Skin shrinkage

[My Bariatric Life 764]

@@Sara Kelly Keenan LC That is for sure -- I had a complication with my arm lift from Oct 2013 and which has improved a lot after PT/OT but is not 100% resolved.

My facelift included deep plane face lift, neck lift, lip lift, upper eye brow lift, chin implant, SMAS to tear troughs, and filler, $15k, no stay needed as it is 30-min from my house, so lucky! I had to travel for my plastic surgery and it makes things much more complicated. I did not include my travel costs in the $25k for the two body contouring surgeries. I included only the care center, which was 5-nights.

I may get v-beam laser on my arm lift scar. It is hypertrophic and because of the complication it is dark. I'll go to my facial plastic surgeon's esthetician for that.

[My Bariatric Life 764]

@@MichiganChic the emotional part of recovery was harder for me than the physical, well at least for the face and the 2nd stage b.c. The Tummy Tuck was hard emotionally and physically.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

@@MichiganChic the emotional part of recovery was harder for me than the physical, well at least for the face and the 2nd stage b.c. The Tummy Tuck was hard emotionally and physically.

I'm not sure I had emotional issues with mine. Just lots of pain, minor complications, and the realization that it could quickly become never ending if I let it. At some point I probably need to accept "good enough". That goes against my nature, lol. I am a little sad I can't wear a bathing suit in public without being a little self conscious, but then I remember that I couldn't wear one at all before. I'm trying to not let perfection get in the way progress. I'm just going to let things settle a little and see how I feel.

What do you think drove your emotional struggles? Complications or other things?

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

Where did you self educate on face work? Real self?

[Sara Kelly Keenan LC 350]

@@CowgirlJane Yes, I have reviews there as beaglemama and beaglemamasara.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

What i want to find is a good local PS who understands my goals. I don't have deep wrinkles (yet) and even my extra chin skin isn't too bad considering how fat my face used to be. What I could use are some fillers right now... and looking for an "aging gracefully" plan. Like, there will be the right moment to consider a facelift or other procedure. I want to do things that make sense.

Example, I have somewhat "hooded" eyelids and one is worse than the other. I also have puffy under eyes which is getting worse and not helped by sleep. That puffy under the eye probably makes me look my age more than anything (and when it is well camouflauged many assume I am 10-15 years younger than my real age of 50). Well, when is the right time to consider addressing these surgically so I get good natural results?

It probably sounds frivolous to some, and all my friends think I look amazing the way I am (thank you - I feel amazing!) but I lost decades of "looks" to this nasty disease of obesity and I want to make the most of what I gots!

Anyway, my worst issues were body skin and having taken care of that 16 months ago I am now thinking about face work but feel very uneducated and haven't really grasped the options, what makes sense - basically how to be a savvy consumer.

[Julie norton 2,850]

Thanks for all the info... I'm scheduled for a Tummy Tuck march 10. Chickened out of boob lift...

I'm 60. My port is very close to my breasts.. Could not work out any part oft body if I did both.. and I just can't see having issues with it after 8 years.

But my extra lap? No regrets or worry getting rid of skin90 lbs old hanging around

How long before I can work out? (

W/o sit ups of course)any words of advice? Walk right away? Or down for a week or so? Thanks????

Edited February 11, 2015 by Julie norton

[kyrickchick64 468]

My cousin works for a compound pharmacy that had a scar and stretch marks med. It's covered by some insurances. Pm me if you want more info

[kyrickchick64 468]

I haven't had my surgery yet but even the 20lbs, I've lost on the mandatory diet has given me a stomach rash. I get the boob rash too. Make sure y'all point out any rashes to your doctor. A lift or tuck may be medically necessary and insurance may pay for it. One can only hope lol

[BethinPA 305]

I'm not sure I had emotional issues with mine. Just lots of pain, minor complications, and the realization that it could quickly become never ending if I let it. At some point I probably need to accept "good enough". That goes against my nature, lol. I am a little sad I can't wear a bathing suit in public without being a little self conscious, but then I remember that I couldn't wear one at all before. I'm trying to not let perfection get in the way progress. I'm just going to let things settle a little and see how I feel.

What do you think drove your emotional struggles? Complications or other things?

I know you weren't asking me, but it do think surgery is tough emotionally. It didn't help that my boyfriend broke up with me 9 days after my surgery, it just compounded my emotions. I think the anesthesia does a number on you, plus the disruption of your normal activities and interactions with people. Exercise is a way that I deal with stress, so I lost that outlet temporarily. I'm just so eager to be back to normal!

[My Bariatric Life 764]

@@MichiganChic see how you feel after 6-mos with regard to your figure and plastic surgery. I am 50 years old and can wear a bikini after having my plastics. In fact, I went topless! I share this with you because maybe there is room for improvement with the work your surgeon did -- a tweak to perfect it. Then again we each have a different body. I was blessed with good skin, which certainly makes a difference in the results I was able to get (also my PS did an amazing job). But I am bothered by my thick waist, wanting to achieve just a little more, a little better, something close to perfection :-) What I really need is a vertical torsoplasty or ancho cut BUT I am not willing to live with the scars because I tend to scar dark. I already look like FrankenBarbie with all my incisions. LOL. But believe me, I have tried to convince my PS to do the procedure on me. And it was something that he really was against.

I've tried the gym and running and I still cannot whittle my waist. My PS said he thinks it is hormonal because I used to have a hour glass figure when I was younger. Also a BodPod analysis showed that I have a high percentage of body fat, which can only be visceral fat in the trunk. I am at an age where even though I am not in menopause or even peri-menopause that hormone therapy can benefit me in several ways. I've done the research and asked my ObGyn for human bio-identical hormones in a transdermal or transmucosal formulation and the specialty pharmacy is compounding it as a cream for me as I type this. I am going to try it for 3-4 months and see what happens. What I am hoping for is smaller waist, thicker hair (I used to have thick hair), and restored vitality.

Well, that was probably more info than you wanted! LOL

Oh, emotionally I was a basket case after my Tummy Tuck and going into my stage 2 surgery. Dr. Capella was such a comfort through it all, really patient and kind. He went above and beyond. I was convinced I had a seroma after my TT. I even went to the ER one night. Dr. Capella was on top of my care in the middle of the night with the ER doctors, and called me the next day to comfort me. It was not a seroma. He wanted to be sure that I was emotionally comfortable, not just leave me hanging with the MRI results and the ER doc saying there's nothing wrong with you, go home. I guess I was just scared and I really don't know why. Fear rarely is rational. But I saw a side of myself that I had NEVER seen before and it was a very odd thing to go through.

It was even worse going into my stage 2 surgery. I had a bad experience with a local plastic surgeon whom I call Dr. Creepy. Following that I began having panic attacks and high cortisol levels and I would often feel faint. I was convinced I would die in surgery from anesthesia. I've always been afraid of it. My PCP tested me for two rare diseases which if I had them could be fatal during surgery. I was showing some markers for them. But he sent me to an endocrinologists to pull labs. This was right up until a week before my surgery so it was a real nail biter. I even had to be put on a beta blocker because my blood pressure would spike. The labs showed that I did not have the diseases.

My endocrinologist asked me a simple question: When did you begin having panic attacks? I said June. He asked, "What happened in June?" And so I told him about Dr. Creepy. And he and my PCP agreed that the stress from that was the cause of everything I experienced. I was OK once the surgery was over. Two months later I had my facial work done and was just the normal amount of concerned going into that.

My story: http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/276918/167141/plastic-surgeon-sexualized?ap=831

[My Bariatric Life 764]

@@BethinPA I agree about anesthesia. I lay in my hospital bed that night crying and crying... and even the next morning when I saw Dr. Capella I was upset.

Tough timing with your BF. And yes, I find exercise, meditation, and other integrative medicine approaches are fabulous stress reducers. Last night I had reiki done on me -- first time ever -- with three practitioners, as well as tuning forks, and it was an absolutely phenomenal experience and extremely relaxing. I am considering taking instruction to become a reiki master because it was THAT incredible.

[My Bariatric Life 764]

@@CowgirlJane maybe get your upper and lower eye lids done and some filler and see how you feel about your looks afterwards. Any good facial plastic surgeon will ask you what YOUR goals are and will not push procedures on you UNLESS you ask for their recommendation. At least that is what I know.

Here you go: http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/276918/174416/17-plastic-surgery-insider

My tips to help you be a savvy consumer.

[My Bariatric Life 764]

@@CowgirlJane I got referrals from other people. I only spoke to two facial plastic surgeons. I had looked at so many surgeons' websites and was completely unimpressed with their before and afters. There seemed little -- and sometimes NO -- difference. One surgeon whom has a BIG reputation and is in the media a lot had me momentarily impressed but I found his Facebook profile and he turned out to be a real schmuck, completely full of himself, and he had the same woman on this website (before and after) that I'd seen many years earlier. He just seemed like a one-hit wonder who bought a lot of media exposure. Watch out. It is a very competitive field and not all doctors are sincere...

Funny how I ended up with Dr. Winslow. I bought a Groupon for waxing and the aesthetician had a studio in her home where she worked on me. Of course she saw my scars so we spoke about plastic surgery. She worked for Dr. Winslow part time and gave me the inside scoop. She said THAT is where I wanted to go. And she was right! I looked at her website and was impressed -- but when I saw the photos in her office, OMG, she absolutely blew me away. And she has a very nice personality/bedside manner. The work she did on me was nothing short of a miracle :-)

My life was changed all because of a Groupon, LOL!

[MichiganChic 3,262]

@@My Bariatric Life I am going to give it some time. My arms and abdomen are rock star quality, lol. She did a really great job on them. My breast lift/augmentation also seems good so far. My behind started out good, but flattened near the bottom half of my Buns, and my upper thighs are still droopy. I need some Lipo in those saddle bags - they are freakish! My doc said we could do the lipo and another type of lift -I think like what I've seen where the lower butt is cut and sewn to your ischial tuberosity to give a better curve and lift the posterior thigh. It's a very painful and difficult recovery, so I'm just not up to even thinking about that.

I know what you mean about thinking about tweaking to perfection - I'm 52, and I really wish I had legs to go with the upper half of body!

You have a very interesting story, good reading for people wondering what it's like. Eventually, I'm going to post my story on real self, too. I was just waiting to see if my feelings change over time.