anonemouse

Beans Edamame (soybeans) Tofu

That is SO true! We can practically see your spirits raising and your confidence increasing.

Are those the same surgery, or different ones?

Hell, both of you are going to look damn good, I think! I've only been able to find a couple of surgeons that are relatively close to me that have pictures of their work online. This guy particularly impressed me, but he doesn't have a lot of pictures up. This is the other group that I found that seems pretty good, but I'm not sure. I like the idea of having a female surgeon, but I REALLY like the work that Dr. Reath does. Any thoughts on either of those?

Okay, that's what I thought, but I was starting to get confused!

Have you had your consultation yet and filled all the other requirements for surgery? Your insurance will probably use your weight from your surgery consultation to determine whether they'll cover the procedure, so unless you've got a required 6 month diet or something, you should be okay to join a gym once you've had your consultation. If you haven't had the consultation, though, and you're borderline, I would put off joining the gym until you've had the consultation.

I do love that website. It definitely shows the good, the bad, and the ugly. I've started searching for surgeons in my state, and some of the pics on their websites kind of freak me out and scare me. I don't want headlights that point two different directions, you know? And I don't know yet if I'll need an LBL or a FTT, which might limit my choices. I don't know whether to show the most interest in the surgeons that do a lot of work with bariatric patients or ones that don't. Sometimes, I get the feeling that some of the surgeons that specifically cater to bariatric patients are not as concerned with aesthetics as the other surgeons. More "lose that extra skin" than "let's make you look beautiful." Does that make sense?

Oh yeah, I don't believe in being so tight that you're always PBing, sliming, and getting stuck. I think that's just asking for a slipped or eroded band.

I mean, it's GOOD, but I'm still a little pissed. I stayed in Memphis with my brother and SIL for several days before I got this last fill, and of course I had to go shopping (let's just say I spent close to a month's wages on shoes and sheets). Anyway, I found these AWESOME glass rings at Pier 1. One's a really great swirl of several shades of blue and green, gold, and silver. The other is purple with gold in it, making it look sort of like bronze. How long did I get to wear them? ONE WEEK. That's it, just one week. They're too big for the fingers I was wearing them on, and too small for the other fingers. And of course, they're solid glass, so they can't be resized. Damn it. Who knew your fingers could lose weight? Granted, they were maybe $4 each, but I LIKE them. :biggrin: Why couldn't the weight have come off my ass instead?

I hope mine don't shrink until spring's over. Or at least, if they do, they do it quickly, so that I can return some shoes. I bought a great pair of sandals while I was in Memphis, and I hope I actually get to wear them. I still have the "if it fits and actually looks good, buy it" behavior ingrained.

Don't be. Many first fills have absolutely no effect whatsoever. It's completely normal. I didn't have any restriction at all until my 2nd fill, and didn't have good restriction until my 3rd one.

I was out of town (visiting family and getting a fill) and just got back a couple of days ago, so that's why I've not been very active for several days. WASa's around, but I haven't seen Jacqui or Chickie posting yet. Carlene's not been here for months, though.

Good idea, I hadn't thought of that. Thanks!

I can't quite make it out. Looks like it'd be cute, though.

Very true. I just hope nothing bad's happened to them or their loved ones.

Well, when you think about it, even though Scientology sounds pretty wacky to outsiders, Christianity isn't all that much less wacky-sounding. On one hand, you've got aliens. On the other, you've got an all-knowing, all-powerful, invisible entity. Speaking as an atheist, it's pretty much "six of one, half-dozen of the other," as my mom would say.

That makes sense. I'll probably wind up doing the BA, then, since I don't even remember having fullness at the top of my breast. My girls have been sagging since puberty.

Thank you!

I'm just starting to look into PS, and I know that I'll need at least a tummy tuck and a breast lift. I'm just not sure about augmentation. I'm used to having bigger boobs (not huge, but not B-cups, either), so I'm not sure if I'll want to have just a breast lift or if I'll want to combine it with augmentation. What I'm considering doing is going for the TT and BL, seeing how the results of the BL look after complete healing, and THEN making a decision about augmentation. On the other hand, sometimes I think that I might as well go whole hog while I'm getting some done, and get it all done. Any thoughts or opinions that you guys want to share?

Dr. JLo, do you recommend that your patients reach goal before considering PS, or that they just get close to it? Also, do you recommend that if a women is getting a breast lift and thinking about augmentation, she should get the breast lift first and let it heal before augmenting, or do you recommend the lift and augmentation as one surgery?

I just went shopping in my own closet! A year or two ago, when I had been on a diet and lost a few pounds, I'd bought several pairs of pants and a bunch of shirts. Of course, once I did that, I gained all that I had lost back, plus some. I was trying on some other pants that I'd gotten several months back (like many of you, I buy several pairs in different sizes whenever I find a style that actually looks decent), when I remembered the stack of stuff that was in my closet, with the tags still attached. The pair I was trying on was actually too big (and I hadn't even worn them!), so I figured I'd try the others, too. They FIT! Hell, a couple of pairs are a tad on the BIG side! I've got to find time to go through my closet now, and weed out all the stuff that is either too big or hideously ugly. The only bad thing is that I was looking forward to going shopping for real.

Yeah, that's one thing I need to do, get rid of my big undies. You never know, Goodwill or the Salvation Army might take the bras.

I had a lot of "last suppers" because I was under the impression that I'd never be able to eat at my favorite restaurants or eat my favorite meals again. Guess what? I was wrong. I've eaten all ALL of those restaurants and eaten ALL of my favorite meals since being banded. The only difference is that I can't eat nearly the same volume as I did before being banded.

I've had a belly for as long as I can remember. Apparently, I tend to carry the majority of my excess weight in my abdomen, which of course makes me look pregnant, with stretchmarks (some pretty severe) to go with the appearance. I really don't think I'm going to have a pretty stomach after I reach goal. I'd have a nice hour-glass shape if I could just chop this damn belly off. I'll probably have to get my boobs at least lifted and possibly augmented, too, since they've always pointed in a generally southerly direction. I mostly like the way they look when I've got my arms stretched straight up in the air, but I can't exactly go walking around like that, can I?

My background is in wildlife and conservation, so I'd probably be doing something with that. If I go, I kinda want to be in Africa or the Pacific Islands, but I'm still in the information stage. My university is hosting an information session in February, so I'll be going to that. If I don't go into the Peace Corps, I'll try to find a wildlife biologist position with either a state or federal agency or with a private company. I've always wanted to work at a zoo, so I'll probably try to see if I can find something there, too. Those positions can be hard to come by, though.