Now that I have my pre-op pics from the doctor I thought I'd start this thread. I have learned so much watching Julie and Puddin I wanted to follow their example and share my journey as well.

I am posting my surgical pre-op photos below but am leaving my before/current photos of my clothed self off this thread for now. Somehow that makes me feel just a little more exposed on this thread. Silly I know since my photos are already on several other threads.

I had some trouble getting the photos to upload but here they are. I know this is hard to believe but I swear these are photos of me 165 and a size 10. Despite the fact I would equally swear they look like they could be me over 50 pounds ago.

Good luck and thanks for sharing with us!

Hi Diane, thanks for sharing the start of your journey with us. Do you mind me asking what was your pre band weight/how much have you lost in total?

Oh my gosh Diane, you're going to look so fabulous!!! I can't wait for you to have this done -- it's going to be so wonderful for you! I bet you come out a size 4 or 6. WOOHOO! Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait.

If you haven't already, ask about a mons lift (only if you need it, of course). I wish I'd thought to do it at the time of TT and now I'm trying to figure out whether it can be done with my thigh lift or whether I'll have to do it separately....

Julie you flatter me, size 4/6!! I'll be happy if I'm an 8. Just reading that number 4/6 makes my heart skip a beat, and butterflies dance in my stomach.

But, just what is a mons lift?

OH MY!!!

I just looked it up on google.

In all seriousness, and without the need to discuss whether any muscle tightening is necessary, I have excess skin there that I'd like removed. It's pretty common to have it done as part of the TT process because it's exactly the same incision.

Julie,

What is a mons lift?

Sorry for blushing. But as you said in all seriousness if I had the extra $ I think I'd ask for it as well.

Roxie - This might not be the most accurate description but it is basically a "pubic lift".

SheSmiles (Like the name by the way) - I don't mind you asking at all.

I am 5'2 and 37 years old. I have always considered myself overweight though looking back at photos from high school and especially college I wish I could go back and beat some sense in me. I have one outfit from college I saved that is still a good 4-5 inches smaller in the waist. Maybe if I'd had a better body image back then I would have never let myself go so far. But no use crying over the spilt milk now I guess.

Since getting married after college 14 years ago my weight has steadily yo-yo'd up the scale until I hit my high weight of 255 in 2005. My co-morbidities were mild compared to some but at the end of 2004 I had actually made it down 30 pounds to 200 pounds then turned around and gained another 50 in less than 6 months. My "early" arthritis in my back and hips was getting progressively worse. I had terrible pitting edema in my legs making them act like silly putty. Which according to the internet only had two causes; heart failure & liver failure. The doctors said both my heart and liver were currently fine but my body was telling me I needed to act fast. Diabetes, heart disease and strokes run in my family and I felt like a train running full speed towards a cliff.

Unfortunately health insurance was not an option for me but we had recently sold our house and moved to a larger but more inexpensive home in a different neighborhood and had money left over from the sale. We were going to use it to pay of a 14K student loan that was costing us $130/mo @ 3.9%. We decided instead to use that money for the lapband surgery and just keep paying the student loan off.

That was in September of 2005 nearly 2 years ago. Since then I have lost 90 pounds and gone from a size 24/26 to a size 10. I am currently 165. My original goal weight was actually the 130's and I had wanted to get to the 140's before considering plastic surgery but several things have made me reconsider waiting.

1) The PS says despite my weight that I really don't need to lose anymore before I proceed with surgery. He says I don't have enough left to lose in my stomach area for their to be a risk of new saggy skin issues from any potential continued weight loss I might have after the procedure. 2) I'm not getting any younger and that 40 year milestone is ringing very loud bells making me want to reach my goals before I get there. 3) I have practically stalled out on weight loss now and have only lost 10 pounds in the last 10 months. I'm getting very frustrated and despite being a size 10 the sight of all that extra skin in the mirror is really beginning to make me feel like I've ultimately been a failure at this. My hope is that by having the surgery it will give me just enough of a boost to get my head wrapped around the fact that I really have lost the weight and to stop some of those pesky urges to sabotage myself.

I know, I know surgery whether it be lapband or PS does NOT fix a persons head any more than a pair of $400 dollar running shoes will make you win a marathon. Then again it's a lot harder to win a race in a pair of crocs than it is in the right running shoe. Similarly I'm hoping the flatter stomach PS gives me will help make it a bit easier for me to finish working on my head issues whether it be with or without counseling. (Chimboree26 - up for any long distance practice counseling?)

Thank you for starting this thread!

Awesome Ghost. I wish you the best of luck.

1) The PS says despite my weight that I really don't need to lose anymore before I proceed with surgery. ....3) I have practically stalled out on weight loss now and have only lost 10 pounds in the last 10 months. ....My hope is that by having the surgery it will give me just enough of a boost to get my head wrapped around the fact that I really have lost the weight

Having been exactly there (I'm 5'2 and 34 as well, so we're really quite similar), these are perfectly attainable expectations. you're going to do GREAT! First, I predict that you will lose 10 lbs from the surgery in addition to whatever he actually cuts off. There's something about surgery that just speeds up the metabolism, combined with giving you a little motivation to diet through the recovery because you know the results are going to be so good. I'm confident this surgery is going to take you to goal. So exciting!

Despite a year of effort, I went from being a "fat" person to being a "thin" person in the single day of my TT. It changes you body so completely. I'm not calling you fat -- you look fabulous in your photos -- I just know what this is going to do for you. (I did it when I was 35 lbs heavier than you.) It's going to be awesome!

Despite a year of effort, I went from being a "fat" person to being a "thin" person in the single day of my TT. It changes you body so completely.

Thankyou for your comments. I loved your own thread and read it with much interest in no small part because of the similarities in our age/height.

I'm sure you understand I'm not doing this to look "beautiful". There is nothing wrong with being beautiful, its just not my life goal. My desire however it too feel "thin", scratch that, to feel as "normal" as possible. I know my clothed pictures don't look bad. Sometimes I think I may even "Pass for thin" but all the time I know what is lurking under all those clothes and it's weighing me down both mentally and physically.

Sometimes I think I may even "Pass for thin" but all the time I know what is lurking under all those clothes and it's weighing me down both mentally and physically.

I know you know this, but I completely get it. This is going to be everything you're hoping for! The scar might be a little daunting at first, but even that gets better with just a little time. You're going to feel SO GREAT!

When is your date? I'm so excited for you. Your probably know that too as I've said it about a million times!