I recently had a nasal surgery with Dr. Lober and he was very attentive and listened to exactly what I wanted. I was very nervous about getting the procedure but he calmed my nerves and helped manage my immediate expectations. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend him. He is a very talented surgeon- and reasonably priced.
I was a small build @120lbs through my 20s with size 34 b/c breasts until after my 2nd child where my bra size went up to a D size while breastfeeding. I loved how they felt and looked! After my 3rd child I gained a lot of weight hitting 200 lbs, and just last yr found out I am diabetic. Now with my fight to get healthy I have lost 30 lbs and hope to lose more so I can get down to 150 as my ideal weight. The first thing I have lost is my breast size. I have been very self concious for years as my left nipple is inverted which made it difficult to breastfeed on that side so I have become pretty lopsided. Anyways after 15 years of talking about getting them fixed I finally made an appointment with Dr. Lober in Athens GA for a consultation as he came highly recommended by several friends with great results. I have loved reading all the posts and personal experiences here as its really helped me to become more comfortable in making this decision and a lot of personal stories have also help me with an idea of what to expect. I wasn't able to find too many experiences with females of Hispanic descent with darker skin such as mine which is why I'm posting my story and pictures here in hope it can help someone with a similar body and skin type as mine. My husband has been very un supportive of my decision so I am leaning to friends and other women who have had the same procedure as support. My surgery date was 7/14/16. My friend chauffer ed me that day and was so supportive. The nurses doctors and staff were very helpful and explained everything in great detail on my day of surgery. They made sure to check my blood sugar and everything was good before giving me the medications and anesthesia. I don't remember much other than sitting on the surgery bed and then next thing I know I'm waking up in recovery feeling a lot of pressure on my breasts which was expected. The first night was rough as the pain meds only seemed to last for 2 hrs so I had bursts of sleep. The ice packs have been my best friend these last few days lol. I am now 2 days post op now and in quite a bit of pain but taking the pain killers and trying to hydrate so its manageable. The muscle relaxers are helpong me get some rest. since I'm not getting much help at home I am eating soup and shakes plus easy food to prepare but have been unable to use the bathroom yet so I feel bloated. I have not been able to take a peek at them to see how they look yet but I will take pictures and post here throughout this recovery.. nervous and anxious to see the outcome. Updated on 19 Jul 2016: The 1st night was miserable. I couldn't sleep well as the meds wore off every 2 hrs and the pressure was so heavy. My muscles were very sore. When the doctor called to check on me he prescribed me Valium for a couple days & that really helped me relax and get rest. I went for a check up yesterday and they took the bandages off so now I'm left with a surgical bra and just tape.om the incisions . The said not to waste $ and buy another bra as it will be off in a week. My right side is more swollen but wondering if I should've gone bigger. I for 350ccs in my left and 300 in my right. The inverted nipple still looks weird but the doctor said once the incisions heal he will correct them with a simple procedure which is basically a stitch using local anesthesia so just need to have patience lol
When I asked the opinion about my decision to get a TT of someone I trust to tell me the truth and not just what I wanted to hear, she said "Go for it! It's the icing on the cake in this long journey", thus the title. I am 44, ", just under 5'8". I currently weigh 184 and have lost 111lbs over the past 3 years. I am not sure what my ideal weight is, maybe 150. The doc and I believe this surgery will spur me on to the finish. Watching my "apron" deflate and get grosser looking is not very encouraging. LOL! I couldn't run a mile in high school and now I can run a 5k five days a week. I have to force myself to slow to fat burning mode, b/c I love the run! I am fortunate that I did not cause as much skin damage as I could have, doc says he is amazed that it is not worse. He is so proud of what I have accomplished and is excited to to see the resulting surgery reverse the damage done. I have two children and had gained a significant amount of weight with each child (they are 10 years apart) and carried that weight for many years. At 40 I decided that I was wasting my life and decided to make a change. I quit smoking and a almost a year later started eating right and exercising. Sounds easy, right? Not. I wont even pretend there were not ups and downs, but I am sure you have heard it before. Solidly in a sz 12 but a 10 in dresses that are not fitted in the hips. I am blessed with an hourglass shape and decent height. Smallish waist, about 30" at the moment. Large chest, no implants, just heredity. Even with the weight loss I am still a 34DDD, don't know if those will ever go away. (I am going to the 36/26/36 in the end!) Not complaining, but I have a feeling the girls are going to look HUGE once the TT and lipo of hips and thighs are done. I already plan on having my arms done and possibly a thigh lift. My doc says that he usually discourages the arm lift surgery due to the large scars, but in my case, he understands. It is truly the worst area. He says the thigh lift is a bad recovery and he would like me to be at my final weight (150-160) for a year before we do that. He says the same about a breast lift as well. He will not do my TT and arms together b/c he says my recovery would be miserable, but still will charge me the same as if they were done together. Yay! And, he said that since the TT will make such a huge impact on my shape (says it will look like I have dropped 25 lbs!) he recommends I do that first. So October 10th, here I come! So anyway, the part that concerns me is that I say the last 10 lbs or so I have lost, I am seeing more wrinkling skin on my outer thigh/hip area. My husband, who has been at all the consults, says that the doc has said that the sides will "cinch" in a bit. So essentially, in addition to pulling the skin from my stomach down and the bottom portion up slightly, that it will pull forward as well. This in addition to the lipo of my hips, thighs and stomach should take care of that. I am extremely excited about my surgery. Rental recliner ordered, time off work arranged for me and my husband, pre-op done, meds ordered, food prep planned, house cleaned, organized and sanitized. Kids taken care of, extra help on stand by, etc... I will do my best to keep you all posted on my progress, I know I have obsessed over the blogs and pics in the last few weeks. I am just going to post 2 befores for now. I have dozens of very unflattering shots, but don't have the nerve just yet. This will give you an idea of my body type along with the stats above. I know when I was looking, I was constantly looking for someone with my body type. Updated on 30 Sep 2013: I keep going from "Yay, I can't wait!" to "Am I sure I can't fix this with more working out?" Does this happen to everyone. I know I am not at goal weight, but this flap is not going away!! I don't know why I feel like I need people to tell me "it's ok" or "You're doing the right thing". Please tell me this is just cold feet! BTW, anyone out there with similar stats needs additional pics of "before" let me know. I was kind of stingy with the pics. :) Updated on 3 Oct 2013: I am anxious about sx. Just 7 days away! Traveling to see family this weekend and I am glad for the distraction. Work has slowed somewhat and it leaves me too much time to think. LOL. Tried on a bunch of clothes yesterday to distract myself. Turned out to be fun. Everything was much bigger on me than the last time. I already need new clothes but will wait until after healed to spend anymore money. Updated on 3 Oct 2013: Stopped by my PC's office today. Getting to know the staff there pretty well. They already have a referral from me too! Anyway, went to look at a couple books of before and afters. I really have to stop that! It will just drive you crazy. Some of the anxiety is gone today. Now I am just getting excited. After the docs office I stopped by the mall and tried on some clothes. I have a brand new pair of sz 10 slacks hanging in my closet! They fit, but snug. I was amazed at some of the things I fit into today. Made my day! Updated on 6 Oct 2013: I am not nervous or anxious anymore. A weird calm has taken over. Spent the weekend at a Family reunion. It was weird not talking about it. I don't want anyone but a few friends and family to know before to operation. I won't see most of them for another year and they will just assume I lost more weight, which I will have lost the final 30 or so by then. They have been watching me shrink for 3 years. It felt good getting all the compliments. So for the next three days I will workout hard, clean more, grocery shop, get organized and OH Yeah, work! LOL! I am sooooo ready for this! Updated on 8 Oct 2013: I am so glad I have a lot to do today for work! This waiting is hard. Not scared or anxious anymore. I will be glad when it is over and I am on the "flat" side. Updated on 9 Oct 2013: 24 and 1/2 hours to go! Did anyone freak out thinking that they would do something stupid like eat breakfast the morning of the surgery and have to cancel?? I am making myself crazy worrying about stupid stuff! So excited though! Going to take more pictures tonight just to make sure I get enough angles of the old me. I know, stop obsessing! I may not post again for a few day so, SEE YOU ON THE FLAT SIDE!! Updated on 9 Oct 2013: They tried to deliver my recliner from Rent A Center today. It was infested with cockroaches! I refused deliver! Now they don't have another, not that I would get another from them! Eeek! What now??? Updated on 11 Oct 2013: Finally feeling like myself. Worst part is over. Hardest parts for me, in order that they happened... 1) trying 3 times before getting a good IV going. I always had trouble, just forgot. 2) waking up in recovery. I don't remember going to sleep, but I sure remember waking. I was nauseous, but only spit up a little bile. Nurse Molly was very sweet. 3) plug came out of drain bulb somehow in the night. My husband said it is ok, only to worry if it came out of incision. I am still calling this am. Best parts so far... 1) pain has been very manageable. Haven't need but half the recommended dose. 2) very little if any nausea due to the phenegran (sp?). 3) at 12 hours post op I am able to get up and down thanks to this absolutely awesome reclining lift chair. Hubby gets mad when I don't ring for him. But I plan on getting up and moving around today. Nurse said it is good for bowel movement. That's all for now. Need to check on my sx buddy nomorefear. Updated on 11 Oct 2013: pain is minimal, but had a drain come out partially. Freaked me out when it stopped sucking. Sounds like a straw when you are at the bottom of a soda. Hubby said they said not to panic. just tapped it down, talked to the doc and will go in Monday to replace. Updated on 11 Oct 2013: Thought I would share a night before shot! Don't judge lol! Made me and my husband laugh. We did a mock photo shoot. Pretty funny! Updated on 12 Oct 2013: My constant companion. I have attached a pic of my kitty. She is my comfort and protector. i think i will stay away from the valium exept at night now. It does stop the muscle spasms, but they are not too bad today. Still taking Lortab and Phenegran every 6 hours. I think tomorrow I will step down onto extra strength Tylenol. Then I can make a poo. :) I am excited for Monday since my PC will probably re bandage everything when he replaces the drain tube. Right now, I cannot tell the difference since I haven't seen it. Swelling and lots of bandages, foam tape and the gc just makes me feel like I have a big ridiculous girdle on. Did anyone else feel this way? Updated on 13 Oct 2013: I will go in tomorrow to have one of my drains replaced. I am hoping I will get a glimpse then. So nervous! Is the scar low enough? how bad is the swelling? For now I managed to post a pic in my binder. Updated on 14 Oct 2013: Ok, just so you all know if you have not figured it out yet, I am a wimp! They unwrapped me to see what was wrong with the one drain. It was kinked in a couple places, probably from me tugging on this GC. I didn't know I could take it off and on to adjust. Duh! Anyway, I peeked when my husband said it wasn't bad, even though I think he looked a little woosy. LOL. I called him on it and he said "no, it really looks good, just swollen" So I took a quick peek down ( not in the mirror). Not bad. Christy, my nurse, said it looks tiny even with the swelling. She said there is a lot of brusing and showed us how to adjust the GC for comfort and to add a soft washcloth at the top under my breast area where it is hard to get tight. I am a squeamish person and have been known to pass out at blood and trauma. So I need to take this a little at a time. I have trouble looking at a lot of the pics on this site. I could never have been a nurse. What a great person it takes to be a nurse! Anyhow, they just removed the one drain since it was almost all the way out and said to watch the second very carefully. Send good vibes I can keep it going until next Monday. So tomorrow when I am feeling brave I will get a couple of pics without the CG. I get it now! Everything wont fall apart when I take it off. LOL! Sweet healing dreams coming your way my friends! Updated on 15 Oct 2013: I wrote a long blog and then accidently closed the browser and now the meds are kicking in. Long story short. Over did it today, tried to go out shopping. Not good. Got a few pics. Not too bad, but very swollen and I am not sure if my incision is low enough or if my bb is in the right place. Nurse and hubby say yes. Anyway, looks good from the front, but awful from the side! I am still happy for now. Just hoping this is normal and the swelling will go down alot soon. Sweet dreams and happy healing my friends! Updated on 15 Oct 2013: I did have a normal poo on the 3rd morning post op. I used Milk of Magnesia and it was no big deal. Just wanted to mention in case anyone reading this is having issues. For posterity, right? LOL (not really loling because that still would hurt.) So then, by forth day and continuing into today I have had diarrhea. Nothing too serious and I am staying hydrated. I think I just over did it with the MOM and took it on the 4th day and probably didn't need it. And definitely, DO NOT GO SHOPPING! Even in an electric wheelchair. I think today set me back two days. I have lived and learned! Take care of yourselves! Updated on 16 Oct 2013: When does it get better? Days? Weeks? I really didnt think I would swell like this. I am swelling in places I was flat in before. my upper stomach for instance as you can see from my before pic was never big. Now it is so swollen! What is this from? Trauma? Anything I can do to make it better? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Updated on 16 Oct 2013: Hate to keep harping on this, but wow! I did not expect this swelling. I is a little better today. I posted a couple pics. I am hoping to turn a corner soon. Hate the waiting! But I am still happy with what I see so far! Happy healing my friends! Updated on 17 Oct 2013: Wow! Can you say "Muscle spasms"??? I woke up several times in the night feeling like I had been doing crunches in my sleep! So painful. Maybe I am doing something in my sleep to cause it or maybe I need to lay off the Valium. It has been giving me bad dreams, may be I am moving too much in my sleep. That is what I was given for muscle spasms. Anyone have a suggestion for another type of medicine for this that I should ask my doctor about? Updated on 17 Oct 2013: So, I accidentally knocked a cup over on my nightstand and instinctively reached for it fast and the pain in my stomach was awful, excruciating! Just when I got off of the pain meds, I had to take one plus a Xanax. The pain is gone now. I really hope I didn't hurt anything. Has anyone done something like this? Is it going to be ok? Updated on 18 Oct 2013: I don't know what to think of all this. I know it was major surgery, but really?? I dont understand the swelling. I still have a drain and it is getting good suction, but is not putting out more than 20cc a day and I empty it constantly too keep the strongest suction on. I am sure my PS will remove it Monday. If it is not fluid, what is the swelling from? I still have soreness in my stomach muscles, occasional spasms. I haven't want to post because I don't want to scare anyone away if I am just being too impatient. Everyone, husband, PS, nurses all say I look great. I don't see it! Updated on 19 Oct 2013: I just hope the swelling continues to go down. Even if it is just a little at a time. Emotions still all over the place. I posted a couple pics. Don't know if you will be able to see the difference. The upper part of my CG is a little big now so my nurse suggested I fold up a soft cloth and put it inside the top portion too keep it snug. I ordered a thigh length CG with the suspenders ( Merana I think is the name). It will be in in a few days. Seemed more practical for wearing clothing. Anyway, that is my update. Thanks for all of the kind words and encouragement! Happy healing my friends! Updated on 20 Oct 2013: Went out and sat in the sun today. Felt good! Thanks for the suggestion d37! You're awesome! We are going out to dinner tonight. I will eat healthy of course. ;) just have to find a way to hide my little friend ( The Drain) Happy healing thoughts to all my RS friends! Updated on 21 Oct 2013: So I finally turned a corner in my recovery. I have felt pretty good today. Went to the doc, he removed the last drain and the stiches from my bb. FYI, I was feeling so good I drove myself to the appointment, all was fine, then the drain removal. Ugh! That was freaky! I broke out in a cold sweat all over. Good news, it only takes a few seconds and then just a few minutes to forget it. Whew! Glad that is over! Like I said, felt much better today. Probably over did it and now I am tired and swollen. ( note the pics taken just after my shower ) Everything seems to be healing well. I think it will freak me out for a while to look at myself. Just don't look like myself. I think the scar is higher than I hoped, but it may just be things are in different places now and that I can't stand up straight yet. Especially after my first shower. Wow, I get why some put a chair in the shower. I should have. It really wore me out. The thing is, you feel so good and normal and then you do something simple like shower and it puts you back in your place. I asked my doc about the scar and he said it may settle a little lower and that it will look different when the swelling goes down. Don't get me wrong, I think he did an awesome job so far and if I need touch ups or revisions I know he will take care of me. But, I don't think the scar can be lowered. I did ask yet because i need to wait till i see it without swelling and standing upright. I think I underestimated the amount of sag in the va jay jay. Hell, I couldn't see it! Lol! Oh yeah, I can lol now and it doesn't hurt so much. So heal well my friends, goodnight. Updated on 23 Oct 2013: I believe I was clear with my doc about where I wanted my scar. I even tanned up until the day of surgery to make sure he new where I was expecting my scar to be. He never said "no problem, your bikini will cover it". I plan on taking photos weekly in the same two bikini bottoms to see if it drops at all before my next visit in 3 weeks. If it does not, I will express my concern at that time. For some good news, against my better judgement and despite warnings, I got on the scale this am. I am down 5 lbs from my pre op weight! Even with the swelling! This gives me something positive to focus on. I have maintained my daily food journal throughout my recovery as I have for the past 3 years. I mostly eat clean. I had a few goodies here and there in the past two weeks. Mainly being at the mercy of other people's food choices, but obviously I needed a few extra calories for healing. I have decided I will do my best not to obsess on my results and wether or not I am completely satisfied for the next 3 weeks. I am going to focus on work and family and slowly getting back to my daily routine. A side note: I really don't like my numbness. Another thing I was not prepared for. Feels like my whole tummy has been injected with Novocain. If you don't look how it feels to touch your numb cheek after a dentist visit, you definitely won't like this. Just a little FYI I didn't get pre op. I have attached two pics of my bikini bottoms. The pink ones are one of the lowest and is what I used to tan in. The red and white bottoms I never wore b/c they made the fat hang over, but they are the highest I have. The scar is visible on both. This is mostly what has been upsetting me. I will take new pics weekly in same bottoms to see if the scar drops at all as the swelling goes down and my tummy relaxes. I will share so if others have this concern they can have answers as well. Healing thoughts for you all!!! Updated on 23 Oct 2013: I have silicone strips on and they are puckering this am, makes the scar look bigger than it is. Still healing well. My doc did not recommend the silicone. I asked, he said "whatever makes you feel most comfortable". Gauze, strips doesn't matter. He does have me gently massaging Eucerine lotion along the incision to stimulate blood vessels or something or other. So I am doing both. I don't like messaging the lotion b/c of the numbness thing, but I do it after my shower. It really does look good for less than two weeks. My husband is impressed an he has many scars from multiple surgeries. He has a lot of confidence in my doc and my husband is not easily impressed. Updated on 24 Oct 2013: I have some swelling and I am worried because I have seen posts about seromas. By the time my last drain came out on Monday I had barely had 15cc per day for like 5 days. It doesn't seem like it could be a seroma. Has anyone experienced a small area above the incision that the swelling doesn't really change? Updated on 27 Oct 2013: At this point you just wait. You cant do all the things that you could before, but you do feel stronger and more "normal" everyday. I still have a small point of swelling just below my bb and too the right. I havent looked at in in 24 hours. I am afraid that it will still be there. It doesnt hurt, but I do feel a muscle tightening in the area. I hope it is not something that will require further surgery. My hope is that it is just swelling. I will go to the doc if it does not go away soon. Updated on 29 Oct 2013: I went back to work, full schedule today. I wore a type of spanx. No binder. Felt weird all day, but I made it! I took these pictures this evening and am surprised there is very little swelling. My scar is healing fast an fading a lot. I can imagine it will be hard to see in another month or so. I'm still numb but getting used to it. So I still don't know if I like the scar placement, but I will wait until my next appointment to talk to the doc about it. It may lower. It seems to have relaxed some as you may see by comparing the photos. Happy healing my friends! Updated on 9 Nov 2013: I'm doing well! Hope you are all doing good. I am back to work full time and full time life as usual. Sorry to take so long to post an update. My job involves travel so I have been gone for a week. Still not sure the scar is low enough. I don't think I swell at all, which is awesome. I have a pooch under/ around my bb that I think is just left over fat. I have an appointment Tuesday and I will ask then. With the exception of working out, I am back to pretty much myself. I wear my binder to sleep, not tight. It's more like a security blanket. During the day I wear a Hanes torso slimmer. They are great and only $15. You just have to pull it down and then put your panties on over the bottom of it. I didn't include pics of my scar, but it is healing great. I will post some next time. I did post pics of me in my size 10 AE jeans. Woohoo! Still plan on getting into an 8. I wasn't even this small in high school! Until my next post, heal well!! Updated on 12 Nov 2013: Hello Ladies! Hope you are healing well. I had my 4 week visit today. Doc says everything looks good. He said I still have some residual swelling, but the incision is healing very well. He did tell me that the scar placement was anatomically necessary, but it may drop some as the swelling goes away. He said we can talk revision in January. The area under my belly button did not worry him. If it does not completely flatten he will do in office lipo or correction. I don't remember what exactly he said would be done. Sorry. He has released me back to my life sans sit ups and crunches of course. He said to listen to my body. Twinges and soreness are ok and to be expected, but sharp stabbing pains are not, etc. I am off to the gym in the am. Wish me luck! I have included some pics of my scar I just took. Heal well friends and good luck to those of you with upcoming surgeries! Updated on 27 Nov 2013: Hello friends! Hope you are healing well. I have pretty much returned to normal. Scar is healing well. I posted a couple of pictures. I still wear the binder sometimes. Only leave the house with the torso trimmers though. Sleeping without the binder mostly now. I can sleep on my side and stomach. Not really swelling much. I am running 5 days a week now and feeling strong. I love my new tummy! The scar is lower than it was in the beginning. I havent done any new pics in the bikinis to share, but the scar is covered now by all of them. Close but covered. Still a lot of numbness on tummy but it is getting feeling back slowly. I can think of anything else that you may want to know if you are like me and reading all the reviews before your surgery. :) feel free to message me if you have questions. Take care and heal well my friends! Updated on 11 Dec 2013: Still doing good. Looking forward to my arm lift on January 30th. I am posting a pic of my scar so you can see how it is healing thus far. Updated on 12 Jan 2014: Hello realself friends. Hope you are all healing well. And to those of you that are awaiting upcoming surgeries, good luck! 3 months does not look like much different than 2, but I posted pic anyway. I do feel different mostly because I rarely wear the binder, in fact, u don't think I will wear it again. I like to wear the torso slimmer by Hanes when I go out. I could probably ween off of it, but I kinda like the all over smoothing effect. Nothing much to report. I am looking forward to my arm surgery at the end of the month. Updated on 31 Jan 2014: I don't think I told you all that I lost 8 lbs since prior to surgery. Total loss is 119. 4-5 of the was from the surgery itself. I believe my total loss will be 120 after my are lift! My general physician thinks I need to lose about 15 to 20 more lbs , bit my ps says I don't need to lose anymore so I think sonewhere n middle. I will see have 10 more looks. I had briachiaplasty yesterday if you would like to hear my story follow, my new blog on this site. Happy healing my fiends!
