What a difference a year makes... (very long rambling)
Ok, so it's just over a year. Not since surgery, but since I first met with my surgeon to discuss my options and needs on 8-29-09.
In that year I've lost 122 pounds (29 pre-op). My hypertension has resolved (at last check up, it was 106 over 60 - PCP was ecstatic!), my osteoarthritis from the hips down no longer has an impact, even on rainy/chilly days, and my allergies are far less severe since I no longer have respiratory issues from the excess weight. I sleep better, and DH no longer has to kick me to stop me from snoring (although had no sleep apnea).
At last check, my body fat was in the 26% range (it's all by guess and by golly as the electronic units are not particularly accurate). When I started I was over 50%, so had more than 127 pounds of fat originally, where now I'm at about 34 pounds of fat. Over 90 pounds of what I lost was just FAT???? Who knew???
However, that leaves me looking like a shar-pei puppy around the mid-section and thighs, and my bat wings can cool the office if I'm talking with my hands. From the boobs up, I seriously look like a starving refugee, and DO look unhealthy because my bones stick out everywhere. And speaking of boobs - they're empty and the skin sack has given me a chronically pulled/torn chest wall muscle on one side, so if I'm not needed to look professional, I'm wearing a too-small work out top to keep that side compressed for pain and to reduce more pulls/tears from occurring. When I lay down, the skin looks like it's melting and just hangs off to the sides, letting ribs and hip bones (and spine) stick up. Yeah - clothed, I look great in a size 6/8, depending on where it's from, but undressed - it's scary. And if I bend over to dry my hair, the stomach skin looks like the mountains and craters of the moon hanging down. There is scarring from itching/infections under the panni (even though it doesn't hang as far as for many others) and under the breast that doesn't have the chest wall issue, even after washing 2 or 3 times a day to keep clean and dry.
So - last week DH and I met with a plastic surgeon to find out how much longer I need to wait to stabilize/stop losing (yeah, Danielle and I are both in that scary phase of "how low cab we go?"), and then what my options are.
His professional opinion (and I'm HMO, so he gets reduced fees for whatever he recommends), was that I need a circumferential lower body lift, breast reconstruction/skin reduction, brachioplasty on the upper arms, and a circumferential thigh lift. And that I can do it now, as long as stop losing because he (and my surgeon) feel that I've gone low enough (nurse practitioner disagrees, but that's another story). I'm hoping to have the lower body lift and boob job one year to the day after my WLS. That wasn't the plan, but it just works out that it's a surgery day for him and right before winter break. He says no lipo as there is not enough fat to suck out, and minimal muscle involvement except a couple stitches in the chest wall while he does the breasts. Thighs and arms will come later if at all.
Right now we've submitted to insurance to see what they'll cover. My PCP and gyny have sent letters supporting the front of the body lift and the breasts/chest wall, and both their offices as well as the plastics office tell me that I might get both of those covered. The backside of the body lift and any implants so that I'm not a small B after the extra skin is gone would be on our dime, and we're waiting to see how big that dime is.
After meeting with the plastic surgeon, when I was 135 and he told me to stop losing, I dropped to 132 in 5 days. I called my nut, explained just how low I was going, what my skeleton looked like (given that much of it is visible), and that now 2 surgeons have said I've gone too far. She has (thankfully!) given me the go ahead to switch to 1% milk for my two shakes, and to add a 4th snack/meal, including peanut butter on crackers or other foods with good fats. DH wants me to eat fried food from McDonalds or Culvers every day to put a few pounds on sooner, but I'm resisting! LOL!
So - if you've read the entire novel - thanks to ALL of you. Those who've been here before me have helped so much with helping me understand what I need to do to live healthily, and those who are coming after help me remember to not take this new life for granted, and to remain excited and grateful about everything that happens.
Oh yeah - you guys WILL hear when I know what's going on!
.
In that year I've lost 122 pounds (29 pre-op). My hypertension has resolved (at last check up, it was 106 over 60 - PCP was ecstatic!), my osteoarthritis from the hips down no longer has an impact, even on rainy/chilly days, and my allergies are far less severe since I no longer have respiratory issues from the excess weight. I sleep better, and DH no longer has to kick me to stop me from snoring (although had no sleep apnea).
At last check, my body fat was in the 26% range (it's all by guess and by golly as the electronic units are not particularly accurate). When I started I was over 50%, so had more than 127 pounds of fat originally, where now I'm at about 34 pounds of fat. Over 90 pounds of what I lost was just FAT???? Who knew???
However, that leaves me looking like a shar-pei puppy around the mid-section and thighs, and my bat wings can cool the office if I'm talking with my hands. From the boobs up, I seriously look like a starving refugee, and DO look unhealthy because my bones stick out everywhere. And speaking of boobs - they're empty and the skin sack has given me a chronically pulled/torn chest wall muscle on one side, so if I'm not needed to look professional, I'm wearing a too-small work out top to keep that side compressed for pain and to reduce more pulls/tears from occurring. When I lay down, the skin looks like it's melting and just hangs off to the sides, letting ribs and hip bones (and spine) stick up. Yeah - clothed, I look great in a size 6/8, depending on where it's from, but undressed - it's scary. And if I bend over to dry my hair, the stomach skin looks like the mountains and craters of the moon hanging down. There is scarring from itching/infections under the panni (even though it doesn't hang as far as for many others) and under the breast that doesn't have the chest wall issue, even after washing 2 or 3 times a day to keep clean and dry.
So - last week DH and I met with a plastic surgeon to find out how much longer I need to wait to stabilize/stop losing (yeah, Danielle and I are both in that scary phase of "how low cab we go?"), and then what my options are.
His professional opinion (and I'm HMO, so he gets reduced fees for whatever he recommends), was that I need a circumferential lower body lift, breast reconstruction/skin reduction, brachioplasty on the upper arms, and a circumferential thigh lift. And that I can do it now, as long as stop losing because he (and my surgeon) feel that I've gone low enough (nurse practitioner disagrees, but that's another story). I'm hoping to have the lower body lift and boob job one year to the day after my WLS. That wasn't the plan, but it just works out that it's a surgery day for him and right before winter break. He says no lipo as there is not enough fat to suck out, and minimal muscle involvement except a couple stitches in the chest wall while he does the breasts. Thighs and arms will come later if at all.
Right now we've submitted to insurance to see what they'll cover. My PCP and gyny have sent letters supporting the front of the body lift and the breasts/chest wall, and both their offices as well as the plastics office tell me that I might get both of those covered. The backside of the body lift and any implants so that I'm not a small B after the extra skin is gone would be on our dime, and we're waiting to see how big that dime is.
After meeting with the plastic surgeon, when I was 135 and he told me to stop losing, I dropped to 132 in 5 days. I called my nut, explained just how low I was going, what my skeleton looked like (given that much of it is visible), and that now 2 surgeons have said I've gone too far. She has (thankfully!) given me the go ahead to switch to 1% milk for my two shakes, and to add a 4th snack/meal, including peanut butter on crackers or other foods with good fats. DH wants me to eat fried food from McDonalds or Culvers every day to put a few pounds on sooner, but I'm resisting! LOL!
So - if you've read the entire novel - thanks to ALL of you. Those who've been here before me have helped so much with helping me understand what I need to do to live healthily, and those who are coming after help me remember to not take this new life for granted, and to remain excited and grateful about everything that happens.
Oh yeah - you guys WILL hear when I know what's going on!
.
Rebecca
Circumferential LBL, anchor TT, BL/BR, brachioplasty 12-16-10 Drs. Howard and Gutowski
Thigh lift 3-24-11, Drs. Howard and Gutowski again!
Height 5' 5". Start point 254. DH's goal: 154. My guess: 144. Insurance goal: 134. Currently bouncing around 130-135.
Circumferential LBL, anchor TT, BL/BR, brachioplasty 12-16-10 Drs. Howard and Gutowski
Thigh lift 3-24-11, Drs. Howard and Gutowski again!
Height 5' 5". Start point 254. DH's goal: 154. My guess: 144. Insurance goal: 134. Currently bouncing around 130-135. 
(deactivated member)
on 9/2/10 3:11 am
on 9/2/10 3:11 am
U know i think Uve done GREAT !! And the weight DOES redistribute .....
I think theres a fundamental misconception going around that its easy or even LIKELY to stay at Ur bottom weight ...NOT ...
the real statistics are - people have 200 lbs to lose on average getting any WLS ,
they lose 140 on average the first year and a half
and gain back almost 100 lbs of that within eight years
( average amount lost after 8 years post op is 46 lbs )
so i personally would be Ecstatic if I looked /felt underweight ......
i personally really believe in sucking out the empty fat cells with lipo but I understand that when they take the excess skin off theyre also CUTTING much of those empty fat cells out . U will certainly look / feel/move a lot better ( and be much more likely to be able to maintain U r weightloss successfully ) post op ...
CONGRATULATIONS on an amazing job !
I think theres a fundamental misconception going around that its easy or even LIKELY to stay at Ur bottom weight ...NOT ...
the real statistics are - people have 200 lbs to lose on average getting any WLS ,
they lose 140 on average the first year and a half
and gain back almost 100 lbs of that within eight years
( average amount lost after 8 years post op is 46 lbs )
so i personally would be Ecstatic if I looked /felt underweight ......
i personally really believe in sucking out the empty fat cells with lipo but I understand that when they take the excess skin off theyre also CUTTING much of those empty fat cells out . U will certainly look / feel/move a lot better ( and be much more likely to be able to maintain U r weightloss successfully ) post op ...
CONGRATULATIONS on an amazing job !
Thanks all!
Yeah, Ava, I know about the redistribution, but my fear (and 2 surgeons said I was on target) was that there isn't anything TO redistribute at this point. This is likely the reason I'm still losing hair rapidly, and that my hair feels very dry even with a daily leave-in conditioner and little to no styling. My body just really responded well and fast to the WLS, and couldn't stop at the bottom end. I'm being cautious about how much/what I'm eating for the 4th meal/snack so that I don't regain much (DH wants 20 pounds - I want 5) because I seriously want to avoid making my weight graph look like a V. I'd like a nice, long L shape with a teeny curl on the end of the toe.
Thanks again for the support from all of you!
Yeah, Ava, I know about the redistribution, but my fear (and 2 surgeons said I was on target) was that there isn't anything TO redistribute at this point. This is likely the reason I'm still losing hair rapidly, and that my hair feels very dry even with a daily leave-in conditioner and little to no styling. My body just really responded well and fast to the WLS, and couldn't stop at the bottom end. I'm being cautious about how much/what I'm eating for the 4th meal/snack so that I don't regain much (DH wants 20 pounds - I want 5) because I seriously want to avoid making my weight graph look like a V. I'd like a nice, long L shape with a teeny curl on the end of the toe.
Thanks again for the support from all of you!
Rebecca
Circumferential LBL, anchor TT, BL/BR, brachioplasty 12-16-10 Drs. Howard and Gutowski
Thigh lift 3-24-11, Drs. Howard and Gutowski again!
Height 5' 5". Start point 254. DH's goal: 154. My guess: 144. Insurance goal: 134. Currently bouncing around 130-135.
Circumferential LBL, anchor TT, BL/BR, brachioplasty 12-16-10 Drs. Howard and Gutowski
Thigh lift 3-24-11, Drs. Howard and Gutowski again!
Height 5' 5". Start point 254. DH's goal: 154. My guess: 144. Insurance goal: 134. Currently bouncing around 130-135. 
I was 15 months out when I had my anchor Tummy Tuck. I have gained 5 lbs since March, and weight HAS redistributed. I also wondered where it came from. I was told by my PS that I didn't have any fat left either... but he did find a little pocket to lipo. Feel fortunate if they don't - its where the swelling is the most.
Amazing what those 5 lbs have done to my body. I have a little more in my "girls" but the rest has settled in my butt and thighs - no, I'm NOT happy about that.... of course if I lose it, it will come off the girls first - lol. My jeans are tight now - and that's noticeable from just 2 months ago..
So - don't despair - you will level out and maybe even gain a few pounds back. I don't look as boney now as I did before. I didn't mind the boney look.... but it is what it is.
My goal is to NOT gain anymore and see if I can get those 5 lbs off. I'm working on it!!
Good for you for not caving in for the McD's and Culvers - that is NOT the way to stop losing. I'm definitely not a perfect poster child for WLS... and have had food I shouldn't have - and that's why those 5 lbs have appeared. So you're doing it the RIGHT way - good for you!!
Let us know how the insurance reacts and what you will get done. Its not an easy process but well worth it in the end.
Amazing what those 5 lbs have done to my body. I have a little more in my "girls" but the rest has settled in my butt and thighs - no, I'm NOT happy about that.... of course if I lose it, it will come off the girls first - lol. My jeans are tight now - and that's noticeable from just 2 months ago..
So - don't despair - you will level out and maybe even gain a few pounds back. I don't look as boney now as I did before. I didn't mind the boney look.... but it is what it is.
My goal is to NOT gain anymore and see if I can get those 5 lbs off. I'm working on it!!
Good for you for not caving in for the McD's and Culvers - that is NOT the way to stop losing. I'm definitely not a perfect poster child for WLS... and have had food I shouldn't have - and that's why those 5 lbs have appeared. So you're doing it the RIGHT way - good for you!!
Let us know how the insurance reacts and what you will get done. Its not an easy process but well worth it in the end.
HW-218/SW-208/CW-126/ Lowest Weight-121/Goal-125 - hit 8/23/09/Height-5'3"
Regain 30 lbs from 2012 to 2016 - got back on track and lost it. Took 8 months.
90+/- pounds lost BMI - 24 or so
Starting BMI between 35 and 40ish?
Join us on the Lightweights Board!
Congrats. I had surgery in Mexico last year--see Dr. Sauceda group on here--. I am just thrilled with the results. DId thighs, arms, tummy, and lower body lift. and a lower face lift. Thought about the boobs and somedays wish I had, but my padded bra from Victorias takes care of things. Sounds like you are doing fantastic. Instead of adding fast food, you could add a protein bar to your day. They have a few calories but give you the extra protein without the fat. Lin
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