My Plastics Consult (WARNING -- very long)

Ronna, LOL -- I work in the medical field and have for many years, so I tend to get over-technical sometimes and give waaay more info than necessary. I'm trying to come to terms with the self-esteem, self-worth issues, but the last couple of years have been ROUGH! I have suffered in ways that I never have before with the whole mess (not soley because of the weight, but an abusive first marriage, perfectionist childhood, etc.). It just all caught up with me 2-3 years ago and my whole perception of myself took a massive dive. It really has messed with me and I struggle to control it so that my girls don't grow up to suffer in the same ways. But -- every day is better. Lisa

Oh Lisa, Hang in there sweetie. You are a beautiful lady with or without ps. Sending hugs, Ronna

Thank you for sharing that personal information!!! It's nice to be this far along and be getting ready for the "final" stage of our transformation huh? I have my consult scheduled for Sept 6th. I'm nervous but very very excited. I know that I will for sure be getting my tummy done and my girls lifted. I would like to also maintain a C cup so I might be getting an augmentation also. I am hoping to have this done at the first of the year also!!! Good luck in your process, you are very lucky to have a great support system. Dana

Hey Dana! You'll have to let me know how your consult goes just for comparison sake, huh? And yes, we are very lucky to have such great support from our significant others. LOL -- my wonderful hubs is great.

Lisa, it's great you're ready to do the ps soon. Didn't you like Dr. LoMonaco? He spoke at our WLS support group and I liked him a lot. He should do a great job on you. He had a great personality, too. Good luck. Karla

Karla, I didn't actually end up seeing Dr. LoMonaco. I really wanted to, since he's the ps that my bariatric surgeon recommended AND he's got such a good rep and presence on the boards. However, he wasn't on my insurance network and since they are paying for a portion of my lbl, I made the decision to see one that was in network. The ps that I saw was Dr. Phillip Freeman and he does a lot of the reconstructive work from Dr. Naaman's patients. I'm going to have one more consult in December with Dr. Camille Cash and then I'll decide between the two who to go with.

Hey Lisa---- Your post was very informative! Thank you--- I was curious about why the lower body lift is so extensive from the surgeon's point of view--what does that involve and why is that such an intense surgery? I ask because of all my complaints--my thighs (even more than my batwings) are my greatest concern, so I'll probably be getting a consult for that---though if I had my way I'd nip & tuck EVERYTHING (from bow to stern ) Also, I sometimes have seen the PS before and after shows and they lift and poke around on everyone---I've seen many women who looked so perfect with their clothes on, yet were lopsided and flabby when they were starkers!! Even the skinny chickies who looked amazing to me hated the PS consult when they had their bodies examined and measured--so it must be a common humiliation! Please keep us informed about all this--I find it very helpful---- Cathy

Cathy, I really like your pic -- you're looking good! The ps told me that the lower body lift is one of the most intensive surgeries that I'll ever have for a few reasons. It generally takes the longest time (somewhere around 8 hours, give or take), the incisions literally go all the way around your body, hip bone to hip bone and all the way around to right above the crack of your rear. You are open for a long time, so it take more prep time before surgery (2-3 weeks of prep) and more time in care after the surgery. It includes a tremendous amount of skin removal, not just from the tummy. He said that this would include the skin from back fat, some of the side skin under my arms (where a lift wouldn't take) and "some" of the thigh skin would be pulled up. He did say, however, that a lift wouldn't solely take care of the inner thighs, that it would help, but only the thigh lift would get the smooth results that some women would be looking for. He requires the blood thinning shots for 2-3 weeks before the surgery, and for a few weeks after the surgery. Also, he requires 2 units of blood be autologously donated beforehand for just in case purposes. AND the body is typically scrubbed with the antibacterial soap for a week beforehand. So all-in-all it's just more extensive, not just from a procedure standpoint.

Thanks for sharing. I'd not really thought too much or seriously about plastics but this got me thinking. Apron is a horrible word and more than anything I'd like to turn mine in. Keep us posted! ~Tiffany

Tiffany, Apron IS a horrible word. It makes me cringe just as badly as morbidly obese does. I told my wonderful hubs from the beginning that I could live with just a little poochy belly. I could live with just a lift if the girls weren't hanging too terribly bad. But the reality is that I have been overweight for FAR too long for the stomach to shrink back into a "pooch". It hangs below my pubis and sits on the tops of my thighs. And my poor girls have no tissue left at all. They look horrible. And I guess that I am a lot more vain than I believed (LOL). I probably won't go for the brachioplastic since my arms aren't that terribly bad and the lbl will pull my thighs up enough for me to live with, but everything else has GOT to be fixed for my own peace of mind.