Skin Removal

I am so excited about having surgery and finally joining everyone on the losing side, but no date is set yet my last appointment is with Dr. Obrien on 2/14/05. I am in my 3rd week of my lifeskills classes. Talking with people they are scaring me about after you lose all the weight you will have lots of skin and it is so bad looking. I have been on here looking at a lot of pictures and everyone I have seen look really good. I would like to know how many surgeries it takes to have the skin removed and where in Delaware is the cheapest place and how much it will cost since insurance doesnt cover this.

Michelle, So good to hear that you are well on your way!!! Use this time to pick the brains of all your docs and the nutritionist at your life skills class. I wish I had that class. If you care to share what all you are learning there with me, I would appreciate it ... it can't do anything but help all of us that did not have it. About your question on "skin" I really feel that exercise "helps" with the tone of the skin. I understand that there are things that we can not control, but I think that we still need to do all we can to help out in any way we can. Ya know? I can only speak for myself here ... but I think with my age, and the amount of time my skin was extended, and how very much my skin was extended (see prego pics on my profile) ... I feel I have faired fairly well in that department. Far from perfect for sure, but better than I really expected. While I know a lot of it has to do with my family jeans ... I think that we can help it along with a good diet, plenty of pure water, exercise, good vitamin regime, plenty of protein, pre-op and post-op, and keeping your skin well hydrated inside and out. My PCP, told me to avoid deodorant soaps on my delicate skin, to use them only on the parts that need them (ie armpits and etc). To use a gentle soap on other skin parts. She had me start this long before my surgery to help ready me for it. She also highly recommended using a good skin lotion and plenty of water, vitamins, protein supplementation. I figured it could not hurt ... so I followed her advice. In the end, it is looking like I will need a tummy tuck, but it is starting to shrink now. But since my hernia has popped again, and the stomach muscles need to be fixed, it would be kinda crazy to have all of that and not address the extra on the tummy. Especially since the large tummy area/hernia is causing me a great deal of back pain. But I do have a girlfriend who has lost down from near 300 to a size 3-5 and she is not getting any reconstructive surgery at all ... she does not need it!!! She looks fabulous! AND she was not all that good with her vitamins, nor her protein, she eats a lot of carbs, sooooooo ... good jeans really do help out A LOT!!! Sorry I can't help you with the doc, cost or anything like that. Dr Irgau and Wynn recommend a doc, but I can't seem to pull his name out of my hat this morning. Brain Freeze - sorry! We do have a couple that frequent this board sometimes who have already been there and done that ... perhaps they will happen along soon with some good advice and answers to your questions. Hugs, Tammy