excess skin removal: date set!

Surgery date:  February 27, 2017!!

I didn't need to schedule the surgery this far in advance, but I wanted to. I'm someone who needs something concrete to look forward to and plan for. Although I might do things spontaneously sometimes, I usually need a date on the schedule for the bigger things (sometimes even the small things); it gives me the push I need to get going and keep going.  I figure it will keep me on track with exercise, eating right, and saving money. 

I really need this to be on the schedule, because I can feel my motivation and discipline flagging lately. My trainer is on medical leave for knee replacement, so I'm going it alone for a month or so.  I'm still working out, but I find myself eating whatever I want, whenever I want, which basically cancels out any calories I burn while working out. I'm still building muscle, but I'm not losing weight.

Speaking of building muscle, I love the fact that my upper legs have shape to them now, because my quadriceps are getting bigger and stronger. My upper arms have muscle now, too. I find myself looking at them when I have to lift something, like a 40 lb. bag of cat litter or mulch. I'm pretty sure my husband has caught me doing that a few times. LOL

Now that the surgery is on the schedule, I find myself thinking about all the ins and outs, some of it routine, some scary, and some just weird.

1. Will the fluid drains be really uncomfortable? How bad will they hurt when they're removed? (I've heard it hurts...)
2. How much pain will there be? I'm a total baby when it comes to pain.
3. How will I wash my hair the first few days? I dread going to my first follow-up, which I think is the next day, with wild hair.  My hair is naturally curly and requires gel to be tamed. I can't just get up and brush my hair like so many other people.
4. How will my new belly button look and feel?  If you didn't know already, the surgery requires the belly button to be relocated. That totally freaks me out.
5. Will I have phantom sensations in the areas where skin was removed? And because the skin will be pulled down, if I scratch under my boob, will I feel it lower in the abdomen? (Yes, I'm really wondering about that.  Do the nerves get moved as well and the skin??)
6. How long will it be before I can sleep on my side? I'm a side sleeper, so sleeping on my back in a recliner is going to be awful for me.
7. When they pull the skin down to tighten it, will that pull my boobs down lower? I hope not!

So, yeah, these are the things I'm thinking about. My pre-op consultation is on January 4, 2017, so I'm sure a lot of these questions will be answered then. Until then, I'll just have to Google it. Although, that's not always a good thing. There's so much conflicting information out there, and everyone's experience is different.  And then there's the photos.  Google photos of abdominoplasty and panniculectomy and see what you find...