Freedom! One-Month Tummy Tuck Post-Op Appt

Yay, I just had my one-month post-op appointment and all is well. Doctor said everything looks fantastic and I don't have to come back for a couple months. My abdomen is still *slightly* uneven on the left side from the fluid build-up complication, but he said it will go down on its own within a few months. Actually, with the whole procedure, he has said all along you won't see the full results for a few months. I'm not worried about it - I don't think it's anything you can see unless you are me, looking straight down at my belly, or my doctor, looking at it specifically. And certainly you can't see it with my clothes on!

Worst case scenario, if it's still uneven at six months' post-op he said he will go back in there and do a little lipo. Let's hope it doesn't come to that! I want to heal and be healed. But it wouldn't cost me anything. Today they did ultrasound on it for ten minutes, which actually did a lot to soften that area up.

Happily, I have been released for full activity! He told me I'm like a race horse chomping at the bit at the starting line. Well, I don't know about that, but I am excited to do SOMETHING! It's funny how your body just gets used to all the exercise. Then when you stop - well, I don't know about you, but I'm nearly *vibrating* with excess energy all the time, just wanting to MOVE!

And now I can. He just said not to overdo it. And he said if I do overdo it, my body will tell me and I'll pay closer attention the next time, haha. He also said in two weeks I can start doing ab crunches and other ab exercises. Hrm, I'll take that one under advisement, hahaha.

And sooooooo...I'm doing a bike ride on Sunday. A nice flat route. My bikey-bikey friend, oh crap - let's give him a nickname right now, shall we?? Hmm. I'll tell you - so far, without so much as a kiss, this guy has driven me and my bike home, bought and installed fenders on my bike, changed all the light bulbs in my garage, brought me a box-load of CFL light bulbs (hahaha this one cracked me up - he works for the power company and I am perhaps one of their biggest abusers), remembers all my children's names (even I can't do that most times) and speaks to them like people, and my favorite, when he said, "You're moving around great - what kind of surgery did you have?" and I looked him square in the eye and said, "I lost a lot of weight. I had a tummy tuck." His response was, "Awesome! And you're already keeping up with the fast riders!" Big points earned on that one, and a sideways F-you to Greg, wherever he is. (Side bar: I'm a bit surprised I haven't seen Greg, as I walk the streets (woohoo!) at lunch and he works the streets. Doesn't that make us both sound naughty? Seriously, I go walking almost daily at lunch and he's on the electrical crews for the bus lines. When we were dating, I saw him on the street quite frequently without pre-arranging. Haven't run into him in awhile, but when I do you can bet I'm going to flash him. First the abs, then the finger, haha.

Oh, back to the nickname for my bikey-bikey friend as he's earned one. In the "Five Love Languages," I am a total "Acts of Service" girl. So changing my garage light bulbs? Purrrrr. Doesn't get much sexier than that, baybee. We'll call him Mr. Wonderful.

Anyway, I went out with Mr. Wonderful yesterday and he invited me to ride on Sunday...a nice perfectly flat route he is well-familiar with. He said we can go as fast or slow as I want, stop whenever I want, whatever it takes. I think I'll be just fine, actually. In this regard, I really am  a race horse chomping at the bit. :)

Now, back to Mr. Wonderful. Oh, we had fun! He's a nice boy. Do you remember the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High? The girl fools around with the bad boy, gets pregnant, gets her heart broke, etc. Then ends up with the nice guy at the end and the movie closes saying they are "Having a passionate love affair. But still haven't gone all the way."

Perfect. Post-divorce, I have myself plenty of little flashes in the pan and I still have one or two of them kicking around for my occasional amusement. :) But Mr. Wonderful is all like, wanting to spend time with me. Fun. Different. I do not see Lance Armstrong changing any light bulbs for me, haha. We're just going to go with this one, very slowly, and see what happens.

He invited me to play badminton on Thursday. Um, no. I do not think I should be jumping around badmintoning already. Plus, I would horrifically suck at that, and I told him so. I'm the one who got  a "D" in tennis in college, donchaknow. (That was a technicality, but still, a D is a D.)

He's only been divorced since May and with the biking training stuff coming up early next year, I think it's the perfect reason to just chill and get to know each other. We certainly have had lots to talk about. I can't say I feel fireworks flying between us, but I am very much enjoying spending time with him. I can say that of the men I have felt fireworks flying from the start...well, it has generally been a flash fire. :)

Duh - did I even say what we did? We went downtown Seattle and walked around window shopping. Saw the James Bond movie "Skyfall" at my most favoritest theater in the world, the Cinerama. Had dinner at the Chinese restaurant by my house (bahaha, I think I have a reputation there, coming in on a new man's arm every time. What can I say, it's good food!). He dropped me back off home and said hello to the kids - asked Alli how her orchestra concert went last week, chatted with the boys (see, he's just nice!). Gave me a hug and a quick kiss goodbye - hmmm, interesting.

Regardless, I think I'm done online dating. It is much more fun to hang around with someone like this, who already knows I swear like a sailor and drink like a fish. :) Whom I didn't have to hang my head in shame and say that I have three kids. ;) And he asked me out anyway. So much less pressure. Plus, right from the start he's seen me a sweaty, helmet-haired mess so anywhere I go from there is up! Yesterday he said he feels underdressed when he's with me: I told him with all this binder stuff I'm wearing my options are sweat pants or skirts and I thought he'd appreciate the skirt more. He wholeheartedly agreed. So he's not not interested in me, I think he's just like all gentlemanly and stuff. Cuh-razy!

Did I ever mention he's Asian? Chinese descent, I think - although we haven't talked about it. Although we talked about my background because I could not remember if Larsen's Bakery in Seattle was Swedish or Norwegian, and I said could feel my grandpa rolling in his grave as it was on my tongue to say "Same difference," haha. It's Danish, by the way. I'm an odd mix, 1/4 Swedish, 1/4 Eskimo and 1/2 whatever European muddling my dad's side threw together. Anyway - I have dated men from all colors of the rainbow, but never an Asian guy so this is uncharted territory for me.

Anyway, Mr. Wonderful said he'd swap out my bike pedals for me (purrrrrrrr) before Sunday's ride if I want him to, but I think a flat ride at my own pace ought to be fine. It's the hilly stuff I worry about!

And finally, back to the flat belly wrap up. Wow! Tummy is looking awesome. I'm so pleased! I still have to wear the compression garment for a couple weeks but I can stop wearing the corset-y binder. He's sent me off to buy some new silicon strips for scar healing/fading, so I'll be researching those, as well. I'll keep ya posted.