Welcome to the Good, the Fat and the Hungry. I'm Karla and I have been -- or am -- all those things. Here, I will share with you my lifelong struggle with my weight, and I hope you'll follow along on with my determined attempt to lose the last 40 pounds. I promise to tell you every Wednesday about every win and setback along the way.

My last two posts were titled "Ouch" and rightfully so. In the spirit of overcoming, I have resisted the urge to create an "Ouch" trilogy. I can honestly say that I am better. I am not great, nor do I feel completely normal, but thankfully, I am better. For the most part, the pain has subsided. I am still experiencing some weird nerve pain in my left forearm and both elbows, but that is to be expected.

In some ways, I feel as if I failed myself by not taking the arm lift (brachioplasty) more seriously. I took every aspect of the abdominoplasty very serious and learned more than any lay person need know about it. I could have probably performed the procedure -- if I were not predisposed to faint at the sight of blood. I did the homework on the abdominoplasty, practically interviewed people who'd had it done and read almost everything the internet had to offer.

Welcome to the Good, the Fat and the Hungry. I'm Karla and I have been -- or am -- all those things. Here, I will share with you my lifelong struggle with my weight, and I hope you'll follow along on with my determined attempt to lose the last 40 pounds. I promise to tell you every Wednesday about every win and setback along the way.

Ouch. No, for real. Ouch.

Everything about this latest surgery has hurt. I don't mean excruciating pain, but consistent pain. As much as I'd assumed the arm lift surgery was going to be easier than the abdominoplasty, I was dead wrong. I figured that the arms would have to be easier than having all that excess fat and skin removed from my mid-section, but it was not. My thinking was that it's a smaller area and would therefore be less invasive. The pain associated with this procedure is far greater than anything I experienced with the tummy tuck. Not only greater pain, but there's more of it.

Welcome to the Good, the Fat and the Hungry. I'm Karla and I have been -- or am -- all those things. Here, I will share with you my lifelong struggle with my weight, and I hope you'll follow along on with my determined attempt to lose nearly 40 pounds. I promise to tell you every win and setback along the way every Tuesday and Friday.

Do you have the right to bare arms if yours are the size OF a bear's? Well, my arms were bear sized but by the time you read this Friday night, they will no longer be. Operation brachioplasty (arm lift) is underway. After losing 200+ pounds, my arms have been a constant source of misery. The excess skin on my arms that hung down several inches has gone bye-bye!

Ever been to New York city in the summertime? Let me tell you that heat in the concrete jungle is HOT. I have suffered through two summers in the heat with long sleeves. The unsightly excess skin on my arms has imposed great limitations. In addition to year-round long sleeves, I've fought with rashes and a host of other skin-related issues. That's not to mention the fabulous clothes I can't wear.

Welcome to the Good, the Fat and the Hungry. I'm Karla and I have been -- or am -- all those things. Here, I will share with you my lifelong struggle with my weight, and I hope you'll follow along on with my determined attempt to lose nearly 40 pounds. I promise to tell you every win and setback along the way every Tuesday and Friday.

Three months post op and my new tummy is a thing of beauty. Dr. Olivier did her thang! She gave me what my gf Taia calls, the hips of life. She means it about her momma, but I'm taking it for my own hips. Dr. Olivier is a bad girl! She did so well in fact, I thought I had a tumor. Fortunately for me, I have not had to walk through my recovery alone. I have had family, friends and neighbors really step up and help me in any way. For all of them, I am grateful. In particular, my next door neighbor and confidante Kim has been with me every step of the way. From drains to scars, she's seen it all. Very early on she became immune to me randomly jerking up my shirt to show her this or that. Last night, my concern was far more severe than anything we had broached thus far. Thanks to episodes of Dr. 90210, she has become the unofficial expert. She's not just my neighbor, she's a friend.

I came home and immediately knocked on her door. In her usual laid back swagger, she answered. In my usual haste, I tell her I need her to come next door and look at me. No surprise to her, she says she'll be over in five minutes. Sure enough, five minutes later she's at the door with snacks in tow, never knowing what to expect entering the private domain of Karla. As I've been known to do, I get right to the point. I immediately jerk my shirt high and say, "Feel this." She presses her fingers into my tummy. She says, "What, Karla?" I say, "Don't you feel that? It shouldn't be that hard. Something must be wrong. Maybe it's a tumor." She says, "Fool, those are your abs!" I say, "What do you mean?" She says, "Thank Jake cause your abs are tight." We fall to pieces laughing at how silly I can be and proceed to watch the Bad Girls club. An impromptu girls night has ensued and I don't have a tumor. What luck.

Welcome to the Good, the Fat and the Hungry. I'm Karla and I have been -- or am -- all those things. Here, I will share with you my lifelong struggle with my weight and I hope you'll follow along on with my determined attempt to lose nearly 40 pounds. I promise to tell you every win and setback along the way every Tuesday and Friday.

Is desire alone enough to attain a goal? Or does it take more? What separates those who get it from those who don't?

Too often I wonder why I continue to struggle with my weight loss as much as I do. I try not to beat myself up, but maybe I should I do it more. I mean, why do I pat myself on the back for even the smallest accomplishments? How is it possible that as much as I exercise and know of its benefits that I still make it borderline optional?

On occasion, I will buy myself a "treat." I absolutely love Tootsie Rolls and have bullied my fair share from kids on the playground. (Note: being the biggest kid in school wasn't ALL bad). For whatever reason, I easily justify to myself why I "deserve" a treat, be it in the form of Tootsie Rolls or something else not included in my daily diet. But seriously, even typing the word deserve is almost comical because I'm just not that good. And saying on occasion is almost as funny. Deserve translates to justify and on occasion really means several times a week. I call it treating but I'm really tricking -- myself.

Welcome to the Good, the Fat and the Hungry. I'm Karla and I have been -- or am -- all those things. Here, I will share with you my lifelong struggle with my weight and I hope you'll follow along on with my determined attempt to lose nearly 40 pounds. I promise to tell you every win and setback along the way every Tuesday and Friday.

Drain, drain go away, please come back another, NEVER! I am happy to announce that I am completely drain free. I had the last one removed today and needless to say, I am ecstatic. The final drain held on for four weeks and two days. I don't know that anywhere along the way I was prepared to have a drain for this long. but I'm just glad it's over.

Overall, I cannot complain. As strange as it may be to say, the experience with my wonderful surgeon, Dr. Olivier, and her staff nearly outweighs the results of the surgery. They have really held my hand and answered every silly question I've had throughout this process. Believe you me, there have been some silly questions. I guess because she specializes in breast reconstruction of cancer patients she posesses an extra element of care and concern that I've missed in other New York City doctors. I've not only seen it with me but with every patient I've witnessed. It feels good to be in an office where I'm a person and not just another number.

I am slowly noticing a return of feeling in the area below my navel where it was completely numb. I'm no doctor but my best guess is the itching and tingling that I feel deep below the skin is some form of healing. These are the areas where feeling is beginning to return. The tingling only lasts a few seconds but can be aggravating because there's no possible way to scratch. My navel has healed very well and is starting to lighten in color.

Welcome to the Good, the Fat and the Hungry. I'm Karla and I have been -- or am -- all those things. Here, I will share with you my lifelong struggle with my weight and I hope you'll follow along on with my determined attempt to lose nearly 40 pounds. I promise to tell you every win and setback along the way every Tuesday and Friday.

Happy birthday to me! That's right, I'm officially 30 none of your business. HA! What's significant about this birthday is that I am closer in age to 40 than 30. Thanks to weight loss, eating right and working out, I feel closer to 30 than 40. Losing 200 lbs. has turned the clock back. Even simple things are new.

I can never remember crossing my legs until three years ago. Being the girlie girl that I am, I do it all the time. It reminds me that I've come so far and that I will never again be unable to cross my legs. In my old life, I experienced what I grew to call, "turnstile terror." Ever been too fat to get through a turnstile? Over the course of time, I learned to wiggle through sideways but I even outgrew that method.

Welcome to the Good, the Fat and the Hungry. I'm Karla and I have been -- or am -- all those things. Here, I will share with you my lifelong struggle with my weight and I hope you'll follow along on with my determined attempt to lose nearly 40 pounds. I promise to tell you every win and setback along the way every Tuesday and Friday.

I'm sure there are drains in hell. I know we've heard about hell's heat, but I suspect that drains will be a nice surprise waiting for unsuspecting folks. If they aren't, I'll be surprised. I know drain hell personally because I'm still in it and two of the original three drains are still ... in me.

That's right folks, two weeks post-op, and I still have drains. Needless to say, I am less than happy about it. Again, my surgeon was very happy because it lends to better results for as much fluid as possible to be removed prior to taking the drains out. The alternative is to remove the drains and come to her office several times each week to have the fluid removed by needle. That's okay. I'll pass on that one.

She suggested I keep an eye on the output and call her when they are both below 25 cc's. Worse case scenario: She'll take them out in two weeks. Two weeks? Seriously? A month after surgery with drains? Wow. As of yesterday, they were 75 and 25 cc's respectively. I had an output in one of the drains of 15 cc's a few days ago and really got excited because I was sure that this drain had come to the end of its line -- until it produced 30 cc's the following day. I have great faith in my surgeon -- not only because she's one of the best but because I know she cares about her patients and the quality of her work. I'm keeping the drains. The drains themselves aren't so bad but the positioning is miserable. They are below the bikini line in the top of the pubic mound, hence they are very inconvenient. My chi-chi looks like a balled up fist ready to fight. Oh what joy.

Welcome to the Good, the Fat and the Hungry. I'm Karla and I have been -- or am -- all those things. Here, I will share with you my lifelong struggle with my weight and I hope you'll follow along on with my determined attempt to lose nearly 40 pounds. I promise to tell you every win and setback along the way every Tuesday and Friday.

I feel fat. I look in the mirror and I certainly don't look fat but I feel fat. If I close my eyes and visualize myself based solely on how I feel, I'd be that pig with the apple in its mouth. Since the abdominoplasty, I am able to eat even less and feel overstuffed quickly. I'd read about this ahead of time so thanks to the blogosphere, I was not completely caught off guard. I read several posts of people who felt this way the first few weeks -- thank goodness.

Of course, this emotional stuff is all in my mind. What I feel does not overcome what I see when I look in the mirror. Who I see looking back is the most beautiful me I have ever been. The reflection is the most fit me I've ever seen. My response to what I see is nothing less than ecstatic. These are new words to me -- beautiful, fit, ecstatic. Eating right and exercising have replaced the former words of disgust, obese, and painful.

Welcome to the Good, the Fat and the Hungry. I'm Karla and I have been -- or am -- all those things. Here, I will share with you my lifelong struggle with my weight and I hope you'll follow along on with my determined attempt to lose nearly 40 pounds. I promise to tell you every win and setback along the way every Tuesday and Friday.

I am not happy. I mean, I am happy with life overall, but I am not happy about my tummy tuck drains. I am one week post-surgery and still, I have them -- all three of them -- with removal nowhere in sight. You see, I experienced a drain blockage last week, which slowed the process considerably (I think this is atypical for most tummy tucks). I guess some gunk got stuck on the way out and clogged the drains, located between the pubic area and the bottom of my abdomen. Besides this hassle, I've got cords that, while long enough to pin to clothing, are in my way -- all three of them.

So, I saw my doc's physicians assistant today, and she said with the amount of fluid still draining, the drains should stay in place. She was actually happy about this and said we'd take a look on Thursday when I see my surgeon. I trust her completely, so they are right where she left them -- in me. I've read many stories of fortunate folks who had their drains out in a few days or even a week -- I just am not one of those lucky folks.

Welcome to the Good, the Fat and the Hungry. I'm Karla and I have been -- or am -- all those things. Here, I will share with you my lifelong struggle with my weight and I hope you'll follow along on with my determined attempt to lose nearly 40 pounds. I promise to tell you every win and setback along the way every Tuesday and Friday.

I did it. I am so proud of myself. I had my abdominoplasty (tummy tuck). I had heard all the arguments, pro and con, but in spite of a thousand tongues in all directions, I took the plunge. Some may think it vain; some may think it a waste. I thought it necessary.

Gastric bypass people, hear me and hear me well. Once you knock off 100+ pounds, stuff is gonna sag, and plastics may be necessary. My doc said that had I done it on the younger side that I may not need it but I didn't, so here I was: Down 190+ pounds with enough skin sagging in my middle to make a quilt -- or at least a baby blanket. I felt like I had an inner tube around my waist. I mean, I work out. Why shouldn't I have abs? Oh, that's right. I do. NOW. Here's the nitty gritty.

June 9, 2008

Six weeks ago, I had my tummy tuck. It seems like longer. Not because it's been a long and difficult road, but because it's been a rather easy one. My days are flying by, like they normally do, and so it seems like ages ago I went under the knife and had my hated post-baby, post-weight loss sagging skin removed.

I know it's only been six weeks, though, because I just had my six-week follow-up visit. My surgeon took one peek at his masterpiece and declared the following: My incision looks great for being only six weeks old, my lingering low-down swelling will definitely go away with time, new clothing should not be purchased for another six weeks (due to swelling and settling), and he'll see me in two months.

I can't possibly fully explain how thrilled I am with my surgery results. My belly is flat. It's tight. It's like nothing it's ever been before.

My surgeon is not just a surgeon. He's an artist. A miracle worker. My hero. Look at what he did. See why I feel so much better now?

NOTE: Abdominoplasty is recommended for those whose skin and muscle cannot recover on their own as a result of significant weight loss, pregnancy, aging, heredity, or prior surgery. It is not a substitute for weight loss or an appropriate exercise program. For more information about this surgery, click here.

Source

Join me as I search my soul for direction regarding my latest pursuit: A tummy tuck. Will I go through with it? Will I "Tuck It In?" Keep reading. Keep coming back. And you'll find out.

May 6, 2008

Thirteen days down and a lifetime to go with this new flat tummy of mine. Yep, it's flat. And tight. And with the exception of some swelling that is driving me bonkers -- more about that here -- I am thrilled beyond thrilled with my new mid-section. My decision to go through with a tummy tuck surgery was in fact the right one.

So let's wrap things up with this Tuck It In series. The last time I wrote, I was right out of surgery, recovering at home in my recliner, bandaged and compressed, with two drains and a pain pump sprouting from my belly. I was walking in hunched-over fashion and popping pain pills, antibiotics, probiotics, and a muscle relaxer as prescribed. Now, almost two weeks later, I am out of the recliner and walking upright. The drains and pain pump are gone, all drugs are out of my system, and I'm wearing only my compression wrap to hold me firm and shape this new shape of mine. I'm driving, walking two miles at a time, and counting down the weeks until I can run -- four more to go.

Source

Join me as I search my soul for direction regarding my latest pursuit: A tummy tuck. Will I go through with it? Will I "Tuck It In?" Keep reading. Keep coming back. And you'll find out.

April 25, 2008

I'm alive, well, and doing fine following my long-awaited tummy tuck surgery. Besides one fainting episode in the recovery room yesterday, it was an uneventful experience. I like uneventful when it comes to surgery.

It took 90 minutes for my surgeon to remove loose skin, repair my baby-stretched abdominal muscle, and fix an umbilical hernia. It took two hours for me to come out of my general anesthesia fog and regain my ability to walk -- which right now, is a bit difficult.

I'm headed for a tummy tuck on Wednesday. And so I'm all eyes and ears when I come across something about this surgery, also known as abdominoplasty. I've been absorbing all kinds of insight from women who've had the procedure. And I've been reading every tummy tuck tidbit I can get my hands on. Like this nod given to the tummy tuck by Oprah.com.

It's a pretty hopeful bit I came across. I'm just not sure it's entirely accurate. First, the tummy tuck -- one of the top five plastic surgeries, says this source -- is positioned as a method for getting the perfect bikini body. I wouldn't actually recommend it for this. Well, maybe if all diet and exercise has failed to produce results and it just happens to be swimsuit season when you go under the knife, then this might be advisable. It's kind of my own personal situation actually, except I'm not prepping for a bikini; I'm just trying to feel good in my clothing, and my skin.

Second, this article reports: "There is a marginal scar that is like one-half the size of Cesarean-section scar, there is minimal downtime, it looks good right away." The scar: I think it's more like three times the size. The downtime: At least two weeks initially and a whole six weeks for total healing. The results: Yes, I hear the change is apparent right away.

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