November 29, 2011

What a difference!


After my shower today, I decided to go ahead and put on the size small compression garment that I bought, even though I am feeling anything but 'small' with all this swelling. I was afraid to put it on too soon and stretch it out or something, I don't know.

After I got it on (it looked so TINY, I thought it would never fit), I felt AMAZING. I felt very "compressed" how I am supposed to feel with a compression garment on. It stays up very well, and doesn't get bunched up on the sides. And best of all, it's tight enough that it doesn't slide up and down over my incision, which was a problem with the size medium. Now, I can't even feel my incision , because there is nothing rubbing against it.

This is seriously such a relief!! I'm still swollen, but I feel so much better with this smaller size garment. If any of you are going to get a tummy tuck or lower body lift, I'd highly recommend getting a size smaller than you think you need. I was told to use my pre-op measurements to pick a size, and my hips were 37". The size medium was for 37-39", so I ordered the correct size, but all of my excess skin was sitting around my hips--and now that it's gone, I definitely needed the smaller size. I should have just asked my doctor before ordering, because when I gave her the garment before surgery, she said it might be too big.

Anyways, I am in a MUCH better mood because of this! The only problem is that I only have one of the small garments, and two medium. I'd been alternating the medium ones every day (so that I could wash them). Now I'll probably wear the small all day, and wear the medium while I'm sleeping, allowing the small to dry overnight.

I had Jerry take some more comparison pictures today, and I think I'm ready to show you my backside ;)  My lower back is VERY bruised, but it doesn't hurt at all. The reason it's bruised is because she did a small amount of liposuction there--it's almost as swollen as my front, but I can see an AMAZING difference in my ass! lol
My butt isn't really crooked, it just looks that way because I am numb and I can't feel if my undies are on right! (I can't believe I just posted a picture of my butt on the internet. I've come a looong way as far as my confidence and shyness!)

I am SO SO SO glad that I opted for the lower body lift instead of just the tummy tuck. My belly doesn't really look much different today than the last pic, but here is a new comparison:



Look at how SMOOTH my silhouette is! I love my hips. The lower body lift technically doesn't address thighs, but even my thighs look so much tighter.  It's unfathomable to me that there is only a 15 day difference in these pictures.


Jerry is off work today, so he's been waiting on me hand and foot in order to let me rest--and hopefully get the swelling down a little. I spent the morning crocheting an afghan that I volunteered to make back in October. At my dad's birthday party, I saw a family friend who is a nurse. She is on a mission to give out a handmade afghan to every single patient in the hospital on Christmas Day. Naturally, I said, "I can make one!"

Well, you all know how busy I've been the past month or so with The Dr. Oz Show and my surgery! So for the past week, I've been making it a goal to crochet at LEAST two rounds a day--which doesn't sound like a lot, but the bigger the blanket gets, the longer it takes to crochet a round. Here is what it looks like so far--I have about 10 rounds to go...



I didn't choose the colors. She just gave me the yarn and told me to use whatever pattern I wanted. So I just did a rectangular granny square. I will be so relieved when it's done! I hate to crochet or knit under pressure.



Yay! I just got the Hood to Coast movie in the mail :)  Michelle (very generously) gave me a gift card for Amazon after my surgery, so this is what I ended up ordering. Something I've been DYING to see since last winter!

I'm going to invite my runner friends over for wine and a viewing.  This movie only had ONE public showing (I believe it was in January), and I bought tickets to go with my friend Evie.

Well, we had a huge snowstorm that night, so we didn't get to go... and since there weren't any more showings, we had to wait until it came out on DVD. But this isn't something you can find at a Redbox--I think you have to buy it. So now I have it, and I'm excited to watch it!


52 comments:

  1. You and your butt look amazing!!!

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  2. You look incredible!! I can't believe that's just a 15 day difference! I have a friend who a few years ago had a lower body lift. She did it all wrong though. She hardly worked out, and never watched what she ate. All she cared about was fast results and figured that after all the fat was sucked out of her that she'd be super skinny the rest of her life. Needless to say, she has been struggling with her weight ever since and now she looks very un-proportional. So I am very happy that you are showing the healthy way to go about it. And that's a beautiful afghan, especially since it's for a great thing. I still want to learn how to knit and crochet, but I'm still trying to master the sewing machine.

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  3. You're so tiny! You look great.

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  4. You look amazing!!! Congrats! Seeing your pictures gives me a little extra kick to do something today.

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  5. What a difference 2 weeks make, huh?!? It's incredible and I'm so happy for you!

    I haven't crocheted in a VERY long time. I have one of those circle knitting machines a friend gave me and I wanted to make hats with it. hasn't happened yet...

    And now I have to Google that movie! Never heard of it!

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  6. You look fabulous!!! Reading your blog keeps me motivated to hit the pavement with my running shoes on :) So glad I found you and your amazing story

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  7. You look awesome. Once you see the movie please let us know how it is? I am curioius and I think that would be a great idea to get my running friends together and have a movie/wine drinking night!

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  8. Wow, what a HUGE difference! You look HOT!

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  9. Oh my gosh, you're so tiny!!! This is a huge motivation for me, because sometimes it's easier to say "Why bother trying to lose weight, since I'm not going to feel sexy afterwards anyway." Not to say you weren't sexy before, but I hope you know what I mean. My husband and I always say that once I lose it and after we have kids, if I feel like I want to, I'll look into a lower body lift or tummy tuck. Now this shows just how amazing the difference can be. This can be my new reward for reaching my goal and maintaining it. Thank you so much for posting this and for being so open and positive about the whole thing. :D

    -Jessica F.

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  10. Oh my gosh Katie! You look AMAZING!!! I am so happy for you! Look at that cute booty! : ) I am feeling slugish today and not looking forward to the gym tonight but seeing your pics gave me some motivation and now I am looking forward to it. Can't wait to have "after" pictures when I reach my goal!

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  11. You look great Katie!! Glad everything is going so well for you! And I know in the past you've said you wouldn't but I totally think you can rock a bikini!

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  12. You look AWESOME! You really inspire me to lose this weight once and for all so I can get a lower body lift and look that fabulous!! Great job on the afghan.

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  13. Your ass and thighs look terrific! WoW! What a difference!

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  14. You look great! Those before and after pics are incredible. Thanks for sharing!

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  15. WOW! Check out your new perky butt! LOL.

    You look incredibly tiny and I agree with you that even your thighs look slimmer.

    I'm glad you enjoyed the gift card. :)

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  16. Look. At. That. ASS! Seriously, that is movie star ass right there!

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  17. OnceUponaDreamNovember 29, 2011

    Wow doesn't seem to cover it, but... Wow!!! :) You look beyond amazing. Seriously!

    The difference in 15 days super astounding, even in your thighs!

    I hope that if I can go forward with the lower body lift, that my results will come out as good as yours. Hats off to you, lady. You totally deserve it.

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  18. Awesome! You look amazing. Thanks for sharing your story. You are such an inspiration. I am on a weight loss journey of my own and any time I feel down I come to your blog and get the boost I need to continue. It's nice to know I am not alone. Again, your results are incredible!!Hope you continue to feel better.

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  19. I am in awe of the difference that you surgery has made. Your tummy no longer does that whole hangy thing (like mine does now). Your belly button looks so tiny! I have to admit I'm a little jealous here =). I'm glad that your small garment makes you feel more comfortable.

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  20. wow loving the difference in the picture it look like a totally different person.I'm so glad you did it, you look amazing, and so happy that you are doing pretty well after surgery...
    Desyacv2)

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  21. You look fantastic! I noticed your thighs right away. You might want to look into if the healing happens most at night (aka when you are sleeping) I think I read somewhere that it is the case..so maybe you can wash the garment, put it in front of a fan to dry it quickly and then wear it is as soon as it is dry?

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  22. Holy flat stomach Batman! And your butt? Girl! You look amazing! Can I be completely honest here? I have thought about getting a tummy tuck before, once I get down to my goal weight. I know I'll "need" one because my 4 kids have stretched me more than a belly should be stretched. With your first set of before/after's I cringed. I was no longer thinking tummy tuck. I was thinking "my husband doesn't mind my dough-boy belly". *sigh* 15 days later, LOOK AT YOU! Now, a tummy tuck isn't for everyone. I get that. But I want to thank you for blogging about yours...and as always, for keeping it real.

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  23. Katie, you look great! I know that we are giving the ASS all the love, but I think that the belly button is looking pretty good too! Congrats! I am so glad the surgery has gone so well!!!

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  24. You look AMAZING!!!! Even with the swelling and bruising! You looked like you dropped about 15 lbs and gained a ton of muscle! :)

    ~Jolynn

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  25. LoveAnAnimalNovember 29, 2011

    If I ever get a lower body lift, I'm going to your surgeon! You look great and so happy that you are feeling well and your spirits are climbing higher.

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  26. YOU LOOK AMAZING. HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL!!!! The difference is incredible!!!

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  27. Wow, that lift really gave you a whole new body. (Ok, it just revealed what you already had.) Your booty is amazing.

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  28. WOW! You look SO GOOD!! Not that you didn't before - but the results are AMAZING!! I can't believe you feel puffy or bloated because you don't look AT ALL swollen or bloated to me. You look TINY! And so firm and tight!! I'm so happy you were able to get the lower body lift and not just the tummy tuck, because I'm sure it's a big difference. You honestly look like you lost 15-20 lbs! Its crazy. I can't wait to lose this weight so I can have a nice shape again, not that it'll ever look as good as yours, but I'll settle for as best as I can make it! lol

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  29. So busy at the moment but wanted to touch base and say, you rock! Amazing stuff :)

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  30. Tammy/TexzanNovember 30, 2011

    Katie you before and after Pics are amazing,, you are so Lucky to have had the oppurtunity to have this surgery done . Now get the rest and good nutrition you need to heal properly,, and dont be in such a hurry,, you are doing awesome,, but slow down my friend,, and let nature heal you .:-)

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  31. Katie, Katie, Katie! WOW! You look aMAzing and you "sound" so much better! I am SO fluffin' excited for you! You are doing a great job taking care of yourself properly - good girl! :)
    >> Kelli

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  32. Katie- You look so amazing!!!! I love that your blog is so down to earth and you try not to sugar coat things. I love that you still allow yourself to a treat! Again, you look amazing. Hope you are feeling better!

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  33. whoa you are looking awesome :) i hope that resting helps with the swelling.
    lessoff

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  34. You look fantastic! Your butt looks great (I can't believe I just wrote that LOL) and your thighs even look inches and inches smaller. Just imagine how much better it will look in a few weeks. And you're almost 3 weeks into this so not much longer. I'm so glad that you're feeling better. I was wondering if the smaller compression garment would help so I'm really glad to read that it has. Hang in there!

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  35. Wow you looks so great!

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  36. You look amazing!!! A lot of the time, if you didn't point out the swelling, I probably wouldn't notice! So excited for you as you continue to heal...you deserve every bit of joy I am sure you're feeling when you look in the mirror and see the results! :)

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  37. Sorry it's been so long since I posted, things have been sorta crazy around here. =( Your before and after pictures are truly incredible! Your booty looks AWESOME and your legs look so toned and fit! CONGRATS! You said there is still bruising and swelling, so can you imagine that you are going to be even TINIER?! =D So very happy for you, Katie!! Thanks for keeping us posted and being so real and encouraging. It will be awesome to see how you feel during your first run! I bet it will be different not running with all the extra skin!

    ps - love the new banner! she did a great job!

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  38. Wow, Katie! If that's with a lot of swelling (which you can't tell by the photos!)...I can't imagine how great you'll look after the swelling goes away! Cheers to you! Enjoy your wine & movie night!

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  39. oh yeah - and nice afghan, too :) I've heard that it's harder to learn crochet if you already knit...but you do both. Maybe I'll have to give crocheting a try, cause that looks pretty awesome!

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  40. What a difference those 15 days have made in your body!!! Course the surgery might have had a little something to do with that, but seriously--WOWZA! You look fantastic!! Everything looks tight tight tight! And as for your a$$!! What a$$? I can't even see it!!!

    LOVE the afghan. I used to crochet some, but have kind of forgotten how now. I took a refresher course (just following the on-line directions) when I found a doily my mother-in-law hadn't finished before she passed away over 10 years ago, and tried to finish it, but couldn't figure out exactly where she was in the directions. She was a MAD crocheter--crocheted hundreds of afghans and other stuff over the years. Now when I cover up in one, I think of her. That's the best part about making things, they live on after you're gone, and your loved ones think of you when they use it. It's like a little touch of immortality!

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  41. Totally worth all the hassle & annoyance of the post-op stuff to have a result like that! Wow, you look really great.

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  42. You look incredible! Congrats on looking absolutely fabulous!

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  43. Holy guacamole, batman! The difference in your before and after pics is astounding!

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  44. OK, it has already been said, but You are looking AWESOME!!!!!!! I can't believe the difference!!!!!!!
    You are going to have amazing results, it's no wonder your Dr. wanted to film your surgery!!!!!!!!
    ~Laura

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  45. That is one fine ass!!! You look freaking amazing. I've got the tummy sack like you used to have, but my upper thighs are even worse. They're bad enough that I'd rather have a thigh lift than a tummy tuck. Thank you so much for sharing what a big difference the surgery makes. You just look so amazing. Isn't nice to really see the rewards of your healthy habits?

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  46. Wow you freaking awesome!!!!
    The afghan looks great too. I'd like to learn to knit or crochet some day. I can sew, but when it comes to darning needles (I think that is what they are called) I'm no good.
    If you think about it post a quick review of the movie. I'm going to go download it now. Thanks for sharing!

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  47. Thank you, i am fearful of this path but if i don't try something like this well..You are Brave to share, i appreciate your proof that it really could happen. Seems to feel Better when it's from someone who can relate to this hard way of large life.Thank You. and Best of wishes for your continued Success. : )

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  48. Holy cow you look amazing!! I can't believe that before picture is the same person as the after picture!! I lost quite a bit of weight many years ago to go from 202 to 138 pounds. I'm trying to lose another 8 pounds and as a reward am going to look into a tummy tuck. Reading your blog has given me such a lift and resolve to do it! I've recently started a blog of my own to give the push I need to get those last few pounds (or kilos as we call them here in Australia) off. Wish me luck and thanks for your inspiration!
    http://lisa-ajourneytoabetterme.blogspot.com/

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