Body Contouring After Massive Weight Loss. Allentown, PA

It's the middle of winter, but when I see how nice and soft and pink my scars are getting, I'm all excited for tank tops and bare midriffs. I'm just so glad to be free of the loose skin, the scars aren't even being given a second thought. My first summer in short sleeves. I can't even remember the last time I didn't have to spend summer in 3/4 sleeves. Granted, I'll still be in longer shorts and capris this summer. My thighs still look like garbage, and I've always had this asymmetrical mass-ish thing on my left side that's now all deflated and winds up sticking out of shorts. Pretty gross. Yep. Bikini tops and board shorts. I can manage with that. For now. Though I've already started staring in the mirror and pulling on the skin to see what it might look like when it's all gone, because that's just what I do. I'm getting a series of fat cash bonuses if I stay at my job through the implementation of ICD-10, which I'm hoping to stash away in the boob job fund so I can hopefully knock out boobs and thighs at the same time. Unless I blow that money on Botox or Coolsculpting. Which I wouldn't rule out.

I finally got the courage last week to gather up my Spanx and throw them away. It's so amazing to not have to stuff myself into those things before I put on a pair of pants. No more worries that if my shirt is too short my Spanx will stick out. And I can finally wear cute panties. There is no point in owning cute panties if you have to wear Spanx over them. None. And you can't even see them under a big hanging pannus.

I worry sometimes that I'm going to wind up a plastic surgery addict, but I just have to remind myself that did lose a tremendous amount of weight, and this is a normal part of the process. I'm not expecting to be perfect, just feel more normal.

January of 2013 I had a gastric sleeve procedure and lost a truly MASSIVE amount of weight. I went from a size 32 to a size 12 in a relatively short time. Yes, I was happy to be healthy, but I struggled through body image issues. I tell other bariatric patients quite openly that I was at least a year out from my sleeve surgery before I was able to mentally take in my weight loss. I had days where the scale didn't budge, and I would look in the mirror determined to hate my body and to just go ahead and let it ruin my day. People would tell me how great I looked, but deep down I couldn't see it. Just like I couldn't see my damn bellybutton, hidden deep down under all that flesh. Bleck.

My bariatric surgeon is a stickler for exercise, and I took up running (to be honest -- more walk/jogging) but as a result I was not only suffering from huge rashes under my huge pannus from all the sweat, but I was at the chiropractor constantly getting my back adjusted. Since my insurance only covers so many chiropractic visits, I would up stretching them out until it was just about unbearable. I pushed myself hard because I knew I had to get to goal weight before being considered for body contouring. It was frustrating, and some days I would cry as I ran.

I met my plastic surgeon once, briefly, before I even had my gastric sleeve. Incredibly pleasant, and everyone I talked to about him (after they stopped swooning) had nothing but good things to say. It was an easy decision. When the day came to finally go in for my consult, I was prepped with a stash of timed-and-dated rash photos. Dr. Subbio was wonderful, I felt completely at ease. Granted, I'm not exactly the most modest person in the world, but I understand this can be an uncomfortable situation for some people. Especially with the whole rash thing because it makes you feel like you don't wash properly or something.

Insurance agreed to cover a panniculectomy, and I additionally paid out-of-pocket for a cosmetic brachioplasty at a reduced fee. After some discussion with Dr. Subbio, we agreed on a corset trunkplasty, which would give me a great body contour but a little more scarring. The scarring has never been a concern for me. In fact my new boyfriend thinks the scars are sexy, but that's a whole other story right there.

I was only in the hospital overnight, and I can't say I was in a lot of pain after my surgery. The abdominal drains were the worst part, just uncomfortable and a pain to milk. I really only was in minor pain when pushing myself up out of my chair. I had a good time recooping, marathoning movies and relaxing. Barely touched my pain meds. Was up and moving around again in a few days.

Dr. Subbio's been great in follow-up. I had a revision done because I developed a yucky painful spot that had to be excised and he touched up a few little puckers and such while he was at it. It's easy to form a good dialogue with him, and he's always considerate of my needs as a patient. I'm planning on having a thigh lift and a breast augmentation done as well, and am planning to return to him for the rest of my surgeries.