I went to Johns Hopkins Bayview Thursday and met with a plastic surgeon ( Dr. Michele Shermak) for a consult to remove the fat and extra skin from my abdomen and thighs. She thinks I will qualify for the surgery with no problems and I will probably be scheduled for February or March. I never thought I would get to the point that I wanted this done, but I am at the place where I have lost so much weight that the pannicula (big word for the skin and fat that hangs down!!) is really bothering me. They will remove the overhang and make me a new bellybutton (told her not to bother--I don't need one anyway!!), and tuck the extra skin on my thighs up onto my pelvic bone somehow. It was rather demoralizing--she told me to take off my clothes and then proceeded to grab the pannicula in both hands and move it around all over the place---but, when it is gone, I actually have a shape now! She took tons of pictures from every angle and said there would be no problem getting the surgery approved because of the amount of excess skin and fat there. I am scared but yet excited. I still need to wear a 20 (down from a 8 or 9 X)in most things, but can get into 18's in the better lines. So, I will be in even smaller sizes soon!!