Last month, September, marked the one year anniversary of the plastic surgery portion of my weight loss journey. I hadn’t done an official update on here since the 6-7 month mark so I thought it was due. Before we get there though I thought I’d do a little photo montage of the little journey getting here:
The above photo montage starts at our honeymoon in 2009, which I thought was my heaviest. 2011, 6 months after our twins were born. I had gained so much eating my emotions with undiagnosed post-partem (I believe) and stress. Then 2017, which was my actual heaviest at 268, when Dad and I had our weight loss surgery. 2020, I had lost about 100 lbs (I had gained some back over the next year due to many reasons/excuses). 2021, my plastic surgery where I had an extended tummy tuck, breast reduction, and liposuction to my lower back.
In the last year since surgery I’ve visited one of my best friends who’s currently in England, taking the girls on their first international trip. My husband and I saw our first opera. And we had the privilege to attend another one of my best friend’s weddings on New Year’s Eve.
I joined the girls in taking martial arts, changing dojos so we can take TaeKwonDo together as a family. We did a mud run together for our community. And Phoebe and I participated in the Flying Pig 5K back in the spring, her for the first time. Having all of the excess skin and rolls (and boobs) off really makes working out exceedingly easier.
Dad asked me to go with him to our first tattoo convention in Dayton. He got his 2nd tattoo, and is already planning his 3rd. I got my 7th tattoo, and am planning my 8th and 9th. I also re-pierced my labret. I had it in college but had to let it go while in nursing clinicals. It didn’t meet hospital dress code and got irritated too much taking it in and out everyday. Another advantage of working from home now, I can have it back!
Dad’s tattoo is a panda samurai, honoring my mom, taking inspiration from my panda geisha tattoo. Mine is a floral hamsa. The flower is a chrysanthemum, the girls’ birth month flower. Chrysanthemums also mean optimism and joy. The hamsa is a symbol of protection found in many cultures, beliefs, and religions throughout the world, but it’s a way that I’m connecting to my family’s Judaism. Hamsa literally means “five”, the number of fingers on a loving hand extending blessings of faith, hope, strength, peace, and prosperity. Depending on if the hand is facing up or down changes what it means. Fingers down it stands for abundance and prosperity, all the good things in your life. Fingers up, it acts as a talisman against evil and protects you against your own negative feelings. On the spot on my arm, it can be both up or down depending on how you’re looking at it.
The girls have been graduated up to tan-shirt status in their cub scout troop as Webelos, working to earning their Arrows of Light. As a family, we attended S’lichot services at Plum Street Temple downtown. We got married there and the girls had their consecration there. Hopefully, in 2 years they’ll have their Bat Mitzvahs there. I could never get tired of the beauty that is Plum Street. The pictures really don’t do it justice.
In the last year I also had a major job change. I did a previous post on it, if you want to read it. Last May, I left the OR and became a remote pre-authorization nurse for Humana Medicaid. Our go-live date was pushed back to December though so my team has been helping Florida in the meantime. Doing lots of various auditing of their files to help prepare for certification and compliance work. At the moment, with Hurricane Ian having run amok, we’re helping pick up the slack for those that don’t have power or were evacuated. 5 months later and I’m still really enjoying it. One of my husband’s things is to see what contortionist position the cats and I have got ourselves into when he comes upstairs to visit on his break. As you can tell from the pics, the cats are very happy to have me home the entire day too. I do miss aspects of the OR, but not enough to put up with the bad for the good.
My migraines have improved significantly. Even the ones I do still get I have been able to work with. All except one anyway, which is a huge improvement. Not sure if it’s the change in stress level, due to job change, or the change in amount of weight pulling on my neck/back, or just smaller things like the ability to drink water during the day, but the noted improvement is there regardless and I’m thankful for it.
We adopted another cat. This time my husband was a willing participant and actually suggested it. She was part of a threesome that my Dad adopted from the SPCA for his birthday in May: a bonded pair and her. Unfortunately, the pair and her didn’t get along. After giving it a good solid try, he felt she wasn’t having a good quality of life in his house. So she slide right over into ours. Her name is Luna. She is very much a shy cat, sticking to mainly Phoebe’s room and occasionally Zoe’s. She’s such a sweetie though. Super affectionate when she does come out. 2.5 months in and her only real interaction with the others have been hissing and warnings to leave her alone. They seem accepting of her though. The boys especially are curious. Stupid boys of course, ignoring her warnings though when she’s scared of their curiosity and getting the occasional swat.
Luna joins Stormy (Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All), Finn (Griffin), Nix (Phoenix), and Gracie. Zoe wants us to get a 6th one so that she has a cat that’ll hang out in her room since Luna has basically become Phoebe’s by default of comfort room selection. I don’t the husband is having it.
And now is the time to turn away if you don’t want to see pics of me in my underoos. It’s embarrassing progress pic time!
I’ve included my scars in the latest pic so you can see what they look like a year later. I literally didn’t do anything to them post-op. Some people use maderma or silicone strips to try to lesson their look. I’m of the mindset that they’ll pale and fade eventually with no intervention on my part. I’m not a swimsuit model, and literally only my husband and kids see them on a daily basis so what does it really matter. They don’t bother me. What does though is the little dog ears on either side of my breast reduction scars. They’re common when you go as large as I was to as small as I am. I’m on the waitlist with my surgeon to get them taken off, which can be done in office with just a little local injected. However, that local, lidocaine, has been on national backorder for months and months. So it could be awhile. I’ve been on the waitlist since my appointment in May. Still waiting… Want to take bets if it’ll happen before the New Year? I’m not holding my breath.
So that’s me, up to date. I know that was very long. If you held out to this point, good job 🙂
Adventures from the Loser's Bench 