Question.. what would you do?

Hi! Im Hilary and i feel that ive lurked here enough! Its time to come out because although ive got great info here, i still have a few questions!

I want to have plastics at the end of the year. Right now, i weigh 190 lbs. I'd like to be atleast 170 when i have plastics, possibly 160. (150 has always been MY goal..170 was my surgeons) I got down to 165-168 and then stabilized and then gained back up to 210. Ive lost the 20lbs over the past 2 months and am continually losing, but my question is :

Can/Should I go ahead with the initial consult w/ plastic surgeons in my area, to see what procedure/procedures they will combine and the best results for me? I wondering how big of a deal me still wanting to lose a few lbs would matter in the inital consult, since im almost 4 years post op.
What are the need to know questions to ask? Im really nervous about the consults. Im nervous about the getting naked part and the question asking part. I clam up when in front of doctors, so i want to take a list of specfic questions.

Any other words of wisdom for the inital consult orthe plastics journey? OR the getting this extra weight off! haha!

Thank you! Ya'll seriously dont know how much help you have been and definitely made me feel better about taking this step towards plastics!

I say to go ahead with the consult.  If anything, it is going to make you that much more determine to either maintain or to go ahead and reach your goal.  Plus, it will give you an idea as to what to expect with price, procedure and the outcome.  And, it's not like you are going to have the procedure tomorrow.  Go ahead and get out there and join the fun!

Tonja

you need to have the consult - my doc didn't want me losing any more weight - I wanted to drop another 20 but from what he could see he would be removing - losing more wouldn't have helped me get to my goal image wise at all - plus, you need some 'extra' to help you heal - if you at rock bottom weight wise and nutritionally - you have surgery and what does your body have to 'work' with to get you healing? 

The surgeon will tell you if you need to lose more - he doesn't want you wrecking his results so if you need to lose first, he'll tell you.

Good luck!!!! 

My advice is to wait until you've reached goal weight and stabilized.  With plastics it's best to be close to a normal BMI when you get your work done.  Also, you want to be in a stable place, weight wise.  If you gain weight after plastics, the results are not nice. 

Everything with plastics happens rather rapidly after consults.  I say wait until September - in thre more months you can probably knock off that remaining weight.  It's easy to be swept away with the idea that the surgeon can remove those last 30 pounds.  I don't think you'll be happy with your results.  I went on six consults and they all told me the same thing:  get to your lowest possible weight and maintain it and then get your surgery. 

Hi Hilary!
In my humble opinon I would say have consults with a few surgeons and let them know you are planning on losing another XX lbs before surgery.  That's what I did and it worked out fine.  At least this way you start getting a good idea of your plan, which procedure to do first and the cost (of course some costs may go up a little once you are ready).  Most of the surgeons I met with said their price quote was good for 90 days.......one or maybe it was two said the price was good for 1 full year!

Start writing down ALL your questions, even the ones you think you already know the answer to because every surgeon does things a little bit differently...don't make any assumptions!!!

Best wishes once you decide to start your journey.....

Ruth

I don't think it would hurt to meet with a few Dr's but personally, I think it would be a good idea to be weight stable for a while before having plastics....my insurance wanted 6 months stable, I was about 9 months at the same weight and my PS said the longer the better

good luck

I met with several PSs. Two of them (who, interestingly are the two whom I judged to have the best aesthetic results in their "after" photos) both told me that they didn't want me to loose TOO much more weight.

This was totally counter-intuitive to me. Of these two docs, the one I've decided to work with (Dr. Agha) really has tried to get me to understand why he doesn't want me to loose too much more weight:

1--He explained that I don't really see myself accurately and that I am smaller than I think I am.
2--That it is not about a number on a scale nor BMI, but it is about size and shape.
3--The techniques that he uses (whi*****lude auto-augmentation of the derriere to make up for the inevitable flattening of the behind that happens with LBL) work best when there is some fat to work with since he does body sculpting as a part of his LBL.

Dr. Agha has assured me repeatedly that I will be tight and that he is not going to leave me with extra fat anywhere that I don't want it--and that he would put this in writing. A bold claim to be sure, but taking a look at his results, which are nothing short of stunning and remarkable, it is hard to argue and I believe him.

So, for this reason, I have *tried* to stop worrying about the last few pounds. Of course, as a former heavy person, this is very hard. But let me tell you, I am really GLAD that I heard Dr. Agha say this. I have actually talked to some of his other patients and some of them were told that their results would be better if they could gain a few pounds! Imagine that!

The other PSs (who were very nice, but whose results were good but in the same league as Agha's) told me I would be better off losing more weight before the PS was done. I believe them in that, according to the techniques they use, taking off more weight would be better.

However, meantime, my WLS support group is telling me I look small and thin. My family is telling me not to loose too much more weight. Agha is telling me that while I may not weight significantly less after PS, my size will be smaller and my shape will be better. Given this, I am glad that I met with him SOONER rather than later. Otherwise, I'd be struggling to drop a few more pounds only to have him tell me to regain them.

Someone said above that PS tends to happen FAST after the first consult. I think that is really up to the person and how fast you want to go. If you want to loose more weight before plastics and you feel you have the wherewithall to do so, I would say that it cannot hurt to have your consults sooner rather than later. This will give you time to consider different surgeons as you work on losing that last bit, as well as get your finances together while you are waiting (and then you will at least know what your quotes are so you don't have to guess.)

Hope this helps! Let us know what happens!

I was informed it is best to have maintained your weight for at least 6 months before plastics, I did exactly that before I dove in. They are right when they state you DO NOT want to gain weight after plastics. I have gained 10 pounds and it has went to some very strange places. I know how fat thighs that I had never had before. The weight tends to stay away from the newly reconstructed areas and finds new dwelling areas :) best wishes!