Please talk me INTO it

For 3 yrs I have saved money for my plastic surgery after weight loss. I have had the money for the last year and have not scheduled my surgery. I am afraid.

Wow, this is something that is so important to me. So why the fear? I recall that I backed out of the WLS the first time around. When I finally got it, I told myself that I should have done it sooner. I guess this is what I am going through now with the plastic surgery.

Please give me stregnth. Reassure me that your plastic surgery was the 2nd best thing that you ever did for yourself (the WLS being the first best thing). Help me to go through with this. PLEASE...

What is triggering the fear?  Going under anesthesia?  Not being happy with the results? Loving the resutls and thinking you will want more and more and more?  Fear of changing the physical you?

Perhaps you should consider therapy to sort out the root of the fear.  They're your feelings and you're entitled to them, but no one can talk you into the surgery - you have to want it.

For some, plastic surgery is part of the journey, others choose to live with the loose skin.  You have to be certain in your decision for this as it 1) it's expensive, 2) it changes your appearance, 3) it changes your emotions (sometimes good, sometimes bad) and 4) there are risks.

All of those things need to be addressed prior to going under the knife.

I found therapy for 6 months prior to plastic surgery extremely helpful. 

I can assure you that having plastics was the 2nd best thing I ever did, with WLS being #1. But, with that being said, I think you really need to be sure and in a good mental state of mind when going in to plastic surgery. Having the right mindset is crucial to your healing and recovery. I've always been a firm believer in that attitude is everything.

 Being scared is normal and expected. I was more afraid of my plastics procedures as well. I spent a lot of time here and on other plastic surgery boards and I did a lot of research. All of that really helped me to feel sure about what I was doing. Being confident in your surgeon is also a must. Maybe if you hang out here more and ask more questions you'll gain more confidence. Best of luck to you!

I think you should wait until you feel 100% ready.  I was not prepared for how difficult it would be, complications, etc.  So I say wait if you doing feel it.  If you do, then you dont need someone to talk you into it.

 It can be very emotional to change your body so be sure you are ready. Just because you lose a lot of weight doesn't mean you need plastics. Some people are fine without it. You have to do what is right for you.  I can tell you it has not been a painful process for me. You cannot expect miracles but you will see improvement. Once you pinpoint what you are afraid of and deal with it you will know if plastics are the way to go. It won't fix all your problems just like WLS didn't fix everything. Its just another tool to improve your life.

Absolutely the best thing I've done since having WLS!  I'd do it again in a heartbeat.  In fact, I plan on it!  I had a fleur-de-lis tummy tuck last month and plan to have breast lift/implants in the next year or two.  

Hi ladies,
Thank you all so much for your replies. I truly appreciate your help.

What I am afraid of is the anesthesia (sp?). I hate losing control and going under. And everything leading up to that is scary.

Also, the surgery itself is grotesque. The thought of this is scary. A doctor will cut into my skin and remove a large piece of my flesh, which will then be thrown away. S/he will cut into and tighten my muscles. S/he will pull skin and stitch it to a new place.

These are the things that bother me.

I have some hesitation about taking all that money out of my bank account as it has become a sense of security for me. At the sametime, I went through a lot to get this saved up specifically for the surgery. That is what it is there for. So, it is really OK.

I am wasting precious time. I could be living with a body I love rather than one that I am displeased with. I don't expect to ever wear a bikini, but I know that I won't be deformed anymore. And that is good enough for me.

I know that I will be happy with the surgery and feel much more positive about my body, and my self. And I will be much healthier, too.

Once I am past the surgery, I have no concerns. I don't particularly care about the pain or healing process. I expect no complications, but I realize it is not out of the realm of possibility. Yet this does not scare me.

Thank you for helping me to process this. Additional comments are welcomed and much appreciated.

Hugs,
HJ

My surgeon realizes that most of his patients are nervous and apprenhensive before procedures. At the last pre-op appointment when they give me my prescriptions to get filled....there is one for pain, one for an antibiotic and one for Xanax. The prescription for Xanax is normally for very few pills, like 5 or 10. His directions are to take one the night before surgery to ensure a good night's sleep. It just relaxes you and takes away a lot of the apprenhension. The rest are to help in case you have trouble sleeping the first few nights following surgery. You might ask your surgeon about this at your consultation. I know for me, it helped a lot. I went into surgery calm and relaxed and at peace.

Loling - I could have written your post!

I was so paralyzed with fear before my WLS, I actually went into a denial state for a while, and wouldn't have had the surgery unless I did that. Never before or since in my life have I been in such a state, but it was necessary for me to leave the US, and get WLS. I won't go into the details of that head trip, but I've never had emotional issues otherwise in my life, so that was a weird episode.

Now, I haven't yet gotten plastics, but did finally schedule them for September, and the ONLY reason I finally did it, was because I'm getting married, and want this floppy skin off for the wedding and lounging on the French Polynesian beaches! I also need to get to my final shape, and have time for the swelling to go down so I even know what size my wedding dress will be, so it's "now or never" time.

That said, I was still having a bit too much anxiety about it, and life has been throwing me serious curve balls that couldn't be ignored or delayed, so the second that stuff is resolved I knew I had to get my skin fixed that very moment, or the next crisis will delay things until it's too late. I am taking over a month off, and have to admit that it should all be healing time afterward, but I'm actually doing several weeks of "bucket list" things before the surgery, to help distract me until it's time. Going outside the US is part of my anxiety, but have had far better medical care outside the US than in it, so I don't know why I'm being a baby.

Since I've been needing to be talked off a ledge about this too lately, I'll relay what everyone has been telling me. No one I have talked to has regretted their plastics, even when revisions were needed. All of them researched their surgeons, and were familiar with the work, and had no surprises. Many had issues with the cost, but all said they'd do it again, and many felt it was the best money ever spent. Many have gone back for more, and others plan to, because they were so happy with the things they'd already had done.

I think the best we can do, is research the heck out of our surgeons, and talk with other patients of theirs, and see as much of their work as possible. Feeling like I know what to expect from my surgeon, knowing he has the education and experience necessary, and knowing his results are predictable, and that he has many happy customers that have what I also think is attractive results, has made me feel more at peace with the whole thing.