Coming out, finishing up plastics (hopefully), and life at nearly 2 years post op with photos

Hello, my lovely VSGers.  I attended the OH conference two weeks ago, got a hug from Graham Elliot, wore a bikini in public for the first time since I was 14, and had way too much fun.  I've been working at getting back to my WLS support.  I think it's incredibly important to connect with people who "get it" especially the farther out I get.  The weight loss was easy (don't kill me), it's maintenance and the head stuff that is so difficult.  I've been at goal for over a year now, and I cannot even begin to describe all of the stuff that has gone on with mentally and emotionally.  Things I thought I'd dealt with, things I didn't even realize were issues, resentments, anger, narcissism (haha, I think we ALL go through that phase), transfer addictions, and wanting to take a battering ram to my life (and doing just that).  I think of myself as a fairly self reflective person.  I live the bulk of my life in my head, which I think is a normal only child problem.  But I was completely unprepared for all the CRAP that was actually there.  For being afraid of contentment, for not knowing what to do with myself when things are actually A-OK, so I'm in therapy and dealing with that.  I'm also in couples therapy with my husband, which is going really well. 

Right before the OH conference, I had decided to do a mini-coming out.  I'm in a private "Healthy Mamas" group that is an offshoot of a much larger group of moms that I've been a member of for over three years.  We've been through pregnancy, infancy, and part of toddlerhood together.  We've shared so much of our lives, and I have been very up front about my plastics, but not my sleeve.  I decided, mainly due to a couple of MO women on the healthy board who have been really struggling, to "come out" on that board.  I didn't want to PM them because I would have hated being called out, so I figured if I was just open about it, and they had actual interest, they could ask me themselves.  One of them reached out to me, and I gave her as much info as I could, I was as honest as I could be, and I obviously pointed her to this forum which has helped me so tremendously.  She is scheduling her VSG today.  I'm kind of blown away, to be honest.  And excited for her.  And proud of myself for coming out in a much more public way.

And onto to finishing up my plastics.  I'm getting a medial thigh lift tomorrow as well as a small scar revision on my hip from my LBL, and my aureoles will be revised because the augmentation stretched them out and they are "ginormous" - according to my PS.  I had to ask him if that was a medical term.  Hahaha.  I'm not particularly certain why these things are freaked me out so much more than a LBL with BA/BL, but they are.  I'm so anxious that I can't sleep.  I think part of it is that this is the last part.  I'll be "done," and everything else is just life.  Obviously it's all a part of the journey, but there's something so final about this.  It's strange.  My life has changed so much since having the sleeve.  I haven't really changed, but I have really become more me.  And more accepting of me.  It's very difficult adjusting to life without the fat suit as a barrier, it's difficult to feel more exposed, but I am working working working at keeping the barriers down, letting people in, living authentically. 

Graham Elliot and me!  (I've posted this previously, but I just loooooove him!)

Selfie from the conference my hubs asked me to send to him :)

Obligatory bikini shot

aww, cute!

Thank you for sharing your story! Also, thank you for your honesty! I too am beginning to see things creeping up that I haven't dealt with in my life. It's strange to have relied on food for comfort for so long and to now not have that! It's almost as if a veil has been lifted and I see things in a new light, some good, some bad! 

You have have done great on your journey! You look great! Best wishes to you!

I didn't realize how much I actually relied on food.  I didn't realize how much I've always stuffed my emotions.  So when I started stuffing them with shopping, alcohol, sex, I was inordinately surprised.  It's quite the journey :)

Congratulations you look marvelous!!

Thank you!

You look awesome i don't think you need plastics

Thanks!  I've had plastics!  Trust me, if my boobs & stomach looked like that after 130 pound weight loss and child birth, I could have saved myself A LOT of money ;)

Loved:

- Your entire post

- Your coming out and showing others this option

- Your perspective (you had it..... from the get-go)

- Your results !!! (biting top lip)

I got to meet with Graham Elliot a couple months ago in San Fran..... Great guy !

Speedy recovery to you on your procedures !

frisco