Let me begin by saying... I do not write reviews. I am 2 weeks post-op from having a breast augmentation done with Dr. Mangubat and I am so confused why he doesn't have more reviews. My boobs are absolutely perfect and I couldn't be happier!! I am able to be more mobile this week and have really mild bruising under my boob -- none on my incision site.. His bed side manner was great, nicer than the doctor I consulted with in downtown Seattle who wanted to charge double his price. He is one of the only doctors in the area who offers under armpit incisions which mine ended up being SO small. I am in love with my results and wouldn't recommend anyone else for a surgery like this. The staff was also so helpful in picking my cc and made sure I chose something that fit my body type and frame. GO HERE for your breast augmentation! I paid cash as well so they gave a discount for that.
Have been using Dr. Mangubat/La Belle Vie for 20 years. When I lived in CA I would always visit Dr. M for botox when I was in town. Now I live in Portland, and I still drive all the way to Tukwila to get botox. The injections are fast, painless, and long lasting. Fair prices and quality product.
Made my appointment. My Surgeon was having a 20% off promotion, otherwise, my Tummy Tuck and Flank reduction would have been closer to $11,000. My Pre-Op is May 30th and my Surgery June 14th. Since I've had children, no one aside from my husband and sister had seen me naked, and I was apprehensive about having someone examining all my flaws. Instead, I felt more empowered and proud of my body when I left the consultation. I was praised when telling the story of my body, and that was an experience I didn't expect. Updated on 15 Apr 2017: My surgery is postponed until next year because Tax Season was not kind. Fortunately, I should be in a much better financial position June 14th, 2018. I just wanted to update, I hadn't forgotten you. In the meantime, I am doing pilates and hoping to get in tip-top shape for the surgery. Updated on 4 Jun 2018: My Pre-Op is the 19th of June with the surgery scheduled on the 28th. I had to postpone it one more time because I'm going to the Seattle Comic-Con and if I'd kept the previous date, I'd be meeting Tom Hiddleston hunched over with tubes in my stomach. Not sexy. This a current photo of me. Come pre-Op I'll do a few more photos specific to my stomach. I'm 5'2 and about 140 lbs with a 36 DD. I've got crepe skin above my belly button, uneven sags on my lower belly and even flaps of skin on each hip. I have a ton of stretch marks as well, but I don't give a crap about them. Besides, they've faded pretty well. Can't wait for my pre-op, I'm resisting the urge to shave to do a full wax before the procedure. The last thing I need is to be hairy and itchy from regrowth while recovering. That's all for now! Updated on 21 Jun 2018: I went to my Pre-Op yesterday. Everything was pretty run of the mill. I signed a lot of stuff. Something I was surprised about is that you can't drink 10 days prior to surgery...oops. They said a white wine was okay up to 5 days before surgery but that's it! Today I dropped off my prescriptions and hit up GoodWill for a walker. Seriously, go to a thrift store, I paid $10 for a used one. Way better than $100+ for a new one at the drug store. I also picked up milk of magnesia cause y'all said it was better than colace. While I was at it, I took better photos of my belly. I am getting a TT with flank lipo without the muscle sutures. The biggest issues I have is with the crepe skin that hangs over my belly button. It causes a rash. I also hate the lopsided overhang of skin and the weird dog ear thing I have going on at each hip. I don't want to look perfect, I'd just like to wear pants without getting a rash. I'd also really like feeling confident enough to wear a two-piece swimsuit. I don't wear two-pieces...but I'd like to feel like it's an option. I don't even wear a form-fitting dress without a bodysuit. Updated on 27 Jun 2018: I was kinda nervous last week, but today I'm oddly calm. The anesthesiologist called, I got my bag of goodies, ready to take my pills tonight and shower tomorrow! I'm pumped! They're going to knock my ass out. It will be the best sleep I've had since I've had kids (or my last surgery.) Updated on 28 Jun 2018: I did it! My surgery is done. I'm really high right now. I also didn't need draining tubes, yay! Updated on 28 Jun 2018: Dr.Dreveskracht did the procedure. I love her, she is amazing. The doctor I listed is a sweetie, but she deserves all the credit for my new tummy. Updated on 28 Jun 2018: Despite my better judgement, I took off all my padding and body suit to take a peak. It already looks 100% better even all swollen and cut up. I don't have drains. However, I did get liposuction so some of that fluid is leaving along with any blood or extra fluid from the tuck. It's kinda gross, but not as gross as drains. I was totally numb up until I took the padding and suit. Now one side stings but it's not that bad. My vagina is so swollen I have to push to pee, lol. TMI! Speaking of TMI, here are the pictures! Updated on 29 Jun 2018: Overall, not bad. As the numbing wears off I feel stinging at the incision sites, but it's nothing the pain pills can't handle. I alternative between one and two pills every 4 hours. I did have to call my surgeon though. I keep bleeding from my very swollen labia. I took what is probably the grossest vag pic to her. The body suit chaffed my swollen bits and now I'm trying to heal that up. Updated on 1 Jul 2018: It's day 4! The compression socks are coming off and the last 4 days of milk of magnesia doses have decided to work...all at once. So that's fun. I had some really bad chaffing on my labia which caused me a lot of grief. That is finally healed up so now I can walk instead of waddle. The incisions themselves look great. I've taken to sharing photos to watch people's keyboards light up with responses. Evidently myself and my best friend knew what this would look like initially but everyone else acts like I'm Frankenstein's monster. My energy is returning and I'm using less and less painkillers. Today I'm going to move over to ibphrophen and save the painkillers for the next time I was my vagina. So there it is...too much info Updated on 2 Jul 2018: I'm a bit more sore today than yesterday. I think it's because the numbness is wearing off. I didn't take pain meds yesterday but I went ahead and took one today because I knew I was going to be out and about. The doctor said everything looks great. She pulled the gauze out of my belly button and the foam can come off Wednesday! I'm a giant bruise, as is expected. But my energy level is returning and I'm so happy with the results this far. Updated on 4 Jul 2018: Don't sneeze. That [RS bleep] is terrible. I'm been trying to disconcern why this procedure has been mostly (aside from that sneeze) painfree. Why does my doctor marvel at my results, how little I rely on painkillers, and why my mobility is so good despite having a foam tire around my middle. Yesterday I went out, bought myself a coffee, went to party City, the craft store, out to eat some sushi, I took the kids to see The Incredibles...and right about then I started to feel it. My stomach was getting swollen and I actually sprung a leak. Not bad, just a little bit of fluid built up from all the running around and...sodium. Avoid the sodium like you should avoid that sneeze! The nurses recommend soup to eat in recovery...what's in soup? Sodium. The key to my success thus far has been my diet. I broke from the diet yesterday and I now know that was a bad idea. See, before I had the surgery, I went shopping and bought a bunch of fruit, veggies, and nuts (unsalted) and aside from some lemon bars, I've stuck to it for the most part. Not going to lie, I'd rather eat a pizza, but I think my anti-inflammatory foods diet really helped in recovery. Today I'm going to sit my ass down and behave myself. That and everything is closed. The foam comes off tonight! Just binders after this. The bane of my existence will be done. Updated on 6 Jul 2018: It's been 8 days since my surgery. I feel the swelling more, but I've got a large range of my mobility back. I've returned to my schooling and hobbies (baking) and I'm returning to work on the 14th which will be really nice. I don't think I'll feel ???? until I'm back at work. I've started massaging aloe vera into my tummy. It's supposed to help with the bruising. The walker is totally gone, antibiotics done, no more sleeping with the wedge pillows. No more foam and binder. I'll be wearing my garment for another 3 weeks and my next post-op is the 19th. By then the bandages should be off or about to come off. Today I tried on the same pair of panties as I did for the pre-surgery photos. Updated on 13 Jul 2018: It's been 2 weeks as of yesterday. I can sneeze painfree, I'm active, going back to work tomorrow. Everything is pretty much normal. Except one thing. Im super itchy. It might be the body suit in the summer... Or maybe it's the skin's way of healing... Either way, it's annoying. The bruising is clearing up nicely. Only a few purple spots left. So, no news to post until week 4 when I can quit the garment. Updated on 16 Aug 2018: I've lost count on how long it's been since my surgery. All I can say is that I love it. The swelling and scar tissue has softened and my stomach feels like it's shrinking by the day. I am the proud owner of a two-piece swimsuit...I even wear it in public. What I do want to show is my scar. It's red and hard now, but I can't wait to see how it looks a year from now. I gave up on my binders almost right after my post-op. It was too hot and giving me a heat rash. I survived. Updated on 6 Feb 2019: It's been 6 months. I just wanted to check in to show how much my scar has faded. I used silicone tape at first, but I quit doing it after a month. I like my scar tbh. It's faded to a tiny white line in some parts. Updated on 23 Aug 2020: people ask about the scaring, so I wanted to show. Not everyone scars the same, but I feel like I'm average in this regard. Most people I talk to have a similar experience. It's important to note that due to having such severe stretch marks, the skin that became the incision area had nothing left to give. That is why there is a slight pooch over the incision. I could have this redone, but it doesn't bother me. Over the years, it has diminished greatly. 2 years? Time flys...
This is my second procedure. My first round was a TT + Lipo of flanks hips and sides. I had went through Lisa Precht in Seattle. I was very happy with the work done. Lisa had informed me last time that for TT she works with another surgeon who was basically more aggressive. It ended up being Dr. Mangubat. So that's how I met him. So, I am an exotic dancer. I used to dance at big girl clubs but after going from 235 lbs down to 180 lbs I decided to get the Tummy tuck. That was in July/2014. The procedure has most definitely been great for my career! But I have been subconscious about my upper back and my thighs! So huge and massive. I went to see Dr. Mangubat for a new consult and we talked and decided on a complete thigh reduction (inner/outer thighs + knees) the upper back and my arms as well. I also asked for an abdominal touch up. (I had a seroma the first time around. I thought it was healed personally but i felt scar tissue under so I let him know and during surgery they ended up lancing a cyst and fixing what ever else in that area) So long story short I decided to get my surgery done during the Holidays. It's slowest during this time of year and figured why not just take it off. I've saved enough to beable to do that! It's the day after and I am writing this now. Yesterday was like HELL! I leaked so bad and I could not get comfy when laying down. Anytime I moved too much I would get hot and puke. (I had a medication called Emend and it made it so my stomach muscles would not flex hard if I puked, so it didn't hurt at all. I puked probably 4 times). I had to pee like every 2 hours. Getting out of bed is so bad. Even today... Since my thighs rub against the edge of the bed when getting up. I'm hunched over, I feel like I have tennis balls under my armpits. But since this is my second around I was a butt more prepared. I'm staying with my sister while I recoup. I had another friend and her BF take me to surgery. She also took me to my first post op the day after which is today. I have another post op in 3 days. I have some drains in me and because I'm so tender I'm not taking a shower till I get these things out. I went to my post op today and a nurse helped me take off the garment so she could massage me with some wand that emits wavelengths. My friend rose took pictures both times and she will again at the next post op. I found out I have 6 drains in me. Side of my knees, my back (they used the scar from round 1 lower back) and on my under arm. The 5MG of oxycodone did nothing! They ended up giving me 10s because while they were putting the compression garment back on I ended up crying because of the pain. So now I am back at my sisters. I bought a shower curtain and put it on the bed to catch the leaking. I have pads for the pillows in using for support. Well I am starting to doze off from the meds so this will be all for now... Updated on 16 Nov 2015: Drains out Updated on 17 Nov 2015: Updated on 14 Dec 2015: Still sore , still tight. 2nd compression garment
Hellllllllo ladies!!! I am 25 years old, 5'6, 135 lbs, a 34D, and have never had kids. I'm FINALLY in a position where I can afford surgery, and ladies, it's happening. Yup. This Thursday at 8AM, actually. I've been researching a lot online and I'm discovering we breast lifts without augmentation are a rare breed indeed! Aside from being completely stoked, I admit that I'm a little nervous. I've never had any kind of surgery before. The prompts next to this box is telling me to talk about my feelings. So, to be honest, I'm really looking forward to the anesthetic effect that makes you feel like you've passed out and woken up two mins later, and BAM!.... surgery complete. I know, I'm a freak. But aside from that, I guess ever since I can remember I've never been keen on my boobs. Once I hit puberty they got ginormous within such a short period of time, I remember having to wear two sports bras at one point. As a teenager it was extremely frustrating, and I developed a poor self image. I got in the habit of slumping my shoulders forward in an effort to try and hide them, and to this day (even though my posture has improved) at times my mother will yell at me, "Pull your shoulders back!" As I got older I leaned out, lost my baby phat and got more active. But surprise, surprise, even though the rest of me tightened up, my boobs were upsettingly droopy and elongated and after a few internet searches I realized the devastating fact that, alas, you cannot by any natural non-surgical method tighten up stretched skin! Eventually I just stopped working out because no matter how much effort I put into my body, my breasts would not change, and so I was like, screw it. Few years later I met a boy. He told me that he loved my boobs. To this day he tells me he loves my boobs. He told me a week or so ago that with or without the surgery he would 'still love them things.' :) I definitely feel more comfortable in my skin, but this is something that is important to me - and that I feel will help me continue to live a healthy lifestyle and is another step to appreciating and loving my body even more. When I was at my pre-op appt a few weeks ago, I asked the medical assistant helping me if my boobs would go down a size with the lift. She said, "No, they won't. They will be a lot perkier though - you know, like when you were younger, they'll be like that!" I laughed and looked at her and said, "Actually, I wouldn't know. I didn't have perky boobs as a teen. I've never had them." So in a sense, I am recapturing my youth! Getting the boobies I never got to experience! Essentially, I don't care so much for having a big size, as I do the perkiness. I'm one of those that would be completely content with a B or C cup. For the past few months I've been doing Insanity Asylum with my man Shaun T whom I both love and hate at the same time to get into better shape. I've also been trying to eat healthier. Physically, I feel ready. I'm still not entirely sure what to expect though. Well, anyway... already written a whole novel here and it's late and I'm POOPED. I've been thinking about posting on this site for a month now, and reading about other's experiences has made me want to share my story. Maybe it will be a support to someone and if I'm lucky, make some friends! That would be nice. Well, I promise to update tomorrow. I promise I'm a lot more excited than I've let on. Just tired at the moment and wanted to get this damn thing posted! To all of you brave souls who actually read this whole thing, I applaud you. No, but really, thanks for taking the time to read my story. Much love! Updated on 23 Aug 2012: I should be in bed right now but I can't sleep. My surgery is tomorrow morning and there are a million things running through my mind it seems like it's all just one big blur... I hope everything goes well. I hope I've done, and will do everything right (whatever that means...haha) I'll be getting a lollipop - not the kind that sweets are made of - by Dr. Mangubat. Something that many people might find shocking, is that I've never interacted with him very much, even in my consultation. I had a joint consult with my mom who was looking into getting laser...so yeah. I am going mostly by his reputation, credentials as a board certified surgeon, and plus he made my mom's boobs look great. I'm trusting in all these things. Everything has lined up perfectly and so it feels right, even though I might not have spent the traditional amount of time that others do in looking for a surgeon. So I'm going for it. I really am doing it. Finally. Updated on 23 Aug 2012: Just got back almost 6 hours ago...first time I've felt decent enough to type! My mom dropped me off 30 mins prior at one of the side door entrances to the clinic. I used the bathroom like, a million times! Haha! I kept feeling like there was more pee left in me and i didn't want to go into surgery with that awkward feeling. They took me to one of the rooms and i put on some stockings to help prevent blood clots and a paper(?) blue gown and took my vitals. I felt surprisingly calm. My heart rate was 71, BP 112/64, so not bad. I met my anesthesiologist face to face and he had me take a pill that he said would help keep my blood pressure down during surgery and began to explain the rest of his part (morphine, I guess.) I asked him if he was going to intubate me lol. He smiled and was like, nooo, I'm going to put in - and i was like, a laryngeal mask airway? Haha! He laughed and asked if i worked in the medical field and I said mmhm, I'm a respiratory therapist! Respiratory therapists often assist anesthesiologists in trauma and code situations, so it was cool talking to him. After he left, Dr. Mangubat marked me up and explained to me that he does things as precisely as possible because he does not want to have to do a reconstruction, specifically if it was his own work, he takes that extra time if needed, to make everything as accurate as he can. After he was done i was taken to the OR and layed down on the table with my warm blanket over me. I was talking to the anesthesiologist about eastern WA was the last thing i remember, and then bits of fragments i remember getting out of the car to my house and being guided to bed. I don't remember waking up, Jon picking me up, or leaving. My throat is sore from the LMA and I am mostly having pain in the crease under my boobs....and some pressure. I feel pretty nauseated, but if i close my eyes and inevitably drift off to sleep then it goes away. Im trying to use only the minimum amount of pain meds required because i already have a low baseline blood pressure and it makes me feel like im going to faint when i sit to long. It's taken me forever to write this, and a lot effort, by the way. I think it's important though to get exactly how im feeling and all the details in full. I've tried choking down a saltine and almost aspirated it because my mouth was too dry...thought a little something in my stomach would help with the nausea but, eh.... Im going to try to eat some soup and noodles a le Ittle later though. Anyhoo...thats all for now. Sleepy time. Updated on 29 Aug 2012: Hey everyone! Sorry, I've been a bit out of commission the past week! The anesthesia really did a number on me... I was sooo drained. And I had a reaction to the antibiotic I was on. The end of the second day my skin was really flushed and rashes started appearing on my skin and my whole body itched like MAD. I figured it had to be something (the antiobiotic) I was taking and as soon as I got that resolved, things have been much better. I just have to tell you all... I absolutely, resolutely, irrevocably, love my new breasts!! For some reason I was expecting them to be smaller, but I am essentially the same size, except - well, lifted. :-) I thought I wanted them to be smaller because having them droopy made me feel like they were really big because I kept having to smush them into a bra and whatnot. But the lift changed the look. They are nice and pulled tight and right where they should be. And best of all, they are 100% me! I have a feeling the size might go down just a smidge when the swelling does, but even if they do I don't think it will be a significant amount. I am very, very pleased. I'm going to call my plastic surgeon's office next week when I'm off work and back home about sending me all my pre and post op pics. Once I get them I'll post them on here. I'm posting one pic today and I'll post more this week... I've just got off a work shift so I'm tired and ready for bed. P.S. My boobies itch like CRAZY... and it's torture wearing the same bra eeeevery day, but I've just got to man up for one more week and then I can wear my own choice of bra. Small prices to pay though for the results of the operation! Updated on 31 Aug 2012: Well, it's been just over a week since my operation (yay!) and doing well. I've been in an eerily good mood the past few days, don't know what that's about! ;) I remember when I first got back home from surgery my breasts were extremely tight and firm. They feel much more...settled? Or softer, rather...? They are both pretty bruised yellow underneath and still kind of tender. I've been feeling little throbs of pain in certain areas specifically around the bottom incision - similar to how a burn would feel. At times I've been taking a cool rag and just laying it across the areas that are irritated with my bra over it to hold it in place and it feels a lot better. A few days ago I started applying vitamin E oil to the incisions to help with healing since they've stopped leaking. My mom did this after her breast lift/augmentation and you can't see any of her scars. It's amazing! The only thing is it has loosened up some of the surgical glue a bit, but nothing that I am concerned about. I have my 3 week follow up in a little more than a week and they said they would reinforce any stitches, if needed. I can't wait to go shopping for new bras...I'm so sick of this same one. I can start wearing my own bras this coming Wednesday which will be nice. Can't WAIT!!! In the meantime I've been trying to do everything I'm supposed to, like sleeping on my back....learning to sleep on my back has to be THE HARDEST thing in this whole experience. I love to sleep on my stomach and curl up in balls on my side. But no, none of that! One night I was soooo frustrated, I cheated and semi-slept on my side, in a position that I didn't think was putting any pressure on my breasts. The next couple days I SWEAR that that one boob appeared more bruised than the other! I'm not sure if the extra bruising on that one side was caused by the way I slept, JUST SAYIN! Be careful! It's best to err on the side of caution and sleep on your back. lol Updated on 30 Sep 2012: Well, I finally passed the one month mark a few weeks ago. I went to my one month follow-up appointment and got a ton of nice compliments from one of the medical assistants there who works a lot with my mom and I... made me feel pretty great. :) My scars are really healing up quite nicely. Every morning and night I rub vitamin E oil on them and I feel like it has definitely helped speed up the process, and will help the scars fade. Plus my skin is extra soft. Last week I decided to take a trip to Victoria Secret and ended up spending an UNGODLY amount of money on some new bras. I bought a really beautiful push up bra for special occasions that was expensive in itself, but it was the first time I could actually spend that much on one and feel like I look sexy in it. I feel now like I exude a lot more confidence than before. I feel smoking hot and I've noticed that I put a lot more into my appearance, in a healthy way ;-) . I'm so glad I went through with this. Best decision I've ever made.
When I booked my consultation I was told that there was no consultation fee. 6 months later I have a call about a bill that is about to go to collections for $600 from La Belle Vie. I called to get clarification and they absolutely did not care that they had told me there would be no consultation fee. I had to pay the $600 fee within 24 hours or it would go to collections. I will be steering everyone I know away from this place.
It's 9:30pm the night before my surgery. This is the first surgery I've ever had, and it feels like a big one. It includes liposuction of my abdomen and flanks (belly and waist), an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), and fat transfer to my buttocks and hips/outer thighs. I like to call this "middle surgery". :) I scheduled with Dr. Mangubat in Tukwila (Seattle). I chose him because he has a LOT of experience with trans people, and has been the go-to doctor for many years for top surgeries. He does other trans-affirming procedures, but there is little information online and Dr. Mangubat isn't big on before/after pictures. So I'm nervous because I'm not exactly sure what to expect, but I do trust him and he has glowing reviews for all procedures. He also seems to be very knowledgeable, is board certified for cosmetic surgery, and is very involved in teaching and mentoring, including the other most well-known trans surgeon in the area right now, Dr Sajan. He also talked about body surgery as sculpting and he is big into a program called "sculpting for surgeons" that I really liked, as a natural-looking result is very important to me. The large amount of fat in my belly has always been a huge source of dysphoria for me, since I was maybe 12 or 13. I don't think a lot of people think of middle body fat as gendered, but it is VERY gendered, as people with majority estrogen grow fat in their hips, outer thighs, buttocks, as well as breasts, while testosterone-dominant people grow fat in their abdomen (belly and waist) mostly, and back. Some of this changes when starting HRT in adulthood, but not the majority of fat that's already there. I also have a good amount of extra skin in my belly, since I have gained and lost a lot of fat over and over through my life as I've worked through eating issues - that's what the tummy tuck is for. My goal is to reduce my body/gender dysphoria, be comfortable or even happy with my body, and help me pass as a cis woman when I need to. I am nonbinary, but reliably passing would help a LOT in many stressful and traumatic situations, especially those outside of my little progressive big city gayborhood bubble. I also would love some gender euphoria, even. Right now my chest (underbust) and waist are pretty much the same circumference - 38 inches. I'm hoping to reduce the size of my waist and belly a LOT, which I think is very doable with lip and especially the tummy tuck. I hope that it can be shaped in a fem way. The fat transfer to my buttocks and hips/thighs are the area I'm most worried about. I'm not sure exactly what to expect there for results. This procedure is mostly done to cis women (where a very similar procedure is called a BBL). But, they are pretty much always starting in a place with more fat in these areas already, unless they're very thin (my BMI is 27). I do want a rounded and more feminine butt and hips, including outer thighs which I also don't think people see as gendered, but they are. I also do NOT want them to be very large by cis woman standards, like a lot of cis women are looking for. I would be very, very happy with typical cis woman proportions there. My hips already have a 41" circumference, larger than my chest, which I don't really understand because my hip and buttocks are pretty flat. We'll see. According to internet, a typical/healthy fem waist/hip ratio is 0.7, so that means if I go up to say 44", my waist would be 30" ideally. I don't know if those are realistic results right now since I didn't talk numbers like this during my consults. I have also seen transfem body contouring before/after pictures where the results seem minimal. I hope that I can see clear results, but not too dramatic. Some other hopes -- my tummy tuck scar is low and straight, there are no major complications with the surgery, and my recovery isn't too bad. I've been having bad dreams about major complications (lost limbs etc) and other horrible things happening. Also feeling dread about dying. Yikes. I have 12 days off my work-at-home job. I bought a BBL mattress from bootybeanbag.com, which is great quality, but jeez the hole in the middle of the air mattress is very uncomfortable even before the surgery. I also have a lovely cat who I'm afraid will puncture it. We'll see how it works post-surgery. The purpose of the hole is that since I am going to have my tummy tuck/lipo healing on my front, and fat transfer to my sides and butt, I won't be able to sleep on a regular mattress on any side. With the hole, that area of my body won't be touching anything. I don't have anyone to watch over me after the first day. I'm single, I don't have close/accepting family, and I've lost a lot of my friends over the past 1-2 years. I am building a trans community and a few of them have been great at offering help and support. I'm very prepared with ready-to-eat protein-packed food -- protein bars, shakes, trail mix, as well as dried & fresh fruits including pineapple and papaya (both good for healing). I got a lot of other stuff. I'm probably gonna be in this mattress for a while. These pictures I took 3 days pre-op. You can see the very masc torso I have, especially the belly and lack of hips/butt. I'll plan to follow up soon, but after pictures probably won't be for a while as I heal. Wish me luck! Updated on 27 Aug 2020: Wow, it's done!! I got to Dr Mangubat's office at 7:45 and got vitals taken, photos taken, and marked up by Dr Mangubat. He either REALLY knows what he's doing or is very confident or both. :) He walked through his markings and I could tell he was using his sculpting skills. One example is that I've never heard any other surgeon doing transfem body contouring or BBL's for cis women talk about fat transfer to the outer thighs, which after looking at cis women's body shapes are a very gendered area of fat. I didn't have anything really to say because he covered everything in the markup. Which was very impressive since I came in with a boatload of questions & asks on what to do in the surgery. Quick aside, the anesthesiologist was very friendly and charismatic too and seemed very competent! We met before the surgery and I then I don't remember anything after him putting the IV in my arm. I woke up at about 3pm, a whole 7-8 hours later. No pain, nothing besides stiffness and I was VERY high off the anesthesia. I could walk easily but slowly. I left pretty quickly after that, with just a couple notes including that I'll be leaking a lot and that my genital area would swell, maybe to the size of a grapefruit. My caretaker and I laughed at that exaggeration. (foreshadowing: IT WAS NOT AN EXAGGERATION! wow!) I don't remember going home really, got into my BBL mattress pretty quick after a bunch of water (hadn't had water in ~20 hrs except a tiny bit after surgery). Still feeling fine except being goofy and high. Then it started to hit hard an hour or two later. Massive swelling, massive leaking, some pain but not very much thanks to oxys. I left in a diaper (like depends) and a few hours after getting home they are SOAKED. I recommend getting TONS of pads to put on wherever you are staying. I had 25 I bought plus a few the office gave me, but I just bought 50 more online to arrive in 2 days. I got one bottle of pineapple juice and now I am craving wildly. I recommend stocking up! I've never had this craving for pineapple juice, but my body must really want bromelain: All I've had is water, pineapple juice, and protein shakes. Stock up on those, too. I need to go to the bathroom SO MUCH, I guess because I'm trying to drink so many fluids. But some other surgery fluid is going out too, I can tell from the smell. Get a """female""" urinal like a shewee!! Even if you pee standing up (I don't), you'll likely be unable to aim, since you'll be so swollen. And sitting isn't great for results & pain. I'm soooooo glad I got one. I attached pictures of my preop markings from Dr Mangubat and my dressing postop. You can see the scrotal sack swelling -- it is 100% scrotum, even tho it's a picture that doesn't look like it. This wasn't the extent of the swelling, it maybe doubled in size from this photo. Sorry for misspellings & nonsense in this post, I'm still a bit under the influence. I have a postop appt tomorrow! I'll keep trying to updare. Updated on 28 Aug 2020: Quick update, day after surgery - Last night was rough. I slept about 2 hours and the swelling around the genitals was intense and very uncomfortable throughout the night. It's slightly better today but still bad. The area is completely black with bruising. I had my day-after followup appointment and they said this is completely normal, and could last a week or more. Yikes. Wearing tight underwear helps, but use a thong so it doesn't compress your buttocks. I can walk around and bend okay, but I am getting exhausted very quickly, and start sweating a lot after 1 minute of standing. So today's a bed day after the appointment. I'm not hungry but trying to eat as many protein drinks/bars and homemade kale chips (prepped in advance) that I can to help heal. I had my drain looked at and massaged in my back, and took off my garments for the first time to have a look at my body! It's very swollen all over, but it looks good. Of course with the swelling, my front is not as flat a I hope it will be, but my new hips and buttocks look good overall. There are a couple funny areas like the top of my buttocks looks like a shelf (flat horizontally) and where my hips meet my pelvis it's a bit bumpy, but I'm of course not passing judgment until the swelling's mostly gone. I'm so excited and am happy with the belly gone at the very least. I'm really looking forward to trying on clothes when the swelling's gone. My next followup is in 3 days, where they say I'll have my drain removed, and I can finally take a shower. I'll probably try some clothes then even though I'll still be swollen. <3 Updated on 29 Aug 2020: I had a good 7 hours or so of sleep last night, which is great. I woke up and found the stool softener has been working, which is great. I really recommend some wet toiler wipes. It's tough to reach especially with any pressure. I got "booty wipes" online and they're good. I set up a couple pillows on top of a couch cushion to raise my legs starting last night. It fixed my genital swelling VERY quickly! That's so fantastic since it was the worst part of my recovery the first 24 hours, and the doctor said it could last like that for a week or two. It's still swollen, but not nearly as bad. I highly recommend raising your legs high, above your heart and head. It gets uncomfortable for long periods of time, but raising them that high at least part of the time has been very helpful. The internet says to keep your legs bent while they're raised, and not to put supports right underneath your knees. Raising your legs helps with circulation and clots too. I'm getting worried about running out of oxycodone, since the pain when laying down is pretty intolerable when it loses effectiveness in the morning. I'm going to work on rationing them to one at a time instead of two. The worst pain is in my lower and upper back where there is some bending pressure due to how I am laying. I tried raising my head more yesterday and it was okay but just stressed other areas. I'll keep experimenting today. Unfortunately I have found NO other way to lay or sit while keeping pressure off my fat transfer areas & abdominoplasty sutures. I really don't know what I would do without this BBL mattress and I'm still scared my cat will puncture it, even though I have most of it covered with thick blankets. The doctors said most people after this procedure at their clinic use some pillows to make a makeshift BBL mattress, but that seems really uncomfortable and ineffective. They also said that pressure against the fat transfer areas is painful but won't affect results, which is NOT what everything I've heard on the Internet says. They say their patients usually maintain ~70% of their fat regardless, so who knows. A lot of recovery info on these procedures seems like guessing games, from bromelain and arnica to stem cells in the transferred fat (Dr Mangubat uses these) to how to lay. Here are some things that have been helpful & not so helpful so far: HELPFUL- * Protein shakes and lots of them - my favorite so far are Apres but they are kinda expensive * Pineapple juice - I like Lakewood brand * Protein bars - My favorite are Good Snacks brand. Omfg, those are delicious and have pretty good ingredients. * Kale chips (low salt, homemade) * Hippeas (chickpea puffs with relatively high protein) - nice to suck on one at a time * BBL mattress * Lots of pillows * Lots of blankets * Shower curtain (I put underneath the mattress just in case leaking gets thru the pads and blankets, which it probably has) * Extra diapers - the huge loose FitRight diapers have been fantastic and are very similar to what the clinic provided. It's 10am and I've already had to change mine twice, I'm still leaking so much (but waaaaay less than day one). * Extra pads - MedPride underpads are great, again similar to what the clinic provided * Shewee-style "female urinal" - I got one that is entirely enclosed and is flexible, which has been great. It's even been useful when sitting down since my body has been a mess down there. * Booty wipes * Laxative/stool softener - I like the Miralax I got, it's supposedly the best ingredient according to cursory research * A few full water bottles by the bed * Loong charging cables * Face wipes (I can't shower yet) * Massage roller stick (Yansyi brand). I saw this recommended on a BBL youtube video. I don't know if it's good or not for results, but I've been using this to gently massage some areas that I saw weren't very smoothly curved in my day 2 followup when I saw my body. That is the top of my butt transfer and the top of my outer thigh (hip) transfer. I am hoping this helps smooth out the fat or even get a little bit reabsorbed in those areas, but who knows. It at least feels nice. I am not pressing hard at all. * Little water spray bottle for my cat - someone recommended this to me to get my cat to stop being rough and playing with claws around the mattress. It seems to be helping. I thought it would be mean but my kitty just seems confused and stops playing. Hopefully they are learning to keep claws away from the air mattress. NOT HELPFUL (yet)- * Cold compresses * Cane - haven't needed this once * BBL pillow with backrest - too tall to use in the car for me, not good at home yet since it still applies some pressure to fat transfer areas. I should have gotten a boppy instead for car rides. The BBL pillow might be nice once I get back to working from home but I'll try to just lay down for a while. * Portable urine jug - this was a funny thing I got that I saw recommended that allows you to pee in a small jug in bed. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stand up on my own but that hasn't been a problem at all. * Grabber pole - I happened to have one of these for another reason, and saw it recommended to pick things up, etc. I only used it once to grab a bag of kale chips. No need to buy one IMO. * Hard foods - I still don't feel able to eat anything harder than kale chips or sucking on a hippea. * Nintendo Switch, tablet games - I just can't concentrate long enough for these yet. Updated on 30 Aug 2020: Not much new today besides minor recovery progress. Bed day. I managed to walk around the block today and pick up a package. When I got back I was exhausted, nauseous, and sweaty. I cooked up some vegan chickpea mac and cheez with frozen broccoli and soy curls (high protein & greens, low sodium). It was nice to eat some warm food. I'm still leaking a little bit, way less than before, and have changed my diaper a couple times. I'm supposed to get the drain taken out tomorrow, I'm not sure what that means if I'm still leaking. I'm looking forward to a shower, which supposedly I can do once the drain is taken out. I really want to stop wearing this foam binder that feels like it's crushing me. I'm so swollen I still don't have a good idea of what my body will look like. My waist is the same circumference as it was pre-surgery, but that's all swelling, since there's clearly a lot taken out from both lipo and the abdominoplasty. My hips are a really good size right now and I hope they don't shrink too much. Meanwhile, my butt has more projection than I'd like. But who knows what the proportions will look like when the rest of my body stops swelling. <3 Updated on 1 Sep 2020: I got my drains removed yesterday and was able to take a shower, wash my compression garment, and wash my bedding. WOW, what a difference. I'm no longer laying in my own filth all day (as much as I was, anyway). I still have low energy, but not quite as low as I had before. The foam binder I'm still wearing all day is having a big effect on my energy, I think -- it compresses down on my lungs and chest pretty hard. But, it's supposedly there so my lipo areas heal smoothly and not bumpy/uneven, so if that's true, then it's worth it. I stop using it my next appointment on Friday - 3 days from now. I was not expecting my crotch to be an issue at ALL post surgery, but it's maybe been my most uncomfortable/painful area. The swelling is almost all gone there finally, and I'm no longer elevating my legs, but it is still 100% bruised and VERY painful due to the massive swelling I had. It also looks like my compression garment was really cutting into my skin down there while it was swollen. It's not cutting into it anymore. I hope it heals well and quickly. I am moving onto ibuprofen from my percocet. 600-800mg every 6-8hrs. I'm throwing in one of my percocets here and there due to crotch and tummy tuck incision pain, but ibu's mostly cover the worst pain. I'm glad, the last thing I need is an opioid dependency. I've moved onto solid food and ate 2 veggie burgers with collards for bfast and lunch. I don't eat burgers much but it sounded so good this morning. Weird cravings. It's all pretty low sodium, whole wheat buns, etc. I might buy a salad this evening for dinner to get some actual fresh food. I don't have the energy to deal with prepping all those ingredients. I hope I can go for a walk. I'm still laying in bed most of the time. I weighed myself yesterday before my shower and I weigh 15 lbs more than the day before the surgery! This has got to be all swelling and maybe water retention. I haven't been eating a whole lot and I got some lbs removed (maybe just about 3 lbs net) during the operation. I checked yesterday and this is what I had done for volume: - 315g of skin removed (0.7 lbs) - 3000cc of fat lipo'ed from abdomen, flanks, lower back - 970cc of fat transferred to both sides -- 1940cc total Here is a picture of before and current. It is still very far away from the final results!! I am very swollen, so that my waist is the exact same size as it was before the surgery. My lower thighs are very swollen even though there was no fat injected there - I believe that's the same gravity issue that causes crotch swelling. The fat injected areas, especially the top of my butt, are VERY square. My surgeon says that will resolve itself and is common after every plastic surgery due to swelling. It has gotten a bit better than my day-after visit so I'm hopeful. I hope my new hips (upper thighs) don't shrink much, and they're not hard as a rock like my butt so I hope that's a good sign. I'm fine with my butt shrinking down a bit, at least as far as projection outwards goes. I'm really hoping my front deswells a lot, as there's not a huge amount of difference between before/after right now there except my belly hang being gone. Anyway, it's looking promising!! I know I don't look like a model in my afters, but that's not what I'm going for (or would be possible ha ha). Swelling will hopefully be way down by my next appointment on Friday, and I'm hoping to have more energy. Updated on 5 Sep 2020: I'm feeling a LOT better now, but still very swollen, and pretty bruised and sore. I also get overheated and exhausted very quickly when going outside, but am still trying to walk about an hour a day now. I come back as an exhausted, sweaty mess. But, I'm starting to settle in my body and feel SO GOOD outdoors. I felt so embarrassed & uncomfortable with my body in public before the surgery, and it feels so much better already. I still weigh ~15 lbs more than the day before my surgery, and my surgeon pressed their hand in my abdomen and it acted like memory foam, which is all swelling. My shape is fantastic now, I just hope the swelling goes away but I maintain a similar shape. After I got my drains removed and I felt less like I just got hit by a car, I noticed my compression garment fit HORRIBLY and was digging into my skin really bad in my thighs and crotch, acting like a transmasc binder on my chest, and barely touching my waist. I figured out they gave me a men's garment which is pretty f'ed up considering my gender and the surgery I got, but they told me they give that to anyone with a long torso. Idk, I honestly doubt they do to cis women. This is the only gender annoyance/transphobia I've had with this surgeon or their staff. I talked to my nurse who has been AWESOME, and she told me that I could use some firm shapewear (spanx) and wear my compression foam over it. Luckily I already had some -- two pieces including a long cami and very high waist shorts that I got from Target online. It fits so much better, but I also found the company that made the men's garment (Design Veronique) and asked them to make a custom women's garment with a longer length. They took care of it very quickly and I'll get it delivered in a few days. Expensive, but worth it if it helps at all with my results for the next month. I talked to my nurse and surgeon about that and they were interested in getting these custom made garments for taller transfem people. If you get this surgery, you should ask during your consult or in advance what type of garment you'll get, and if you can get a custom one if needed. I am still avoiding sitting and it still hurts when I sit for short periods. My BBL mattress got a small hole and was deflating every 2-3 hours, which was a huge bummer. I tried to lay and sleep on my normal bed or couch with some adjustments, and it just was not comfortable and I couldn't find a way it wasn't pressing against my abdominoplasty incision or fat transfer areas. Luckily, I got enough energy and pretty easily was able to find the hole to patch it. I realized how valuable the BBL mattress is- it might be the #1 supply I'd recommend before this type of surgery. I'm still laying on the mattress maybe 21 hours a day. I go back to work on Tuesday but luckily I work from home, so I'll still probably be on the mattress with a laptop. I'm feeling really good about the results so far and it's been worth it. A quick photo showing a pretty euphoric image of my (swollen) shape in my shapewear.
