rodw

I was 340 the day of surgery. Over the last 18 months I've lost about 120 pounds. Most of it in the first 9 months. The skin really varies. I have some around my stomach and pannus. It's been almost two years and it's finally starting to shrink. I don't really have it anywhere else though the back of my upper arms are a little jiggly. I have not had issues with acid reflux. I have had lots of compliments from women but I wouldn't say any extra attention. Your penis will not grow. However, as you lose weight and your circumference shrinks it will look bigger because it's not hiding in all the fat. Best of luck with your surgery and follow all the after care instructions to the letter.

I'm noticing no one actually tells you what will qualify you to get cosmetic with medicare. I'm also a medicare recipient, I actually have HIP for my primary right now. Pending divorce I will be strictly medicare. So hoping for lots of rashes and enuf extra skin where I already see problem's (arms, thighs, stomache, butt...my breast are small but I already get the occasional fungus underneath from sagging, so hopeful) I know they require a lot of problems before they will pay. I have no funds, sooo. Now we gotta hope for bad stuff to happen. I had my plastics consult this morning. My surgeon said Medicare will not consider it medically necessary, regardless of rashes and infections, unless the skin hangs below the pubic bone, which is pretty low. Mine doesn't hang quite that low, so I have to pay out of pocket. My procedure will cost $9500 total, including the surgeon cost, the hospital cost, and the anesthesia costs. I will have to go home the same day though. :/

I do something similar around here, but it's sort of southwesternish. I get the flat-out sandwich/hamburger bun folding ones, cut them in half (separate the two halves), spread each half with hummus spread, then spoon a bit of chunky salsa over that, then black Beans, then some chicken I've diced fine and cooked in adobo seasoning or taco seasoning goes on top. A little bit of shredded cheddar jack, and into the oven until the cheese is melted. It's a variation on something I found in one of the Biggest Loser cookbooks. They have some cool things. I don't remember if it's in their cookbook or on their website but there is also a recipe for something called Double Spaghetti or something like that. It's basically half steamed spaghetti squash and half spaghetti Pasta (I like the Fiber Gourmet for taste). You can serve it as a side. I often put steamed broccoli, lemon zest, and a sprinkling of shredded Parmesan cheese. If I want it for a main dish, I add Italian chicken sausage that I make from scratch (ground chicken, italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, fennel seeds, and crushed red peppers if you like it hot). There are some cool recipes in there and you can easily adjust the portions. Some of them sound a little weird, but all of the ones I have cooked were good, even the weird sounding ones.

I could eat poultry until close to three months. I couldn't eat beef or lamb until 4 months out. I don't eat pork or fish.

Mine said just walking and then light exercise. I went in for my six month check in recently and told him I had started running but was having problems with the extra skin. He said I could use a compression shirt, but that I might be better with an elliptical because of running's high impact.

Ok. Don't laugh. My pureed stage was only about 10 days. You have to put a lot in the blender just to get the food to puree at all. Even in the NutriBullet. I didn't want to eat the same thing everyday. So the week before surgery I went to the grocery store. As I was walking up and down the aisles, I walked past the baby food. I got half up the aisle and then though, "maybe??". I went back and looked at them. There are several brands. Gerber is a brand I recognize as having been around since forever. I grabbed a few and took them home. Fast forward to post-surgery. Most of them were actually pretty good. They all lasted for more than one meal and I still ended up giving some to some new parents I know. At least if there are leftovers you can safely give them to someone. I will say the pureed meats in the little tiny jars are disgusting. Don't bother. There was a turkey and sweet potato that I liked. And a chicken orzo something. I just had to mush the orzo up a little more. I also got a small jar of green Beans (pureed) for a little variety. And, I got a jar of the bananas. I know we really aren't supposed to have fruit that early, but I ate one baby spoon full per day on the last 3 days in the evening. It satisfied my sweet tooth. Also, I found these long handled plastic baby spoons on Amazon that really helped to not put too much in mouth at once, and being long handled it made them easier to manipulate. HTH