hadouni

Isn't denial the greatest coping mechanism!? I have a feeling if I could really see myself post-op, I'd chicken out!! Thank you for the advice! I've had a c-section and a massive reconstructive surgery to my hip, but I was in the hospital with those for days! Wish me luck. I dropped off my prescriptions today!

MichiganChic- you look AMAZING. They did such a great job! Ab plication is where they sew the abs together above and below the belly button. I'm probably not spelling it correctly. My understanding is that is how they tighten the abs when they are separated from being stretched open too much/long. Not as separated as a hernia but not as tight as they once were.

Hi! I'm not a guy but I'm almost three years out from my sleeve and the only thing I regret is that I let my regular Dr. talk me out of doing it a year earlier. Other than having my son, this is the best thing that I've done for myself. The only hard thing for me this far out is dealing with other people's judgement of how I eat. I don't tell many people that I had WLS and it's hard for people who don't know to accept how much I eat at a sitting. If pressed I say that I lost a lot of weight and did it by carefully managing how much I ate more so than what I ate and that I generally avoided starches, but people still judge and/or question. We are a food based entertainment culture in the USA. You will possibly miss being able to pig-out with everyone else but more than likely you'll be so happy to be healthier that it will be worth skipping the pig-out fests!

Sorry to hear about your discomfort but CONGRATULATIONS on getting it all done! I'm going in on Tuesday for a panniculectomy and belly-button fix. I'm schedule to have ab plication but think I will skip that part and just do the panni & belly-button. I can't wait to get rid of the icky extra skin! Not looking forward to drains but I'm trying to convince myself it's a small price to pay for the end result!

I tend to find that there is a day or two during the growing out process that I do feel a little prickly but it passes quickly and does grow in softer and sparser. It's not that there's less hair it's just that some came out from the roots and take a little time to regenerate while hairs that break grow back faster. It is nice and clean though. I've been doing it a long time so I find it to be worth the effort.

Oh WOW!!! The office just called and my insurance is going to pay for the panniculectomy! WOW!!! AMAZING... almost best Christmas present EVER! Now I just need to decide if I want to do the ab stitching... still on the fence about that but even with the ab stitching my out of pocket will be less than $3700!!! THANK YOU, UNIVERSE!!!!!!!

Ab stitching is what they do to correct any separation of the abs that may have happened, usually from pregnancy or weight gain. They literally sew your abs back up.

Wax it all off, top to bottom, front to back! I have an epilator (is that an actual word? an electric tweezer machine thingy!) that I'll use to clean up some in between but only in the "bikini" areas, not on my pinker parts! Waxing your lady parts hurts (to me) and I've waxed my legs (only, no shaving) for 25 years. Someone mentioned purple wax. My gal uses a blue wax. I think the key is that a "soft wax" is used on the lady parts that they pull directly off as opposed to a "hard wax" that requires the use of a fabric strip for the removal. The soft wax is made for more sensitive areas. The evening of is usually pretty sensitive but it feels so nice and smooth! Take a tylenol (or something stronger if you have any left over from surgery!) and give it a try at least once!

Congrats on your surgery and being home! Sip, sip, sip... everything inside you is swollen and recovering from being cut up. You're going to make funny noises but try to avoid taking in so much that you feel discomfort. The sipping really helped me. It's really hard to train yourself to sip- at least it was hard for me. Three sips and I was pretty full! I seem to recall being on Clear liquids only for two weeks and had no Protein requirements. There are such variations between surgeons and it's always best to follow your surgeon's advice. I heard lots of people had luck with the Isopure clear dissolve protein. The thing that saved me in the first two weeks were strained progresso Soups. If you strain all the solids out of the soups they are clear (again, just my surgeon's plan) and you could add the isopure protein to them. They're a good diversion from basic broths, or were for me. Good luck with your recovery! I'm almost three years out and it's been the best thing that happened to me after my son!

I take flintstone chewables (with iron) and use Calcium gummies from costco. I used the fancy WLS calcium chews for a while but they are so expensive. Sometimes I'll take the antioxidant blend Multivitamin from Trader Joe's if I'm out of Flintstones. I've had two rounds of full Vitamin panels since being sleeved (and had the blood work done for my third today) and so far my vitamin levels have all been right on track, even using the cheaper Vitamins. I'm coming up on three years out.

Thanks all for sharing your stories! It's going to boil down to my insurance kicking in, I think. If my insurance will cover the paniculectomy, I'll go for the ab stitching. Please keep your fingers crossed for me that the spot in early December opens up! I'd love to get this done sooner rather than later!

I hear you. Men ignore me for the most part. I'm a bit reserved and definitely don't give off the "helpless and available" vibe. But it's hard to be other than you are, right?

Ugh, dating... I was seeing someone last spring who I thought was "the one". Well, he was my "one" but turns out I wasn't his. So I have started to date, or I've started to TRY to date. Went out with one guy, turns out he's from the same social circles as the "one" who got away so that wasn't going anywhere. I had lunch with another yesterday who I sort-of don't think will want to go out again, but who knows. It's so hard to meet people - to get out of your own social circles to meet new people, especially if you live in a smaller community like I do. I don't have it in me to date multiple people at the same time. I'm a single mom and I work full time so maybe I could deal with seeing two guys at the same time but it would be a challenge to find time.

Hello All, I think, in the end it might come down to money for me. If my insurance agrees to pay for the paniculectomy, I'll probably let him do the ab stitching (as long as he assures me there is something to heal and that I won't be held together with twine for the rest of my life). If I have to self-pay then I'll probably skip the ab stitching unless he can make a really compelling argument for me to go for it!

Hello All, I finally (took three months) had a consult appointment to see about a panniculectomy/tummy tuck. I'm (of course) trying to get some of it paid for as a panniculectomy. I had a sleeve back in 2012 and am down almost 100lbs but I had Anthem/Blue Cross for my surgery and have been moved to a company program managed by Blue Sheild. The surgeon is great. I really like him. I met him back in August when I went with my friend who will have reconstructive surgery with him. I checked in with my sleeve surgeon and this plastic surgeon is on his list of recommended surgeons. He is extremely graphic in explaining all that he'll do and what the recovery will be. I was a little surprised to find out I wouldn't be able to drive for at least 4 weeks. I was hoped to avoid the stiching together of the front middle abs but he recommended I have it done. My mom went with me and she was pretty freaked out by what she heard. I wrote in the paperwork I took in all I do to keep my belly flap from getting icky. I have a few Rx creams that have been perscribed for me or my son that I use or I use OTC hydrocortisone cream. He asked me if I'd been to my Dr for treatment and I told him no, I don't particularly like my Dr and have been successful managing it with what I have. So they ended up not charging me the usual $100 consult fee, and had me pay my insurance co-pay. On my way out, the nurse told me the scheduler would be in touch with me in 2-6 weeks. What! It took me three months to get into him and now I feel like I'm being thrown to the bottom of the pile because I'm trying to use my insurance. So I took the scheduler's card and thought I'd drop her an email. Well... no email on the card. Just a phone number and she doesn't answer her phone. I've tried calling twice and get no response. The second time I called I explained that I was willing to self pay if my insurance wouldn't cover it so I'd like to get scheduled... no response. The first time I called I said I only wanted to talk to her for a couple minutes to get an idea of how far out they are booked so I had a realistic idea of timing. Nothing... So irritating! I guess this is what I get for wanting to go to a really good surgeon. In any case, I hope to have my stomach fixed as soon as possible. I really need to be taken in about an inch at the seams all over, but my stomach is my highest priority and all I can afford. Oh wait, I can't really afford my stomach but I'm doing it anyway!

Thanks so much for your replies! I finally just went in to see them yesterday and talked to the office manager who handles the insurance and the scheduling for split pay patients like me. She was great and explained that the initial delay is getting the Drs notes transcribed and back to the file. She said she'd look for mine and try to get things moving. Now I'm just on the fence about the abdominal muscle stitching part. I just want all the extra skin gone and my belly button fixed. I don't care so much about a smaller waist. The greatest news is they might be able to get me into a spot in early December! So praying for all those planets to align for me!

Thanks for your replies. I have one child but my abs actually feel ok to me. I'm not so worried about my waist size either. I'll talk to the surgeon again and try to nail him down on how different he thinks it will be and go from there! Thanks again!

I was seeing someone a little while back and I told him pretty quick - I think the second time we went out. We were having a big "this is my life" sort of discussion. He took it in stride and told me I looked great. Every so often if I got full extra fast he'd say "that's it" and I'd say "you know how I eat" and he'd sort-of smile a little and say "I know how you eat" and that was the end of it. The acceptance and non-issue reaction from him was appreciated by me.

You look wonderful! I'm seriously thinking about a TT. I haven't been on these boards for probably a year but am back to get advice on plastics! I feel like I just need to be taken in about an inch at the seams all over! Congrats on your weight loss and now fantastic make-over!

I have a decent treadmill that I've used for a couple years now. Sometimes when I walk, and more often when I try and jog, I feel it slip just a little if I step down real hard. It feels like the band slips backward and it's just enough to scare me and imagine my knee going out from under me. The band doesn't seem loose and there is no separtation in the seam of the band. Has anyone else experienced this? I'd love to hear some thoughts from more experienced treadmillers! I can't give it up because it's the only outlet I have most days since I have a young child. Thanks!

Thank you all so much! I think if I invest in another piece of equipment it might be an elliptical. It is going on two years, so tightening things up is probably a good idea.

I'm right there with you! I was stuck at 178-180 then I started to exercise a bit more regularly and got down as low as 173. I've slipped up on the exercise and I'm back to 178-180... ugh! I'm trying to get back into the exercise again but my sweet tooth is giving me a heck of a ride and my periods are coming quicker so I get an extra "hungry" window a year... thanks age!

I do NOT have a single regret other than letting my primary care physician talk me out of doing it a year sooner. I should have pushed to do it sooner. I do miss being able to swig down unsweetened iced tea when I eat but life is so much better not weighing 268. I'm able to enjoy living and being with my young son so much more and let me tell you that the first time he hugged me and said "mommy, my arms reach around you" the feeling ranked up there near his birth. I am SO GLAD I did the sleeve instead of gastric bypass. I have several family members who have had GBS and I am thankful beyond belief I have a complete digestive system.

Congrats on growing a totally adorable human - what a cutie! I have to thank you for sharing the rest as well. I'm 1.5 years out and things are getting messy lately and it's because I have other things in my life that need work and sugar is my drug of choice! I really need to get off the sugar again. After surgery was great because I was forced off, but it's crept back into my life - bad sugar! But, for today, you've inspired me to throw the brownies I brought to work into the trash! Thanks for that.

I have a fitbit flex (bracelet). I like that it works with myfitnesspal, which I've used off and on for over a year now. It can motivate me and it's very useful to be able to see how close to 10,000 steps I am throughout the day. I can't figure out how accurate it is because it hit the 10k steps mark one day, late in the evening while I was rocking in my lazy-boy type chair and hadn't been walking for a while. I can't decide how useful the sleep tracking is, but then I've never had problems sleeping. This might be useful to others. I don't like that it doesn't have a heart-rate monitor built in somehow. It would be great if they could make one that could be worn in the bracelet form or clipped into clothes. I think it tracks about the same if I pull it out of the bracelet band and put it in my bra. It's run out of power twice on me with no obvious warning. For some reason, I think there's supposed to be some sort of warning and maybe I just don't' know what the warning is! If it had the heart rate monitor I'd be much more excited about it. I do wear it consistently. I'd hoped it would motivate me to get back to exercising more, but that hasn't panned out yet! You need a pretty new cell phone or iPad for one of those devices to sync for you. I have an iPhone 4 and so I'm stuck syncing whit the USB device that comes with it. That's a little irritating but again, my issue for having older devices. If this type of tracking is new for you, it can be fun and motivational. There is another new one out, or coming out with an altimeter that's a clip-on. Still no heart rate monitor though.