I don't think I'll ever have plastics

This site definitely has the most active formerly SMO and the most active vets of any WLS forum.

Wow, I'm sorry for you and the misery you seem to be living in. Just because people who started out as larger than "200s" haven't responded yet doesn't mean they won't. I mean, there's nothing wrong with saying you think she might change her mind, but really, is all the "Negative Nelly" stuff really necessary, or even helpful? I don't think so.

I started where you did, and I've lost 152 pounds total to date (60 lbs prior to surgery). How that matters, I'm not sure.

You say you "really can't control how other people interpret my words, no matter what my intentions are." How else is someone supposed to interpret "Your goal is to lose 325 pounds, is that a fictitious goal or a real goal?" in any other way than insulting? I can't see one.

The entire demeanor of your responses has been negative and condescending. Perhaps you could control how people interpret your words, if you chose them a bit more carefully. What is to be gained from trying to bring down someone's positive attitude, or crush someone's hope?

As for Mershmellow's belief that she won't want PS, good for her! If I'd had this surgery and lost this weight when I was 30 instead of now, I'd probably not consider PS either. I DID lose 95 pounds back then, and my skin had so much more elasticity that it bounced back really well.

As it is, even at 57, and although the backs of my legs look like ET now, I actually have considerably less loose skin than I thought I would. It may get a little worse with the remaining 33 pounds till goal, but it's still better than I expected.

Will I have PS for cosmetic only reasons? Probably not. If there are health issues and my insurance pays for it, then of course. And I doubt that Mershmellow would refuse to have it, either, if it turns out to be a health concern and she's covered for it. It seemed to me she was talking about cosmetic PS.

Mostly, I would never be able to afford cosmetic PS, so I don't consider it a viable option. If I won the lottery, though? Hell yeah, for strictly vanity reasons I sure would.

As for me, I HATED my fat body, and nothing in this world makes me happier than to see my droopy skin, knowing I look 10x better than I did a year ago.

Perhaps you should look a little deeper at the reasons behind your negativity and stop using it as an excuse to be negative here, under the guise of "just being honest." Hurting feelings is hurting feelings, intentional or not.

Well one, it isn't misery. Loneliness does not equate to misery. Having solitary experience doesn't mean isn't filled with joy or victories.

She seems convinced I was going out of my way to be rude to her, when I took my time to respond honestly with what I felt was a realistic response and instead of making it better I made it worse. Oh well.

Right now I feel like you wrote 10 paragraphs to take me to task for telling my own story, and voicing my opinion like you are my mother.

" How else is someone supposed to interpret "Your goal is to lose 325 pounds, is that a fictitious goal or a real goal?" in any other way than insulting? I can't see one."

I asked a direct answer to get a direct question. A lot of people have goals that are not set by them but set by their Dr. Does she really want to get to 160? Does she really think that at 160 pounds she will have enough muscle to fill the skin of a formerly 435 arm?

People think this is loose arm skin. That is an arm with skin elasticity filled with fat

This is loose arm skin post massive weight loss.

I asked my questions the way I did to get her to think about it. People keep spreading the lies and half truths that you can workout and mitigate or limit loose skin and that isn't true, it doesn't work like that.

Again most people are never large enough and never lose enough that it is ever a realistic issue with them. Less than 6% of the population is super morbidly obese, of those people 5 to 10% will ever see a normal BM. We are talking about a few thousand people, not millions.

If you have a way to candy coat a direct question, please share? I can tell you right now that you don't with your hateful response.

I feel absolutely certain you don't go out of your way to be rude. From everything I've seen on OH, I'm convinced you ARE rude. You don't have to go out of your way at all.

And your saying that Cathy's response was hateful is just hysterical.

"All cruel people describe themselves as paragons of frankness."

--- Tennessee Williams

That bottom picture totally makes me do a double take because I'm pretty sure that I was wearing that exact same bra when having my picture taken by my surgeon yesterday against the same blue wall. But that's not my watch, so it's definitely not me. Still though, double take since my arms pretty much look exactly like that.

I tell my girls (ages 15 and 13)at school mean kids turn into mean adults. What you did was bully someone and put her down. She was just sharing an opinion don't be so mean.. we are here to support each other not wreck each others joy and self esteem.

Did you intend to direct this to me? Because, while what I wrote was absolutely mean, I was standing up for someone AGAINST the bully.

Outsidematchinside is unnecessarily cruel on almost every single post. Everyone on this thread has seen it, and she was called out on it by others.

I have no problem standing up to a bully. And doing so does NOT make me a bully.

Oh crap not intended for you ! For Outsidrmatchinside. Don't post much but she made my Irish blood boil! I hate bullies.

Sorry I posted under yours and looks like that not intended for you. I enjoy reading your posts and gaining knowledge from your posts. I post from my phone I will need to be more careful next time. 9 years out but new here.

Good. It didn't seem like you. I apologize for jumping on you.

Outsidematchinside has me blocked now, so I don't have to see any more of her hatred.

Is that why I can no longer see her posts? I was wondering why they were gone suddenly, wasn't sure what happened.