looking for plastics... i think?

well guys. I'm 16+ months out. i've been at/below goal for about 3 months now. I've gotten to the point now where i am just straight up ashamed of my "burrito". I'm sure everyone else has a nickcname for their giggly bits hanging off the front....  lol

I've heard different timelines for how long you should wait to persue plastics, but i've gotten myself so worked up about it, it's all i can think about! before, when i was with my bf, it wasn't an issue, but we have since split up (another casualty of rny relationship trauma) and now that i'm trying to date again, it's mildly horrifying. all i can see is the jello.

so my question is - and i know this has been asked 8,000 times here but i never needed it before now... how long is long enough to wait? and more importantly do you have a surgeon you  would recommend, in the raleigh area preferred. I have the dr my mom used that i can see, but i wasn't sure if there was someone you guys recommended specifically. I'm looking for, what i would assume is a Tummy tuck and breast reconstruction (lift, implants? i dunno. i have *nothing* now.)

quick run down:
surgery date: 10/01/08
HW/SW/CW/GW
333/306/145/165

current BMI: 20.8!!!!!!!!!

I have always heard, wait till your weight has been stable for at least 6 months.  I waited a year....

My plastic surgeon is Dr. Lynne Garrison in Greenville.  Can't help you with the Raleigh area...

good luck!

Alice

Hi KarlaAnne,

First of all, congratulations!!! You look just fabulous and I'm sure you feel wonderful as well. Re: plastics, it's such a personal decision, but there are several practices in the area that have experience with post bariatric patients. UNC has a Dr. that I have heard talk at UNCs support group meetings. I liked him and I'm sure that you can get his name from Karen. Of course, Duke also has a plastic surgeon that they work with, but I have seen the work of Dr. Karl Schwarz in Raleigh and we have several members here that have had great experiences with him. His website is www.schwarzps.com.

As Alice said, they generally want your weight to be stable for at least 6 months before you begin any plastic work.

Wishing you all the best, 

Karlaanne,
You dont look like the same person.
The plastic surgeons at UNC are Dr. Lynn Damitz and Dr. Scott Hultman have Karen Coltan send a referal for you.
Karen sent a referal to Dr. Hultman for me and I filled out an application have heard nothing just to have a consult.
I did have Dr. Hultman remove the hanging stomach after I lost my first 300lbs He is a good doctor I am glad he did it but he forgot the mons pubis area and OMG it drives me nuts.
                                                         Annie

Annie - thanks for the tip. I'll get in touch with Karen this week and see what she says.

The mons area is actually a big part of the problem for me... so... bizarre! im hoping that can be fixed!

I'm starting to seriously persue surgery now too!.  I'm a little over 2 years out... i'd still like to lose about 15 lbs, but i've been working on losing those 15 lbs for a year now... and still can't seem to actually get a grip on it... so i'm giving up on those 15 for the moment.  I'm thinking this is where my body wants to be for the moment!!

I'm going to get my surgery done by Dr. Schwarz.  I've met with him a couple of times now and really, really like him, his attitude and the surgical set up he has in his office.  I'm going to start at my top and work my way down, so i'm starting with my arms, chin and possible just a little eye lift... we'll see about the eyes... it depends on how much my bank account can handle.  Of course i may switch and take care of my droopy boobage before the eye lift, but i'm thinking i can always hide the boobs, can't hide the droopy eye lids..... we'll see. 

I've seen several people that have had surgery with Dr. Schwarz now, and am really impressed by his surgical skills. 

Skooter - I'm so excited for you! let us know how it goes... I bet once you get some surgeries going, those pounds will drop! 

I hate my arms so much, but i've heard that is the most painful of the surgeries. what did dr schwartz say?

Dr. Schwarz didn't say it was the "Most" painful.  I think the most painful is the sides, but i'm not thinking about the pain... i have a pretty high pain tolerance and i know that i can put up with whatever pain comes with this as long as i can see an end to the bat wings.  I'm sure Dr. Schwarz will keep me as pain free as possible... without keeping me knocked out 24/7 for weeks!!!    As i said... i just can't let myself think about pain!!!  I'll just keep thinking about my beautiful arms at the end of this!!!