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I've had a panniculectomy so here's my story. When I had my sleeve done on Nov 18th 2010 the surgeon found my fibroid tumor was way way bigger than we knew. Luckily he was able to do my sleeve and now we knew I needed a hysterectomy sooner rather than later. My original goal was to wait until this fall and hopefully most of my weight would be gone and I could get a tummy tuck at the same time. Unfortunately, the fibroid was making my life miserable.....back pain, shortness of breath (my diaphragm couldn't fully open) having to pee all the time......so we decided to do it March 1. I knew my abs would be cut for the hysterectomy so I talked to the plastic surgeon. I had stomach that overhung to my pubic area (so gross) and even my girly areas drooped. (grosser) I decided to have the panni done when I had my hysterectomy. The gyno cut vertically to get the tumor out, and the plastics cut on either side of the incision and pulled it together. My panniculectomy incision runs from nearly the back of one hip to nearly the back of the other. My belly button was moved. When I figured out he had cut it out of the skin that was removed and cut a hole where it is now and sewed it in I was sort of disgusted...but it looks pretty good. Sometimes I feel like Frankenstein. There are some pros and cons to what I did and I'll share them with you. Pros: Not having that overhang was a huge motivator to me. No more rashes there I can move so much more freely (ie...when I ride my bike, my knees don't hit my stomach) I have a lap again My clothes fit so much better and the overhang used to be visible under clothes TMI alert (sex is soooo much better without that between us) BTW.....he removed 15 pounds of skin and fat. So if you've ever grabbed your stomach and said 'I wish I could cut this off" Well, it turns out you can. Cons: It hurt soooooo much. Please understand a lot of that pain came from the removal of a fibroid tumor that weighed in at over 10 pounds and the cutting of my abdominal muscles. The scar is big and ugly, but as bad as it is, it's better than the overhang. Because I had my surgery with A LOT of weight left to lose, I may still want to have a tummy tuck later. I'm going to wait and see on that. I paid for it out of pocket and it wasn't cheap, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat My doc explained that the panniculectomy was like a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) without the tightening of the stomach muscles. If you're at your goal weight now, my suggestion (unsolicited so tell me to shut up if you want) would be to have the tummy tuck. With the tummy tuck they will remove the excess skin like they would in a panniculectomy, but they will also tighten up your muscles, giving you a more toned look. Sept 1 I'm having my girls reduced and lifted. If you have questions about that, I'll let you know after. Insurance is footing the bill for that one and I'm psyched. If you want to know anything else, please feel free to PM me. Good luck with your decision.

The oddest thing happend. I have been quite ill with a cold. about 3 days ago my right side below my ribcage started hurting and continued to hurt pretty bad for about 3 days. This morning I woke up and the pain had almost gone away. I have been quite bloated/gassy sorry about the tmi but can't figure out the pain. My first though is gall blader. pain radiated to my back. a heating pad helped. Felt like bad gas pains but in a odd place. I thought gall bladder because of the system but most of my reading said it comes and goes and this was consistent for 3 days. I had a fill on the 28th. I just don't see how it could be band related but you never know. Greg

O.k, this is probably TMI, but I know for a fact that the human body can hold up to 5 lbs of poop. Just be sure and weigh yourself before you prep for a colonoscopy, and then after!

So, since this is TMI... I recommend you stop reading if reading about, erm, anatomical details makes you uncomfortable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . You have been warned So, this question is for the guys, but ladies -- maybe there's a parallel? I've been having some... ahem. SORENESS lately. On a very, ahem, private part of my body. OK, we're all grown ups here -- on my penis. Specifically, it's external, on the underside. As a sexually active male, the first time I realized this was going on, I immediately freaked out and rushed to the doc. for a full STD screen. I play safe, but... you can't be too careful, right? Well, the doc tested me for everything we could think of, from simple to scary, easily dealt-with to chronic, viral and bacterial. I had blood drawn, I got to have my doctor man-handle my junk (oh, joy), I peed in a cup. The good news is: I'm clean. The bad news is: I still have no idea what's up. So what's going on? Why's Mr. Happy sore all the time? The doc couldn't tell me, but he told me not to worry about illness or disease, because he couldn't find anything with about a dozen different tests. I was thinking about it yesterday and I realized something: I'm skinnier. I mean, a lot skinnier. Two years ago, I was wearing giant, baggy, 48 inch waist jeans, now I'm finding that my 36 inch waist jeans are "comfy" and I can easily fit into 34 inch waist jeans when I feel like being all 'sexy'. The soreness could just be -- drum roll, please -- chafing! I realized that it hurts in EXACTLY the place where Mr. Happy would be rubbing against my boxers when I'm out walking in my new, snug jeans! Couple that with the fact that I tend to wear fairly loose-fitting boxers (and they're made of cotton, which is warm and snuggly, but can turn into sandpaper with enough movement!) and you may well have a recipe for OUCH. Today I'm wearing 36 inch jeans instead of 34 inch, and I'm wearing my snug-fitting lycra boxer/briefs instead of the cotton boxers -- they fit much snugger, and they have a very smooth, almost silky texture. That, plus the looser jeans, and I bet you I'll discover that all of my scary "soreness" goes away within a few days. Such are the joys of being a man, and a hypochondriac, and losing lots of weight. Gents, be warned!

Funny enough - the thought of some foods make me nauseous but not all. I don't want to look at another cup of soup or shake! My kids were eating some chicken nuggets and I was like ooooohhhh that looks so good lol I don't even like chicken nuggets - or at least I didn't. I do remember being hungry in the hospital. I don't think I burped that much or even passed flatulence because I had the poop issues - coming out like liquid (TMI). Glad to hear you are doing well over all

See, I am the opposite too. I get nauseous, and I have some "back end" issues. Sorry for the TMI! I normally stall because I can't eat, and I do not want to drink.

Forgive me if this is TMI but I have been really constipated for the last 2 days. I called my Dr today and he said to take some Milk of Magnesia. He said it was a common occurrence. Has any one else experienced this? I don't think I'm drinking enough water, it makes me so full. I'm spacing out the time between drinking and eatting but it's hard to get in 34oz let alone 64oz.

Im super excited but nervous. I start my clear liquid diet and Miralax prep tomorrow and surgery weds! I hope everything goes ok as planned. I did cheat on the 2 week diet with chicken breast and veggies but did do the soup, shakes, sugar free jello, and increased my water intake dramatically! I haven't lost much weight though but have lost some. I think its because I was taking in to much protein (or constipation...I know TMI)... Good luck to all the Sep 3rd surgeries!

I am 4 days post op (sleeve) and had a tiny poop today. We're talking between the size of a regular M&M and a peanut M&M. Still a victory and not surprising, considering all I have had is liquid for 2 days pre-op and 3 days post. By the way, I've always been a regular pooper...hope that's not TMI!!

I remember having a HARD time with the first bowl movement after surgery, too. I took stool softeners and that helped. After that, a lot easier and no issues. Maybe TMI but..... my bm changed to this soft, smelly, sludge that even I couldn't stand. Keep the vent ON. LOL

Sorry if TMI but I woke up this morning and struggled to have a BM for an hour. Nothing came out. It was very painful and when I felt what was going on back there (gross I know), it was a hard mass. This happened on my pre op liquid diet and after taking stool softeners for 2 days it eventually broke up & passed. I thought when I was on soft foods it would be better but.. No.. What can I do? Am I allowed to have a couple of stool softener gel tabs at this point? Any home remedies?

Today is five weeks exactly, and I am down 21 lbs. Last week was weird; for some reason, I gained a few lbs, and then within six days, I started dropping an lb a day. My dietician would like me to stay between 80-100g of carbs, which I was reluctant about reading other revision experiences, but I am happy to say that I am still losing at 80g daily. I can eat many things without issue, but only if I eat them in small portions. Pooping is weird... It smells, often loose, and I have had some oily moments (TMI), but it is definitely diet-related. I have noticed that I have gas early in the morning and have to poop first thing, so that is something to keep in mind if you are considering revising to SADI.

So, I recently posted about hair loss. While I'm not happy that this is a side effect, it's comforting to know that some of you have gone thru this as well, and for most, your hair grew back. I'm taking all kinds of supplements in addition to the "regular" vitamins required post-op. I've added liquid iron, prenatal vitamins, biotin, and collagen. The first question is about stalling - again. I've been bouncing between 181-184 for over a month now. I'm not eating much due to the discomfort (I posted about this also). I'm desperately trying to get my protein in, but I simply can't eat enough to do that. I'm also taking the Unjury powder (which I can barely tolerate due to the taste even though I mix it into food/liquid), but still can't get anywhere near what I'm supposed to. I'm supposed to be getting in 60g-86g protein/day. Unjury only accounts for 22g/day. I can only eat enough to get about 40g-50g/day. My doctor is aware. How do I kickstart this weight loss again? Secondly (sorry to the men in the group), I'm 48 and suddenly started getting my period again. I'm on a medication that is supposed to stop it completely due to a previous medical issue, but obviously, something has changed so much with my body, that the medication, which has been effective for several years, is no longer working. I emailed my dr. and she started me on estrogen for 10 days but isn't sure why the previous medication stopped working. Have any of you ladies had this issue?

I'm not a doctor. I'm wondering if you might have endometriosis.... small areas of uterine tissue that grows in areas other than the uterus but still responds to hormonal changes as if it lived in a uterus. So if you still have ovaries that signal a period, that tissue gets the signal and sheds. Sorry if tmi....hth.

Well I was prone to throwing up ever since surgery- and still have days of nausea- then I got the flu from the kids too- it was actually a lot easier- cause your food goes thru quicker so mostly I had the runs (sorry tmi) - with nausea - but it wasn't as bad as it used to be before the surgery.

Thrush is usually painful and the "white coating" is of a more "cottage-cheese like" consistency. Ketosis will also cause a whitish coating on the tongue sometimes. Unless you're having some sort of pain or discomfort, its most likely ketosis. Thrush is caused by the antibiotics that they give you in the hospital or after surgery. By taking liquid antibiotics you disrupt the normal bacterial flora in your mouth and this imbalance allows yeast to grow unchecked causing thrush. This is the same way yeast infections develop in other areas (ladies!)... and guys, yes you can "catch" thrush from certain "activities". This is probably all TMI, but I think everyone should know these things.

I've been MIA on VST lately. It's just kind of how it is once you're so far out from surgery! I'm seventeen weeks and feeling pretty good. Here's the reality (for me) of being pregnant with the sleeve: 1) My diet is seriously disrupted. Meat makes me sick. Dairy makes me sick. What does that leave me to eat? Eggs. Brothy soups. Protein shakes (already causes a little nausea but not too bad). And the big baddie: carbs. Lots and lots and lots of carbs. I am not a carb avoider - I eat a very well balanced diet normally. But for the past twelve weeks just about the only thing I can hold down are sandwiches...and sweets. I normally avoid sweets, not because I don't want them but because they're not as appealing as they used to be. That changed with pregnancy. Since eggs are "safe" I've been eating lots of egg salad, fried egg sandwiches and homemade egg and cheese McMuffins. I cannot drink any coffee, even decaf, because it makes me incredibly sick. This makes me very sad and probably a little more irritable than I'd normally be. 2) My capacity is about double what it used to be. What does that really mean, though? I've had a very small capacity the whole time I've been sleeved. So for lunch today, I ordered salad made with vermicelli, carrots, cucumbers and a oil/vinegar dressing (got about 1/2 cup) and borscht (got about 1 cup). I was able to eat less than 1/4 of the salad and about 3/4 of the soup. Total intake: less than one cup of food, and part of it pasta, which is still an issue for me. But unlike six months ago, I can now eat an entire egg salad or sandwich. Before, I could only eat a whole sandwich if it was grilled cheese on super thin bread. 3) It is hard to get on the scale and gain weight, even if you're doing it "for a good reason." And it's even harder to see that you're gaining more rapidly than you'd hoped. Darn those hormones I was on for months! I'm seventeen weeks and up roughly fifteen pounds. It's more than I'd want to gain, HOWEVER, I can still wear my size six skinny jeans buttoned up under my belly. I'm still a size small in maternity clothes and I'm still able to wear a lot of my pre-pregnancy shirts, they just look different with a bump under them. So while I'm mentally struggling with the gain, and while I wish I had gained about half what I've actually gained, I'm not the chubby girl I feel like I am some days! All of that said, I have gained only two pounds in the last five weeks, and I hope to keep on at this slower pace but it's really out of my control. I have to eat and now isn't the time to try and diet, because the baby comes first. I did want to share that it's definitely more of a mental struggle than I expected, though. 4) I don't care if it's TMI, but I'm so happy to have boobs again! HA! That's a perk I'd been missing for sure. I joke that half of the fifteen pounds I gained are in my chest and upper arms. I'm glad to be back in Bishkek, honestly. I was in the states for seven weeks and was guilty of using convenience to eat, especially when I was feeling so sick with morning sickness. I can't even buy a decent loaf of bread here: I make all of my bread, English muffins, etc. from scratch. So I know I cut down a bit on the junky stuff by doing that. And produce is CHEAP here and good quality, all local stuff. So it's nice to spend $20 for 15 pounds of produce, instead of paying $2.50 for one bell pepper! My diet has improved since being home and making everything myself again, which is possibly related to the fact that I've been home a few weeks and haven't really packed on pounds. Something to consider. In any case, I'm comfortable, baby is doing well and while I've never been a glowing, cheerful pregnant woman I'm doing well and feel pretty good overall. I'm scheduling an ultrasound for sometime between 19-20 weeks to make sure everything is okay and to hopefully get a peek at gender. Hope everyone else is doing well! ~Cheri

Day 15 so sick did great first two weeks now can't keep anything down? Anyone else having diarrhea? Sorry if it's tmi

TMI- being able to wipe my tushy without yoga moves. Hahahhaha!!! It's been a long time!!

my surgery is today and my anxiety is getting the best of me. I threw up twice last night ( sorry if TMI) I'm not so much worried about the surgery as I am the recovery. Not sure how bad the pain will be, etc. of course anxiety can have no real reason at all - last night I thought I was having a panic attack. not fun. well I'm off to get ready to leave for the hospital. Telling myself it will be ok.

Hey everyone I have a question. Probably TMI so I apologize in advance. I’m on day 6 of my 10 day pre-op diet. It’s not liquids only like others. I can have a certain amount of fruit, yogurt and sandwich meat per day for each meal. I can also have unlimited amounts of foods like pickles, celery, cucumbers and so on. But y’all, I have had straight diarrhea for the past several days. Did anyone else experience this? I don’t feel sick to my stomach but I have diarrhea several times a day. Just wondering if this is a normal thing.

Ummm... Ok do first off bigfat I didn't mention your name there are a lot of people on this thread... And you know I try not to judge, the other day you were talking about how you had reverse cowgirl sex on your stairs right before surgery ... For me TMI and not a visual I'd like to see!! but hey.. If you want to put that out there.. Who am I to judge?? But then the next day you say I'm inappropriate ???

I have a somewhat TMI question. I can’t find anything on Google about it so I figured I’d ask if anyone else has had this problem. I’ve had bladder and urinary tract pain for the last six months and I’m wondering if it’s related to the RNY or the loose skin I have from weight loss. I am a year and a half out from surgery so it’s not related to the catheter. I’m thinking it’s a loose skin issue. The majority of my loose skin is in my stomach, lower pelvis area, and upper inner thighs. Has anyone else had this problem?

Sure! I will give you yesterday's stats: Meal 1 (9am) Fiber One bar and 3 slices of turkey bacon Meal 2 (11:30am) half of a turkey burger with mustard and half slice of cheese Meal 3 (3pm) other half of turkey burger with mustard and half slice of cheese Meal 4 (6:00pm) 3 oz shredded chicken and black beans with taco seasoning and 1/2 tablespoon shredded cheese Meal 5 (8:30pm) 3 oz shredded chicken and black beans with taco seasoning and 1/2 tablespoon shredded cheese 801 Calories 96 grams of protein 24 grams of carbs 6 grams of fiber 1O grams of sugar 35 grams of fat I don't normally eat that much protein in a day but I am really hungry because I am on my period. (Sorry if TMI!) Hope this helps!

Thank you. The reason I can't tell my dad is because he's bi-polar and unmedicated. So if he knows something then entire universe knows it. No matter how personal it is. And I mean TMI personal. It's taken me YEARS to realize that he doesn't hate me and that if he wasn't bi-polar he might be an ok guy. Might. I just don't feel comfortable telling my sister. I really wish I could, but she always makes snide remarks about fat people giving the impression that to her being fat is the worst thing a person can be. I'm waiting till I see my other BFF in person to tell her. I just don't want to do it over the phone or email or text. She lives 2 states away. Everyone else, it's none of their business. I'll tell people if I feel comfortable. People who I get the vibe that they'd be against this type of surgery I don't tell. Everyone else, eat less move more.