Losing over 200 pounds? Plastics may be inevitable.

I never thought so. I was relatively young, worked out, had great skin---- ha! I had HUGE flaps pf skin, horrific rashes, hernias, the whole deal. I wish I'd known what it'd take to get the flippin' skin off.

To date:

Lower Face Lift 2008
Upper Blepharoplasty 2008
Lower Blepharoplasty 2008
Laser Fraxel Repair 2009
Lower Blepharoplasty Revision 2009
Fleur De Lis Abdominoplasty 2009
Incarcerated Hernia and Navel Removal 2009
Mastopexy 2009
Upper Thigh Lift 2009
Mons Lift 2009
Massive Brachioplasty 2009
Mastopexy Revision 2010
Backside Lift with Autologous Implants 2010
Autologous Facial Implants 2010
Lateral Thigh Lift 2010
Cyst Excision 2010

Still very much need a vertical thighplasty, but no can do-- all outta cash. So I'll buy a small pair of Spanx and cram what I have into what I can. And the calves are just gonna hanve to stay horrid, due to edema and the fact that a scar'd be worse than the shaky flab.

Plastic surgery --- not for the poor!

Thanks for sharing your journey - as someone who needs to lose 200 minimum (I'm 5' 8", big boned, and have been telling myself that perhaps 180 would be a good goal weight) I know plastics are in my future.  I knew the skin would be bad... I didn't realize just how bad.  It's the skin under my armpits (the flanks I guess it's called) and my ass droopage that shocks me the most - didn't think I'd need work other than a boob lift and tummy tuck.  Instead I'm thinking a whole UBL and LBL will be necessary.  Been tucking away money slowly for it, but am going to need to tuck faster if it'll happen in this lifetime. 

 I never expected to have plastic surgery after my weight loss. I figured that was only for people losing over 200 or so pounds. I suppose I could have called a light weight. After you lose the weight your mind changes and it doesn't seem as vain to have something done. It is almost a necessity. Vanity has nothing to do with it. In my case self esteem is a big part of my choice to do it. I think everyone needs to keep the possibility of plastic in mind after weight loss surgery because you may change your mind after you reach you goal.

I'm a lightweight in comparison, having 85 lbs to lose (75 to date).  BUT...several ups and downs and two pregnancies stretched things out beyond any hope of returning.  I had so much extra skin/tissue/fat around my abdomen, flanks and back, an LBL was the only thing that would help.  Also, I was always big-breasted.  As we all know, the breasts are probably the first place we lose and can be the largest percentage of loss.  I was like a couple of deflated gym socks with persistent heat rash almost year-long.  While Dr. Lickstein took 9 lbs off on my LBL and 1-1/2 liters of lipo, I feel like the weight of my 85 lb basset hound was taken off of me.  My back is happier, my neck is happier, I have more freedom of movement than I've had since my teens....the list goes on and on,.

Last week, I had a lift revision to tighten everything up (since the first was so drastic, it needed some final tweeking), and had a quad bleph.  I wanted to also have a neck/lower face lift, but that will have to wait (cash).  The bleph had a bit to do with the weight loss, but also a hereditary condition of excess fat pockets in the lower lids. 

People can say they'll never have plastics, but Never Say Never!  For me, I came so far in overcoming my never-well body, that I felt obligated to myself to continue my hard work and get as healthy as I could be.  Yes, vanity definitely played a part, but I can't begin to describe the "total health" I feel having removed that skin.

Your transformation is AMAZING, by the way!

Terri

I am very confused with all the types of thigh lifts. My ps only has 2 types listed as I understand.. 1. The lateral thight lift which is outer thighs and is normally done along with the lbl. 2. The medial thigh lift which is incision across groin and down inner thighs curved to knees.

So what is a vertical thigh lift and all the others?
My thighs are in sad shape so really need to make the best choices I can. Please someone explain.
Thank You really appreciate the list. It gives ps newbies good starting points to ponder.
Pam

Hey Pam almost ALL doctors call their "lifts" different names, but same thing.  If I remember what lateral means (around maybe) would be the same as my doctors spiral thigh lift.  And your doctors medial thigh lift would be my doctors vertical thigh lift from the knee to the groin inner thigh.

If your thighs are like mine I need both as well a thigh lift that goes around my leg at the top to pull my leg UP and a scar from the knee to the groin to make my leg smaller etc.

Ms Shell

At having reached 345 at my highest and the fact that my skin was always like the pillsbury dough boy I KNEW plastic surgery was a must so I started saving three months before my WLS.

Ms Shell

 AMEN to that!!!  Ofter losing 200lbs myself - no WAY was working out going to get me shaped properly - surgical intervention was inevitable!  

Anchor Cut TT and BL last year - looking at an upper body lift and 1/2 lower body lift w/lipo