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My Plastic Surgery is Tomorrow Morning 12/15/2023!
kukuiokalani replied to kukuiokalani's topic in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
thank you for the facebook recommendation! i’m part of a weight loss support group through my hospital but they’re all in a significantly different age bracket than me so i’m always looking for groups with similar current life experiences to mine! good luck on your surgery next month! ill be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. 🥰 i was a tiny bit worried that one year was too soon but i was so ready to do it now. surgery is complete! i requested to have an arm list at the last moment and they said if i’m still in a good state at the end of everything else then yes. THEY DID IT! it took about seven hours cuz i had tons of skin. they removed about five pounds from my back, ten pounds from my tummy, and six pounds from my arms! i feel great right now, but i’m sure that’s the pain meds talking lol. the cost was approximately $19,000 and that’s for tummy tuck with fleur-de-lis, lower body lift, 360 liposuction, BBL, breast lift and reduction and small implants, and arm lift. the price also includes pickup and drop off from san diego airport, a day exploring tijuana pre-op, lodging in the w hospital the day before and day after surgery, and then five days in their recovery home where i’ll have prepared meals and 24 hour access to a care team, medicine, and doctors. very much worth the price! and i went to multiple plastic surgeons in my area in the us and they were all $60k+ and i would go home day of! o.O i paid 1/3 of the price with significantly more care! -
5 weeks pose op and 3 week stall
Arabesque replied to BariBaybee's topic in Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums
Perfectly normal, though frustrating, & an important part of your weight loss. It’s the time your body takes to say what the hell is happening (weight loss, reduced calorie intake, etc.) & then works out what it needs now. It’s when your body readjusts your digestive hormones, metabolism, etc. When your body is ready to move forward again, your weight loss will start again. Stick to your plan. Don’t stress your body (or yourself) more by making more changes than what your plan requires. And yes, you’ll likely experience more of them. Congrats on your surgery & your weight loss so far. Yay! -
December Surgery Buddies!
CelticSoul replied to AshleeHarvey's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Mjtcollective, that is fantastic. Congratulations on your weight loss, you are off to a great start! -
So Confused and Upset Right Now
CelticSoul replied to NickelChip's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
NickelChip, that is great news. I wish you luck with your January 2 appointment, it sounds like they have most of the information needed to move forward quickly. Haha, I just had my hair dyed in prep for my surgery; want to look good for the big day! I was formerly self employed, so I sympathize with having to rework schedules, etc. I've loved working for myself, but at times it was stressful! During Covid I had to close my business, it was a hard decision but it was the right decision in the end. I know exactly what you mean about the awkward laugh... 😎 -
Hi there! I just signed up on this forum and have a surgery date of January 30 for gastric bypass. My sister had it done about a year and a half ago and has had great success so I decided I was ready to make some big changes in my life. im currently trying to keep my required 10-lb weight loss on the books. I officially achieved it in October and I meet with my doc each month. In November I had lost an additional half pound but ended up in the ER after my appt because I was so dehydrated from fasting to make my weight goal. So embarrassing ugh. Now, thanks to the holidays my next appt is January 2, but I’m up eight lbs and they will cancel my surgery if they see that. I have 18 days to lose that weight again and I’m scared I won’t make it. I’m mad at myself for being lax after my last weigh-in. I know that part of losing weight pre-op is to start making changes gradually but I’m struggling. I guess that’s normal for many of us. I’m really excited about getting the surgery but also a little depressed because it will force me (and is now forcing me) to completely change my relationship with food. That’s scary. But I see how happy and energetic and positive my sister is and I want that in my life too. Anyway, I didn’t mean to get depressing lol but I’m trying to be honest about my feelings which are all coming at me at the same time! Its crazy.
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Weight loss before surgery
SkyeBlu99 replied to jacquelynn22's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I was also instructed to lose 10 lbs before surgery. I did initially lose that so my surgery is scheduled for January 30. Now I have monthly appts and if I regain the weight they will postpone my surgery. I have an appt on January 2 and I have gained like eight lbs back!! I am so mad at myself because I really don’t want to postpone surgery. I still have 18 days before my appt and so I’m being super strict now. Similar to what CarmenG said earlier: two protein drinks and a Factor meal in between. it’s so hard though and I totally relate! My post-op friend said it’s much easier right after surgery because you don’t feel like eating so this pre-op weight loss might be the toughest to get through! But we can do it. I’m just trying to look forward and remind myself how much I want this change in my life. I’m so close to getting surgery, and I don’t want to push the date back. I want the surgery more than I want that (unhealthy food). Hang in there!! -
My Plastic Surgery Journey
NickelChip replied to kukuiokalani's topic in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
I got to the photo with the little monkeys and burst out laughing. That made my day! Your weight loss is stunning and such a remarkable achievement. You look great, but I know you must be so eager to be rid of the excess skin. This surgery is going to be so amazing for you, and you absolutely deserve it. I hope the recovery goes really well and as pain-free as possible. It sounds like you're pretty much getting everything lifted and tucked as you possibly can! Would you mind sharing a ballpark figure of what that costs by going to Tijuana to have it done? All I know about costs in the US is it makes my eyes water thinking about it. Good luck to you! -
So Confused and Upset Right Now
NickelChip replied to NickelChip's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
I'm so happy to report that I have an appointment January 2 with the director of the new practice. When I spoke with the administrative person to make the appointment, she did make it sound likely that I would not have a lot of extra stuff to do since I was right at the end of the process before it got cancelled, just needing the routine pre-surgery tests and my insurance approval. I'm so sorry your insurance is being a pain about your in-network coverage. The whole in or out of network coverage is total BS. If they're a licensed doctor, they should be covered. Period. I have to say, the relief I felt when the HR person sent over the insurance benefit packet and I saw the logo of a very widely accepted insurance that is known to have good coverage is almost impossible to describe. This is sort of a long-term consulting gig for my husband, and I had nightmares that the consulting firm would be using crappy companies I'd never heard of to save some cash. Financially, I may end up coming out of this a little bit ahead, maybe $1500 less out of pocket. But I swear I'll spend that on hair dye to cover all the gray hair this ordeal is giving me! And I'm self-employed, so I can't just request a few weeks of vacation when the time comes. I'll need to do some major reworking of my schedule to accommodate the new date. As you said, is the head of the old hospital losing sleep over this? No, he is not. But it will work out, and this time next year I will be looking back on it and laughing. In that awkward way you laugh over things that are so not funny. -
My Plastic Surgery is Tomorrow Morning 12/15/2023!
catwoman7 replied to kukuiokalani's topic in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
I've had three plastic surgeries! They're a tougher recovery than weight loss surgery (especially lower body lift - that one was really tough!), but you'll be so glad you did it once you're a ways out and all healed! I'm really glad I did it. I now have a normal-looking body! P.S. it can take up to a year for you to look like you'll look permanently - although you'll have a really good idea after the first four months or so, when all the swelling is gone and the scars are starting to fade. The biggest thing I noticed after all that time is that my breasts dropped into a more "normal" location (at first they were way high up - it was kind of jarring - but my surgeon reassured me that they'd eventually drop into a more natural place - and they did) is Dr. Laura Carmina Cardenas doing your surgery? She's supposed to be really good (she specializes in plastic surgery for massive weight loss patients, so a lot of WLS patients have gone to her) -
Getting close to goal. Let's talk maintenance
Arabesque replied to LindsayT's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
When I was still losing & exceeding my goal, my surgeon said he thought I’d lost enough & needed to up my intake. I said I’m not deliberately trying to lose more but I could only eat what I could eat at that time & I thought the extra loss would help if I did have a regain - some wriggle room. Of course I kept losing & they stopped commenting as my surgeon & his colleague realised I was actually more finely built & my weight was okay. They prefer me to be a little more than I am currently (more 50kg) but I weigh what I weigh. I slowly started adding snacks to my intake to slow my loss as I was able. In time though I was able to eat more for a meal so I reduced my snacks until I found that balance/sweet spot to maintain. I’ll always need to snack because I generally eat pretty cleanly & therefore lower calories. Over time I’ve worked out what foods I’m better off avoiding & what foods I can only have occasionally. I’m not a calorie counter or food tracker but do random checks - it works for me. Watching what I eat & being aware of portion sizes will be a lifelong behaviour. As others have said it wouldn’t take much to start down the weight gain path. To me it comes down to what weight you feel most comfortable at, is easy to maintain & working out a way of eating to support that weight that is sustainable & doesn't restrict or affect your life/lifestyle. All the best. -
Getting close to goal. Let's talk maintenance
ChunkCat replied to LindsayT's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
I've been told by a lot of vets to ride the weight loss down for as long as it lasts, even if you dip way below your goal weight. Usually the weight loss will taper off by itself unless you have extreme complications, and that breathing room will be welcome when you hit that rebound and gain some before balancing out. At least that was the advice given to me by DS vets that have maintained their weights for well over a decade, so I assume the same holds true for bypass patients. It is very rare to lose too much, but it is possible that your body's happiest set point is lower than your goal weight, and you'd never know if you don't let the weight loss continue until it naturally tapers off. I don't know what maintenance looks like for a bypass patient, but I suspect like Catwoman7 says, there is some measure of monitoring and portion controlling that will always be there, just like a lot of naturally thin women engage in to maintain their weights. I figure you either track your food (with an app), or you track the scale, or you track both. But most women I know track something regularly to maintain. I'm so excited for you being so close to goal!! -
It is like a breakup of a relationship. It really hurts at first, you feel loss, scared, isolation and it’s hard to imagine that you will ever be happy again. Then one day there’s a spark, you notice that you’re singing along on the radio and think to yourself, I’m going to be ok. I got this. There’s a reason you took this journey. You were unhappy, perhaps suffering from depression and health issues related to obesity. This tool will help you lose weight, but it’s not a tool to help you love yourself or lose fear of the unknown. Definitely take the route of self help right now to help you process these feelings. If you do not have insurance for therapy join Overeaters Anonymous. The resources is free and will provide you with 24/7 support online. I’m praying that you will have a change of perception about your experience! You’re a brave and capable person that made the decision to change your health and you’re well on your way to a better you. God bless. 🙏🏻
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Getting close to goal. Let's talk maintenance
BigSue replied to LindsayT's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
I would not be too concerned about losing too much weight. Unless you have extremely rare and serious complications, it is infuriatingly easy to eat more than enough calories to maintain. For most people, avoiding regain is the biggest concern in the long term. I’m about 3.5 years out and I have to be super careful to track my calories and work out every day. If I weren’t careful to eat low-calorie foods, I could easily gain back a lot of weight. The effects of the restriction wear off over time and I can eat much larger portions than I could, say, 1 year out. Not nearly as much as I could eat pre-surgery (I was a bottomless pit!) but if I were still eating the same high-calorie foods, I would be in trouble. The only reason I’ve been able to maintain my weight loss so far is because I completely changed the way I eat. Going through the post-op diet progression forced me to reset my diet, relearn how to eat. Now that my restriction has weakened and I can’t rely on my stomach to limit my portion sizes, I have to fill my stomach with low-calorie foods. In some ways it’s easier than before surgery because I’ve retrained my palate and developed good habits, but it is definitely still a struggle every day. -
I have completed all of my pre op requirements, my insurance required 3 months. I had my annual pap and it came back abnormal (dysplasia) this is my first abnormal pap , go figure! I talked to my OBGYN after I received my results she said there was nothing she can do and scheduled my appointment for next year to monitor it, so no problem right? Well my weight loss center now wants a clearance from her, I spoke with her and also the center called her as well. She told me she would look into it but she was not sure why they would need a clearance from her when my next annual appointment is scheduled and she is not treating me for anything at this time. I pressed the weight loss center and let them know she is not interested in giving me a medical clearance regarding this for my surgery. I don’t know if it’s a liability thing or what. I am so SAD I have been preparing years for this backed out twice and now I was finally ready and now this. Has anyone experienced this or something similar. Thanks in advance.
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So Confused and Upset Right Now
NickelChip replied to NickelChip's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
The hospital administration continues to prove they have handled this in the worst possible way. I went to see my endocrinologist at the weight management center on Monday. She was fighting back tears as she explained the way news of the closure was handed down, along with a timeline to wrap up the practice by early February that frankly puts profits before patient well-being at every turn. I have left 2 messages and filled out a contact form with the new center but have yet to hear back from anyone. There has been no official letter from the hospital to explain their decision to disrupt my treatment only 3 weeks before surgery, no apology for having to learn of this through an automated cancelation notice, no indication they care at all about what this is doing to any of us who have been caught in this mess. Still not sleeping well, experiencing high anxiety, and very worried about how I will have to rearrange my work schedule to accommodate a new surgery date, but of course having no clue when that will happen makes planning impossible. On the bright side, I have confirmed my new insurance coverage that starts Jan 2, 2024 does cover bariatric surgery and the out of pocket for me will be comparable to my current plan, so I'm no longer worrying about that, at least. For now, all I can do is focus on healthy eating and exercise. My doctor offered to restart me on weight loss medication in the meantime, but I just think it's one more thing to have to juggle and I'd rather not complicate my life more than needed. -
I hope your weight loss is going well. My daughter is 28 and had to go through IVF for various reasons. I think if you stick to a plan you will continue to lose as long as you need to. Bariatric surgery, is one tool for weight loss. If you continue your hard work you can do it. Good luck,
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If you lost a bunch of weight pre-surgery your loss post surgery may be slower for a little while. This is because the body has to recalibrate and reassure itself it isn't starving to death. It also has to replenish glycogen and rebalance your fluids and on and on. It's a lot of hard work for it!! And slow to one person is not slow to another person. I'm 6 weeks post op a DS and have lost 20 lbs. I did not lose much pre-op. I have been stalled for several weeks because that's the classic 3 week stall where the body does its thing to recalibrate to lose more weight. I'm not stressing about it, I just had a very major surgery! My body has been working hard! It takes time to recover. You feel like you are starving because you aren't getting your fluids in by mouth. Trust me, once you are getting all your fluids in it becomes a challenge to find times to eat and drink everything you need in a day. Getting fluids by IV will keep making the scale jump by 10 lbs because they fluid load you to last a few days. You are probably losing fat, it just isn't showing on the scales because of the IV fluids. Make sure you take measurements too, those often change when the scale doesn't. I wish you much luck in getting off the IVs!
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Post op Roux-en-Y Bypass
ChunkCat replied to Meg1991's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
My dietitian explained the reason the diet progresses so slow is because there are a lot of sutures holding your stomach (and intenstines) together and you want those raw edges to heal together without the obstruction of bits of food getting in their way irritating them. You want nice, smoothly healed suture lines. I don't think you've done irreversible damage from going off plan, but I agree with the others, I'd examine why you felt you needed to go off plan, and I'd return to it. If you feel you've healed faster than others and should advance, call your team and talk to them about it. They might let you advance sooner, or they might tell you to stay the course. This surgery and the aftermath take a lot of willpower. We can choose to stay with the guidelines we've been given from our team, or we can do our own thing, but there will be consequences for each choice. If you bend the rules for earlier food progression, will you bend the rules when it comes to what you should eat as you begin to lose weight? Will you go off course throughout your weight loss phase because you don't feel like adhering to it? We all have those moments, it is understandable, we are human. But we have to be willing to confront ourselves when we do have those moments and look deeper into what is going on there that caused us to make those choices. Because one choice is one choice, but one choice made repeatedly is a pattern, and a pattern can either heal or hinder us. -
Post op Roux-en-Y Bypass
Arabesque replied to Meg1991's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I replied to your other post but I will add your shakes & broths add to your total fluid goal & sip, sip, sip all day long. I used to dilute my shakes & soups to thin them out, help the flavour a bit & also to add to my fluid intake. Plus I’d just sip them until I was finished. Didn’t care if it took me two hours to drink my shake as long as I was getting protein & fluids. And I reiterate my message in my other response: stick to your plan. It’s given to you for a reason. Now a little straight talking. This is about choice. You have chosen to go off plan. No one told you to or forced you to. The real question is not can I do/eat this but why I want to do/eat this. (I still have times I ask myself this plus do I need this or just want it.) The surgery doesn’t ‘fix’ everything. There’s a lot of hard work involved including changing your relationship with food. Working all this out takes time but you’ll get to a place you feel confident & comfortable with what you’re doing & the choices you make. Don’t be hesitant to speak to your team either. They’ve likely heard it all & will be happy to guide you - they want you to succeed too. You can get back on track. You won’t have affected your overall weight loss (we are only talking a couple of days). All the best. -
First off, congrats on your weight loss journey – that's seriously impressive! As for the ring, it varies for everyone, but generally, your hands might stabilize in size after a significant weight loss. It's usually safe to resize your ring after you've maintained your weight for a while.
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Post Op Sleeve 8 years
Joann troupe replied to Joann troupe's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
Ty So much i lost 166pounds Total.I am Thankful for what i weigh Compared to 285.3 prior to my sleeve Surgery.. I had at 2 years post op Gained 20 Pounds...I got strict took it off and much more.As i am seeing..Its way harder to lose Further out you go.,It seems to be like Same old..I am trying hard to lose this mindset too. I KNOW I CAN RELOSE THIS REGAIN..I do feel the Support does still help me in my Life Long Weight Loss Journey..I know Bariatric Surgeons told me 125-130 was good. Not for me .i had for over Seven years stayed hy 115-116. then over past year or so i got up by 124-125. i am afraid of losing control. I never want to be a 2-3X Again. I am a petite 7-8.I am, I am 5"2 Short.. age 65.. Had my vsg May 21, 2015.. Thank you For your kindness.Always Jo Ann Age 65 North ,Florida I know You can do it, i went way past my actual weight Goals set hy my Bariatric Surgeon. He had told me to lose by 125-130.for 8 yeats i stayed between 115-120.. Me and Jim my Husband of 24 years had Some Identity Theft in September 2023 Online..I found myself snacking at nights on Ice Cream and things i should not been eating..I do know i put my weight on being fareless.i lost, 25 pounds plus more in year 2 after my Sleeve Surgery..I pray to make some supportive Friends here. DR.DUC CUONG TAUGHT ME ABOUT JOURNALING..i have kept a Journal from start of my Weightloss Journey till now.I have a Separate Gratitude Journal..that helps me..My Belief is You still Need On Going Support. -
Hi Viviana, I think for some of us, the hair loss is inevitable. I started loosing at 3 month mark. I’ve always hit my protein goals. I lost so much hair that my surgeon checked labs early. Everything was basically normal. I think it is a phase. Many people say it lasts a few months and hair will grow back beautifully. That is my hope because I literally have bald spots. I was really upset at first as well but it doesn’t seem to be much we can do to change it for some of us. I just keep up with my protein and collagen. Hoping the shedding stops soon. ((HUGGG)
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Maybe buy some free hand weights to use at home. Strength training is supposed to help with weight loss since muscle burns more calories. You could do some basic arm, back , and chest exercises while relaxing in front of the tv at the end of the day. Much less tiring than cardio.
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like others, eight lbs in eight years is actually great. Most people have a 10-20 lb rebound - and usually earlier on than you - usually at about three years out. And fortunately, as someone implied, it's eight lbs and not 40! It should be do-able, although that said, the closer you are to a normal BMI, the harder it is to lose even a few lbs. I've said this before on here, but I remember going to Weight Watchers meetings before surgery and listening in disbelief to those barely overweight women moan and complain about how hard it was to lose 10 lbs. And there I was - 200 lbs overweight. But I totally get it now!!! I've been dealing with regain, too (I'm 20 lbs above my lowest weight and have been since even before the pandemic), but I've been weighing back and forth after all this struggling if it's even worth the struggle (and my doctor is fine with my current weight, so she doesn't "get it" - which is no help!). I know a ton of long-timers who are dealing with the same thing. Some have just given up trying and are just focusing on maintaining where they're at, some have had some success with Weight Watchers, others swear by intermittent fasting, some go really low carb for awhile. And some go back to eating the way they did the first year post-op (not all the way back to purees and soft food - but they way they were eating when they were 6-12 months or so out). Whatever works and fits your lifestyle is worth a shot. But know that it's tough - your loss will be in ounces at this point rather than pounds, so it's hard to see your successes - but it can be done and some people do succeed! Anyway, best of luck to you!
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I’m at 5 months post op & down 90lbs. But I’m finding it so hard to exercise or walk everyday or any day. I feel lazy or tired after a long day at work so I’m not doing anything! Any ideas or suggestions that could help boost my weight loss and exercise?
