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So I haven't scheduled anything yet, but I had my...
So I haven't scheduled anything yet, but I had my first consult with Dr. Robert Sigal of The Austin-Westin Center for Cosmetic Surgery earlier this afternoon. I know it's usually recommended to "shop around" when it comes to plastic surgeons, but after today, I think I'm sticking with Dr. Sigal.
So a little about me - I'm 28 (turn 29 in two weeks), about 200 pounds at 5'4". I have two great kids, 5 and 2. Prior to my pregnancies, I hovered between 135 and 145. After having my eldest, I was between 145 and150. My last pregnancy, however, destroyed me. It was a complicated pregnancy, with placenta previa and bedrest and all those lovely bells and whistles that one doesn't want when pregnant. I gained about 80 pounds. After delivery, I was on track for losing weight - running, eating healthy, breastfeeding like a machine, dropping the weight. And then my period showed up in the middle of breastfeeding. I didn't think anything of it - maybe my body was reacting differently to recovery. Little did I know that my hormones were going out of whack. Fast forward 18 months after delivery and only 30 pounds lighter than my delivery weight. I finally went to a gyno, who ran a full blood panel and ultrasound only to diagnose me with PCOS. Hence, the long-term weight loss plateau. I went gluten-free, stepped up my CrossFit game, and nothing. No budge. Lost ten pounds in one week thanks to the norovirus, but as soon as I was able to resume eating, I gained it back in a month. My gyno's recommendation was low-dosage birth control, or "maybe try for a third and see if the pregnancy resets your hormones."
Really?! Try for a third? After the second one, why the HELL would I risk it?
So here I am. Surgery. I made the consultation for a breast augmentation and lift, a tummy tuck, and liposuction. I went to Austin-Westin feeling extremely self-conscious. I was sure that I'd be judged and told, "You're too fat. Lose the weight and then come back and see me." (And I'm told that I can "totally lose the weight! Keep trying!" After a while, you just get so depressed at seeing NO results and busting your ass for four to five days a week in the gym.) But nope. I was greeted with a smile by Cheri, Dr. Sigal's patient consultant. I went over my history with her, with the PCOS and all that loveliness, how I was afraid of the tummy tuck, and just all around concerned at what my result would be. Cheri treated me kindly and explained to me that Dr. Sigal would decide what was the best route.
So in comes Dr. Sigal. I went over the medical history with him, my lab results from the gyno and the diagnosis and all that jazz. He wasn't judgmental at all. He had me open up the robe and took a look at my body. Pinched here, felt there. And then he said the one thing that made me almost burst into tears: "Wow, you're solid muscle under this. You have a v-shape with your hips, and...yup, no diastasis. I definitely feel the six-pack." I felt vindicated to a degree, because it meant that I wasn't this complete fatbody. The proof of my hard work was underneath this layer of fat. Dr. Sigal told me that I didn't need a tummy tuck, since I didn't have any extra skin. I'm okay with a little bit of loose skin where my stretch marks are - I've never been a big bikini fan anyway. He recommended liposuction in my abdomen, bra line, parts of my back, hips, and outer/inner thighs. He said that with the augmentation that I could go as big as I wanted to and that he would make sure everything was lifted and happy (I called the girls "sad boobies") and he also recommended that I get a minor lipo in my chin area since he predicted that I as aged, I would get the dreaded jowls. (My mom actually has them and had surgery to get them removed.)
Dr. Sigal was very honest, very kind, and disarming. He made me feel comfortable, despite my apparent embarrassment at being naked. Afterwards, Cheri and I discussed the pricing and timeline and she showed me pictures of other patients. After hearing Dr. Sigal's comments about the lipo and what not, I felt that perhaps I would go the route of the face work and body, and save the breast work for another time. She printed me off different quotes and never once pressured me to sign up as quickly as possible. I told her that I would have to figure out my work schedule, since I'm in the middle of transitioning to another company, and then see when my mother would be able to come visit so that she could help with the kiddos (the hubs works a funky schedule).
We'll see how everything goes. I plan on putting down my deposit in the next couple of days once I figure out a good date. It may be something that gets scheduled for late fall. But hey, it gives me time to battle this weight a little bit more and see if I can lower the number on the scale in order to get better results. Wish me luck!
So a little about me - I'm 28 (turn 29 in two weeks), about 200 pounds at 5'4". I have two great kids, 5 and 2. Prior to my pregnancies, I hovered between 135 and 145. After having my eldest, I was between 145 and150. My last pregnancy, however, destroyed me. It was a complicated pregnancy, with placenta previa and bedrest and all those lovely bells and whistles that one doesn't want when pregnant. I gained about 80 pounds. After delivery, I was on track for losing weight - running, eating healthy, breastfeeding like a machine, dropping the weight. And then my period showed up in the middle of breastfeeding. I didn't think anything of it - maybe my body was reacting differently to recovery. Little did I know that my hormones were going out of whack. Fast forward 18 months after delivery and only 30 pounds lighter than my delivery weight. I finally went to a gyno, who ran a full blood panel and ultrasound only to diagnose me with PCOS. Hence, the long-term weight loss plateau. I went gluten-free, stepped up my CrossFit game, and nothing. No budge. Lost ten pounds in one week thanks to the norovirus, but as soon as I was able to resume eating, I gained it back in a month. My gyno's recommendation was low-dosage birth control, or "maybe try for a third and see if the pregnancy resets your hormones."
Really?! Try for a third? After the second one, why the HELL would I risk it?
So here I am. Surgery. I made the consultation for a breast augmentation and lift, a tummy tuck, and liposuction. I went to Austin-Westin feeling extremely self-conscious. I was sure that I'd be judged and told, "You're too fat. Lose the weight and then come back and see me." (And I'm told that I can "totally lose the weight! Keep trying!" After a while, you just get so depressed at seeing NO results and busting your ass for four to five days a week in the gym.) But nope. I was greeted with a smile by Cheri, Dr. Sigal's patient consultant. I went over my history with her, with the PCOS and all that loveliness, how I was afraid of the tummy tuck, and just all around concerned at what my result would be. Cheri treated me kindly and explained to me that Dr. Sigal would decide what was the best route.
So in comes Dr. Sigal. I went over the medical history with him, my lab results from the gyno and the diagnosis and all that jazz. He wasn't judgmental at all. He had me open up the robe and took a look at my body. Pinched here, felt there. And then he said the one thing that made me almost burst into tears: "Wow, you're solid muscle under this. You have a v-shape with your hips, and...yup, no diastasis. I definitely feel the six-pack." I felt vindicated to a degree, because it meant that I wasn't this complete fatbody. The proof of my hard work was underneath this layer of fat. Dr. Sigal told me that I didn't need a tummy tuck, since I didn't have any extra skin. I'm okay with a little bit of loose skin where my stretch marks are - I've never been a big bikini fan anyway. He recommended liposuction in my abdomen, bra line, parts of my back, hips, and outer/inner thighs. He said that with the augmentation that I could go as big as I wanted to and that he would make sure everything was lifted and happy (I called the girls "sad boobies") and he also recommended that I get a minor lipo in my chin area since he predicted that I as aged, I would get the dreaded jowls. (My mom actually has them and had surgery to get them removed.)
Dr. Sigal was very honest, very kind, and disarming. He made me feel comfortable, despite my apparent embarrassment at being naked. Afterwards, Cheri and I discussed the pricing and timeline and she showed me pictures of other patients. After hearing Dr. Sigal's comments about the lipo and what not, I felt that perhaps I would go the route of the face work and body, and save the breast work for another time. She printed me off different quotes and never once pressured me to sign up as quickly as possible. I told her that I would have to figure out my work schedule, since I'm in the middle of transitioning to another company, and then see when my mother would be able to come visit so that she could help with the kiddos (the hubs works a funky schedule).
We'll see how everything goes. I plan on putting down my deposit in the next couple of days once I figure out a good date. It may be something that gets scheduled for late fall. But hey, it gives me time to battle this weight a little bit more and see if I can lower the number on the scale in order to get better results. Wish me luck!
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