D.Dial
Highest weight 250 BMI 41
Current weight 157
Age 65 on Dec. 17, 2007
Dec. 30, 2007
Hello everyone,
I started my journey in the spring of 2003. I saw Sharon Osborne (Yep, Ozzy's wife) on Larry King Live. He mentioned she had lost a lot of weight, she verified she'd lost around 100 pounds, and that she'd done it with a lapband procedure. She said she weighed 225...well that got my attention. At 250 it never occured to me that I was a candidate for a weight loss procedure. But after hearing her story, I began doing research on the www. I checked with my insurance company (BCBS of NC) and indeed they covered RNY. Then I contacted Duke Medical Center and was accepted by Dr. Grant to have the surgery. My big day was August 23, 2003.
Surgery went very well for me and I eventually shed 85 pounds. (85% of my excess weight).
I qualified for the surgery because of comorbities. I was on 2 high blood pressure medications had stress incontenance, and I'd had an ankle joint replaced in 2000. That was a big reason for my pursueing wls surgery. Excess weight causes extra wear and tear on an aritficial joint and guaranteed that my joint would not last as long as it optimally should.
At about 60 pounds into my weight loss I began noticing saggy, crepy skin. It got worse as I lost the final 25 pounds. By the fall of 2004 I was aware that I'd probbly lost as much as I was going to lose. I was 165 and looked and felt much better. But the saggy, festoons of skin and butt pleats were difficult to deal with when I undressed. I saw where Carny Wilson had total reconstruction of her body after her WLS, but I thought I could probably only afford a good tummy tuck. Certainly not the arms, torso, breast lift and thigh lift she's had done. However, in the fall of 2004 another NC patient of Dr. Grant's mentioned a surgeon in Brazil who was excellent, hand lots of experience with post wls, and was very affordable. I began doing lots of research on Dr. Fabio, in Vitoria and his patients. There was yahoo site with his former patients and I could see the results of their surgeries. Then an acquanitance of mine went to him in late Nov. of '04 and when she returned, she invited me and my significant other (so) to view her results. He is a retired physician and while he was initially very skepticle of the prospect of my going abroad after he saw the quality of my acquantances work, he was very positive about my pursueing the journey to Brazil for body reconstruction.
I made arrangements otofly to Brazil in April of 2005 and at that time I had a lower body lift, mons lift, extended breast and arm lift. I had enough breast tissue that I avoided implants....an artificial ankle is enough of a foreign object, thank you very much. lol I went from a full D to a small D cup. Recuperation was a good 2 months form my initial surgery, and at 3 months out, I saw how great my results were. I knew I'd need to go back and get my final thigh lift one as ast that point the jiggle thighs, just didn't go with the tight torso I now had. I was very hesitant, as I'd read of so many horror stories on thigh lifts. But as time went by I realized that the surgeon I used was not having the complications (like lymphodema) that other Docs were having. I consulted with Dr. F. when he came to Nashville last April and then made final arrangements to go back in October for my final round of surgeries. I also needed a lower revision (had a full face lift in New Orleans back in 2002) because the weight loss took it toll on my lower face. The October surgeries went very well....I hve posted final pics for folks to view.
I spent as total of approximate on $30,000 for my surgeries, airfares and lodging.....I feel that I'd have spent at least $60,000. in the US. If I could have found a surgeon with the artistic hand my surgeon possesses. While going abroad is not for everyone, it certainly is an option for those with a bit of adventurous spirit. I love my results, and feel my surgeon transformed my outsides to match how I feel inside.
If you wish to view body photos, before and after reconstruction you must sign on as a "friend". Sorry but I don't want to broadcast explicit photos to the world.
Click here to view a clip of my results.
You need Flash and DSL to view.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3728940189590810540
http://www.tlcmedicaltravel.com/Testimonials.aspx?view=details&id=2
please let me know if you spot a typo.
