The sausage you see hanging in the photo above is not found at the Italian market in South Philly. It is found hanging from my shoulder. I have one on each side. Not that I have something against sausage, but I want them gone.
Last summer, I started what I had hoped would be a series of plastic surgery procedures designed to help me get rid of the remnants of my formerly morbidly obese self. I had a big, huge hanging belly; droopy, saggy boobs; sausage arms; and enough rolls on my back to hide Osama Bin Laden and the entire al Quaeda team. My breast lift healed in record time, and I have very few physical indication that I had anything done – the scars are minimal, the boobs are in the right place, and it’s all good.
My tummy tuck recovery is epic. Seriously, I could write a War and Peace sized novel on what a crappy healer I was – and I blame that on the selective hearing loss I suffer from when it comes to medical instructions. I’m fine when the pediatrician tells me to fill a kid with fluids and give them Tylenol. That, I have no problem hearing. But when a doctor tells me that I have to not lift, not bend, not travel far; well, I don’t exactly catch ALL of the words – I just know he said something about lifting, bending, and traveling.
So, because I took so darn long to heal from my tummy tuck (six months, including four on a wound VAC), I think my surgeon was a bit leery about doing any additional procedures. He wanted to make sure my wound was completely healed, free of infection, totally closed, blessed by the Pope, consecrated by the Dalai Lama, and prayed over by a Voodoo High Priest.
Done!
Next Thursday, I’m going under the knife again. One day after my 20th wedding anniversary, I hope to begin the final chapter on the road to the new me that I found myself on almost five years ago.
Wish me luck. Wish Dr. Veitia luck, because, after all, he has to deal with me. And let the fun begin!