Day 366 Post-Op

First year anniversary was yesterday, so I thought I'd list some of the things that I'm happy with and some of the things which could be better. I'm happy because: 1) I have very few food intolerances 2) I haven't had a problem controlling my food volume 3) I've lost 141 pounds since surgery and 177 since my initial consultation 4) My waist had gone from a 56 to a 32 with more to lose 5) I'm more socially active now than at any point in my life 6) I've been casually dating 7) I'm lighter now than the day I graduated from high school 8) I'm more physically active than at any time since college 9) My sleep schedule is more normal than at any point in my adult life 10) I've found a number of activities (cycling and swing dancing) that have made my quality of life higher than it's ever been). Things I could work on: 1) More variety in my workouts.  Swing dancing is dominating my activities, but I need to be more consistent in my weight lifting, cycling, and spin classes 2) Being aware that being slimmer hasn't and won't solve all my problems, including the reasons why I put on all the weight in the first place 3) Being less self-conscious about hanging skin.  It's a fact of life for right now (or at least until I have the $20K for plastics), and it's really not that bad 4) Letting people walk over me.  That might have been my mode of operation as a fat guy.  It's not ok (then or now).

Congrats!!!!!!!!

Congratulations on the physical and social improvements. It sounds like your thinking is pretty good too. Your things to work on list is reasonable and insightful. I'm confident you'll make as much progress there as on the other list.

BRAVO! Well done, and continued success. Ken

Great work, and many congratulations to you. BTW, I love swing music. I was into swing music way before it was cool again. I have played trumpet for 30+ years, and swing and blues are my favorites. Do you have a cool "Zuit" Suit or two? Take care. JP

:-) I'm so casual when I go dancing.  I haven't really explored the retro-dress aspect of it.  I even wear shorts because it just gets so darn hot! I've done a little blues dancing, and would like to learn more.  I should find a partner to work on that with.

I have played at events where many of the participants took it to the max. All the guys looked liked 1940's gangsters and the even better, the women all did their best "Betty Paige". I'm glad you are having fun with it, great fun way to exercise. I hear the Brian Setzer orchestra still does the occasional show in SoCal. I have not played in a real swing band for several years, as time and travel do not permit, but someday I will definitely get back into it. Take care. JP

Swing Dancing! You OC Californians are Too Cool! Keep up the awesome Work! As you get more interested in PS, Check around a bit on those prices. Statistical data provided by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Surgical Cosmetic Procedures

 

Procedure	Average Surgeon Fee
Breast augmentation	$3,375
Breast implant removals	$2,047
Breast lift	$3,857
Breast reduction in men	$2,939
Buttock lift	$3,554
Cheek implant	$2,083
Chin augmentation	$1,693
Dermabrasion	$1,051
Ear surgery	$2,535
Eyelid surgery	$2,525
Facelift	$5,283
Forehead lift	$2,797
Lip augmentation	$1,325
Liposuction	$2,224
Lower body lift	$5,367
Nose reshaping (Rhinoplasty)	$3,188
Thigh lift	$3,283
Tummy tuck	$4,641
Upper arm lift	$2,809

 

 

Panniculectomy didn’t make the list, because it falls in the cracks between Cosmetic and re-constructive. More likely to be insurance covered and the cheapest at around $1300. You can usually figure around double that amount to get to a total that includes Everything! - hospital/anesthesia/etc… Operating Room Costs- Today, many surgeons utilize outpatient surgical centers to perform their procedures. Use of a suite in a surgical center will often cost from $600-$900 per hour. The complexity and duration of your procedure will affect this cost and in many cases your surgeon will ask you to make a payment directly to the surgical center for the use of their facility. Some surgeons do use an operating room in their own facility. In these cases they will very often include the operating room cost in under the umbrella of the Surgeon's Fee. Anesthesia- A variety of medical professionals are qualified to administer anesthesia, but licensed anesthesiologists will charge between $200 and $350 per hour. Like operating room costs, your surgeon may ask you to pay for anesthesia separate from your surgeon's fee. The costs are even "negotiable" for lower for self pay. I was truly amazed at how cheap my PS was. Worth every nickel! Congratulations on your Great Loss! Best Wishes- Dx

CONGRATULATIONS! You should be proud of yourself. I look forward to being able to say I am happy about some of the same things one day.  Your "opportunities for improvement" sound reasonable and doable. Best of luck.

Sounds like a very good year.  Best of luck maintaining your gains and working on those goals.  If you are looking to up the cardio, I suggest a sport of some kind.  For me, racquetball has been a great way to supplement my cardio without boring myself to death (I can only take so much cycling or running a week).