I just had surgery necklift, facelift, fat to hands, lip graft., and arm lift. I was in surgery 8hrs. It's a bit rough when you are older. I heal well. Last facelift you couldn't see any scars.Dr Bilitho takes extreme care so you don't look pulled, just natural. Lips hurt, arms, face, neck too . There is no way around the pain. My arms look amazing. My face looks natural, still swollen. There is no other way to look good. My husband says no pain no gain. DR BILITHO cares about keeping you NATURAL. It's worth it.
Dr. Bolitho is absolutely the best. He was originally recommended to me by two other doctors. You know you’re going to the best when other doctors and their families choose him as their cosmetic surgeon/doctor. He performed a breast augmentation for me two years ago and now I am going back to him for liposuction. I am so pleased with the breast augmentation as I truly have PERFECT breasts! I chose to go smaller than what two other doctors recommended after talking to my chiropractor and hearing experiences from nearly every woman I knew. Most wished they had gone smaller. Dr. Bolitho LISTENED to what I wanted and knew exactly, exactly how to make that happen. I have such trust in this doctor that I am going back to him now for liposuction of multiple areas. I give Dr Bolitho like my highest recommendation. His staff is amazing too!!!
Dr. Bolitho is a brilliant and talented surgeon. He made me feel at ease every step of the way. I’m two weeks post surgery and I couldn’t happier with my breast augmentation. He did a PERFECT job. He was outstanding!!!
Absolutely love Dr. Bolthio! I was referred to him by my mother (who had a tummy tuck and lipo 14 years ago!) when I told her I was interested in getting a breast augmentation. He was the second doctor I had a consultation with and that day I booked my surgery! I was very nervous about the size and actually went in a couple times to just try on different sizes. I trusted him with the final decision and I am so happy I did I am one week post op. And I am in love with how they are healing! I will update again in a few weeks. He uses the best quality implants. I got 445ccs in both sides "natrelle" silicone filled. Paid $7200 worth every penny! Staff is very friendly! I will definitely get more procedures with him in the future
Just wanted to refresh my face and decided to try Dermapen. I love it! I just had my third treatment and I can't wait for the results. The first treatment I noticed a small amount of improvement but after my 2nd treatment the improvement was much more noticeable. The depth of the needle will likely make the difference. I was given a numbing agent prior which really helps. The fines lines are disappearing and I notice that the bags under my eyes look better too! I recommend trying the Dermapen and giving it at least 2 treatments.
The “after” selfie was taken at about 6 weeks post-op. Pretty incredible… right? I am so glad I did this. I am still healing but the results, so far, are pretty amazing. My doctor, Dr. Bolitho, is an incredible surgeon and I am so happy I found him. Dr. Bolitho, Sharon, Kandie, Karen, Carole, and Elizabeth, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I could not have done this without the level of care, compassion, and encouragement you have given to me. Updated on 22 Feb 2016: Thanks for the compliments! I've had a few questions asking for more details so, I thought I'd update my posting so everyone could see this without having to dig into a sea of comments and replies. I think the number one question has been about the procedure that was done. Yes, I had a lower face lift with the neck lift. To be honest, I have no idea what the technical name is for the procedure Dr. Bolitho did (is this what you are asking about?). What was important to me was that he would tighten and reposition the underlying tissue and the ending result would look natural and not overdone. It took me about 2 minutes to feel confident that this was the plan and then I moved on to wringing my hands over all sorts of other details. Like.... Will anybody be able to tell what I did? Hiding the incisions is extremely important to me. I was very apprehensive about facial plastic surgery because of this. Then, one day last year I read Dr. Bolitho's response to someone's question right here on Real Self about the possibility of having a neck lift/lower facelift with concealed scars. He answered her and explained how it can be done by a surgeon who is very experienced in placing the incisions inside the ear and hidden within the hairline. In the end, she should be able to wear her hair in a ponytail or bun. I wanted to know more so, I made a consultation appointment with Dr. Bolitho to talk about what it would be like if I decided to do it. Fast forward a few months and... Yes, Virginia, you can have a neck lift and lower face lift with the incision inside your ear behind the tragus instead of in front of it. (Thank Google for the body part name because 10th grade Anatomy and Physiology class was a looooong time ago!) That's not the only incision, let's be realistic! I do have incisions that follow the contour of my ear and then down into my hairline and a small incision under my chin. These have healed, as in, they are closed. To me, they are still noticeable but, they are getting better week by week. I know that this part takes time and it will be a while before I can wear my hair up when I'm out in public (actually, I have to keep reminding myself that it's only been x number of weeks). For now, I wear my hair down and tucked behind my ears when I go out of the house. I don't feel at all self conscious that "everybody knows" because I don't have a visible scar in front of my ear. This was a big deal for me and I'm really happy I have Dr. Bolitho as my plastic surgeon. His work looks really natural and it is our little secret!
Does everybody on the site start out by lurking for months before finally starting a journal? :) Hi to everyone from Southern California. I am 46 years old, 5'7.5", weighed in today at 207 and I wear a size 14 in pretty much every brand. I'm married and I have two kids (19 & 14). I live in a suburb north of San Diego and I'm scheduled to have my surgery on August 31! My story is a little bit crazy...back in 2004 (when I was still married to my first husband), I was selected to be on a local tv show (like "Extreme. Makeover"). I had recently lost 60lbs (I was working out 2 hrs a day and eating about 1000 calories/day). I actually looked worse naked then in my opinion but I looked great in clothes! I only wanted a TT but they were also going to do a BL, BA & Lipo, too. And since it was FREE I agreed to get the rest done. I think 12 people total were selected to be on the show. We had to do extensive physicals and psych screenings and run around and meet different doctors, dermatologists and dentists (we were offered skin procedures, LASIK and teeth whitening, too). Pretty great, right? Well, they assigned me a surgeon and I had a surgery date and I even filled my narcotics prescriptions. Then two days before the surgery they postponed - we were told they were having insurance issues. My PS pulled out and I had to go meet another one and then, as you probably have guessed by now, the whole thing fell apart. UGH So I have been waiting 11 YEARS to finally have my TT! Crazy, I know. But I am so practical I said I would do it when I wouldn't have to go into debt for it. So now I can finally pay for it and I'm all set! About 6 weeks ago when I decided to finally schedule my surgery I first went back to have a consult with my original PS from 2004. Back then he didn't give me the warm & fuzzies but he is so prestigious I wasn't going to be picky. This time around I got the same cold vibe from him. I am sure he is a fabulous PS but his website is the SAME as it was back then and his before & after photos are also the same. One thing I did like - he does make his TT patients spend the night in the hospital. Next I went to see a PS who worked on a former coworker and she had AMAZING results. One interesting thing about him, the pictures of himself on his website are probably 10 years old. When he walked in the exam room he had completely white hair and was about 40 pounds heavier than his photos online of when he was skinny with dark hair. I thought that was kind of funny. I did love his bedside manner and thought he was going to be in my surgeon. In fact I almost canceled my third consult but since it was scheduled for the next day I figured I might as well go. My third consult was with Dr. Glenn Bolitho. He completely blew the other two out of the water. I really clicked the best with him. And he is board certified in PS in four countries so that's pretty impressive! One of the reasons I chose him is because he sends a nurse home with you for the night post op. My husband is being a little prickly about the whole procedure. He is 36 and recently took a medical retirement from the USMC. He has some major PTSD issues so he is prickly in general! But I'm sure part of his issue is that his ex sister in law had gastric bypass 10 years ago and lost about 100lbs. She promptly divorced his brother and it was all very messy. But even before we got married I explained to my husband I was going to spend this money on my TT (some came from my father when he passed away). We have been married for 8 years so he has known for a long time it was coming - some day. And now that day is almost here!! I had my blood drawn yesterday and I go visit my PS tomorrow for my last appointment before THE day. My husband isn't working right now so he will be home while I recover. I hope he will be helpful but we'll see! LOL Luckily my son and daughter will also both be able to help out. And my two little doggies will be here to help keep my stress down and keep my company while I recover. I took two full weeks off work and I normally work from home 3 days/week so I can just work from home 5 days after my vacation is up if I need to. My coworkers are mostly RN's (my company is owned by an ER Doctor) so it's really hard to keep any kind of medical secret at our office. One of my coworkers knows I'm having a TT (which probably means everyone knows!) and my boss lives out of state but knows I'm having outpatient work done. So that's my deal. I took some 'before' photos tonight. I hope they upload correctly. Some look sideways in the preview screen but they don't in my photo album and I don't see how to correct them on this site, so I apologize if they come out wrong. What's funny is that in the first few I was holding in my damn stomach. I mean, REALLY? Talk about force of habit. If I hold it in, I look ok (in the pink top) but I will be so happy to be on the flat side as I now know it's called. Yay! So thanks for all your stories and the photos. They have been so inspiring. I will be keeping mine updated as we move along. Here's to our combined quick healing (I'd love to toast but of course no alcohol this week!). Talk to you all tomorrow after my appointment! Updated on 26 Aug 2015: My labs are good, my exam was fine, I got my prescriptions, my instructions and all I can do now is wait until Monday. We also took the official 'before' photos. Once again it took a conscious effort not to suck it in when someone put a camera in front of me! I think I've been doing that since birth. To keep myself entertained I made a list. 10 things I won't miss about my tummy: 10. Lifting it up in the shower to wash under it/dry it after 9. That I would rather have a root canal than try on a bathing suit 8. My underwear rolling down over and over, all day, everyday 7. Pulling my shirt down all day, everyday 6. The roll around the bottom of my stomach that shows thru everything I wear 5. Looking pregnant in anything with an empire waist 4. That my friends with bigger boobs than mine (38D) can grab a Medium shirt and it fits. WTF is that about?! 3. How it gets in the way when I'm in yoga class and trying to bend forward in most poses 2. The way I think I am looking good one day until I see a photo from that day and realize how awful it looks 1. Flinching every time I am laying in bed with my husband and his hand grazes my stomach Feel free to add to the list! Updated on 28 Aug 2015: Today was my last day of work before surgery. I had 1 million loose ends to tie up before taking two weeks off. I work from home on Fridays and even though my kids are in school my husband was home. Of course today my dog Bear decided to get sick suddenly so I had to deal with that. We had to find him a vet that could take him today and maybe figure out what is wrong with him. They just gave him some pain pills and sent him home. We still don't know if it is his neck or his stomach. But he is moving very slow and can't jump up on the couch. He just wants to curl up somewhere away from all of us. He really is my baby so I'm very worried about him. He's six or seven (a rescue pup) and has never been sick. As for me I haven't been nervous or worried about the surgery at all. I'm just ready to have it behind me so I can start healing. I'm not expecting to end up a size 6 when it's all over. In fact if I stay my same size and just have clothes that fit correctly, I will be fine with that. But now that it's just the weekend between me in the operating room I can't help but think about best possible outcomes and worst possible outcomes. I wish I could go to sleep tonight and wake up 2 weeks post op! Updated on 29 Aug 2015: Both of my kids were induced because they were a week overdue. Waiting for that was as bad as waiting for this. While I was out running errands today I did a little fantasy shopping in the size 12's section. That would be very nice to shop there. I didn't look at the tens because I didn't want to jinx myself! Of course my period started today-a full week early! Anybody know how they deal with that during surgery?! My daughter has a terrible cold today. I had to tell her to stay away from me. Poor kiddo. Every time we give the dog medicine he goes somewhere in the house to hide once it hits (because he so stoned on the pain meds). He's been hiding in her room so they can be sick together, I guess. Tomorrow is my son's birthday so that should help the time go by. Plus I have to change the sheets, do laundry, pack a few things...One more day!! Updated on 31 Aug 2015: Had to scream at my husband multiple times to get out of bed and get in the car but we are finally on the road. Yesterday was a whirlwind of errands and housework but I think it's all done. Stressed for a bit because I couldn't get my wedding rings off but that's done, too. My doctor sends a nurse home with you so that's great but we've never met and she's driving me home. She called Friday and I told her it may not seem like it when we meet but I will be happy to see her! LOL Ok, everyone wish me luck and I'll see you on the flat side! Updated on 31 Aug 2015: Home,in bed. Lots of meds. Yay! Lots to tell. Talk to you all tomorrow. Xxoo Updated on 1 Sep 2015: I am on the good meds but I will try to tell you all about it. Today I had my first post op appointment. The unwrapped me so I snapped a quick photo. Looking good so far, even with the swelling. Doc wants me to switch to spanx because the wrap they put me in doesn't go high enough. He did lipo all the way up to my bra line. YAY! I have to go back Friday. I have one drain that doesn't put much out so maybe it will come out. My surgery went from about 1-6pm and I think we left the office around 7:45pm. The best was that my doc sends a nurse home with you for night one. My overnight nurse was awesome. She gave me meds, took my vitals, got me yogurt when I needed food to eat with meds. Hubby made ice chips a few times but I couldn't get enough of them. My mouth is still dry today. Its from the tube in my throat I'm sure. Everyone on the surgery team was very nice. They were running late from the first surgery so we started late but it worked out so we missed rush hour traffic coming home. However, my hubby had started a campfire in the backyard before we got there and my bedroom windows were open. I mean, really!? I had to tell him to put it out with water. I couldn't have all that smoke in the bedroom. Sheesh The anesthesiologist told me the drugs he gives people makes them go to sleep happy and wake up happy and it worked! Both My kids have colds so they can't really come in my room much. And the doggies stayed in the guest room with Hubby last night. They have been up to see me in bed. Bear isn't 100% but he's doing better. I took two Percocet so I'm probably rambling! Sorry. I have a post op photos if you want to see how it looks so far. It isn't too gross. PS: half a yogurt was enough to fill me up last night so let's hope that keeps up! Tonight I'm working on a pineapple turmeric smoothie but I need to clear my throat and it's killing me! Updated on 2 Sep 2015: I am still on my period, not eating much and woke up with a lot of pain. I have stomach issues so I think it was more that than the TT. Hubby has been so good helping my up, keeping records of meds, even giving me shots (they gave me something for preventing blood clots that gets injected every 12 hrs). He brought me tea and toast and emptied my drains. He's doing pretty great! Once I got up and went to the bathroom we cleaned me up and washed my face, brushed my teeth, etc. I felt a lot better. The hard part I'd the getting up and down into bed but I just keep thinking I have to make it to Friday because day 4 seems to be when most start feeling better. I hope to have some more photos soon so let's hope they look good. I keep looking at the other ones, thinking that can't be my body! :) Updated on 3 Sep 2015: I was a little stiff when I woke up today but once I was moving I was able to wash my face, brush my teeth and clean up a little bit, which felt great. I took all my meds, I emptied my own drains and my hubby change the sheets on my bed. I'm only taking one pain pill at a time now during the day. I took two last night before I went to bed and I slept a good six hours straight. But one is enough during the day to ease the pain. I haven't unwrapped since I was in the doctors office Tuesday and then switch to Spanx. I have another appointment tomorrow so I'm sure I will get to see where were at then. I know the lump on my upper left side has gone way down from wearing the Spanx. I'm also using ice packs on my lipo spots because it feels good. I'm a little gassy but no bm yet, which is ok so far. I'm not uncomfortable in that way. I'm lucky that I already have an adjustable bed. I have a little table next to my side of the bed and I have magazines, the remote controls, Chapstick, my phone and a bottle of water at all times. I'm really about as comfortable as I can be, all things considered. I'm hardly putting out much at all in one drain (like 40cc/day) and the other is under 300. I am sure one will come out tomorrow but I wish both would come out. It would be great to take a shower! I bought wipes for these days but it isn't the same, of course. I don't ever want to eat (nothing sounds good), which is REALLY unusual for me. I'm glad I bought some protein shakes because those are a quick way to get something in my tummy when it's time to take meds. I don't remember ever not being hungry in my whole life. LOL but nothing sounds appealing this week. I'll take it. I'm sure it won't last. I will update again tomorrow after my appointment. Happy healing, everybody! Updated on 4 Sep 2015: I felt like a leper because I haven't showered since Monday morning. I wore a maxi skirt, a black tank, a spanx tank top (with large cotton pads under it), a sun hat and sunglasses! They all raved about how great I looked and I was told to walk 4xs a day for 10-15 min each time. I had the nurse take a photo. I don't know who that is or how her torso is on my body but I think it's ok! :D I'm going to take a modified shower tomorrow. We will see how that goes. I still have the drains in but I also have a really large shower and a handheld shower head so I can make do. So I made a little snack of hummus and crackers and I'm back in bed. I'm watching Newsroom on HBO. It's pretty good. I can feel my spanx tank getting tighter so I know I'm swelling from the walking around today. And from the half piece of French bread pizza I ate earlier. I have a ton of salt free snacks and smoothie ingredients so nothing else salty for the weekend! I was taking injections to prevent blood clots (but those are done!) and I'm still taking Bromelain & arnica as well as my pain pills. I'd like to be on Tylenol by the time I go back next Tuesday to get (at least) one drain out! My doctor and his staff have all be great. I am really happy with that choice. I wish we could fast forward three weeks but I think I'm doing pretty good. Today was supposed to be the day it turned around and I think the worst is over (knock on wood)! Updated on 5 Sep 2015: Today I spent most of the day downstairs. I had my tea at the kitchen table and then hubby helped me wash my hair in the kitchen sink! It has a convertible sprayer so it worked out well. I came back up to brush my teeth and wash my face and he took a shower so he could run my daughter out to get a gift and then to a birthday sleepover. I was upset because I wanted a shower so bad but I knew she had to get out of here so while they ran out I watched some tv from the living room couch. I also decided to try to get off the pain killers and switch to Tylenol. Maybe that could have waited until tomorrow! I was due for a pain pill at 3 so I took two Tylenol. At 4:30 I took two more! I'm ok right now but I might take 2 more at 8:30 and then a prescription one when I try to go to sleep around midnight. Last night I took two prescription ones at 1am and slept until 11am this morning (I woke up at 8 when Hubby went to the bathroom and took one then too, but went right back to sleep). So when he finally got home I had to get in the shower before I was too worn out! We put my drains in a ziplock Baggie and used a lanyard to hold them both together away from the shower. He got in to help me - washed and rinsed my legs, then used the towel around my waist so nothing got wet, so he could wash my arms and back. Then I washed the rest! It worked out pretty great. Then it was back in a clean spanx tank top with the pads under it and the wrap over that. But I am clean!! That was so worth all the trouble. He thinks he is going to break me so he cleans me like I'm a newborn. I get it but I want to scrub everything! Anyway, I'm finally clean! Before we got me dressed I had him take a couple new photos. Still doing good there, I think. The bruises should be mostly gone by next week. I'm happy! Updated on 6 Sep 2015: I have read every description of the struggle with the first post op bm. But because I live my life constipated (with a prescription of Colace already part of my regular life), I was unconcerned about the difficulties others have described. I can't ever go, so what's the difference? I'm not uncomfortable. Why would I want to now? I never do any other day of my life. And then I woke up today. I have Milk of Magnesia, I have Miralax. But I'd been reluctant to take those thinking I'd be dealing with the other extreme. And worried I wouldn't be able to reach my rear end! This morning I knew the day had come and I was going to be going. Couldn't make it happen. The struggle is real. LOL I literally spent over 30 minutes trying to make it happen. I took the MOM & the Miralax (thinking the MOM would take a few hours and the Miralax would help with tomorrow or the next day). So now it's 7 hours later and I'm posting just to warn you not to make your whole day uncomfortable and ridiculous. TAKE THE MILK OF MAGNESIA! You will be glad you did. In other news, my left drain site is leaking so I did have to call the doctor and ask if that was OK and how much was OK. I'm soaking thru a gauze pad every hour or so and it soaked the front of my underwear yesterday so I didn't know if it was anything to be concerned about. He called me back and said if I can hold out until Tuesday we will look at it (and likely lose the drain!). And it is bearable. So we're good. Call your doc with questions. It took 5 minutes of his time and provided me with peace of mind for the next two days. Hope everyone has a happy and healthy Labor Day weekend. Take care! Updated on 7 Sep 2015: I've been trying so hard to do everything the PS said to do. I blew it with this one! A couple days ago I pulled tape or something out from under my breasts before I took my first shower. The skin was pretty itchy so I put some aquafor on it. Took another shower tonight. Drying off I realized those are STITCHES. And i pulled the plastic covers off them. And I have been putting Aquafor over them. ???? Luckily I am going to the PS tomorrow so I can confess and have home look at them. I also noticed a new bruise above all my wraps and whatnot. No idea how it got there but I did cough Saturday night and that is right where the pain was at after (well, directly south). I'm clean again and down to 4 Tylenol and 2 prescription pain pills a day. Tonight I will take a Rx one and try Tylenol when I wake up. Happy healthy healing everybody! Updated on 8 Sep 2015: The good news is that one drain was removed today (didn't feel a thing!). The bad news is that one is still hanging around. I'll probably get to be rid of it on Thursday or Friday but its annoying now. They re-bandaged by stitches (from the bra line lipo), re-taped my whole abdomen and I was on my way. I meant to mention my PS used the Exparol on me and I think it really helped. I was uncomfortable some days but my pain level was only ever around 6-7. I thought I was a normal person today, wearing normal clothes (a sun dress) and eating normal food but it turns out I wasn't quite ready for that. My tummy is NOT having spicy food right now so I will have to slow it down a bunch. That's fine. Tea & toast for me tomorrow. I'm binge watching Mr. Robot now (which maybe isn't the best show to watch on pain killers!). I want to watch Veep but am afraid of laughing. And its 88 degrees here so everyone is crabby and sick of the heat (we don't have a/c because it didn't get hot 10 yrs ago when my house was built!). I'm off to bed... Take care, everyone! Updated on 12 Sep 2015: Crazy! It can't be me because there isn't a huge gut hanging over my lap. :) Went to see the PS today. He says everything is looking great, but I am still pretty swollen. And so I still have one drain in. Ugh. I knew they wouldn't take it out because I was running around a lot yesterday and bumped up my output too much. But My daughter had a dr appointment yesterday and we went to Walmart and stuff. It's ok. It's really hot here and My husband still has to help me in the shower. Otherwise it's not a big deal. I'm still swollen so if I need it, I need it. But I feel pretty good today. I drove my daughter to school at 6:45am and although I took a Rx pain pill last night before bed, I didn't take anything today until about 9:45. And then it was only 2 Tylenol. I took two more around 7pm. They did let me ditch the pads under my spanx tank top so now it's just the tank and the elastic band over that. Much better. Especially in this heat. I missed my daughter's first football game so I went to see her cheer tonight. I stayed for the varsity game and I was pretty worn out by the time those two were over. I'm hitting the sack but wanted to tell everyone to have a good weekend and don't over do it! Updated on 15 Sep 2015: I didn't get a chance to post yesterday but I got my last drain out!! I feel human again. I took a shower last night and now that I'm wearing silicone strips I was careful not to get them too wet, dried them really, really well and got into a lighter tank top and my post op wrap before bed. I can just wear spanx if I want to (with or without the wrap) now. I can sleep on my side if I want to know but last night I still slept on my wedge pillow. I couldn't get comfortable on my side. I'm only taking Tylenol now and I only need two in the morning when I first wake up and two at night before I go to sleep. Sometimes I will take two during the day but it's rare. I just don't think about it. However, as soon as I eat I can feel myself start to swell up (the binder gets tighter!). Crazy. I also mentioned to my nurse that sometimes I will involuntary gasp for breath. I don't know what that's about but she said she's heard that before and I should remember to take deep breaths during the day. Tomorrow I have to go back to the office. I normally work from home three days/week so this will be the first time I have to get dressed and made up and do my hair. I better get to bed early. That might take awhile because I've had a nice break from that and I'm out of practice. LOL It's raining here today so the heat has finally tapered off. I think I am probably a little too active (running errands, cooking, etc. all day) but I don't know. It feels good to get moving again and not be stuck in bed, but I don't know if I'm wearing myself out or building my tolerance back up. While I was out today I tried on some clothes and I wore two medium tops and a (generous) small!! I didn't buy them but it was a thrill to not only look at the L/XL tops. I even bought a dress in a size 12 for a trade show I have next month. I have to take some photos soon and see how it's looking. My bruises are about gone. I will try to put some new photos up soon! Happy healing everyone! Updated on 18 Sep 2015: So I woke up Thursday feeling good - really normal. I went to the office (after a one hour commute), went to lunch with some friends and worked 8 hours. I had another hour plus drive home no grabbed a quick bite on the go because I had to take my daughter to the open house at her high school. She had to show up for extra credit in a couple classes. It started at 6:30pm. Can you guess what happened? Nothing good. I was so sore and so swollen and so uncomfortable. It was the worst I have felt since the days right after surgery. I really thought I was Superwoman or someone. But I got a quick reality check. I'm still only taking Tylenol but I was really considering a narcotic after that day. So, lesson learned about not doing too much, too fast. Today I worked from home and only did about half a day total. I've had my feet up as much as possible and I'm trying to not walk around too, too much. I took some photos after I got out of the shower last night. I don't know if you can really see the swelling but believe me, it was awful. I'm still not sleeping flat yet but I did take a half an hour nap on my side today, so that was new! I'm still wearing my compression wrap and a spanx tank top. I try to dry my tape off really well when I get out of the shower. I'm even using the hair dryer on cool to get my belly button dry. The edges of the tape are peeling in a few places so I bought some other tape at CVS to try to keep it tacked down. I'm also making pineapple smoothies with turmeric again to see if that helps! I will spend the weekend trying to rest up. Hope you are, too! PS: Go Packers! Updated on 18 Sep 2015: Updated on 26 Sep 2015: This week has been dragging by so slowly. I can't believe it's only week three since surgery. Work is pretty normal. I am not overly tired at the end of the day. And I'm not taking much more then two Tylenol every other day. I'm still a little stiff if I've been sitting too long and I'm certainly swollen every night after work. But I'm feeling fine and my clothes are certainly fitting differently. Which is fun! I have never owned a bikini in my life and I ordered some online recently. Since it's so late in the summer none of the stores around here have them anymore. And then I found an outlet store that had only bikini bottoms and they were all on clearance for a dollar! So I bought five for myself and 15 to resell on eBay. I had ordered two bikinis from Victoria's Secret and some from Amazon and the Amazon ones didn't work out but the VS tops look great so I went from never owning one in my life to now I have a ton of them! My husband is out of town for two weeks and Before he left we had been sleeping with the mattress flat because it was hurting his back to have it elevated all night. I still have two pillows under my head and went under my knees but I probably don't need that much support. I can sleep on my side if I want to but I don't spend all night on my side. I went to my doctors office and they removed the tape they had originally put on my scar and replaced it with silicone tape. My bellybutton doesn't look great. I'm sure it's because it got wet when I would shower and I couldn't get it fully dry behind the tape. So I'm using some Neosporin and a Band-Aid on that every night. They gave me two rolls of silicone tape so I can replace it as needed. So far I have only replaced at once and that was tonight after I got out of the shower. So it lasted from Wednesday until Friday night. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to replace the tape myself but it was no problem. It was so great that they told me not to buy scar therapy tape because they provided it. My doctors office has really gone above and beyond my expectations with all the little extras they provide. A couple people at work have commented on how I look like I've lost weight since my vacation. I haven't told them about the surgery. I think I would admit it if I asked but right now I'm still adjusting to this body and trying to accept that it's real and I'm not going to ruin it or wake up looking like I used to...I am not sure how to explain it. So tomorrow I'm driving to Las Vegas for a concert Saturday night with some girl friends and then coming home Sunday for another concert Sunday night. It seemed like a great idea at the time but when I bought the tickets I hadn't booked the surgery yet! I won't be going too crazy in Vegas or anything. And I am planning on trying to nap before the show Saturday night. I will upload some pictures and show you my scar before I replaced the tape. I will have to try to remember to take some in the morning sometime when I'm not so swollen! I hope everyone has a great weekend ! Updated on 5 Oct 2015: So I had a pretty crazy week or so... I enjoyed the girl's weekend but it was a lot of driving (all by me - thanks, pals!). The concerts were both awesome. And then with my husband gone I'm running around taking care of the house, kids, dogs, etc. So in the beginning of last week I was really, really tired. I saw my PS on Thursday and he was very pleased with my results, too. I don't have to go back for a month. Just keep up with the silicone tape. I had plenty of "when can I..." questions. I have a massage scheduled October 16 (he said that was fine). I asked about three s's - sun, swim and sex. He OK'd all of those, too (it would help if my husband was in town now!). If I do swim I'm just supposed to shower right after and change my tape. I haven't been swimming yet but I am excited. I asked about the sun because my belly button is still healing I think AND my stomach has never seen the sun! I will let you know if/when that happens. I also did some shopping while my daughter was shopping for a homecoming dress. Pre op I was a 14 in pretty much everything with an XL top. NOW I am a 12 in RL dresses, a 10 in work pants, a 10 or an 8 (!) in jeans (the ones with lots of stretch I could size down in) and a L top. Those boobies didn't go anywhere. LOL I even remembered to take some photos in the morning around the 28day mark so you could see some without swelling. I wear my post op Velcro wrap when I drive long distances (like I have been all week) and just a spanx tank under my top every day at work but I feel fine without the wrap. I sleep flat now and I am doing housework (boo). So I'm almost normal. I'm still numb and hard as a rock in the front. My doc says that is swelling that will go down more over time. But even if it didn't I'd be thrilled with this as a final result. I'm trying to listen to my body and rest as much as I can. I did make a pineapple and turmeric smoothie twice in the last week because I think they help healing but who knows. Keep on healing everyone! Updated on 31 Oct 2015: I went to see my doctor on Thursday for my eight week checkup. I can't believe it is already two months since my surgery. Everything checked out fine. I'm still wearing my silicone tape every day. I change it about every three or four days. I also use coconut oil on the incision and tape scars (like my belly button area). I wear my Velcro binder only when I'm sleeping. I think it helps with swelling. I might wear it if I have a long drive. But otherwise I wear spanks under a dress but not every day. I still have a lot of swelling by the end of the day. Mostly above my waist line (under my breasts). And it gets bad about nine o'clock at night. I want to get back on a regular gym schedule. Since my last post I swam twice and I have gone to the gym twice in the last two weeks (only for cardio). I also want to go back to yoga but I am hesitating for some reason. I went kayaking last weekend. That was a good workout. But I had a trade show last week and was out of town for most of the week. It was a lot of long hours every day and I didn't have the energy to work out when that was going on. I saw a lot of customers I only see once a year and some commented on my 'weight loss'. All I said was that I really hadn't lost that much. And that's true. I think I only weigh 12-15lbs less. I just didn't want to start telling everyone I had a tummy tuck. I just changed the subject. ;) I'm still numb along the incision and just above and below. My PS says that's totally normal. Feeling will slowly come back in those areas. Everyone in his office kept asking me how I was feeling and if I was happy. Who gets these results and isn't happy? I wanted to say, "I'm so mad...mad I didn't do it 10 years ago!" When I get up in the morning and I'm nice and flat I take a minute to look in the mirror and really appreciate the improvement. For so many years I did NOT want to look at my body in a mirror, I guess I'm making up for it now. But otherwise, life is pretty normal. I have some photos to post and the ones in the blue dress are after work (5pm) but the others are in the morning. I will try to take some at 9pm this weekend so you can see the difference. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween! Updated on 1 Nov 2015: Here are some photos from about 10pm tonight when I was done with my shower and changing my scar tape. It's pretty red but I'm sure it will get better. Updated on 30 Dec 2015: I can't believe I haven't posted in almost 2 months! I want to say, "where did the time go?" But I know where it went. It went to Thanksgiving...and then it went to a trip to Seattle...and then it went to Christmas...the last two months have been a blur. My Mom was here for a month and so it was really tough to 1) stay on schedule with the workouts and 2) eat as healthy as I'd like. She thinks dinner should always come with gravy. I had to keep telling her I only make gravy on Thanksgiving. LOL I did see my PS a couple weeks ago and took some official 'after' photos. I also have one tiny scar end (about 2" long) on my right hip that he wants to fix. I said SURE but it's so minor, I probably wouldn't have asked him about it. Honestly, I know I'm still swollen, etc., but if I had no more improvements I would still be completely satisfied with my results. But that scar revision is now booked for early February so I will post before/after photos of that. He says it's done in a few minutes in his office with a quick local. I'm really not worried about it at all. Like I said, I still have swelling at night and I'm still wearing my binder most nights but that's really still just out of habit. I don't know that it really makes a difference. The spot he wants to fix is also where the scar tape tends to roll. Ironically, it's my workout pants that cause the tape to roll up on the end the most. The pants are the ones I wore before surgery so they fall down I hike them up and the tape rolls up on itself. I need new yoga pants! But I am also about done with the tape. They said "one more month" at my last appointment and that was 12/3, so just after New Year I will quit taping y scar (when I run out of tape!). I also recently booked a lymphatic massage appointment with a certified lymphatic massage specialist. She said she could feel the swelling and that she could see it was starting to drain as she moved through the massage. But I don't really notice a difference yet. It was $80 and I don't know if I would go back to that particular massage specialist. She works out of her home and it was kind of a strange set up. If anyone else has thoughts on the lymphatic massage effectiveness please feel free to let me know. At the end of the appointment I asked her where all that fluid is released? I didn't know for sure if it's just processed through your kidneys and she said yes. At my last appointment I did mention to my plastic surgeon that I have been wearing a pantiliner every single day (since the surgery) and that is unusual for me. I don't really think it is my bladder leaking but it's something. He said that wasn't related to surgery and told me to ask my OB/GYN and I will, but I wanted to ask him about it first because I think she will say, "have you asked your plastic surgeon?" I kind of wonder if it is fluid leaking out of me!? So if I find anything else ou about that I will let you know. I hope everyone has a peaceful holiday and a happy and healthy new year. Take care, all! Updated on 1 Apr 2016: I posted an update when I went in for a scar revision in February. Well, I thought I did. I guess it didn't upload. So long story short, I had a small (2.5"?) bit of scar tissue at the end of my scar an the right side that my PS offered to repair. Honestly, I wouldn't have even asked about it but he offered so why not? It didn't bother me but if he could improve it I was totally up for it. He told me it would take 5 min and he could do it in his office, etc. so I booked the appointment for a lunch hour in early February. Luckily I didn't book anything after it because while the repair didn't take long, it was done I his surgical suite and the prep work (e.g., waiting around in a gown) took 1.5 hours! I will upload before and after photos (or try!) so you can see how it's coming along. I think it's fine. I'm wearing surgical tape just on that one spot. It's tricky to keep it on that little bit of scar so it's hard to know if it's helping much. Otherwise I'm AOK. I buy jeans in an 8, still buy dresses in a 12 (I bought one shift dress in a 10!) and have still not worn a bikini in public. I went to Vegas last month for work but it was too cold. Every day, usually while getting dressed, I marvel at what a great job my doc did. I'm so happy I did this for myself. I never regretted it for a second. Well, I regretted I couldn't do it sooner! Updated on 2 Apr 2016: I forgot to post the 'after' photos of my revision photos. One correction - I meant to say the repair was about 2.5 cm NOT inches! You can see why I didn't think it was a huge deal, as it was such a small bit of the scar. Updated on 16 Mar 2018: Just thought I’d add some new photos. I’m on a workout plan (weights, spin & yoga 2xs/week) and getting ready for summer! Hope everyone is feeling good and taking care of themselves. Updated on 12 Dec 2018: I recently went to see my surgeon for my 3 year check up and the office was really surprised to see not only was I maintaining but I had lost almost 50lbs. So my before and after photos are pretty dramatic (I joked with the surgeon that I don't know what else I have to do to get on his website - I'm still not on it!). I have been working out 6 days/week (spin, weights, yoga), eating better and trying to take care of myself better overall. I'm pretty happy with the results! I now buy pants and jeans in a size 2 and I am loving how clothes look on me and how I look naked. My scar doesn't bother me much and I've considered having other work done but for now I'm THRILLED!
Dr. Bolitho and his staff have been absolutely stellar! It's only been two weeks since my procedure and I couldn't be more happy and confident in the doctor I chose. My recovery has been so smooth and flawless and I owe it all to Dr. Bolitho and his wonderful staff! I wouldn't have trusted any other doctor! Updated on 8 Jul 2015: I decided to do this procedure to even out my breasts. I am very much into fitness and working out 2 times a day really took a toll on my breasts. Before working out I was a full C. But from all the cardio I was doing, they shrunk drastically and they were uneven. Updated on 8 Jul 2015: I got 350CC on my right side and 375CC on my left side under the muscle. I have not had any pain since the surgery, mostly just soreness and hard to get comfortable the first week post op. I've had friends who were in the worst pain of their life so I was very nervous going into surgery. Everyone is different so I was surprised to find out that my recovery has been so smooth and nearly painless! I would only take pain meds (Percocet and Tylenol) when I would go to sleep at night and only a few times during the day if I got way too uncomfortable. I also found that NyQuil or a sleep aid like that helps a lot! Just be careful that it does not have ibuprofen or any blood thinners in it. Updated on 7 Aug 2015: So it's been about a month and a half and I'm already seeing great results! There was only one day when my skin had a small irritation from the tape on my left incision and it went away very quickly by cleaning it with the hibiclens the doctor gave me for pre op and leaving the incision tape off for a few hours. I've been back to my normal gym work outs for the past two weeks and have been just doubling up on sports bars if I run.
I went from a 38 G to a 36DD and I now have perky breasts that I love again. My breasts were long and saggy after breast feeding, and I wanted to have this surgery for many years but was afraid. I felt so comfortable with Dr. Bolitho. I really wanted lipo too, so I got my abs and waist done at the same time. Everything went well, and I've been very pleased. I thought the breast reduction/lift would be painful because it's such an sensitive area. But it wasn't for me. The abs were more sore from the lipo. I have been back recently for some botox and the difference is wonderful. Updated on 14 Jan 2015: This was about 6 weeks after surgery. The scars are pretty much gone now. My breasts are no longer long. I can go without a bra if I want, which is nice on very hot days. I still have to buy large cup bathing suits, but I'm 5'9" and 170 lbs. So if I went smaller, my breasts wouldn't match my bootie. I was 46 when I had it done, and I'm turning 50 this year. Best thing I ever did for myself! I wish I had done it sooner. The back and neck pain went away. I had more confidence, too.
I was initially looking for a surgeon for a permanent lip augmentation, not temporary fillers, when I came across Dr. Bolitho's website. I was especially impressed with the professional and welcoming information from Kandie when I called the office and that great impression carried over to when I met her in person for my consultation. Dr. Bolitho was informative about the different options for lip augmentation and his main concerns were creating a natural look, and the longevity of the different materials used for that procedure. I felt very comfortable with him, but wasn't quite ready to make a date for surgery. A couple months later, I called Kandie to make another appointment to ask Dr. Bolitho some more questions. I had done more research and felt more ready to make a surgery date for my lips. In my second consultation, I decided to also ask Dr. Bolitho about what could be done to create a more youthful look for my face. I had been bothered by the saggy look of my lower face for several years and knew that eventually I'd want to have a "little nip/tuck" done. His vision and ideas were amazing! We looked at pictures related to each component of his vision and I left there with a big decision to make... Do I go for the big one, the lower face lift, or do I just add some volume to my lips?! I WENT BIG! :) I'm so glad I did! I never thought I'd get something this major done at this point in my life. I thought I'd possibly do it some time in my 60's, but it made sense to me to do it now and be preventative about it. I didn't want to look in the mirror for 10-15 more years and be bothered by my saggy jowls, saggy neck, and crepe-like skin under my eyes. I wanted to LOOK as young as I feel!
Thank you so much for your question and yes, a plastic surgeon can remove a lipoma. Make an appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon. Best of luck to you.
I have my patients wear a surgical bra for four weeks following surgery. After that they can go bra free if they wish. I do remind them that now they have implants their breasts are heavier and they need to wear a bra most of the time to avoid the tissue from sagging. I would speak with your surgeon as I'm sure he or she has their own protocol. All my best.
Typically, when quoting an arm lift it would be for both arms. However, if you are calling around or when going for consultations, confirm that the quote includes everything and not just the surgeons fee. Other fees could be anesthesiologist, operating room, supplies, labs and follow up visits. Most physicians will give you a written detailed quote at the time of your consultation. I recommend you make an appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon. All the best!
Congratulations on your weight loss! Yes, it is possible to do an arm lift and tummy tuck at the same time. I usually send my weight loss patients for labs at least a month prior to surgery to assure their labs values are within normal range for recovery. You should schedule an appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon. I wish you the best.
You appear to be an excellent candidate for a lip lift. The scar is placed under the nose and usually fades beautifully. Patients are delighted with their results. You should make an appointment to see a board certified plastic surgeon. Best of luck to you.
