MichiganChic

That is so very exciting! It is almost instant gratification. Best of luck to you, safe travels, and get well soon! Can't wait to see those pictures!

Technical difficulties, lol. ????

It's been 10 months since I posted that original question, and it's been a long road. I have had 2 plastic surgeries, but I haven't lost any more weight. I have continued to struggle with that question, but am coming to terms with my weight. I'm starting to let go of focusing on that number, and frankly, I've finally worn myself out with the exhausting, all-consuming thoughts that lead to no where. I may never see a "normal" BMI, but that doesn't define my success. It's time to remember not to let perfection get in the way of good enough. Here's a picture from today. I'm happy with good enough.

I am 26 months post op. I've lost about 140 pounds, and 160 from my highest. Every day I wake up and thank the Lord for this gift I've been given. The first photo was pre-op, and I was 306. The second in the blue was about 4 months postop, and I was around 240. The one in the checkered jacket was at one year post op (about a year ago), and I was 173. The last one in the pink top was taken today, and I'm 165.

Well, I'm 6 days out from a breast lift/augmentation and bilateral medial thigh lift (with the long inner thigh incision). I had abdominplasty, butt lift and bilateral brachioplasty last August. The swelling from the first surgery in August was just starting to go down, and now it's back in full force! I'm up about 15 pounds from my lowest weight, and I have to say, it's the swelling that is miserable! And, the Water weight went directly to my arms and abdomen and hips, as well as the thighs and breasts. Basically, everything that I've worked on is a magnet for Fluid retention. I feel like a stuffed sausage. However, this second surgery is much easier to recover from that the first - night and day difference! Even with two large drains still in my groin, I'm not feeling too bad! One of the reasons I decided to do this it to feel "finished". I hate it when I can't complete something I set out to do, and I just felt so incomplete with all the loose skin. While I'll never have a perfect body, that was never my goal. I think my surgeon got me closer than I even hoped. I also believe that it will help me maintain my weight loss. While it's no guarantee, I do think that it might help, but I guess only time will tell. For anyone considering plastics, there is a lot to think about. I had some open wounds from the first surgery that took nearly 4 months to heal, but I still think it was worth it. I have swelling that I find miserable, but even if it lasts a year, it's temporary, and it's way better than loose skin. And I do have a lot of scars, but they are fading, and will continue to do so. That loose, flabby skin was never going to tighten on it's own. I feel much better in my skin now, even with the swell hell I'm in. So, while I thought I'd come here to complain about it, I also have to say I don't regret it! Things haven't settled into place yet, but even still, I look way better than before. Even though it's a difficult surgery to recover from, I'd do it again (but thank goodness I don't have to, lol!) Thanks for listening!

@@CowgirlJane - agreed. People really should take this serious. I know that sooner or later these seromas will heal, but I don't think it's going be for a while. In the end, I fear I'm going to be off work again, and in the end, the rush to get back to business just cost me more time. It's been 8 weeks, and I'm still not 100%, and potentially looking at another surgery. It is also true that complication are not necessarily the result of a poorly performed surgery or a bad surgeon. In my case, I do not think my surgeon did anything to cause my seroma. Depends on the complication - sometimes it might be the surgeons fault. These are elective procedures, and surgeons are humans who can make mistakes. In the end, we all go in knowing and assuming the risks. I'm still glad I did.

So I was thinking my breasts were a little low, too. I measured from sternum to nipple, and was 22 cm, so pretty close. However, I think my nipples are a little high, meaning my entire breast is a little low, (I think I was like that before), but I still love them! They are very pretty;)

LOL, I had my boobs done a couple of months ago, and I have to say, I spend a lot of time admiring them! I'm like a teenager getting them for the first time, only they are way better this time! They are very pretty. I had my thighs done, long incision to knee, and they aren't great, but better. Still worth it to me.

I buy all that, too! Love that Bai5 drink! I usually have one a day.

As you get further out, you might find you do a little better with dry food. But I totally had to laugh about it the rules being like being Catholic. So true! As a born and bred Catholic, that's probably why the rules and following them feel a little non-negotiable to me! I try to follow them best I can, and I feel so guilty when I don't. I guess if breaking the rules equals sinning, then the subsequent weight gain from breaking rules equals the purgatory/hell from sinning, lol! Don't know about you, but morbid obesity felt like hell on earth, to me. I really hated it.

For me, cookies, crackers, cake. And nuts are bad, too.

I'm not 60, but I am 52, and I know how I felt about plastics at my age: it didn't matter. If you are in good health and cleared for surgery, I don't think I'd let that influence my decision much. I wouldn't be too sure about the insurance without checking. Mine paid for the abdominoplasty (or at least the panniculectomy, I'm not totally sure). If not, only you can decide about the cost/benefit. For me, it was worth pain and cost. I had a LOT of plastic surgeries in the past 6 months, and I can say the abdominoplasty was by far the most painful, and 6 months later my muscles are still a little sore some days. I am still swollen, and very numb around the incision. And that surgery made a huge impact in the way I look, in and out of clothes. I'm thrilled with my results, and I'm happy that I did it. I would do it again, even knowing all of that. But I know what you mean - we really do have to consider cost and pain, compared to the outcome. I probably could stand to do a few more things, but for those reasons, not sure if I will. I think it's too soon to make that decision, for me, at least.

I don't eat much bread, rice or Pasta, and I rarely drink alcohol. I still love the bread, rice, and pasta, but the alcohol doesn't appeal much. I drink plenty of coffee. It was a rule that I told them pre-op I was not planning to follow. I was cleared at 6 weeks to drink it. It interferes with Calcium absorption, but my calcium level borders high with no supplements, so I just try not go nuts with it. Honestly, I don't think pop or carbonation would really hurt the sleeve, but I still follow that rule just in case. I also don't think a straw would somehow stretch my stomach, but I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY love being thin, so I'm not taking chances with things that are not important to me

Not me.

@@My Bariatric Life it would be great if things firm up on my back side. If I could get the seromas healed, I could exercise, and developing a little muscle would help. I agree, the changes accomplished by a skilled surgeon is nothing short of miraculous! I also think there is something to be said for being realistic in our expectations. The more of a "mess" we are from years of obesity, the harder things are to correct. We are also dealing with our individual structures. I have always been bottom heavy, which is why my legs and butt are not as perfect as my upper half. As you said, we should enjoy our greatly improved bodies!

@@My Bariatric Life I am going to give it some time. My arms and abdomen are rock star quality, lol. She did a really great job on them. My breast lift/augmentation also seems good so far. My behind started out good, but flattened near the bottom half of my buns, and my upper thighs are still droopy. I need some lipo in those saddle bags - they are freakish! My doc said we could do the lipo and another type of lift -I think like what I've seen where the lower butt is cut and sewn to your ischial tuberosity to give a better curve and lift the posterior thigh. It's a very painful and difficult recovery, so I'm just not up to even thinking about that. I know what you mean about thinking about tweaking to perfection - I'm 52, and I really wish I had legs to go with the upper half of body! You have a very interesting story, good reading for people wondering what it's like. Eventually, I'm going to post my story on real self, too. I was just waiting to see if my feelings change over time.

Do a search through old threads for hair loss. This topic comes up several times a week, it seems. It strikes fear in our hearts. I had an extreme case, and even I didn't go totally bad, though you could see my scalp all over. My hair fell out for at least 8 months, and really severely for 4-5 of that. It was very slow to come back. I had surgery 12/12, started losing hair 4/13 through 12/13. Didn't notice much growth for the next few months, though it was starting to come back for the first 6 months of 2014. In the last 6 months of 2014, it started to come back a little faster. Now, at 26 months post op, it's almost all grown back. You can't see much of my scalp anymore except at the part. I never missed a day of Protein or Vitamins. I went to dermatologist, got shots in my head, topical solutions, and bought shampoos "systems" that cost hundreds of dollars - each. I do think that those products and trips to the doc did help, because that when things started turning around. The other thing that helped was increasing my calories to over 1000. I had a lot of weight to lose, so that contributed to the prolonged hair loss, I think.

@@CowgirlJane I considered going to Mexico, but I was worried that if I had complications, I would have problems with post operative treatment. Since I did have them, it was probably a good decision for me. I do not blame my physician at all - I had minor complications that are known risks with these types of surgery. Also, Michigan is a LONG way from Mexico, and I worried about travel with drains, increased risk for blood clots, etc. @@BethinPA I know I also did too much too soon. I agree, it's the nurse in me! Get out of that bed and walk. I didn't want pneumonia or a DVT. I was also out and about, thinking I'm tough. I entertained at my house Christmas eve and cooked a big meal for 20 people. I also wish I hadn't done that. I am a little like a tank - I just keep going no matter what. So, I would never encourage a patient to do what I did.

I'm not sure I had emotional issues with mine. Just lots of pain, minor complications, and the realization that it could quickly become never ending if I let it. At some point I probably need to accept "good enough". That goes against my nature, lol. I am a little sad I can't wear a bathing suit in public without being a little self conscious, but then I remember that I couldn't wear one at all before. I'm trying to not let perfection get in the way progress. I'm just going to let things settle a little and see how I feel. What do you think drove your emotional struggles? Complications or other things?

Not totally sure...but my behind is still a little droopy, and my thighs need some tweaking. They are slightly uneven, and even though all of it's a million times better than it was, I think it could be better. I also think I might need some work on my neck at a minimum, and maybe my face. And then I start thinking maybe I should leave well enough alone - it's always so hard on me. I'm still recovering from a thigh lift and breast lift, so I may feel differently in a few weeks or months. But if money and pain were not an issue, it would not be a question.

Me too. Big mess, Money well spent. And probably not done.

Looks good!

I wish I could have taken more time, but there really wasn't any way I could have. I had two separate surgeries, so that would have been 12 weeks. These seromas are harder to treat than one would think. I had to have two encapsulated ones cut out, and I'm not sure they are not back. sigh. I know what you mean about real self. However, I have found some horror stories there, too. People who had far worse complications and outcomes than I have. I knew going in that this would be my outcome....I had a post op seroma after one of my c-sections, I had a post op infection after my gastric sleeve, and lately I've noticed small cuts are slow to heal. When I had some areas that were slow to heal, some necrosis in the front, and a dehiscence in back after my LBL, I know that I'm slow to heal. I increased calories and Protein, was meticulous about Vitamins, and still had issues. I think I might stop having elective surgeries, lol. I used to heal so quickly, so this is surprising to me. But what would you do differently? I don't know what I would do differently...other than just take more time off? Either, way, I'm still not sad I had it done.

I mix mine with equal, peanut butter, and sugar free Torani salted caramel sugar free syrup.

Fun thread! I've gone through most of what others have posted. Like always gravitating to larger parking spots, toilet stalls, and seats. I've been known to scope out seating in places to determine if I would be able to attend an event or outing, and I couldn't be sure about it, I'd find a reason to not go. I'm thankful every day those days are behind me, and I'm sad at how much of my life was dictated by being fat. I continued that thinking for the first year or so, and it was always fun to realize I was becoming normal. Now, at over two years out, I don't think about that stuff so much, and certainly not in the same way. I will accept an invitation to someplace I've never been, and just be glad I don't need to think of my size as a barrier any longer. One habit that I still haven't been able to shake is that I still have a fleeting moment when I want to try every new diet that comes on TV, join weight watchers when it's free, and I still get that old feeling of hope when I hear of a new weight loss drug is being trialed or approved.