Post ops dealing with excess skin...

I had an appt today to address my skin problems with my PCP today.. It didnt go very well and I have no idea what to do.. Could you please read the last entry in my profile and give me some advice!! Im rather lost on what to do.. Amber

Amber you have email! Steph

Hey Amber, First off, im very sorry you have had such a crappy day. Sometimes dr's can be such asses. But mostly what does taking anxiety meds have to do with skin? He lost me there... Its not like you were going postal or anything. Trying to explain your situation to him was enough im sure to make you feel uncomfortable without his stupid advise. I dont really have any idea what to tell ya to do except try to hang in there till you can have something done. But you are right. It needs to be down on paper that you have went to him for this problem.... I know insurance wise it helps for sure. I can only amagine how you feel. I havent lost that much yet but have enough bits, and pieces and folds of skin to hide easter eggs under lol... Thought that would make ya smile a lil lol..So hang in there.... And just be glad that episode is over for the day... Hugs Marge

Marge, Thanks so much... I needed a quick cheer me up! And since I get a visual when reading things your comment on the easter eggs made me giggle! Well you hide your Easter Eggs in your folds... Ill just keep hiding the whole darn BASKET!! Thankfully my surgeons office is treating me decent.. They have me coming in early so they can check the skin folds to see what is going on. They said the smell, the rash, and the blisters make it sound more like a staph infection that requires antibotics.. Atleast someone is listening to me! Amber

Amber I don't have any advice because I'm fresh off the table but I couldn't help posting when I read your profile. I am so sorry your day was awful. I've been bugging you with my crap I've forgotten to ask about you and I'm really sorry!! My belly button used to have an odor and my husband LOVED to point it out. I used everything from cornstarch to deo rubbing it in there to make it smell good. It's very hard to keep clean and fresh. I even put alcohol on q-tips and rubbed it around in there. Eventually mine got better but it was very nerve wracking. Please call me or email if you need to vent, I'm always here for you. {{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}} Jamie

Jamie, Ohh!! You dont understand! When Im worried about you, how your doing, and whats going on with you then I dont have to think about what is going on with myself!! Youve kept me distracted for the past week while waiting for this appt!! You know how lovely the medical care can be... what a pain it is to get an appt! And how wonderful some of them treat you!! I really just wanted to jump over the mans desk and sqeeze some understanding into is ignorant a$$!! Okay, that wasnt nice but boy did he frustrate me!! As I told Marge, I got in touch with my surgeons office and they are going to see me early.. Ive done all I can and its not getting better- its getting worse.. I didnt panic so much until the blisters starting showing up... The surgeons office seems to think its a staph infection that needs to be treated... Ill find out soon enough!! I will email you later tonight.. Right now Im going to take my xanax and try to get laundry caught up so I have clothes to wear this weekend.. We are heading to an amusement park Saturday and I have to have clothes to cover all these horrible rolls of skin!! Make sure you let me know whats going on with you!! You are my distraction right now!! Youve saved me and my DH hours of stress!! Amber

Your doctor may just be too old school to understand your situation. My advice is to find a younger (preferably female) dermatologist. She'll be able to cataogue all your skin issues for plastics as well as help you with medicines to try and make a dent in the fungal infections. That smell is an infection, basically. I'm down 126 pounds, and I have a lot of skin issues. Luckily, my GP is very nice about it, always looks at the fungus du jour and makes a lot of notes about it in my chart. You can also be very direct with your doctor. Tell him that the skin chafes, it causes pain, and the smell is deeply embarassing. No one likes having infected skin. I can't undeerstand why your doc doesn't grasp this.

Ok- Get a digital camera, so no one has to handle film. Take pictures of every rash, every sore, every infection that happnes. Use photo software and make sure those pictures are crystal clear. YES it's nasty to look at. That's kind of the point. Get documentation from your pcp about back pain, sweating, smells etc. Make sure he/she writes down ALL your concerns. This will help you out later when you're trying again for plastics You ARE still early in this. I'd advise a REALLY good support garment and LOTs of the gentler deoderants. You can put it on the skin under your panni to reduce the smell. You can avoid the zinc in the anti perspirents if you stick with pure doederant if it's something that bothers you. For now! Calm down. Get a full length mirror. Start looking. REALLY looking at your new body. It's time to embrace everything about it. The only way you can get confortable with the changes is to embrace them. Name your panni. Draw or stick google eyes to various rolls if it helps you start to accept yourself. Also - try not just the fat loss exercises. I've heard that putting on muscle helps tighten some of the skin, it fills in some of the sag with firmness instead of flab. You look amazing. It's time to stop beating yourself up, start getting serious about documenting the problems, and wait until you're steady enough for Plastics. You've come this far, and you're doing AMAZING.

Amber, first of all you look amazing, your legs are so skinny, I'm jealous, I have sooooooo much excess skin around my legs and my abdomen and my arms its crazy...... I can totally relate to your issue about the execess skin, I just realized the other day that I had a slight rash under my apron, I started moisturizing it and I think its better now, I knew that the skin rash issue would come about and so far its not as bad as it can get, but I've got alot more weight to lose, so I know the problem will get worse as time goes by.... But like other posters have said DOCUMENTATION is the name of the plastics game, without it you might have a hard time getting it.... So good luck to you, oh yes! try cornstarch powder its pretty good for the issues you and I and everyone else is experiencing.... God Bless