4 weeks 15 days postop Panni and WAL

4 weeks 15 days postop- WAL, Panniulectomy, Breast implants, It has not been an easy recovery I have tried to be as honest and concise as I can in my posts on here and in my page, there is nothing glorious about this surgery other then being rid of the pain, just like everything else ya go through you must tread through the bad and prepare yourself, physically and mentally for the journey. I have had 3 infections since June 4th, 2015, been on multiple antibiotics about 8 to be exact not to mention prescription antibiotics and anti fungal creams, This is a risk you take with any of these surgeries and I knew that upfront, I was at a higher risk due too many factors but I have EDS, and very thin skin and a weak immune system. For weeks before surgery I dosed myself well with Vitamin c and lots of protein, and for weeks after I am continuing to do the same, I have had one open place on my right flank and a few open spots on the front, I have made significant healing progress in the last 3 weeks we are currently rebuilding my right flank tissue with a collagen product called PRISMA. I am being tested for more infections as I speak right now, it is a day day to battle I go to wound care weekly and perform it at home twice daily. Would I do this surgery again, YES my back doesn't hurt from the strain of the extra fat and skin, my hips are lighter, my cosmetic appearance and self esteem are through the roof now smile emoticon I am smiling through it all the first few weeks were very very rough I was depressed /sad/ felt like I wouldn't make it through the first week but I did with the help of my husband and some very good and close friends and the loving and compassionate nature of my surgeon!! I want to share my journey with all of you to educate, enlighten and help others.

8 Days until Panniulectomy AKA Lipo Abdominalplasty

It's 6 days we until we leave to Georgia for my 6th and close to last surgery and I cannot wait to get it over and done with! I will be excited when the recovery process is over and I have less skin to carry around everywhere!  I have had a stomach apron since I was about 13 years old I gained a BUNCH of weight in a very short amount of time at 12 years old after my step father passed away, then I believe is when Lipedema kicked in with me right after I began puberty. It's been a long time coming, the pan-nus has grown to touch the top of my upper thigh and has inhibited my walking and running for so long.  It has caused me chronic infections in which I don't speak of publicly often but have had to go to the DR often for oral antibiotics and creams to put on, it takes me over an hour to shower and dry everything off, then cream and powder again. I am so thankful insurance decided to approve my appeal and found it to be medically necessary for me to have this. My insurance has a specific clause that prohibits this type of surgery after the gastric bypass, but I was able to prove that I had had this for over 20 years, and that it wasn't the result of a huge weight loss but I am sure that didn't help matters much either since I lost over 290 pounds in a year after the gastric bypass.  So I am excited for this journey to begin, I know it is going to be painful :( Eeek I cannot imagine the pain although I have had 3 c-sections and 5 abdominal surgeries in 8 years I am not sure this pain will compare, but I trust my surgeon and will do as she deems necessary for me to recover fast and be able to come home 10 days after surgery. It will be a bittersweet end for my little baby as I am weaning and ending our breastfeeding journey so that I may have reconstructive surgery on the bewbs, I have something called hypoplasia or insufficient glandluar tissue which has not helped with self esteem, clothing that fits etc! It is now time for me, time to give concentrate on myself and my health, and have spent my entire life worried about everyone else this is MY time to shine!

A new stomach, and a new beginning

For over 22 years I have had a stomach, it has grown very large with 8 pregnancies, 3 c-sections, a weight gain and loss of over 500 pounds total, and loss then weight gain again. It falls almost to my upper thigh, it is not comfortable and causes me a great deal of pain, it is full of lipedema fat which weighs about 12 pounds total. It causes hygiene issues and chronic infections. I am on antibotics often, must have a 40 minute showering routine and using the restroom is atrocious with a pannus such as this. I am so thankful that Blue Cross Blue Shield has over turned their decision and are allowing me reimbursement to remove the pannus, and to have liposuction on the upper abdomen. I will be a whole new woman by the time I am complete with all my surgeries. So on June 4th 2015 I will be having surgery number 6, yea that's right number 6 with at least two more to go, I am an expert at the insurance and liposuction game haha.!

Bioflect® FIR Therapy Lymphedema/ Lipedema Micromassage Compression Slimming Vest Tank Top with Posture Support

I just got this in yesterday to wear to review and help reduce abdomen edema and help compress the Lipdema fat. But this product does so much more! It compresses my buttocks,hips, back and chest as well. This tank was slow putting on I tried it over the head and that was a No-go, I tried stepping into it from the feet and pulling it up and that made it easier. I have tucked them into my Bioflect Micro massage Leggings for added compression benefit and a sleek contour.  The fabric is very soft and similar to the leggings,Capri and arm sleeves. I love the Bioflect line of garments because it gives me a sense of empowerment and compliance that I did not have before I found them.
I am 4'10 and about 225 pounds total, so I am short and fat, it fits all sizes and this is an XL.

And in exciting news they are developing extended sizing and colors exclusive to Lipedema Products. This is where I always shop for my compression, the service is speedy, there are discounts available for spending a certain dollar amount and also free shipping above a certain cost. Go here for all your compression needs and for fitting advice email here through her website or Lipedema Products Facebook

Product Description

Multi functional medical grade lymphedema compression slimming vest tank top with corrective posture support. FIR Therapy compression garment  features an exclusive 3 D ripple knit that massages and stimulates lymphatic drainage. Useful for lymphedema management of the lower breast post mastectomy and abdomen. Helps to reduce inflammation, swelling, bloating and localized fat. Slimming vest tank top also valid support for cellulite, lipedema or edema related conditions.

FIR Therapy Compression Vest Tank Top features a 2 inch anti roll hem. Along the back, vest tank features knit in posture support bands that gently pull the shoulders back and support proper posture alignment.

Bioflect® therapy garments are  powered by a combination of advanced micromassage knitting, compression technology , an FIR therapy material that retains its healing benefits for the lifetime of the garment. FIR therapy provides the following benefits:

• Improves blood circulation
• Relieves pain caused by arthritis, promotes regeneration and faster healing
• Removes accumulated toxins build up, improves skin tone and reduces cellulite
• Increases metabolism between blood and tissue
• Reduces the accumulation of lactic acid after sporting activity
•  Improves blood circulation
• Relieves pain caused by arthritis

Benefits of FIR technology

Removes accumulated toxins build up

Promotes regeneration and faster healing

Improves skin tone and reduces appearance of cellulite

Improves Blood circulation

Relieves pain caused by arthritis 

What an amazing gift!

Thanks to Dr. Jason Emer, MD for holding a photo contest for a free Venus Legacy treatment during the week of the MTV Movie Awards, I just got told I had won, what an amazing experience and it is valued at $500.00. I will definitely be taking advantage of this after my surgeries are complete. thanks so much for choosing me for this gracious leg treatment. #EmerMD The time you took to read my story and sharing it with social media adds to the legacy that I want to leave behind, to educate, and enlighten about Lipedema and the treatments associated with it!

5 days to a new bum

I have been waiting for this day since I was a pre-teen, a smaller bum, my day is finally coming on April 1st, Forever I have been afflicted with a large buttocks, and the pain that it causes, I have been the laugh of everyone! Everyone judges, scoffs at me, and finally after so many years I know that it wasn't what I was eating, anything I had done wrong it was Lipedema! And finally I will be in less pain, I will be able to sleep better once the postop period is over and the bruising goes away I will feel like a new woman! I am almost 8 weeks out from my last leg surgery and still have a bit of discomfort in some spots, places are still tender and I don't do well without compression. I already know I am going to have to wear compression for the rest of my life and that is a fact that I accept. Lipedema is going to be a life long disease with no cure and I must always be viligant on what I eat, how I exercise, how much weight I gain etc.

How do I say thank you enough?~!

How do I say thank you to the surgeon that has given me the opportunity to run albeit slow but I can run! How do I express my gratitude for giving me back something that was taken away from me 12 years ago? There are simply not enough words to say or show all that you have given me with your kindness, bed side manner, answering all my questions and showing me the amount of comfort and compassion that no other medical doctor ever has. You truly understand my needs and the wishes I have to become mobile, to play with my children, to enjoy the things I have missed out on for so long. I can walk without my legs rubbing together, I have a thigh gap, my clothing are fitting better. The smiles on the faces of my children when I chase them down the hall way is well worth the money spent, the pain I was enduring was brutal and it is now gone. From my family to yours Thank you and I love you so much for all that you do for me and for others inflicted with Lipedema!

Insurance denial cosmetic what??!

So I am writing to tell share just how messed up our national insurance companies are! Not once but twice have they denied me the much needed surgeries to restore my mobility! I have had to write gut wrenching letters, ask my doctors and specialists to write on my behalf, and send in scantily clad photos to get them to understand that these surgeries are NOT COSMETIC and need to happen! My BCBS insurance has a clause in which they will not cover any surgery after the gastric bypass to correct extra skin, I understand there are rules to everything, however if a medical necessity is needed, IE chronic infections, neuroapthy in the area, loss of intimacy, horrible pain, and a panniculus (skin) apron full of toxic lipedema fat, then concessions must be made, I will continue to fight them until I cannot fight them any longer! Stay tuned for updates I am currently on appeal number 1 of 3!

2 weeks postop surgery 4 -final legs

It is bittersweet after all the pain I have endured for the last 12 years to finally be DONE with my legs! I don't know whether to be excited, ecstatic, or saddened that the pain is gone. I have learned to "deal" with it and the swelling that ensues for so long. For 20 years or more I have had larger legs, buttocks, hips, belly, and arms then most normal people. For the longest time I thought I was just fat and destined to be in a wheelchair at adult hood. Which I almost was at 23 years old when I shot up to almost 500 pounds within a couple years time. No one in West Virginia or Ohio could diagnose me properly, and without health insurance I was surely going to meet my demise sooner then later. I had already become house bound and depended on a cane to walk at 23 years old. I knew something had to be done and soon. I tried to get the gastric bypass but was denied because I did not have enough obesity related diseases, although I did have hypothyroid, diabetes, and high blood pressure. So thankful that I met and married my husband and was able to get the gastric bypass within 6 years of this, and it did save my life. It worked for me I feel that I am a work in progress, and that the bypass helped me overcome those co-morbidities!  Is it right for everyone that is a personal decision.!Pictured below is my legs just one week postop from my final leg surgery. I have several more surgeries to go on my buttocks,hips and whatever else we can find lipedema fat in!

Week 11 postop Arm surgery

It is 11 weeks postoperative for my arm surgery I am doing well, slowly seeing improvements in movement and pain on that. It has been 3 months since my last leg surgery I see some improvement in mobility but there is still a lot of work to be done! Slow and steady wins the race! Dr Byrd is an amazing surgeon and one of the U.S's finest in water assisted liposuction. I am investigating a lymph sparing tummy tuck as well so many options for me in the future! Now to get insurance to cover everything!!

I am in the running for a full scholarship to the rare diseases conference in DC how exciting!! I hope I am chosen.

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