I'm worried that this show will make people want this surgery even more. I'm 5 years post op, and there are consequences to having it.

For example:
- Alcohol affects me differently than a normal person
- Sugars and fried foods still make me sick
- the extra skin makes me sick to look at myself

and yet - without this surgury - I'd never know what life is like. The opportunities i've had, i'd never have had being fat. The way people look up to me even at a young age - I would have been written off and ignored because fat people are slow or ignorant or compulsive or whatever the stigmatism may be.

For all of you considering this surgery - yes it's wonderful to loose weight - even a whole person i lost 160lbs. It's a challange - it's a life saver and when the time is right you will conquer!

For those of you who've had this surgury what do you think?

I had lap band 7/06 and have lost 85 lbs. I wish I had the surgery years ago!

After 4 year from having a failed lapband I am seeing my doctor on the 7th to start the process to get the Rny. I pray I get it, I can deal with the extra skin. Pray for me. thanks you

I had gastric bypass 4 yrs ago. I was 297 lbs, and went down to 155. About a year ago I gained 10 lbs back and was devastated when someone said I was plumping up again. I went back to my originaly healthy eating plan, and watch what I eat every day very strictly. I am now 142 lbs & 5'6. My husband hates the way I look, he married me fat and only accepts the new me due to health reasons. I plan to continue to lose more weight in the hopes of shrinking some of the skin I have. I know rationally it isnt going to happen, but in my mind thats the only thing that keeps me sane.

It's easy to say you can live with the extra skin, but trust me actually living with it is a nightmare.

The whole extra skin issue people just do not understand at all... unless you have been there.

What people see when they look at you dressed, and what gets rolled folded and tucked under clothes is entirely different.

My insurance would not pay to cut off any skin, and when I looked into numerous plastic surgeons in NJ/Philly area I was looking at $40,000 for breast reconstruction & lower tummy tuck. I finally convinced my husband (after I threatened him with divorce) to take a loan for $10,000 and we flew to Mexico and had both the surgeries done there for about $9,000.

Am I satisfied... no. But I dont have to roll up my breasts before putting the saggy skin into a bra, and I dont have to fold my stomach up before wearing girdle type "granny panties". It's far from perfect, but I couldnt go another day looking at myself like that.

I still have bat wings, my upper legs are hidden at all times, but worst of all is the 'back fat'. I have so much extra saggy skin around my back that it just disgusts me.
I wear a 14 top and a size 5 pants... impossible to buy a matching outfit or dress, and no matter what pants i wear i have 'muffin top' with the skin folding over the top. I cannot wear any kind of pants that have a button/zipper because the skin eventually just pushes them down, so I can only wear elasticated waist pants. How attractive. I just turned 36, people tell me I look 29/30.. and I have to wear elastic waist pants.

It is just as depressing to see a cute outfit and know u cant hide the flaps of skin as it was to be heavy and just pick up the largest thing on the rack.

Sometimes I feel more depressed now when I look at myself than I did before.

I know my health is better, I am more active and able to do so much more. But self esteem does not come with the package.

I wish I was a little more prepared for what was going to be left. YES i would still have done the surgery, but I would have known what was ahead.

Please get all the support you can for both the surgery itself and what to expect after.

Nothing about your life will be the same.

- Alcohol affects me differently than a normal person
- Sugars and fried foods still make me sick
- the extra skin makes me sick to look at myself

All of the above I agree with completely!!!

I agree - Living with the excess skin is very depressing. It's like living with the constant reminder - I will never be normal. Watching the show tonight and seeing lauren - her body looks exactly like mine.... I'm very depressed by the looks and the constant dealings of tucking my skin in, rolling it up and dealing with the fact the bat wings will never go away....

So where in Mexico did you have surgery done?

I flew into San Diego, and actually stayed there for 8 or 9 days recovering. We drove across to Tijuana for the surgery and stayed there overnight in the facility, then back to stay in San Diego until I flew home.

I should have stayed longer but I couldnt. I really needed a full body lift but that is very specialized and only done by very few surgeons I was told so I settled for the lower part of my stomach being cut off and my breasts lifted/reduced and implants to fill out the empty skin that remained.

I still have skin in the upper stomach area and as I said the back/love handles are horrible. I am so out of proportion and top heavy because of the skin still being there. But I did what I could afford to do.. and altho not perfect is a huge improvement.

I am so sick and tired of obese people being discriminated against! This is the only segment of our society that is allowed to be used this way. A person can be butt ugly, be lame, stupid, you get the idea,but thats ok. But its ok to ridicule a fat person!

Mary Jo (show psychotherpist), Seville, I read your entry and so agree with you. When I was a child I use to go to medical appts. with my mother (who was obese) and the things they use to say to her (to her face) were terrible. I still remember them and they leave a lasting memory. It will take people like you, to help inform the public that it isn't okay. I was flying two weeks ago and the flight attendent totally humiliated an obese person. I waited for the passenger to say something, but she did not. I later told the fl. attendent I thought that was unnecessary and she acted like I was speaking another language. I am trying to teach this in schools but you all can help by saying how it feels when you encounter it. Tell the person who says it...it is not okay.

I'm one of the Bariatric nurses. I work with the Dr's on Big Medicine. I am also a patient. I have many people make rude remarks to me about obese people, not knowing that I used to be one. If people would start standing up and telling these people that it is not acceptable we could make a difference. I tell people when I hear rude comments that I used to weigh 280 lbs. You should see their faces. It stops the conversation real quick.