Implants or Lose 100lbs- Surgery Monday!

Considering the time frame, can they refer you to a medically supervised weight loss program? I think this would be a difficult goal on your own.

Forgot to say, my husband says the implant feels just like my natural breast did when I was 21. I have saline implants. They are not hard at all. I'm having so much fun going without a bra. (Haven't worn one for about 6 weeks now. It's such a wonderful free feeling after lugging around those mega-boobs my whole adult life.

Ha-ha Blessings. 40 long...too funny! I only had a bra on while I had bandages. After that my PS said do what is comfortable. It didn't matter if I wore one or not...so I didn't. I don't think I've gone without a bra in 50 years! I feel absolutely wicked! Love it!

You were lucky that you were given a choice. I was told by the plastic surgeon that he wouldn't let me do ANY reconstruction or reduction until I lost 105 pounds period.

There is no way I can do it by dieting, been there tried that over and over and over. I am going for Bariatric Surgery and my Surgeon, Plastic Surgeon and regular MD couldn't be happier.

I just want to have 2 normal shaped breasts and will do all I can to lose the weight to get to that prize.

My3Ksmom,

I had a gastric bypass ten years ago this month. It was an open RNY not a lap band and not done with laproscopic surgery like many are today. I was 317, 5'7" and 54 yrs old, got around with a cane & an oxygen tank, and had co-morbidities as long as your arm. I lost 160 lbs, was no longer diabetic and all the other health problems went away. I became a group fitness instructor during that time and continued working full time as an accountant and teaching 2 cardio fitness classes after work every day and on Saturdays. My husband and I are ballroom dancers and had a nice business teaching two classes a week. I was way too skinny, size 8, so I gained a little back and was 180 wearing a size 10-12 for several years. As you age, your metabolism changes and even though my exercise level stayed the same, I put on about 10 lbs a year and was a size 16, about 220, at the beginning of this year at 64, now 5' 6 1/2". (You shrink as you age, even without osteoporosis.)

A week later I had a moderate brain stem stroke that affected my eyes, ears, voice, and balance. A month after that my docs found I had a large aneurysm in the ascending aorta of my heart which would need open heart surgery probably after stroke rehab. I had to quit work, quit teaching everything, quit dancing, and take a boat load of meds. I sat in my recliner feeling sorry for myself and gaining weight. By the end of June when I had a mammogram & biopsy, I was 244 with breast cancer. Three life threatening things in 6 months? Seriously?

My surgery was two months ago. They took over 10 lbs of breast tissue during the double mastectomy and I left the hospital at 232. I'm 228 now, slowly going in the right direction even though I can't exercise due to chronic anemia. (8 and circling the drain.) You'd think the 2 units of healthy iron rich blood I got in the hospital after the BMX would have made those numbers go up. Also have B-12 issues and vitamin D deficiency (common 9-10 years after RNY) but the docs are working on it. I get an iron infusion Monday so I'm looking forward to having some energy and getting back to walking. I go back to surgery a month from now to replace the TE with an implant and to change out the one implant I already have for a different kind to match.

Even with being too fat, still recovering from a stroke, having a bum heart, and being anemic, no one on my breast care team has ever said one word about losing weight in order to have reconstruction or that my chances of having a successful outcome depended on my weight.. PLEASE get a second opinion!

I too am a size 20/22 I am 5'5" and 215 lbs. I had a BMX in March 2011 and like you had been told I was too fat for reconstruction. So I went flat! But flat was not really flat it was more concaved, so I did lots of research and found a PS who works with all weights of people and we looked at all the options open to me. I could have had many diffrent types of flap done, tummy back, but, thighs but I went with TE's I had them put in last Friday and I am recovering well. I have photos on the picture forum .

Kathy

RoseBuds: I'm very overweight and just had my TE exchange surgery 12/17/13 and am having a difficult time with the results.  I've gained 50 pds since the DMX and TE were put into place.  Feeling very sad and frustrated.  May I see your pictures for some frame of reference?  Maybe what I have is ok just tweaked by my weight gain.

Cheryl

Nostrib -- congrats on your weight loss -- that is wonderful and as you noted the result of very hard work. 

I was overweight (technically obese based on BMI) when I had my bilat DIEP last December.  I had no trouble with the surgery or recovery (I had a few spitting stiches that had to be removed, but I've seen lots of women with those, so I don't think they are weight related.)   If you are not already exercising, I encourage you to ramp that up as you wait for surgery, as I think that helped me get through the surgery and recovery.  I was lucky to have no co-morbidities other than weight when I went into the surgery and I am an active long-distance walker.  My surgeon actually commented to my family at the end of my surgery on how healthy I was:)