It's been a while and what a ride it's been!

Hello Gents, It has been a very long time since I last posted and am forever thankfull to the list of characters that helped me through my early days with the fondest of memories....I've checked the boards every once in a while, although with my increased travels for business (on the road 2.5/3 weeks a month, ugh) reading posts off of a blackberry is not the easiest.   I'm 20 months out from surgery and pretty much at goal.  Being 6'3, i now weigh 201lbs, down 185 lbs from my pre-op weight of 387lbs.  I run, 6-8km, 3-4 times a week, have begun spinning again, doing weights, pilates (wow - talk about a reality check - i so thoyght that was a whoosy thing to do - WRONG) and in fact just signed up for a senior (THEY CONSIDER ME SENIOR - DAMN TURNING 40 REALLY DOES CHANGE ONES LIFE!) hockey league and will be playing twice a month starting in January. I've traded one addiction for another!  Food for clothes!  I cannot stop buying clothes...why?  Because I can now go into any store and buy anything i want off the rack!  I now wear a Large Shirt, where i used to be a 4X - I know am a 34 waist where i used to be a 54.  I'm can now buy a 44 suit off the rack where i used to be MADE TO MEASURE!  No more Rochester, No more Casual Male...Banana Republic has become my new favorite destination - YIKES! I'm at that stage now where i am thinking about Plastics.  WOW - this is so much more stressfull and complex than choosing and doing the WLS!  I met a plastic surgeon (the first one of many that i'll meet) and after getting over the fact that i had to get down to my underwear in front of her (Did i mention that she was in her mid 30's, a smokin hot brunette, and besides having told me that she had a TT herself, she also looked like she had some renovations to her chest area!).  She told me that in her opinion, i'm a perfect candidate for a LBL and a masectomy...i asked her if lipo would be necessary and she told me that i didn't have any fat left and that everything hanging is skin.  She went on to say that under the floppy skin is 'amazing muscle definition' and that i'd be amazed how well defined i'll be after having the curtains removed.  GENTS - WAS SHE FLIRTING WITH ME...CUZ I WAS SURE HOPING SHE WAS .  While i liked her a lot, i have serious concerns about her age and experience.  The upside to her (besides the looks) is that she operates in a hospital and i've come to the decision (i think) that i want my surgery done in a hospital - and that i want to spend one or two nights - where that isn't feasible in a surgery clinic. DX - Thanks for reposting your PLASTICS post the other day - like EVERYTHING you post, it is well written, thorough all with a sense of your wit and humor.   This WLS has been the best thing to happen to me after the birth of my kids!  I am a new man, with more energy and love of life.  I look back on the journey with fond memories and thank g-d for the people and support given to me from this awesome board and locker room.  For all the people sitting on the sides thinking about it - all i can say is the TIME IS NOW...as who knows what tomorrow will bring. Take Care! Clifford  

Cliff, That you are a changed man is obvious in your writing.  As I am now 6 days post-op and already amazed at what's happening to me, I love reading your journey and looking forward to a simolar ride! Congratulations! Charlie

Clifford, Congratulations on your Amazing Loss! Yeah, being able to walk into any store in the mall and buy clothes is a new thrill for me still.  The clearance racks at the mall are amazing. Who knew clothes could be so cheap?! Your Plastic Surgeon Hottie sounds like she wants it! Hope all goes smoothly for your PS. Here’s one thing I did when ‘auditioning’ Surgeons. Ask- “How many Men have you done this procedure on in the last 3 months?” Plastic Surgeons spend the vast majority of their practice Nipping and tucking female forms. That doesn’t make them less qualified, But- If I’m looking for a butcher to carve out a Christmas ham, I’d rather find a guy who has cut a lot of pork Rather than one who cuts up chicken for a living. Yes? One of my top two choices was a female Plastic Surgeon who had Done Tummy-Tucks on quite a few men. I ended up going with a surgeon who also had been cutting on a lot of men recently Particularly guys who had lost massive weight. One thing he did was pull extra skin off of the pubic area. He said- “Most men don’t ask about this, but they all really appreciate it.” He was right. I’d encourage you to ASK, ASK, ASK about EVERYTHING. Look at results from previous patients, good and bad. Ask what you can do to help ensure the best outcome. My Plastic Surgery was a breeze, certainly compared to my WLS! I was resistant to the whole idea of having PS, But very happy I went ahead with it. I hope you find the doc that will give you want you want. Great to see you enjoying your new Life. Best Wishes- Dx

Charlie, I remember the first week like it was yesterday...every day gets easier and the UPS far out weigh the DOWNS....I remember all the QUESTIONS i had and was always amazed at the ANSWERS i got from this board.... It's all the little things that make the biggest differences in my life and i've learned to appreciate each and every one....Good luck and enjoy the process, cuz we are fortunate to be have been lucky and fortunate enough to have had the chance to regain our control over our lives.

Thanks DX! Considering what you went through with your WLS, anything would have seem easier than that!  I remember your PS phase - as it was about 3-4 months after my WLS, if memory serves me right - that you went under the blade. Thanks for the advice and i'm certainly looking to gain a few more inches from mr.  ....

Congrats on all your success!!!! I'm just starting to look into this process and I noticed your numbers are close to mine and you have gotten to where I want to be. I also noticed you travel a lot as I do.  Do you have any travel tips for me as I proceed on this journey?  I really didn't want to carry a blender with me at the beginning. Any restraunt tips I can use when I'm on the road? By the way I think the PS definantly wants you!

Hi TPinTN,

The one thing I decided before having WLS was that i was not going to hide it from anyone and spoke free and openly about it, being very proud of the decision to have the WLS and take pride in the results, even before they began to show.  As such, it was easy for me to order food at restaurants based on 'special requests' and not have to feel self conscious about the requests - especially in front of clients. 

 

Personally - I could never do the ‘blended’ meats and foods…had issues with gagging as it reminded me of canned meats which my stomach could never handle, let alone the new stomach even at a fraction of its former self.  I made the decision to use my god given chompers as my blender and chew chew chew chew chew… My reflection on traveling early on was that I left home like a pack horse, loaded with snacks and food that I could eat and survive on in the event that I could not get to a meal choice that I could eat.   I carried protein powder with me as well and usually had 1 or 2 drinks a day which at least ensured i had my protein fix...I also lived on nuts - they were my savior when ever I was in a bind and hungry.

 

I wanted to avoid being in a position of being ravenously hungry – which has gotten me into trouble with eating too fast a few times – which led to me not chewing well and having a blockage that needed me to take action and force myself to  – but I digress –

 

Travel is night and day now….forget about the fact that I fit in an airplane seat, but being 6’3”, I can now somewhat cross my legs too – unless of course the person in front of me attempts to put their seat back…Moving through the airport is a breeze and weather we like it or not – the FAT bias is gone and people are a lot more friendlier and accommodating I find now then in the past…

 

 

 

Cliff, Congratulations on your success.  Good luck with the PS hottie.   I had plastic about the same time as Dx and I will say it was much more painful than my RNY (which was a breeze).  I got  four different surgical consults, prior to picking the surgeon I decided to use.  Since my surgery was self-pay, I did a lot of research.  (For instance, if you have any of the fat globs in your lower back they can be removed easily with lipo).  My surgeon was extremely concerned with recovery.  He believes that the less pressure you apply to the scars, the better the healing.  Unlike the RNY where I was up and walking two hours after the surgery, with the plastic I stayed overnight, went home and stayed in bed with drains for about three days.  Because I had a drop in blood pressure (down to 32) the first evening, and the next morning, the surgeon thought about keeping another day for observation, but finally decided to release me.  Day four I moved to a chair, but it was at least a week before the drains were removed.  I had to keep the drains in extra time because of the hernia.  With my PS, the surgeon found a bilateral hernia, so I had to have a second surgery three months later.  Because my surgeon  was only plastic he could not fix the hernia, and because the extra skin hid the hernia so well it was a total surprise when they cut me open.  The great thing is that 1 year later I have no visible scars even though he went 270 degrees around the body.  Since there was enough muscle definition he did not have tighten the stomach, only removed the skin so there was very little weight loss.  Despite the pain, the PS has been great, and made a big difference in my ability to cycle and run. Hope everything works out for you.  Good luck. Rob

Hi Rob -  Thanks for sharing - i have another appointment with a different Dr.  (Thankfully it's a HE and as such, I’ll be able to focus on the questions and his abilities rather than how he looks! ) next week and then another a few weeks later. I'm convinced that this will be a very difficult process and that I’ll be out of commission for at least 4 weeks...I’m getting myself mentally prepared for the process but am excited and scared all at the same time…Like WLS – it seems like most information is geared towards WOMEN and not us and this board and the people who contribute continue to be an awesome source of support, insight, information and knowledge.

 

 

Awesome, Clifford.  Thanks for sending.