fourmonthspreop

Update: healing well. Started scar laser therapy last week. Still in compression but I got a cute short sleeve dress I can't wait to wear on my summer vacation. I will probably be in compression for the rest of the summer just because the swelling gets so crazy in the extreme heat where I live.
I am excited and loving the results so far. It feels so great to not feel my arms shake and move around while doing things daily. Going down stairs, running, stirring while cooking, all feels different. Also I am a violinist and I no longer feel my arms shake and move while I play. I am so happy about that.

Update: healing well. Started scar laser therapy last week. Still in compression but I got a cute short sleeve dress I can't wait to wear on my summer vacation. I will probably be in compression for the rest of the summer just because the swelling gets so crazy in the extreme heat where I live.
I am excited and loving the results so far. It feels so great to not feel my arms shake and move around while doing things daily. Going down stairs, running, stirring while cooking, all feels different. Also I am a violinist and I no longer feel my arms shake and move while I play. I am so happy about that.

Update: healing well. Started scar laser therapy last week. Still in compression but I got a cute short sleeve dress I can't wait to wear on my summer vacation. I will probably be in compression for the rest of the summer just because the swelling gets so crazy in the extreme heat where I live.
I am excited and loving the results so far. It feels so great to not feel my arms shake and move around while doing things daily. Going down stairs, running, stirring while cooking, all feels different. Also I am a violinist and I no longer feel my arms shake and move while I play. I am so happy about that.

I don't post too much on here anymore because I'm 2 years and 3 months post of from bypass. Life has pretty much normalized and I've reached my goal weight. I would like to get down to maybe 195 lbs but I'm not sweating it too much because I feel the best I've ever been since starting this whole process. I am six feet tall and sit around 198/199 at the moment. I started this journey at around 340 lbs. I lost 30 lbs before my surgery. I have lots of loose skin on my belly, my thighs, and my arms. Unfortunately, I can't afford skin removal but I'm saving to do my arms next summer.
After a while, sometimes you have days where you no longer connect to your old obese self. I have days where I feel huge and ugly still. It's easy to forget where you came from or how far you've come. What helps me is now and then I check my old photos and make comparisons so I can see my progress. The body dysmorphia is so real and something I know most of you if not all can and will relate to.
Losing the weight did not fix my body image but it's different for everyone. Some things IT DID improve however:
-Improve my joint health (daily knee pain gone).
-Took up running. Avid runner now. Have done races and run regularly outside.
-Lowered my blood pressure.
-Lowered my heart rate.
-No longer profusely sweat or turn red from basic activities.
-No longer use alcohol and food to cope with anxiety.
-So much energy to move and do chores/tasks.
-Healed my obsession with food.

I love seeing everyone's progress and reading your stories. Getting the surgery is not a fix-all. We have to do the work to eat the right foods in the right portions and get exercise regularly. It's easier the first year but I can tell you it gets harder and harder. Every day is a battle when you're trying to escape obesity. That's not a bad thing. It's rewarding and you learn so much and become a more resilient and deep person. So keep remembering why you did this, where you came from, and how much better life is getting for you!

Welll.... got my brachio. On post op day 4. Feeling pretty good. It's still very swollen. Here's post op day 3 photo. I can't wait to be healed and wearing t shirt. I have to wear this compression top for 2 weeks straight then for 12 hours a day for 4 more weeks or so.

Welll.... got my brachio. On post op day 4. Feeling pretty good. It's still very swollen. Here's post op day 3 photo. I can't wait to be healed and wearing t shirt. I have to wear this compression top for 2 weeks straight then for 12 hours a day for 4 more weeks or so.

Welll.... got my brachio. On post op day 4. Feeling pretty good. It's still very swollen. Here's post op day 3 photo. I can't wait to be healed and wearing t shirt. I have to wear this compression top for 2 weeks straight then for 12 hours a day for 4 more weeks or so.

Welll.... got my brachio. On post op day 4. Feeling pretty good. It's still very swollen. Here's post op day 3 photo. I can't wait to be healed and wearing t shirt. I have to wear this compression top for 2 weeks straight then for 12 hours a day for 4 more weeks or so.

Yes - as Greentael (sp?) said above, your second set of photos give more context. Here are my before and afters. I forgot I had these on here.

Welll.... got my brachio. On post op day 4. Feeling pretty good. It's still very swollen. Here's post op day 3 photo. I can't wait to be healed and wearing t shirt. I have to wear this compression top for 2 weeks straight then for 12 hours a day for 4 more weeks or so.

Thanks for the replies everyone.
I am hoping it'll be a smooth recovery but I understand it's a huge procedure and costly, it's still something I believe will help me along my journey. I just feel so uncomfortable with my arms, way more than the loose skin on my belly and legs.
I understand it might not be as drastic as some other cases on here and in no way did I mean to compare myself to anyone else's struggles. It's just something personally I have had trouble with and wanted to know how the recovery process is and how you view yourself after.
My surgeon said there's two people that usually come into his office. The first one is someone who doesn't have enough loose skin and doesn't really qualify for a brachio (they are more looking at Lipo and skin tightening procedures).
The other patient is someone who has huge amounts of excess skin (people who've lost between 150/200 lbs with poorer skin elasticity) and have no other options except a brachio (less invasive procedures would not make a difference).
He said I sit right on the cusp of absolutely needed a brachio to see the results I want. He said my skin elasticity is good but it won't ever bounce back to a normal size without skin removal. He said I could do skin tightening I believe they call is morpheous body but it won't get rid of the flap of skin under my arm. He suggests it to his patients who qualify who are more concerned about scarring. I personally don't care about scars. He also noticed I have a lot of loose skin folded over on my bra line so he is recommends the brachio with the bra line skin removal procedure for me. Of course I want brachio, but I am going with what my surgeon thinks is best and that is the removal of the skin.
I included some other pics, sorry I don't take the best pictures but hopefully, you can see my arms a bit more if you were curious what my situation is. Again, I am in no way comparing my physical shape to anyone else. We all have different circumstances, bodies, elasticity, goals, etc.
I don't have the photos from my surgeon yet (the before, clearest photos) but you can see more of my arm hangage here in these photos. No, it doesn't look super obvious when I wear long sleeves pic for reference (I am always wearing long sleeves) however I personally would like to have a brachio to feel confident in t-shirts without that arm flap wacking against my side.   

Long post alert, just venting and catching up after so much time away... TLDR, I'm getting an arm lift. I want to hear from other people who got it and how it changed their body/body image, recovery, success stories, and whatever else you want to share!
Wow, I haven't posted in a while. This forum got me through some dark times when I had my gastric bypass both before and after.
I am posting today because I am FINALLY getting some plastics done. I have been waiting a while because I wanted to maintain my weight. I just turned 30, I'm not getting any younger and I've been doing excellent maintaining my weight loss so I finally scheduled a brachioplasty to start.
I am getting an arm lift in other words. I included a pic of my arm and the skin hang-age. This is my before. Disclaimer, this pic is from a couple months ago it's the one I had handy on my desktop but I've been doing a lot of weight training and have built up my bicep a bit more.
I would like to do a Tummy Tuck too (I have A LOT of loose skin in an apron belly shape and my boobs sag down to my ribs 😕 ) but I am okay with not getting it for now. I can't afford both and don't really have the time to recover from all that surgery.
I am starting with just the brachio for now. I have spent my whole life hiding my body and after losing all this weight, I found I am concealing it even MORE because of how droopy and flappy everything has gotten. I am fed up of feeling uncomfortable in my own skin after all the hard work I put in. I'm sure a lot of people who get plastic surgery post-major weight loss can relate to this. At this point it feels like a necessity. My bat wing arms also smack against my body like crazy, I can't wear short sleeves without this happening and tops do not fit me right because of my wonky proportions. My bicep has very little fat on it and all the bulk on my arm is hanging under it so it's very uncomfortable. I've been holding off because of how expensive it is as well. I am paying out of pocket 15k and it's a chunk of my savings but I'd rather have this than a payment plan and I can start ASAP to recoup my savings.
I have a lot of body image issues as one does from being morbidly obese their whole life... so honestly I am almost 100% sure this surgery is NOT going to fix the way I see myself. I am more looking at it as a way to feel more comfortable on a day-to-day basis whether I am exercising or just trying to wear a short sleeve outfit in this very hot state I live in.
So that's basically my update. I have been doing well, maintaining my weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. Gastric bypass has completely changed my life and made it so much easier to make better choices for my body and my longevity. I am ready for the arm lift and I am so scared but also excited to see how this all goes. I want to hear from other people who got an arm lift or any loose skin removal and how the recovery went for you and how it helped you and your confidence.
Thanks and you're all wonderful people!

Long post alert, just venting and catching up after so much time away... TLDR, I'm getting an arm lift. I want to hear from other people who got it and how it changed their body/body image, recovery, success stories, and whatever else you want to share!
Wow, I haven't posted in a while. This forum got me through some dark times when I had my gastric bypass both before and after.
I am posting today because I am FINALLY getting some plastics done. I have been waiting a while because I wanted to maintain my weight. I just turned 30, I'm not getting any younger and I've been doing excellent maintaining my weight loss so I finally scheduled a brachioplasty to start.
I am getting an arm lift in other words. I included a pic of my arm and the skin hang-age. This is my before. Disclaimer, this pic is from a couple months ago it's the one I had handy on my desktop but I've been doing a lot of weight training and have built up my bicep a bit more.
I would like to do a Tummy Tuck too (I have A LOT of loose skin in an apron belly shape and my boobs sag down to my ribs 😕 ) but I am okay with not getting it for now. I can't afford both and don't really have the time to recover from all that surgery.
I am starting with just the brachio for now. I have spent my whole life hiding my body and after losing all this weight, I found I am concealing it even MORE because of how droopy and flappy everything has gotten. I am fed up of feeling uncomfortable in my own skin after all the hard work I put in. I'm sure a lot of people who get plastic surgery post-major weight loss can relate to this. At this point it feels like a necessity. My bat wing arms also smack against my body like crazy, I can't wear short sleeves without this happening and tops do not fit me right because of my wonky proportions. My bicep has very little fat on it and all the bulk on my arm is hanging under it so it's very uncomfortable. I've been holding off because of how expensive it is as well. I am paying out of pocket 15k and it's a chunk of my savings but I'd rather have this than a payment plan and I can start ASAP to recoup my savings.
I have a lot of body image issues as one does from being morbidly obese their whole life... so honestly I am almost 100% sure this surgery is NOT going to fix the way I see myself. I am more looking at it as a way to feel more comfortable on a day-to-day basis whether I am exercising or just trying to wear a short sleeve outfit in this very hot state I live in.
So that's basically my update. I have been doing well, maintaining my weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. Gastric bypass has completely changed my life and made it so much easier to make better choices for my body and my longevity. I am ready for the arm lift and I am so scared but also excited to see how this all goes. I want to hear from other people who got an arm lift or any loose skin removal and how the recovery went for you and how it helped you and your confidence.
Thanks and you're all wonderful people!

Long post alert, just venting and catching up after so much time away... TLDR, I'm getting an arm lift. I want to hear from other people who got it and how it changed their body/body image, recovery, success stories, and whatever else you want to share!
Wow, I haven't posted in a while. This forum got me through some dark times when I had my gastric bypass both before and after.
I am posting today because I am FINALLY getting some plastics done. I have been waiting a while because I wanted to maintain my weight. I just turned 30, I'm not getting any younger and I've been doing excellent maintaining my weight loss so I finally scheduled a brachioplasty to start.
I am getting an arm lift in other words. I included a pic of my arm and the skin hang-age. This is my before. Disclaimer, this pic is from a couple months ago it's the one I had handy on my desktop but I've been doing a lot of weight training and have built up my bicep a bit more.
I would like to do a Tummy Tuck too (I have A LOT of loose skin in an apron belly shape and my boobs sag down to my ribs 😕 ) but I am okay with not getting it for now. I can't afford both and don't really have the time to recover from all that surgery.
I am starting with just the brachio for now. I have spent my whole life hiding my body and after losing all this weight, I found I am concealing it even MORE because of how droopy and flappy everything has gotten. I am fed up of feeling uncomfortable in my own skin after all the hard work I put in. I'm sure a lot of people who get plastic surgery post-major weight loss can relate to this. At this point it feels like a necessity. My bat wing arms also smack against my body like crazy, I can't wear short sleeves without this happening and tops do not fit me right because of my wonky proportions. My bicep has very little fat on it and all the bulk on my arm is hanging under it so it's very uncomfortable. I've been holding off because of how expensive it is as well. I am paying out of pocket 15k and it's a chunk of my savings but I'd rather have this than a payment plan and I can start ASAP to recoup my savings.
I have a lot of body image issues as one does from being morbidly obese their whole life... so honestly I am almost 100% sure this surgery is NOT going to fix the way I see myself. I am more looking at it as a way to feel more comfortable on a day-to-day basis whether I am exercising or just trying to wear a short sleeve outfit in this very hot state I live in.
So that's basically my update. I have been doing well, maintaining my weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. Gastric bypass has completely changed my life and made it so much easier to make better choices for my body and my longevity. I am ready for the arm lift and I am so scared but also excited to see how this all goes. I want to hear from other people who got an arm lift or any loose skin removal and how the recovery went for you and how it helped you and your confidence.
Thanks and you're all wonderful people!

I don't post too much on here anymore because I'm 2 years and 3 months post of from bypass. Life has pretty much normalized and I've reached my goal weight. I would like to get down to maybe 195 lbs but I'm not sweating it too much because I feel the best I've ever been since starting this whole process. I am six feet tall and sit around 198/199 at the moment. I started this journey at around 340 lbs. I lost 30 lbs before my surgery. I have lots of loose skin on my belly, my thighs, and my arms. Unfortunately, I can't afford skin removal but I'm saving to do my arms next summer.
After a while, sometimes you have days where you no longer connect to your old obese self. I have days where I feel huge and ugly still. It's easy to forget where you came from or how far you've come. What helps me is now and then I check my old photos and make comparisons so I can see my progress. The body dysmorphia is so real and something I know most of you if not all can and will relate to.
Losing the weight did not fix my body image but it's different for everyone. Some things IT DID improve however:
-Improve my joint health (daily knee pain gone).
-Took up running. Avid runner now. Have done races and run regularly outside.
-Lowered my blood pressure.
-Lowered my heart rate.
-No longer profusely sweat or turn red from basic activities.
-No longer use alcohol and food to cope with anxiety.
-So much energy to move and do chores/tasks.
-Healed my obsession with food.

I love seeing everyone's progress and reading your stories. Getting the surgery is not a fix-all. We have to do the work to eat the right foods in the right portions and get exercise regularly. It's easier the first year but I can tell you it gets harder and harder. Every day is a battle when you're trying to escape obesity. That's not a bad thing. It's rewarding and you learn so much and become a more resilient and deep person. So keep remembering why you did this, where you came from, and how much better life is getting for you!

Tomorrow is my 3 month surgery anniversary. I've lost over 70 lbs on this journey through the pre and post op phases. The before pic is not even from my highest weight, that was about mid 2020 but I got up to the 340s at one point.

Today I'm proud to say I fit back into a non plus size XL. From an XXXXL/22 to XL! I'm so happy to see the results beyond the scale.

I tried on two new shirts today to check my progress and was shocked to see them fitting.   

Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

I don't post too much on here anymore because I'm 2 years and 3 months post of from bypass. Life has pretty much normalized and I've reached my goal weight. I would like to get down to maybe 195 lbs but I'm not sweating it too much because I feel the best I've ever been since starting this whole process. I am six feet tall and sit around 198/199 at the moment. I started this journey at around 340 lbs. I lost 30 lbs before my surgery. I have lots of loose skin on my belly, my thighs, and my arms. Unfortunately, I can't afford skin removal but I'm saving to do my arms next summer.
After a while, sometimes you have days where you no longer connect to your old obese self. I have days where I feel huge and ugly still. It's easy to forget where you came from or how far you've come. What helps me is now and then I check my old photos and make comparisons so I can see my progress. The body dysmorphia is so real and something I know most of you if not all can and will relate to.
Losing the weight did not fix my body image but it's different for everyone. Some things IT DID improve however:
-Improve my joint health (daily knee pain gone).
-Took up running. Avid runner now. Have done races and run regularly outside.
-Lowered my blood pressure.
-Lowered my heart rate.
-No longer profusely sweat or turn red from basic activities.
-No longer use alcohol and food to cope with anxiety.
-So much energy to move and do chores/tasks.
-Healed my obsession with food.

I love seeing everyone's progress and reading your stories. Getting the surgery is not a fix-all. We have to do the work to eat the right foods in the right portions and get exercise regularly. It's easier the first year but I can tell you it gets harder and harder. Every day is a battle when you're trying to escape obesity. That's not a bad thing. It's rewarding and you learn so much and become a more resilient and deep person. So keep remembering why you did this, where you came from, and how much better life is getting for you!

I bought a skirt and dress from Goodwill today. I used to not enjoy thrifting because nothing ever fit me that was fashionable/nice as I was a size 4X/24+. Now as a M/L, I can actually find some stylish and vintage pieces, try endless things on, and walk out with something. I hated buying plus size clothes because they were few and far between and so expensive. It's nice to be able to thrift. I found a really cute 90's romantic black skirt, def vintage and I love it.

I bought a skirt and dress from Goodwill today. I used to not enjoy thrifting because nothing ever fit me that was fashionable/nice as I was a size 4X/24+. Now as a M/L, I can actually find some stylish and vintage pieces, try endless things on, and walk out with something. I hated buying plus size clothes because they were few and far between and so expensive. It's nice to be able to thrift. I found a really cute 90's romantic black skirt, def vintage and I love it.

I bought a skirt and dress from Goodwill today. I used to not enjoy thrifting because nothing ever fit me that was fashionable/nice as I was a size 4X/24+. Now as a M/L, I can actually find some stylish and vintage pieces, try endless things on, and walk out with something. I hated buying plus size clothes because they were few and far between and so expensive. It's nice to be able to thrift. I found a really cute 90's romantic black skirt, def vintage and I love it.

I bought a skirt and dress from Goodwill today. I used to not enjoy thrifting because nothing ever fit me that was fashionable/nice as I was a size 4X/24+. Now as a M/L, I can actually find some stylish and vintage pieces, try endless things on, and walk out with something. I hated buying plus size clothes because they were few and far between and so expensive. It's nice to be able to thrift. I found a really cute 90's romantic black skirt, def vintage and I love it.

I bought a skirt and dress from Goodwill today. I used to not enjoy thrifting because nothing ever fit me that was fashionable/nice as I was a size 4X/24+. Now as a M/L, I can actually find some stylish and vintage pieces, try endless things on, and walk out with something. I hated buying plus size clothes because they were few and far between and so expensive. It's nice to be able to thrift. I found a really cute 90's romantic black skirt, def vintage and I love it.

I bought a skirt and dress from Goodwill today. I used to not enjoy thrifting because nothing ever fit me that was fashionable/nice as I was a size 4X/24+. Now as a M/L, I can actually find some stylish and vintage pieces, try endless things on, and walk out with something. I hated buying plus size clothes because they were few and far between and so expensive. It's nice to be able to thrift. I found a really cute 90's romantic black skirt, def vintage and I love it.

I bought a skirt and dress from Goodwill today. I used to not enjoy thrifting because nothing ever fit me that was fashionable/nice as I was a size 4X/24+. Now as a M/L, I can actually find some stylish and vintage pieces, try endless things on, and walk out with something. I hated buying plus size clothes because they were few and far between and so expensive. It's nice to be able to thrift. I found a really cute 90's romantic black skirt, def vintage and I love it.

Hey everyone! I'm 2.7 years post op. I've maintained about a 140 lb weight loss. I have a lot of loose skin and I honestly feel like I can't fully enjoy my body until I get some of this skin off.
The problem is I can't afford it. I spent everything on the surgery (insurance didn't cover) and I'm not making much money right now because I decided to go back to school.
I am currently living in Texas. I would love to know how some of you paid for your plastics. Was it hard to make payments? What options are there usually?
I'd like to get my belly skin, breasts and arms lifted. I am just looking at arms right now and just that alone is $14000. I just need any ideas or out-of-the-box suggestions. The weight loss surgery and weight loss/maintenance was one thing, but making this next step happen feels impossible sometimes.