Kelliebelly

I had a reduction/lift in March and if it was me I would do it now to make it much easier for yourself as you lose the rest of your weight. If it came down to it that they were saggy again after the loss it would probably be minimal and would be fixed with small revisions.

My Dr did my TT and BL because my belly has hung low since I was 17 yrs old. I have lost weight a few times and the belly never went back. He said with the amount of weight lost now and considering I only wanted to lose another 15 kg I could go ahead and have it done. I remember him telling me on my first visit that it would be terrible to carry that amount of skin around each day and he would do whatever he could to help me....which he did. I have lost about 8 or so kgs since the tuck and the tummy is still ok, I dont know how it will be when I am finished but if it is loose again he said it is a small procedure to have the skin removed, it is the muscle repair that causes pain with a TT and I wouldnt need to have that done again.

I keloided bad with my band scars. The TT and BL scars are really good. Nice and fine so far...hopefully they will stay that way.

Hiya all, I read this thread when it first popped up along with the other one. I have suffered badly since my TT 4 months ago and had been to the toilet a handful of times. I read the sites etc and decided to go with one that sounded great which I wont mention because I dont want to seem like I am advertising. I am on day 6 and welllllllllllll it is one of the best things I have ever done. I am really shocked and suprised what ummmm actually comes out (TMI) things I hadnt eaten in a long time etc. This one I am using really works and I feel 10000 times better, my skin looks better and as a bonus I dropped 4 kgs. I know its not fat but that was an extra 4 kgs I was carrying around backed up in my bowels and intestines etc. I love it and will continue to do it for maintanance...thanks for the post and information throughout. Hugs

Another thing ... your garment is your best friend for a long time, keep it on at all times, make sure its crotchless for easy toileting haha. Also at about 4 weeks get the silicone strips - they rock.

Sammi, Just my opinion, but I dont think the pain is anything it is made out to be. My caesar was far worse but the TT has been a longer recovery as in trying to stand straight and swell hell. I am going on 4 mths out and another bout of swelling has hit me big time. I mean you would swear I am 6 mths preggers in the evening. Be prepared for insane swelling, discomfort, frustration and depression while healing....but also be prepared for waking up and looking down at a flat belly, standing for the first time and feeling tight tummy muscles and no overhang, shaving the bikini line and not having to hold the belly up, no slapping when you run, going down a size or 2, wearing hipsters and looking good...and lots lots more!!!!! I cant begin to explain how it has changed me and I am so excited for you. You honestly cannot imagine how different it will be after. Good Luck and dont worry or panic leading up to the surgery, easy for me to say I know but just focus on the after. Big Hugs

Ps - WTGGGGGGGGGG on goal...I am so happy for you, it must feel awesome!!!

Wow...I wish I had of known that 3 mths ago, I ended up about $25000 out of pocket. Good Luck for your surgery, it will be the best thing(besides banding) that you will ever do for yourself.

Anyone suffering from this? I thought I was over it and past it. Nope, I have tried everyday for the last 2 weeks to say no chocolate today, just one day without it. I cant do it. I honestly feel like I am suffering withdrawels or something and when I have some I feel better. Any suggestions as to what I can replace it with to help me. The weight loss has stopped and it is really unhealthy and getting back into bad habits. Help me please :cool:

Let her know she is in our thoughts...Big hugs and wishes for a speedy recovery.

I just wanted to add that it pi***s me off when I see someone who seems like they are never satisfied, and there probably is people reading this thinking "Be grateful I would KILL for a tummy tuck". I know, I used to think like that too. Like I said life would be perfect after one. It would answer all my problems. I am just stating it hasnt, far from it. Hugs

I am only game enough to say this outloud in this post to anyone. I thought my life would be great when I lost my weight, but for years I dreamt of a tummy tuck. I would lay in bed at night praying to win the lotto so I could get it done. When it actually became reality and was booked in I thought my life was going to be perfect, nothing would get me down...NOTHING!!!! Boy was I wrong. The TT has only made the other things bad on me more pronounced. I have keloid scars from banding. I have stretch marks from head to toe pretty much literally. My thighs rub together from major loose skin that my DR said would only ever be improved by a thigh lift...well that isnt going to happen. My tummy is in major swell hell and its hard to see it so big after what I have been through. I know my mind is playing head games with me and Ill never think of myself as anything but fat, nomatter what I have done. There is alot of other things I could go on about too but I wont. All Ill say is it will always be a "the grass is always greener" kinda thing for me.

I had lipo to my bra roll, back, upper arms and hips with my TT 3 mths ago. I agree with Julie, nothing in my surgery hurt like the lipo and still hurts...especially if I have been sitting for a while or waking up in the morning. It was bearable and totally worth it but dont go into it thinking anything but this is gunna KILL haha. I wasnt game to add my thighs to the list because they are already so saggy Dr said it would make it so much worse. As for my bra roll, one side has gone, the other side still has a bit of a roll, he said that is the loose skin left from the lipo and he would have to do a cut around to get rid of it. I was like ummm no way Ill live with it. I was only ever looking for improvement anyways. Now that I have totally gone off the subject I was in the garment for 6 weeks and as much as it is a pain in the butt you will feel more secure in it. The times I took it off for a shower etc I couldnt wait to get it back on, it feels like it keeps it all in place and tight if you know what I mean especially when you are swelling BAD like I am this week. Anyway good luck with whatever you decide.

Hi Julie I had a TT and BL 3 months ago and at the suggestion of my surgeon didnt have any fill taken out. The explanation I got was similiar to Newsho. I found about 8 weeks out even with no fill out that I had lost pretty much all of my restriction. Something to do with the removal of fat and skin and rapid weight loss after the surgery made my band loose???? Who knows if its true. I was wondering with you having your band replaced after your TT did it mess up your TT at all? i was wondering about this myself the other day. Did your Dr also find he couldnt pull your skin down as much as he does with other patients because of the port? I am amazed at my results and I am so happy, no apron to the mid thighs anymore. I am in 3 mth swell hell again this week and it has me hunched back over at night, cant wait to get passed all this. Anyway hope everything works out for you and congrats

I am sorry to hear about your band, but I to agree that your outlook and attitude is so inspirational. Youll always be a bandster!!! Big Hugs

Hi Thanks guys. The wedding day is the 9th September and I am really excited. Hope everyone is doing well.

Have been really busy with wedding preps the last month or so. I have pretty much got everything finalised. I found my dream wedding dress and I am realllllly happy with it. I have healed well from the TT, BL and lipo...they say at 3 mths swell hell hits you again, well it has and it sux. The only discomfort I feel now is in the hips from where I had the lipo, but I am getting there. As for weight loss, I havent really lost any in the last couple of months, I have had to take it easy with exercising etc and have just slowly started easing myself back into volleyball. I had an incident about 6 week post op where I went for a bike ride and split a tiny bit of my incision open again, it has slwoly closed back up so that was a bit of a pain too. All in all I am in a happy place right now, the best I have been in my life, I think I can honestly say that. Hugs to all.

30 yrs old here with 4 children. A 13yo girl, 8 yo boy/girl twins and a 2 yo girl. I am finally getting married for the first time in September. I am doing a Bach in Associated Social Science and have 3 yrs to go. I was banded 14 mths ago and have lost in the vicinity of 85 lbs. Could have been more if I had been better behaved, but I am really happy with where I am going. I recently had a tummy tuck and breast lift and life has been awesome!!! I am also an Aussie as well, living about 1.5hrs from Sydney. I also have a few spare rolls of loo paper and am off to the 2 something thread to play up

Good grief. Do you think I might really make it to the end this time AND get some things resolved along the way? Could it be possible? What a dream come true. To be "normal" again, both inside AND out! Susan, I was actually thinking the same thing. Hugs

This thread has me thinking about things I have never thought about before. I am so grateful. Things coming into my head right now are - Why am I fat, why did I allow myself to get this way? I was an average size child till I was about 9 and then an old man took away my innocence - not fully, but enough to do damage. It was then I started taking money from wherever I could find it, generally Mums purse. I would then go up to the corner shop and buy chocolates, lollies etc. I remember buying a whole caramel tart and eating all to myself in my bedroom. My weight escalated from there and I have been fat ever since. A light has gone off in my head. That is why I am fat, it has to be, I wasnt fat before it and food was never an issue. All of a sudden it was and I got fat. Thank you so much for this thread, it got me thinking, although my entire life since it has happened whenever it came into my head I would block it, ignore it and push it away. I didnt want to think about it, I still dont but at least now I know why some things have turned out the way they have. Big Hugs to everyone

Amy A friend of mine had the apron removed at the time of her banding. He did not do a belly button for her because she was going back to have a full TT after she lost her weight. The muscle repair is the most painful part of a TT. Skin removal only would be a breeze...well compared hehe. Honestly with my TT the only pain I felt was in the MR, not really anything in the incision or around. Life without the hanging skin is unbelieveable. I cant even begin to tell you how much your life changes in just the littlest ways. The other night I was over the moon because I shaved my bikini line myself without DH having to hold my belly up. Good Luck with it.

It took me 7 fills or so to get good restriction and start losing weight, that was about 7.5mls. This is lasted a good 6 months before it started dwindling to practically no restriction again. I waited a bit and had my Tummy tuck etc done and after that it just got worse so I went for a fill a couple of weeks ago. I have the VG10ml band and I have 10.1mls in. My Dr isnt worried and said it can hold alot more safely.

Jacqui, Where did you have it done, was it somewhere that is Australia wide?

Where did you get it done Jacqui, I need something like that for my wedding.

And it is one of the reasons I havent been around lately myself.