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This has been a rough week for me in many ways. I...
This has been a rough week for me in many ways. I have struggled with wanting to care for my children and trying to be close to them while on pain meds that make me drowsy. This week seems to have gone by so slowly or perhaps I put too much on my plate while trying to recover. My sweet husband was kind enough to wash and blow dry my hair (without burning it!!), prepare my food, keep my meds coming round the clock, care for the children, and take me on a few outings. The first few days are a blur because I was sleeping so much. I would come down stairs for a few hours to spend time with the kids, but other than that I was pretty out of it. On Thursday, I had my follow up mammogram.......they were taking magnified views of my left breast. The doctor said I have very dense breast tissue, I don't know whether that really has anything to do with anything, but in that dense tissue they saw several tiny white specks so now they want to do a BIOPSY!!! This makes me angry on many levels. They are saying it can either be worst case scenario, malignant (cancerous) cells and we caught it in the earliest stage with the best prognosis for results. Or, best case scenario, they are all calcium deposits and I have wasted an extra $1500 on scans to delay a surgery and recovery for nothing. Don't get me wrong, I would hate to forgo getting the scan and then find out down the line it was in fact cancer and I could have saved years of my life. But the reality is at least 10% of women are referred for additional scans (the radiologists told me this as to try and comfort me) and then many of those women are sent for biopsy with inconclusive or "normal" results. The radiologists are preying on my fears of the worst to get more money out of me before they will green light my breasts for surgery. Having to wrap my head around the biopsy and possible results isn't even the half of it though, I cannot have the biopsy until I am able to lay face down (flat on a newly operated on tummy tuck) so my breast can poke through the table for the biopsy. Since people heal at different rates you can never really know when you are able to be fully stretched (whether standing erect or lying flat) so I can't even schedule this procedure, I just get to sit and worry! I have my breast surgeries tentatively scheduled for late October, but that is all pending these results. That was Thursday. Friday I had not pooped for eight days due to all the pain meds so I had a battle with some major constipation. This is very uncomfortable and scary when you are dealing with an abdominal surgery because you do not want to pull a stitch or tear something when bearing down. Let's just say I tried many different remedies and the worst possible remedy was the only solution. I will speak no further of that other than to say I went off my pain meds so I would never be put in that situation again. I can tolerate pain pretty well, so this was doable, but I don't recommend getting your drains out without pain meds. It is scary because you don't know what to expect and a little painful, but if they pull quickly you will be fine once it's over. I over-booked myself and had a big paper/project due for school on Saturday so after the constipation issue and drain removal, I had my husband pull the couch in the office over to the desk so I could type, sleep, type, sleep, type. It was rough, but I am telling you that if you are not under the influence of pain meds (because they make you drowsy) you can do minimal work on the computer. But I would not recommend having anything major to do because the pressure is a little intense. After putting all that behind me, I spent the weekend with my husband and kids. I took a couple small walks, went to the park, and standing up a little straighter. But I get tired quickly, and when the kids see me do something I used to do before mommy's ouchie, they think we are running at normal levels and are disappointed when mom can no longer perform. This breaks my heart because I want to pick them up, I want to love on them without worrying of them hurting me accidentally, and I want to have some energy to play with them. What a first week! Let's hope week two is kinder and less interesting.
Yesterday my pain catheter was removed, and...
Yesterday my pain catheter was removed, and honestly I do not feel much of a pain difference without the pump. I generally do not feel much pain unless I am trying to transfer or stand for too long. My biggest complaint right now would be that I am always drowsy due to the Valium so I am torn in taking it because it is a muscle relaxer. Being drowsy and that I am always forgetting things!! I forget questions I ask my husband, forget what day it is, forget what I was trying to remember all day long. Tomorrow is my additional views of my breast to try and receive a clean mammogram. I am not very nervous, I just want it to be behind me so I don't have to worry about something else. Tomorrow will be five weeks until my breast surgeries (provided I am given the green light) and although having the abdominal and breast surgeries separate prolongs my healing and down time, I believe it will be easier on me in the long run. I have not felt any of the negative feelings associated with surgeries like depression, buyers remorse, overwhelming sorrow, or helplessness; and I attribute this mainly to the fact that I can participate and be involved in my recovery. I have also been planning this body sculpting for more than 10 years, so I have been almost certain this is what I want and that it will enrich my life. Sometimes it is hard to be a spectator in my children's lives. I am used to being the primary caregiver, the only one who can do anything for them, and the comforter above all comforters. And when I was preparing for surgery, I would tell my husband that he would need to keep them from climbing on me, but now it seems they are so far removed from wanting me that I am lucky to even get a kiss. This of course is optimal for my recovery, but makes me sad and feel removed from the lives of my children. I am sure things will get better when I am able to do more with them. Once tubes are out, I will post new pictures of my progress. And, as always, thank you for your kind words.
Thank you for all my well wishes; it truly means a...
Thank you for all my well wishes; it truly means a lot to me. Thursday we had a minor set back. My mammogram results said that further films would be required on one of breasts. Dr said it's most likely a shadow, but could not operate until I get a clean mammogram. So yesterday was the tummy tuck and vaginalplasty. My breast lift and augmentation will be postponed for about 6 weeks due to scheduling conflicts. Honestly, I am almost glad it turned out this way because I can use my upper body for support while recovering from my abdominal plasty. I feel pretty good. Pain is present when I transfer in an out bed, but that is to be expected. Dr got most of stretch marks and said that I will be tiny and petite. I am very excited to see my results. I am concerned about my recovery because my little ones like to climb on me and it will hard to fight my urges to help them. All in all, I have a had good experience so far, but I will know my true pain levels once my pain catheter is removed early next week. Both the Dr and his staff said that the tummy tuck would be the most painful of all my procedures because anything healing associated with mucle or bone is painful. I will post newer pics once I get home. Thanks again for all your support!!
Provider Review
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
900 E. Southlake Blvd., Southlake, Texas
My doctor has the best bedside manner. He is honest, kind, personable, answers all my question, and very supportive. He takes all the necessary precautions to ensure my health and safety. He gave me realistic expectations when addressing my concerns; and delivered the results he indicated were possible in my pre-op appointment. I would highly recommend him to all my friends and family for an abdominal plasty. I will revise my review further when the breast surgeries have been completed.