POSTED UNDER Mommy Makeover REVIEWS
6 Kids Later Angela Keen Put Me Back Together! - Salt Lake City, UT
ORIGINAL POST
*I'm not sure I will have the courage to post...
imissmyoldbodyMarch 11, 2014
WORTH IT$15,000
*I'm not sure I will have the courage to post pictures, and if I do, I will be wearing underwear and a bra.
**I wrote this on day 3 and forgot to publish
So far I would compare this progressive tension (quilt method) tummy tuck to a c-section, but the pain management isn't as good as in a hospital. I have several friends who have had traditional TT, and the drains sound like a nightmare. The body doesn't even start the healing process until those come out, and that can be weeks. They also lead to more infections, more swelling and more pain. The primary reason I'm writing this account is because there aren't enough reviews for this kind of TT or of Dr. Keen, and there really should be. I found 2 other reviews from Dr. Keen's patients who had the same procedures done, and I've read them daily for at least a month. I'm still reading them, trying to use them as a crystal ball to predict how I will feel in 2 days or in a week. Just like a c-section, the first 3-4 days are the worst. I do wish I had had an overnight stay. I understand the logic behind not doing it, but pain management the first 24 hours can make a big difference.
About me: I'm 5'6" 135 pounds (usually 130 when I'm all done with BF, but I was so worried about prepping life for my family before this surgery that I wasn't worried about losing 5 pounds). I usually wear a size 4/27 in jeans. I'm 36 and have 6 kids ages 7-1. I usually start a pretty decent workout schedule after my 6-week postpartum check up, but this time it seemed to affect my milk supply, so I kept it minimal. I wish I could have gotten in better shape before I did this, but because of several factors with timing, this opportunity presented itself, and I went for it. I thought I was going to have to wait until September due to personal scheduling. I'm in decent shape, but definitely could have been stronger. Dr. Keen told me that my tummy was all extra skin and lots of scar tissue. All that extra fat I thought I had accumulated with each baby? It was scar tissue, not fat. No amount of diet or exercise was going to make it go away, and that made me feel a lot better. I was fighting an impossible battle. I know everything is swollen and whatnot, but I'm happy with my results so far.
My cost included the progressive tension abdominoplasty (which is more costly bc it takes longer to do), breast augmentation (350cc high profile) and a nipple reduction. I nearly passed out when she casually mentioned they wanted to shorten my nipples in the office later. She said that after BA it makes nipples more prominent and you walk around with your high beams on all the time. She recommends it to most of her patients. I told her it had to be while I was under general anesthesia or it won't happen. So she did.
**I wrote this on day 3 and forgot to publish
So far I would compare this progressive tension (quilt method) tummy tuck to a c-section, but the pain management isn't as good as in a hospital. I have several friends who have had traditional TT, and the drains sound like a nightmare. The body doesn't even start the healing process until those come out, and that can be weeks. They also lead to more infections, more swelling and more pain. The primary reason I'm writing this account is because there aren't enough reviews for this kind of TT or of Dr. Keen, and there really should be. I found 2 other reviews from Dr. Keen's patients who had the same procedures done, and I've read them daily for at least a month. I'm still reading them, trying to use them as a crystal ball to predict how I will feel in 2 days or in a week. Just like a c-section, the first 3-4 days are the worst. I do wish I had had an overnight stay. I understand the logic behind not doing it, but pain management the first 24 hours can make a big difference.
About me: I'm 5'6" 135 pounds (usually 130 when I'm all done with BF, but I was so worried about prepping life for my family before this surgery that I wasn't worried about losing 5 pounds). I usually wear a size 4/27 in jeans. I'm 36 and have 6 kids ages 7-1. I usually start a pretty decent workout schedule after my 6-week postpartum check up, but this time it seemed to affect my milk supply, so I kept it minimal. I wish I could have gotten in better shape before I did this, but because of several factors with timing, this opportunity presented itself, and I went for it. I thought I was going to have to wait until September due to personal scheduling. I'm in decent shape, but definitely could have been stronger. Dr. Keen told me that my tummy was all extra skin and lots of scar tissue. All that extra fat I thought I had accumulated with each baby? It was scar tissue, not fat. No amount of diet or exercise was going to make it go away, and that made me feel a lot better. I was fighting an impossible battle. I know everything is swollen and whatnot, but I'm happy with my results so far.
My cost included the progressive tension abdominoplasty (which is more costly bc it takes longer to do), breast augmentation (350cc high profile) and a nipple reduction. I nearly passed out when she casually mentioned they wanted to shorten my nipples in the office later. She said that after BA it makes nipples more prominent and you walk around with your high beams on all the time. She recommends it to most of her patients. I told her it had to be while I was under general anesthesia or it won't happen. So she did.
imissmyoldbody's provider
UPDATED FROM imissmyoldbody
9 days post
Day 9 (I think? Maybe 10?)
imissmyoldbodyMarch 15, 2014
Day 9 (I wrote this last night and fell asleep before I published) and I still need percocet to manage the pain. Yesterday I experimented alternating with ibuprofen, and during the day it was not great, but not horrible, but at night it was. Lying in one position all night, everything starts to ache. Then this morning I had a horrible coughing fit because of some construction dust that was done yesterday, and I was in tears. I hate how the narcotics make me feel both mentally and physically, but not sleeping or being able to move because of the pain is also not a good option. I still say this is comparable to a c-section. I am a constant on-the-go, always working on something person, and not being able to do that is killing me. Not being steady enough to hold my baby or make the spoon make contact with her mouth? Torture. I can talk to and interact with my older kids after school, but I don't get to take them places and help with things. I even sat at the dinner table to eat with them the last three nights. That was nice. The two other reviews I read made it seem like they were up and running in no time. One girl was off all pain meds at day 8? I'm tough. I gave birth to 5 babies in 3 years. I landscaped my almost 1 acre yard mostly by myself. I get things done. I push myself hard. People tell me all the time how tough I am, but no way could I be off all meds right now. Just...no. Today I did it like this: I took 2 percocet last night at 10:30 and took nothing else all night. I took 2 this morning at 7:30 bc I was in a world of hurt. I took 1 at 11:30, 1 at 3:30 1 at 7:30. The pain was definitely manageable that way. I still hurt, but it was tolerable. And with just 1 percocet I can hold my baby (but not carry her), have a coherent conversation. I even made most of dinner tonight (though most of it was a freezer meal that I had prepared before. BBQ pulled pork that I had frozen, but I made the homemade mac and cheese myself, heated the buns, etc. Major, I know :) .)
I'm swollen. My waist is a couple inches bigger than when I went in, but it is flat and that skin is gone. I'm hoping it will end up being 3 inches smaller than when I went in because my diastasis was 4-5 fingers wide and I had a lot of skin and scar tissue. So it was 29 inches the day of surgery. It is now about 32-33, and after all the swelling goes away I would hope that would make it 26/27 inches. It seems reasonable to me to go down 2-3 from where I started.
I'm hoping my breasts are really swollen. I chose the size but it is so hard to tell when you are stuffing a bra in the doctor's office, and you don't have the proportion of your soon-to-be-smaller waist. It is such a fine line. I wanted to go big enough to be worth the pain and cost, but not so big that people immediately think they are fake and I can't find clothes to fit. I was torn between 325 cc and 350 cc. The difference between the two sizes is only 1.5 tablespoons so I went bigger. Right now that makes me a full 32 D, which is bigger than I wanted. I wanted to be a 32 C. We will see in about a month where I land size wise.
One thing I'm doing to help my body heal is I'm juicing 3-4 times a day, basically before each meal. My favorite is 2 apples, lots of kale, 3 big celery stalks and a cucumber. Really tasty (or I'm really crazy). Sometimes I sub pineapple for the apple. Sometimes I add a quarter size slice of ginger. There are lots of other recipes I like, but for the sake of ease for my husband, who is making my juices, I'm not varying it much until I start making my own. All those vitamins and minerals being absorbed by my body for fuel to heal can only help. Then I eat my regular meal. I used to juice every day for breakfast but got out of the habit bc it can be kind of a pain. My kids love my juice so I have to make a triple recipe. Two for them, 1 for me.
The first few days all I wanted was my juice, broth, crackers and toast. A few days later I added chobani Greek yogurt with fruit and my husband made a huge pot of homemade chicken noodle soup that was perfect. I ate that for two days in addition to the other stuff. Then I added in some protein green smoothies, salads, simple proteins. I love salt, and would love to start eating some other things like chili for dinner, but that is super salty and will make me swell more. So dinner is tough bc I love salty food.
The last two days I did sit on the bench in my front garden. The weather is so nice, and I love sunshine. Trouble is no one knows I had surgery. My mom and sister know. One friend. No one in my husband's family knows. I just don't think it's anyone's business. I did this for me, not them. So going on a walk, my neighbors may notice I am walking slowly and slouching, and that would bring questions. I don't feel ready for that. Maybe tomorrow I 'll try a walk around the backyard instead.
I'm going to be brave and post some before and afters. The ONLY reasons I am doing this is because I really appreciated seeing the before and after pictures of the two patients I found who had the same procedures from my doctor. It gave me courage both to do the surgery and to go with my surgeon, since she doesn't post before and afters on her website.
I'm swollen. My waist is a couple inches bigger than when I went in, but it is flat and that skin is gone. I'm hoping it will end up being 3 inches smaller than when I went in because my diastasis was 4-5 fingers wide and I had a lot of skin and scar tissue. So it was 29 inches the day of surgery. It is now about 32-33, and after all the swelling goes away I would hope that would make it 26/27 inches. It seems reasonable to me to go down 2-3 from where I started.
I'm hoping my breasts are really swollen. I chose the size but it is so hard to tell when you are stuffing a bra in the doctor's office, and you don't have the proportion of your soon-to-be-smaller waist. It is such a fine line. I wanted to go big enough to be worth the pain and cost, but not so big that people immediately think they are fake and I can't find clothes to fit. I was torn between 325 cc and 350 cc. The difference between the two sizes is only 1.5 tablespoons so I went bigger. Right now that makes me a full 32 D, which is bigger than I wanted. I wanted to be a 32 C. We will see in about a month where I land size wise.
One thing I'm doing to help my body heal is I'm juicing 3-4 times a day, basically before each meal. My favorite is 2 apples, lots of kale, 3 big celery stalks and a cucumber. Really tasty (or I'm really crazy). Sometimes I sub pineapple for the apple. Sometimes I add a quarter size slice of ginger. There are lots of other recipes I like, but for the sake of ease for my husband, who is making my juices, I'm not varying it much until I start making my own. All those vitamins and minerals being absorbed by my body for fuel to heal can only help. Then I eat my regular meal. I used to juice every day for breakfast but got out of the habit bc it can be kind of a pain. My kids love my juice so I have to make a triple recipe. Two for them, 1 for me.
The first few days all I wanted was my juice, broth, crackers and toast. A few days later I added chobani Greek yogurt with fruit and my husband made a huge pot of homemade chicken noodle soup that was perfect. I ate that for two days in addition to the other stuff. Then I added in some protein green smoothies, salads, simple proteins. I love salt, and would love to start eating some other things like chili for dinner, but that is super salty and will make me swell more. So dinner is tough bc I love salty food.
The last two days I did sit on the bench in my front garden. The weather is so nice, and I love sunshine. Trouble is no one knows I had surgery. My mom and sister know. One friend. No one in my husband's family knows. I just don't think it's anyone's business. I did this for me, not them. So going on a walk, my neighbors may notice I am walking slowly and slouching, and that would bring questions. I don't feel ready for that. Maybe tomorrow I 'll try a walk around the backyard instead.
I'm going to be brave and post some before and afters. The ONLY reasons I am doing this is because I really appreciated seeing the before and after pictures of the two patients I found who had the same procedures from my doctor. It gave me courage both to do the surgery and to go with my surgeon, since she doesn't post before and afters on her website.
Replies (1)
March 15, 2014
Thank you for paying it forward and sharing your story! I'm glad you're not having to deal with the drains. The achiness does sound quite uncomfortable though. I hope you're pain free soon. You have definitely paid your dues with your body and I hope you adore your results!
UPDATED FROM imissmyoldbody
9 days post
Day 10
imissmyoldbodyMarch 16, 2014
Today was a big turning point, thank goodness. My husband took of the first 6 days after my surgery and I've had a helper here to take care of the kids. She only comes during the week. My husband has been getting sicker every day the last few days, and today he woke up very sick. Fever, terrible cough, body aches, etc. I had to be able to step up and help, and fortunately I felt up to it. We tag teamed the morning, then the afternoon he put on a movie or two for the kids so I could take a 4-hour nap, and he could lie down and rest. Then we did dinner and bed time together. But definitely a change between yesterday and today. I still don't feel great, but I was able to help and do a lot more today then I have.
Replies (7)