Strivingforbetter

I'm actually planning on having this done this July and just had my first consult. I'm excited. He's only planning on doing the 360 lower body lift and my cost will be $12,000. Those who paid $15,000, did you have another procedure done with it?

I'm 55 years old and also had a revision from a lap band to the duodenal switch. It's been the best decision I've ever made for my health. I spent one day in the hospital and within two weeks I was running around doing errands. I've got my confidence back too. It's a great feeling to reach for the size in the middle or front of the rack instead of at the very back or at the bottom of the pile. Sometimes when I look in the mirror it's hard to believe it's really me. But it is!

@Screwballski: I've also had four c-sections, but my third one caused my muscle to rip and that's when my hernia occurred. I'm happy to hear that muscle reconstruction isn't required for everyone. Removing the extra skin is all I need to make me happy.

@George OG Check out "SmilinsShrinking" on You Tube. She had a total body lift in Mexico with Dr. Sauceda and sings his praises. She even video taped an interview with him a few days after her surgery. She's very open with her before and after pics, so there is a ton of information about the kind of surgery you're looking for if you watch her videos. Her name is Joni.

@Scamp Wow, you look fantastic! Thank you so much for the information. I love that we can get on this site and get such good support. I was feeling so down when I left the first surgeon's office a few weeks ago. Now I can see that there's hope after all! I plan on getting my second opinion next month (September) and then getting my surgery done next summer. I'm squirreling away my money right now. Thanks again, Scamp.

I'm reading people's confessions about eating two chicken nuggets, some fried rice from Panda Express, or maybe a little candy, and I'm thinking to myself that I'm the cheater of cheaters because all of this sounds so mild compared to my cheats. This is embarrassing, but here it goes: I polished off an entire Big Mac yesterday. Yep. Don't ask me how my stomach fit it all in because usually I can't eat that much, but I was hungry. Didn't drink with it or have anything else with it, but polished that sucker off all by myself. That's a first since my surgery a year ago. A part of me feels I should be terrified I was able to do that. I'm not doing it again because that's what got me where I was before my surgery. Yes, I feel ashamed.

@Matt Z I'm a planner, so I wouldn't get this done until next summer. I also want to try and lose another 10-15 pounds before then, but I want to know my options and pricing. I've considered going to Mexico to save costs, but it scares me to death. My luck, I'd be one of those patients who ends up on a TV show of plastics gone wrong. Anyway, thank you for replying. Glad to see I'm not the only one considering this option. By the way, there is a surgeon in Texas who feels that the muscle reconstruction is actually not really necessary and unduly painful for the patient. He always does tummy tucks with the repair. I thought that was interesting.

Wow, Matt, you were really quick on your reply! You even grabbed my typos before I could correct them. I think I was really surprised that the first surgeon I went to didn't even suggest the abdominoplasty without muscle repair. I left his office feeling so deflated, but the next morning I started rethinking things and searched for other options. I'm interested to see what this second surgeon says. One thing is for sure, I didn't feel confident in the first surgeon. This other option should have at least been discussed.

Has anyone had a Tummy Tuck without muscle reconstruction? Due to an incisional hernia repair I had 22 years ago, I'm not a candidate for muscle repair. One surgeon said that in pulling the muscles tight, it would make the mesh covering my hernia repair act like an accordion and cause chronic pain. However, I desperately want to rid myself of my abdominal overhang for a slimmer look in my clothes. I realize I might not have as tight of a stomach without the muscle repair, but I think it will make a world of difference to remove "the blob." I'm going in for a second consultation with a different surgeon next month. Anyone have this same issue?

On 7/24/2018 at 12:36 PM, Dragon64 said:

" I managed to get her a 5-gallon bucket just in time for her bring back up the Water she just drank. No food thankfully, just the Water. Apparently, she has these episodes a couple times a week... sometimes she still passes out, even after expelling the "what-ever-she-ate-or-drank" She was quite embarrassed, but we all handled it well without panicking.

Saturday my wife had a heart to heart with me, pleading her case again that she does not want me having the surgery, if I have the possibility of going through the same stuff myself.

I have never thrown up and I'm a year post-op. I've heard bypass patients sometimes throw up, but I don't think I've heard of this being common among other WLS patients. I do get diarrhea if I eat too many sweets, but that's it. I can't imagine passing out. I can see why your wife was concerned, but I don't think passing or throwing up are the norm.

I had this same fear and voiced it to a friend of mine. She gave me great comfort that a higher being was well aware of my fears and that the surgeon's hands would be guided. I don't know of you're a religious person, but this helped me. I also gave myself the same self talk as Bryn910. I wanted to save my life and was brave enough to step forward and do it. I have no regrets. I have a new life.

The first few weeks are rough, but I promise you will love the changes that are coming down the road.

1 hour ago, theresahyatt19 said:

be pushed back because they need to get a neg read before scheduling surgey.

Bummer that it was a false positive, but at least they are being thorough about your health and not taking any chances before you get your surgery. Things will come together eventually.

I used to wear boot cut jeans all of the time. Now I cannot stand them. I also wear pencil skirts and more tailored looking clothes. I just gave away 15 bags of clothes to the Goodwill. Not sorry. I'm not going back to that size and my style has changed.

I've been stuck since early June also, but.....my fault entirely. I'm kind of burned out. All I can say is track your intake and drink more Water. That's what I plan to do. At least I'm not gaining.

On 7/4/2018 at 10:17 PM, BajanSleeve said:

I used these anti nausea Patches (see link below), all natural, and they worked well for me. Put it behind your ear. At this point you might as well try anything. Give them a shot. They are only $13

I have the opposite problem to you. I can eat a TON and I am 5 weeks post op and worried I wasted my money and that I will be eating like before the surgery very soon.

https://www.amazon.com/MQ®-Motion-Sickness-Patch-Count/dp/B00RHJKGE2/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1530764071&sr=8-3&keywords=anti%2Bnausea%2Bpatch&dpID=51Ehc1ciaCL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1

@BajanSleeve You stated, "I have the opposite problem to you. I can eat a TON and I am 5 weeks post op and worried I wasted my money and that I will be eating like before the surgery very soon."

You might end up being revised to the duodenal switch (DS) if you end up discovering the sleeve isn't enough. Sounds like you might need the malabsorption component. Those with a higher BMI do better on the DS than the sleeve.

10 hours ago, disco stu said:

Ack!!!. Had a horrible bloat\gas attack last night and I'm racking my brain to figure out what triggered it. I had a simple grilled chicken Caesar salad with dressing on the side for dinner.... a dish I eat at least twice a week with no issues. I also picked at my wife's avocado salad, in particular I had two or three large avocado slices. Could that be it? Does anyone else have issues with Avo? Otherwise, I'm completely at a loss....

Yes, it's the avocado. Ice-cream also does it to me. There's nothing worse than a DS gas attack. So uncomfortable.

No pre-op diet required by my surgeon, and I've been successful with my weight loss.

Your tummy went through major surgery. Of course your're going to feel sore and tight. Allow yourself time to mend. This is not a lapband. Your doctor must have explained how you would be feeling post-op?? It takes at least a week to be able to sip Water. The first few days are hard. Surgery is never easy. I'm one year post-op revision from the lap band to a DS and have lost 86 percent of my weight and still working on it, but I knew it wouldn't be easy from the start.

My transfer addiction is shopping to the point where I couldn't find anything in my closet when I went looking for it. I've purged my old clothes and bought a shoe rack so everything looks tidy and even organized my jewelry. It's motivating me to really question if I want to mess all of that up with bringing in something new because now I can actually find something when I go looking for it. It's very satisfying to buy size medium tops instead of 1x or 2x, so I have to do self-talk that I really don't need another top. Things look so much better on my frame now, so shopping is a joy. I have noticed that the lack of cushion on my tush makes hard seats miserable, but I'm so much happier overall (and yes I experienced my fair share of stalls along the way, ugh).

When I'm around certain people or when I eat certain things, I feel like I haven't lost even one pound. I worry that I'll wake up the next morning, and the scale will show a five pound gain and the old me will come exploding out. The truth is I've lost a significant amount of weight and haven't gained even one pound in the year since I had my surgery. It's body dsymorphia. It takes a while for our minds to catch up with the new body. As far as social situations, I find myself wearing shorts and clothes I have shied away from for the past 20 years. I also don't hide behind people in photos anymore. I've practiced making good food choices this past year, so I can usually find something to eat or I eat very little if the choices aren't so great. If your anxiety is really distressing you, I would find a good counselor and talk it through with them. It also might help with your self-confidence and/or depression.

I don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer, but I'm going to tell you my experience with the band. I had the lap band for 2 years and never felt any restriction. After blaming myself and feeling frustrated, I finally revised to the duodenal switch and have lost nearly 80 pounds this past year. For me, the lap band was a total waste of money and energy. Most doctors have quit offering the lap band as a viable weight loss surgery option due to the high number of patients who revise to the gastric sleeve or another weight loss surgery. Only a small percentage of patients are successful with the band. That doesn't mean you won't be successful. You could be one of those patients who drops 100 pounds on the band. I'm just letting you know that most people have limited success or complications (band eroding into their stomach) and would suggest you consider a weight loss surgery that has a higher long term success rate than the band.

@disco stu Loose stools are pretty normal. Did you know that raisins have more potassium in them than bananas? If you're experiencing muscle cramps, you can pick up some of those. It helps.

Your stomach looks so much more trim than mine, and I'm one year post op....

11 hours ago, mjctexas said:

did any of you have to take a laxative prior to surgery?

Nope. I had a few food funerals (which really wasn't necessary) and showed up for surgery.