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Having had several experiences in this area, cheaper should absolutely not be the goal when considering skin removal surgery. I have had a brachioplasty (arm lift), full abdominalplasty (tummy tuck), Breast lift with augmentation and a full face lift. Consider interviewing several plastic surgeons and choose one that you are comfortable with because you will build a relationship with them that will last quite some time. Many people do not realize that plastics is not a simple surgery where you go and have a consultation, the surgery and a simple follow up. Our bodies require many many many sutures that can require months and months of follow up care. The after care you receive following plastics is just as critical as the surgery itself and if you choose a doctor that is closer, they usually cover all of those visits. Even if you only plan to have one procedure now....check out the team because once you have one and see the results you might find you want to go through the next step. I was very thrilled with my team and my results and because of that I had more procedures that I ever thought I would. And let me tell you, it is no walk in the park. Plastics is painful and long road to recovery but absolutely worth it when you choose the right team. I have had no complications and because I stuck with the same surgical team, I have been treated to free laser treatments for the bruises following my face lift and even free Botox for 2 rounds in my chin. I researched for many many months and what I learned was, do not focus on getting it done cheap, focus on finding the right surgical team. You need to be very comfortable with who you are working with and the approach they are taking with you. You are in control.

I waited until I reached goal and was nearly 6 months on maintenance. Then I decided to go with my arms first because they bothered me the most. The result was incredible!!! I had always had what we lovingly called grandma arms. Then of course, my tummy and breasts really bothered me now that my arms were awesome. So I had a full abdominalplasty, breast lift and augmentation in January 2017. Again, the results are incredible. Completely flat tummy and awesome breasts!!! Then my I swear it looked like my face melted off and really bothered me so in July for my birthday I had a full deep plane face lift, Endoscopic eyebrow lift, Lower Bleph and fat transfers. My face lift took what looks like 20 years off my face!!! Most of the swelling was gone in 3 weeks and my body is still absorbing sutures and changing a little in a positive way. I still have slight bruises under my eyes but so slight, only me, hubby and surgeon even know they are there. I was presentable in 3 weeks post op. In between all that I had to have both my shoulders repaired (Rotator cuff and AC joint). Having that much going on in a 1.5 year span has actually caused me to be less active than I would like and about 6 months ago, I began to gain some weight. The dreaded 15%....it is very frustrating and although I am working on it. For me that is nearly 20lbs.....I still look fantastic but that weight gain is freaking me out and the worst is....it is not so easy to lose it as it once was. If I can drop 15lbs.....I do plan to have 2 more procedures. My butt is completely flat and looks like a sharpe dog, and my thighs need a lot of work, especially where everything droops around my knees. My surgeon is suggesting finishing my abdominalplasty on the back side which ultimately will result in a lower body lift, she would then get the fat from my legs and use it to lift my butt as a part of that first surgery. Then 6 months later I would have a thigh lift as my last procedure. I have not decided for sure if I want to go through more and I certainly wont do anything until I drop at least 15lbs, would like to drop 20. Of course the cost of doing all this work has been very expensive but worth every penny. I chose a surgical team that I had complete faith in and they have not disappointed me at all. The pain from plastics is pretty extreme and I am someone who has a very high pain tolerance and dont like to take pain meds. My plastic surgeon tells me I am the opposite of most....my arm lift was the most painful of all. I guess the abdominalplasty is supposed to be the most painful. I had my breasts done at the same time and I honestly think they were more painful than the tummy tuck. LOL... My face was not painful at all. I think I took pain meds for 3 days total. That is more about ice packs..... My TT and BL/A took the longest at nearly 10 total hours and I stayed in the hospital. My arm lift took over 6 hours and my facelift took 9 hours and was completed in a hospital not in the doctors office. Because I had such an extensive neck lift and an endoscopic brow lift, he knew I would get a better result if he used a general anesthetic. I was happy because there was no way I could last that long laying on a table while awake. Anyway.....plastics has been awesome to me. I learned that the most important thing is finding a surgeon that you trust, and not to shop for price. You get what you pay for and what people fail to realize is that after care is critical. If you do any of this work, you are looking at hundreds/thousands of sutures in your body.....there will always be something that comes up that your surgical team will need to follow up on. Especially with weight loss surgery patients.

I have been having severe back pain since last June. I have been through a multitude of procedures because of my spine history. Although the MRI of my thoracic spine shows some problems they are not significant enough to cause this pain. In November I had surgery to remove a nonfunctional neurostimulator thinking the leads were impacting a nerve. Following that surgery the pain in my midback and right side including the ribs grew worse. They started me on Vicodin and kept me on it for several months now. It did not touch this pain. I had my shoulder repaired on 2/12 and they added MS Contin along with the Vicodin. That finally helped make me more comfortable. I was referred back to my PCP this week and she has run blood work to check my kidney, liver and pancreatic function simply to rule them out. I had my gallbladder removed 25 years ago. My blood work came back normal. She changed me to a fentanyl patch because all of these pills are not good. I have a history of stage 3 kidney disease so I have to be careful. Today she called and is requesting that I have an ERCP test to check the bile ducts, at the pancreas, liver and where the gallbladder used to be to rule out stones there. Since having RNY, I moved states and had to find new doctors here with a different health insurance. I scheduled an appointment with a gi doctor here in Wisconsin, I have heard that you have to be very careful with any type of test like this one after having bypass but I am not sure of how to handle this. I did ask if they had a doctor that specializes in Bariatric patients and I got the canned answer that they all understand that surgery and I shouldn't worry about it. Do I need to do anything special? Has anyone had this test post RNY and if so can you share your experience. I just want to make sure that I ask the right questions.

Your nerves are completely normal! I think the one I was most scared about was my face. The best you can do is shop for a surgeon that you are comfortable with. Make sure they are board certified. Ask to see pictures of previous surgeries like the one you are shopping for. Ask how many this surgeon has performed and also if they have worked with many weight loss patients. Best of luck to you!

I met with several surgeons before finding one that I clicked with. The biggest thing about plastics is after care. Having had now 3 major plastics, I have learned a lot and the most critical thing is after care. I had a Brachioplasty done last July, a full abdominalplasty, breast lift and breast augmentation done in January and just 3 weeks ago I had a deep plane face/neck lift, endoscopic brow lift, lower eyelid lift and fat graphting. All of my surgeries were very successful with minimal complications. Apparently I was allergic to the surgical glue/tape use to close my arm lift incisions. That made my arm lift the most painful of all of them. Doctors always short sell the amount of time that it truly takes to recover. In fact, I joke with both my surgeons about that. Many times they tell you that a couple weeks and everything is back to normal. that is not true....most of the bruising and swelling may be much improved but it takes a while to get used to how your body feels, and how you even carry yourself. For example....my facial plastic surgeon who is masterful told me he would expect my bruising and swelling to be gone at 2 weeks. Everyone is different.....I have had BBL treatements twice per week for the last 3 weeks and I still have bruises under my eyes. When he saw me at two weeks he was disappointed that my eyes were still bruised. It's not a huge deal, a good plastic surgeon will provide treatments to reduce it more quickly, provide the right makeup to cover it up and even tutorials on how to do that. That is great after care...... So, make sure you aske exactly what is included and for how long. All of my treatments have been 100% included as are all follow ups. When I had my breast lift done, I had two small openings where the two scars come together under the breast. This issue is very common and not a big deal but when it first happens it can freak you out. My Body plastic surgeon took such great care of me and called regularly and would come in to meet me at the office if I needed her. My gastric bypass was the best thing that ever happened to me.....now plastics has been. It is scary and painful and worth every penny if you choose a surgeon that you feel very comfortable with and has a good record of successful procedures. When it comes to plastics, don't focus on a bargain, focus on the team. If you find a good one, they will work out proposals that give you a good deal anyway. I have spent a lot of money on my procedures and they have been worth every single penny. Having plastics is so exciting and I am excited for you!!!

I had a breast lift and augmentation in January. My results are phenomenal! Yes it is a painful recovery but it is absolutely worth it. I am 55 years old and have been at goal for over a year which is very important to maintain your weight once you hit goal. I had 46C breasts before bypass. I had a lift and then 350cc implants. I am now a 36DD and my surgeon did a fantastic job at making my lift perfect. I am about 14 weeks post op as of today and the only time I have discomfort is when I go a long period of time without a bra. My breasts are obviously much heavier than what I am used to but when I have a bra on, they feel 100% normal. I also have not lost sensation in the nipples. Having this lift, augmentation and tummy tuck was instantly rewarding and worth every penny. Best of luck to you.

Having had plastics, there is a product called BioCorneum that works fantastic. It not only lightens scars but also flattens them.

This week some friends from a previous job posted a picture that we all took together 3 years ago (9months before I had bypass). I am the one with dark hair o the right side hiding behind the guy with the santa hat and the lady with the reindeer antlers. I was at my heaviest which was 315 lbs and barely able to work any longer. When my husband saw this post, he too said I never saw you were that big. It was quite shocking when I shared the photo with my family members. I have not seen these folks in about 2.5 years and many of them have no idea that I lost all of my weight. A few are on facebook and have seen my cover photo. Of course when they did many reached out, some with lots of questions. Anyway, I thought I would share my now picture.....In 3 weeks I am having plastics to deal with loose skin. I am having a complete abdominalplasty with muscle repair, a breast lift with augmentation. I am looking forward to when the swelling will go down and I can repost after pictures then. For now, here is an after picture.

LOL. I do, unless of course I am meeting with a client and you can hear it clear across the room. Then I cringe a little! LOL

The drinking part is forever. Maybe the chewing should be LOL. I have already swallowed food too fast and it has gotten stuck.

It is definately the fever thing that might cause you to postpone. Also if it is upper respiratory they may do the same thing. I am having plastics next thursday and developed a cold a few days ago. I started eating airborne and things improved quickly. It was a cold that was just getting started and it feels like airborne stopped it in its tracks. Not positive about that but it certainly seems that way. Hope all works out for you! Get well soon!

Yup. Same thing happened to me and I am so thankful! I had severe gerd and my bypass cured it among many other health issues.

I have tried it. For whatever reason, ice cream of any kind feels like I have a block of cement in my stomach. I have even tried lactose free. i have finally decided it is the cold that my pouch simply cannot handle.

I try to play the quiet game with my husband a lot.......doesn't work so good. It is usually I who quits before him. Clearly backfires.....

@@Rmmosley Hi There! Congratulations on your surgery! The best thing you can do is measure and weigh your food in the beginning. Many times our bodies allow us to eat more than we should and measuring helps stop that. In terms of stretching your pouch. Probably not going to happen unless you make a habit of overeating. I would not worry about that at all. Just get back on track and everything should be fine.

@@shropee I am so sorry to hear you went through one surgery only to have another. I would make sure that your surgeon has a very good plan for treating your acid reflux. It can get worse with the sleeve. That being said, getting rid of your other health issues is a huge plus! Best of luck to you!

@@TurtleQueen That could be what is causing your symptoms. I know it is hard, I had a hard time for the first month but once I was able to get fluids in me, I immediately got my energy back too. It was about 7 weeks before I started feeling myself. Best of luck to you!

As @@Babbs stated.....it is so common there are many threads on this site about it. The best thing you can do is simply stick to your plan and it will work itself out.

How is your hydration? Being dehydrated can make you feel sick, nauseated, weak, headache and even dizzy if it gets bad enough. The most difficult thing for us WLS patients is to stay hydrated. Are you getting 64oz of fluids?

I just wanted to say that I thought the fist year was tough and my goodness it was! With all the lifestyle changes that have to be made to lose all of your weight and all the changes to your body. I have learned since than as many vets warned me....Maintenance is even harder yet. Mostly because you have met your weight loss goal and now you need to figure out how to live in this new world. You don't have the motivation of the scale or changes in clothing sizes. Your motivation is more focused on staying healthy and not fitting in all those new clothes you bought. It is way harder than I thought it would be but it is doable. It is doable because my tool will always be there for me to help me control myself. As long as I make good decisions, I should be in great shape 10, 15, 20 years from now. That is my goal......and thank goodness I have a tool to help me acheive it!

I tend to steer clear of crackers in general because like you, they really do cause me to crave more. In the beginning I had no problem sticking to the small number of crackers but down the road, i could eat my way through 1/2 a box. Then the cravings would start and I would think about the crunch of crackers. I have them now very very rarely and now I could care less. I stick to nuts. I love marcona almonds from Trader Joe's. Expeciallty the olive oil and rosemary ones. It is easier for me to limit them for some reason and they fill me up and keep me full. And my goodness they taste awesome. I also like wonderful sweet chili pistachios. I get my crunch and don't seem to crave these as much. Crackers stalled me a lot and even caused me to gain in maintenance. They seem innocent but they are a slider food for me.

When I saw this topic I could feel my blood pressure rise. LOL! It irks me when I see or hear people say this, especially on TV or magazines. They have absolutely NO idea how hard we work to get healthy nor do they understand that obesity is a metabolic disease. There is such a small percentage of people who are successful long term losing weight and ultimately keeping it off. I believe it is less than 5%. Honestly, this is frustrating. The medical community outside of bariatric teams are somewhat clueless about it too. If only they would do better education maybe the public would understand that it is a metabolic disease and to cure it long term surgery is really the best option. UGH......just adding to your rant. LOL!

I am so sorry that you had surgery only to find out they could not do the bypass! That has to be frustrating and scary. I am sure your surgeon will have some idea of what can be done for you. Many of the reasons you listed are great reasons for having this surgery as you well know. Just hang in there and wait to talk to him. I believe that everything happens for a reason. He was trying to keep you safe. Hugs to you! I hope you feel better soon!

I ate soups and stews from the very beginning. Like you I just tried to make them heartier and limit the bad carbs like noodle. Like you said use high Protein noodles. I do however put a small amount of potatoes in my beef stew but I double the meat and of course the carrots, celery, onion.....yum! I froze some, I might have to have it for dinner tonight. LOL Good luck!

Welcome and the best of luck on your upcoming surgery! Hoping that all goes well and by this time next week you will be starting a whole new life!