SkinnyKathy

Yep, that's what it was. A seroma, a pocket of fluid. Except in my case it was more like a lake. I went back to my doctor on Monday and he pulled out 16 syringes of fluid (2 ounces each). That's a QUART! (He says the biggest seroma he had before me was not quite 3 syringes of fluid). And he stopped at 16 kind of arbitrarily because he didn't want to upset my electrolyte balance by taking out too much fluid at once. So I came back on Wednesday and he took out another 12 syringes. And I am going back today and probably at least once next week. I am also on a diauretic and antibiotics. But it makes a huge difference and I look and feel so much better. Also, my weight had been on the way up due to the swelling, I had gained 8 pounds from my lowest! Now almost all of those 8 pounds are off. Fortunately I didn't freak out too much because I knew it wasn't fat gain, it couldn't be because I have been on the tight-ish side with my band and couldn't possibly eat enough to gain weight right now (unless I ate bad foods, which fortunately I am good at staying away from)

One other factor that I think might be making my swelling worse than normal. My drain on the right side fell out after only a week, and the doctor removed my drain on the left side after a little more than 2 weeks because of a business trip I had to go on. I was still draining a moderate amount of Fluid every day (100 cc or more) in the remaining drain when it was removed. And it has been since my drain was removed that my weight has started going back up, not down. I am doing a pretty good job about remaining cool about it. I know the thing that matters is that I am continuing to eat right, and hopefully I am losing fat even if I am gaining weight. And it will come back down eventually. In the mean time I am trying to watch my sodium intake. I need to be more vigilant about getting enough fluids to drink, though. Since the weather started cooling down I haven't been as conscious of my fluid intake as I was over the summer.

I was pretty well prepared for my panniculectomy and everything has gone smoothly. But one thing that I am still surprised at, a little over 3 weeks post surgery, is the amount of swelling I still have. I feel bloated all over and lately the scale shows me gaining weight even though I have had a re-fill on my lap band weeks ago and I have continued to eat pretty well (with a few exceptions here and there). I am certainly not pigging out which the scale would suggest. So I think it is swelling. Ladies (and gents, too) who have had plastic surgery, what has been your experiece with swelling after plastic surgery? When did it peak? When did it subside? Do you have any idea how many pounds of swelling you had?

Oh that is cool. I'll bet you will look like a totally new woman with an extended tummy tuck after losing 160 pounds. $9k to do that plus arms is a great price, I think. Where is that? In the US? When it comes time to do my lower body lift I may choose to travel somewhere where the surgery can be done more cheaply since I will have to pay for it all out of pocket. My plastic surgeon quoted me a little over $9k just to do the panni, no tummy tuck and no arms. But I live in the San Francisco bay are and prices are quite high here. I will send you pictures tomorrow. Right now I have to finish getting ready for a Halloween party. I am so excited, I am going as a sexy witch and even at my current weight I can pretty much pull it off. I have a black leather corset and fishnet stockings, a poofy net skirt and black leather boots, plus a witch's hat. Woo woo! Kathy

Oh, I realized that I didn't answer all of your questions so here is a few more points. Yes, I am still glad that I did the surgury but keep in mind that my situation is not the same as yours. Perhaps if I was in your situation I would want to push for insurance coverage, or consider waiting and then getting a full tummy tuck, or even getting a full tummy tuck now. And yes, I have pictures. As they are pretty graphic I would rather not post them on the internet. However, if you PM me your email address I would be happy to email them to you. Kathy

I am a little more than 3 weeks post-op and I am still glad that I did it. However, in my case I was probably only 1/3 to 1/2 of the way to goal when I did it, and I was able to get insurance to cover it. I fully intend to get a lower body lift when I get to goal or near it, which I know I will have to pay for out of pocket. So the difference is that (1) I got insurance to cover this surgery, and (2) I still have a long way to go before I reach my final goal. Also, my doctor told me that my pannus was so severe that if I lost all my weight and then came to him for the final surgery, he would have to stage it into two operations anyway. So I might as well have the first operation sooner rather than later. As for how I feel about it now, I am having quite a bit of swelling still so it is hard to say. My upper belly does protrude now more than it did before the surgery, and the lower belly is protruding more also. It's kind of discouraging, especially since I am actually gaining weight in the last week or so even though I have been pretty good on my diet. I have heard that swelling peaks at three weeks after surgery (not sure where I read that though) so I am hoping that it will start to go down now. So with those caveats, I will say that I am slightly less thrilled now than I was right after the surgery with the way my tummy looks overall. My upper belly does protrude more than my lower belly. However, a good pair (or 4 or 5 pair) of Spanx does wonders. I started wearing them a few weeks ago in lieu of the binding garment (with my doctor's approval) but I think I will keep wearing them indefinitely as they really improve my figure and are quite comfortable. I bought the "higher power" power panties that go from mid-thigh to a few inches above the waist. That way they cover the upper and lower belly, hips, and upper thighs. All my problem areas. Did you try to get insurance to cover your surgery? It seems that if you have lost that much weight and are having back problems you could make an argument. Do you ever get rashes under your pannus? That is the usual argument for insurance to cover it.

I just had my panniculectomy on Thursday, two days ago. Everything went very smoothly. I spent one night in the hospital, but honestly I would have been just fine if I went home the same day. The pain really hasn't been too bad at all. I'm keeping up with the vicodin, and I'm only in a little bit of mild pain when I need to stand up or sit down. The rest of the time it is more discomfort than pain. I'm still wearing a binder, but I got a good look at my naked belly yesterday finally when I got home from the hospital, and I have to say I think the doctor did a good job on me, considering that this was technically a medical, not cosmetic procedure. And I am still far from my goal weight. But the pannus is gone and my overall shape is much improved. And it will be a lot easier to exercise without that huge pannus. And no more rashes. I do have a freakishly low belly button now, but when I reach my goal weight I intend to have a lower body lift in which he will reposition my belly button at that time. Of course that surgery I will have to pay for myself. The one thing I was afraid of, from looking at panniculectomy pictures on the internet, was that I would look like I had a carved out lower belly on top of my previously existing bulging upper belly. But the surgeon managed to more or less flatten and stretch things out a bit, so that my upper belly bulge is flatter and looks mostly consistent with my lower belly. In other words, I look like my fat could have been distributed this way naturally, as opposed to some freakish after-effects of lopping off part of your belly willy nilly. Does that make sense? I saw some pictures on the internet that looked scary, and I didn't want to end up with scary freaky belly. The doctor cut off 14 pounds of skin and fat, but I don't see all of those results on the scale yet due to swelling which is still pretty severe. In fact, I still cannot get my wedding ring on! So I am trying to drink a lot of Water and get walking as much as possible. Can't wait to get rid of these drains, too!

I'm so excited! My panniculectomy is scheduled for this Thursday, October 8. Wish me luck, girls! Of course I still have a long ways to go, but I will be so glad to get rid of this hanging flap of skin. It will make it much easier to exercise and will help so much with rashes. I wonder how much weight the doctor will end up cutting off? Ironic but this surgery will most likely catipult me over the 100-pound weight loss milestone...

2FlyGuys, thanks for your response. I just looked at your pictures and wow, you look so great! Of course I won't look anything like that after my panniculectomy because I'm not at goal yet, but I am looking forward to this surgery.

Hi all, I'm so excited, I just found out that my appeal of the denial of my panniculectomy was successful, and now my procedure is approved as medically necessary! This is important for me because even though I am only 1/3 of the way to my final goal, my pannus was already quite extended before my surgery, and my weight loss has only exacerbated it - with rashes, back problems, etc. I know I will still need cosmetic surgery when I get to my goal weight, probably a lower body lift, but this will make it a lot easier to exercise and improve my health while I am getting there. Has anyone on this list had a panniculectory while they were still quite far from their goal weight? Does anyone have any advice for me? Now that it's real I'm starting to get slightly scared, but also excited. I will be so glad to see that ugly pannus gone forever (but probably more skin to be loosened as I continue to lose weight). I will also need that LBL or tummy tuck to tighten the muscles and reposition the belly button as the panniculectomy will not do that.

Hello fellow bandsters, Well even though I am only about 1/3 of the way to my final weight loss goal I am thinking ahead to the future plastic surgery that I will certainly need. My question is about breast surgery. My breasts were very stretched out even before my lap band surgery, and since the lap band I seem to be losing weight on my breasts more aggressively than anywhere else, LOL! This, of course, makes the breast sagging even worse and now my nipples point straight down. In spite of all this I love my breasts because my nipples are wonderfully sensitive, much to the delight of my husband and myself! So I'm really reluctant to undergo any kind of breast lift surgery that might reduce my nipple sensitivity. I don't feel like I have to have the breasts of an 18-year-old when I'm done, but I would like to have nipples that don't point straight down without losing sensitivity. Does anyone know if there are breast lift procedures that work on severely sagging breasts that don't reduce nipple sensitivity? Thanks for any advice from personal experience or reading, research, etc.

Hi there, lots of good help and suggestions here on this thread, I just wanted to add my voice to the chorus of "yes, you can do this!" I was at 433 when I was banded and I had just about given up on ever getting back down to anything approaching normal weight ever again. So far I have lost about 65 pounds and losing more every week. The band isn't magic but it does make it a lot easier. Now, even though I still have quite a lot left to lose, I am much more active than I have been in years and I am finding the confidence to do all kinds of things that I never thought I would do at any weight, let alone still in the upper 300's. Having to lose weight before you can get the band is a bummer but seriously try adding protein shakes to your diet. I am surprised at how much of a difference it makes. I have even converted my husband now to having a protein shake for breakfast instead of bagel with cream cheese. He needs to lose weight also but probably not enough to warrant a band. But he never thought he could make it all morning on just a protein shake but now he is quite the believer. Just make small changes one at a time, and before you know it, it all adds up. Hang in there! Kathy

I was banded last September at a starting weight of 433. So far I have lost 65 pounds and am continuing to lose. All of my health issues are getting better as I lose weight except the pannus area and rashes - this is getting worse. I have had a pannus since my teenage years, and it got noticably worse with each of my two pregnancies. Now as I lose weight it is getting still worse and worse and the rashes are getting harder and harder to treat. Even though I am far from my goal weight, I have already met with a locally recommended plastic surgeon about a panniculectomy. This would be part 1 of plastic surgery for me, with either an extended tummy tuck or lower body lift when I get to my goal weight. The plastic surgeon submitted to my insurance (Anthem Blue Cross PPO) and they denied it. They had a bunch of criteria to pay for a panniculectomy: 1. 18 months since lap band was placed 2. significant weight loss reported 3. BMI lower than 30 4. Photos show skin fold to hang below the pubic bone 5. Reports of 3 months of rash treatment I already meet 2, 4, and 5. I will meet 1 soon enough. But honestly I may never meet 3. At my height (5' 9.5") a BMI of 30 is around 200 pounds. Given my starting weight of 433, I may never be able to get to 200 pounds. In fact, my doctor's goal for me is to get below 250. I can deal with the idea of not being able to get the surgery now, although it is getting harder and harder to exercise and rashes are getting worse, but I would really like to get the surgery eventually! But it seems to me that a fixed BMI number is an unrealistic goal for someone who started at a BMI of 63. I am getting my general practitioner and my chiropractor to write letters of medical necessity (I forgot to mention, back problems are also getting worse) but my PS is not optimistic that the insurance company will change their tune. What do you all think? Any chance of getting them to make an exception given my high starting BMI? By the way, for stubborn rashes, I HIGHLY recommend Zeasorb powder on top of prescription antifungal cream. It really helps to absorb excess moisture much better than regular powders. You can buy it in most drugstores where they sell footcare products, but sometimes it is behind the pharmacy counter even though it is non-prescription.

I've tried them but they are too bitter for me. Maybe stevia (the sweetener used in these drinks) is an acquired taste. For me, I prefer unsweetened iced tea (so refreshing!) or Crystal Light when I am craving something sweet.

I'm also wondering if my band is too tight, and I posted a similar query just moments after yours, so I don't really have answers but I am curious, does your doctor allow patients to eat regular foods (apple, cereal, etc.) after a fill? My doctor recommends only liquids the day of the fill, and then one day of mushies after that, then if all is OK, back to regular food. You might try going back to liquids or mushies (but make sure to say away from hidden bubbles like a Protein shake blended in the blender!). Kathy

I was banded last Sept and have lost 65 pounds so far. (Can't remember how to update my ticker !!!). Anyway, I had my 5th or 6th fill yesterday. With every other fill I faithfully did the fluids (1 day) and mushies (1 day) thing after the fill because I was supposed to, but I always felt that I could eat more if I wanted to. This time is definitely different. I am definitely tighter after this fill than I have been before, but I don't know if I am too tight. Also, I have been under stress for work and now I am stressed wondering if my band is too tight and stress just makes my band tighter. Ironically, I ate a bowl of Soup only for lunch an hour after my fill without any problems, but when I made my Protein shake in the blender for dinner I couldn't get much of it down. At the time I thought it was because it was too bubbly (due to the blender) and I didn't worry too much about it. But then later in the evening I had trouble even drinking unsweetened iced tea and Crystal Light. By late in the evening, when I had to finish some work and I was getting stressed about that, I felt this bubbly feeling in my tummy, like I have gas bubbles that I can't quite burp, and they are blocking me from drinking more liquids. I had some acid reflux in the night while I was sleeping which is unusual for me. This morning I am able to get down small, infrequent sips of liquid, but I am kind of concerned that the band may be too tight. Granted, it's been less than 24 hours, and I think I have never had my band tight enough, maybe this is what just right feels like after a fill? Also, I am stressed out due to work and I only got 5 hours of sleep (also due to work) and stress and lack of sleep always make me tighter. So I am afraid to get an unfill for fear that I will then spend the next month not being tight enough. What do you think?

Becky, how did your procedure go? I have been following your progress and would love to know how your apron-ectomy went?!?! Kathy

Oh my! I am relatively new on this journey but already suffering from the same thing. I have lost over 40 lbs and I can see it everywhere in my body, even my wristwatch is loose, but I am still wearing the same pants size because it seems like all my remaining fat is congregating in my hips (no doubt to plan a counter-attack, he he!). In some ways I feel like I look worse than even before I started dieting because my figure is even more mis-shapen and my "apron" hangs noticeably lower than it did before. At this rate, my "apron" will be down to my knees by the time I get to my goal weight! (shudder). For this reason, I am seriously considering getting PS done in two steps. First, to remove the excess skin in the apron sometime mid-way through my weight loss, I think it is canned a pannenectomy or something like that. Then, to have a full lower-body lift when I get to my goal weight. At least that is what I keep telling myself to keep myself motivated to continue to lose weight when I don't see it coming off my hips! Regarding how to hold it in, I have heard people rave about spanx undergarments (www.spanx.com), but they don't make them quite in my size. But if you are closer to goal weight then you can certainly get them for your size.

Hi all, I also have over 200 pounds to lose. I was banded Sept 9 and have lost 37-38 pounds so far. I know that I can do better, as I haven't been counting calories per se, and lately I have not been as regular about working out at Curves. I have just recently gotten to the point where I feel that I have good restriction and I am hoping that this will help me. I recently hit my first "milestone" which was getting out of the 400s. Only a group like this can appreciate the achievement that seeing 3XX on the scale! One thing I have noticed is that as I lose weight I can really see it in my face, torso, thighs, arms, even my wristwatch is loose, but I still need to wear the same pants size because it seems like all my weight is pooling around my hips. I know more exercise will help but I have had a belly since my teenage years and as I have gotten older it turned into an "apron." Two pregnancies have not helped matters. Now as I lose weight everything is sagging even worse and it seems that my figure is even more mis-shapen than ever. Has anyone else had this happen to them?

I was banded just one day before you (Sept 9) and I have lost 38 lbs. I certainly haven't been perfect on this diet, so I know it would be possible to lose faster, but the way I am dieting I know I can sustain, and that is much better for me in the long run. It took me a long time to gain this weight, it will take me some time to lose it, but I hope to lose it forever.

Yup, my hands and feet are cold to the touch. Wearing socks and slippers together seems to help my feet but my poor hands! I need my fingers bare to type on the computer for work; maybe I should look into getting some of those fingerless gloves. But I am also cold down to the bone, the kind of cold that you have to be bundled up for a long time before you start to feel warm again. Yesterday I caught a patch of sunshine through the window as I was reading and I kept moving my chair around to stay underneath that patch of sunshine as the sun moved in the sky. It felt so good even through my blanket! But before this I was always chasing the shade.

I was banded in September and have lost 31 pounds so far. One thing I have noticed lately as the weather is really starting to get cooler is that I am feeling COLD all the time. I am going around my house wrapped up in a blanket all the time which I never used to do. I always used to be hot all the time and even in winter I would walk around in shirtsleeves (OK, I live in California) all the time. But not now. I feel like I am weathering some fierce New England winter and I need to brace myself against the cold when in reality it is in the low 50's outside and the thermostat in the house is set at 66. It can't be that I have so little padding, because as you can see from my ticker, I am still very, very padded and will be for some time. The only thing I can figure is that when I was overeating my GI track was working overtime and burning like a furnace, but now that I am eating so moderately that furnace is set on low and I am not used to it yet. Hence the blanket wrapped tightly around my shoulders right now.

I've lost 31 pounds since surgery. Geez, I gotta figure out how to update my ticker...:tt1:

Yeah, I hadn't even thought of the air pressure issue, but I could see how that could do it, too. I was able to eat at the beginning of the flight, but they served the first meal almost as soon as the flight attendants were allowed to get up after takeoff. Well, this is good to know because I can imagine that if I had decent restriction before the flight I would be seriously affected much longer. As it was I was only affected for half a day, so it wasn't really a big deal, just an unexpected learning experience.

I had my surgery on Sept 9 and I recently had my first fill. I could feel that the restriction it gave me left me after a few days and I've already scheduled my second fill. Meanwhile, I have had to go on a business trip to Ireland. With the long plane ride in coach, 8 hour time difference from California, and having to join a meeting as soon as I arrived, I was seriously jet lagged. I started having some trouble eating on the latter half of the plane ride over but I thought that was because of the bready foods they offered. So at lunch I was careful to pick foods that I thought I could digest well, take small bites, and chew very carefully. Well, I found out that I could not get anything down! I ate a few bites but then I realized that the food was just sitting in my esophogus and not going down. I had to excuse myself to the ladies room to spit it out. After letting my stomach rest a while I tried again, even more carefully this time, but the same thing happened again. I wasn't able to get down even a bite of food. Later that afternoon I was able to take a short nap and I felt much more human again. Then that evening I was able to eat some dinner. I've heard people say that stress effects the tightness of the band. It's funny because I didn't feel stressed in the typical "stressed-out" or "nervous" kind of way but I guess jet lag is stress on the body any way you look at it. Kathy