February/March 08 plastics

[StephC 0]

My friend who had gastric bypass and lost about 200 lbs had a tt about a year ago. She said she still has that upper fat under her ribs. I guess its just something we'll have to deal with.

[I'm still here 0]

Lynn: Really need pictures to see what you're talking about, but you probably do have a distored body image. It takes time to get use to the new body. I find it very helpful to look at my before pictures and than I feel a lot better about my results. I'm a bit pudgy in the upper stomach also and I'm hoping that a bit more weight loss and exercise will help. That was a thoughtless remark on the photographers part. Maybe she should get naked in front of you and you can comment on all her imperfections! LOL. I want to look perfect too, but it probably is an unreasonable goal. I'm looking at doing my backside and arms. When I lose the last 15 pounds if the PS can do some revision of my tt and get the upper stomach tighter, I will do it. Another thing to consider is that you still have swelling which goes to the upper stomach? I know I still swell alot, especially since I've started exercising again. You know I think it would be really helpful, if we could see more people naked in general. Don't you? I think we'd find that really there aren't too many perfect bodies out there. Now hold on to that thought for a while!

Okay, ladies . . . I need some help. I have pictures that were sent to me in the form of an email. Does anyone know how to get them from my email to here? I am sorry I'm so 'computer-challenged' - I really need to go take a course of some kind to get me up to date. I will gladly post them if someone can help me . . .

About the photographer - I think I set her up really, and I truly appreciate her honest answer. She wasn't being rude, she just answered what I asked. I still can not figure out why my middle is so 'round'. As I was walking this morning I was pushing and pinching on it and it is as tight as a drum - it is just soooooo . . . round - I actually hate the way it looks. Do y'all think 8-10 pound can make that much of a difference??? I am still trying to get rid of the pounds I gained since being un-filled.

I have decided to really amp up the exercise and see if that helps; and it probably wouldn't hurt to start paying more attention to what I eat. I am one of those dummies who thinks because I can eat so little, it won't hurt to eat what I want. Probably a bad plan.

Thanks in advance for your help ~

[losingjusme 12]

mommi

i'll PM you my email address, zip them to me and i can post them for you if you'd like.

[I'm still here 0]

Thank you so much LJM - I just sent them to you . . .

[kareyquilts 1]

Lynn: I think that 10 pounds can make a difference. The last 10 pounds that I lost totally changed the way my body looked. I personally think it's the last little bit that makes a big change in the way you look. Of course, it all helps! LOL. I just know that my face and chest area looked a lot different after the last 10 pounds. After my DD's wedding I'm going to go back to my trainer and work my butt off, (acutally I hope it's my thighs and upper stomach). I'm going to loose the last of my weight 10-15 pounds. I'm determined! Anyway, it's fun to try if you don't get all intense and worried about it! I'm sure you look great! Can't wait to see the pictures!

[salsa1877 10]

Hi again everyone ~

I saw my band doctor on Wednesday of this past week and had another small fill. They say I am now back to where I was before the unfill a couple of weeks ago, but it does NOT feel like it. I can eat things I would not have even attempted before and I feel hungry all the time. Grrrr.

My band doctor also looked at my stomach while I was there and said he thinks it looks great. I don't think it looks great - my upper abdomen looks pudgy, especially now compared to my very tight lower tummy.

I saw my PS yesterday and according to him, I am doing wonderfully. He said that he pulled it as tight as he could without causing compression problems for my organs (that I of course didn't want) and said several times that I could walk down any beach in a bikini and no one would ever think I'd had a TT. But - when we were taking pictures I casually said to the photographer, 'Shouldn't this part be flat too?' and she said, 'Yeah, it usually is.' Man I wish I'd never asked her that! So then my PS came back in with the pictures and showed me how only a certain 'envelope' of fat and skin can be removed, and said only if he had done the 'T' incision could I have had a 'tighter' result.

So . . . I need to just wrap my mind around the fact that this is what I ended up with and move on. I am going to try to lose between 10 and 20 more pounds and bump up the exercise to see if that helps get me to where I wanted to be. It seems maybe it would have been a good idea for me to wait until I was at goal to have my TT.

I have a really stupid question - After a TT, can you still improve your abdominal area with exercise? If so, I am going to have to take that approach to get the final result I wanted.

My husband has now decided that I have 'a very distorted body image' and I am starting to wonder if he is right - ???

As I mentioned earlier, my doc said that the only way they were going to get my tummy tight is if they did the t-cut. However, for most people the presence of a VERY long scar (mine will run groin to chest) is not worth it for the results they would acheive. She said that because most people do not have an enormous amount of excess skin from side to side that they can just pull down and most will take care of itself. However, when they pull straight down with out the t-cut that some of the excess tissue gets displaced off to the sides and therefore you can lose a little definition (the tree trunk effect). Some of it will go away but some of it you have to live with. The look and the healing time of a t-cut can be a turn off to patients and doctors alike. In fact my doc said that the reason my first PS kept raising the price is because he didn't want to do it. Most docs don't like doing the t-cut because of the intersection of the 2 incisions (which can cause healing problems) and because most patients are not happy with having the full vertical scar. However for me, she said that there was just no other way of doing it. I just have WAY too much skin off to the sides. My PS did warn me that they wouldn't be able to pull as tight around the port so that I might have a little pouch of fat. I am SOOOOO okay with that as long as I don't look like Jabba-the-Hut's sister!

I can't imagine that 10-15 pounds would HURT anything. Maybe that is all your body needs. I do know that in the last several pounds that I have lost that, like Karey, the body shape has totally changed. When I started lifting weights people started commenting left and right at how much I had dropped. Funny because I had only lost 10 pounds...but that made a huge difference. I look forward to seing your pictures.

[I'm still here 0]

Lynn: I think that 10 pounds can make a difference.

I think you're right Karey . . . That is all I can think of, because this dis-satisfaction with my results didn't happen right away. I am thinking from now on, if I gain a pound it is going to show in my upper abdomen. Grrr. Hopefully the fear of that, along with my little tool will keep me motivated.

My immediate plan is to really 'amp up' my exercise and try to get these last 10-20 pounds off. Hopefully that will solve my problem. If not - I may be looking at having a 'little lipo' on my upper abdomen to get rid of this thick spot.

[losingjusme 12]

ok ... here are mommi-hammi's pics...

doesnt she look great!!! (yes, swollen, but great!!)

[I'm still here 0]

You are a DOLL Christine !!! Thank you so much for posting my pics . . .

[kareyquilts 1]

Lynn: You look great. Now you didn't have any work on your legs did you? They look so nice and smooth. Very lucky for you! I think we should all concentrate on our good body parts and not worry so much about our problem areas! Your upper stomach isn't bad at all. Some people are more defined and some aren't. I guess you'll have to experiment and see how weight loss affects it. I'm not going to tell you to be happy because I know that doesn't help, but really you look great!

[StephC 0]

Lynn I wish I could see your before pics too. I think you look WONDERFUL!!! I hope I have the same results. As far as the little swelling at the top of the tummy, I'm thinking I'll have the same thing. My dr said he can cut off the stuff hanging on the lower part but he can't do anything about that fat up there. Thats why he wanted me to lose more - but dang girl you look hot! It makes me feel alot better seeing your results. Tell me your stats - how tall you are and how much you weighed before surgery (I got to do my computing to compare and hope I have as good of results) :coolgleamA:

[I'm still here 0]

Lynn I wish I could see your before pics too. I think you look WONDERFUL!!! I hope I have the same results. As far as the little swelling at the top of the tummy, I'm thinking I'll have the same thing. My dr said he can cut off the stuff hanging on the lower part but he can't do anything about that fat up there. Thats why he wanted me to lose more - but dang girl you look hot! It makes me feel alot better seeing your results. Tell me your stats - how tall you are and how much you weighed before surgery (I got to do my computing to compare and hope I have as good of results)

Thanks so much Steph ~ Being the 'genius' I am, I didn't take any before pics . . . Not before the band or the TT, so I think that is part of my problem - I don't have anything really to compare these pics to. I still think my abdomen looks really pudgy, but I am hoping it is swelling and me needing to lose 10-15 more pounds.

I am 5'5' and weigh between 150-155, depending on the day it seems. I was probably 155 the day the pics were taken.

Best of luck to you -

Lynn

[I'm still here 0]

Lynn: You look great. Now you didn't have any work on your legs did you? They look so nice and smooth. Very lucky for you! I think we should all concentrate on our good body parts and not worry so much about our problem areas! Your upper stomach isn't bad at all. Some people are more defined and some aren't. I guess you'll have to experiment and see how weight loss affects it. I'm not going to tell you to be happy because I know that doesn't help, but really you look great!

Thanks so much Karey! I actually did have a 'little lipo' on my inner-thighs, but there really is no noticeable difference. For some reason, that is not bothering me.

You are absolutely right - we all do need to focus on our good body parts, not the ones we are not happy with. I know that, just don't always do it . . . My husband is convinced I need to see a shrink. He looked at me the other day and said, " GOOD GRIEF! You have the beginning of a 6-pack, what are you complaining about?" He was half joking, half not . . .

So, I am going to focus on losing the rest of this weight (did I mention I love my band?) and toning up what is left. I feel bad that I have made my sweet surgeon doubt his results. I got the sweetest email from him yesterday concerned that I am not pleased. It made me feel like poop. He said he had shared my photos with his collegues (sp?) and they all agreed that I had a good result. Maybe I'm just too picky. Maybe I'm swollen. Maybe I need to lose 10 more pounds. I need to just be glad the surgery is behind me and get on with living.

Thank you again Christine for posting my pics.

[kareyquilts 1]

Lynn: It never hurts to humble the doctor a little bit! LOL! I think we all need tiime to get use to our new bodies. It does take some adjustment.

[Esmeralda 2]

How many people that had there plastic surgery back in February still wear their girdles??? I stop wearing mine about 4-5 days ago but I feel allot of swelling on my lower tummy I think I rather keep on wearing it, have you bought something different that compresses the area?? I need a good girdle for now.