LumpySpacePrincess

I'm considering this surgeon for a lower body lift. Her consultation was extremely thorough and she even made me aware of a few plastics techniques that will fix my side/back skin, but that other plastic surgeons in the NYC metro area were not performing (Fleur de lis). I sent her photos and she completely addressed every area of my body. I feel confident in her abilities. BUT...I want to see if anyone here has any unbiased reviews on this doctor. Going to Mexico for PS scares the crap out of me, but my insurance won't cover it even in a medical emergency and my funds are limited. Thanks in advance!

I had WLS in 2013 and lost almost 170 pounds in 10 months. This year, I decided it was my year to finally get my flaps removed. What a difference!!! I hope everyone can see the attachment. My surgeon was excellent, very caring, and most importantly very experienced and knowledgeable about what he does. Couldn't be happier!

I'm only about 5 weeks out. That picture was taken about 5 days post tummy-tuck/skin removal, so a lot of the swelling still has yet to go down. As for the pain, for me the majority of active pain was gone in about 48 hours; after that it was just annoying dull pain for another week or so, but I have a high tolerance. He says typically 4 days with the tuck, but to be honest, it was WAY less painful than the laparoscopic type surgery I had with the sleeve. Other than that, recovery has been good; I was back to my normal routine (just slower and taking frequent breaks) about 6 days post-op.

Yes he did! So happy I chose him, and that his office is only 30 minutes from home.

I finally picked a surgeon here in NJ who is amazing (Dr. Capella). I think he wrote a few textbooks on post-weight loss reconstruction. He's certainly done hundreds of them, and I trust him completely. My lower body lift is scheduled for August 8th. Honestly, I dreamed about this, but never in a million years thought it would happen to me. I've lost all my excess weight but figured it would be YEARS before I could even start to think about doing an LBL, but this year I forced myself to get over my financial fears and just do it. Now I'm looking for advice on what I can do pre-op to make recovery easier. I want to hear what worked for you, both pre and post-op. I'd also like to know if you felt it was worth the pain and financial cost to have it done? I've had a hanging pannus since I was 8 (I'm 35 now), so I can't even imagine life without my belly fat!!! I'm all ears!!!

@@JamieLogical do you happen to have a copy of her CV? Probably not, but I thought I'd ask!!

I am over 2 years post op, and have been maintaining for quite awhile. I have recently felt my old major depressive disorder creeping back in and am looking for an AD. I have heard a lot from my therapist about Viibryd and how she has seen good results with her binge eating disorder clients because it acts as an appetite suppressant. I was wondering if anyone here has had experience with Viibryd?

Folic acid supplement will help tremendously. I didn't lose a ton of hair, but what I did lose was just in one three inch patch on the side of my head. I bought a B6/B12/Folic Acid supplement from Trader Joe's (they're little dissolvable dots) and took two every morning before Breakfast. Not only did it stop the hair loss, it accelerated hair growth. My hair has always been super slow growing, but after starting the supplement I average about an inch to an inch and a half of growth per month.

A little over two years out, maintaining my weight loss since 10 months post-op. My best tools: 1. Therapy!! 2. food routines. I have had the same Breakfast since 7 months out: scrambled egg whites with low-fat cheese and a few tablespoons of veggies mixed in. As I was able to eat more in volume, I added extra egg whites, and two strips of bacon to keep my Protein up. 3. Planning meals in advance. This helps so I always know when and what my next meal is; cuts down on mindless snacking if I know what I have to look forward to. 4. Carefully selected treats. Anyone who has worked with eating disorders knows that complete abstinence from certain foods can actually backfire and cause bingeing. I incorporate occasional treats into my week to stave off the feeling of deprivation. The rest of the week I am sugar-free and low-carb. 5. Learning to bake and cook low-carb and sugar free foods that are actually satisfying! Reducing over eating has a lot to do with the satisfaction level of our food.

Looking for advice for people more than a year out (sorry, couldn't find the vets forum. Did it move???) I am almost two years out, and I still have trouble having a bowel movement unless I take a laxative. I tried Miralax but I gained weight on it (apparently more common than not). Anyway, I want to know if anyone else more than a year out also has a sluggish bowel? Is there something I can do about it? I mean, I don't mind only pooping once a week, but my toilet goes into crisis mode when I flush after that.

I have created a support group on Facebook for those who believe they suffer from Post-Surgical Eating Avoidance. Although this isn't a diagnosable eating disorder in this version of the DSM, I believe there might be quite a few of us who may need specialized support for this issue. PsEAD may be characterized by a overwhelming fear of regaining weight, avoidance or fear of eating too many calories or the wrong types of foods, and unreasonable restriction of food choices out of anxiety about gaining or not losing weight. I also welcome anyone who has suffered any kind of eating disorder pre-surgery to join, because the risk of developing new eating disorder patterns after surgery is much greater for us. Here is the link. Please join or pass it on to anyone you know who may need a little extra support. Please note that while I do have a degree in psychology, I am not a licensed mental health professional. The group was created with the purpose of creating a support network for this issue. Thanks! https://www.facebook.com/groups/309385112559826/

I'm almost 2 years out (yay!) and I hit goal at about 10 months out. Before surgery, I'd poop about three times a day, give or take. Now, I'm lucky if I get to go once a week with a laxative. I tried MiraLax, but it made me gain weight like crazy, so I'm back to my ex-lax. Question is: is it normal to have stringy, mucousy poop at almost two years out? Is it just the laxative scraping the last bits out of my intestines, or should I be thinking more along the lines of an IBS type situation? My next post-op isn't until March and since I pay out of pocket for these visits, I really don't want to spend $300 to ask my surgeon a poop question! Lol I could call, but thought I'd poll the boards first before I bother her. Thanks in advance!!

I don't know how RNY differs, but after I had my sleeve many of us misinterpreted extra stomach acid as hunger. Once I doubled my PPI, it went away. BUT, since you had a different surgery you might want to check with your surgeon to see if this is OK. Also agree that just because you can, doesn't mean you should! If you are having trouble with eating smaller portions, talking to a therapist who is knowledgable about weight and food issues is invaluable. I couldn't have been as successful as I am without therapy!

This probably isn't a comfort, but I have lost all of my excess weight and still have belly fat. My surgeon told me it probably won't go away without actually having it removed. The more weight you carried in your belly pre-surgery, the more skin and trapped fat you will have even after you have lost all your excess weight. It sucks, but its just the way it is. On the bright side, I might still have a bunch of loose skin and trapped fat, but I wear a size 8 jeans, which is smaller than most of my "naturally thin" friends! Also, it may look larger to you than it actually is. I'll lay down at night and see my skin spread and think about how much fat I have left, but then I look in the mirror after a shower and am sometimes shocked at how thin I am under all that! Lastly, make sure you are pooping regularly. Some of your belly staying the same might be due to bloat.

Tips from a successful sleever on what made me more successful than most (in my observation and talking with others who were sleeved at the same time as me) 1. Protein and Produce before Carbs and Crap. If it is a starchy veggie or fruit, put it in the carbs and crap category (any root veg like potatoes, carrots, parsnips unless consuming less than a teaspoon per meal). Green leafies and very low carb veg (spinach, mushrooms, sometimes onions and peppers in very small amounts) are the only things that should go in the produce category so far. 2. Track, track, and track some more! Find a website you like. I like sparkpeople.com because it has a function to let you enter in your own recipes by ingredients, calculate servings, etc so you know exactly what you are putting in your body. 3. Watch your calories! At this point, you should still be around 650-800 calories per day total. And your carbs! You should be around 50 total for the day, if not less. 4. Keep your protein HIGH with lean meats such as tuna, shrimp, chicken (dark meat is OK if you have trouble with white meat), and extra lean ground beef. Fill up on your meat portion FIRST before you take a single bite of any veg or side dish!! This will keep you fuller longer and stop blood sugar spikes that cause false hunger later. If you find you are hungry between meals, plain non-fat greek yogurt (single serve cup) sweetened with splenda or similar will cut cravings and give you an extra protein boost. 5. You have no more hunger hormone; you are not physically hungry you are either thirsty, emotional, or bored! Take a drink of Water (or a few!) and find an activity to do instead of eat unless it is a designated meal time. AVOID SNACKING LIKE THE PLAGUE! That "eat every few hours" concept is bunk and can lead to you eating hundreds of extra calories during the day you do not need. 6. Plan your meals out in your tracker first thing in the morning so you know exactly what you are going to eat and when. This helps curb snacking because future meals are no longer an unknown. 7. Get moving! It doesn't have to be much. Park your car further from the door and jog at a comfortable pace to and from your car. Take stairs. Get up and dance to the theme songs of tv shows you watch. Dance with your cat, dance with your gram, just move a bit! 8. No refined sugar. PERIOD. You'll get it back later, but for now, Splenda is your best friend! 9. Watch your portion sizes! At this point, one third measured cup total per meal (unless it is something like plain non-fat yogurt or similar) should be more than enough. One extra bite today leads to two next week which leads to very little restriction a year out. 10. Lastly, if you are having trouble emotionally adjusting or the thought of letting go of food is troubling you, find a therapist to talk to. They are invaluable throughout this experience! I am almost two years out. I lost almost all my weight in 10 months after surgery using these parameters and I have been able to keep it off for 13 months. Good luck!

I'm about 16 months out and have lost almost all my excess weight, but I'd still like to lose a bit more. The problem is, my eating disorder (binge eating) sometimes gets very, very loud in my head and its hard to ignore it. I've been on phentermine before and it helped wonders, but my doctor won't give it to me anymore because she thinks that now that my weight is gone, eating shouldn't be a problem. Does anyone have any ideas for an OTC appetite suppressant? Not looking for something for daily use, just once in awhile when my head gets too loud. I did ask my therapist but she couldn't recommend anything specific.

I wish veggies worked for me, but they don't. I typically eat quite a bit of cauliflower, broccoli, green peppers, spinach, and lettuce but it doesn't seem to help. I even took a fiber supplement at one point and it did nothing but make it worse. My nutritionist told me I'm probably just not eating enough in volume to really go very often. Even at almost 2 years out, I have a lot of restriction so my portion sizes are rarely over 1/2 cup.

I'm not really sure. I've heard this from a few other people, but it doesn't seem to be common. It works fantastic as a laxative, I just noticed a 10 pound weight jump in a matter of days after taking it. Even if it is water, its enough that my clothes won't fit so I had to stop taking it.

I've lost a LOT of weight so I went in to get professionally measured. They measured me at a 34B, but because of all the loose skin on the side of my breasts, I had to be put in a C cup. The D was way too big, but now I'm getting frontal quad-boob, unless I wear one of those cast-Iron granny bras that halfway through the day just make it look like I have one big lump at the front, or separate them so they look like 1950s missiles! Anyone else experience this issue? I've been taping my breasts recently to minimize the "jiggle" that causes it but I'd really love to know if its just me or if this is a common problem. I can't wait to have my breasts done!!

16 months post-op, sitting around 156 most days. The part that bothers me the most is my fat apron. Though I do know its shrunk from when I was at my heaviest, it is still very prominent. I know its not all skin, the majority of it is still pure fat (confirmed by a plastic surgeon). I feel like I've failed because its still there. I can't fit into a lot of clothes correctly, I always have to wear long shirts to cover it or people stare and make nasty faces at me when my shirt rides up. Does it ever go away?? Have I been doing something wrong to make it stick around?

As the daughter of a man who manages a legal marijuana dispensary in Washington state and who also had his own legal medical cannabis garden for a few years, I can tell you that different types of marijuana will illicit different responses. I really don't know what is available in New York, but according to my father there are varieties that will not make you hungry, and will give you a nice, mellow high. That being said, I think if you go into the experience prepared it may not be such a big deal. Have Snacks around that you know you can have, in portions that make sense. If you try to eat too much in the few months following surgery, your body will definitely let you know and you probably won't want to keep going. In my experience, it is best to let it go for the first six months, then maybe start with once or twice per month after that and see how it goes. Our tastes and responses to foods and experiences change in the first six months after surgery, so you might find that the munchies aren't a big deal that far out. I would not worry about a "transfer addiction" right away. If you notice you start to need to smoke more than once per week, then maybe take a few steps back and analyze what emotions are surrounding the need to smoke the same way you would have analyzed the emotions around the need to eat. Good luck!

Over 18 months out. One thing I have noticed since the majority of my weight dropped is really, really bad PMDD. I don't get depressed, I just get really hungry and extremely angry at everything. Like I wake up feeling extremely angry about for about four days right before my period. I talk to my therapist about it, but it seems to be a hormonal issue. I would liken it to being on a high dose of Prednisone. Wondering if this is happening for anyone else? The people I live with can't stand to be around me for a week out of every month and it breaks my heart. I hate being this way but I can't get it to stop.

Truly bizarre sleeve phenomenon I've experienced the last few months. A week to ten days before my period starts, my stomach is bottomless. I have almost no restriction during these days. The first meal I have after my period starts, and all my restriction is back. Wondering if this is happening to anyone else??

Did anyone else have a weird noise in their ears like tiny thuds or popcorn popping after surgery? My right ear feels really full and I hear this popping all the time. My doctor says its not an ear infection and said it must be from the anaesthesia, but that was nearly three months ago so I don't know why it would be popping up now. I was told to try a large dose of sudafed to try to dry out the Fluid in the inner ear but that hasn't worked. I'm really desperate to get this taken care of, because its starting to effect the way I hear and the sensation of the popping keeps me from sleeping at night.

Oh my goodness, you poor thing! Your stomach had to be resected in pieces?? I am glad you are on the sleeved side and feeling better!