Hi all!

Sorry its been so long since my last post!

I am sooooo happy I got the lower body lift. It's spectacular. Its given me a whole new lease on life! I can wear so many things I couldn't or wouldn't before. I may actually venture out in a swimming suit this summer. I'll have to buy one first!

I love how much its boosted my confidence too. They didn't just remove the excess skin, they also plumped up my rear end! I had such a flat rear but now I really like it! My legs look better in the picture then they do in real life. Though they aren't bad at all. They aren't dimpled or anything, but they have a lot more "jiggle" to them then I'd like when I walk. I'm going to see if getting more leg muscles will help to firm them up.

Other than that though I'm utterly delighted. It's made such a difference to me and the way I interact with others too.

Last weekend I went to a concert and wore a little black sequined dress in a SIZE TWO and it wasn't tight or anything. It fit perfectly and looked amazing. I didn't have to wear any sort of support to hold in my gut or keep things in place. It was fantastic!!! I don't regret this one bit.

However, the recovery took forever! I had to stay in bed for FOUR WEEKS!!! The pain wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be based on what I read. But I have a decently high pain tolerance. It was hard to not move for four weeks though!!! I didn't think the recoup time would be that long. But I'm all recovered now and so happy I did it.

My body will be healing for another six months and I'll see little changes in my shape still for the next few months. The scars are gross but I have other scars that are several years old and hardly noticable unless you're trying to find them so I imagine this will heal up the same way. I'm just finally not looking quite so much like I got sawed in half!!! It's pretty gross at first. It's still pretty ugly but its healed up enough that I don't look like I'll split open at any moment now!

But its worth the scar because no one but my guy will ever see it!!!

I love it, love it, love it. I feel great these days!

The picture I had to take myself so it's not very good, but gives you the idea! :eek:

I weigh 123-125 pounds and usually wear a size four in fitted jeans but could probably switch to a two in regular jeans. Extra smalls can be a bit big these days. I think I am smaller then people who haven't lost a ton of weight and weigh the same.

For those who don't know my story I was banded in 2001, took three years to go from 250 to 125 pounds. My band slipped and I had it replaced in August 2005. I gained about ten pounds because of the slippage but have since lost it. I currently have 2ccs in my band but am going to get some removed because I can't eat apples and grapes as easily and those where main staples of my diet. I eat a lot healthier now that I'm thin then I ever did when I was heavy.

My first band surgeon was Dr Lundegardh in Sweden. Second band was placed by Dr Ortiz and Dr Martinez in Mexico - they are aweseome and I highly reccomend them! Dr Martinez does my fills and I just love that guy. He's the nicest, most caring doctor I've ever met. (www.obesitycontrolcenter.com)

My LBL surgeon was Dr Quiroz in Mexico (www.cosmedsurgery.com). I really like Dr Quiroz! Next year I'm getting a breast lift and augmentation and I'll have him do that too. My LBL was about $5500 and the breast lift/augmentation will be roughly $3500.

Mae

Oh goodness, you look amazing. From your very very first before pictures on your site it is hard to imagine it's possible that that's the same person!!

How do you not just run around singing like a lunatic every day? You must be so happy.

You look great! I would love to go back to Mexico for my plastic surgery too. In a year or so. Thanks for sharing the pics.

Did they tighten your muscles too? Or just the skin? Have you had children?

Wow - very inspiring!

Gosh--what a shape! Beautiful.

Four weeks in bed is a looooooong time! Is that the norm? And did you have any lipo done at the same time or just the lift?

No driving or anything for four weeks?

*whew*

Thanks so much for sharing!

I have been following you story.I cannot believe the diffrence. I showed it to my daughter(she weighs about 250) she may be having surgery in March and that really got the excited about the surgery. Congrats you look marvalous darling

Wow, you look great! Four weeks is a very long time, but with the way you look, I guess it was worth it.

Gosh--what a shape! Beautiful.

Four weeks in bed is a looooooong time! Is that the norm? And did you have any lipo done at the same time or just the lift?

No driving or anything for four weeks?

*whew*

Thanks so much for sharing!

Thanks all, I really am pleased with it.

Two to six weeks is the norm. Had I been more careful and not moved so much during the first two weeks I probably would have recovered faster. But I was too active and that's why the doc confined me to bed! Basically you need to just sit in a recliner all day long, getting up only to use the bathroom! You won't want to be in a car for a while because every bump you hit will HURT!

No lipo. But I did try to get my weight as low as possible before getting it done. I had gained ten pounds when my band slipped and I made sure to have that off prior to the LBL. Many docs reccomend going slightly below your ideal weight (if possible) because the lower the weight the more excess skin they can remove.

Oh wow you look great. I hope I can look that good one day.

I'd never considered plastic surgery for myself until I read your post. Now it seems like something that might one day be a possibility. Your procedure was a lot less expensive than I thought it would be - but I guess it's much more than that in the states. Four weeks, though? How did you do it? Are you a student or did you take a leave of absence from work or something?

I was curious so I looked up Dr. Quiroz. (FYI the website is www.cosmedclinic.com not www.cosmedsurgery.com :-)) It seems like a very reputable place. Is it a hospital? I don't know exactly what a surgical center is. Maybe I'm paranoid (comes from watching "Awful Plastic Surgery" on tLC) but they always warn against having any type of procedure done outside of an actual hospital.

did they keep the incisions between your legs or do you have an incision from the groin to the knee too?

WOW WOW WOW!!!!!

Me next! ME next!

Oh wait, I have to actually lose weight first.

Amazing!!!

Niche from my understanding it is a cut from back to front. They remove the excess scan and then pull your skin up like a pair of pantyhose. This is the one I want to have done.....like vinesqueen said once I lose the weight.

WOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW *jaw hitting the floor*!!!! you look FLAB-U-LESS!!!! you would never know you *EVER* had WLS or had a weight problem....

i could only DREAM of having results quite like that! ABSO-SMURFLY AMAZING!!!!

You look great! I would love to go back to Mexico for my plastic surgery too. In a year or so. Thanks for sharing the pics.

Did they tighten your muscles too? Or just the skin? Have you had children?

Thanks!

No children yet and no, they didn't tighten the muscles, just the skin.

did they keep the incisions between your legs or do you have an incision from the groin to the knee too?

I had no work done to my legs, only tightening on the sides just above the hip bone. The scar I have goes nearly all the way around with about 6 to 8 inches between the ends on each side. That smoothed out and tightened my legs enough that I didn't have them do anything else there.