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The topic I didn't want to discuss - loose skin

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  • merph518
    merph518 Posts: 702 Member
    edited August 2019
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    Sounds like a difficult push for this last mile, but I have a feeling you'll make it. Keep it up :)
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    merph518 wrote: »
    Sounds like a difficult push for this last mile, but I have a feeling you'll make it. Keep it up :)

    That couch to 5k must be really working. You are already using running metaphors.
  • jafinnearty
    jafinnearty Posts: 59 Member
    edited August 2019
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    NovusDies wrote: »
    So I really didn't want to discuss this on MFP at all. I am an extremely private person by nature and this is a very public forum. However this group is for this very kind of discussion because I won't be the only one to go through this.

    So my upcoming surgery... yep. Because of how I carried so much of my weight in my mid-section it has created quite an impediment for me as the weight has come off. I have to be so careful with it because gravity - poor blood flow keeps it from healing well if it gets injured. I have to do everything slower. It is also a mental impediment for me. I can't ever feel like I am at the weight I currently am because I am so much bigger than that still.

    Normally people wait until they have been at goal at least 12 months before even considering this. The reason is that skin will tighten up over time for some people. Genetics and skin quality are factors. Considering how much I weighed my skin there is in pretty terrible shape and my PCP has wanted it gone for some time now but I didn't qualify as it is not life threatening. I also didn't want to get it done back then because what my skinny doctor doesn't understand is that the more weight you carry the harder everything is and that would more than include recovery from a fairly significant surgery.

    I am ill-at-ease for several reasons but when I was posting about not being ready for maintenance I didn't want to say that I am about to jump 30 pounds (surgeon's estimate) forward. You would think I would find the idea relieving because that is weight I don't have to lose but I find it troubling. I understand that most of this is lean weight that I would have lost anyway but since a portion of it will be fat I really wrestled with it. Ultimately this is a quality of life issue and ultimately I have put in the work and I deserve to move freely. I am always saying be kind to yourself... I suppose this qualifies.

    I am not sure how much more there is to know right now. Recovery will be difficult because I am getting cut most of the way around my body. I will try to share what I believe is relevant about recovery for the next person who will face this. Hopefully I will be the only one that does before goal because my extra weight will still make my recovery more difficult than if it had been gone.

    Thank you for sharing! The fear of the issue with loose skin is *one* of the many reasons that I have allowed myself to relapse previously on diets. It scares me a lot. When I was 18 I was in a car accident that resulted in a small portion of skin being removed from my left knee. Since then my knee has felt weird. For example, that section of skin is "skipped" if I move my fingers from one end of the scar to the other. Part of my fear of the loose skin thing is worrying if I will have the same kind of sensation if I were to lose all this excess weight (nearly 200 pounds if I were to go with what is considered healthy for my height) and then have to have the surgery.

    Please keep us updated after your surgery and as you heal!
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    My surgery is getting closer now.

    Still have about 6 pounds to lose which should not be a problem other than I am feeling quite mentally fatigued. I am also feeling a little cabin feverish which is probably stemming from the same problem. I may need a short trip after the surgery though as soon as I am able.

    Over the next couple of days I am going to try and figure out what size clothing I might be post-op. I am mostly concerned about pants. I am not allowed to drive for a full after so I really just need something I can wear around the house. I don't want to send a bunch of things back so I think I will get maybe 2 pairs of something in 2 sizes. As soon as I have a clearer picture of my size I can rush order some more. I guess that is a good idea.

    I have to wear a compression garment (think spandex) full time for 3 months and part-time for 3 months after that. I am not sure how drastically that will affect my clothing size or if will at all. If anyone has experience with that I would appreciate input.
  • dhiammarath
    dhiammarath Posts: 834 Member
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    @NovusDies I've worn spanx (maybe similar?) and it did not change my size at all, really. It kept everything smoothed up, but you won't see a massive size difference between spanx and non-spanx (in my experience).

    I've had a couple of friends on my feed who went through stomach skin removal and I think the first month or so, what dictates size is the swelling. So having a couple of sizes is a good thing (and also will be comfortable!). I don't think you'll get a real adequate state of your size until the swelling goes down... but that's conjecture as I do not have personal experience in this arena.
  • jim_pipkin
    jim_pipkin Posts: 82 Member
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    I was really concerned about loose skin a year ago, now down 120 with 85 to go, and not seeing a huge problem. I have a large frame, no batwings on my arms, chest and belly are loose but I don't intend to pose for any nude calendar pics. Once I reach my target weight I will of course know more, but doc says hang in there and see how much of it gets metabolized in the two years after I reach 220. Unless it becomes a real problem, my intention now is to just let it hang.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    @dhiammarath That is a good point about the swelling. I think if I buy the next 2 sizes down I will be covered figuratively and literally. The ones I am in are too big so I am hoping they hold on for 6ish more pounds so I don't moon the neighborhood (again).

    This kind of stuff is hard to think about for some reason.

    @jim_pipkin If your fat is/was really well distributed you might end up with very little and it is recommended under normal circumstances not to do anything for 2 years. My fat was/is very poorly distributed and I started with around 300 to lose so... you know... the knife was always going to be part of my road map. While I thought it was way too soon when I was just under 100 down my PCP sent me to see a plastic surgeon who gave me the news that nothing was going to help because of my age and the quality of my skin in that region. While bad news once I embraced it, it became less of a looming threat.

    You don't think about it but I know a guy whose biggest problem is the loose skin on his rear. It makes it uncomfortable for him to sit and very uncomfortable to try and get in a car. He has not gone into details but I imagine it is getting pinched a lot and probably abrased often. It is not a concern for me because I gained next to nothing back there but that would be challenging I imagine.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    I have placed orders for everything but the compression suit. The post-op drainage stuff should prove oozy and challenging for a person with OCD tendencies.

    I am allowed caffeine for 8 more days and then no more for a month. My nicotine restriction began 3 weeks ago but I only smoke a tobacco pipe or a cigar very occasionally so not at all addicted. Even still, knowing I can't have anything makes me want something even though I often go months in between smoking and sometimes more than a year. My inner child hates restrictions.
  • hansep0012
    hansep0012 Posts: 385 Member
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    @NovusDies re: drainage stuff and personal experience. So, short version of a longer story, my husband had "drainage stuff" for the closure of a really long open wound (18+ inches, stem to stern, post cardiac surgery) that I managed at home.

    It wasn't gross. It wasn't oozy. At various points around his now sutured wound, a small incision was made to seat a tube, which had two sutures to hold it in place. The tube was fitted with a small, perhaps 2.5 inch diameter, clear plastic bulb. One tube had a larger bulb, they come in various sizes. My job, for a week, was to wash my hands, remove the bulb and record the amount of fluid and because I am OCD, make comments on the color and clarity (which I put in a spreadsheet because I love eXcel). Ok, stop laughing - either because you get it (!) or because you think I'm nuts, lol.

    Initially I was doing this six times a day, or about every four hours, which tapered down to two or three times a day by the end of the week. At the end of the week, at the follow up appointment, the drains were removed. Band-Aids covered the small incisions and within another week were completely healed (closed).

    I'm guessing that depending on the drain placement, your compression garment may or may not be a "Go".

    Lemme know if you want my spreadsheet....ok, I'm nuts.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    edited September 2019
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    @hansep0012 They have told me to buy either large feminine pads or doggie peed pads. I assume that is to protect the furniture/mattress from me. I have even been told to have extra bedding. Maybe they just err on the side of having your over-prepare which I would actually prefer.

    We are meant to measure the fluid so perhaps I need a new tab on my SS.

    I do have to order the compression garment (2 since I have to be able to wash one while I wear the other) as I am required to have it the day of surgery. I have no idea if I am wearing it home or not. I want to order them closer to the time so I can make sure I can return them if needed.

    I am kind of OCD about having things (specifically wet/moist things) on my skin. I can take it for a little while then I am absolutely compelled to clean up. Needless to say I don't eat things like hot wings in a restaurant because I have to wash my hands so often during the meal. The good news is that in the very near future I will have much less skin to worry about. :D
  • hansep0012
    hansep0012 Posts: 385 Member
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    @NovusDies yes, it is the remedy that will keep you focused and getting through the procedure and recovery. It sounds like your medical team is doing a good job of providing you information, what an awesome benefit! I'm rooting for you!
  • Pamela_Sue
    Pamela_Sue Posts: 563 Member
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    Thank you for sharing your story. I find honesty and openness, while scary for me, can also be freeing. Wishing you the best.

    My only recommendations are:
    1. Sweat pants/athletic pants with elastic waist. Fleece has a lot of give and may be more comfy around your tummy, plus easier on and off.
    2. Also, to avoid have to change bedding so often, buy some washable bed pads ('pee pads') from a fully stocked pharmacy that carries medical equipment. They are soft and absorbent on one side, with a plastic barrier on the other. My mother has incontinence issues and my dad uses these both on the bed and for the sofa. They are very durable and washable and come in sizes about 2'x3' to about 3'x4'. The doggie pads may not hold up well under a human's weight, especially every time you shift or move.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    Pamela_Sue wrote: »
    Thank you for sharing your story. I find honesty and openness, while scary for me, can also be freeing. Wishing you the best.

    My only recommendations are:
    1. Sweat pants/athletic pants with elastic waist. Fleece has a lot of give and may be more comfy around your tummy, plus easier on and off.
    2. Also, to avoid have to change bedding so often, buy some washable bed pads ('pee pads') from a fully stocked pharmacy that carries medical equipment. They are soft and absorbent on one side, with a plastic barrier on the other. My mother has incontinence issues and my dad uses these both on the bed and for the sofa. They are very durable and washable and come in sizes about 2'x3' to about 3'x4'. The doggie pads may not hold up well under a human's weight, especially every time you shift or move.

    @Pamela_Sue

    Thanks for the well wishes and the recommendations. I have your number 1 covered and your number 2. I bought pads meant for a hospital and I bought a supposedly silent yet waterproof mattress cover for additional insurance. It is one thing to wash some sheets it is another to mess up a mattress that is only 2 years old. I think when I am sitting in my chair I will put a towel down first and then the pad for the same reason.
  • merph518
    merph518 Posts: 702 Member
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    @NovusDies Hope your procedure went well and that you're recovering swiftly! Take the time you need to rest and recover.
  • Elliephantcrossing
    Elliephantcrossing Posts: 338 Member
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    Good luck with your surgery. With some of the weight I lost already, I can already tell that I'm going to need to do skin removal. I'm scared. Hopefully it goes well for you!
  • conniewilkins56
    conniewilkins56 Posts: 3,391 Member
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    When does or did Novus have the operation?....hope all goes well....keep us updated on his status....thanks!
  • amkita
    amkita Posts: 183 Member
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    @NovusDies thinking happy thoughts for you.
  • wannabeskinnycat
    wannabeskinnycat Posts: 205 Member
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    I hope everything's gone to plan for you and you'll be on your feet again soon x

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