You know I'm having my TT and hysterectomy in 6 weeks. Yikes! I'm totally obsessed with it. I can only imagine that the rest of my body will look like crap. Kind of like painting a room, and everything else looks dingy. I would love to have my thighs done, but I think I want my underarms done most. I don't have terrible bat wings, but my underarms are terrible. I have a blob of skin. I think I can live with the boobs, although they have dropped a lot. I can put them into a bra, and no one needs to see them, unless I invite them to. LOL The thighs and underarms are harder to hide. I guess that I would have over $20,000.00 in plastic surgery if I were to have all three procedures. My full TT with muscle tightening is $6660.00. They have knocked it down to $6235.00, because I'm having it done at the hospital and not their surgical center. Debbie

My guilt is not with my daughter, as she is only 7. My guilt is with my sister. She is so dear to me. She could probably stand to loose another 25lbs or so. She is height challenged as I am. She has multiple health issues and surgery would not be something for her, and she isn't that much overweight. She has lupus, hoshimotos syndrome(thyroid disease), and hepatitis B, from emergency blood in the 80's. She has been following a caloric diet and walking some, when she feels well enough. We are near the same weight, although I am 2 inches taller and we are built differently. I love her so much, and I pray she isn't envious or jealous of me. I also feel guilty when I see other beautiful obese women. I know their misery. I didn't have as much weight to loose as some women, but I was considered medically neccessary to have surgery. I sure wish I could have done it without surgery, but I didn't. I am so happy that I don't have the health issues prior to surgery, but I still have nagging worries that I might have traded those for others, that won't be seen until later on. (insert worry wart here) I try to keep my sister positive about her weight loss and her appearance. We all need to have praise from time to time. Hugs, Debbie

Julia, I think its the age and no matter what we do or say, they're going to feel the way they do. I have a 20 year old daughter who is 5'2" and weighs 130 - 135 lbs. She thinks she's huge, and like your daughter, she thinks her legs are too thick and is very self conscious about them. She was this way before I had surgery. She is very conscientious about what she eats and exercises all the time. I do think I would feel bad if I was smaller than her and worry that it would bother her, but then again, I think it would just have to be something she would have to accept. On the other hand, I have an 18 year old who is 5'5" and weighs around 270. She's had a harder time accepting my weight loss. It is so hard to see the hurt in her eyes. We are now looking into her having this surgery. She's been to Weigh****chers and a place called Positive Changes (hypnosis). Nothing has worked for her. Since we've started this process, she has started exercising with me and asking about the protein. I think its an instinct us mothers have about our children. We don't want them to hurt in the least bit and if there is anything we can do to help, we will do it. But we also have to remember ourselves. That's so hard to do sometimes. Wanda

I'm pleased, very pleased, with how I look after sugery, but I'm having a hard time not feeling guilty because I'm now thinner than my 20 year old daughter. She's built much like I used to be (only even heavier) in the derriere and legs, very busty and she's only 5' tall. She's very firm and really quite cute, but she's so self-conscious about her legs that she won't wear shorts, etc. I want to feel good about myself, but I feel like I'm making her insecurities worse and I would never want to do anything to hurt her. All she talks about is liposuction (which is dangerous and wouldn't help her problem anyway) and I won't even consider plastic surgery for myself right now as I'm afraid it would reinforce her ideas that she doesn't look good enough. Does anyone else have grown daughters? And if so, are you experiencing any of the same kings of feelings? Please help.

If you're in trouble drinking this, then I'm in trouble too because I'm finishing creamy chocolate slim fast as I write this. They're not my favorite (no protein is), but it's okay and it's a good source of protein to keep me from seeking out other snacks at the office. The best thing is that they sell them already cold at the gas station around the corner, so I can grab one for breakfast if I don't eat at home. No menopause here yet, other than some pre-menopausal insomnia but I think I'd welcome it. Maybe not. I had gained 3 pounds as well and I've just now taken it back off after alot of honest soul-searching about what had crept back into my eating habits. I know it's going to be a life-long struggle. Let me know what the dr. says about the Lupron (for the anemia, right?) and possible weight gain.