She was a total professional and commanded protection throughout my care over 10 years ago. It was to be a 24 hour observation at hospital . Everything possible went wrong with nursing care. I paged drarmstrong from the opera she came ball gown and all! She has a tough bedside manner but on this night she left no doubt her standards would be met! Love her for it!
She was very caring in scheduling my first surgery. She is the only doctor who has ever personally called me the day after I got home to see how I was doing. She was quick to respond any time I had questions or problems. She was very friendly in talking with me to ease my nerves. She did a great job on my surgery, too.
I have wanted and needed a tummy tuck for years.I have two children 7 & 2. I needed it after the first child but I thought I better wait to make sure I was done having children but now i have one of each Im DONE.!Now its mommy time.I have lots of back pain and shoulder pain and even under my stomach.So I looked into the tummy tuck last year and insurance denied because of the notes from the nurse not enough reason but in January I called the Dr.s assistant again and she sent in the pictures and a letter from my OBGYN and I was approved in 10 days then she said hey we might as well fix your breast to and that is a approved procedure So Im set for May 28 @ 10am I'm so excited for my flat tummy and any size bra fittable boobs lol So 41 days and counting all i can do is keep researching and reading everyones stories. Updated on 7 May 2013: I am so excited I am counting down the days.However I found out that I wont see my surgeon til the day of surgery and now i am thinking I want my arms and legs lipo'd what she I do is that to much to be done at once??? Updated on 9 May 2013: Yay Im down to 18 days I am getting really excited but i feel so unprepared. Someone please tell me what to take to the hospital with me. Updated on 23 May 2013: So I had my pre op appointment yesterday everything went well.Talk to the surgery admission lady today Picked up the surgical scrub soap and now just waiting on the time to go buy boy I tell ya Tuesday cant come fast enough.I feel so un prepared I feel like I may not have something I may need hmmmm Well my recliner comes tomorrow and my bag is somewhat packed guess I will just pamper myself this weekend Updated on 30 May 2013: OMG I never thought I would look like this.I am so happy and excited.I am post ip day two havent really felt like typing so I am trying to update now. My surgery went great it took about 4hours.They actually called and asked to start early but panicked first thinking they were calling to cancel. I have some stretch marfks but hey I've had those since I was 8. I feel ok tried sleeping in bed last night didnt work so I ended up back in the recliner around 4AM.I am going to post photos as I know there not great but I will take more today when I shower for the first time. Updated on 1 Jun 2013: Well I talked to my P.S.on Thursday and and she told me I could watch my drains and come get them out either Friday or Monday but of course when I called she was already booked for Friday so Monday at 2:30 I will get two of the four drains removed.Yay I said I didnt wanna go anywhere until I got my drains out becasue they are so hard to cover.My family said my belly button looks like a black hole I had to explain the process to them lol But other than that I slept in my bed last nite wasnt the greatest felt like I didnt get any sleep.Back in the recliner now gonna try and shower on my own eek!!! So at this point just trying to get thru the weekend Updated on 5 Jun 2013: So on Monday I got 3 of the 4 drains taken out.Yayyyy!!! I felt so much better afterwards.I will say I had read everything and I thought it was gonna hurt but only the top drain on one of my sides hurt the others I didnt even feel.Afterwards My husband took me to target to look around and get sports bras( that ended up not fitting)Then of course my husband was supposed to stay home with me for the first week huh that didnt happen My kids came home Friday night my aunt was my care giver /babysitter all weekend she helped a lot Now its on my mom and my sister to help me out so thats 5+ kids because my sister does daycare.The doctor did say it would be a week or more before I got the last drain taken out but hey 1 drain is better than four.I am so tired of sleeping and sitting in this recliner I tried sitting on the couch and sleeping in the bed but that doesnt feel so hot either. Updated on 5 Jun 2013: I think my boobs are way to small (tear????) but I'm so swollen we just have to wait n see Updated on 28 Jun 2013: So I am post op a month and 3 days WOW!!! This has definatley been a longgggg journey.I realized looking at my previous post that i never posted that my surgery took off 20 POUNDS WOW looking at me dressed you never would have thought even my surgeon said it was only 10 pounds lol well she was wrong.But I have lost another 7 pounds since surgery.I still have 1 of my drains which totally sucks but my PS wont remove until it drains 30ccs or less in 24hours I tell this thing hurts and is a pain I cant even enjoy my new look because I cant wear normal cute clothes trying tohide this drain and the hot weather ugh. Updated on 24 Oct 2014: So I had my tummy tuck right after Memorial Day 2014 and for the last few months it appears to my family that I am going weight so I proved it that I wasn't went back to my surgeon and she said no my stomach dropped because my skin doesn't contract like most my age so on the day before thanksgiving I am going to get it fixed yay I'll look skinny again.anyone had to go back for any reason... Updated on 29 Dec 2014: I had my revisions on 12/19 however I still look fat like she did no Lipo I have rolls sitting and when I put on a bra for the first time today I still had flab hanging over my bra ????I don't know guess I better work out out I tried taking a water pill my husband thinks it's swelling but this is awful
I am totally frakkin out! My reduction mammaplasty + liposuction (near the under armpit area) is scheduled on MAY 31st! I really feel kind of alone in the fact that all i do is look up info about cost, sizes, others' results, wound care, healing and scarring on the net. I dont have alot of paperwork info on the procedure, just the stuff from the doctor about pre op rules and post op rules up to 6 weeks after. I noticed on here, alot of the rules are different than what I am supposed to do. No lifting (only 15lbs or less if have to) for 2 weeks, i have to get tubes (and that REALLY freaks me out), my support bra and dressings applied during surgery are to stay on for 2 weeks (except to wash and dry), follow up after 10 days, also no lifting greater than 20lbs after 10 days. At 3 weeks i get sutures removed. ALSO they say both my procedures will only take about 2 hours total and i see others' on here are saying theirs is like 3-5hrs long.... I have never even had a broken bone, and so i am very scared of this procedure. It is time though... I am almost 32 yrs old with 2 kiddos and huge boobs. I wear a 42FF and i'm 5'5'' and (hate to admit>) i weigh 195lbs. They are going to take me down to a 'C' cup. I dont even know what that looks like LOL. My everyday questions to myself are mostly ~What if C is too small and i end up looking fatter around my waist (if boobs are little)? What if the scarring is nasty like i've seen in some photos? What if i regret it and i get sad b/c i miss the old me? Plus i am scared about being scalpeled up! I've seen surgeries on TV and knowing that is going to be me just freaks me out. And the whole 'tube draining' thing has me scared too. Wondering what they are going to look like, how do i change the fluids every 12 hours without freaking out at the sight of it? I MUST SOUND LIKE A BASKET CASE, but this is the first time i am letting any of this out. I have never met or talked to anyone else who is going through this. I am doing the surgery because i want to feel lighter, run with my children (w/out my boobs beating me up:), be able to excercise (again w/out boobs flopping around LOL), and to wear shirts and bras better. I JUST WORRY THAT A 'C' CUP MIGHT BE TOO SMALL! If i lose weight afterwards, will they shrink even more??? WOW, i need some feedback huh? Sorry for rambling, i'm just hoping not to chicken out~! AND, i need some advice of what NOT to do after the surgery (what not to lift/pull/push...ideas)EX. no opening a tight refridgerator... HELP! Thanks to all who post and to all who have posted on others' reviews. Updated on 14 May 2012: Found out some new info! YAY! I was scared of the 'out of pocket' cost, but its not going to be too bad, plus i can do a payment plan. So, the big day is getting closer. I am ALSO A SMOKER...AHHHHHHHHHHH! I have till Thursday to kick the habit. The 31st is closing in. Wow, my nerves are shaky. Every day i wonder "Am i still gonna do this?" Updated on 9 Jun 2012: This is WAY late, but i am now 14 days post op! WOW, was last week a pain in the ass!! I felt horrible the first 6 days after the surgery. Day 3 was the worst for pains and day 4 i remember being nautious ALL DAY! I cried alot. I HATE the sleeping on my back part! HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO DO THAT??? Im just waiting to feel good again. Im up and at em' but i HATE the numb tight feeling in my chest. I just want this all to be over with honestly. The narcotics made me hallucinate by day 5 so i quit them and am just taking ibuprophen as needed. You Guys.... I HATED the first week recovery!!! I felt so lonely (even though my mom was there taking care of me). I figured something out, when you're in pain, the days are LOOOOOONG! Just to get 1/2 hour over with seemed like hours. My drains were in for 4 LOOONG days. My left side was PAINFUL! My drain site had little blood leaks and my left nipple bled a little after the surgery. I honestly think my bitterness comes from the fact that i HATED MY DOCTOR too!! But thats a whole other story. So i am now waiting to feel better and smoke again and go back to work after the 17th. ALSO, HOW LONG WILL MY SKIN BE NUMB! ITS LIKE ARMPITS DOWN! I HATE the feeling. Grrrr....ANYHOW, HOW ARE YOU GUYS?!?!? PLease share your experiance with me :) Updated on 15 Jun 2012: 2 week post op appt was today! I am actually doing alot better! The appt went well and it was the first time i actually 'liked' my doctor's attitude.I'm healing well! Cant wait to get back to work and i cant wait to excercise. I also am allowed to sleep on my side now AND without a bra, but 'baby steps'. I think i will TRY and sleep on my side WITH the bra and then when i feel comfy...without! I did'nt know, however, that it takes up to a YEAR TO HAVE FEELING IN MY BREASTS AND SIDES AND ARMPITS!!!! Ahhhhh, i HATE the numbness!!! My nipples are the only things that HAVE feeling. I also need to start using Vitamin E 2x a day. I really hope in the end of all this, i look normal. I am scared i will look super scarred. How am i supposed to be comfortable around a man in the future if i have big scars??? (i am going through a seperation/divorce) Anyhow, i will keep you updateD! HOPE YOU ALL ARE DOING WELL!
I feel like I am maimed. My breasts are square underneath. My nipples are puckered and it looks like a chop job. Liposuction was horrible still have cottage cheese stomach. I can’t believe I have to live with this for the rest of my life. Seriously depressed.
Worst decision I’ve made in life. Inconsistent care from her/her team. complications resulted from her poor care and she washed her hands of me. I’m left figuring out how to heal myself without any direction. Other than find another doctor. Hideous scars, daily pain and mental agony.
Her bedside manner is a little rough but I actually enjoyed that. Went to her for a breast reduction after Dr Edney did not do as asked. I was a DDD. I am still a DDD. My scars are reductions, my nipples are not even nor the same size, and a considerable amount of skin could have been removed as well. I should have listened to my gut, but when she went back in to have her take more skin off one side- I had her do a little lipo of the abdomen as well. It's as if she had never done if before. I was like extremely lumpy and with scars directly in the middle of my tummy, I dread of being hidden. She said it the bumpiness would go down, but it didn't. She did a little in-office lipo to correct. I'm not sure it could have gotten worse but boy it did. She has some bad reviews but I ignored them because a friend referred me to her. I should have listened to them as I now believe everything they are saying. I love myself and my body but it was a mistake going to her.
i give her no star for what she did to me and her after care of me but i had to give 1 to post this,,,please avoid her,!!breast job wanted a c got dd,,tt was a mess!! she said she would fix but just kept avoiding me and it was never fixed!!!!!!
This is by far one of the worst dr's i have even been to. she ruined my breast augmentation, & my face lift. she does not know what she is doing. she has great bedside manner but as soon as there is a problem, she will not accept the responsibility of correcting it. i would not recommend my worst enemy to her.don't go to her if you are looking for a quality doctor who knows what she is doing.
Hello, ladies! Like a lot of you, I've spent over a year lurking on this website, trying to get a feel for what a breast reduction surgery would actually entail. Well, I have a wedding coming up this year and I figured now was as good as any time to move breast reduction surgery from the back burner to the kitchen table ;] . My first consultation is tomorrow morning, and I'm finding myself terribly anxious. On the one hand, I am so excited to finally get some answers. Is this surgery feasible for me? What are the chances of insurance covering this? How about breast feeding? Time of recovery? etc. On the other (more dominant) hand, I am absolutely terrified. I'm starting to spiral a bit, not going to lie. I am very concerned about my body image post-op. Though I'm a little heavy for my size (5'8" and 168 lbs) and my breasts are drastically larger than what's considered "normal" (32II), I've always felt like my body was fairly proportional. And in fact, during college I always thought that my larger breasts made the rest of my body look thinner. I know I probably shouldn't have, but I justified my breasts to myself by saying that they "rounded me out" or drew attention away from my midsection--hey, if they're looking at your boobs, they're not looking at your tummy, right? Well, that worked for a while...until I started losing weight. 35 lbs later, and I'm starting to realize that my breasts will forever keep me at a size 14/16, no matter how much weight I lose in the rest of my body. So I know in my head that a breast reduction surgery will benefit me, make me look more like my actual size and weight (in addition to reducing my back pain and getting these TRENCHES out of my shoulders and bruises off my ribcage). But as much as my brain tries to keep me logical...I'm scared. I've always had great self esteem. I don't hate my body. I don't hate my breasts. And I guess I'm worried that if I go through with this surgery, that I'm somehow cheating my body. Like I'm turning my back on who I've been for the past 22 years or rejecting the body that God and nature gave me. Has anyone else felt this way? I suppose this is all stuff I'll have to talk to my surgeon about tomorrow morning. I'm hoping that this first consultation will ease a lot of my concerns. Will update tomorrow, and hopefully load some pictures up. Updated on 7 Feb 2016: Um, wow. This update is looong overdue. I was so happy with my consultation, that I mostly stopped thinking about the surgery and this site. But my surgery is tomorrow, so I figure if better get at least one pre-op update up! My consultation with Dr. Armstrong went very well. I was really nervous to go in, but she was so easy-going that everything went much smoother than I predicted. She really seemed to understand my concerns that I would be too small or disproportionate after the surgery, but encouraged me that going down to a 32/34D would be just lovely on my body. And I have a lot of confidence in her, not just because she's an accomplished surgeon, but because she herself had had this surgery! Hearing that made me feel a million times better. Not going to lie though, as great as that consultation was, I still worry. Sometimes I look in the mirror and think "good Lord, I cannot WAIT to be rid of this hassle," but then other times I think "why should I change this? I'm me." Thankfully, the former thought is far more predominant. That makes it easier going into the surgery. And it does seem like every day I discover some wonderful new reason to have the breast reduction! Fitting into my wedding dress definitely tops the list, followed closely by buying cute bras and (gasp!) maybe even two-piece swimsuits! I still panic though. Just an hour ago I was ready to call the whole thing off. I've called down now, but I'll be happy to get back to some sense of normalcy. Schizophrenia wreaks havoc on my nerves; it'll be nice to have something concrete again. I'll update again soon. (I promise this time!) Either before or shortly after the surgery, you can expect to hear from me! Updated on 9 Feb 2016: Well, ladies, this is my first day with breasts that fit me! My operation went really well. I woke up in the morning, took a shower as per instructions, and was in prep by 8:30am. I was able to meet with Dr. Armstrong again, as well as the anesthesiologist and several nurses who would be working on my surgery, which was really nice. I loved getting to meet them all; it made the process less terrifying. But this was the best part of all--Dr. Armstrong said I wouldn't need any drains! Hurrah! Waking up from the anesthesia was really disorienting. The nurse later said I had asked her repeatedly what time it was, for about an hour. It was really strange waking up, because I felt like I'd been in some dreamland yet the real world seemed more confusing. The pain wasn't as bad as I'd imagined it to be, but it was definitely there. I remember feeling this constant, dull pain and looking down at its source, and in my drugged up mind thinking "oh wow. I still have boobs. Yay." I started feeling better when my mom and fiance came to see me, but everything was still pretty foggy. My fiance did his best to feed me graham crackers, but I only managed to down one because they were AWFUL and dry and I wasn't producing enough saliva to break them down. After I got dressed and stood up to get in my wheelchair, I started feeling really nauseous. My IV had already been taken out, so they put ice packs on my neck and gave me an anti-nausea shot in the thigh. After I was feeling better, they wheeled me to the car. I really don't remember coming home at all because I was so tired from the medication, I just kept my eyes shut. As soon as I got home I went straight to the recliner and fell asleep. This was around 2:30. I was kind of in and out for a long time, until I finally woke up around 6:00. My fiance made me some vegetarian chicken noodle soup, I took more pills, and I went through at least two packages of graham crackers. Graham crackers are my best friend. :) I didn't want to try going up the stairs or sleeping in my bed, so I slept on the recliner, which was really comfortable. The worst pain I've felt so far is when I unconsciously lifted my arms over my head while I was sleeping. That hurt. But honestly, I think the worst thing is the dry and sore throat. They said the breathing tube might make me sore, but I didn't think it would be this bad. I just make sure to drink a lot of water to keep it lubricated. As for the pain, it's really not that bad. I mostly just feel this soreness, almost like I've been exhausted from a long workout. I do have some pain on my sides, though, under my surgical bra...does anyone know why that is? Updated on 10 Feb 2016: Made my first attempt at a shower today! It was pretty rough going, even with my mom there to help me. Taking the bra and dressings off was a little painful, as the seepage wanted to stick to my stitches. Oh, seeing my breasts for the first time was strange. I expected them to be smaller, but actually seeing them on my body was weird. It was like someone had transplanted someone else's boobs into my body! What I found comforting (oddly enough) were my stretch marks, which were still there; that proved these breasts are still mine! The stitches and incisions weren't as gruesome as I'd been imagining, though I didn't realize how badly I would bruise. All the skin under the lower incision is covered with dark purple bruises. Those will heal with time. Over all, though, I feel much better today. I was a little more active walking around the house. I'm still sleeping on the recliner, but that's ok because I'm VERY comfortable there. My soon to be in-laws sent me flowers, which are lovely, and I'm taking the extra free time to catch up on books and tv shows! Not a bad gig! Updated on 13 Feb 2016: Things are going pretty well! I'm almost completely off the pain medication, and getting a little more active! I'm careful not to overdo it, but I've been helping to make meals and doing some stretching and gentle yoga poses to counteract the fact that I spend most of my day on the recliner. I've had two showers, and the second was a million times easier than the first. I still have a little bit of fluid drainage, but I don't think that will be for much longer. Oh, but they ITCH!! My stitches itch so horribly!! Sometimes I just want to rip the stitches out! I'm one of those people who picks at their scabs and can't not scratch mosquito bites. This will be the death of me, I swear. On another note, I've noticed that I get really light headed when I take off or put on my surgical bra. I thought maybe it has something to do with the sudden change in pressure against my chest, but I'm not sure. Any ideas? Updated on 22 Feb 2016: Oh my goodness, I cannot BELIEVE it's only been two weeks since my BR!! It really feels like it's been ages. But things are going so well. I go in to see my PS in two days, so fingers crossed everything goes well. I just can't believe how fast the healing seems to be going. I moved back into my bed last week, and I'm already sleeping quasi on my side! Showering is a breeze, and I've been able to go on long walks with the dog these past few warm days. I'm not draining at all anymore, and the bruising is going down. The one thing that keeps reminding me I had the surgery (other than the mirror!) is the sensitivity of my breasts. It's kind of hard to describe... It's almost like when you have a rash and even tiny brushes across the skin will give you a tingling or slight burning sensation. It's not painful, just annoying mostly. I find that I'm particularly sensitive on the skin above the nipples, on my upper chest. My nipples are also extremely sensitive! But I never had much feeling there before the surgery, so I'm not sure if this is a normal amount of sensitivity that I just need to get used to, or if this is a part of the healing process. I suppose only time will tell. And I finally have some pictures! This one is from day 2 post-op. I'll post the more recent ones next. Updated on 22 Feb 2016: These are actually from a few days ago, but not much has changed since. I wanted to show you guys some close ups of what's going on during the healing process. The sites of the stitches are still really dark, and it think part of the reason is because there's dried blood stuck on. I'm really hesitant to wash the blood off in the shower, since it's pretty concentrated about the nipples and I'm very sensitive there. You'll also see some bruising on my upper right breast and on my left side. The former is highlighter-yellow, and the latter is a really dark purple. It looks more vivid in person. Also note that the stitches on my left breast seem to be "puckering" as if it is too tightly stitched. I think maybe this is due to swelling. Updated on 22 Feb 2016: I may have a move affair with photo editing ;) Look at the difference before and after surgery!! Although I had a bit of an identity crisis immediately following the surgery, every day I am more and more happy that I did it! And look at the results!! Seeing the pictures side by side...wow. I'm so happy I did this. Even though smaller boobs have exposed my other problem areas (egads! Look at that tummy!), now my breasts fit by BODY. Maybe not my size at the moment, but they fit my shoulders and the length of my torso and my tiny wrists ;) And now I can work on the rest of those problem areas to match my breasts. Can't wait to work out again! Updated on 25 Feb 2016: Hello again, lovely ladies! I had my first follow up appointment with Dr. Armstrong yesterday, and everything went really well. I wasn't sure quite what to expect, since my mom made the appointment while I was conked out at the hospital, and even she wasn't exactly sure what a "follow up" appointment entailed. So I was a bit shocked when Dr. Armstrong walked in, laid me down, and pulled out a giant pair of tweezers! I felt a little unprepared to have my stitches out so soon, but hind sight being 20/20, it was better that I not have time to agonize over whether or not the stitches would hurt coming out. In reality, the stitches weren't so bad coming out. It hurt a little, but just for a second. We talked a bit about how I was healing (which is apparently very well!) and how soon I could start doing things like working out, going backpacking, have a dress fitting for my wedding dress, etc. I'm allowed to exercise some now, as long as I keep away from chest exercises and anything that would make me bounce (hurrah, I can get out of burpees!). I'm all clear to go backpacking in Sedona in a few weeks, and will have another follow up just before we leave. I'm also cleared to go have dress fitting as soon as I feel able! I'm going to wait a little bit longer, until I have a full range of motion with my arms, but then we'll be off to the seamstress! I did another exciting thing today, with my doctor's consent... I went bra shopping! I was told I could wear any bra that didn't have an underwire, which is surprisingly difficult to find. I didn't want to spend any serious money on a bra yet, since I may still be swelling, so I went to Walmart to see what I could find. Let me tell you, Walmart bras are SLIM PICKINGS. Once I finally found bras without underwires, I had the damndest time finding my size--even being so much smaller! I guess I'm still pretty large for my torso. All of the D cups at Walmart start at a 36 or 38. And I ideally need a 32, maybe a 34. I ended up buying a sports-type bra with a cup but no underwire. Actually, I got two since they were on clearance for $3 ;) It fits pretty darn well, and will certainly hold me over until I can buy something a little nicer. Can't wait to buy some pretty bras!! Updated on 29 Feb 2016: Things are getting easier and easier! I'm even able to sleep on my stomach again! Strangely enough, it's my sides that are the most sore. I can't sleep on my side for very long. I'll have to post more pictures soon, because my breasts look a lot better than they did the last time I posted pics. I've still got some nasty bruises, but my stitches are so much less noticeable now! I always thought they looked really dark, and my PS told me that was because there was dried blood trapped under the glue. So when I got my stitches out last week, Dr. Armstrong told me to work on getting the glue off. I spent a lot of time in front of the bathroom mirror, peeling it off. But it was extremely gratifying! It felt very ritualistic, like I was shedding one skin to gain another. And I have to say, I think the scar tissue underneath the glue looks really good. I'm excited to see how they heal.
