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The Pre-Op Appointment

One week before the procedure, I had my pre-op appointment. This is when my “before” pictures were taken. The nurse went over everything that I should expect. I signed all the paperwork and got measured for the compression garments (oh, I’ll have a whole separate entry about those things!!)

I was also given three prescriptions. They give you a prescription for valium that you bring with you the day of the procedure. This is to help you relax, since you are awake the entire time. Plus, research has shown that lower anxiety levels allow the body to absorb the numbing solution better. I was also given a prescription for an antibiotic that I had to take for two weeks (due to the two procedures being done and the amount of time between them). Typically, if you have one procedure done, you only have to take the antibiotic for one week. They told me to start taking the antibiotic the day before the procedure (they even called to remind me to make sure I took it!) I was also given a prescription for pain meds. When I saw how many I was given, I got scared that the healing part was going to be a little more painful than I had anticipated. What I read online said that regular Tylenol was usually enough to deal with the pain.
On a random side note, I was worried how much all the prescriptions would cost since I wasn’t sure if my insurance would cover it (the procedure certainly wasn’t covered) but I did manage to get all three filled at Wal-Mart for approximately $10, which was a huge relief! They gave me generics, but the doctor said that was absolutely fine.
It was at this time that it started really sinking in – wow, I’m really going to do this?! I started to get scared. Really scared. I even started trying to come up with reasons to postpone it. I had so many fears running through my head!
What if I look worse after the procedure?
What if the skin shrinks so much that my stretch marks get all wrinkly?
If that does happen, what if my boyfriend is repulsed by it and doesn’t want me anymore?
What if the skin doesn’t shrink like it should and I just have sagging skin?
What if I spend all this money and then I’m disappointed with the results?
What if my boyfriend is disappointed?
What if? What if? What if?
Every possible “what if” question was going through my head. But, at this point, all I could do was wait - wait and see what would happen. I’d spent the last 4 years working my butt off at the gym 5 days a week, running 5 days a week, with no improvement. This was my chance to get rid of the one thing about my body I hated more than anything without having 4-6 inches of skin surgically removed from my body leaving an extremely large scar for the rest of my life.
Fingers crossed, right?

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