Remnants

BEFORE


AFTER

Freaked me out the first time I realized that half of my tattoo was missing, though it does give you an idea of exactly how much tissue was removed from my back.

Now there are a couple of things that I must point out. First, don't get overly concerned about the brown spot on the left side of my back. That is a mole. The mole itself was never inked over for medical reasons and is actually in the original picture, though very difficult to see.

As for the scar, well it has only been 7 weeks since the surgery and the scar is still a vibrant red. I expect the colour to subside to a pale pink or possibly white within the next year.

As for the tattoo it self, I actually planning to have a tattoo artist design a new tattoo and have them reink it over the old one. I really don't know what it will look like yet, but I want the feeling of "flowing" or "organic movement" to be part of the design. I will post a picture when it is done. But that won't happen for at least a year or two.

Home Again, Home Again, Jigity Jig

I am home!  I arrived back in Toronto on December 26, but didn't get home until December 27.  Since we arrived in Toronto at 11:30pm (and were utterly exhausted and in much pain), Brenda and I crashed at the Sheraton Hotel at Pearson International Airport.  The following morning Eric, Brenda's husband, picked us up and took me home.  Brenda and Eric then proceeded to their home in Peterborough.  My friend Mary has been staying with me and helping me out for the last week.  (Did I mention that I have fabulous friends?)

I must confess that I have been doing nothing much but sleeping (and healing).   I find myself tiring quickly.  I have much more to blog about , but I just thought that you would like to know that I am home and well on the road to mending.

No Drains!

Okay, I know that this is going to sound weird, but damn, I am happy to have those drains out!  Let me backtrack.  

After the Lower Body Lift, the surgeon places a set of duel drains under the skin that encircle the body.  The drains are soft, flexible tubes, each 18 inches in length that act as a wick to remove fluid that accumulates between the skin and the muscle.  They exit at the mons through two holes and the tubes are stitched to the skin to hold them in place.  So basically, every time you move the drains shift a little, but the major movement happens at the mons where the tubes exit, pulling, not only the tubes but the mons as well.  There is no way to stand, sit or lay down without being uncomfortable.  (Just use your imagination.)

Today at 9:30am the drains were removed, a sensation similar to something sliding under your skin.  Not really painful, but really disquieting.

I’m so happy! 

Sleep

I recognize the need for sleep. Just plain, old every day sleep. I certainly know the value of sleep when sick or trying to heal. In fact, to my understanding, one heals best when they are asleep due to the peak release of growth hormones. Therefore, I am in complete agreement with my surgeon's assessment that I should take sleeping pills to help me sleep during the first week after my Lower Body Lift (due to the fact that normal sleep is disturbed by pain). But this is my slippery slope.

I have a food addiction. I know, therefore, that I have an addictive personality. I know that my addictions have never spread to pain medication. However, my body responds to sleeping pills like Snow White responded to the Wicked Stepmother's poison apple. I drop, dead asleep. Man, do I sleep.

Once before, in a time of great stress, I asked my Doctor for sleeping pills and she gave them to me. Why wouldn't she? We both knew at that point that I did not abuse pain medication. She prescribed, Lorazepam, which did the trick. However, if I missed taking the pill even once, I would have psychedelic dreams that were certainly not conducive to restful sleep. So, I decided to kick the habit. It was not easy. In fact, to my surprise, it was impossible. I tried every trick in the book; taking ½ pill, taking the pill every second day, going from Friday to Sunday without. Anything I could think of to get off the damn things. Nothing worked.

Now luck was with me on this one because, over a years use of Lorazepam was wiped out by a week of a Morphine/Demerol cocktail that I was being given after my gastric by-pass surgery. I just didn't take the Lorazepam while I was in hospital. I was able to use one drug to kick the habit of the other. I believe happy was a good way to describe what I was feeling,

My sleep cycle went back to normal and I have not had a problem with it since. Until now. Yup, the sleeping pills that I have currently been given to help me sleep, included Lorazepam. I took them right after the Lower Body Lift. I confess, I needed them. The ability to sleep through the night had been completely stripped away by pain.

And now, one week later, there is a small plastic bag on my night table, here in San Jose that still holds several little white, harmless looking Lorazepam pills. I knew that I had to stop now. I already could feel that they were a problem and they are because, here I am, laying in my bed at 4:22am blogging.

The adventure continues.

The First of Many Updates

Brenda and I left for Costa Rica this morning at 10:30am. After waiting for a while at the Toronto airport, we flew without incident to Miami, which is where I am updating this blog from. Isn't technology cool!
Anyway, the trip so far has been without incident, however, I have discovered that I am a bit of a nervous traveller. (Brenda is laughing her ass off right now!) Brenda keeps threatening to drug me or give me more booze. Personally, I am going for the latter.

Stick around. It can only get better!

So it is 12:57am (local time) and we have finally arrived at Apartote La Sabana, 3 hours late. Aaaaggghhhhh!

Apparently there was a "problem" on the plane that was suppose to bring us to San Jose and since it was delayed, we were delayed. The best part is that the taxi that was suppose to pick us up at the airport was not there and, of course, everybody was trying to give us a lift. At one point two guys decided that we were a lost cause, lent us a phone to call the hotel to request a taxi. 15 minutes passed and still there was no taxi. By this time one guy had another fare and left. The other guy was still hanging around. I guess since Brenda and I looked tired (and the guy was sick of waiting with us) he popped us into some other guy's taxi and assured us that this guy knew where he was going! Can you tell what is coming?

You got it. The taxi driver had no idea where Apartote La Sabana was. He took us to the sister hotel, got directions and finally, after driving around in circles, got us to the right place.

We checked in, changed into our pj's, and remarked on how we were like two little old ladies travelling to Florida for the first time. We have a bed, we are tired and now we are off to sleep.
See you in the morning.

San Jose, Costa Rica?

So I am just going to lay it out for you because there is no good way to introduce this subject without people saying "Are you ******* nuts! You're going where?"

I am going to have my Lower Body Lift surgery done in Costa Rica. There I said it. So now let me explain how this is going to work.

It all started with the quote of $17,000.00 for the Lower Body Lift in Ontario. I knew that prices were high, but I did not expect it to be so high. With the inclusion of the excess skin removal of the upper arms and the inner thighs, the total became a whopping $ 31,000.00. Needless to say, I was acutely upset about the entire situation.

When I happened to mention this to my family doctor, she informed me of the Rosenstock - Lieberman Centre in San Jose, Costa Rica and the success of her procedures. Since Dr. Andrew has been my family Doctor for 17 years (and a good one, I might add) I decided to follow up on her suggestion and looked into the centre. I started with the web site Health Escapes. I filled in the questionnaire and was sent a quote from Nora Allen who is the Patient Coordinator at the Rosenstock - Lieberman Centre. For the Lower Body Lift and all it entailed the cost would be $10,000 (US) with a $500 (US) discount if I paid in cash.

Upon further research I found out that the flight would be $889.00 (CAN) and the recover accommodations at Casa De La Mariposa would cost a total of $975.00 (US). At the time the Canadian dollar was a lot higher and the exchange rate was a lot better, so I really believed that I was greeting a fantastic deal. Today, the Canadian dollar is not as good, but still. So in total I would be spending 13,600.00 (CAN).

I did all the research that I could on Dr. Rashi Rosenstock and Dr. Joseph Cohen and even joined a Yahoo Group that discusses solely the goings on at the Rosenstock - Lieberman Clinic. I still think that I am making a good decision.

The next entry will discuss the finer points of this adventure.