The first week was bad, on big pain meds and badly constipated, slept a lot. Second week more mobile, started taking short walks. After 2 weeks I started sleeping in my bed again. Still uncomfortable. Feels like I have a heavy, warm stone strapped to my lower abdomen. But better every day.
2 week follow-up with the plastic surgeon
All is well.
Medical detail, yet weirdly sexy…
Still pretty swollen so need to leave the drain in. The doctor says I’m “juicy”. Rio agrees. 
My nipples are extremely sensitive. His recommendation for that is “massage”. Once again, Rio agrees.
Surprised at how it feels
I guess I never really asked what it would feel like to have a whole bunch of skin cut off my body, so now I’m finding myself surprised. It feels like I have a huge burning stone strapped tightly to my midsection, one that itches and occasionally hurts more. Additionally my nipples are incredibly sensitive and I itch all around.
Journey
Interesting journey…
HW: 320
SW: 281 (sleeve 6/7/21)
Got down to about 207 and pretty much stopped losing. I decided I was ok with my body even at that size so decided to look into plastics, especially since my huge belly overhang and mons got in the way of so much physical activity. On 11/9/22 i had an extended panniculectomy and extended maxopexy (breast and side lift) where they removed 17 lbs of skin.
9 days post-op I now weigh about 196. I’m terribly uncomfortable from the surgery and nauseous/constipated. But better every day. No idea where the next step in this journey will take me, but it’s been a wild ride!
Here are a couple of pictures: close to my high weight a few years ago, and at my wedding a few weeks ago.
Here is my drivers license picture versus Halloween this year.
Day 8 after plastic surgery
Itchy, still have drains, and feeling tight and swollen. Spent 6 hours in the ER yesterday with some nasty constipation. Today doing what is essentially colonoscopy prep, after determining nothing structural going on. Luckily off the big pain meds.
Now very tired…
One week out – impatient!
I had plastics a week ago: extended panni and breast lift. The experience hasn’t been bad: I have pretty good movement and I’m now only on Tylenol for pain. But I feel like I’m barely smaller! Saw the doctor a couple of days ago and he says I’m doing fine, but I’m so swollen! They took off 17 lbs of skin and I can still wear the same bra and pants! How long does the swelling last? When am I likely to get anywhere near my final size? I’ve been waiting so long to buy clothes…I’m impatient!
Plastics
17 months post-op from my gastric sleeve, after having lost 113 lbs, and just had an extended panniculectomy and mastopex (breast lift). 17 lbs of skin removed!
Plastic Surgery
Today I had an extended panniculectomy and an extended breast lift. A panniculectomy removes the “pannus”, the belly overhang. Mine was quite substantial even before weight loss, and really extensive afterwards. This included. “mons lift” which greatly reduced the size of my “mons’, or external pubic area. The breast lift was to remove extra skin which caused my breasts to hang very low. “Extended” because both surgeries also wrapped around the sides to remove skin there.
I had a total of 17 pounds of skin removed.
Talking to people about my transformation
People have asked how I addressed my weight loss after surgery to my friends/family/coworkers.
I talk about doing a lot of body work, working out, yoga, and changing my eating habits. I also talk about surgery because I’m not embarrassed about it, but it is not the only change that I’ve made so it shouldn’t be given top billing.
Happy Fat: Book Recommendation
Highly recommend this book for anyone who is fat and/or knows someone fat (which is everyone). It is a lighthearted yet serious look at what fat people go through every day, and the basic message is about acceptance and finding happiness.
