Hi everyone! Normally I would post in pre-op because that's where I am but I had questions for the veterans!

I am 3 months away from my surgery and I'm bound and determined to be prepared for anything that it can throw my way. I'm not overly concerned about the actual surgery, as I have had two very complicated csections, but more so on the after care.

My biggest question though is regarding excess skin. I am heavy. My family calls me a brick **** house. Lol I am about 5'6 and 310 lbs. That being said I am only in a size 18 pants. I'm compact I suppose. Lol

My question about skin comes from the fact that I have scoured the internet looking for 'skin' stories and I find absolutely horrifying accounts of fold after fold of skin from people who have had hundreds of pounds of loss. I personally don't have hundreds to lose to get to a manageable and healthy size.

So I am just wanting to know if there is anyone else out there with personal accounts who may have started out like me. My skin isn't overly floppy. I'm worried about my arms but besides my stomach, I am generally big but not jiggly. Not sure that's an accurate description but that's all I can think of. Lol

So any opinions and thoughts I would appreciate! Especially on any pre or post skin tightening creams, techniques, etc that you have seen work, fail, etc.

I can't answer your question..everyone's different. I'm 8 months out and have lost 60 lbs. So far so good. Not much extra skin, so I can't complain.

I think age has a ton to do with it. I'm 23, 130# down (75 from surgery 2/3/2015) and the loosest skin I have is on my arms. And even there, it's not much. Try to lose as much as you can now.

I am 45 and have lost 94 of my 111 lb goal. I have extra skin on my arms that I am not happy about, but I am going to build some muscle and consider surgery later. My stomach isn't that bad, I have had 4 children, so my expectations weren't that high in that area.

So many factors go into whether or not you will have issues with loose skin. Genetics and how long you were overweight seem to play a huge role. I also have noticed some warning signs, for example, if you have pockets of fat that start right above your elbows, you will likely be blessed with bat wings post surgery.

If your starting weight is 310 and you lost 100% of your excess weight, you could possibly be down to a goal weight of 140-150 pounds or less. That's a weight loss of 160 pounds. I would say thats a pretty significant amount to lose and likely to result in some loose skin. Then again, you could have genetics on your side.

I am 5'7" and was 226 the day of surgery (245 at my highest) and am now around 150. Most of my skin had snapped back except my stomach. I blame two pregnancies for the damaged skin on my belly more than being overweight. I look like I could whelp a litter of puppies when I bend over! While it doesn't look too bad in the photo below, I can grab handfuls and handfuls of skin. I would NEVER wear a bikini in public. I took that photo as a desperate plea to send to my Husband to show him how much my frowning belly needs a tummy tuck! Regardless, I try to remind myself where I started and I would much rather be a size 6-8 and HEALTHY (albeit a tad saggy) than the unhealthy obese mess I was before!

You do look much healthier! Just a thought... it would be nice to get your husband's buy-in on the plastic surgery, but you don't need his permission. It sounds as though it really bothers you!

My highest weight was 292 and six months post op I weigh 200 exactly. I am 5'6" too and was wearing 22/24 pants and can now wear 14/16. I have sagging skin on my arms but not much. You know the kind of sagging when I wave and my arm keeps waving after I stopped! But I'm okay with it. My stomach on the other hand is a mess but I still have 50 pounds to lose so I'm not worried yet. For me I would rather weight 140 pounds less with some sagging than to be extremely obese and miserable. It's a fair trade.