? for those of you who had great confidence before the surgery

Hi...I have a question and figured this would be the best place to come.  I am currently researching and doing as much "homework" as I can about WLS.  I have an appointment with the insurance coordinator and my mind is just whirling!   I have always been a big girl but I have always had a really high amount of self confidence.  What Im worried about is if I have WLS (leaning more towards RNY) that the image of myself will be worse because of the loose skin.  Did that happen to anyone? 

I will be honest and say that it is hard to accept the post-WLS body and it will take time for you to accept it. I went thru a phase where I was upset because *I* am the reason my body looks the way it did - I blogged about it if you care to read...  As more time has passed I have come to accept the skin and I just keep saving for plastic surgery. I have lost all the weight I am going to lose and work out/tone as much as I can so I know there is no more room for improvement... I let my chicken wings flap in the wind proudly :-) I wear shorts, but only so short... Ive noticed I am really the only one who focuses on my flaws, I dont see anybody else looking at them... I go out and see guys checking me out, not checking out my flub ya know? I will be honest and say I feel 110% confident in clothes but sometimes the 'naked' truth is a little harder.. Id still much rather deal with some excess stuff then the obesity.

The loose skin is something that people deal with in different ways, it's easier for some to deal with than it is for others. But generally, everybody has to deal with it. The thing is that pretty much universally, most post-ops will tell you that the list of problems they deal with after WLS while still considered problems are much less serious in nature then those they were dealing with before. So yeah you are trading one set of problems for another but its worth it.  I traded diabetes, sleep apnea, high cholestorol for loose skin, occasional dizzy spells from low blood pressure, and urethral strictures. None of those things are life threatning and are all managable.

Honestly, all of my life I had been obese but always had self confidence like if I was all that and then some. (if you catch my drift). After I had RNY I had to try to find myself all over again. I had a tremendous amount of loose skin in the belly area and have some flabby arms. The arms I can deal with but the skin around my stomach, I could not even look at ,and it made me feel fatter than I really was. In addition, I would have to tuck in my tummy to fit into jeans which reminded me of trying to find clothes when I was at my heaviest. I did have plastic surgery to have it removed and feel so much better about myself. I can look at myself in the mirror. Everyone is different and the way they see themselves. ~Diana~

No way is my self confidence less.  It is scores higher because I look better but more importantly I feel better - like I can do whatever I set out to do.   The skin bothers me sometimes (recent example: I am going to Noah's Ark with my husband and a bunch of our friends on July 8th, and since I have not even been in the swim wear section of stores since looooong before my surgery I had to face the swim suit section that is stuffed with string bikinis this year.  I faced the bad lighting and my slightly sharpei-ish stomach and droopy thighs, and for about four minutes I was sad that I couldn't pull off the bikinis.  Then I found a cute tank-ini with boy shorts, moved on and was happy that the moments I spend swim suit shopping will be miniscule compared to the moments of my life that are 100 times better thanks to the WLS.  Oh, and the more important thing is I'll be able to keep up with everyone at the park and go on all the water rides without worrying about getting stuck, so it's all good). I also agree with Jennifer, people don't care nearly as much as we do.  Everyone is too concerned about their own flaws to closely inspect how my arm skin hangs a little or that my belly skin is squishy. So, there will be moments, but if you are able to look at the big picture I think you will conclude as most of us do - the skin is nothing compared to how much better life is.  I hope this is helpful for you.