So I’ve made the decision to have my implants removed and not replaced. I just don’t think implants are for me. I’m really excited, scared, and ready for relief. Living with these implants has decreased my quality of life. It hurts to sit, attempt to jog, and the mental impact has also been a roller coaster.
Updated on 5 May 2019:
So today I start a liquid diet as per request of he doctor in preparation for my lower body lift with the removal of butt implants. Here is a list of foods that are ok while doing a liquid diet.
* All kinds of fruit and vegetable juice (no pulp)
* Pureed fruit or vegetables
* Milk
* Soy or almond milk
* Yogurt (without fruit chunks)
* Melted cheese
* Eggs can be eaten like a soft custard
* Honey
* Syrup
* Coffee
* Tea
* Soft drinks
* Sports drinks
* Water
* Strained cooked cereal
* Broth
* Creamed soup (no pieces or chunks of vegetables or meats)
* Pureed meat can be added to soup (again, no chunks)
* Sugar
* Flavored gelatin
* Ice cream (no fruit, chocolate chips, etc.)
* Sorbet and frozen yogurt
Updated on 6 May 2019:
So my husband drove me down from Austin this morning for my pre op with Dr Fisher. Fisher took his time marking me up, looking over his markings, erasing and re marking. I also put lotion on today which made it hard for the marker to stay on my skin :/ I’m horrible at rules. But let me just say, like everyone else on here, I love Dr Fisher. He is so kind and each time I’ve seen him he really takes the time to look over me and you can just see the wheels spinning in his head. He has never came across as condescending or even fake. He is not overtly friendly but actually genuine. He told me he thinks my implants look great but he understands that they are causing me so much pain and was sympathetic to that.
I’m a different case for him in regards to butt implant removal. I chose him because I didn’t want to just have them removed from just any doctor and be left with huge saggy squishy pockets in my cheeks. I had a saggy butt before implants. If I’m going to go under anesthesia again to have them taken out I want to at least improve something else and I’ve really wanted a TT for a long time. He specializes in access skin due to severe weight loss but I haven’t seen any doctors specialize in access skin due to butt implant removal. With all his experience I’m positive that he is just the guy for the job. I don’t want bandaid remedies of fat transfer or different implants. I want to fix the foundation which I feel is what I should have done in the first place. I let people in the past talk me out of getting a TT just because of the scar, but I’m 37 and I’m going to wear the scar like a badge of honor, or tattoo over it lol. I hope im not rambling. I’m hungry so my thoughts are all over the place.
Anyways surgery tomorrow at 7am. I am now checked in to the Homewood Suites for just tonight. My husband has left back to Austin because we have a 16 year old daughter a 1 year old yorkie that need some sort of adult supervision. Never went to surgery all by myself before but I’m ready and positive.
Oh and one last thing, I’m hungry and I’ve already ate all the jello, ensure, and broth I brought with me. Can’t wake up after surgery and EAT!!!
Updated on 7 May 2019:
When I arrived at the hospital I was checked in really quick. I got here around 5:15 and was in a bed ready to go by 6:25. So far all the staff have been very pleasant and comforting. I was really worried about that. I couldn’t pee for the pregnancy test so they drew blood instead.
When I woke up I was laying on this bed that is shaking I guess it’s supposed to prevent blood clots. I didnt know what was going on and thought I was shaking lol. Came to my senses and realized it was the bed.
I have these things wrapped around my legs that go back and forth squeezing them to prevent blood clots.
The staff has been amazing. I told Dr Fisher my concerns about them not attending to me and that I will be all alone, they have been checking on me every hour I think stripping my drains and helping position my cath to help me pee. My cath keeps having a hard time draining because of my weird position. My body is not propped up only my knees. And I’m not to change my position until I see dr Fisher tomorrow. I feel slight pain in my stomach but my back is killing me which I’m uncertain if that has anything to do with the surgery.
The worst part of this so far is that I still can’t eat lol. It’s completely opposite of what I’m used to.
Updated on 8 May 2019:
Dr Fisher came by bright and early at 6am. He moved me up from ice chips to clear liquids. So they brought in a bunch of clear stuff for me and that only made me have to pee more, which meant someone had to basically drain the pee from my foley because the position I’m in and the sandbed I’m laying on make it extremely difficult for it to flow out. My nurse Keyta was extremely busy and we decided to turn my iv fluids down so that she wouldn’t have to keep coming in here to push the pee through. Well then it was time to put on my compression garment. It took her a long time to get everything together, people to assist, a walker, and a recliner. Getting up out this bed, I felt like I was going to rip open my stomach. It was no fun. I started to feel nauseous so Keyta decided to give me some anti nausea meds through my iv but it was beginning to burn. So she decided I needed a new iv as the one on my hand probably got messed up from me clinging on to the nurses while trying to get out this sandbed. Nausea subsided on its own so we got me into my compression garment. Then my drains started filling up real fast so the nurses had to quickly empty them and measure them all while I was standing hugging Jean the PCA. After that they put me down in the recliner and Keyta went to get the stuff she needed to give me a new iv. She attempted but couldn’t get a vein. She got me back into the bed and went to get a nurse who is very good at placing IVs. This other nurse tried several times but came to the conclusion that I was much to dehydrated and that’s why she couldn’t get a vein. So as I waited on my shaking bed for the nurse to get ahold of Dr Fisher I started overheating in my bed. I think it was the Percocet and being dehydrated but I felt like the bed was cooking me. Turns out there was a thick blanket on the bed that they threw in dirty laundry after getting me out the bed and a new thick blanket could only be obtained from OR. So I sat in the hard recliner for awhile trying to cool down while they tried to figure what to do with my bed and IV. I’m telling you I was ready to just take out this catheter and go home. I knew I was dehydrated from not eating. I don’t do well with fluid only diets. The nurse agreed with me and let me eat. That food made me feel ten times better. They laid down some thin blankets on the bed and I got back in it. I swear something still feels off with it cause now it’s shaking me like crazy. Ughh just got to get through the night. Dr Fisher agreed to letting them take out the foley tonight if we keep struggling with it. Only problem then will be, how the hell will I get in and out this bed to pee.
Updated on 11 May 2019:
So I survived my second night in the hospital by having my foley removed. That thing was driving me mad and I slept wonderful once it was removed. If y’all don’t know this tip when peeing with a compression garment on, use a plastic cup. It helps prevent getting pee on your garment. My favorite staff at Baptist Methodist Hospital was my first night nurse Haleigh and her PCA Jacob. And Keyta my day nurse on both days was amazing. She was overworked and could have used way more help from others working but she took great care of me. My opinion on the hospital is mixed. There are some great staff that I met while there but it seemed the good ones were getting overworked and when my room door was open I could hear a lot of staff laughing, and sounding like they were not doing anything while one nurse is running around exhausted and apologizing for asking for help from others that didn’t seem like they were doing anything anyway. My husband arrived around noon and my discharge went very quickly.
DAY THREE OF RECOVERY:
Today has been maybe one of the worst.
I started my period. So that’s been horrible. These drains really freak me out. Seeing all that blood come out of them makes me nauseous plus being on my period is making me even more sensitive. So yeah, today has been absolute hell. I can hardly walk, move, sleep, or even watch tv cause I feel so dizzy. Drinking as much water as a can and drinking my protein shakes. I know I probably need to go #2 and would feel a lot better once i do but I’m hanging on to my sanity at this point. These bandages itch like crazy and there is nothing more I’d love than to wash my hair. We called dr Fisher about he nausea and being dizzy and he told me to take off all compression garments until period is over. Hopefully it will be subsiding by tomorrow, my periods don’t usually last longer than two to three days.
Updated on 11 May 2019:
DISCLAIMER: I’m not in any way going to sugar coat my experience and pictures I post my be upsetting and graphic to some. I’m about honesty and transparency.
Getting better at stripping drains now that they are turning more clear as opposed to that deep red blood they were in the beginning. Starting a green smoothie cleanse along with eating a high protein diet because I think having a BM at this point would do wonders on my overall mood and well being. Last night I was having a nightmare and I woke up to my husband shaking me waking me up (he looked terrified) told me I sounded possessed. I needed to go to the bathroom so he assisted me out of bed but as he was describing the noises I was making, I started laughing. OMG laughing is so painful right now!!! For some reason this pain made me laugh even more and I almost peed on myself.
Updated on 12 May 2019:
THIS RECOVERY IS NO JOKE!!
Since I’ve been home from the hospital my husband has been on his feet for 13 hours a day care taking for me. Obviously he is also having to fill the roles I typically do but I am literally bed ridden. Doctors orders but even if I wanted to I can hardly walk. We ordered a walker, shower seat, and toilet raiser yesterday. Before the surgery my butt implants were causing me back and leg spasms which have increased ten fold since the surgery. I can only stand at about a 30 degree angle. Took my second bird bath yesterday sitting on the bath seat we purchased. My daughter washed my hair for me as I leaned over while seated on the bath seat with a plastic cover (the kind they drape over you in a salon) over me to keep me dry. This morning I woke up and most of the bandages covering my incisions were coming off so I took them off (with doctors approval) Took another bird bath cleaning with hibacleanse on the incisions.
Also discontinuing my antibiotics as I realized today that it was causing me to have horrible headaches, itchy skin, and somewhat blurred vision. Never experienced that with antibiotics before. I thought it was the pain killers but i took them separately and it turned out to be the antibiotics. My butt look pretty good. I’m not sure if it’s from the auto augmentation dr Fisher did but honestly I expected a flat board. It’s definitely not saggy.
Updated on 13 May 2019:
Yep, I’m over it. These drains are annoying the hell out of me. They are constantly in the way, getting caught on things and they just hurt. No matter where I put them they are in the way. Made an appointment to see Dr Fisher on Friday. I really hope they are removed cause I may lose my mind with them. Finally convinced my husband to buy a power assist recliner cause I can’t get up without assistance. Wish we had ordered one sooner but it will be here on Wednesday so I hope that is soon enough. Finally had a BM yesterday. Still feel constipated though. Ughhh can this all be over yet. I knew what I was getting into but I swear no amount of preparation can prepare you for this. I’m just uncomfortable no matter what. Pain pills and pillows and still can’t get comfortable.
Updated on 15 May 2019:
So typically after a week post op from all my other surgeries I’m ready to ween off the pain medication but I’m in miserable pain still. Up until this point I couldn’t quite figure out where my biggest pain was stemming from, because everything is so swollen after surgery. The swelling is subsiding but my pain is increasing. It’s my drain location. As the swelling is subsiding the drains are literally being pinched between my flesh and my hip bones, as I have three coming out on each side. This pain is becoming so unbearable at this point that not even the oxycodone is helping relieve it. I had stopped wearing my compression garment several days after returning home from surgery because I started my period and was still draining 80ml a day from some of the drains leaving me feeling dizzy and nauseated and the compression was not helping. I have not been able to put on a compression garment since because the compression only further puts pressure on the drains that are being pinched between healing tissue and bone. My fluid measurement is down below 35 on all my drains except for 1. I NEED THESE DRAINS OUT. I had an appointment on Friday to see Dr Fisher but I’m in agony and can not wait another two days, I’m not sure I can wait 1 more day. This pinching from the drains with combination of the tightness that is to be expected after a tummy tuck is a pain that no matter how I position myself, can find any relief. As the inflammation goes down, my pain is skyrocketing. Also I’m nervous that not wearing my compression garment is going to ruin my results. But putting the compression garment on with three drains placed right behind my hip bone is not going to happen. I can not sleep or even relax at this point. This is a pain level 10 for me.
We got an appointment bumped sooner from Friday to tomorrow. So I have one more day. I have enough pain medication to get through till tomorrow so that helps my anxiety but I’m going to have to really mentally center myself even for this less than 24 hour wait. Only way to describe the pain is like several clothes pins pinching your healing incisions to your hip bones and pulling you skin at the same time. Really wish my drains had been placed in a different location separate from my incision.
Updated on 16 May 2019:
I’m over the moon happy to have almost all of the drains removed. Put my faja on immediately after. Feels good to have compression on so I can have the best results possible. Today is a good day :)
Updated on 17 May 2019:
I am promising myself this is last elective surgery I am ever having. I was prescribed 3 Percocet a day written before we left the the pre op appointment. The hospital had given me 6 in total the day before discharge and I had a pain pump. So leaving the hospital I was expected to start weaning immediately. Not take it every 4 to 6 hours but just three times a day, I thought they say stay on top of your pain medication or else the pain will get the best of you. My husband and I did the best we could to only take just the three a day with 4 Advil, and typically advil really does ease my pain in combination with Percocet just fine. But if any of you have read my update my pain has been pure torture. Advil is like throwing pennies in the water wishing the pain will subside this time around. I get that there is an opioid epidemic and doctors need to use all precaution to prevent patients from abusing there narcotics, but at what point does this become patient neglect. Dr Peter Fisher has done amazing things, and being a Harvard graduate I figured I was lucky to even have him agree to do my surgery. I regret this surgery more than any other. I got my drains removed yesterday and felt immediate relief. All but one. I asked them about pain management from this point on and they told me I should be weaning off the painkillers by then. They actually called me on Tuesday to remind me that I needed to be weaning off the medication and I told them about the pain and they gave me an appointment for Friday to have the drains removed. I had my husband call back the next day and demand something sooner so they gave us Thursday. We live an hour and a half away and would have driven that day. I didn’t get to see fisher to have them removed as he was busy and saw another doctor who works within the office. He said there really shouldn’t be anymore pain so I felt he was implying that I don’t need any more pain medication. I was nervous as I only had three more pills left. But I didn’t want to fight with these guys over my pain, I figured I would just get though it and I would be ok now that there was only one drain. Asked the doctor how much movement I’m allowed because I see girls with other doctors after 9 days going back to normal life and even driving. The doctor said I should be moving around and that he encourages it. He told me not to go to the gym but I should be able to go on walks and start pushing myself unless I feel pain. So we went home and I started moving around like I typically do. Nothing drastic, I gave my 4 lb dog a bath in the kitchen sink and changed the sheets on my bed with my husbands help. And laid down the rest of the night. Right before bed I kept feeling water dripping down my legs and when I took a paper towel to wipe it I realized it was pee. It kept happening every time I got up no matter how well I emptied my bladder. Had to put on a diaper because it just wouldn’t stop. Never had this problem in my life. I didn’t want to think of any other issues that could arise because at this point Dr Peter has proven to be mostly unavailable for any type of emergency that might require any other action that was more than a text message or phone call. Last night as I was trying to settle for bed the pain started settling in real bad. A sharp pain on the side my drain is located stabbing my pelvic bone. I woke up this morning un able to move. We called dr fishers office and I am an absolute mess. I’m crying and freaking out. They said they would call in Tylenol with codeine. I told them that if that doesn’t help I’m going to the er to have this drain removed. They told me over and over the consequences of doing so, but I’m in so much pain, it’s like they just didn’t get it. Peter Fisher will be absent for the next week for two weeks. Meaning even if I wait till Monday I won’t see him anyways. Anyways this might be the last thing I post on this surgery. So far this has been so brutal, I don’t care about the results. I don’t care if I look disfigured anymore, I need this pain to stop.
Updated on 18 May 2019:
I had a breakthrough: I realized last night that I possibly had a UTI. My husband texted the doctor asking if maybe I had a UTI, doc said possibly, and immediately called in antibiotics to our pharmacy. Husband picked up some AZO urinary pain relief and I’m feeling 20% better. Last night I also drained 120ml from my one drain. That’s a record for me. Since there is so much pain I’m feeling in my waist area, I was unable to identify it. Just walking (more like limping) to the bathroom hurts, trying to pee through a garment without pee going everywhere is straining. I kept wondering why the night before I was experiencing urine leaks. It seems almost retarded that it didn’t occur to me earlier but as I said in my last update, I really just didn’t want to think of any complications cause this recovery so far has been very intense.
From all the other stories I’ve read on here, I have to say, lower body lift seems to have a HIGH infection rate. Nothing scares me more. What scares me the most about infection is that most people leave it out of their stories and only mention it in their comments and they gloss over it. I’m neurotic, if you couldn’t tell by now lol , I like many other girls have read COUNTLESS stories on here. I for one don’t like surprises. I want to know what everyday of recovery was like for others at least up to two weeks. If they get infections, I want to know every aspect of that. It’s easy after recovery to reflect back and say “it wasn’t that bad” which I think happens a lot. So I made a promise that I would deliver what I wished others would do. It’s not easy to update this when your in pain but it’s also not hard because really what else do you have to do when recovering, ijs. This has been my surgery diary. It’s for me as much as it is for others.
So as far as how I’m doing in total today? I’m frustrated and feeling mostly everything. I’m taking Tylenol with codeine and it helps a little. The day I went to dr fishers office to have my drains removed, I was still taking Percocet. I was able to walk without a walker. I feel like the lack of appropriate pain management has reversed my recovery. My husband may have to take another week off of work to care for me because I’m back to where I was when I left the hospital as far as ability. Why this sucks for me more than others, I wish I knew. I only have speculations.
Updated on 19 May 2019:
I’m feeling 50% back to my usual self. I mean I don’t feel crappy and dizzy so that’s a major plus. About to take a shower on my own for the second time since the surgery. It’s complicated to take showers with drains I know some girls just let the drain hang but I hate the way that feels. I keep mine in a cloth pouch I got off Amazon and pin it to my clothing or I hold it/have some else hold it in any other situation. Today I’m going to put my drain on a lanyard around my neck and do my best to keep it away from water. I am still using the shower seat because I can only stand for like 5 - 10 mins at a time and I use the handheld shower head so I have control where the water goes.. I wash my body daily and clean my incision daily with hibicleanse. I do my best not to get a lot of water near my drain site. After shower I moisturize my entire body and lightly go over the healing part of my incision with lotion. I apply Neosporin lightly with a q tip and then I cover the drain site with dry gauze and tape.
My one drain is going back down in ml so that’s exciting although the contents look weird. They are still red but also contain a lot of tissue and it just looks foamy. Sent a picture to dr fisher and he said everything looks good. I read last night that LBL has a 78% complication rate. Which explains why so many girls end up with infections. I’m watching my drain and healing incision like a hawk. Know that if your drain is pulling out brown, green or pus like fluid that’s not good. Also if it smells bad call your doctor ASAP
Updated on 19 May 2019:
I made a booty timeline lol
Oh the places my booty has been
Updated on 20 May 2019:
So today has been very uneventful and really nothing new to report other than I finally released my bowels. So if that is not your kind of discussion, skip the next part of this update. If you are someone that suffers from IBS, than this discussion is probably something you’re used to having. If your IBS is like mine, it at times can feel like YOUR WHOLE LIFE REVOLVES AROUND POOH! It’s ok, I know your suffering.
I feel like a new woman today. Well not quiet, a new woman recovering from surgery. Today I decided I had had enough with these very hard poops I have had since week one and two, and it is indeed time I took matters into my own hands. I am not shy to enemas. One look in my closet will tell you that. I’ve been really hesitant to do an enema since surgery 1. I can hardly reach around to wipe my butt. Like this issue right here is probably the main reason. 2. How was I going to make it to the toilet in time because I walk like a limping pirate and am like a turtle on its shell in any laying position. I typically do these on the floor in my bedroom with a absorbency pad underneath me (yes I’ve had accidents:( ) and a diaper on (lots of accidents) but I can not bend down to the floor without struggling to get back up. So, enough with the s**ts i found a way.
I did the enema in an empty bathtub with a diaper on (no accidents ew) and I swear opened the gates of hell. I’m pretty sure I’m about 5 lbs lighter but I hate scales so I can’t confirm this. And no accidents YAY!!!! The bathtub worked out really well because I used the ledge of the tub to get myself in and out and to the potty right next to it.
So if you’re like me and two week into recovery and still haven’t had anything but rock hard poo. It’s time to address the issue my dear, and you will be so happy you did.
**ive been taking 4 stool softeners a night, every night since surgery with nothing but hard poop. So yeah, I was far too backed up.
Updated on 21 May 2019:
I’m impatient. I’m even more impatient when I can’t do normal things I typically do like clean the house like a Tasmanian devil. OCD, you bet I am. But I will fight that nagging in my head with everything I have if I can get the fluid down enough to get this drain out next week. They say the less you move the less fluid that will come out. So I’m going to stay as still as a statue.
Pain is ok. I feel like I have a pulled butt muscle in my butt cheek on the right side that hurts really bad to be touched or to even walk. The pain from the lipo on the back of my thighs is gone and I can almost lay on my left side. If I move around to much my incision in the front starts swelling real bad, so I take that as my que to lay down and prop my legs up. It subsides about an hour after laying.
Everything I eat that is cooked gives me painful gas. So that is fun. My skin no longer feels so tight that I will break In two. I do not suffer from any type of itching so I’m grateful.
Just gonna keep eating lots of anti inflammatory foods, drink lots of water, I guess start binge watching something and wait for this time to pass. Yay healing!
Updated on 28 May 2019:
Left the house for the second time since surgery for a quick run to the store. I was scheduled to get my last drain removed today cause I was certain it was going to be ready after Memorial Day weekend. Nope, I’m plateaued at 65ml. I’m convinced I’m just juicy. The color of my fluid is no longer dark maroon but is a pink/yellowish color. It’s strange because it seems like my left side is healing faster that my right. My results are improving as the swelling subsides a little more everyday. I’m moving around a little more everyday but with very limited range of motion. I sleep on my left side comfortably now with no pain. My daughter is scheduled to have double jaw surgery in two weeks and really hoping I’m feeling much better and able to care for her adequately by then.
Updated on 30 May 2019:
Yep, I’m finally free. Overnight my drain dropped to 30 and how grateful I am that it did. I was prescribed another round of antibiotics just to be precautious but other than that I feel like I’ve hit a major milestone having that last drain gone. Obviously I still have to take things slow but I feel like maybe relaxing, will now be more relaxing without. It may seem crazy that a drain could make that much of a difference. But until you’ve had them, there is just no way to explain how “draining” they are.
Updated on 4 Jun 2019:
I’m feeling really good. I have good days and bad days but today is a good day.
On my good days, I have energy to get up and move around but still need regular breaks of laying down because I get tired easily.
On bad days, I can’t stand without throbbing inflammation. I inflame in my stomach and legs. I think my bad days are really a side affect to what I eat the day before. I find that if I eat a mostly raw diet, or foods cooked with very little oil or salt, and avoid high sugar foods that I feel better overall.
I received my second lymphatic massage and the tension behind my knees was unbelievable and felt amazing to get relief. These massages are game changers in my opinion when it comes to healing after surgery. I waited till my drains were removed to start these. The lady I use comes to your house so if any of you reading this live in the Austin area just private message me for the info.
Updated on 28 Jun 2019:
Sorry about the late update. I saw Dr Fisher last week Thursday and everything looked great. I meant to post some pictures last week but to be honest, I have been so busy caring for my daughter who had upper jaw surgery two weeks ago that I just didn’t find the time. The saddest part is that I was going to take pictures today and brag about my results, and smooth recovery since the horrible bladder infection but I noticed something was off. I had inflammation and redness near my butt crack. Sent these pictures to Dr Fisher and he itmmediately responded that he needs to see me tomorrow to look at me and possibly operate. Honestly I hesitated coming on here to write about this. It’s a strange feeling, hard to describe. I do not know exactly what is going on and of course neither does Dr Fisher until he sees me but it’s probably an infection. This is not his fault by any means, so please do not take this as an indication of his work. This procedure has a high complication rate. Any procedure does really. Also I’m 37 and while that isn’t old, after watching my 16 yr old daughter bounce back from upper jaw surgery after two weeks like nothing happened... it’s abundantly clear to me that the older you get, the harder surgery is on the body. I said in the beginning of my review that I wished others documented their complications like they did their results... so here we go.
My right side has been my fussy side this whole recovery. It’s the side I had that one pesky drain in for what felt like an eternity and it’s just always hurt more than my left. I have no idea why but I’m not surprised that it’s still gonna make a fuss about me having this surgery 7 weeks after lol.
Two days after I saw Fisher (last week Thursday) I noticed I wasn’t feeling so good and took my temperature. Temp was 100.7 so I took some ibuprofen and it went down. Next day I noticed that I had more pain coming from my right butt cheek. Tissue was feeling harder and somewhat itchy. It has intensified daily since then but not until today did I notice that it was red and raised in the area. So I’m going to say that my first symptoms started about six days ago. First the fever, then the increasing daily pain, followed by an overall unwell feeling, then itching and hardening to now red/raised/warm to the touch. Going in tomorrow at 11 am to have doctor fisher possibly (most likely) open me up to take a look and clean out infection. He told me he doesn’t think this will tamper with my results (which are phenomenal) but even if it does, I would be sad but health comes before vanity. He told me to pack an overnight bag just in case and not to eat past 7am. I’m a little freaked out, mostly in shock cause this escalated so quickly, but most of all I’m grateful for Dr Fishers immediate response and plan of action. I will update again tomorrow once we figure out what the game plan is. Wish me luck ladies.
Updated on 29 Jun 2019:
Turns out everything is pretty much ok. Dr Fisher did an in office exam. Cut open a little area where it was red and swollen but only blood. Took a needle but only blood. So we think it’s just a superficial infection. Antibiotics are all that’s required. I can’t tell you how happy that made me. Hoping that these antibiotics make it all go away.
Updated on 29 Jun 2019:
The first picture is of me with butt implants like 2 months healed. I was ecstatic by those results but they were short lived because the implant dropped significantly and started moving around, with was so icky. My butt right now looks almost the same but I don’t have to worry about an implant relocating itself this time around
Updated on 30 Jun 2019:
As quickly as this escalated, it is also quickly de escalating. I am taping maxi pads over the incision because it has been leaking fluid through gauze and was staining my clothes. I know that bbl girls do this for drainage and it’s been working really well. Pain is decreasing, it no longer itches, and you can see the visible decease in inflammation on the entire side. On bed rest again laying on my stomach which makes me a little bonkers, but we gotta heal.
Updated on 14 Jul 2019:
It took about a week for the incision to heal that Dr Fisher made. Every night during that week I would wake up with fluid soaking through the pads and onto my bed. I started sleeping on puppy pads to prevent changing my bed sheets everyday. It finally closed around last week Monday. I woke up yesterday (Saturday) to find I was leaking again. I also started my period yesterday. Not sure if the two things are related in anyway. The incision dr Fisher made two weeks ago looks like a blister now and as I write this on Sunday, the fluid coming out this morning was very bloody and now at 6pm looks brown and I think it might have a smell to it. I’m laying here in disbelief and thinking of all the ways I messed this up. I feel defeated. I’m driving the four hour drive to and from the office on my own tomorrow.
I can’t find anyone else who has experienced this. I confused about what this is.
Updated on 22 Jul 2019:
So last week Friday I went and got a CT scan to see what was going on with the right side. The hospital concluded that it looks to be an abscess from where they think the implant was removed. Saw PS today and we agreed to open me up and see what’s going on. So I have surgery on Wednesday morning and for the first time ever, I’m excited for surgery. Ok I know that sounds weird AF. I am weird, but I’m usually as nervous as a cow in a beef factory before surgery. Why I have had so many is honestly bonkers. Then again I’ve never had surgery twice with any surgeon so maybe that’s why I’m not nervous at all. Plus I want this issue to go away already. I’ve been leaking fluid into my buttcrack for a month now and I’ve been rolling up gauze like a tampon and placing it between my cheeks to absorb the fluid. I place about two to three maxi pads behind the gauze sticking to my compression garment to stop any residual leaking onto clothes or furniture. I have to change the gauze about every two to four hours. It’s exhausting. Not to mention that the antibiotics are really starting to wear me down. The surgery should take no longer than an hour and I might get drains again. Which would suck but I welcome a drain if that is what needs to be done.
I do not blame Dr Fisher for any of this. Complications are apart of surgery. This can happen to anyone with any procedure. And to anyone reading this and asking themselves “is it worth it” I strongly encourage you to really sit down with yourself and think about what the risk benefit ratio is for whatever procedure you are considering.
This recovery for me has been rough but it’s been absolutely worth it at the same time. My butt implants needed to be removed and this to me was the only way I could remove them and correct the initial issue I got them for which was really to correct my saggy bum. I added the tummy tuck because I felt like an incision all the way around just made more sense then one on my back only.
And speaking of my stomach,
I know I’ve been mostly focused on my butt for this entire review and I feel it’s almost unfair to my tummy. My stomach is just now starting to really settle down with the inflammation from the view of my side profile but because of the infection on my butt I’m holding fluid in my upper back that isn’t doing my waist side profile justice but my stomach is a work of art. I feel weird referring to any part of my body as perfect but my belly button just might be a cosmetic masterpiece. It’s still purple but that will fade and the shape is so natural.
Updated on 11 Aug 2019:
Sorry for taking so long to update after my surgery to stop the fluid leakage. That minor surgery went great. The pain that I had on my right side was treated with that surgery. Literally no pain! I had another drain placed and had it removed 12 days after the surgery. Dr fisher said that I had granulation tissue that was loaded with fluid that may have became infected during the early parts of my recovery and just wasn’t healing. He cleaned it out to give me a new start and I truly believe this is over.
I have zero pain now and I feel almost back to normal. I’m not allowed to exercise for another week. I got really depressed with that set back, I’m not gonna lie. No one plans for set backs, and being that I’ve recovered from 5 other surgeries complication free, I may have taken healing for granted. I did everything I was supposed too. I followed all the rules, but healing can never be completely predicted.
My biggest advice to anyone who is going to do ANY surgery, is to make sure you are in a good place to take time to deal with any complications that may occur. I’m lucky that I currently am not working. So I didn’t have that stress on my shoulders of taking time off. My sister had a tummy tuck a month before me and was back to working as a nurse in ER six weeks later. No complications. She is ten years older than me and this is her first surgery. So everyone is different.
I will post pictures of my results in a month. I feel a bit self conscious at the moment cause I’ve been a living blob in the recliner eating my sadness away lol. When they weighed me at the hospital I was 156! I haven’t weighed that much in years. Before surgery I was 140lb and before butt implants I think I was 130lbs. I hate weighing myself because I struggled with an ED as a teen. So I’m back to healthy eating and promise promise to post pictures in a month and every month after as I’m sure lots of people wonder about the healing of the scar, or at least I do. Never had one this big so it will be interesting to see month by month how it diminishes. I do like to spray tan so I’m thinking of using waterproof tape over the incision when spray tanning so that you can see it without the tanner. I welcome any and all suggestions. Currently only using bio oil on it because it’s to large to use those silicone tapes.
Updated on 12 Aug 2019:
I know I said I was gonna wait but my sister was bugging me to share pictures with her so I figured I would share with y’all as well. I feel really out of shape cause I’ve been doing very little for the last three months but I figure posting these anyways will give me motivation to leave the cookies and Ice cream alone and get back to healthy eating.
Updated on 19 Dec 2019:
So my healing has been doing good. I’m just going to post some pictures.
Updated on 4 Jan 2020:
I feel I achieved my desired results with this procedure. I know there is a lot of debate if this could have been achieved with less invasive methods. I do not believe so. The before picture was taken a year after hanging up my clear platform heels as a stripper. I did everything to make my back end look more perky but that was mostly skin from fast weight loss and aging.
Updated on 23 Jan 2020:
So my stomach still swells and I’ve for them most part gotten used to it. But lately it’s been swelling and it hurts slightly on the left side. I need to do a follow up with doctor fisher again but wondering if any one else experienced this. I left a video.
Updated on 23 Jan 2020:
Ok I’m not sure it posted the first time
Updated on 9 Jul 2020:
Still loving my results but now I’m on hunt for how to minimize my scars. I still struggle with bloating in my stomach which is annoying.