Plastic Surgery, support garments, etc.
What is “ideal” for a Never-Been-Fatty and a formerly MO person are two
entirely different animals. The charts say that, at 5′2″, my ideal is 126
pounds. Well, the last time I was weighed on my surgeon’s Tanita scale,
with ZERO fat on my body, I weighed 133 pounds. Getting to 126 would be
death! The healthy general amount of fat is around 20%… for me, it is
between 23% - 34% (realistically, as well). Adding 20% would put me at
about 160 pounds… at 5 feet 2 inches tall! I now weigh 167 and am a
petite size 12. Instead of looking at numbers on a scale, find a Tanita
scale that divies up the weight into fat/muscle/water weight and then find
goals that way… working towards having less fat on your body each month
instead of just weight (I would MUCH rather weigh more and have less fat
than weigh less and be fatter).
Also, note that former fatties weigh more at the get-go because our bones
weigh more… we have more bone density than Never-Been-Fatties because of
carrying around so much weight for so long. While this bone density
doesn’t last if we don’t take our supps post-op, during our goal-reaching
phase, it is an important aspect not to forget about.
And one more thing. Because, again, of carrying around so much heft, our
muscle mass is *much* greater than if we had never been MO. Simply by
carrying around hundreds of extra pounds for years and decades, we are SO
much stronger than others who have never been fat.
So, the likelihood of every reaching those “Ideal” weights for someone like
me is from remote to none… and you know what? I couldn’t care less. I
am more healthy, more mobile, happier, more awake, full of life, and more
fit than I have ever been in my entire life. THIS is what I had WLS for!
My PS doesn’t want to meet with me to seriously discuss surgery until I am
at a stable weight for at *least* 6 months. Most of my surgery buddies
either have already had PS or are scheduled, however. I, otoh, do not want
to do any one surgery more than once so will wait until I am DONE with the
losing before going down that road. At one year out, I am still losing an
average of 10 pounds a month, so am not nearly done yet. I suspect I will
be visiting my PS for scheduling in about a year.
Insurance typically pays for panniculectomies/abdominoplasties if there is
a medical indication… rashes under the pannus (apron), infections, or
back pain from the hanging skin. Some insurances ask for measurements of
the pannus (and naked pictures are almost always required) and only past a
certain dangling length does it get covered. Tummy tucks are generally
considered cosmetic and are not typically covered. Arms can sometimes get
paid for by insurance, though not very often. Thighs can sometimes get
paid for. Breasts sometimes, as well. Impairment to normal function is
what is usually required to get insurance to pay. Not that I have
insurance to pay for the (at least) 5 PS I have ahead of me, but, since the
day after surgery, I have had NO rashes or infections under my pannus or
breasts or underarms. Since my glucoses have been under control, I no
longer have yeasties crawling all over me. If I needed insurance to pay, I
would probably be SOL.
Hope this helps!
Barbara Herrera
San Diego, CA - 41 years old
Open RNY April 5, 2001
Dr. Julie Ellner, Alvarado Hospital, San Diego, CA
04/5/01: 344# BMI: 63
08/24/01: 244# BMI: 45 (minus 100 pounds!)
03/21/02: 167# BMI: 30.5