Question:
Are you ever sefl conscious about your scar or loose skin?
For the people who have had a lot attention since the operation, are you ever self conscious about the scar? [if you have one] or loose skin, etc. Does it ever make you feel like you're betraying your old self? [a friend of mine went through this when she lost 60 pounds on a diet as there were good things about her fat self as well that she felt she was being nasty too since she loved her new self more ...she later put back on 80 pounds] — blank first name B. (posted on December 4, 2001)
December 4, 2001
Of course! It'd be great if I'd turned into Barbie, no loose skin, no
aging, no signs that I ever was heavy. But that isn't how it is. When I
see something flapping in the breeze, I just remind myself how much more
attractive it is THAT way then when it was filled to bursting with fatty
tissue. Time tightens up a LOT of it, exercise will take some more and
plastics take yet more. But it's pretty hard to erase every vestige of the
disease that I still have and would kill me if it was not in remission. I
have to celebrate the victories that I can.
— vitalady
December 4, 2001
I go in spurts but remind myself that I would rather live with the Deflated
balloon than the Inflated one.
As for scars, I don't intend on wearing a bikini anytime soon so that's no
big deal
I am healthy today, that is not a betrayal, that is preventative medicine.
I definitely love myself more and that is why I am able to continue on and
maintain and take care of me.
Rita
463/185
RNY 3/31/94
— vt_rita
December 4, 2001
I have always (even my heaviest) have had the firm belief that if you can't
hide it, decorate it! I am not a tattoo fanatic at all but have decided
when my weight is gone, I am going to have a very tasteful vine or rose
bush tattooed on my scar (or at least whats left of it). That of course
will be AFTER the tummy tuck!
— Reta D.
December 5, 2001
I'm not at all self conscious about that god awful scar. Almost
four years and it's still an ugly sucker! I'm quite lucky in that
after losing over 100#, I have no loose skin...my upper arms are a
bit flabby...but I don't really care. I never espected a perfect body
...just a better one. I got my wish! To be quite honest, I care a
lot about my looks...so much so that I made a conscious decision to
maintain my weight at 190 where I'm free of excess skin. I'd rather
be a firm 190 than a flabby, dimpled, 140.
— [Anonymous]
December 5, 2001
Yes, it bothers me. A little. Very little, actually. Starting out at a
52"+ waistline and getting down to a 42" and dropping, there's
going to be some excess. Would I go back? Now there's a no-brainer.
— Chuck O.
December 5, 2001
The only time I am self conscious about the scar and the skin is when I am
nude and see myself in the mirror. BUT, if I do say so myself, I look
pretty good in clothes and since I have no plans to become a nudist or wear
a bikini I'm just fine with the way things are. I'm like Michelle, I would
rather see the hanging skin than the rolls of fat.
— georgiacarol
January 18, 2003
Does it bother me? Not as much as i think it bothers others. :-) I've
lost 75 pounds and stable, my husband 145 and continueing down. We also
are looking pretty good in clothes and aren't nudists :-)so it really
doesn't matter. To me, when I see my and my husbands added wrinkles where
once there was fat impeding our life, I thank God for it !! These are
battle scars that represents years, I said years of lost battles but now
have been transformed into badges representing victory. Would I have
plastic surgery if the finances were there? probably, Am I obsesed with the
wrinkles and the "bat wings" when I wear short sleeves? NOPE.
Just bugged by comments by others who have less wing spandage who
"wouldn't wear short sleeves to save" their souls. (good thing
that really isn't a factor in salvation :-) They don't know the freedom
it represents. But then those are the same people who probably thought my
overweight situation was lack of self will.
Relish that you can turn around and actually see those buttocks wrinkles
with just one mirror. !!!
— Brenda F.
March 7, 2003
Besides the loose skin, the attention itself is interesting. Comments
like, "Wow, you look great!", or "Holy cow, I've never seen
you look so good!" are a bit daunting. I know what it really means,
YOU WERE ENORMOUS, and I was but no one would dare say that. Now they talk
about my size all the time. "How much have you lost?" is a big
question. The one I like the most though is, "Great hair cut, takes
pounds off you!" Of course there are pounds missing, 160 of them. As
for the sagging skin, to get back to the real question, I was shocked the
first time I really noticed it. I find I have humor about it, not
betrayal. My bat wings are so big that I could take flight if I flapped my
arms hard enough. The sagging skin in the legs is a different story. I
look like I am 90 years old from the top of my thighs to above my knees. I
happen to 45, was fat for many years the elastin has totally disappeared.
However, I love being able to dance, ride a bike, walk, hike, and just
plain ol' do things that I couldn't do at 385 lbs.
— Leslie G.
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