different, with the exception that now, after running daily for quite a while, I suspect that I will be running longer to help burn off the tens of thousands, of the most delicious calories ever consumed...I have worked hard to keep my weight under control. Make no mistake..one trip to my mother-in-laws house without a plan in place..could certainly ruin everything that I have accomplished. But I would enjoy every bite...
Today, as I have been doing for the past several days, I find myself in preparation mode for my own surgery. I am trying not to overthink it, but I want to be prepared. Medications filled, check. Laundry taken care of, check. House cleaned...well, it's not cleaned enough, but it will be by Monday night before surgery. My main concern is making sure that no infection sets in...no seromas, please, please, Lord...I will not allow myself to overdo it.
Do you know what I worry about...and you will think it's crazy. The scar..the scar from the TT. I understand that it will be significant, but...I want it to be, well, PERFECT. I don't want a "w" shaped scar and I dont want a crooked or an uneven scar..is that asking too much? Oh, I have addressed this with the doctor...your darn tootin' I have..
Wow..we obsess over the oddest things. Or, at least I seem to.
Well, I think that's it for now. I have more things to get accomplished before I can call this day done.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
..9 Days 'til surgery
Hi....
My name is Ronda, and I am about to embark on, what some might think, is a selfish endeavor. I will be having some plastic surgery. My procedures will consist of: Breast Augmentation, Tummy Tuck and Vasor Liposuction. This forum is where I plan to share EVERYTHING about my journey. I don't plan to hold anything back and it will NOT be pretty. This will be as honest as it gets.
I will be documenting each day, what I am going through and what I am experiencing. My sister, Sinder, will be helping me with this and I am greatful to her for that.
I am 53 years old and have finally deceided it's time to get rid of something that has been bothering me for quite a long time, my stomach. Trust me...this is not about vanity. This is about dealing with something that has actually been a real problem for me.
After having 3 wonderful, albiet LARGE children (all birth weights between 9.4 pounds and 10.5 pounds)coupled with the typical weight gain and loss over many years, I have been left with a dunlop-like tire or what is often called a "muffin-top", and not only do I hate it, it bothers me....I mean really bothers me. Can I hide or camouflage it with just the right clothing? Of course I could...and I did. But "I" still knew it was there. I could see the abdominal protrusion that was my lax skin (even if no one else could notice it.) Not only could I see it..I could feel it. Yes, feel it. I could feel it touch my legs when I sat down, I could feel it shift and fall/flop from side to side as I changed positions in bed.....oh, and when summertime came..(which is my favorite most active time of the year,) I would cringe when it came time to choose a swimsuit. No matter how cute the suit, it looked horrible on me.
Some History:
My first child was the largest and his birth was all natural..NO pain meds and given the 50 pounds I gained with that pregnancy, my body snapped back to the 130 pounds I was before my pregnancy, and at 5'10, that was not bad. Then, my daughter was born several years later, she was a C-section baby...and finally my youngest son, the V-back baby...put it all together and I have 3 amazing kids and one messed up stomach...hence, the start of my... Footprints in the Sink.
My name is Ronda, and I am about to embark on, what some might think, is a selfish endeavor. I will be having some plastic surgery. My procedures will consist of: Breast Augmentation, Tummy Tuck and Vasor Liposuction. This forum is where I plan to share EVERYTHING about my journey. I don't plan to hold anything back and it will NOT be pretty. This will be as honest as it gets.
I will be documenting each day, what I am going through and what I am experiencing. My sister, Sinder, will be helping me with this and I am greatful to her for that.
I am 53 years old and have finally deceided it's time to get rid of something that has been bothering me for quite a long time, my stomach. Trust me...this is not about vanity. This is about dealing with something that has actually been a real problem for me.
After having 3 wonderful, albiet LARGE children (all birth weights between 9.4 pounds and 10.5 pounds)coupled with the typical weight gain and loss over many years, I have been left with a dunlop-like tire or what is often called a "muffin-top", and not only do I hate it, it bothers me....I mean really bothers me. Can I hide or camouflage it with just the right clothing? Of course I could...and I did. But "I" still knew it was there. I could see the abdominal protrusion that was my lax skin (even if no one else could notice it.) Not only could I see it..I could feel it. Yes, feel it. I could feel it touch my legs when I sat down, I could feel it shift and fall/flop from side to side as I changed positions in bed.....oh, and when summertime came..(which is my favorite most active time of the year,) I would cringe when it came time to choose a swimsuit. No matter how cute the suit, it looked horrible on me.
Some History:
My first child was the largest and his birth was all natural..NO pain meds and given the 50 pounds I gained with that pregnancy, my body snapped back to the 130 pounds I was before my pregnancy, and at 5'10, that was not bad. Then, my daughter was born several years later, she was a C-section baby...and finally my youngest son, the V-back baby...put it all together and I have 3 amazing kids and one messed up stomach...hence, the start of my... Footprints in the Sink.
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