December 12, 2011

Four weeks post-op


I cannot believe it's been 4 weeks since my surgery!! I remember thinking that six weeks seemed like SUCH a long time to recover, but I'm already 2/3 of the way through the worst of it. I only have to wear my compression garment for two more weeks.

I had Jerry take some weekly comparison pictures today. Again, it doesn't seem like a big change since last Monday, but I do notice a subtle difference in the pictures (for the better); my stomach seems a little flatter:

3 weeks after lower body lift
4 weeks after lower body lift
The best part is, I definitely noticed that the swelling is going down. I'm still swollen in my lower abdomen, but it's much better than it was a couple of weeks ago.
My incision is healing really well, too. It looks red right now, but my doctor told me it will look worse before it looks better--she said it would get red and then start getting paler, and after a couple of years, it should be very light.  The incision above my butt looks REALLY good--it's barely noticeable. I'm too shy to show you that one, sorry ;)

My belly button still looks pretty red inside, and the incision inside of it is kind of hard feeling. My surgeon told me to put Aquaphor on my incisions, and it would soften up. The red marks up by my ribs show how tight the compression garment is.

I'm still (slowly but surely) working on the post about all the surgery info. I've gotten a lot of good questions from you all, so I will try and answer all of them.


Jerry and I ended up not doing much today. We went to Goodwill, but they didn't have much of anything. I bought the kids some snow pants, and myself a denim skirt and two tops--but nothing special. It was strange looking for clothes; I'm so used to having to find either long kind of bulky tops to hide my belly, or pants that go up high enough for me to tuck my belly into them. Now that I've had that skin removed, I can wear tight jeans AND tight tops, and I don't have any hangover of skin. I was kind of confused while looking for clothes, because I had to keep reminding myself that I don't have a bunch of excess skin on my belly.

The skirt that I bought is actually meant to sit very low, like right across my hips. I would never have been able to wear it before. Jerry saw it and his eyes got huge, and he said, "You HAVE to buy that!"  It's fun being able to wear a whole different style of clothes, and have no limitations. I guess I'm obligated to show a pic of the skirt now, too ;)
 Hmm, now that I see a picture of it, I'm not sure that I like it anymore. My mind is very backwards sometimes. I'll think I look absolutely terrible, but then when I see a picture of myself, I'm surprised that I actually look good. Or I'll think something looks really good, and then when I see a picture of it, I realize I was wrong.

When I was getting ready to go on stage with Dr. Oz, one of the producers put a necklace on me, that I thought was really ugly. I looked in the mirror and told her I didn't like it. She took my picture and showed it to me, and I realized I was wrong--so that's the necklace you saw me wearing on the show.

When I get ready to go out with friends or a party or something, I have to have Jerry take my picture to show me what I look like in different outfits, since I don't "see" it in the mirror. Same thing with my weight--I always think I look fat when I look in the mirror, but when I see a picture, I realize that I look normal. Does anyone else do this, or am I the only one with a fucked up perception of myself?! ;)


I was actually pretty sore today from my run yesterday. I forgot what that feels like! My inner thighs are feeling the burn, as are my hips.  I love that feeling!



23 comments:

  1. I can totally relate to having a warped body image. Even though I fit into a size 6, I still see the bulge of my belly or thing my thighs look huge when I'm sitting down. This is why my husband is concerned with my wanting to lose 10 more pounds because he fears I won't know when to stop because I don't see how good I look. last week at my daughter's honor roll ceremony a friend I don't see very often said "Here comes Skinny Minnie" when I was approaching her. I can't imagine being skinny! The funny thing is that when I was huge, I didn't notice that. I mean, I knew I was in a size 22/24, but I didn't SEE it. I guess we're both fucked up forever?

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  2. I totally have a warped body image. I think it is pretty normal. I agree that at a heavy weight I have a hard time seeing it, probably because I have carried it around for so long. My husband sees my weight loss a lot faster than I do.
    I am just imagining Jerry drooling over you in that skirt, haha! It looks cute on you, work it!

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  3. First of all, I don't think your belly can get any flatter!

    Secondly, I think the skirt looks great.

    Lastly, I am also in the messed up body image club! :)

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  4. Totally in that club too!!! My perception of what I see in the mirror is so majorly warped....hate it!!!

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  5. I love the after pics!! You look amazing and I bet it'll take some time to get use to clothes shopping again. But about the negative or reverse thinking with pictures and the mirror - I'm the opposite. I think I look thinner or better in the mirror and then see a picture of how I look that same day or later that day and can't believe how HUGE or bad I look in the picture. It makes me wonder what do other see me as, my reflection or how I look in the picture?! I hate that it seems so different!! :(

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  6. I think the skirt would look really cute with a layered form fitted tops.

    OH and boots!

    I have to say I think you would be a fool not to wear a bikini next summer. You need to start looking for one! I barely see any stretch marks.

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  7. I have that same perception of myself in the mirror vs pictures. It's so weird...
    Every time I see a new comparison pic I think to myself, "that is amazing and it can't get better than that" and then I see a new pic and it looks even better!!!!

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  8. Your progress is FANTASTIC!!! You've worked so hard to get to this point, I'm so happy for you!!

    Are you also a "Friends" fan? I noticed your cats are named Chandler, btw does Chandler have a tail? Phoebe, and Estelle (the agent of Joey). Maybe it's a coincidence? Can't think of a "Friends" affiliation for your stray, but Smelly Cat woulda been funny lol.

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  9. I am in the messed up body image club too... I am a 26/28 and I don't see it, but I definitely notice when I am in stores and either find nothing I like if at all. When I see a candid of me that someone has taken, I am snapped back into realty.

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  10. Yep, same thing here. Looking in the mirror or just walking along or whatever, I see/think yuck, then I see a picture of me and think, "Hey, not too bad!". Weird.

    ~Madwin (Wendy)

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  11. I always take pictures of my outfits if I'm going out with friends or family, or to someones house...I always end up wearing something I wouldn't usually pick because it actually looks more flattering in the picture that the outfit I had on when I liked it in the mirror! Crazy! I like that skirt!

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  12. I just found you through Pinterest, and cannot believe how much you inspire me. I was 290 after the birth of my first child, then lost 80#. Now I'm 285 after the birth of my second child--2 years ago--and need inspiration to lose it! Thank you for sharing your experience and story!!

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  13. I don't know if anyone has said this yet because I don't read your comments, but I actually think your scar looks kinda cool. Scars are like tattoos but with better stories!

    Lauren M.

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  14. Oh wow you look GREAT!!!! And I love the skirt. I wouldn't wear a t-shirt style shirt with it,but I think that with the right shirt it will work. Don't give up on it yet. :-)

    And you can hardly see any stretch marks on your stomach. Seriously I still think that you'll be in a bikini next sumer!

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  15. @Losing 100 pounds and ...

    Definitely not a coincidence about the cat names. My husband is a HUGE Friends fan (and I loved the show too). We also used to have a cat named Monica and a dog named Joey.

    Chandler has a tail. Phoebe (the orange cat) only has half a tail. I don't know what happened to the other half, because she was like that when we took her in.

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  16. Wow! What results in 4 weeks!!! Those pictures remind me of those ads for diet pills that promise quick results!!!!(but we all know they aren't true!!!)
    I like the skirt!!!!!:-)
    I LOVE the sore feeling from working out too!!!
    ~Laura

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  17. You are healing so beautifully, Katie. How exciting for you! And, are you noticing all that definition on your tummy area? Ribs, abs, hourglass figure? It was there all the time and now you finally have physical proof of all the hard work you've done. So happy for you :)

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  18. You are looking so good--absolutely tiny! Must be a great feeling to have no limitations on what style of clothes you can wear, although I realize it's going to take some getting used to! LOVE the jean skirt--so cute!

    I usually think I look better in the mirror than I look in pictures. When I look at pictures, sometimes I think I still look pretty fat, but in the mirror, I'm always happy with my appearance.

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  19. Katie, you look amazing! It is astounding how quickly you are healing!

    I had to laugh when you were talking about taking pictures so you could see what you look like! I actually had to get dressed up last week to go to an event. After agonizing about it for several days, I finally found something I had that was not too big, but not still too small, that I felt really confident in. My boyfriend made a big fuss about how I looked, and we had someone take photos of us, but when I blew the photos up when I uploaded them, I looked fat the way I was standing! I was telling a friend of mine who does not live here that I feel like getting dressed again, fixing my hair and putting on the makeup again and taking another photo so I could see what I really looked like! (And if I really look like those photos, then I am gonna be depressed!)

    Dede

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  20. I do the exact same thing!!! I think I look huge and ugly but when I get my picture taken only then do I realize that I look pretty good! I'm sooo glad I'm not the only one who does that. It was weird cuz when I was 50lbs heavier I always thought I looked good and now I'm always second guessing myself and freaking out. You'd think it'd be the opposite!

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  21. I TOTALLY understand that feeling! I think this goes hand in hand with my Battle Beyond the Pounds post. It's crazy how you can lose over a hundred pounds and still feel fat. You can have everyone and their dogs tell you you look skinny and feel like you need to lose more weight. It's ridiculous. I'm just hoping with time that I'll see myself the way others see me! Maybe that incredible job of a lower body lift will help you! Because you look absolutely fantastic!

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  22. Wow! You look absolutely amazing! All your hard work has earned you something very beautiful! Keep it up! :)

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  23. Amazing! I hope to have this surgery someday. I've lost about 92 pounds and would like to lose 45-50 more. You are truly an inspiration! Thanks for sharing your story.

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I used to publish ALL comments (even the mean ones) but I recently chose not to publish those. I always welcome constructive comments/criticism, but there is no need for unnecessary rudeness/hate. But please--I love reading what you have to say! (This comment form is super finicky, so I apologize if you're unable to comment)

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