Meagan

Does insurance pay for the skin removal?

HEy, insurance really doesnt, it is actually becoming harder and harder and even more impossible for insurance to cover it. I mean it literally has to be like life threatening. This means that the rash has to be getting infected and you have to have like 6 months of documentation that you have tried many different things to help it. I have done a ton of research and talking to doctors both pastic surgeons, general physicians, dermotologists, and even the group of doctors that did my lap band. It is soo very hard.

I'm 13 weeks post ops very happy and I found that the pain wasn't to bad. I do think ill go back for some more Lipo later tho I also had breast augmentation done too. I was told to wait until your done having kids but if your not tightening your muscles then I don't think its a big deal. I was able to stand straight two days post op. Good Luck I should post my before and after its crazy. Lol I'm down 125 and counting. I attached a picture here hope it works.

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YOu look unbelievable! I am down 125 exactly too. I just need to emove all this excess skin. Did you have drains put it, people are saying thats the worst part?

Seriously COngrats. You look soooo stunning! GORGEOUS!

Thank you <3

Ok, so before i made this post i went look at your before and now pictures. You have done an amazing job with your weight loss. I think you should go for it.... and i'm going to tell you why. So i'm going to assume that for one you and or your family can afford it, not many people take a picture on there parents yacht ..... Not too be rude but you do kind of look like a high maintenance girl, not that there is anything wrong with that... high maintenance is not cheep. Also, you are very beautiful.... i predict that after the TT.... and years down the line after you marry, to what i will predict will be a wealthy man.... and if/when you have kids and if/when you may need some tightening up.... you can get it redone.

you are young, you have worked your ass off and you deserve to be happy now, why wait... enjoy your younger years why you can. You only live once....

I had my TT last Feb 15, 2012... So i am now 45 weeks (10 1/2 months) out. I could not be happier with my New Flat Stomach.... Thank you Jesus for Plastic surgeons .... Mine was Hip to hip and i had him go as far down into my pelvic area a possible.... i didn't want the straight across. I wanted to be able to be a 44 year old grandma in a bikini.... and i now am... whoop whoop.

My surgery cost total was $8800. I am paying for it myself, because i wanted it and my husband said he didn't agree.... and if i wanted it i would have to figure out a way to get it myself.... So i went to Chase opened up a Slate card with 0% interest for 15 months and i started cleaning my office building one night a week to pay for it.... Done!

My stay was one night, in a wonderful surgery center with a pain pump in one hand and a RN at my beck n call in the other.... I went home the next after noon with heparin injection, which my LPN daughter in law, came to give me twice a day and Percocets. My pain was so minimal that i still have most of the pain meds left. I was back at work in 12 days.... only because it was a holiday week for us here in the south.... Mardi Gras. I was also fitted in the operating room with my compression garment.... which was great, but the zippers down the side was a pain in the Butt..... so i put a maxi pad on each side ... and wala... no more pain. I didn't have drain tubs... which i was grateful for... most people say that's what hurts the worse.

Well, I hope i was able to help a little and i hope i didn't offend you. So in a Nut shell.... DO IT... ENJOY IT AND HAVE A WONDERFUL SKINNY LIFE...

I attached a before and after, that was at 6 months... looks even better now.

I do appreciate that and im not offended. Im actually low maintenance, but i nooooo i look high maintenance, thats only bc im tall and blonde haha and do like to look nice. I am lucky enough to have my parents helping but thats only bc they do not want me taking out a loan and paying interest. I just paid my last semester of my masters out right, so that was all my savings. I def want a guy to like me for me and i feel this tummy thing is inhibiting me from finding a guy that i want to be with. and thats bc if a really attractive man starts to date me i put a wall up so he never gets to the point where we are intimate in fear he will feel it. WIth a less attractive guy i dont care. And i no that sounds bad and its my own demons, but i want to be with someone i am not only attracted to but i have a great bond with and this tummy thing is just killing me in that department. I thank you for being realistic. As much as im not high maintenance, bc i dont get my nails done, i dont have anything expensive, and i do bust my ass for what i have, i do like to look good. I will keep you posted.

Thank you for getting bak to me!! that is amazing! PLEASE keep me posted! I am going to go look at the pictures

I was told i couldnt stand up straight for a week and Im super nervous about getting back to work after i have it.

So, I am 26 and have lost 120 pounds with the lap band. I have kept the weight off for years and work out 6-7 days a week for 1- 2 hours very high intense work outs. I have not had kids and i will be having a Tummy Tuck in 3 weeks. I am nervous for 1 reason alone and that is when i decide to have kids one day. but i can not live with this on my body anymore. It is a sagging apron in front of my body and its keeping me from getting intimate with any guy yet alone start a relationship. I also would love to here anyones stories and how the recovering process went. My doctor said that i probably wont need my muscles tightened.

Any stories would be appreciated. if you are young like me.. dont have kids.. or had a kid after a tummy tuck PLEASE share!!!

I really need your advice. first ill give you a back ground and tell you what i did last night. So i am nearly 11months out. ive lost approx 115 pounds to date. i really have not cheated one bit for 11 months. minus holidays ill allow myself to have a lil cake or pie. other than that there has been NO cheating. wel i got a fill about a week ago. it was great at first cause i went from being able to eat a lot to like nothing. i lost some weight already (cause i had plateaued for like 3 months) and i felt back on track. till last night. it started off with having bread at dinner. i have not eaten bread since my surgery. i didnt just have alil i had mostly all bread for dinner. the chicken kept getting stuck. then i got home and was like i already cheated im gonna continue. to cheat. i ate ice cream. Cookies. and chocolate. i dont feel guilt but i feel sad like i prolly gained 5 pounds last night. Today i am back on track im not gonna do that again. i cant believe i binged.

HERES MY QUESTION. do you allow yourself one cheat day? maybe once a week? or how often??, should i do this so that when i have a cheat day i dont binge? and when i have this cheat day should it consist of just my normal routine and one extra special snack for the day? thanks guys!

be as snarky as you need to be.. i need critical opinions too! i completely agree but i didnt spend any money at all onthis. i have no money to save im a grad student looking for a job and hoping to get health insurance soon. life is kinda tough. and the past 3 months ive been eating right and nothing is happening. im doing this literally to break the plateau. soo maybe a month.. well we will see.

ok sooo i hit a plateau the past few months.. im 20 pounds from my goal.. lost about 110 in 8 months and i have 2 months till my one year.. i would like to be at least down 10 more pounds or the whole 20 would be amazing! soo i cant kick the plateau idk what it is. sooo today i have started the acai berry and total cleanse.. i guess i cant recommend it for anyone bc one i just started and also the pills are huge.. i dont have a lot of restriction. id say close to none soo the pills ont bother me.. anyone that has some restriction can not take these.. and i just turned 23 so i lost my insurance from my parents. soo instead of paying 200 for a fill im doing this.. what do you guys think?? il keep ppl updated on if its working!

Soo i am on my last 15 to 20 pounds that i have to loose. i have lost a ton of weight in 7 months.. but the last 2 i havent lost anything. it is very frustrating as all of you that have plateaued know. I like that the lose has slowed for health reasons. but not loosing anything has started to get frustrating. i was wondering if anyone has any tricks to kick start the lose for me. maybe like a supplement (not a pill) but i was looking at the acai berry. or like a couple day cleanser. I know what most of you are thinking. dont do that. or just stick with it. but i have stuck with it and really have been busting my butt for months. i dont want to get another fill. i just want something that will give me a last little push into the right direction. soo if anyone has tried anything. especially those who are on there last half of the weight lose i would really appreciate any advice. THANK GUYS!

Soo i am on my last 15 to 20 pounds that i have to loose. i have lost a ton of weight in 7 months.. but the last 2 i havent lost anything. it is very frustrating as all of you that have plateaued know. I like that the lose has slowed for health reasons. but not loosing anything has started to get frustrating. i was wondering if anyone has any tricks to kick start the lose for me. maybe like a supplement (not a pill) but i was looking at the acai berry. or like a couple day cleanser. I know what most of you are thinking. dont do that. or just stick with it. but i have stuck with it and really have been busting my butt for months. i dont want to get another fill. i just want something that will give me a last little push into the right direction. soo if anyone has tried anything. especially those who are on there last half of the weight lose i would really appreciate any advice. THANK GUYS!

SOo i have been banded for 7 months.. down about 105. i have been doing yogurt or eggs for Breakfast this whole time and i only eat protien fruit and veggies.. but i wanted to start adding something different once in a while.. and i wanted to try Cereal. but i want a cereal thats good with vitamins.. low in calories. some protien. low in sugar. and tastes good. any suggestions???

OK well my surgeon and i know many other peoples surgeons tell them protien shakes. Go to a GNC and get Isopure. You need to be getting protien in during the day. It is def hard the first few weeks but i think it will be easier if you start incorporating protien shakes into your diet. try your hardest to get 64 oz of Water in a day. sip slow. 2 weeks of liquid then start slowly incor mushie.. styill do about 1 protien shake a day. mushie for me was like ricotta cheese and yogurt and cotage cheese. stuff like that. do that for 2 weeks. then slowly start incorporating solids. keep in mind your treating your tummy like a babies tummy. soo so things such as tuna or eggs. cause they are soft. dont start incorpoarting veggies and fruit until about 6 weeks. and at 3 months your ready for tough meet such as steak. you shouldnt drink with your meals.. when youget to solids. wait one hour after eating to drink again. this helps the food stay in pouch longer soo you will stay full longer.. eat food in order protien then fruit and veggies and then carbs. this also helps you stay fuller longer. I went to a top surgeon and these were all the tips i learned soo i hope that it helps you. but for right now GET YOUR PROTIEN IN!! its crucial. and isopure is a lower calorie low sugar protien shake. but there are other ones... good luck!

UMmmm i dont no how i lost saline. i went to the dr. i had 3 ccs in when she did a fill she said i only have 2 and a half in. that i must have lost half. then she asked if ive thrown up and i said yea and she said that may have cause it. i realized its a closed thing but it happened... i have noooo idea how

Throwing up is really bad, so id let it go down if you can go through the pain. i never threw up from slimming its only happened to me 2 times... but i did throw up from drinking too much and i actually lost half a cc in my band which the dr said was prolly from throwing up.. sooo try to avoid it all together..

everyone is definetly different. i have 3 ccs in my 10 cc band and im 6 months out. i have gotten 2 fills both 1 cc ( i started with 1cc from surgery) i cant take anymore then that at a time.

Hey.. well im down 100 pounds in 6 months.. had surgery may 21st of this year and i guess the only trick would be follow the rules. im follow them strictly. all i eat is protien fruit and veggies. i dont cheat i eat the food in order and i dont drink with meals. i eat 3 tims a day and i eat a good amount. prolly like 6 oz of protien for lunch and dinner. and veggies or fruit with it. Breakfast usually just a yogurt with a lil granola. i have only cheated 2 times in 6 months.. once when i got to my first goal of 220.. and the second was my bday. and i have some cake. but besides food excersize is important.. i do like 4 times a week for like 45 to an hour. i hope this helps good luck!

9 pounds 3 weeks out is good.. i was about the same at three weeks.. dont go back to full liquid. stick to the diet plan the dr gave you. i promise itll come off as long as you stick to it. your doing great. ive lost 100 pounds. and i feel amazing. as long as you stick with it you will gradually loose. and once you get anther fill you wont be feeling that hunger. good luck!

i do not drink soda.. my surgeon said no. and i stay away.. i accidentaly had some once tho. my mom made a alcoholis beverage for a party we had i though it was like a punch not realizing it had soda in it. i only drank a lil and my tummy started to hurt. and then i figured out why. soo i would just stay away from it.

The band is only a tool. you still must do a lot of work yourself. if you work it it will work. I have lost almost 100 pounds in a period of 6 months. i will tell you exactly what i eat and how i work out..

Breakfast normally a yogurt (activia low fat) and a small amount of dry outmeal in it. sometimes if i have enough time in the mornings i make 2 scrambled eggs and eat that with ketchup

lunch.. i do tuna, with reg mayo.. or chicken breast... or chicken cutlet.. or chicken salad also with reg mayo.. and i always do out 6oz of the protien. sometimes i have a slice of cheese, and i normally have some fruit with lunch like half a banana or if i wanna treat myself i do an apple and Peanut Butter.

dinner.. usually the same as lunch.. tuna.. girlled chicken.. shrimp... omlets with cheese (not lowfat) ham onions.. its yummy.. like 2 times a month i eat red meat.. but i only started doing that 2 months ago. soo i barely eat it. kinda a treat.. i also get some veggies in at this time.

if i need a snack i go for fruit. it helps with the cravngs and its the best way to go for me.

i follow the rules to a T.. i dont drink with meals i wait an hour after. i eat in order protien the Fiber. i dont eat bread or and Snacks. i really have never cheated. i see the way i look and the success is soo much better then the instant gradification of eating a cookie that. ive gone soo long without crap (cookies chips icecream) that i do not crave it anymore.

Working out... i normally try to do about 5 days a week.. about an hour to 2 hours. i started off slow tho. you gotta work your way up. walking around the track a couple miles.. doing sit up and and doing the stairs at the track,.. to going to the gym for 45 minutes. now i usually do like 20 min on the treadmill with incline.. then ill do someting like an eliptical for 25 min. and then i do weights. i work every part on my body. inner thighs outter thighs. arms. back. stomach. i usually do like 30 minutes of weights. and crunches and stuff..

I really hope this helps and GOOD LUCK YOU CAN DO IT!!!

I guess i have a different opinion then everyone else.. i actually think coffee helps with my hunger. it fills me up and i stay full for a longer period of time. it also is like my lil treat in the morning. i love coffee and its easy to make it very low in calories.. equal and a lil milk.. i think i waited about a month to start drinking it again and i drink it usually everyday.. just one cup tho!

I know its hard, i was starving the first week. but i promise that it will go away. my hunger pains actually stopped by day 7. i was hungry but if i had the shake it went away immediatly and it didnt hurt like it did the first week. dont cheat! you can risk the band slipping and or not healing properly. just think the pain is weakness leaving your body. you will get through it. also what got me through it was .. i have eaten whatever i have wanted for 22 years i can sacrifice a month of not eating. i didnt think i would be where i am now, but i got here and the time flew by

Hey... well im like 4 pounds shy of 100 pounds lost in 6 months.. i try to switch up what i eat daily.. but its hard todo that sometimes.. im very strict i really dont cheat and the little things i follow like no drinking with meal..

Breakfast - during the week when i get up early i do fatfree yogurt with some dry oat meal in it.. sometimes a slim fast shake if there is no yogurt.. and weekends if i get up on time i do 2 eggs.

Lunch- tuna salad (i always do reg mayo HATE fat free).. chicken salad.. sometimes i have cold cuts like turkey and eat like 6 slices of that and ill have some fruit with it maybe half a banana with a lil Peanut Butter or a small apple with Peanut Butter

dinner is like the exact same as lunch. ill do an omlet with like ham and cheese. or tuna. grilled chicken, chicken parm (no fat free stuff) and ill do some veggies or some fruit with that

for lunch and dinner i do like 6 oz of protien and a small portion on the Fiber (fruit and veggie)

i really dont snack at all.. i dont cheat. since my surgery 5 months ago the only bad thing i had was a tiny bit of ice cream. thats it. if you do need a snack i will do fruit. it solves my sweet cravings and it works for me. i dont crave anything really anymore. no bread (unless the chicken is breaded) no sweets no Snacks.

i hope this helps!

I think that you have too much Fluid in. if liquid is getting stuck then you need to go back and get some taken out. take the fills very slow. your like me i only need a tiny bit at a time. i have 3 ccs in a 10cc band and i was banded 5 months ago. and imfine. and make sure you chew chew chew.. also dont have dry dry food. if you have grilled chicken dip it in some fat free dressing or something to moisten it which may help it go down a lot better. GOOD LUCK! i hope this helps

the biggest part about the first month for me was will power. you need a lot of it. all i kept in the back of my mind was do i want this to work. do i want my band to slip. if you do over eat or eat foods that are too tough in the first month it can cause you band to slip cause it not healed yet. thats why you have to be soo careful. and your in band hell.. you have to wait for a fill to start feeling any restriction. but right now i would tell you to fight through the hunger. stick to the plan the dr, gave you. i was one liquids for 2 weeks and mushie for 2 weeks. think that the suffering now will pay off later. stick with it i know is hard but itll be over b4 u no it!