Let's talk a little more about SWELLING!

Tuesday morning, my pre-op at home weight was 181 pounds! I had 13 pounds of fat and skin removed later that morning. So, that should put my weight at? 168 pounds with 131 pounds lost!!! What does my scale tell me this morning? 186 pounds. Granted I was fully clothed, but the 6 and the 8 should have been reversed. I am so tight feeling from all this damn swelling... but am I really carrying around 18 pounds of water weight? I know I've said this previously, but it is not mathematically possible for me to have gained even one ounce. About one third of my body is an internal scab, so I am a calorie burning machine right now. I'm eating the same exact amounts post-op as pre-op. No special treats (beyond my normal special treats, which have allowed me to continue losing weight). I can't even close my loose pants. For some reason, I thought one week out and this journey would be spiraling beautifully towards it's happy little ending. That did NOT include massive bloating, when I had this all planned and pictured out in my brain. Not exactly what I had envisioned.

Girl Bandit, sorry I haven't been ignoring your question. Yes, I asked for skin only. I thought that's what I got, because my post-op was going so well the first few days. That was the largest reason I wanted skin only. But, now I can only walk hunched over, and have all the symptoms I was concerned about having if I had muscle work, so I'm wondering if a few muscle stitches weren't thrown in just for good measure. This was done as a professional courtesy, so I feel awkward asking straight up. Plus, I still wouldn't know either way what the difference feels like.

We rebandaged everything last night. Took pictures, but I'm still deciding on whether to post them or not. Yes, they are that bad. If I'm questioning it, you know it's got to be ugly. No signs of infection, so that's good. Drain sites are sutured in nicely. The repair looks crooked, but I think that was to compensate for the uneveness of my excess skin. All of my folds and creases were symmetrical. That's what we're going for here. Less freakish. I want to look as normal as possible in clothes, and that's all I'm going for here.

Amw W, thanks for comparing my cha cha to Barney! Barney is NOT just a purple dinosaur? From my imagination? Nope. That very high purple cha cha is definitely not an imaginary figment, I made Mr. W check. Anyway, if I could think of a more feminine form of the name, I'd consider adding another word to my female anatomy list. At least for while it's still purple. Am I really writing this paragraph?

I'm saving the best for last. Jen- thanks for your support. Hearing your voice, and knowing your genuine concern meant more to me than I can express. It's cliche, but only bandsters know bandsters. I think that's why so many husbands have been so supportive of our blogging activities (for the most part, anyway). We need each other. It makes us happy at such a deep level to be understood in a way no other people on earth could understand us. This gives as as much of a fighting chance as our bands themselves. I'm not just saying it when I say I love you all. I do.