ElizabethA

Hi, I am almost 2 yrs post op and about 6 pounds away from my "ideal" weight for my height. However, this has put me into a normal weight range and I am no longer classified as overweight.. yay! At the start of the process I never thought I could get to the weight I am at now - I have lost 220 pounds! I just wanted to get to what I would consider a "healthy" weight, not feeling exhausted when I had to climb a flight of stairs, being able to comfortably buy clothes or fit into a seat on a plane without feeling wedged in or being unable to lower the tray table. It has been a long road, and as the other posts have said you need to work at it - but it is definitely achievable. I found my doctor didn't want to give me a goal at the start of the process as they know that everyone is different and so much depends on the attitude of the person. I think they also don't want to over whelm you with the amount of weight that you have to lose :-). I definitely feel a lot better, all the health benefits you mentioned above, so much more energy. However, be prepared that if you have a substantial amount of weight to lose you are likely to be left with excess skin and you will not get rid of this with exercise. I have recently had a "circumfrential belt lipectomy" where they remove all the excess skin right around the stomach area, excruciatingly painful but worth it! took another 14 pounds off and I have a flat stomach for the first time ever!!! Looking forward to being able to get my arms and upper body done next year! Best of Luck

Hi Nellythere, Yes - surgery went forth on 29/03, have been recovering at home for the last couple of weeks and am feeling pretty good now. It will take a few months before I am fully recovered - still have some swelling, but fortunately I didn't need any muscles tightened so the pain has been quite minimal. Very happy with the outcome so far, fingers crossed! How are you going? Elizabeth

Well Done! A great attitude to have and I am sure you will do fabulously. Glad to hear you are feeling well after the procedure.

Good luck to all of you - hope it goes well!

The only difference between "Top Hospital" and Top Cover in general is whether you have top cover for your extras. This won't affect the surgery costs - the extra's only covers things like the Dietician or Psychologist if your surgeon requires you to have consultations with them before proceeding. If you have Top Hospital with one of the main health insurance providers you are as covered as you can be! but if in doubt ring your surgeons office and get the item codes, you can then contact your health insurance company and they will tell you over the phone what you are covered for.

I don't mind - it is very difficult to find information, particularly for Australia. I have gotten to a point where I am going to lose very little more weight via diet and exercise, my GP and Personal Trainer are in agreement that I don't have a lot of fat left, it is mainly skin and muscle. However, if you look at me it still looks like I am carrying a fair bit of excess weight, particularly around my middle. I have been left with what they refer to as an "apron" at around my stomach. I can't fit into smaller clothes because of the folds. The decision to have surgery is hard, it is very expensive, very painful (from what i have read) and most people see it as being purely cosmetic - but it is also about comfort as well, as exercising is more difficult with all the excess skin. As far as the decision, I did a lot of research and I would recommend you read the below article in the Good Weekend if you can still access it as it gives a good perspective from a variety of people who have had the surgery. I was also really lucky as my Personal Trainer had been through it and was able to talk to me about what to expect from the surgery. The main thing to understand is, particularly if you have a lot of weight to lose, it is unlikely to just be one procedure. For me the doctor is talking about 3 separate surgeries - First what they call a Circumferential abdominoplasty, where they remove all the skin from the stomach, right around the back. If you have had children they will also likely tighten your stomach muscles incoporating the traditional "tummy tuck". The second surgery is then the upper body and arms, this will remove the loose skin around your breast area and upper back and the "tuckshop lady" arms. The third stage is then the upper thighs. Don't find this too intimidating though - it is purely up to you what area's you want to focus on. For me stomach and arms are the main things. I may not end up having the third surgery as I am not too worried if my thighs are a little saggy :-) As far as cost - although it is "cosmetic" you still need to ensure you have the top private hospital cover because, although the surgeon fee's won't be covered you will definitely need the hospital to be covered. So for the first surgery the cost to me is 26k, I will get about 3k back from medicare - but that is just the doctors costs (and anaesthetist), the in hospital costs for the theatre, room costs etc are fully covered by my insurance. The hospital stay for the first surgery is 5 days, so you definitely don't want to be paying the hospital costs as well. I haven't been given the prices for the next two stages of surgery but I have been told that the second surgery takes about the same amount of time as the first (8-10 hours) and the third is about 4 hrs. So based on that I have estimated that the second will be about the same cost as the first, and the third should be a little cheaper. At the moment I am just planning on getting through the first and then will consider the rest. The surgeon has said that you will need about 6-12 months between surgeries which is just as well since I will need to save up for the next one! http://m.smh.com.au/good-weekend/under-their-skin-the-agony-and-ecstasy-of-body-contouring-20151109-gkuwmz.html Let me know if you have any other questions!

The one's I take aren't chewable. I did use a chewable Vitamin immediately post-op but didn't like the after taste so within a few weeks switched to a normal tablet. So long as I only take one tablet at a time I don't have any issues. I haven't tried the sublingual spray. I did have to order the chewable tablets online as I could not find any stores that carried them (most had no idea what I was talking about) Generally things are fantastic - I occasionally get vomiting after meals - particularly with dry meat / chicken. I try and make sure that the meat is either very tender or has a sauce with it to help it pass through more easily. I also have to avoid the leafy green vegetables - broccoli / spinach as they can also cause me issues, feels like the food is stuck and won't move through. But these are small things and you learn to work around them as you figure out what foods your body will and won't tolerate most easily. I definitely don't regret having the surgery - just wish I had done it 10 years ago!

Hi, I didn't use any particular brands post op - made most things myself. Stuck to Yoghurt and the Optifast shakes / Soups. The Optifast chocolate pudding is also pretty good, and high Protein. If i recall I also ate the Weight watches jelly - although this isn't going to give you any protein. My doctor had given me a list of acceptable foods and I pretty much stuck to that. I know there was baked Beans and scrambled eggs in there but I think that was at about week 2, If you want me to send it to you I can probably find a copy? For the first couple of months I kept a journal to record how much protein I was getting, but now I don't really bother - just try to ensure that I eat protein as the main component in each meal. I also try and keep my Snacks protein based (i.e. nuts or protein bars) but I don't let it rule my life. For me the idea with this surgery was that it wasn't a "diet" and that the changes needed to be sustainable, which yes means changing what you eat but also allowing yourself to have those other things in moderation rather than trying to eliminate them completely from your diet. For protein - I don't take the powder supplements, I do eat Protein Bars for snacks and generally just buy the one's from Woolworths or Coles - MILK brand are good - low carb and very high protein. Also the "Lo-Carb" brand, particularly the mini one's are good. If I am going to the gym and don't mind the extra carbs I eat the "Tasti" brand, love the Salted Caramel. Let me know if you have any other questions or just want some support. Elizabeth For Vitamins, I take a Multivitamin and Calcium supplement twice a day, have Vitamin B12 injections every 3 months and take a prescription Vitamin D supplement (I had really low Vitamin D before my surgery). According to my blood tests my vitamin levels are pretty good so I don't do to much else. For me the best brand of Multivitamin I have found is the NutriVital Premium Everyday Multivitamin, and I take Citracal with Vitamin D for calcium.

Hi Nellythere, I am glad to hear you are doing well. I have the surgery scheduled for 29/03 to remove the excess skin in the abdomen - there are another two stages if I end up doing everything to remove the excess skin in the upper body and thighs. I will definitely need the arms done but I will see how I go with the abdomen first :-). I haven't had any Vitamin deficiencies, but I take Multivitamin and Calcium supplements twice a day as well as Vitamin B12 injections and a prescription Vitamin D supplement. I have regular blood tests and so far so good on the nutrition front. Walking is great exercise, I have found that I enjoy it much more in groups (particularly when I can take my dog along) so have downloaded the Meetup app, you can find many different groups on there - walking groups, hikes etc if you are interested in that sort of thing. Best of luck Elizabeth

Hi, I am post op, but if you want any support or have any questions feel free to reach out - more than happy to share my limited experience! I had the surgery about 18 months ago in Sydney and have lost about 90kgs to date. I am now about to start the next stage of my journey and have surgery scheduled for 29/03/16 to have the excess skin in my abdomen removed. Good luck! and let me know if you have any questions or just need someone to talk to about the challenges. It isn't easy, lots of changes but I really believe you will feel the results are worthwhile. Elizabeth

Hi Nellythere., Just wanted to check in and see how your surgery went and how you are feeling a few months down the track? Elizabeth

Hi, I am really happy for you that you have made this decision. I had the surgery in August 2014 and it has changed my life! My HW was 178kg, and I am now 90kg. I am at a point now where i am starting to consider plastic surgery to remove the excess skin. Although i still have a few kilos to lose the doctors all agree it is mostly skin now so I am thrilled! Happy to answer any questions you might have from my experience or provide support. The journey had been challenging but is definitely worth it! Best of luck!

Focussing on the positives is a good start - you do need to be realistic and understand the complications that could arise, but don't let these overwhelm you. I was a type 2 diabetic prior to the surgery - wasn't on insulin yet, had only just been diagnosed, but my sugar levels were back to normal before I left hospital and haven't gotten up since. I also had very very bad gastric reflux that i was on prescription medication for, and sleep apnoea. The gastric reflux was completely resolved by the time I left hospital and the sleep apnoea resolved within a few weeks as well. I was in the morbidly obese range prior to surgery and am now just plain overweight - you wouldn't believe how much being told I was "overweight" thrilled me! If you are like me and suffer from other complications from being overweight I think that it is very sensible to be considering surgery as an option. I just could not have gotten this weight off any other way.

Hi, I have not had any issue with gas or pain since the surgery, in fact have probably had less gas than i did pre-surgery. I have experienced constipation due to the high Protein / low fibre diet, but nothing that hasn't been controllable with OTC medication. I am not sure if gas is a common side effect, it isn't something I have read anything about or experienced.

Hi, I am 11 months post op and can say that it is the best decision I ever made - only regret is that I didn't do it earlier!. I have lost 80kg in 12 months, and am feeling fabulous. I had my surgery in Sydney, not sure where you are, but I had an excellent recovery. Was in very little pain and was feeling back to normal with in a couple of days. I very strictly followed the protocols regarding what to eat and when, made sure not to try and get back to "normal" food to quickly. Aside from a few initial problems with vomiting after meals, which wasn't all the time and was related to a sinus issue. I have had no side effects whatsoever. I still find it difficult to eat bread, or Pasta as I find it too filling and makes me feel too full. That isn't to say you can't have any bread or pasta, just that you should only have a very small amount, half a slice to nibble on rather than a whole sandwich. I still don't really eat things like pizza. However, I consider that to be a very small price to pay! I also don't each highly sugary foods as this can make you feel very sick (the dumping syndrome they refer to in the literature), if i am going to have desert or cake i just have 2-3 spoonfuls and then give it to someone else... luckily my family is usually happy to help out :-) I would have to say that I haven't experienced any side effects or problems that I wasn't fully aware of pre-surgery. If you do your research and inform yourself you will be fine - and checking out sites like this one help! but be aware that there are always horror stories out there and that these are the one off cases not the norm. Let me know if you want any other details - I really feel that this could be the best step you could take, certainly was for me!