Frangipani

Hi Pink, I know it's hard, but try not too focus too much on how things look right now. Your body has just been through a very traumatic event and it's reacting in kind, inside and out. Try to focus on resting and healing, and do your best to ignore the mirror the next several days -- things will get better as you heal. Good luck and keep us updated. :biggrin::smile:

OMG Vegas Girl, I just noticed that you are being banded tomorrow!!! Good luck with your surgery!!!! My surgery went beautifully last year. Easiest surgery I've ever had and I was out shopping at the mall the very next day. Regarding abbreviations, Here's a link that gives a list of just about every abbreviation you might encounter on this board. Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum - FAQ: Lap-band Abbreviations

Hey Lulu, LOL :biggrin:! I figured while I was going through this incredibly vain and self-indulgent period of my life, I might as well get it all done at once! Re pics: I'm waiting for my photographer (DH) to take several pics for me (including updated PS pics). He's slow, but he's free, and as they say, you get what you pay for........ Hi Chattykathi, It's Frangipani, and thanks for the nice comments! Yes, it is a very nice place to live for sure, and it is beautiful, but it is still an island and as such, lacking in some amenities -- so most people find after living here for a while that they need to go "off island" on a fairly regular basis to acheive the right balance in their lives. I have missed out on many opportunities to have fun in the islands because of my weight. Many times when I was fat, I'd be invited to go boating to this island or that and I would always come up with some sort of an excuse not to go because I refused to wear a bathing suit (or any type of skin-baring clothing, including shorts) in public. So yes, I can totally relate to what you're saying, and it's just sad to waste our lives being fat and hating our bodies -- which is why I believe so strongly in WLS now. As far as you being 56, I would say that you still have a huge window of opportunity!!!! Go for it girl, and get out there and start having some fun :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:!!! Hey Heartfire, Great to hear you've had good long-term experience with the permanent makeup! Have you had to have it touched up? My MUA told me that the eyeliner only lasts about 2-3 years before needing a touch up. Has that been your experience? BTW Laura Mercier makes an incredible mineral make-up that works very well as a foundation in hot, sweaty climes like ours. I love it because it is so finely milled and because her colors are so true and flattering.

Hey Ladies, Nice to hear your positive comments! Kiki, from the sound of it, a tattoo is more painful than this (although I guess permanent makeup is technically a tattoo as well). Remember the eyeliner doesn't take very long because the area is so small and you are not depositing much color. So if you want it done, I wouldn't worry about the pain. The eyebrows didn't hurt one bit -- I probably could have napped through that part. Vegas girl, yes, I would definitely check out that Sally Hayes. Her work looks great!!! I agree having this done is a very nice treat for losing weight and a job well done. Go for it :Banane37::thumbup::sleep2:! I'm already thinking about the enormous $$$$ and time I'll be saving. I'm like you, I wouldn't be caught dead without makeup on. Here in the tropics makeup just "melts" off and it's unbelievable what you have to do to "set" your makeup, but yet get it to come out natural looking. Just to give you an idea, I was layering three different products onto the brows, and four to six different products on the eyes, not to mention the rest of the face -- Whew!!! Now with this permanent makeup, I have a good base, so even when the elements are working against me, I'll still have some color and some definition. I know this will be awesome for traveling and the beach too.

Apples, Thanks for sharing about the eyelash extensions. I was wondering how that works! I'll be curious to know how you like them once you get it done. I'd like to get that done too.

Hi Chattykathi, We must have been posting at the same time. You can see what I said about the pain above, and as far as the weight, it took me 11 months to reach goal (119 pounds lost). However, 18 of those pounds are directly attributable to my surgery in June (tummy tuck, breast lift with implants, and an open myomectomy). As far as what I ate, I tried to stick mostly with low-fat and (fairly) low-carb foods. I tried to consume around 1000 calories a day, but sometimes it was closer to 1500 (absolute perfection is not my "thing" when it comes to food). Exercise was (and is) key for me. My cardio workouts are a minimum of one hour and sometimes on the weekends I go out for 2 - 3 hour moderately strenuous hikes. Also, my regular exercise routine consists of strength and core training. That said, my fitness program has been broken up quite a bit this summer because of my surgeries. Good luck with your decision. Of course it is an individual choice and there are lots of factors to consider, but my advice would be to go with the Band. As long as you keep your end of the bargain with the Band, the weight will come off and you get the added benefit of keeping your precious organs intact and digesting your food properly too. :Banane37:

Hi Susan, I will try to post some photos as soon as I can, but right now my "photographer" (DH) is a bit backed up with work and travel. He still owes me some updated PS photos too......... I have never had a tattoo, so I can't really tell you how it compares pain-wise, but I can't say that it really hurt while the procedure was being done -- it just felt really weird. The eyeliner also caused some anxiety at first because I kept feeling as if my eyes were going to fly open during the procedure. It also took a little while to get my eyes fully numbed. The eyebrows were a complete piece of cake, no pain, no discomfort whatsoever. Afterwards however, the eyes did hurt a bit and felt quite raw. A single Tylenol immediately after, and the next day, took care of the pain completely. (My advice would be to take a Tylenol just before you have this done.) Here is a link to a website of another artist out west who does superb, very natural work. I would say that my results are very comparable, but I will try to get my own photos up when I can. Permanent makeup by Sally Hayes

Hey Lady, Thanks for the update, I've been thinking and wondering about you!!! I hope you'll be joining us again in Band Land very soon!!!! :crying::smile:

Hi Snapplegirl, Thanks!!! I agree wholeheartedly with what Karen G says about avoiding making comparisons and staying on top of your fills. In addition to that here are my three basic keys to sucess: 1) Fills under fluoro always. 2) Track everything you put in your mouth. I started out using Fit Day and currently use Daily Plate. I try to stay right around 1000 calories, but I'm not going to drive myself crazy trying to achieve perfection, so some days it might be closer to 1500. 3) Exercise and lots of it. Hope this helps and good luck on your journey!!!!

Thank you Mzreeda!!!! :crying::smile: Congratulations on your excellent progress too!!!!

Hi All, Sorry I've been AWOL from our Crazy Ates group lately, but I've been living over in "plastics land," so much so, that my Bandiversary completely passed me by last Thursday, without even a thought :crying:. Congratulations to everyone for a great year and let's do try to keep our wonderful group together in the coming year!!! I just want to thank you wonderful Band Mates, you have been a tremendous source of support and inspiration and I couldn't have gotten this far without you. Hey Judi, with you being our best and brightest writer as well as the founder of our Crazy Ates group, I was wondering if you think it might be a good idea to start a Bandiversary Celebration Thread. I know it's already a bit late in the month, but what do think? Also, I'm still thinking about a Crazy Ates get together and Vegas was one idea that was tossed out, but I have another. How about Miami? I'm telling you that South Beach scene is a tremendous amount of fun both day and night!!!! I'm also thinking that Miami is a lot easier and closer for many to get to (especially the East Coasters). I will be in Vegas in November, so that is definitely still an option for me. Heck, maybe we can have two choices, either Miami in October or Vegas in November!!!!

Hi Julie, I'm sorry that I don't have any good advice to offer regarding this situation, but I did want to tell you that I'm really sorry to hear that things didn't go the way you'd planned, and I'm hoping that you'll get it all worked out. I do agree with the other posters that you might want to seek yet another opinion and possibly even a fourth until you find a Dr. in whom you have complete confidence. I would think that correcting another surgeon's mistakes requires even a higher level of skill and experience on the part of the Dr. doing the revision.

Hi Karey, No problem typing and thinking out loud -- sometimes you just need to do that....... Big hugs to you and sorry to hear about your knee problems -- just what you needed on top of everything else right now, huh? I agree that there are advantages to having everything done in one solid block of time. To me, surgery (and recovering from surgery) is a highly disruptive thing -- which is why I am on an absolute mission to have everything that I "need" done this summer. On the other hand, I can also understand why you might want to hold off a bit on the PS with the Lap Band problems you've had lately -- too much surgery at once might not be a good thing for you under the circumstances. It is kind of a tough call for sure, and I hope that you and your doctors get it all worked out in a way you makes you feel most comfortable.

Hi Lillyanne, Thanks!!!! I will put some updated photos up soon. Definitely, I would always advise talking to two doctors at least (I consulted with 4), but do yourself a favor and consult with Dr. M. In addition to being very good he is also one of the nicest people you will ever meet. His prices are reasonable too -- not bargain-basement, but fair and very reasonable for a surgeon of his caliber. Regarding the timing, I just posted in another thread regarding this issue and here's what I said. "Re Timing: Even if you are in doubt as to the timing, it's a good idea to do your consultations and let the Dr. advise you accordingly. I started consulting with Dr.'s long before I thought I was ready -- when I was still 38 pounds from my "goal." The Dr. I ultimately chose told me that I only needed to lose another 15 before surgery, and he was right! (Although I did manage to lose 20). I lost another 18 pounds from the surgery itself and hit goal in less than one month post-op. I had plastic surgery 10 months after being banded and I am SO glad I did. I figured that I had already wasted enough precious time being fat, and I didn't want to deal with being "flabby" one minute longer than I needed to. I am only 2 months post-op, but having a TT and a breast lift with implants has already made a huge improvement in the way I feel about my body. So, my advice is to get everything set up in advance, and have the sugery as soon as your Dr. advises." Hope this helps and good luck! I will be in Miami for about 18 days (from 8/23 through 9/10), so if you want to met up someplace (and you can pretty much always find me at one of the 5 Stein Marts between Cooper City and Boca, if not one of the malls :tongue:), PM me and we will set something up.

Hi Becky, Welcome back! We missed you!!! How was your vacation(s)? Sorry to hear about the yeast infection and good luck with the Dr. today. I'm sure once you get back on meds it will clear up pretty quickly. Yes, my surgery is exactly two weeks from today, which is a good thing because my backside is driving me absolutely crazy!!! I'm having "the works" done to the backside and thighs -- lift, liposuction and buttocks augmentation. I can hardly believe it, but my butt is flat and getting flatter by the day and I have never, ever had a flat butt. Anyhow, more to follow with this story, I'm sure............ Have a great day :smile:!

Hey Lulu, Hope you had a good time Miami! Sorry I missed you. I'll be back there on the 23! Well, I haven't been to good about posting, but I have been pretty good about keeping up with my workouts. Three more cardio sessions down. Keep up the good work everyone!!!!:thumbup: August Exercise Challenge 6/15 sessions

Hi Lillyanne, Love your screen name by the way. "Lilly" is one of my all time favorite names. I even named my cat "Lilly Belle." I have an awesome Dr.. He is very skilled and has a tremendous bedside manner as well. His name is Dr. Nick Masri, and he specializes in post bariatric surgery patients. He has two offices that I know of, one in Aventura right near the mall and one in Bay Harbor Islands (in the Bal Harbour area). The phone number is 305.865.7866. I had surgery with him on June 13. I need to take some updated pics, but here are my two week post-op pics, along with a before taken 4 days pre-op. I was still swollen at that time, and my results are even better now. I'm having a buttocks/thigh lift along with some liposuction and buttocks augmentation in just two weeks, and I have no doubt that I will be just as happy with the backside as I am with the front.

Re Timing: Even if you are in doubt as to the timing, it's a good idea to do your consultations and let the Dr. advise you accordingly. I started consulting with Dr.'s long before I thought I was ready -- when I was still 38 pounds from my "goal." The Dr. I ultimately chose told me that I only needed to lose another 15 before surgery, and he was right! (Although I did manage to lose 20). I lost another 18 pounds from the surgery itself and hit goal in less than one month post-op. I had plastic surgery 10 months after being banded and I am SO glad I did. I figured that I had already wasted enough precious time being fat, and I didn't want to deal with being "flabby" one minute longer than I needed to. I am only 2 months post-op, but having a TT and a breast lift with implants has already made a huge improvement in the way I feel about my body. So, my advice is to get everything set up in advance, and have the sugery as soon as your Dr. advises. Re Implants: I have them and I love them. I wanted a nice, full breast and after consulting with 4 surgeons and looking at dozens of photos, I realized that an implant was the only way that I was going to achieve the look that I desired. Even though I do have an implant, my breasts are not large. I went with a 400cc silicone implant which resulted in a "C" cup on my small(ish), 5'4" frame, and it's perfect for me. Everyone is telling me that my results look very natural, and that if they hadn't known that I had surgery, they never would have guessed. Still, I do have a "shapely" look on top, which I'm very happy with. Re TT next week, Michee: Good luck and please keep us posted!!!! You will be so happy you did this!!!! :thumbup: What day are you going in?

Hi Bamgal, I would very much appreciate it if you would ask him about this. I got this information from his office manager just today, when I called to book an appointment. I'm willing to pay $300, but not $730. Thanks!

BBK, I haven't had a chance to look at the website yet, but it sounds awfully suspicious to me........... My dating days are a thing of the very distant past, but when I think back to what some men thought they were entitled to after a $100 dinner, I can only imagine what one might want after "donating" several thousand dollars toward breast implant surgery. My advice would be to pass on this one............. Have a great day sweetie :smile:!

Hi All, Have some updated info for you on Dr. Wizman in Pompano Beach/Margate. If you have been banded by another Dr. he charges $730 for the first fill under fluoro not $300. There is a $500 "program fee" (whatever that is) plus a charge of $230 for the hospital. Every fill thereafter (which would not be under fluoro I might add) would be $150. Thanks, but I think I'll pass. First of all, I only have my fills done under fluoro, and secondly at that price, it's still cheaper for me to travel elsewhere. Still looking........any other info on Dr.'s in South Florida who are in the $200 - $300 range would be great! Thanks again :smile:!

Hi Karey, I hope you're feeling better! I am so excited now about finding this Dr. Roberts -- his work really is amazing!!! Now I want you to consult with him, and let me know what you find out. If you do consult with him though, please practice saying "Dr. Roberts" on the plane ride over, I would hate for you to accidentally address him as "Butt Guy" to his face :thumbup::thumbup:!

Hi Karey, Sorry to hear that you are still having such a rough time of it, and I hope it resolves soon. "Butt guy," that's funny ! Let me know what you find out. After you alerted me to it, I took a look at his other website that features his facelifts, and WOW! :tt1::tt1::tt1: His work is amazing!!!! As much as I like and appreciate my surgeon, when it comes time to do the face, I have no loyalty whatsoever (:tt2::tongue::tongue:), and I will be looking for the absolute best of the best. I consider the face to be in it's own special category, and this guy will definitely be on my list of people to talk to when the time comes........

Hi Karey, I hope all went well with the Dr. yesterday and you're feeling much better. I liked Dr. Robert's website too, but the once concern I would have about him is whether or not he has experience in working with post bariatric surgery patients like us. LOL :w00t:! I would find it very hard to switch doctors at this point, and your Dr. seems excellent. I've run across his name a few times on these PS forums and his patients seem very happy. Assuming that you're also happy with him, I think there is a lot of benefit in working with the same surgeon from start to finish on something like this. No problem, I'll be happy to share as the process unfolds.

Hi Karey, Thanks! :cry_smile::smile::drool: Sorry to hear that you're not feeling well. Good luck with the Dr. today, and I hope he/she gets you all fixed up and feeling better.