From my first consult to my last post-op appointment, Dr. Sanders and his team were beyond amazing! His feedback was honest and his answers were articulate and thoughtful. He’s kind and compassionate- and has an awesome bedside manner (he came out personally to give my mom a status after surgery. If you’re looking for a brilliant doctor and extraordinary results, Dr. Sanders is your man.
Hi! I'm a 34 y/o mom of 1 kiddo. I've got 36e danglehoppers here, and I weigh about 147, and that's down 70lbs. My true band size is really 34 but I usually have to go up to 36 to find a cup that will accommodate my breast size better. My breasts have always been large, since I started to develop-! Something in the milk people- they put all that stuff in it to make cows develop...anyway I was approved for reduction about 12 years ago before I had my daughter when I was only 130lbs and I had 36dd due to their weight/density with full insurance approval but due to life never got it done. The doctor and I talked about breastfeeding then for all you ladies and he was right- it would be difficult because of my little size 5'3" (barely) that my breasts would get larger. They got ginormous and I felt like I was suffocating my poor kid. I ended up not being able to bf due to my milk never coming in due to a shot that the nurse gave me after labor (not with Dr's ok). I was too groggy to say no or understand why she was giving me it. Anyway, after much frustration and even a lactation specialist we called it quits because it was safer to just give formula and have the baby eat- so big boobs=big cruel joke=no milk for baby - the least I could do with these things. Well, 6 years, 70lbs, and a divorce later it's time to reclaim my life. I'm tired of people seeing my boobs first and then me. Surgery is June 8th and I'm super excited.Updated on 13 Jun 2017: So I'm 5 days post op- I can shower tomorrow! I just had the bilateral Jackson-Pratt drain tubes removed. I took two Percocet prior but it really didn't hurt any and actually the removal made me more comfortable. The PA also removed the PICO dressing and unit that was driving me crazy. The adhesive was super itchy. So most of the redness under my breasts is from the adhesive of the pico dressing. (Pico is a type of wound vac). There's nothing more to report other than super itchy from the removal of the tape. I can still feel my nipples. There was a little open area around my nipple that I need to be careful of - so extra TLC there Neosporin and I may get a steristrip to help strengthen it. Most of my bruises are going away- slight yellow- again the worst bruises is actually from the tape removal. I can shave - carefully- only cuz she sympathizes with me and the heat. No exercise, strenuous activity, lifting, etc for four weeks. Driving to resume when the narcotics are all out of my system, so about 24 hours and I feel up to it. I can get out of the ever loving surgical bra that has become way too big and so so itchy. I'm now using a wire free comfort bra. I can move to a sports bra based on comfort and support needs. The bra I have is more like a sleeping bra/sports bra and has great compression which she liked and said was perfect. It isn't super long in the torso (but I'm not very long) and doesn't adjust at the shoulders but it was tight and held the gauze/surgical pads in place much better than the bra that I was put in. So I applied my Neosporin and I'm letting everything air out (seriously that's what she said to do if I could). And I follow up again in three weeks.Updated on 18 Jun 2017: Here's my status- I was put on 500 mg keflex 4x a day for about 8 days- super dose; however, I knew that would come with some consequences for me and although I was prepared the probiotics and yogurt weren't enough. 2nd to last day of the antibiotics came and I started feeling a little not so great in my stomach so I cut down. Friday skipped it- was going to see if Saturday I could try and make it up - but instead my vulva was on fire! Literally on side is swollen - nothing itchy, smelly or gross just painful and swollen - Nice play body....smh. I called and the surgeons office didn't feel comfortable making the call without seeing me- but they can't see me right now and to try the gyn. Called there. Got their on-call (no surprise) and he didn't care what I tried - put whatever up there - monostat- the 3 or 1 day. No big deal - call the office Monday. Two very different extremes - So I got the 1 day - put it in did it's thing but burned inside - this morning not really much better....Gave in and just went to urgent care because lets face it, I'm not getting into the gyn's tomorrow without a song and a prayer. The urgent care CRNP was wonderful. I'm completely inflamed - can't tell if it's the medicine or something else but it's not hard to imagine that with that dosage of antibiotics anything else. Other interesting things that have happened - developed a seroma after the drainage tubes were removed. I was fine for the first day, but Wednesday I went to move my right arm across my body to put triple antibiotic on my incisions and it must have been just enough pressure to rupture it, so next thing I knew I had a trickling of fluids from the drainage site. Filled an abdominal pad completely, but it released this uncomfortable pain that was on that side. Let the PS office know - completely normal and it can do that for a few days - told them I let it do it's thing, palpated it a little, washed and sterilized the area, put some more triple antibiotic on it, and then put a tighter sports bra on it. The compression helps the body hold everything, and figure out the fluids - whether to expel or absorb it into the body. Great suggestion or idea - if you have some problems with adhesives use a feminine pad and stick it to your bra. It will it in place much better. I used the smaller thin foam ones and just cut off the wings (lol) and my mom helped me place it. I went about my day and if it leaked it leaked right in there with no issues. After 3 days of the weird leaking it's stopped. These pictures are 10 days post-op - not too shabby! Other then the pain down below, I feel fantastic! I still have some irritation from the tape. I've tried hydrocortisone, moisturizer, coconut oil....just my fate in life. I pointed on the area on my nipple that is still a little funky - it's filling in - looks like a weird almost scab at this point. Showing off the right sided dog ear. It looked all puffed out when the seroma was bad and needed drained or was about to leak...tmi sorry- but once all that fluid came out it lays down pretty nice. When I get the chance I have to tell about the day of surgery and right after. There were things that my friend told me that I definitely would recommend also. Updated on 23 Jun 2017: I didn't get to post due to it took me a while to gather my thoughts. So here's what happened that I remember- SURGERY DAY: I was so anxious it was terrible and not even about me... I guess it's a mom thing. Terribly worried if my daughter was okay or would be should the worst happen.... My mom stayed with me up until they were ready to take me back to surgery. Good Lord she was cracking me up with her antics. They hooked up my iv and I'm not really sure why but I woke up with it in my other hand..boy did that bruise...(still hurts days after). I got one lovenox injection in my belly prior to going "out". I know we talked prior about anti nausea meds after surgery because I knew that I was going to have a hard time tolerating the narcotics. Very important!! You don't want to be vomiting after surgery. I was aware they were going to be catheterizing me and pushing fluids.. and that there was going to be a breathing tube. So - surgery time and I throw a panic attack because I haven't slept in 3 nights so I know that the anesthesiologist and his nurse start pushing my meds and that's the last thing I remember until I woke up in recovery. RECOVERY: I don't remember visually anything but I remember my head aching. I know they were asking what was wrong but I couldn't find the right words - that lasted for days. I kept saying it was "making me sick"-then making my "head sick" finally the words headache and motion sickness came together and the nurse knew what I was after. I sorta heard the conversation- no Tylenol no Advil (because of the lovenox) and remember asking for soda or caffeine and then the nurse saying "why...for the headache! yes! That'll work" I was given a sippy cup which became my bff and I wouldn't let anyone have it! 2ND RECOVERY: From working in a nursing home prior this part was hard because I kept hearing monitors and moans and my brain kept saying that I had to go check on residents. Someone kept crying out and trying to get up setting off their bed alarm. My mom had to keep saying relax. She said it looked like I kept fighting in my mind then she got it out of me that the one monitor sounded like a fall alarm and I was scared that I was going to get up one of the times unconsciously and fall (I thought I was working). The awesome staff quickly surmised the situation and helped arrange all of us to help calm the person and make us all comfy. It's hard but it's important to try to communicate. OVERNIGHT: The night shift nurse was so nice and helpful. Due to all the fluids they gave me I was going pee almost every hour, she said that was ok and we would work some walking in with it - she'd get me up help me, rub my legs, pack me back in bed with pillows (oh I stayed overnight, that's just the surgeons preference) and reapplied the intermittent pneumatic compression device to my legs. I vomited twice- but I was on a liquid diet so it wasn't bad. I forgot about the breathing tub and kinda forgot how to swallow; I had swallowed some broth way too fast...oops...the second time I was definitely sick from the narcotics. The nurse was on top of my meds and by the morning I felt fantastic. My mom was surprised by how great I looked. I was discharged by the PA and out of the hospital by 10. I rested a lot but I also was able to get around pretty well. Updated on 23 Jun 2017: First day back to work and feeling pretty good- just a little raw... but looking great!Updated on 29 Jul 2017: Feeling great! Had a small hole at the t- junction that refused to close at the three week mark. Noticed it was staying kinda red and then there was this black mark in the middle. Finally got the courage and cleaned a pair of tweezers and flicked at the black spot and after having a brief heart attack of thinking something horrible came out realized that it was just a dissolvable suture still in one piece in knotted form. By the morning everything was now nice and flesh toned. By the end of that week the deep hole started to fill out. Now it's jut a tiny little spot filling in. The PA said that I absolutely did the right thing to look at it - I of course would have stopped if I made it bleed or ooze but I didn't know if it was a piece of dirt or what. Considering that I was cleaning the area with wound wash/peroxide/iodine...it was just very frustrating that this spot wasn't closing but the rest was looking great. Oh! And I stopped the Neosporin and switched to bacitracin...it seemed that I was very irritated to something in it, and since switching the hot pink incisions have calmed. I tried out the silicon tape and that was nice for some pressure and provided great results on my areas, but irritating near my armpits and to tolerate. As much as I hated my sports bra I couldn't live without it, the compression felt so comfortable and held everything in. So I recently switched to silicon gel and it's been great for me. I've been cleared to be out of the sports bra and can sleep braless (oops sorry I did that a few days prior- I couldn't take it anymore). Otherwise it's hard to believe it's been 6 weeks since the surgery. I wish I had done it sooner. I've only had a few times of overwhelming feelings that...perhaps the doctor removed too much and that I was left with nothing but I realized that I really was dealing with some body image issues and that it was a huge change that would require some getting used to, to stop being so hard on myself and remember that the wonderful free range of motion I had already achieved was well worth it. I'm so darn chipper that I'm determined to make the best of it! I remember looking down at one point thinking my nipples were a little off but then I started laughing because prior to surgery I couldn't even see my nipples! They pointed south and were huge! My shape now is small and feminine. I've never been able to wear the camisoles with built in bras so hurra for that! I've never been able to go braless! So here's some updated pictures and much love! Updated on 27 Sep 2017: So it's been over three months and I'm loving my results. I'm in about a 36D which is just insane to me. Sometimes a 34DD fits better. I try to stay away from underwire cause it still irritates my skin but it's getting there. There's days it's very itchy but it's normal or sore in places but nothing else has happened. I'm massaging them and using all kinds of lotion or oils and creams. I kinda just bombarded my body with different things. Each one has a different ingredient. Definitely using the scar gel the tape was nice but wasn't practical...
I had my 1st child at a young age & completely ruined my body. I gained over 70 lbs....I could never lose it all. Eventually as life went on O had 3 more children. I was uncomfortable in my clothes and my own skin due to the extra skin in my tummy area. Im still young(31) and want to look and feel good in clothes...I went on a consultation not even knowing that I would go through with the tummy tuck & lipo, bur after consulting with Dr. Sanders, I knew the surgery was best. He answered all of my questions and made me feel confident it was the best decision. I'm so happy I went to that consult and met Dr. Sanders. Today I am able to feel good about myself and have more confidence about my apperance.
