I gave birth in 2011, and after 8 years of dealing with my loose skin sagging muscles, I decided to finally go forward with getting a tummy tuck. I had a full abdominoplasty with muscle repair. I had done a ton of research for years beforehand, so I felt prepared for the surgery and recovery, and I think I had realistic expectations. Dr. Draper was wonderful - she never tried to upsell any other surgeries, and always made me feel confident throughout the process. She's personable and I felt like she really listened to what I had to say. The surgery was quick, and I felt well taken care of. It was 100% the money, and even though the recovery was tough (the muscle repair is the hardest part, you'll be sore for months,) I haven't regretted it at all. Being prepared, understanding what the surgery is and what it can and can't do, and feeling confident in your surgeon are top priorities. I don't recommend going forward with something like this if you're impatient. I had to majorly adjust my level of physical activity, and seven months later I am only now beginning to be able to exercise my core, and only a little bit at that. I'm extremely pleased with the results and feel like I got a reset on my body.
I just finished doing EMSCULPT with Dr draper on my butt... I am so impressed with this treatment..the intense contractions are like nothing I've felt before but you certainly know its working! Although I haven't seen results yet, my boyfriend has already commented that it looks tighter! I am supposed to go back in 6 weeks for a followup
Staff was great. Emsculpt was an amazing experience would recommend it to everyone. Dr Draper was the best so kind and caring and took the time to answer all of my questions. Appointment times and dates were flexible for my schedule.
Dr. Draper and her team were absolutely amazing! I'm new to the area, so of course I was a bit apprehensive to try a new doctor. However, I'm so glad my web search led me to Dr. Draper. Her compassion and professionalism made eased all of my concerns. Also, I LOVED how she didn't point out all the other procedures I could benefit from. Typically, I leave a plastic surgeon's office feeling insecure b/c they strongly suggest I consider multiple procedures. But that wasn't the case with Dr. Draper, I left feeling beautiful and confident. She is an amazing person and doctor!
I have two kids ages 3 and 2. Only 14 months apart. Pregnancy destroyed by body. My sweet and supportive husband got me this MM which included TT, BL, BA. Don't have nag before pics sorry. But I had 34FF saggy breasts, stretch marks and saggy skin on my stomach. 5'3" about 150 pounds. So fat I'm discouraged. I am only one week out from surgery. She couldn't get rid of all the stretch marks which I'm bummed about. My belly button doesn't look centered and I hope that's just because of the swelling! Any advice out there? This WILL get better right?! First three days post op wetter Torture. Turned a corner the fourth day and felt much better. Got drains removed yesterday. Updated on 8 May 2014: I notice a change every day. Swelling is still bad. If I haven't mentioned it before I got 230cc silicone implants subglandular. Dr said I had enough breast tissue (I had 34FF!) and she was putting small implants in for fullness. I love my PS. She is amazing and so are the staff. They have called several times just to check on me. I was wondering if anybody has done the marble trick? If it worked and how soon should I start it? That's where you tape a marble in your belly button for like 12 hours once a day to mold it into a good shape. Any advice on that? Wish so bad I had before photos. It was mostly just saggy skin and boobs tho. Updated on 8 May 2014: Pain was awful for the first three days. Those drains were so uncomfortable. But I was never hunched over too bad. I have walked nearly straight from day one! I just get exhausted easily. I need a nap every day and the littlest things get me so out of breath! I was even good about working out. So be prepared For that! Updated on 10 May 2014: A few post op pics! 10 days post op Updated on 10 May 2014: I wear this Velcro binder. Nothing fancy but gives me great support bc it's adjustable. Sorry about the blood on it! Just found out I can wash it lol. The bandage I have is actually one of those adult pads and I cut it in half. The top goes underneath my breasts and the bottoms covers my scar. A huge pack of those are $6 at the dollar store! Updated on 10 May 2014: Binder pic Updated on 14 May 2014: Noticed tonight I had some blood on my gauze. Underneath my right breast it looks like the wound has opened? I am going to call my dr in the morning but is there anything I can do? Will it need to be restitched?? Anybody else have this before? I am two weeks out from TT, BA and BL.
I had a full abdominoplasty in Nov 2011. I don't regret it at all. However, I now want more kids sooner than I had anticipated.... so I am pretty sure I'll be undoing some of my amazing surgeon's work :( Having said that, I'm glad I did it - I lost 100+lbs after gastric bypass, and was miserable about my flappy belly. I now *love* my body! Pain was the only side-effect. I only mention it because I never use pain meds (not after the last two surgeries I had even), but I happily accepted Vicodin after the tuck! It was massively ouchy, but I was up and about three days post-op, off of pain meds in about a week. It was 6 weeks before I started working out again though... my abs were tender during workouts for several weeks after I resumed workouts as well.
I get "toxed" with 50 iu (international units) to brow, glab and crows feet approximately every 4-6 months. My very first treatment with Botox didn't seem to take. I kept waiting the week that they told me it would take to begin seeing results and while parts of my brow felt quite heavy when making expression I never seemed to get the full effect. I went back shortly after and my PS injected a bit more in the frontalis. I hadn't noticed until she pointed it out, but my Glab lines were gone all the while. Still the brow was stubborn. Most men have a much stronger brow and will require more, but some women are no exception. For me it was important to allow the botox to help me retrain my muscles. Now that's hard to explain, but I'd watch myself in the mirror and keep myself from making certain movements. When I felt that "heavy" feeling while making certain brow expressions it was an indication that I shouldn't make that movement. I had my second treatment four months later and ever after it has worked perfectly everytime. Some people with metabolic differences MAY "soak it up" quickly. I have some (serious) body-building friends that required botox every 2 months initially to get it going. Make sure you know how many units you're getting for the price. Do a bit of research and (don't inject yourself) look up and read about injection techniques and "off-label" techniques so you know what your injector is up to and what to ask for. The informed patient is the happy patient!
I have been treated a number of times with Juvederm. I work with a very trusted PS who is also a friend and have done for the last 10 years. 10 years ago through diet and exercise alone I lost 200lbs. Most people are frequently distracted by the huge changes in the body, but when a person loses that much weight there are usually significant changes to the face as well. After my remodel (lower body and upper body lift with lipo) I started noticing how much older my face looked than my age, in particular my infraorbital hollows and NL folds. I am now 30. People often, when guessing my age at 25 would have said "30-35". Juvederm is pretty good. It's very smooth and supple. The problem is that, while I can still feel small amount of it in my skin up to a year later, the look of full correction usually fades after about six months. I'm excited about the prospect of a year or more of full correction. The Radiesse treatment was relatively painless. My doc mixed in a small amount of lidocaine before injecting and applied some topical to the surface of my skin. After injecting using a "retrograde fanning" technique, she applied a small vibrating massager to further smooth out the product. I actually thought it was relaxing, but I know I have a higher than normal tolerance for pain as well. Immediately of note was how firm the product was in comparison to other fillers. It felt like I had a rock in my face. It has since softened significantly. I am completely pleased with the results and never had another filler look this great. I've seen a lot of naysayers here and there experiences are probably quite valid, but everything I've read seems to point to the same thing; user error. It is of the UTMOST IMPORTANCE with any filler that you know your injector well. Do TONS of research before commiting to an injector. Ask to see before and after pictures of their work, ask to speak to a willing patient of theirs over the phone and ask them blunt questions like, "How long have you been injecting this particular filler?" This is your body for goodness sake. If they think your probing is silly for something so mundane or they are unwilling to divulge then why would you want to give them your HARD EARNED money to alter your bod? I can't stress enough that the hands that weild the needle will determine what kind of results you get. Sure a small amount of it is your body, but people who inject to shallow with radiesse, for example, are placing it in too vascular an area and of course it won't last as long. Pay attention to their staff! Are they kind and happy and seem content? That says a lot about who they work for! Is their office tastefully decorated and clean? Never settle for less than! And if and when you find a great provider, stick with them! They're too precious to lose track of! Oh and I'm a nurse personally experienced in several aesthetic procedures (the receiving end). If ever anyone needs to shoot an private message question my way feel free. :)
I have been glued to this website for weeks now. The reviews I see make me feel more confident. I have always been big up top. Everyone thought I had implants going into 5th grade. Recently they continue to grow. I am popping out of a 38 ddd. My surgery is set for January 26th and it cant get here fast enough. Every day I get more anxious. I keep thinking about all the positive remarks I have seen here. I really would like to know what I need to do to prepare myself this next week like buying extra pillows ice packs anything that would help? Do I need to go ahead and get a bra for afterwards and what size. I would love to hear any feedback I could get. Updated on 19 Jan 2015: Just had my pre op appt with the anesthesiologist. Asked me a bunch of questions. What medicine do you take, are you depressed, is anyone abusing you, have u been out of the country, etc. so now I'm like omg one more week. I'm so excited and nervous. I can't wait to see the end results :) Updated on 21 Jan 2015: 4 more days. I'm so nervous and anxious and excited. I almost have everything ready. Just gotta do my shopping this weekend. It's all I think about. I try to think about other stuff but it's not working. I think I'm getting to worried. All the what ifs that are popping into my head are making me crazy. Any suggestions?? Updated on 23 Jan 2015: So close. 2 more days and I will be making my way to the other side. I can't wait to see how small I will be and how everything will turn out. I'm super excited and very anxious. It is long overdue. I have seen so many reviews on here with so many positive things about BR that i am more relaxed about having this surgery. I am looking forward to being lighter and in less pain. This weekend I will be cleaning and getting everything ready for Monday. Have a wonderful weekend everyone. Updated on 25 Jan 2015: Tomorrow is the big day. I'm so excited and yet kinda nervous. I can't wait to see how small I get. I'm going a little crazy today Updated on 27 Jan 2015: I had my surgery yesterday. Dr said I did really good. My oxygen levels was low coming out and my pain was really high. I can't get comfortable. Updated on 29 Jan 2015: I had my surgery last Monday. I go tomorrow hopefully to get the drains out. I'm still in some pain and itching a lot and sleeping a lot. I feel burning sensation around my nipples and my breasts and underneath itch. I hope everyone else is doing good Updated on 30 Jan 2015: Had my drains took out today. A little painful but so relieved they are out. Dr said I'm healing great. My left side is swollen and bruised more they did more on that side Updated on 10 Feb 2015: I can't believe it's been 2 weeks. I still have some pain if I move the wrong way. But they look great. I go next week to have my stitches taken out and I'm not looking forward to that. Ugh. I am still swollen more on the left side so I can't wait to actually see what my size will be. I am loving not wearing wire bras though. I hope everyone else is doing good :)
