I had a lot of upper back, neck and shoulder pain everyday. I found my surgeon thru a family friend. Patrick Pownell has been doing the exact surgery for as long as I've been alive. I knew I was in good hands. The outcome is almost too good to be true. I'm almost 2weeks post op. I can't wait for full recovery ????????????
Dr Stan Taylor performed the MOHS procedure under my right eye for basal cell cancer. It was rather a large opening. I thought I was disfigured for life. The day of the surgery, as soon as Dr Taylor was finished , my husband drove me to see Dr Pownell. He put me at ease and put me to sleep for the procedure. When I woke up and saw where the cancer was , I was astounded. You could not tell at all except for a few small sutures. It has been so many years now and yet no one can tell I had the surgery done . I fear I now have a new basal cell by my nose. I hope he will be able to do the plastic surgery closure afterward.
I had gastric bypass in 2001. I started at 269pds and am currently 5'2 and 160. I have lost, gain and lost again. I am at a point where I am maintaining finally and in the gym everyday. I have a horrible body image even after losing all the weight. I am so ready to get rid of my saggy belly and saggy empty breasts. I go to the PS on 7/1 to set a date and have a few more questions answered. I have read quite a few of your stories and they do 2 things for me... make me excited and terrify me.. :D All of you also provide great information. I will post my "before" pics soon..Updated on 21 Jun 2011:So I am trying to decide if I also have my legs done at the same time.. anyone have tt, lift/aug and legs done at the same time? also lipo or no lipo? afraid it might be too much.Updated on 13 Aug 2011:So my date is quickly nearing.. I will have surgery the 17th of this month.. I am so excited but yet nervous. I will keep all posted. :D going to take some before pics this weekend. I will post a few.
Like many others, I stumbled onto real self during my breast reduction and abdominoplasty research. I am scheduled for my breast reduction surgery on June 18th. Pre-op is June 5th. I'm so excited!! However, I'm not scheduled for the abdominoplasty surgery until July 15th. I've seen so many posts and I was a bit leery about posting pictures but I noticed there weren't many people who were the same size and weight as me. I decided to post in case my journey would help others. I am 5'5 1/2 and 165 pounds. I have BCBS and they are covering the breast reduction. It only took about 2 weeks to get the approval. I have been going back and forth about the surgery for 2 years but between the back pain and my disproportionate figure, I figured it was time! The other problem areas are my tummy and love handles. I'm actually having a mini abdominoplasty. The surgeon said I'd be a good candidate because I don't have much fat up top and a small amount of lipo, that's already included, would take care of that. It would be nice if he could remove the stretch marks too!! lol Keep your fingers crossed. I forgot to mention I'm getting muscle repair also. Any thoughts and feedback would be appreciated. Updated on 25 May 2015: I forgot to mention my size. I'm a little larger than a 36DD per my Victoria Secret measures. I'd love to go back to my pre-baby size (34B) but I don't it's an option so I'm hoping for at least a 34 small C. I want to start working out again and I figure I'll lose some mass with the weight loss?? Updated on 5 Jun 2015: Mom having both surgeries together now on June 18th!! I'm super nervous now!! Pre-op is today. Are there any questions I should ask? Any advice would be great. I feel my anxiety building. Updated on 5 Jun 2015: I was sitting in the chair literally shaking because I had so much anxiety. It's becoming so real. Pre-op was mostly easy. You sign a bunch of papers, ask questions, get your prescription and pay then you're done. I was told I'll get one surgical bra that I'll have to wear for at least a week and one compress. He asked me about size and I have my heart set on a full B. He thinks I'll like a small C better. I definitely don't want a full C because I fear they'll start growing again then I'll be beginning this journey all over again. It kind of made me sad looking at my before pictures. So I'm hoping for great results once it's all over. Everything is a go for June 18th. My surgery is at 6:15am and is estimated to last about 6 to 7 hours. I have my observation room for 10 to 15 hours but hopefully I'll be ready to go home sooner than later. The nurse suggested stool softeners for post-surgery to avoid constipation. Overall, it was a great visit. I'm still really nervous but Dr. Pownell is so attentive and knowledgable. He makes me feel really comfortable. Updated on 8 Jun 2015: I'm currently 10 days from surgery and I'm trying to think of things I'll need. Any suggestions? I plan to purchase stool softeners and loose fitted clothing. Where can a purchase an additional garment at an affordable price? I've been told I will get one when leaving the hospital but I'd like to be able to rotate. Any advice would be great! :-) Updated on 9 Jun 2015: I found out today I can keep taking my vitamins (B, C and D). The only vitamin I can't take is vitamin E. Considering I didn't know what it was for until she mentioned it, I'm in the clear. lol I hope these updates help. :-) Updated on 11 Jun 2015: It's official!! My 7 day count down begins today. I'm not as nervous as I was in pre-op. Although I'm fairly anxious. My parents will be in town Wednesday and the kids are away for the summer. This is going to help significantly. I'm ready to join my RS sisters on the flat side. Everyone has been so supportive and encouraging. It's great seeing so many women coming together to take this journey. I can't wait to post pictures of the "better me". :-) Updated on 14 Jun 2015: The big day is Thursday and I thought I lost my prescription Friday. Yikes! I found it once I made it home. I called the surgeons office to let them know but their responses to most things can be a bit discouraging. They were nice the first time I went in but now they're not very approachable. I kept my surgeon because he's really nice and knowledgable but his staff is definitely not my favorite. I hope things get better because I still have to see them at least 4 more times. :-( My initial surgeon had an amazing staff but he was out of network. I hope things start looking up because I'm only 4 days away from surgery. Updated on 15 Jun 2015: Thursday is the day and I'm finding myself eating lots of snacks to kind of get it out of my system. I'm still taking my vitamins but I'm going to miss the snacks. I hope I'm not alone. lol Updated on 15 Jun 2015: Has anyone seriously sat back and realized we're a group of naked women in a room having conversations? lol I thought about this and laughed hysterically for like a minute because I watch those shows "naked and afraid" and "naked and dating" sometimes. I usually think to myself "why would someone want to meet someone for the first time naked?" lol It's just a crazy thought but oddly enough I think it forces you to become more comfortable with yourself and your imperfections. Its kind of cool feeling like you're not alone. Updated on 16 Jun 2015: I just picked up my meds and to my surprise they were only $15.00 TOTAL!! I was really excited and I even thought they got the price wrong. lol Thank goodness for good insurance because besides paying for my degree this is THE MOST expensive thing I've done for myself. I keep telling myself it will be worth it. Two more days and I'll be done layering my shirts so I can hide my huge boobs. Having big boobs gets expensive. I'm so excited I might even have a bra burning party!! lol Updated on 17 Jun 2015: I think nerves are beginning to set in. I woke up sweating and had a really bad nightmare. Eek! The good news is that I got my stool softeners and something to wear home today. I actually got creative with what I'm wearing home. I was thinking I'll probably be leaking so I should buy something cheap. I won't be able to lift my arms so I need something that buttons up. I went to the night gown section and found a long stretchy night gown dress. The dress has wide straps so I cut the straps and turned them into twist tie straps. That way I can just step into the dress and my mom can tie it up. The best part is that it was only $8 so I don't mind cutting or bleeding on it. My bed is ready with a full body pillow, lots of pillows to surround me, protective bed sheet and an old comforter just in case. I even put a step stool beside the bed in case my mom is asleep and I need help. Hopefully, I won't be too loopy and trip and fall. That would be bad. lol Updated on 17 Jun 2015: I was originally told I'd be in surgery about 6 hours and home in about 12 hours. I did my pre-op call with the nurse and she said I'm staying overnight. Has anyone else had to stay over night or scheduled to stay overnight for observation? Updated on 18 Jun 2015: I woke up thinking about food but of course I can't eat or drink anything! lol I think I'm getting nervous because my stomach started hurting as soon as I started packing my bag. I hope all goes well. My surgery will be about 6 hours and starts around 7:30 central time. I'll update you guys as soon as I can. :) Updated on 19 Jun 2015: Hey everyone! I have been trying to update since yesterday. For some reason, it wouldn't allow me to post my update. I love my tummy so far. No more mommy pooch or love handles. It's still really hard and swollen so I'll post pictures on tomorrow. I like my boobs so far but they look like a full C right now. I'm hoping they'll go down to a small C. It felt great putting the bra on and not having to lift my boobs first. The little things :-) I'm still heavily medicated so I'll update you guys once the meds wear off some more. Updated on 19 Jun 2015: Holy crap I was in so much pain after surgery. I woke up today feeling slightly better so they discharged me around 10 am. I even walked in Walgreens to get the additional meds because we found I'm allergic to the Norco. Holy moly I came home and took a nap and woke of extremely swollen and in the worst pain on earth. I can barely stand. You definitely have to rest and even when you think you're feeling better, get more rest. Don't do anything if you don't have to and don't be afraid to ask for help because you're going to need it!! Updated on 19 Jun 2015: This may sound strange but I can hear the fluid in my breast?? I was laying here thinking about how swollen I am. I did the boob check my surgeon told me to do and I noticed I can hear fluid. They sound like water balloons. Has anyone else experienced this? Did you have your boobs drained? I've heard your tummy can be drained but I'm not sure about the boobs?? Updated on 20 Jun 2015: I'll upload a few more later. I think I over exerted myself while showering and removing the dressing. Updated on 20 Jun 2015: I'm beginning to see the difference and I'm getting really excited! It's great sitting down and being able to see directly into your lap. I'm so used to sucking it in. It's different allowing my stomach to relax because I don't have that gross mommy tummy anymore. Dr. Pownell was nothing short of AMAZING!! He even got the back fat. I'm soo looking forward to wearing a thin strapped summer dress without a bra. I'm so grateful. Updated on 21 Jun 2015: I woke up feeling a lot better today. I showered and I even washed my own hair. I even walked to the kitchen twice. I'm feeling like a winner. I don't want to do too much at once so I'm going to rest some more and enjoy the little progress I've made. Updated on 21 Jun 2015: My tummy is still really hard in the middle and for the most part really numb. I'm 3 days post op. About how long does this last before this goes away? The great news is that my compression garment is getting tighter and tighter because the side swelling is going down. Updated on 22 Jun 2015: Things have been pretty steady. My tummy is a little more swollen than normal today around my naval. That's a downer. I was worried so I called the doctor. I think he's becoming my new best friend I call so much lol He reassured me the swelling is normal and it takes some longer than others. I got new dressing and garments today at the post op visit. Oh but holy poop! I was telling my surgeon earlier today that I hadn't pooped yet but I've been taking the stool softeners and drinking fluids. Holy crap when I made it home all of that changed. Nothing could have prepared me for that. It HURT! I even think I cried a little lol I don't think I could have done anything differently but now I see what so many people warned me about it. lol Updated on 22 Jun 2015: Updated on 23 Jun 2015: Hey RS sisters!! I just wanted to post some 5 day post op pictures. I put two in black and white because it looks like they show the difference better?? I posted 4 total. I'm really excited about the constant improvement. I'm still really swollen and numb but I'm staying away from measurements for another week. happy healing Updated on 25 Jun 2015: Hey ladies!! Everything has been about the same except I'm completely off of pain meds and I'm sleeping longer. I'm still swollen in the lower abdomen area and at the top of my vagina area but my surgeon said its normal. On the plus side, you can tell my booty from my back again!! lol That makes me feel good. I'm a little sad my boobs are still swollen. I was so happy to see small boobs the 1st day of post op now I have to wait like 3 more weeks for them to drop and settle and come back to me :-(.. Bummer! I attached a few updates pictures. Happy healing everyone!! Updated on 25 Jun 2015: Does everyone continue to sleep in their compression garment after a week or two? I find I have the most swelling either when I sit for too long or sleep in it. Updated on 26 Jun 2015: My boobs no longer fall into my arm pits after I lay down. Although I'm still swollen, I no longer have to suck it in. Updated on 26 Jun 2015: My boobs no longer fall into my arm pits after I lay down. Although I'm still swollen, I no longer have to suck it in. Updated on 26 Jun 2015: I can't update everything in thankful for :-( Updated on 27 Jun 2015: The surgery sucked me dry around the hip areas. I originally thought the lower bulge was swelling but that's my hip bone!! I haven't seen that thing in 10 years lol Now I'm really anxious to see the final product! I was approved for high waist spanx today. No more compression garment. Yahhh Updated on 29 Jun 2015: Well...going into this I didn't plan to lose my butt but it seems like I am. Lol I'm kind of sad about it but the trade off it fine. I finally get this stupid tape off today. Thank goodness! I'll post a picture without tape after my visit at 3:30. I'll also update you guys on my weight. Happy Healing ladies!! Updated on 29 Jun 2015: They took the tape off but replaced it with fresh tape. :-( I was so disappointed. They said leaving the tape on decreases the chances of your scar stretching. They sent me home with a fresh spool of tape to change every two days. I have to wear the tape for another month. Updated on 1 Jul 2015: My first day back to work was the worst. I wasn't in pain but I did experience some midday swelling. Occasionally, I felt like I was going to pass out and I even have a sit down job. I'd highly recommend anyone having a surgery similar to mine to take off at least 3 weeks. I've been told a breast reduction doesn't require as much down time. If your body tells you to rest, REST! You're going to need it. :-) Updated on 1 Jul 2015: Oh! I forgot to mention the random emotions. Oh gosh I periodically cried post surgery and I couldn't explain why. I didn't know why I was so sensitive and emotional. It was so strange. I stayed away from my babe because I kind of felt like I was going through postpartum or something and I didn't want him to hate me afterwards lol Updated on 3 Jul 2015: Hey! I just wanted to share my find. Since I was cleared for spanx, I went looking for affordable spanx. I found 2 body shapers at Ross. They were $6.99 each. They work extremely well. Updated on 6 Jul 2015: The itching is the worst during the healing process. I find myself inappropriately scratching at work because the itching has gotten so bad due to the healing. I take Benadryl at night just so I can sleep. Does anyone have any suggestions for the itching? Updated on 17 Jul 2015: Does anyone else feel like they are way smaller post than when they first began the journey? I was like a 10/12 at the bottom (which I liked) but now I'm an 8. I'm not complaining at all!! lol I suppose everyone is different but I'm shocked I lost weight everywhere. I'm going to get on a scale and update my weight later. Other than that everything is mostly back to normal. My abdomen is still slightly numb and swollen but that's about all. I think my boobs are nearly settled. Updated on 18 Jul 2015: Hey guys! I just wanted to show you guys how my scars are healing and what my new boobs look like in a shirt. I'm so obsessed with my new boobs! I still have abdominal swelling which he tells me isn't uncommon. I'm so glad I didn't go with a B. I love my little C's. :-) Updated on 23 Jul 2015:
I am getting a Tummy Tuck along with some liposuction of my chest area and love handles. I am very excited to be doing this operation because I love to workout and I would definitely like to not only look better, but to be able to do harder workouts without the fear of my extra skin falling out unexpectedly. I am having TONS of mixed feelings because of this, mainly excited and happy, but there is a lot of doubt and I feel a bit selfish to be spending so much money on myself. I know that there will be stretch marks left and i am completely fine with that, the only thing i do fear is my incision looking horrible, i trust my Doctor, but there is always that lingering thought. I am a bit scared about that pain that I will be in after the surgery, i have read that it is not as bad as you may think for some and some say that the pain is horrible. I only hope that i can bare the pain. I am excited to have a reason to not be at work for a while haha and i know i will look good after all this. My surgery date is September the 17th. The closer it gets the more doubts and mixed feelings i have about this surgery. I know its something that i definitely want done and i am going to ride it out and see what happens. I will keep everyone posted on this! Wish me luck!! Updated on 7 Oct 2014: Well it has been 3 weeks since I had my Tummy tuck along with liposuction of the breast area. This experience has been great. First of all, if you are in the Dallas area and you are thinking about getting this surgery done, Dr. Pownell is definitely your man to go to. He is very attentive to your needs and concerns and as well as his staff. I was expecting to be in tremendous amount of pain after the surgery, but I was surprised as to how much less painful it was then expected. I guess it was good that I was ready for the worst pain possible and made the soreness of the surgery a whole lot more bearable. The first few days were probably the hardest getting in and out of bed and having to empty my drains was also a hassle. I didn't have to take a lot of the pain medication because the pain was not too extreme, but that was just my experience, some people may think that it is very painful. I am still a bit swollen around my stomach area, but that is expected for at least another month for the majority of that to go down. It has definitely been a roller coaster of emotions. I was very glad to go through the surgery, but that is only part of the process. Before getting this surgery know that the healing does take some time and you will not be able to do much for a few weeks. I am able to walk now and drive, but after a while my incision starts hurting a little and I have to rest. I have very supportive friends and family and that have been great, I think that if you are going to get this done, be sure that you have people who are going to be uplifting and supportive around you. I think that helps a lot in the healing process because your stress levels are low and you don't have to worry about much. I will try to upload photos so you all can see my progress. Good luck to anyone who is thinking or is going to get this surgery done, so far I am happy with my results. More positive things to come!
