Hello there. My name is Jenn (you may know me from my personal blog, 
When I was three or four days post-op (from my gallbladder removal), I noticed that I was developing an allergic reaction on my incisions, from the medical tape the surgeon applied over them. A day later I noticed a smaller piece of medical tape over my belly button. I also noticed that while my other incisions were red, puffy, slightly scabby and extremely itchy, the area in and around my belly button was simple red, shiny and sore. After a few days of using Neosporin without much luck, I called the hospital where I had my surgery and spoke to the on-call surgeon, who confirmed it was more likely than not an allergic reaction and to try hydrocortisone. He didn’t seemed concerned about the pain around my belly button and how that rash was different, along with the smelly discharge, since I didn’t have a fever and wasn’t vomiting.
That was nearly two months and two tubes worth of hydrocortisone ago. My incisions cleared up just fine after a week of applying hydrocortisone, so they were indeed flared up as a result of an allergic reaction to the tape. But my belly button has never healed. 2-3 times a day I gently clean it out (it smells, ugh), and 3-4 times a day I apply hydrocortisone cream. I’ll have days where the red, shiny chafe-like rash clears up, but then it’s back with a vengeance. The discharge from inside my belly button is still present. Last night my husband and I were laying in bed and I was absently touching my belly button when I felt something hard. Curious, I gave it a tug, but it wouldn’t budge. I asked Dan to take a look… and as it turns out, it’s a SUTURE. Apparently they operated through my belly button in addition to the other incision sites for my gallbladder removal. That discovery + some quick googling has me assuming that there’s an infection somewhere behind the wall of my belly button, or perhaps further in. Since I’ll need antibiotics and possibly a quick outpatient procedure to remove the offending suture, I will be calling my surgeon tomorrow!
Weight loss has brought about some interesting changes. The one area of my body I have been most unhappy with is my upper arms. Yeah, my stomach bothers me, but it bothered me before I lost all of this weight, and the right kind of top and pair of jeans combined with Spanx or another type of restrictive cami or “shapewear” can do wonders for minimizing that mess. After my arms, guess what area has bothered me the most?
My breasts. Over the past year I’ve dealt with some discomforting changes, the most noticeable of which I can best describe as imagine having C cup breasts encased in DD cup skin. For the most part I have worn a bra or sports bra at all times (except when showering, obviously), so the skin is slowly snapping back. But still, having extra boob skin makes finding bras that fit properly and keep everything “contained” a bit of a hassle. I’ve had some luck with balconettes, but only the ones that are molded firmly enough to keep the girls and their literal baggage in place.
Then there’s the issue of… well, the blog title should give you an idea. My nipples have gotten much more prominent (who would have thought that overly large breasts — at my heaviest I was a 46G — would contribute to small/slightly inverted nipples?) and are hard a lot. And it’s not happening simply because I’m chilly. It happens for no rhyme or reason. Dan is more than happy to point them out, which he does so often I don’t even bother with my customary eyeroll, and while they don’t bother me, it does make me go what the hell? I’m assuming hormones are to blame. Maybe?
The biggest “cosmetic” perk of gastric bypass surgery is being able to shop just about anywhere for clothing. Once upon a time I was limited to stores like Avenue, Fashion Bug, Lane Bryant and Torrid, though the occasional glance at K-mart’s and Target’s plus size section would yield wearable results. Now? I can go just about anywhere (speaking of which: I am SO treating myself to a Victoria’s Secret bra for Christmas!). Whether it’s to the local Gap or the online Joe Browns, I’m confident that I can wear something from their stores — even if it is the larger sized items (let’s face it, I’m still an XL!).
The timing of getting down to my current size — 184 lbs, L/XL in tops (going by Target’s and Fashion Bug’s sizing), 14/15 in pants — couldn’t be better, as I love cool and cold weather so much more than warmer temperatures. I can go crazy with hippy clothes, and my closet and drawers bear witness to my newfound “freedom”. While I don’t have a lot of clothes (it doesn’t pay to buy a lot when you’re going down a size every 6-8 weeks!), what I do have is colorful, trendy, and stylish, and certainly varied. I think Dan (my husband) is starting to get a little jealous… I’ll definitely have to take him out to A&F or go shopping online at JoeBrowns.co.uk sometime soon!
Today is my one year surgiversary. On Wednesday, November 18th, 2009, I had my gastric bypass surgery. This time a year ago I was no doubt surrounded by my surgeon and her staff of nurses in women’s lab coats, blissfully unconscious as they poked sharp things into my abdomen and played Operation with my insides.
I can’t believe it’s been a year already. No regrets! ♥
When I was 100+ lbs heavier, I kept my hair long, because I felt that shorter hair didn’t do much for me. At best, it would look okay. At worse, it would show off my lack of jawline and neck. But now that I’ve reclaimed my neck and jawline, I decided that shorter hair isn’t so bad. So I’ve gone from this:
To this:
That’s a difference of four inches or so. It’s not so drastic when you put it that way. Don’t get me wrong, I do love the style. I loved it right after I had it done. But about a day afterwards, when I was in the shower, I realized just how much shorter my hair was, and for a moment or two wanted to cry. But once my hair was dry I fell back in love with it. It still has length and volume, and now, as an added bonus, I can go for a sexy, just-rolled-out-of-bed tousled look, or I can opt for something sassier and sleek via the magic a hair straightener can perform. I chose the line of ghd straighteners to make my choice from, simply because the pink ghd is the product my stylist recommended. And hey, if it works for her on my hair, it’ll work for me on my hair!
What do you think of my new hair? And check out the color — brought to you by Special Effects in Cherry Bomb. I think next time around I’ll go for Virgin Rose, which has more of a plum undertone to it, and a brighter pink look overall. The only downside is staining our tub hot pink again — sorry Dan! 
10+ years of being not just overweight but morbidly obese has shown me that shopping in-store is not always feasible when you’re too fat for even the standard line of plus size. For that reason and these, it’s definitely worth checking out online stores:
- More sizing options — most stores stop around 22/24, or the occasional 24/26
- For bras, larger band/cup sizes that don’t sacrifice style
- Gorgeous lingerie choices
- Detailed sizing charts and measurement instructions & tips
- Discreet, embarrassment-free shopping
I know that in the plus size world I’m considered “small” at my current weight of 184 lbs, but allow me to assure you that I mentally still operate as the 331 lb fat chick I once was. That’s why I have no qualms about sharing my experiences with shopping online, and the stores I come across. One such store is Very, which specializes in not only regular-sized clothing, lingeries, and bras, but also extended sizes. They have a gorgeous selection of clothing, plus items for other members of your family (husband, kids) as well as housewares and furnishings.
That right there is an actual plus-size top that Very carries — gorgeous, no? I’d pair that with a pair of dark silver jeggings and black boots and call it a night! 
Want to see more? Visit the site to see all that they’ve got!
The worst side effect of gastric bypass surgery that I have experienced thus far is dumping syndrome, which is triggered by me consuming too much sugar. And by too much, I mean the amount of sugar in 2-3 cookies is enough to set me off. As I wrote in late September, SUSTA is a sugar alternative that has a low glycemic index and is also low in calories, so it’s perfect for gastric bypass patients, diabetics, and others who are sensitive to sugar.
Well, the company recently sent me a bag of SUSTA Bowl, which is SUSTA but refined for baking. I’ve used it in several recipes, and let me tell you, it’s delicious and barely noticeable. I definitely recommend this natural sugar alternative to anyone looking to replace regular refined sugar!
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