Question:
Need pictures / information / comforting thoughts as I aproach this!

Hello fellow obesity help members. I have been lurking here since 2001.. almost 4 years on my "persute of a new life". I am now 3 years post op. I currently weight 205 - 210 lbs depending on the day of the month, I don't care if I never lose another ounce and I'm down from 513 lbs at 5'8. I wear a comfortable size 16 some 14s. I am now persuing a lower body lift or just a tummy tuck from my insurance. I have about a mid thigh hang to my "apron" (hip to hip) I am wondering what I can expect out of these procedures, about what size I'll end up and what this might look like. If anyone has any pictures I'd greatly appreciate that too. I was looking through the library but most of the questions appreared old and I was hoping for a more personalized response in regards to weight / size. Thanks in advance for all your help!    — Elizabeth D. (posted on December 21, 2004)

December 21, 2004
Have you talked to your plastic surgeon about this? The plastic surgeon should be able to tell you how much excess skin he will be removing. Mine told me 5 pounds and he was right on the money. They deal with this daily so there experts in the field. I only had an abdominoplasty but I lost 2 pants sizes by 6 weeks post-op. Since you started at a higher weight then I did and have lost more weight, you might lose more clothing sizes.
   — Patty H.

December 21, 2004
the big thing that hlped me visualize - My doctor took a marker and drew lines on my body showing me where he would be cutting and how much would be removed. It was fabulous and took away all my doubts. He did this in the office a couple months before my procedure.
   — **willow**

December 21, 2004
Elizabeth, You have shrunk amazingly well. It's truly hard to believe your pre-op body is the same one you have now. I started at 442 and hang in the mid 190's and am 5'9, so we are very close. I now wear a size 12 in pants and usually a L in tops. If I buy a fitten suit jacket or something similar then I usually need a 14 because my ribs control the size. Really not much fat left on the upper torso since 3 PS's. When I get home I will send you a link to my pics before and after each surgery. First I had a LBL and he removed 19 lbs of skin. Then I had the area above my belly button done, all the way around, to deal with the skin he could not get removed in the first surgery and the big blobs on the back under the bra line. I also had 4 liters of fat lipo'd at the same time as the upper torso work. I then had a medial thigh lift in Nov. this year. Along with that he did some major revision work to the upper torso to address some skin that had relaxed and a large seroma that was creating a roll above the waist. If I was to complete the process I would have the bat wings removes, a breast lift with implants and probably some more surgery on my legs to try and reshape the knee area to be smaller. I've always carried a lot of excess weight at the knees and he was not able to deal with it all during the medial thigh lift. I also could use having the saddle bags relipo'd and then pulled up one last time. They have relaxed over time because of all the weight I carried in my legs. Gravity can be an awful thing. LOL All I can tell you is that even though my body looks far from perfect it is a ton better than it was and I am pleased to strut my stuff and feel good in the things I wear!
   — zoedogcbr

December 21, 2004
There are pictures linked near the end of my profile of my recent lower body lift. I had it done toward the end of September, and the scars are healing quite well. I'm super happy with the result. I had 13 pounds removed during the procedure.
   — Jim F

December 26, 2004
Just had a lower body lift on December 10th. Doctor took off about a yard of skin from my hips and backside. I have very little removed from the front area. I was 329 lbs and went down to 140 lbs. It is now 16 days after surgery and I have to say I feel great! I had very little pain with this surgery. I had the morphine pump that I was able to control. I made sure I did not let the pain get a jump on me which is what the doctor recommends. I had for drains at the time of the surgery and all have been removed on Christmas Eve! What a great present from my doctor. I'm going to order a pressure garment that he recommends on Monday. I was only able to walk around my apartment until today which I took a walk up and down the sidewalk. It felt great. I was able to get a look at his work and it isn't pretty right know but I know that within a few months I will be happy with the results. Remember you are never going to have the body of a 20 something even with surgery but you will have a body that you can be proud of and want to show it off once you are heald. It takes about 6 months or more to heal and you may lose some feeling in some areas and my never get it back (side effect of surgery). I wish you the best of luck. Keep in touch!
   — Linda R.