CowgirlJane

I get nauseaous from weirdo stuff so i probably would jump right to the NOW. so, this is all a bit over my head but given that I bought a product similiar to Extend (the Amino Boost from the gym) sounds like I should add the Creatine. When I run out of the Amino Boost I will replace it with the Extend. Even with the extend, you add the Creatine, right? Is this the correct NOW product? They also have capsules but i hate pills even more than powders..haha http://www.amazon.com/NOW-FOODS-CREATINE-POWDER-PURE/dp/B000WSIQEM/ref=sr_1_3?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1389974164&sr=1-3&keywords=NOW+Creatine

abby, my advice is to read the Dr S forum over at obesity help and you will hear lots of stories. I was considered a slow healer and went back to work after 6 weeks. If I had fewer procedures and less of a whiner, I probably could have gone back in 4, but i am glad I took the extra time. This is a very personal decision. For me, the hardest thing has been the forced inactivity made me a little crazy. There is more to it then that - it relates to some other things happening in my personal life. The physical recovery is "do-able" and not everyone was so impacted by the life disruption as i was. I am 3 months out now and while I have often said i am not sure I would recommend it - the truth is I CANT IMAGINE going back. I can do planks and pushups without this huge tummy skin hanging down. My arms are amazing. My thighs no longer cause me to cringe in disgust. My breasts I hardly notice, but, I have gotten pretty positive feedback from "others" ha! My tummy is flat flat flat - a friend referred to it as concave even. What a difference in the way clothes fit! My son's girlfriend and other friends of mine told me that even with a leather jacket and jeans on my physical profile changed so much (ie bulk reduction all over due to the skin going away) that they didn't recognize me from the back except my hair. I think you need to think really hard about the benefit and if it is worth it to you - but for me it was the final shedding of the fatsuit. For the first time EVER, I have a nice body that I am very proud of. It motivates me to keep working maintenance.

Denise, he just scored 1000 points in my book that he actually was home alone with you without sticking his hands down your pants uninvited. I am still "scarred" from that weirdo incident in the parking garage - and I really thought he was a cool guy until all that went down. It has made me truly gunshy now. Don't be intimidated by the intellect thing. Intellect is NOT about college degrees. I run into this a little in the opposite way - I am totally into blue collar guys in the sense that many of them are hard working, fit (yes, the hot factor counts alot in my book!) AND smart even without a college degree. The problem is more that sometimes things like grammar and vocabulary are different. It doesn't bother me much, but lets just say it has been noticed when I use $64,000 words if you know what i mean. I avoid correcting pronouncation or misuse of words because who the hell cares. It is more about a person, their character, zest for life, their ability to hold up a conversation etc etc. Do NOT let yourself feel "less than" just because you didn't go to college. Lots of the college educated crowd are out of shape, bored to tears with their inactive lives and live in their heads - so they ain't perfect either! It is sorta like looks - 80% of the battle is self confidence. If you come across all apologetic about your intellect, you are self diminishing which is totally the wrong strategy in my book. I can tell you that I will never ever ever ever date another software engineer. I am so sick of those guys and I WORK i that industry and they are mostly masters level educated. Dull, out of shape and all they ever wanna talk about is work. sheesh.

I doubt insurance will pay for an arm lift. I think you will need many weeks off from heavy lifting to minimize the scarring, but only a surgeon can answer that. My scars are already disappearing quite nicely at about 3 months out. The pain for the arms was minor and my results were very good.

Lower body lift - off work for 3 to 6 weeks depending.... I took six weeks off but i had massive amounts done at once. if you have a physical job, may need the full 6 weeks too.

Drains are a minor irritation in the larger scheme of having massive plastics...trust me on that. I paid in the ballpark of 16K for lower body lift, breast lift/implants, arm lift and "small thigh" lift. Amazing results and that price included 3 days in a clinic and another week at a hotel with daily nurse and doctor visits as well as the garments etc etc. Yes, it was in Mexico. So, for 10K you should be able to get something significant done. I don't think a panni is the right answer for most of us. The lift gives you a fairly tight tummy and includes muscle repair and helps the butt and that extra skin on the backside that hung over the top of my jeans. Is it worth it? Well, I am so thrilled with my results and let me tell you that OTHERS definately notice it but it isn't so easy either. I think for me it was the right decision, but i have only one more year of college to pay for one kiddo and I view this as a big investment in the "new me". I am single, I still look pretty young and I guess I want to have a chance to enjoy clothes and the other things I missed out on as a young woman. I am NEVER going back to obesity after what I have been through. If there was any doubt...well... lets just say I will NEVER regain weight to ruin what for the first time in my whole life a hotbod. That wasn't my primary reason, but it is a good side effect of the surgery. I personally think that each of us has to decide how having plastics will change your life. For many people, it just won't make much difference honestly. I have said it before... money can't buy you love and a hotbod doesn't buy you happy.... you really need to think about what makes it worth it. For me, it is changing how I even see myself, so fundamental shift really.

Okay, I will look into buying Extend as well. I think I can use this as a before and use the extend as an after workout supplement. One some level I think it is crazy I am doing this, but i have not been able to understand how after all the working out I did in 2013, which included strength training, and you can see visible muscles on me that my body fat still measures at 29% on the caliper test. I want to get to about 25%.

Okay, in a few weeks we may need to have a corset modeling photo session...haha. I have to tell you something very funny. At least I thought so. Someone I dated back in December a few times, but hist stressful family visits, holidays, care for a dying mother etc kinda derailed things so I just said "oh well - story of my damn dating life" - emailed me today. Now, we have talked many times since we dated - and all he talks about is himself so I have kind of lost interest. I am empathetic to the aging parent thing, i really am, but... there is more I want to discuss if you know what I mean. I really couldn't understand the main point of his email...lol... but he did mention among other things that I am "fine" and have very pretty eyes and he claimed he could not resist mentioning perfect breasts... HA. Thank you Dr Sauceda.... and this guy hasn't even actually SEEN them...lol. What pleases me the most is that to my eye they are natural and proportionate looking you know what i mean - like I coulda/shoulda been born with em! I am not going to worry about what he was really trying to tell me as I think it was just a bunch of excuses about life being busy - which is cool - but if you don't have time to date me then just leave me be.... Sigh. works sucks today.

Indigo - USA surgeons MiGHT tell you that twilight sedation is evil for this surgery. I did several usa consults and only ONE of them would use it and he would only do it for shorter surgeries. He did however admit to me that he had is own shoulder operated on and that he was a huge believer in it from a patient perspective. My Mexican surgeon gave me his opinion on why usa docs are so against it - and his version it was not based on medical science but rather liability fears (ie anybody who does something off the normal track is vulnerable to lawsuits). I don't know, not a medical person, - just warning you that you may get an earful on that topic. My basic opinion about surgeons is to pick one you trust, that has an outstanding track record for safety and results for a price you can afford (ie balancing act) and trust their judgement. Most of us aren't really educated enough to evaluate what they tell you.... I was hesitant about Dr S insistance on placing implants over the muscle. I heard once again all the evils of that but he explained to me again his reasoning and that he uses the gummy implants. I had some angst over it, but mine turned out GREAT and the other patients I network with continue to have good long term results with low complications. AGain, what do i really know... but i just decided to trust him.

Sorry, I talked about two different people in one post. Riley is my EX that I am having a hard time separating from due to our long standing co-dependency on each other. Steven is my FWB that I have been seeing for like 8 months - time for it to end. This guy has issues... dont get me wrong... there is a reason he doesn't want/cant cope with a real girlfriend but in the meantime he built me up and boosted my self esteem so much. He changed my life in a good way. I feel bad that I lost my cool with him in an undererved way, but I am not sorry that our arrangement is ended - it was time.

I am temporarily questioning 5:2. It worked so well for me, but I am working so hard to get my out of wack system back "into wack" that I just can't make it a priority. Hard workouts just drain me and I feel like I can't fast. When I worked "hard" on my own they were shorter duration - long duration (one hour) high intensity is very taxing on this ole body right now...LOL Good news, instead of waking at 3 am or 1 am... I didn't awake until 5am! Oh, please please please let this mean I am on the path to getting my sleep back in line. The world is just so much more possible to cope with when you have at least some sleep. Maybe I am not completely insane. I keep thinking alot about the core issue of my separation from my EX being over the co-dependancy issue. I never thought of it that way before that doc mentioned it and it is no wonder I feel so twisted up over it all. I need to be really honest... he and I met in 1998. We had an amazing physical relationship, really loved each other, talked of marrying and having another child together. Well, we moved in together in 2000 and honestly, our physical relationship started dying then. It was a complete gonner by around 2005. He hasn't touched me AT ALL in about 6years now. It isn't just sex, it is romance and touching and even talking to each other like a real couple - been gone FOREVER. I finally understand it now that he has explained it - his anxiety and other mental health issues have been "crushing" his whole life but he had a way of coping that all feel apart once he lived with me and the kids. I just didn't see it, didn't understand it until very very recently. So, why do I feel so attached? It is that co dependency thing. I am scared to be without him and i am scared for what is going to happen to him. Finally today I asked him why he never got help for his anxiety and he told me that it was because the only people who were accepting new clients didn't take our insurance. Bullcrap - I had no problem finding someone. I guess the point is that as long as I am around to enable him living a crippled life he isn't really forced to change. I feel alot of guilt, responsibility and caring toward him AND no freaking wonder my stress is through the roof over having to force him to leave when I know he has no plan, no real path out of the hell he has been in. So, I feel like shit because my own internal angst caused me to treat Steven horribly and completely undeserved a bit ago. He has his own pile of issues and it was time to end it but I am so unhappy how it all went down. I have apologized and taken full responsibility for my temporary insanity and he did text me but, won't call me. He helped me transform in so many positive ways - it is so sad to me that this is the final way it has to end. I have some stuff at his place - if he doesn't call me in a few weeks I am going to ask him to throw it all away. I feel bothered that little remnants of me are at his home, strange feeling but it is how I feel. I am not in love with him so not heartbroken in that way, and was sorta done with things (basically his issues have reached defcon4 as well), but sad and shocked at that side of me. Damn, I hope I never do that again in my whole life - misdirect angst to the person who does not deserve it. Yeah, I ordered that corset that was on sale, but there are so many really really cute ones! I like the halter top ones alot. I gotta figure if I can hide my back skin adequately. I think they will be super cute under jackets. Hope so anyway!

I was in good shape before surgery - did strength and aeerobic training. Not sure what difference it made but my basic shape was decent under the extra skin. I didn't have enough fat to lipo but of course plenty of people have plastics with still some fat to lipo etc and get great results.

I use OTC scar treatments. So, 3 months and I stand up straight but I still feel some tightness in the tummy area. I wear compressin garments for hard workouts to kind of hold things and reduce sweeling. My swelling isn't bad - like others don't notice it - but I do.

Three weeks since my lower body lift (and more) and I am still a little hunched. I am blessed that my recovery is going well but I am in the doldrums, tired of it, tired of Being tired, and would like to stand straight with good posture. Grruuumpp Good news is that my incisions look really good. Start scar treatment soon.

Okay Kim, this is the info I got regarding sizing of corsets should any other inquiring minds want to know - basically you do measure from your waist the other measurements are less meaningful: If you are interested in a steel boned body shaping corset (item numbers not beginning with A3...) then please measure your waist and purchase a corset 4-5" smaller. If your natural waist measurement is 30" then you would select a 26" corset. These corsets have a 6" modesty which means you can open a 26" up to 32" and tension the corset down according to control or comfort. Steel corsets have a bust +10" larger than the waist and a hip measurement +10" larger than the waist, therefore if you are to select a 26" corset this would have a 36" bust. Bear in mind the 6" modesty panel, this would open to 42" at the bust. Sarsar - I love your son's story! You know my sons are 21 and 24 and even at that age, they don't remember me as obese. When they see a photo, they are simply shocked. Like alot of moms I feel bad at the embarrassment I must have caused them as kids. My oldest is fat-phobic; he is kind and polite about it, but he simply abhores obesity. I will answer for Daisy - the guy she likes is not the heavy drinker, he is a friend who had a GF who might now be available... Florinda - I have a friend who works for a start up and he told me that he wants me to go to work there to provide adult supervision. sigh. They never actually accomplish anything and it drives him crazy. If I were in your shoes I would stay for the money. Have to realize that I was raised with a work ethic that basically hard work fixes everything. I am not saying that is rational, I am saying that if all else fails, I gravitate toward working hard. Especially if the alternative isn't very appealing... One question though, if you do have a health set back, there are options to bail if you really need to, right? I doubt you will... just saying. Last night I spent some time with a lady who is nearly 60 and has had MS for years. She rides horses (not well mind you). I haven't seen her in about 7 years and honestly she looks good. She said she has had some setbacks here and there, but just keeps living live and is hanging in there. Sadly, her daughter now has it. I haven't been through this experience, but for me the terror is the big C. My little sister died of cancer and in the back of my mind, I have this "fear" that it will show up in me too young. So, I have my second date with someone I liked alot. Well, more accurately, he made me feel all nervous and interested - so I must be attracted. He seems like a pretty upstanding guy and is super physically attractive. I hope it goes well, but i am keeping my expectations "in check" as i of course hardly know him. He is from alaska and works as a heavy equipment operator so more of a hunting, fishing and outdoorsy type than I normally seem to connect with. I am always looking for that "blend" of urban and outdoorsy and (other than Steven) really haven't found it. So, we shall see. Oh, and Sunday I am taking a gun safety class with a close friend, so lots happening. I had a great ride on my new horse last night - she is alot of fun. There was scary spooky huge flock of migratory swans swarming the fields right outside the arena. The sound was deafening and while she was a bit nervous, she did good. Instructor complimented me on my confidence and keeping my horse focused on work even while she felt that the bird invasion was imminent.

I did not lose nipple sensation but it is a risk. I was lucky that doc did my implants with just the opening around the aerial so no noticable scarring. My thighs were the unusual small lift, groin only incisions....so no noticable scarring. My arm scars are amazingly faded already and I am thrilled with that. Worst scar is lower body lift...it is red but not raised so I believe it willfade considerably. 3 months out and really good results.

I lost 160#..it's possible!

I just bought what the trainer recommended... use it for awhile and see if it makes sense to switch. I bought aminoboost xxl http://www.dotfit.com/aminoboostxxl According to the website I can do 1/2 scoop before and 1/2 scoop after since I weigh under 150#. I am not sure I really understand how this is different than extend though. It is confusing to me... but reducing soreness and just having the right energy to finish a workout is helpful. I worked out very intensely yesterday and didn't ever fade out but it was hard. I was sore last night, but this morning not too bad. I will know for sure when I go horseback riding this afternoon just how sore I am...

m2g... I have always been pretty optimistic too. I have lost some of that, I think it is a bit of a midlife crisis. I always had that basic belief that life just gets better and better, good things are always around the corner, counting my blessings not my problems...etc. Well, the last few months I have been facing the whole "this is as good as it gets" kind of feeling. I have a GREAT life in so many ways, but there is a certain sadness that I am getting old, my kids have left me and I don't feel a strong attachment to anyone that I see regularly. I am attached to my friend Mary - don't get me wrong, I feel things for other people, but a little part of me is feeling quite detached from that deep deep involvement that as a parent and wife I thought i had. Life just changes is all. I had my first plastics consult in Jan 2013 - I felt like I needed a sedative after it was awful. I had several more consults and eventually got over the trauma of the "idea" of plastics. First time someone mentioned lower body lift I almost threw up. Really, I had a hard time getting used to the idea. I have to say one of the most obvious benefits of plastics is I go to the gym, workout with a trainer and feel absolutely zero self conscious about my arms and tummy the two areas that showed through even in clothes before. I can do planks and pushups without that HUGE hanging thing that frankly reminded me of a dairy cow's utters... just the hanging skin when i did those moves. I am flat as a damn board now even in the plank position and it feels good. Is it worth it, yeah... but it seriously disrupted my life. It has also made quite a difference on how attractive i am to the opposite sex. This one I struggle with a little bit because they ain't seeing me nekkid or anything and at least in my eyes, my shapewear covered that skin before so I am unclear how it is "they" seem to notice such a difference. My friend Mary tells me my entire profile has changed since plastics - sorta that overall reduction makes me look alot younger. I actually think that might be it - since plastics i have a more youthful looking body which attracts men whether they realize why or not. It isn't any one element of the surgery, it is the overall effect. Florinda, I am terrible at negotiating salaries and the like. Startups are often cash poor and so it is a typical delima. Have you googled some articles on this? The old fall back was to negotiate for alot of stock or options - worthless if the company fails but potentially very enriching. NOt sure what the current thinking on this is but Seattle is still a land of startups and risky type ventures like this. This is a very exciting prospect! Be sure to let me know if you come to the area to check things out/interview and I will show you around town a little! Besides the too hard workout - never did hear advice on appetite control after that - yesterday was an awesome day. I am actually not too sore this morning so maybe he didn't actually kill me.. the little bastard. ha. The first component of my six weeks back to sanity is to actually SLEEP. So, I am doing melatonin, starting with small dose to minimize side effects, taking HTP5 and fish oil (which i was already supposed to be doing). For my wakeup at 1am (used to be 3 am, moving up I guess) I take benedryl. Reason is it knocks me out but doesn't leave me groggy. this is a short term plan to try to get my sleep cycles back to normal. YDay morning I awoke exhausted today I woke tired, but before the alarm and I felt like I actually slept. Keep fingers crossed for me on this. I am also going to bed extra early to allow more time for the middle of the night wakeups and STILL actually sleep. The next component is anxiety control. What I am finding is that being slightly less sleep deprived AND knowing what is setting of my anxiety is making that do-able. I feel alot better than I did 2 weeks ago, we shall see. I feel a little lonely right now, but, also kinda wanting to hermit up. I am now "seeing" my personal trainer twice a week and take a riding lesson once a week and go to happy hour once a week with my best friend (and a little crowd we know at our bar...lol) PLUS other activities so I can hardly say I am really lonely. I met someone on a dating website a little while ago. Well, we actually started talking over a month ago but have only met once. Other than him as a prospect - that is all on hold for now. I would have just dropped him too, time to focus on me, but he is the rare "fish" that I am super attracted to. He is amazing looking, tall, dark haired, very young looking 50, works in construction. Very outgoing, conversant and just has an attractive way about him. I didn't even realized how attracted I was until I realized I was actually a little nervous on our initial meeting. We hit it off and I have been a little bit... well this isn't my normal character... but i have been a little bit of a game player on this one. What I mean by that is I took a guess that he would be more interested in the jeans and long sleeve tshirt girl - and yep, my casual first meeting attire was a turn on for him. I happen to be taking a gun safety class this coming weekend which I of course mentioned as a reason to not be available for a particular date time - I knew this guy from Alaska is a hunter/fisher and that can be a turn off for urban women so he loved it that I am not rabidly anti-gun. He kinda goofed up last weekend and didn't come through on "loose plans" we had made but I decided to give him one more chance after his apologies and explaining some details around what happened. Seeing him on thursday - we shall see.

ok, you enablers, I am getting ready to buy that corset...haha. No idea why i need a corset, but clearly I do! My waist is 30" which puts me in a 26 My bust is 40" which puts me in a 30 My hips are 38" which puts me in a 28 They have a 26 or 30 available - with it lacing up the back will I be okay going with a 26? I am worried if i go up to the 30 I won't get the small waist effect.

Most of us have few issues. It's just that people post when they struggle whether it be a real complication or just a problem adjusting.

FYE-you will look smashing in that corset. I just need one that opens wide enough that my upper body skin can be poured into. Haha. Forgive me for forgetting about wearing a shrug..I was same way about my arms. I must say I don't even try to hide my scars... I love my arms now and it is weird that I sorta forgot how I was. My surgeon's office has a lot of sleeve success stories. I personally think it is because they were a bit of a lapband production shop...Haha..and figured out the insane support the band needs and applied much of that to the sleeve. You show em how it's done! Wish I was visiting SF. Second session with trainer and I hate that guy. Really I think he is working me too hard. Every mini muscle hurts right now. I suspects he mistakes my dogged determination for actual fitness. Damn. Worst part is I have been dying of hunger all evening. I don't know how to eat with this work load. I worked out alot before but this is sucking the life energy out of me. I feel so good that I concentrated better at work than I have in ages. If I can just keep this up.... I am still astounded at the number of people on mood related drugs. I guess that our brains still think we are being chased by saber tooth tigers when in reality we just hate paperwork and other routine miseries in life.

Yes and a search will find my details on this forum.

Irene!!! Long time no hear. Good to see you post!

My surgery was done with twilight sedation combined with an epidural. I had no post op sickness (like I have always had with General) and since the epidural apparently had pain meds in that lasted a day or two - i really had minimal pain. I think the thing is to just discuss this stuff at your consult, all surgeons are different and we are simply not educated enough to know the pros/cons and inherent risks. I just know this worked for me.