How self-conscious are you about scars?

First of all, I have a long time and a lot of weight to go before thinking about "reconstructive" surgery.  I had the DS in February, this week I will be 4 months out, and I am close to losing my first hundred.

(please see pre op "catsuit" photos -"Ain't She A Big'un?"-on my profile page)


Prior to the surgery, my PCP said "you are gong to need major reconstructive surgery", and I know I will, especially below the waist.  I have never borne children, so my abs are pretty much intact, though I will need a Panni as well as a brachioplasty and possibly breast lift and implants.

I also have the tendency toward keloid scarring.

Has anyone on this board had major reconstruction after WLS?  Is there anyone on this board who has had scarring problems?  My dermatologist can usually fix my keloids by injecting them early out with cortisone, but sometimes, they will flatten but remain dark.  I'm going through treatments for the  DS incision right now.

I'm primarily concerned about the appearance of scars during "intimate moments".

THe scars for me are not any concern for self consciousness. As a matter of fact, I wear a bikini and the scars that go all the way to my knees dont even bother me. The execss skin was WAY worse and caused me to feel like I had to cover them up ALL the time.  No one has ever asked me about my scars, most assume I was in some sort of an accident. I dont say anything different because it's true - I had a head on collision with the food on my plate for my entire life  :-)  (well that and crappy metabolism).  If someone did ask me, I would just say "I had to have reconstructive surgery to correct some problems I had". Really - if people push more than that, I'll feel completely justified to tell them to "STFU - none ya business!"

Cass

Thanks!  "Head-on collision with the food on my plate" is a  good analogy to overeating!

My scars are in areas that can be hidden plus they are thinning out. The excess skin was worst than any scar. Good luck on your journey and a word to the wise begin saving now.

Ana-

I will, but I also have a PCP who has bee quite successful in getting "reconstructive" surgery done for her WLS patients, some of whom, like me, are on Social Security Disability, medicare and medicaid

I agree with the others.  The excess skin is far worse than a few scars.  When it comes to intimate situations - I assure you the scars will be no issue.  With my excess skin I was soooooooo self-conscious.  My husband didn't get it and took that as a sign that I didn't fully trust him.  It's just hard to concentrate on anything with all that excess skin flapping around!  Sorry - you asked :P

Even without having had children, if you carried a lot of your extra weight through your belly, the fat that develops BELOW the muscle can cause the muscel to stretch out.

My panniculectomy and mons lift scars look great.  The scar on one of my arms looks great (and the one on the other arm is slowly but surely fading).  What does NOT look great, though, are the incisions from down my armpits along my breasts and the one from my TT (but it turned necrotic and I had to heal up a giant creater in my belly... )

So even though I generally don;t scar badly, the ones under my armpits are wide and ugly.  Fortunately, they are USUALLY only visible in a swimsuit or in sleeveless outfits.  The scar on my one arm is failrly visible becasue of where he had to place it to work around an existing scar.  Some days I am a little self-conscious about it, btu most days I don;t care.  The scar still looks better than the extra skin I had hanging down.

Lora

****ro-

I carry practically ALL of my weight in my butt, hips and thighs

(see Photo album "Ain't She a Big'un?") 

Percentge wise I would say 80-90% of my weight is carried in my lower extremities (EXTREME pear shape), with comparatively very little in my belly.

Thanks so much for your response!

Aiight - you know I am blunt so brace yourself.

Any man who is ready to be intimate with you and gets 'soft' behind some scars is a biotch and you don't need to give him the 'cookies' anyway.  Any REAL mofo that wants you wants YOU just as you are - damn a couple scars, stretch marks and anything else! 

I had issues after WLS and before my plastics - was SOOO nervous - baby boom - homeboy was MORE excited after I 'unleashed' everything out of my body shaper than with it on!  Droopy, hanging and swanging - he was into it ALL!  LOL

I learned that how *I* feel about me is how HE will feel about me - and I am LOVING me!!!!  So no worries - when the time comes you will know if the feeling is right.  

Mack Mama-

The man has known me since college, and he's seen me (buck azz nekkid!) at many different stages (I was a size 13 in college! Still fat for that era...can you believe it?)

So...I think he'll be Aiight!   Thanks for the response!