A trip to the ER

Thank you for all the kind things you had to say about the show yesterday! I am so glad that I can finally talk about it now... not that there is anything left to say, with my four blog posts yesterday!

Last night I noticed that my left hip was hurting a little bit more than usual. There is a drain there that hasn't had any drainage since the day after my surgery. I poked around a little, and felt a hard lump. I immediately started thinking of all the bad things it could be-- hematoma, seroma. I was very careful with how I slept last night to avoid any trauma to it.

This morning, when I was taking a shower, I noticed that it's definitely a noticeable lump. I pressed on it and it felt really hard, so I didn't think it was just normal swelling. I showed my mom, and she was worried that the drain tube was blocked, and all the fluid was just collecting in there. I called my doctor (who is away) and one of the residents who works with her called me back. She asked me about all the usual signs of infection, and I had no other symptoms. She said for peace of mind (if nothing else), I could go to the nearest emergency room and have it looked at.

I debated whether to go, and finally decided I would rather be safe than sorry. So my mom drove me to the ER, and I was seen right away. The first person to check it out (a nurse practitioner) seemed completely undisturbed, but he got a doctor to come look. The doctor was pressing around, and I pointed out the spot. I said, "It's a hard lump right here. It's hard enough that it feels like my hip bone."

The doctor said, "Katie, that IS your hip bone."

Cue stupidity.  It gave me deja vu from when I went to my gynecologist and during the breast exam, I told her I had a lump--she felt it and laughed and said it was my rib!  I just didn't know what a rib felt like, because I was always fat.

Now, I've certainly gotten used to my hip bones since losing the weight, but only by feel--when I looked in the mirror, I just saw skin hanging over them. So my seroma or hemotoma--whatever--just turned out to be my hip bone. It's slightly more swollen on one side than the other, but nothing unusual.

That was a waste of time. Thankfully I have a lot of time on my hands right now (four posts yesterday, Katie? Really?)

When the mail came today, I was SO shocked and excited and touched--I got an amazing care package from Stacey at Runs for Red Velvet.  She had asked me for my mailing address because she was addressing Christmas cards--very sneaky! There were all kinds of goodies in there:

Sorry for the really bad picture--I still can't stand up straight and I was hunched over trying to arrange everything.  There were lots of high protein snacks, tea, super soft socks, emery boards, a running book, Hershey's kisses, word puzzles, all kinds of good stuff! The neck pillow was perfect, because I've been sleeping in the recliner with a towel rolled up and wrapped around my neck.

I originally met Stacey on Sparkpeople, and she is one of the first people I started conversing with. Hopefully we'll meet in real life someday, too!

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My thoughts about being a guest on The Dr. Oz Show

Sorry to bombard you with posts today! So much stuff going on. I just wanted to comment on a few things and post the pictures that the producer sent me as soon as the show aired.

First, I never said I didn't like NYC!  I barely saw the city because I was so busy. The only encounters I had with people were the taxi drivers (who were extremely rude if they didn't want to drive where you wanted to go) and the people at the restaurant when I ordered food. I guess I didn't mean everyone was rude, I just meant that I'm from a super small town where everybody waves hello to each other on the street and people know who you are when you say your last name and where you graduated high school from. My experience with NYC was--well, the total opposite of that. I would definitely like to go back some day when I have more time!

The producers didn't make me say anything I didn't feel comfortable with. They interviewed me a lot through the week, and took little tidbits of things I said and wrote the show. They just had me repeat the things they wanted me to mention. In fact, there was one thing they asked me to read in that little narrative that wasn't true, so I pointed it out and they changed it--no questions asked. They kept saying that there are no right or wrong answers--I'm just telling my story. The producers were fantastic!

I'm definitely bummed that a lot of the show was edited out, but if they left everything in, the show would be two hours long. It wasn't just MY part that was edited--Jennie had some stuff that was cut too.  I was so completely amazed at how much WORK the producers do for each show. To top it off, as soon as the show aired, Ali e-mailed me the pictures from the show... I was excited that I didn't have to wait forever to get them.

Yes, the red dresses were ugly. I'm glad I made the choice I did to wear the dress I brought with me. The producers agreed that the blue dress was more flattering and said it was my choice--thankfully! They had the idea to add the little black belt and the necklace, which I liked. The Lucky stylist chose the shoes--wish I could have kept them!

I felt guilty that Dr. Oz said I was 125 pounds lighter--because I'm only 110 pounds lighter today. I was completely honest with the producers, but it must have gotten confusing along the way. I just don't want anyone to think I was lying and still claiming to be 128 pounds!

Anyway, here are my "after" photos--after 25 months in the making :)

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My appearance on The Dr. Oz Show, Day 2 (of 2)

I woke up at 5:00 am. There was no chance of me going back to sleep, thinking of the day ahead of me, so I took a shower and dried my hair. Put on my jeans and a sweatshirt. I got a text at 7:10 saying that the driver was on location to take me to the studio. I didn't have to be there until 8, but I was already ready, so I just went down anyway.

I had the same driver that picked me up from the airport. He was surprised that I was ready so early. When I got to the studio, there was someone waiting for the guests, and he took us upstairs. I saw Margaret and Ali, and they showed me to my dressing room.

I drank a bottle of water immediately, because I was super thirsty. I'm used to drinking tons of water, but I was afraid to drink the bottles that were in the hotel room--I figured they'd charge me $10 a bottle or something! ;)  There were bran muffins, fruit skewers, and almonds too. But I didn't eat anything. I was too nervous to eat, and I really didn't want to have to go to the bathroom after eating all that fiber, lol.

I was sharing this dressing room with Jennie, who was in the same segment of the show as me. She appears just before me on the show. She's lost 300 pounds!! And she did it all by diet and exercise. We were swapping recipes and tips in the dressing room.

Someone from the Dr. Oz Show came in and had me sign a waiver and also gave me a $60 stipend for food and/or parking expenses. I wish I'd have known they would do that when I got my dinner last night! I would have chosen something much more indulgent ;)

Margaret insisted that I take out my nose piercing :(  She also wanted to shorten the length of my dress, which I was fine with (as long as it would still allow me to wear Spanx!). I went into the wardrobe room and a woman had me try on my dress, then she used some sort of tape to hem it shorter. I was wearing Spanx underneath, which came down almost to the bottom of my dress, so I was worried the Spanx would show when I sat down on stage to talk to Dr. Oz. Margaret saw it after it was hemmed and STILL wanted to go even shorter, but when I showed her how short it got when I sat, she agreed to let it be. I'm not a prude, I swear! I just didn't want my Spanx sticking out.

Next began what would be my FAVORITE part of the day. The show brought in a celebrity hair-stylist and make-up artist (and their assistants) to fix us up! Normally the show doesn't do the hair and make-up stuff, but this show included a couple of make-overs, so they had all of us get done up.

I don't watch the show What Not to Wear, but I learned that my hairstylist is a stylist on that show! His name is Ted Gibson. I didn't learn just who he was until after I did my part on the show. He was SO NICE and I absolutely loved what he did with my hair. He cut some more layers into it and blew it out straight. Then he used a curling iron to add some big curls.

Meanwhile, I got my make-up done as well by the sweetest man--and dammit, I forget his name!  I was in shock at how great my skin looked when he was done. He kept fussing to make sure everything was perfect, and he remained so calm, even though Margaret was telling them that we needed to be done NOW. I wanted to take him home with me!

I loved the hair and make-up! I was a little concerned about how RED my lipstick was, but I figured that he knew better than me, so I might as well just go with it. I quickly put my dress back on and then Margaret hurried us to the stage for a quick rehearsal.

I was amazed by the audience! They were having so much fun, and I wanted to be in the audience as soon as I saw them. There was a comedian there, and loud music playing, and everyone was singing and dancing. They saw us come out for rehearsal, but didn't really watch us. Jennie and I had to practice stepping through a huge zero... this was the 400th show, and they had the numerals up on stage and that is how we would make our appearance.

It was so hard to do! My shoes were a little too big, so they wanted to slide on and off. The (stage director?) told me to go slowly and NOT touch the side of the 0 while I stepped through. It included going up a step, over the bottom of the 0 and onto another step, then down to the floor. I felt like it took me forever to step through!

After that, we waited backstage with a bunch of the (stage crew? not sure what the technical names of these positions are!)  We got to watch a TV that was basically like watching the show live. Jennie's story was first, and I almost cried watching her photos and narrative. I had to turn away when they revealed her surprise phone call from Dr. Oz about her teeth. Then she walked out on the stage and did an AMAZING job--she was funny, she looked natural, she had great answers.

I was just thinking, "How the hell am I supposed to follow THAT story?!"

Then, as I was sitting there, I heard my voice--loud. I saw that they were playing my photos and narrative, and I just cringed. I felt like I sounded horrible. Then it was my turn to walk out. The stage director man walked with me toward the 0, and told me to go slow and easy, stop at my mark, wave and smile, then watch for a the signal to go to Dr. Oz.  I stepped through the 0, trembling something fierce, and walked to my spot. I smiled and waved, feeling a little silly, then walked to Dr. Oz and gave him a hug.

I don't remember the first few things he said as we sat down, but then I made sure to listen really well in case he asked me something that I didn't prepare for. I couldn't.stop.trembling.  It was driving me crazy! You know how your body shakes when you try to hold a certain pose (like holding plank!) Well, I was shaking like that, and I couldn't control it. I hope it wasn't visible on TV!

I answered a few questions in the chairs, then we walked over to the food props. I talked about breakfast and I wasn't too thrilled with the way my "No Bake Cookie Oatmeal" looked, but I hope I sounded okay there.  Then I walked to the dessert table, where I saw my pumpkin brownies with peanut butter swirled on top. They looked fantastic! I was surprised to see red wine there, because I thought that had been cut from the show. I wasn't prepared to talk about it! I just said that I love wine, especially red wine, and I like to have it with chocolate sometimes (or something like that!)

After that, Dr. Oz mentioned my "before" picture with him, and asked if I would like to take an "after" pic with him as well. I said "Absolutely!" and we posed on stage for a photographer. And then it was over! The stage director waved me off, and I stood by watching the rest of the segment when they surprised a mother and daughter with make-overs by the team that did my hair and make-up.

I went back to my dressing room and watched some of the show, but mostly chatted with Jennie. I made sure to grab my make-up artist and hair stylist to tell them thank you, and I got a picture with each of them.

I changed into the clothes I wore the day before, because I didn't want to wear my dress home. And I had to give the heels back to the stylist. My driver arrived (a different man this time, who didn't speak more than a couple of words to me). He drove me to the airport (it was about 12:30, and my flight was at 3:00). My plan was to go through security and then find a bar restaurant that I could sit and have a big lunch (I was starving at this point) and a glass or two of wine. Well, La Guardia sucks! All the sit-down restaurants (and alcohol!) were BEFORE security.

So once I got past security, my options were a couple of shops that sold tons of baked goods and Au Bon Pain. I got a turkey sandwich from Au Bon Pain and a little container of chocolate covered almonds (to have on the plane). The sandwich was super dry and gross, but I ate about 3/4 of it because I was so hungry.

The plane was just a little bigger than the last one--four seats per row this time--but there were only 15 people total on the flight!! I was seated in an aisle (which I hate--I must be by a window to avoid sheer panic) next to a woman. I asked the flight attendant if I could move up a row, and it was fine. Everyone on the plane got their own row!

I paid $7 for a glass of cheap pinot grigio on the plane, but I totally needed that. I ate all of my almonds, and enjoyed every bite.  Flight was a little bumpy, but it didn't bother me after the wine.  Got into Detroit and rushed to get out of the airport and to my parents' house to pick up my boys. They gave me flowers :)

It was SUCH an amazing experience, and I'm so happy that I got to do it!!

I e-mailed Margaret and Ali to find out when I will get the "after" photos of me with Dr. Oz (as well as a DVD of the show) and they said they will mail them out as soon as the show airs. So I'll post them when I get them!

---

I just watched the show, and a LOT of it was edited--not just from me, but from Jennie as well. Bummer! Did you see the brownies and wine in the background at least?!  lol

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My appearance on The Dr. Oz Show, Day 1 (of 2)

The morning was totally chaotic. I had to get my kids ready to take to my parents house, and at the same time get myself ready to head to NYC. My flight was at 11:25 AM, and I left for the airport pretty early, at 9:00. The plane was absolutely tiny--three seats per row, and only like 13 rows. I was in the very front by the window. I didn't take any Xanax because I didn't want to feel drowsy when I got to the studio.

The flight was pretty smooth, and I saw a couple of cool things out the window. There was a corn maze in the shape of a spider web and a spider (being the day after Halloween, it was very appropriate). I saw all the snow that dumped on the east coast. And then I saw THE CITY. I couldn't believe how amazing it was from the plane--I could see everything!

When we landed, we actually had to go down portable steps and get into a bus that took us to the terminal. Like I said, VERY small plane!  I was supposed to go to baggage claim and find my driver, who would be holding a sign with my last name on it. He was easy to spot, because he was VERY tall (I later learned he was 6'10"). He was SUPER nice, and he chatted with me all the way to the studio, which was about 30-40 minutes away.

When I learned that he drives a lot of celebrities, I wanted to hear all about them--and he told me some fun info about his opinions of certain people ;)  When he asked about why I was going to appear on The Dr. Oz Show, and I told him about my weight loss, he said that as a very tall person, he has a lot of the same physical issues that obese people have. He's even broken a few chairs.

So I arrived at Rockefeller Plaza (where the studio is) and had to check in with security. They gave me a little pass to swipe to get to the elevators. I couldn't figure out how to work it, and someone came over to help me. Classy as always. Then Kyle, the travel coordinator for the Dr. Oz Show saw me and took me up to the offices.

I met Ali, the producer who first discovered my e-mail and got the ball rolling for me--she was SO NICE, and I immediately liked her. Then I met Margaret, who I feel knows more about me than a lot of my friends by now--she's the one that wrote the show, and asked me millions of questions in order to do so.  I met other people, and I feel awful that I don't remember everyone's names. Everybody was super friendly, and made me feel very comfortable.

Margaret went over the gist of the show with me, and then I went to this little sound booth to record a narration (I forget what they call it). At the beginning of my part of the show, there are my pictures shown on the screen and my voice narrating in the background. Everything I said was pretty accurate, but I just wish I'd had more of a say in what content was there. I just hope it sounded sincere!

I did request one change, which they made for me. I had to read it directly off the paper (over and over again, with someone instructing me HOW to say it).  While I was waiting to do the voice, I chatted with the sound-guy (again, forget his name!)  I asked him a million questions about how it all works and he explained it to me. I asked him if he watches the show, and he said no. LOL

After recording that part (it only took about 10 minutes total), I went into Margaret's office and role-played the show about four times (she played Dr. Oz asking me questions, and I answered). I still didn't feel 100% confident with my answers, and there were lots of things I wanted to say but I couldn't--I wanted to mention Sparkpeople, my blog, and some of the advice that you all told me I should mention. When watching the show, you wouldn't even realize it's me, because I didn't get to say any of the things that I find MOST relevant to my weight loss (like RUNNING for example; Sparkpeople; my blog; not making changes you aren't willing to live with forever). But I'll talk about that part later.

After role-playing with Margaret, an intern (she had a cool name and now I forget!) took me to Lucky Magazine's offices where I was told I was going to have a clothes fitting. This ended up being the worst part of my trip. There were three dresses the Lucky stylist chose for me, and they were HIDEOUS (in my opinion, of course!). One of them, the stylist agreed wasn't even an option when I put it on. The other two, she really liked, but I HATED. I was nearly in tears as I tried them on.

They were very blousy and large--like a muumuu. But because they were cinched in the waist, she told me they were "slimming". And she wanted me to wear black tights with them. Now, I'm certainly no stylist for Lucky magazine, but I would NEVER make someone wear these dresses!  I'm embarrassed to even show them here:

SERIOUSLY?! I was smiling for the pics, but I felt the lump in my throat and I really just wanted to get to my hotel room and cry. I couldn't believe this was happening. I am NOT a picky person, and I was so grateful for everything that The Dr. Oz Show was doing for me, but I couldn't go on TV looking like that. I told the intern how I felt, and she said she would relay the message to Ali.

The stylist seemed offended that I didn't like her choices, so I didn't want to dwell on it in front of her. But it didn't help that she said I was "hippy"--meaning that I have big hips. What the?! First, I don't think I have big hips at ALL for my body size; and second, I had just lost 100+ pounds and the last thing you should point out is a flaw in my body. That does not help one's self-esteem.

The intern escorted me (in a cab) to my hotel. I was staying at the AKA Central Park, and it was awesome. I checked in, went up to my room, and took a few pictures before messing things up:

I called Jerry, and just started sobbing. I told him that I made a big mistake, that I shouldn't have come. I was going to look like an idiot on national TV, and it was too late to back out. He told me the dresses couldn't be THAT bad (typical man-response, right?!).  I was starving at this point, because I had a protein shake for breakfast at 7:00, then a Larabar on the plane. And that was IT, and it was now 6:00 pm.

I then started crying because I wanted to get something for dinner, but it was NYC and I didn't want to get lost or hurt going out by myself. I just felt SO overwhelmed. I stopped crying long enough to talk to my mom and sister on the phone (I didn't want them to know how upset I was). Then I felt sorry for myself a little longer. Then I wiped all the mascara off my face and went down to the lobby.

I asked if there was anything super close by that I could eat, and he told me some ideas. I walked down the street and realized that DUH, it's NYC, there is food everywhere. So I walked halfway around the block and found a restaurant that looked decent. The people working there were rude, but I learned quickly that nearly everybody I encountered was rude in NYC (at least compared to where I live). I ordered dinner and took it back to my room at the hotel.

Penne with tomatoes and basil, salad, garlic bread and Sprite Zero. Not pictured: An oatmeal raisin cookie for dessert.  I ate about 3/4 of the penne, two bites of salad (it was gross), all of the bread, and the cookie. I wasn't stuffed, but I was definitely satisfied, and feeling better.

I started watching a stupid movie on HBO and then Ali (the producer) called. She said she heard about the dress situation, and if I wanted to, I could wear the dress that I brought. I was so happy I would have kissed her had she been in front of me. (FYI, I brought along the blue/black dress that I wore to Sarah's bridal shower in June).  After eating, and hearing from Ali, I was feeling much better. I started going over the questions that Dr. Oz was most likely going to ask me, and trying to smooth out my answers.

Then Margaret called and said that she had to cut out parts of the show for time--they were eliminating parts from everyone. She took out two questions, and I was bummed to see that one of them was about advice that I have for others, where I was going to talk about not making any changes that you aren't willing to live with FOREVER. On the other hand, it was nice to have less questions to worry about answering! Margaret was great with helping me feel prepared for the show!

I took a Xanax so that I could calm down enough to be able to sleep, and I was asleep by 10.

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Facebook

Just FYI--I've always kept my Facebook account private--just for my real-life friends and family. So I finally decided to create a Runs for Cookies page on Facebook. I'm not sure how much I'll use it, but after the newspaper thing came out yesterday, I got friend requests from people I've never heard of; hopefully I can direct them to the Runs for Cookies page.

Soooo... if you'd like, you can "like" me on Facebook now (IF I figured out the whole thing correctly! I'm not exactly a Facebook expert).

The page can be found here:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Runs-for-Cookies/305741636112327

Don't feel obligated to "like" it. As I said, I always liked to keep Facebook and my blog completely separate, but it's hard to do that now with my Dr. Oz appearance (on today! I'm so nervous!)

I have my blog posts about the show scheduled to post at 5:00 today.

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Newspaper and post-op day 3

I slept in the recliner last night, and I felt so much better! I didn't have to turn side to side anymore like I did in the bed, and I actually got about 6 hours of sleep. I've been taking my meds every 3 hours as prescribed.

For those of you that asked about my incision, it goes ALL THE WAY AROUND my body, including over my spine. It stays pretty low all the way around my hips and then dips a little to the top of my butt crack (like the top of a heart) and then continues around to the front. It is literally like a belt.

...Which is why it is so hard to get comfortable! No matter what way you lie down, some part of the incision is resting on the bed. I don't think that the incision is the part that hurts so much though--it's definitely the abdominal muscles!  When you get a tummy tuck, they will do a "muscle repair" where they stitch your abdominal muscles together where they may have separated from pregnancies or other reasons.

See the lower-left picture? That shows where the doctor sews the muscles together with absorbable sutures. My doctor said my muscles were pretty far apart--she had to bring them in 2 1/2 inches!! Doing THAT is what causes so much pain from the surgery and why you have to walk and stand hunched over. I don't think I could stand upright if I tried right now. Turning over in bed was excruciating, but the recliner is much more comfortable. The doctor said it'll be about two weeks before I can stand upright and sit upright.

Jessica just brought me some curried chicken salad with apples and raisins--yum!--and a loaf of roasted garlic bread  from a local bread company. I hadn't tried their bread before, and wow--it was amazing!  The one positive thing about having surgery (for me anyway) is that it reduces your appetite. Right now my sole focus is on protein, whether I enjoy it or not, because I want to heal as fast as possible.

My mom told my Dr. Oz story to the local paper. We live in a very small town, so it doesn't take much to make the paper! The reporter called yesterday right after I woke up from a pain-medicine-induced sleep, so I hope I at least sounded a little coherent when I spoke with her. She said the story would run in today's newspaper. Jerry and I don't even get the newspaper, so we had to go buy one.

ETA:  I was SHOCKED when I saw it--it's HUGE! I cringed and covered my eyes when Jerry showed it to me, because it takes up about 2/3 of the front page. I had no idea this whole story would get so BIG.

I really AM excited to see the show tomorrow--my curiosity is killing me!

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RECIPE: Monster Cookies

My friend Renee gave me the recipe for these--they're SUPER delish and pretty healthy for a cookie!

Here is a printer-friendly version!

Monster Cookies

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup natural peanut butter  (I used natural creamy pb)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips  (make sure you use the mini ones, so you get a little chocolate with each bite!)
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine butter and peanut butter in a mixer. Beat until smooth. Add brown sugar, egg, egg white, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.

Add oats, flax, baking soda, salt, chocolate chips, and raisins. Mix well.

Drop spoonfuls of dough (I used 1.5 Tbsp each) 2" apart on cookie sheet. Bake 11 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden (I did 10 minutes). Let cool a few minutes on a baking sheet before removing to rack.

Makes 30 cookies.

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Day 2 Post-Op (with a pic)

I wanted to write more, but it's so hard to do this while lying down...

I barely slept last night--I just cannot get comfortable! My abdomen hurts SO BADLY. My mom came over at 4:30 this morning to help me out when Jerry left for work. I spent most the whole morning lying in bed watching TV. Renee and Jessica were going to come visit me today, but I had to tell them to postpone it because I just didn't feel up to it.

Everything completely exhausts me. Just getting up to go to the bathroom felt like I had run 10 miles. After lunchtime, I decided to try to recline in the recliner in the living room. That was much more comfortable than the bed. The doctor said I can reline, but I have to keep it very low--she doesn't want me to SIT for 10 days.

She told me I could shower, but I was terrified to take off the binder. The doctor called me to see how I was doing and I told her I was scared to shower, but she explained it to me again and so I decided to try it. Getting the stuff off was easy--but holding the drains while showering was impossible, so I had my mom reach into the shower and hold the drains up so that I could wash myself.

I changed into the fresh compression garment, which was easier than I expected. The doc agreed with me in that I might want to buy a small--the medium will do for now, because I'm swollen, but in a week or two she thinks I'll want to wear a small. So I have to order that today.

I was a little shocked when I looked in the mirror at my incisions today. I know (from looking at others' post-op pictures) that it's going to look really bad for a while, but I was still in shock. My back is really bruised, and she has dressing packed into my belly button. I'm worried that my belly button looks asymmetrical, but I've read that can be caused from swelling and everything heals at different speeds.

I really like the shape of the incision line--she kept it very low, even on my hips. When she was marking me for surgery, she said that she doesn't do those "french cut" hips from the 80's, where the scar goes up over the hip bone. Remember those panties that had really high cut lines on the sides? She said she does the incisions to hide underneath a boy-cut panty instead, which is much more my style.

I'm actually going to show you a picture today, since you've all been asking. Please don't critique me! This is just two days post-op, so of course everything looks pretty gross right now. I still have gauze packed into my belly button, so it looks weird, but I think I can take that out tomorrow. The orange you see on my thigh is from a tape that is holding my pain pump in place.

"Before" (obviously)

I'm not ready to show my butt yet! ;)  I cannot believe I'm even posting this "before" picture, because I'm SOOOO self-conscious of my belly!  Once I get the drains out (and the belly button gauze and stitches) I'll probably start taking more post-op pics. It just looks ugly right now, but I think that the incision looks pretty good compared to a lot of other pics I've seen.

For those of you that asked, the doctor ended up removing about 2-3 pounds of skin--not much! She said that I didn't have a lot of fat attached to the skin, so the number isn't very impressive.

Anyway, I am feeling much much better now than I was yesterday or even earlier today. I've been eating tons of protein. Taking my meds as prescribed. Emptying my drains. Doing everything by the book.

Most importantly, I want to thank you all SO MUCH for your e-mails, comments, and support through this. When I told my mom today about my online "friends" she was really touched that complete strangers have become so close to me.

I really do consider you my friends, and it makes me feel so good to know that you are thinking of me!  I'm going to try and respond to everyone, but I haven't been spending much time on the computer (it's hard to type lying down!)  So please bear with me if it takes a while. Just know that I really appreciate it!

My Dr. Oz Show airs on Friday!! I saw a preview on TV for it today :)

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My lower body lift surgery

Well, I'm home.

I'm in quite a bit a hell of a lot of pain, so I don't know how long I'll be able to type this, but I wanted to update you all. Yesterday, I woke up at 3:00 in the morning, and took a shower. I had to wash with a special soap to prep for surgery. Blew my hair dry and dressed in big comfy clothes. Jerry drove to the hospital, which was about an hour away.

I knew it was going to be a tiny little hospital (mostly outpatient procedures and a small emergency room). We were the only people there that early in the morning. The security guard let us in, and we sat in the OR lobby until the nurse called me back to pre-op.

The nurse called me back while Jerry stayed in the lobby. She took some blood and inserted an IV; checked my vitals and all that. Then she gave me a gown and told me to take off EVERYTHING (including my nose ring). I put on the gown and laid in the little bed. Then Jerry came back there with me:

Getting reeeally nervous

My surgeon came in and answered some more questions I had, and then she used a marker to draw all over me for surgery. I layed back in the bed and the anesthesiologist came in at about 6:20. He was super nice and made me feel very comfortable--first just mentally, and then he put something in my IV that helped me to calm down, but still be coherent. I kissed Jerry good-bye, and they wheeled me off to the OR. That is actually the last thing I remember before surgery.

I woke up to a bunch of people tugging on me, and realized they were putting my compression garment on. I was kind of dozing while they were doing that, and I remembered that I was there for surgery. The doctor came in and told me that the surgery went perfectly, and I have a teeny tiny waist (yay!)

I was taken to my recovery room and since I was staying the night, I got to stay in there. They put a foley catheter in me during surgery, and it stayed in the whole time I was in the hospital, which was nice--I didn't have to get up to go pee!

My abs were hurting SO BADLY, despite the dilaudid in my IV and some other pain meds. They gave me some medicine for nausea, too, but it didn't work at all--I felt SO SICK. I even started dry heaving, which hurt like a bitch because of my muscle repair on my abs. I ordered tuna salad for dinner (protein) and it took me about four tries to eat it. My mouth was super dry, and they said it was because of the anesthesia--they give you meds to stop saliva production. It's so hard to eat without saliva!

The staff there was SO NICE and helpful. I've never felt so attended to. I was literally the ONLY overnight patient there! It was strange, but fun! That was why it took forever to confirm my surgery date--they had to make sure they had an overnight staff for me. Totally worth it! They even let Jerry spend the night with me, and there was a couch that folded out into a bed right in my room:

They had me get up and walk a few times, which was excruciating. The pain is terrible! So much worse than I ever imagined. The doctor came in this morning to check in on me and said I looked great. She unzipped one side of my compression garment and I was able to see my stomach. I can't believe how flat it is! I still have stretch marks, so it'll never be "bikini ready" but it should look good in my clothes. I'll post pictures, but right now I'm just in a lot of pain and I don't want to mess with it.

The doctor said I could go home whenever I was ready, so Jerry and I decided to leave at about 9:00. The nurse wheeled me out to the car, and everyone was telling me they were excited to watch The Dr. Oz Show on Friday ;)  The car ride home was bad--I was in terrible pain.

I'll try to write more tomorrow. Right now I'm just watching the clock for when I can take another pain pill. Hopefully it starts to get better tomorrow!

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Things that make me happy!

Since I’m getting my surgery today, I decided to post this list I put together of 100 things that make me happy. Even reading this list makes me happy! :)

1. When my kids are playing nicely together.
2. When my husband does housework without me asking him to.
3. Wearing a pair of brand new socks.
4. Losing weight.
5. Wine.
6. Having a clean house.
7. Getting a massage from my husband.
8. Waking up in the middle of the night and realizing I’d only been asleep for an hour or so—which means I have a LOT longer to sleep!
9. Knitting.
10. Completing a project that I’ve started.
11. Autumn.
12. Spending time with my siblings.
13. Chatting over wine or coffee with my girlfriends.
14. Watching my favorite TV shows.
15. Wearing fleece pajamas when it’s cold outside.
16. Reading a book that’s so good I can’t put it down.
17. Cooking (as long as I’m not starving when I’m cooking)
18. Feeling good about how I look.
19. Shopping for things for the house.
20. Spending time with old friends.
21. Listening to interesting people tell their life stories.
22. Sleeping on my Tempur-pedic mattress.
23. Accomplishing a goal.
24. Listening to Maxwell.
25. Beer that smells like skunk.
26. Playing Guesstures with friends.
27. Giving a really cool gift to someone.
28. Paying off a debt.
29. Eating fresh pineapple in the summer.
30. Grocery shopping.
31. Watching cats play.
32. A hot bath in the winter.
33. Being able to look up answers to my questions on the Internet.
34. Lifetime Movie Network.
35. Having a positive number in my bank account.
36. Being able to stay at home with my kids.
37. Looking at pictures from my childhood.
38. Scary movies.
39. Garlic sauce from La Pita.
40. Spending time at home.
41. Rearranging furniture.
42. Clearance sales.
43. Finishing a half-marathon.
44. Organizing a closet or cupboard.
45. Playing board games.
46. Playing solitare on my computer.
47. Thinking of the funny things my kids do and say.
48. Browsing through patterns on ravelry.com.
49. Making “To Do” lists.
50. Getting a sincere compliment.
51. Getting “real” e-mail (letters from people, not automated e-mails)
52. Feeling refreshed after a hot shower.
53. Going to the zoo.
54. Surprising someone in a positive way.
55. Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”
56. Learning something new and interesting.
57. Chopping vegetables (celery and onions in particular)
58. Hot tea on a cold night.
59. “New Car” scented air freshener.
60. Putting on a sweatshirt fresh out of the drier.
61. Spending Halloween at my parents’ house and celebrating Mark’s birthday.
62. Reverse engineering a knit or crocheted item.
63. The color green.
64. Corn on the cob.
65. Romantic kisses in movies.
66. Spending the evenings outside during the summer.
67. Reading comments on my blog.
68. Having a good/funny/interesting status update on Facebook.
69. The smell of my kids when they just get out of the bath.
70. When Jerry laughs a genuine laugh from something I say.
71. Getting a refund for something.
72. Home-cooked meals.
73. A genuine hug from a friend.
74. Hearing a baby laugh.
75. Freshly vacuumed carpet.
76. Listening to my kids hold a conversation with each other.
77. Having a $0 balance on my credit cards.
78. Candlelight.
79. Playing badminton.
80. My nose piercing.
81. Getting pictures developed.
82. A super-crisp, sweet apple.
83. Being able to get just about any book I want from the library.
84. Feeling zoned out to the world when I run.
85. A nicely-made bed.
86. Wii Fit Plus.
87. Praying when I feel insecure or worried about something.
88. Really old photographs.
89. Trying new foods.
90. Barbecuing with friends.
91. Having the windows open on a breezy summer day.
92. Riding on The Raptor at Cedar Point.
93. My dad and brother coming home from Iraq safely.
94. Spending gift cards.
95. Men who play the piano.
96. Riding on a train.
97. Chivalry.
98. Sharing memories with friends.
99. Getting a hug from my kids “just because”.
100. Sitting in front of a fireplace.

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