I talked to my sister tonight and she is totally against PS. The most she has lost is 60 lbs. She could totally use a TT BTW. Anyway, my stomach hangs over my thighs, my thighs hang and droop, my boobs are almost an A and sag and my arms have excess skin. She says its the easy way out! So what if I spend $20k on my body. I use to weigh 320 lbs for Christ Sake. I am so sick of opinions. I am so ready for a transformation. She has never lost 120 lbs before! Someone please make me sane for wanting this!

She's jealous -especially if she could use a tt herself. Don't let her get you down.

julie,

you dont need your sister's 'approval' for this. sorry she's having a tough time, but that's her issue that she needs to deal with ... dont let it get you down.

Hi Steph,

its me again! Yes, its true. So what if I don't spend 3 hours in the gym every day. I am happy with my weight loss and exercise routine. I am still losing 1-2 lbs per week. I can't believe how negative she is about PS. She said that I am basically lazy in her own terms. I am so sick of this. I only want to be a size 16. I am an 18 right now and just fit into so tight 16W the other day. Thank you for your support!

So when I went to my lap-band doc on Monday and asked him about whether or not the skin/flab/fat that I have on my belly was going to go away with exercise and more weight loss he said "absolutly NOT". He told me I could do a million situps a day until I was 90 and the only thing that would happen is that my skin would be further south. We have lost a lot of weight and our skin is not going to recover to the extent that we need it to. He highly suggested PS because it helps us mentally accept our new bodies. I posted my belly flab pictures on the august 07 board and you can see from there why I would think that at 169 I still feel like I am 250. Doc's concern is that because I can't see a difference that I will not notice if I start putting on weight or that I will feel like a failure and put the weight back on. This is not for your sister...THIS IS FOR YOU! If you were anything like me, you always put other peoples opinions ahead of yours and this is one of the major things that I have learned in this journey...This is for ME and I AM WORTH IT. By the time I end up paying for PS and the lap band I will have spent 25000$. People buy cars on a regular basis that cost more than that. Cars are a 5 year investment...my body is a lifelong investment.

Good luck with your decision...just make sure you are making it for the right person.

salsa, thanks for the post. You are so correct. The pannus that I have only gets worse when I lose more weight. It hangs down near my crotch! There is nothing I can do as far as exercise goes. I am still really excited. Even if it costs me $20k in the long run in life that is not much. Thanks for the support. Julie

Julie: I exercised my guts out. I did everything that I could but the loose skin and skaggy boobs didn't go away. I think that Karri expressed it very well. My ob doc told me in no uncertain terms that I needed the PS for my health as well as self-image. If you have the fat and pannus removed on your abdomen, you will be at less risk for type 2 diabetes. Also, fat stored on the abdomen, also stores alot of estrogen, which put you at a lot higher rish for regaining the weight. My PS wants me to do my back side and under my arms, I'm not sure if I will or not, because of the cost to benefit thing. But, I'm seriously considering it. I am absoltely thrilled with my new tummy and breasts. I would go an see some PS and get their opinions. They may want you to loose a little more first or they may think that right now is the perfect time. Either way, I think that PS should be in your future! Good luck!

Come on, you're 40 years old and your sister is telling you what to do or not do?

This is not about your sister, so why should what she thinks matter? This is about you and you know what you want to do. The skin is hanging on you, not her.

The only people that might have more insight is the people who have been or are, where you are. I think you'll get more accurate opinions here.

My two cents, go for it!

Karey, how much did you TT and BA cost? That is the first surgery for me. The 2nd is a thigh lift and arms. Thank you both for your posts. I fit into size 16 pants today and couldn't be more thrilled. The overhang on my stomach is so bad that it pooches underneath my tops. I can't wait until that is gone!

Julie ~

I totally agree with what everyone else has said. My husband was as opposed as a person can be to me having my TT and I did it anyway . . . It is not that I don't value his opinion, but like others have said - I did this for me and no one else. Now that I am 3 weeks out - it is no biggee. Now the one thing was - he was absolutely NO help to me while I was down, and he would say that himself. His attitude I think was, 'this was your decision - not mine / you got yourself into this mess, etc. ' and so as a result, I made a very conscience effort not to complain in front of him or appear in too much pain . . .

I realize it sounds like we have a bad marriage, but actually we don't - we have been married 18 years and get along just fine. We just don't always agree and have agreeded over the years to agree to disagree . . . A dear friend of mine stayed with me at the hospital and then came home with me for 3 days and we did fine.

My best guess is that if someone hasn't been where we are or were, they cannot possibly understand why we would be willing to do this to ourselves, but now that I am 3 weeks out - it was soooo worth it!

Best of luck to you ~

Hi Mommi, yes, this is 100% for me. I am so excited. I am 10 lbs away from having plastic surgery. I am very motivated to make this happen. I don't have the cost yet as they are mailing me the quote. How much did your TT cost? Was it extended? julie

Yes, mine is an extended tuck and I spent about $10K on it. That included the surgeon's and anestheologist's fees, pain pump and one night in the hospital. I might still have some little bills come in for wierd stuff, but hopefully, nothing major. I think it was probably the best $10K I ever spent, next to the $13K I spent on the band . . .

Do this for YOU - you deserve it!

i agree ... i worked my rear off at the gym and it went down then just.stopped.moving...

i lost a great deal from my "hips" area, but no such luck. the only real 'cure' was removal...

although i now look like a tree trunk :biggrin: im ecstatic with my results already.