Hi Everyone!

Long time, no see! It's funny how crazy life gets when you're having fun and not being miserable. I can definitely say my outlook on life has definitely changed for the better. I can't believe how much everyone on this board has changed in the past year!! It's amazing to see. Great job guys!! So, here I am.. a little over a year out.. still "squishy".. not a size 4 like the stories I've read of people being a year out, but I'll take what I can get. ;) I've been having some serious issues with my belly.. lots of pain when eating or drinking, so that's going to have to be resolved soon enough. I'm lucky I made it this far w/o complications. On a positive note, a tummy tuck is in the near future. A couple of questions: ~~HOW much are you post ops eating?? I'm a little lost here.. I know it depends on what I'm eating, but it's definitely not just a couple of tablespoons like it used to be. Can anyone give me examples? My weight loss has slowed down dramatically, even with exercise, so I need to do something right. ~~Secondly, does anyone know of a good surgeon in Connecticut that will do upper body work, ie. breast lift/augmentation and removal of skin on the sides of the breasts?? I definitely know I want Dr. Valin to do my TT, but I need another Dr. that isn't booked for years and years and will actually return my calls. Any advice would be wonderful and much appreciated!! Have a good weekend! Michelle

Michelle, It's so great to see you post. I was just asking if anyone had heard from you. Let me just say that you look fantastic. Incredible, Wowzers... Need I say more. My weight loss has slowed down as well to. I'd say I'm eating about 1000-1200 calories a day. It does seem like I'm able to eat a lot more food these past couple of months. I guess we can say we're coming to the end of our honeymoon period. If you find a surgeon that will do breast work, please share the wealth. Dr. Valin did an endoscopy on me the day before I had my heart bypass and did find a hernia so I am hoping that he will do a TT when and if this needs to be repaired. He's making me get through the heart recovery before we discuss it. I guess I can understand that. He's a great guy as is his twin brother who is now my cardiologist. Love them both. Take care and try not to be a stranger, Maggie

Michelle, I've spoken to (and have seen) two surgeons who work out of St. Francis, Dr. Hooman Soltanian (www.spsct.com) and Dr. Steven Belinkie (www.drbelinkie.com). I saw some of Soltanian's work and thought he could have done better. Belinkie seems to be a more experienced surgeon, but he is on the expensive side and doesn't bother trying to get insurance approval because it's such a hassle. I've decided to get my work done with Dr. Barba, my bypass surgeon. I really like his work, and he's always been there for me. I understand that he does this only for his bypass patients, but I don't know that for sure. Of course, I never looked into breast reduction or augmentation, but I'm sure you'd want to find someone with a lot of experience so you get it done right the first time. >> How much are you post-ops eating? I still eat small portions, perhaps 2oz of meat, 1 oz vegetables, and don't drink with meals. I treat myself each evening to a sugar-free jello pudding with a small dab of light whipped cream. Very tasty. For breakfast, 2-3 oz of oatmeal and a bananna. For lunch, soup or a fat-free tuna snack. If I'm hungry during the day, some fat-free saltines or fresh fruit. I exercise every day, usually walking 6 miles per day on the treadmill. Better get that pain checked out! --Steve

Hi Michelle, I read where you are having some stomach pain. I did too and found out that I had become Lactose intolerent. When you get the pain try to remember what you ate or drank, if you ate or drank anything dairy there is a good chance you are also lactose intolerent. I ended up in the hospital having all kinds of tests run and everything came back good. When I came home from the hospital I had some pudding and thought I was going to die, that is when I realized what was going on. Just a thought. Hope you get to feeling better. I hear Dr. Sena at Lawrence and Memorial Hosp in New London is a great breast man. Take care Cindy

Hey there girl! Glad to see you bouncing around the boards! Isn't it wonderful to be not miserable from your weight? What a gift. To address your questions: At one year- I could eat a fair amount...to give you some guide- perhaps a 1/2 sandwich or the better part of a 6 inch at Subway... probably in the neighborhood of 3 to 5 ounces depending on texture and how heavy the food was. Salad- I could eat a LOT. You ARE suposed to be able to eat more now than you were before. That's part of the process. But, you're wist to question how much and keep an eye on your quantities. Regarding PS- well, everybody on here who knows me probably knows how very very strongly I feel about making WISE and educated choices when it comes to surgeons. That's not to say that MY answers are right for everyone, but at least I can feel comfortable passing along advice and justifying my choices for my own good. So, here's what I'd advise- 1. Please reconsider having your bariatric surgeon do your PS work, just because they offer, any more than you should allow a PS to do gastric bypass on you, if they know how. Unless they are TRAINED in PS, they are NOT as highly skilled and prepered for your MAJOR issues as massive Wt loss patient as a professional PS highly experienced in reconstructive surgery will be. You do want the BEST you can get, don't you? You have to live with the results. I know that most of them CAN do it and HAVE done it for many years- however, it's wise to seep the experts trained in this area. WE ARE SPECIAL CASES THAT REQUIRE SPECIAL HANDLING. Any competent PS can perform a hernia repair, as a matter of course. Having said that, of course, it's JMHO. You must do as you please. I suggest calling Dr. Charles Castiglione out of Hartford Hospital- He is with CT Surgical Group. He is highly experiences in reconstructive surgery and has a great bedside manner. His office will work with insurance whenever possible, as ANY medical professional SHOULD. I'd forget about the Dr's that don't have any interest in helping you process for insurance. (What does that mean they think about your surgery and how important are you to them as a pt? 2. Also remember that the best doctors sometimes DO have a wait. But, you can use that time constructively. Especially when it comes to PS. You can consult now, but when you have surgery you NEED to be as close to your ideal or bottom weight as possible in order to achieve great results. So, you can uyse your wait time to get in TOP shape. I have seen PS ruined by weight gained and even more so by weight LOST after surgery. Nothing worse than getting a tummy tuck the loosing 10 or 15 pounds and needing another one because you're saggy again! Remember, you probably need PS because your skin has lost it Elasticity. Having PS doesn't bring it back, it just takes away the excess skin. That new tummy/breasts, etc is very vulnerable to weight gain and loss, as it is STILL the same skin. Good luck to you, it's quite a journey. Feel free to email me if you like. Best, Lisa C