I have been thinking of getting tummy tuck for many years since I lost the weight. I've gone to self help seminars, positive support groups, etc. Most of my friends are against it except others who have gone through the same thing and are still active vibrant women. I am getting tummy tuck and breast augmentation. I was not sure about the breast because it was nature not weight loss that caused them to deflate,but since the advent of the safer gummy bears, I considered it. It's only day post op. I was mostly asleep and out of it the whole time. Today was painful and generally boring. My boobs look promising and I can't feel implants inside. They are just poofy. The Dr said it went very very well. I can't wait. Updated on 14 Jan 2016: I'm in a reclined position that took like 7 pillows. Day 2 is supposed to be the most painful and it was. I saw my Dr. And he said it all looked good. My boobs looked flat but they are supposed to fluff up. I uploaded photos. You cant see but my skin is crepe and looks cellulite like. I also hang a lot when I bend over. I am wearing a binder, drains, and sports bra. All were provided by my Dr. Also my left Butt cheek is sore from laying down a lot. Updated on 15 Jan 2016: So here we are at day 4! I feel like I'm getting bed sores in my left Butt cheek. I'm a little worried. I tried putting more pillows under my Butt. It's not helping. I can't get up without help because I'll engage my chest muscles and cause my implant to hurt. Or I engage my hips or tummy which makes me feel like I'm typing my incision. The pain is more tolerable. I still have my meds on a timer. I did have constipation mildly. I took a gentle laxative, 2 per day for 2 days. I actually went yesterday but it was difficult. The drainage is not bad. Totaling, I drain around 40cc from both. I keep hydrated and am 90% not nauseous. I mostly easy soft foods and protein. I feel like I'm not too swollen under the wrapper. And I do feel weird itchiness, but I hear that comes from healing. That's it for now!! Updated on 15 Jan 2016: I never gave an ample description of what was being done and why. I first wanted a tummy tuck. I had been fit for many years, then I began emotional eating. I got up to about 289lbs, when my Dr told me I had high blood pressure and I should not be at that point at my age. He wanted to put me on medication because I was so far along. I asked him to give me a chance to change. I started on food. For a year I worked on eating a healthy amount. This helped immensely. Then the next year I walked with my dogs and changed up my food a little. Then I began taking classes at the gym. I chose low impact options but I stayed for the whole class, no excuses. After that I worked out like crazy and ate well with awesome cheat days. No matter how low I got my bmi, I still had a tummy. People said maybe if I exercised more it'd go away. I went 4 hrs everyday. The tummy didn't change. I could see my abs disappear underneath a tummy. For a while I felt like it wasn't a big deal. That I was fine and healthy. It's not like I wanted to be shredded. But I couldn't wear crop tops or bikinis or anything that showed my stomach. The skin was rumpled and hung down l like an old cloth. I went back and forth thinking about it as well as my boobs for over a couple years. My boobs were just nature rather than weight-loss. But I looked Deflated overall. I also thought about recovery. Tummy tucks don't begin fade for about a year. And I can't really bra shop for 3 months. And the money is save up would be an amazing vacation to Italy or paying off the car... I thought if it for much of a time. I also almost chickened out doing it. But had a supportive human being who reminded me how long I've dreamed of it.... So here I am recovering. I can see my boobs are very well inflated. Though I hope they look fluffier. And I can feel swelling is going down because it feels looser in my binder. I'm not feeling excited yet to the degree I know I am. I'm chalking that up to staying home and pain meds. Updated on 17 Jan 2016: Almost time to see if drains will come out. I have not removed my binder or bra since the operation. I clean with wipes. My hair is a dank mess. I can't wait to take a shower and to get intimate with my bf. The main pain I have is the drains rubbing my muscles or bones or something. I get a sting sensation and then soreness. My arms are getting better on right side. Left arm feels sore. I want to look at stuff but don't want to mess anything up so I'm leaving alone. Ugh cant wait til shower and shave! My pain meds ran out so I'm trying regular Tylenol. And I went number 2 twice. I'm barely beating constipation. Updated on 18 Jan 2016: Hoping tomorrow is drain removal!!! Updated on 19 Jan 2016: Really hoping for drain removal. They really pinch my insides and I have to have help getting up from reclined positions. I feel every second in going to rip a tube out on accident. My chest feels like a million pounds. So far the cleavage looks cute, but I'm wondering I can really work out with them... Did not find any cute wireless bras at ross. Wondering if I should get fitted at vs and buy cheap clearance bras or perhaps try marshals or something. This surgery sports bra is unsupportive. I feel Phantom prickly spots or tingling or crampy feelings in my breast and stomach. I feel like I'll be a hunch back forever. I hope someone can allay my fears and maybe point me to some good binders and cheap wireless bras. I'm only 1 week from post surgery. I'm trying not to go crazy. I hear 3 months before any real bra shopping. Well to bed now. Updated on 19 Jan 2016: I just got drains out. It hurt! He took stitches out. And then they pulled the drains out. Everything looks scary and Frankenstein. They assure me it'll look better and better. Sadly a lot of my stretch marks stayed on me. They took 2 lbs of skin and lipoed 1lbs. I saw a photo of both items. It was quick, all finished. My bandages and tape and drains and everything was removed. I don't know what to feel. At least nothing will be hanging and clothes will fit nicely!! Updated on 19 Jan 2016: Since my oxy ran out, I've had more energy. My left side twitches around my lower stomach where the drain was and my left boob hurts. The incisions underneath are so tiny. My boobs are huge. They fit into my old bra, which fit onto head. I didn't quite want to be that big but I still have fluffing and dropping to do so we'll see what happens. I'll post some pictures tonight. Updated on 20 Jan 2016: I got refill in pain meds, not quite over but I'm taking half a pill. Much better drains are out. I had sex twice if you are curious. We did it kind of slow and watched incisions, but worked out. My left breast was too tender to be touched. Still healing! Updated on 24 Jan 2016: I think some of my updates didn't post Updated on 24 Jan 2016: 1) anyone had their body flake a lot of skin and seem dry or fragile? 2) how do you know you messed up your boobs? I feel my right one is jutting kind of weird into my cleavage. I'm worried. 3) is it swelling? I see when I sit, I still have skin hanging over my incision. My skin is still rumpled at the incision site.. It's only been 1 week 5 days now. Looks tight all other times, and I've just started to stand straight. 4) I hear people say after ba, under muscle, not to really strengthen your back, chest. And shoulders. I want to do some performance arts that rely heavily on those muscles.. Will I be able to do it? Thanks to whoever looks! Updated on 25 Jan 2016: I'm so swollen I can tap my tummy and it moves. I'm so nervous. Think I overdid it the last two days. I rested all day. I felt so yucky today. Updated on 27 Jan 2016: I was still very swollen and tight when I went to my appt. He gently checked out my swelling. It moved on its own a little. I was scared he would say the drains were returning. But instead he took a big needle. Which hurt... And removed my fluid. He said even less came out than he thought was going to. I felt like I was going to faint but I didn't and they laid me down. I felt like a bit of a wimp. But having the fluid out is a lot better. Also make sure to take it easy or it can make you swell. I felt so energetic Sunday that I overdid it. Oh and the overhang was swelling. Dry skin is normal. And dry your belly button after shower. I only patted it and a tiny bit of water stayed making it smell. Also scabs are coming off on their own. It's skin underneath!! I'm getting hopeful. I'm also working on my teeth next. Updated on 30 Jan 2016: I'm swollen again. But my scabs ate steadily falling off. Once they all come off, I can get embrace strips. I hope it really helps. I want small flat scars!! My scars are already a little thick and ropey. I also am wrinkled towards my hips, the cut had to go a little further than we originally talked about. I hope and pray it'll all go down enough. I have also been looking at waterproof body makeup. Call it vanity but I want to wear some on my bb scar and stretch marks. Did you know they use 30 layers of body makeup on runway models?? I just want to bare my belly one time and just feel free and pretty. Here's a photo of the rumpled part. I'm healing slowly but surely. Updated on 2 Feb 2016: So I was swelling a lot, but I'm not watching sodium as good as I was first week. Minus pain meds except rare occasions, my appetite, energy, and bathroom habits are back to fill swing. Today I ate at home and found swelling that was not too bad. I overhang my incision site still but I hope to get tighter and when I work out, maybe some abs. I can't even imagine. Also my boobs healing right along!! Updated on 10 Feb 2016: I have my appt in the morning and I just transitioned into spanx like garments. I'll have to take a picture. I can't believe how everything fits better! You will feel less bulky believe me. I got a random brand at Burlington for 7.99$ and its great! Supportive, thin, self removable, and black so if anyone sees it they'll think it's a shirt. Also my week 3 appt, I opt to get fluid removed. Only 20cc came out! This time it did not hurt and I felt even better. My crotch also stopped swelling from the fluid removal on week 2. Also get crazier, I got dental surgery yesterday. I'm in a lot of pain and sad. Dummy me, scheduled the surgery before valentine's :( ugh. Here's the picture of the garment. Updated on 11 Feb 2016: I had my week 4 Post yesterday. No fluid needed to be removed. I have minor swelling under my belly button. I did have a weird looking infected scab. My Dr said it was a bit of stitching and cut it out. Looks very gross today. I'm weirded out by it. He said maybe next week we might be able to hit up embrace scar therapy strips. My boobs are normalizing more as far as sensitivity and feel fairly natural. I feel very normal with this size. And they are even a bit.. Dare I say it? Fun! Glad I decided to go the extra step. My dental surgery recovery is worse than my tt and ba combined. I can't eat anything but liquid. My face is throbbing and I can't string together 3 hours to sleep. So painful. I just want to crawl under a rock and die... And silly enough I could only go one day before I jumped my honey's bones. Geez. Updated on 15 Feb 2016: Finally photos! Progress after 4.5 weeks. I'm in pain from my dental surgery so back to pain killers and constipation lol. Also my Dr. cut out stitches and I'm left with a wound that's not healing so well. My other scabs fell off. Might not be be getting embrace this week til my wound heals. My lower belly looks poochy still. And my belly button is dark but hope it goes well. Updated on 16 Feb 2016: It's still gaping where my ps cut my stitch out. I see him in one more day. Hopefully it's not necrosis or infected. I'm so scared. Updated on 16 Feb 2016: Here's photos of the wound and my hurty scab that might have a stitch in it. Updated on 20 Feb 2016: Updated on 22 Feb 2016: I found my side profile bent over, before picture. And a 1 week progress picture post op. That's when it was dated. Updated on 25 Feb 2016: Officially week 6! I am still spitting stitches. I guess they are dissolvable stitches, but some people's bodies get irritated and spit. Mine is crazy spitting. I went to my appt and my Dr pulled 3 more sections. One longer than my finger. Then as I went for my first long bike ride I felt slight pinching all day. I took a shower and after I saw clear string poked in a fresh spot in my skin, bleeding freshly. I pulled out a piece of stitch almost as long as my finger. Almost barfed but couldn't leave it part in and out till another week for my Dr to pull out. So creepy. Still got to wait till I heal. And i was not cleared for regular activity either. But I took the bike ride! I had to get out to increase my appetite and sleep better. And overall it was good. I felt better spirit and that stitch poked out instead of causing me issues later. So two pictures. I'm pointing at where the stitch came out and I took a picture of the stitch piece. Updated on 4 Mar 2016: So I went for the week 7 po appt. More stitches. My other gaping wound is finally closed for the most part but now I have a small part and another big hole. I am not cleared for regular activity. I can do stationary bike, some weights, no core work, upper body to my comfort, and no aerobics yet or bent activities. I did go for a 12 mile bike ride and leaked fluids. But I was in a great mood with improved appetite. We went to sweet tomatoes, a salad and soup buffet. I didn't do too terrible. I'm not a big salad eater. They had enough soft spring mix that I could nibble it. I'm still on soft diet for the next 3-6 months for my teeth. Also my Dr did clear me to wean myself from any type of binders or spanx! And underwire bra if it's not too irritating. I wore my spanx type stuff most of the day except evening/before bed. I also went to dinner without any compression! In the morning my tummy looked much more tightened. I think my swelling is easing. I also bought a Victoria Secrets Incredible sports bra. It has a bra inside of a front zip sports bra. I wore it for my bike ride. I looked at some high impact sports bra but not sure what else would be good. I don't like compression on my chest and I like something to separate my boobs. I hope it'll be ok when I return to my high aerobics. What a journey! I'll try to get more pictures up soon:) Updated on 5 Mar 2016: Old photos around the time my first stitch popped. Really need to take new ones:) Updated on 25 Mar 2016: Hiii I've been off in the weeds. Lots of changes in life so now I'm back into the flow. I found Iost a lot of muscle mass. I am much weaker than I used to be but I"m definitely working on it. I was finally cleared for activity with whatever Ifeel good with my ps said. My teeth are also healing and Iwas calmed down after my freak out with mesh coming through my gums! So far I like my boobs a lot though they feel funny when I lay on them or try to use my upper body muscles but I will get through it! My wound spit out hopefully the last 3 stitches just before I had my appointment. I got scared because my wound spontaneously opened while on a trip and pus drained out. My ps said it was my body in attempt to dissolve the stitches. I pulled out a gooey piece of stitch and within an hour or so, it started to dry and heal right away. Iwish Ihad dug in there sooner. It wasn't till after I got home that I attempted it. My ps also said it wouldn't be worth doing the embrace strips and told me to get scaraway. partially because I also have some bad reactions to adhesive. I still am curious to do it. I ended up getting newgel+ gel and am medipac tape. My belly button still does not look good. I won't show it in public that's for sure. And i STILL SWELL. Yup. A small area above the insicion and below the belly button gets crazy puffy by the end of the day or after eatting horribly. I'm posting a recent picture from a few days ago. My incision also itches and feels funny when I do yoga or lay on it but its getting better every day? Woot working out!!:) Come on belly button!!!! Updated on 28 Mar 2016: So I worked out 3 days in the week not including on Easter a little. I also did yoga. It was ackward on my boobs and I didn't continue vinyasa because my upper body muscles screamed. I did lay on my tummy. It was ackward but I'm trying to get my body back into the motions. I am definitely weaker. My body is super happy though because my hair and nails grew stronger. I wasn't dieting during recovery because I didn't want to take a chance on my healing. I also healed better from dental surgery when I could eat more than half a smoothie for a whOle day. I actually lost 10lbs but I think it's all muscle loss. Tips for you ladies working out: Arnica helps swelling. Vs sport knockout bras are great and recently they made a wireless one!! So it's a normal bra inside a sports bra!! I wore the wired one and stayed secured! Updated on 31 Mar 2016: So I got mepitac tape! I reuse it after I remove it for work out and showers! It helps my belly button a lot. I did more work out! I love the look of my boobs now, but don't like the feeling when I use my upper body muscles;p Also I'm riding a bra size that vs is getting rid of! 32ddd :( WTF! 34dd doesn't do the trick for sports bras because it's too big around the band, not giving me enough support! ARGH. *SIGH SIGH* Updated on 23 Jun 2016: Hi friends, sorry I've been gone. I got a new very physically demanding and time intense job. I'm just a limp piece of seaweed and I just sleep when I get the chance! My scar is still dark but healing. Bb still awkward.. I'll have to put pictures up. I do still feel self conscious and swell.. I hope to catch up with friends here and update, Updated on 10 Aug 2016: This setting the 6-7 month mark pictures. Sorry they aren't more recent. I took the photos before I accidentally but utterly destroyed my phone. They are the TT photos after doing exercise. I'm still not preop weight. I was almost 132 lbs , now I'm 165lbs. I'm stressing. I don't get it because I eat salad for lunch, have a physically demanding job and still work out 1-3 hours for 6 days a week. I eat my breakfast! Anyways my dr retired to go help kids with cleft palates so I went to his partner for my check up. Everything is healing well. He said my bb is the shape it is due to how my dr did it. I am considering revision if I have enough skin. Also I'm STILL swelling terribly. I have dog ears a little and my skin still seems loose. Dr.Stuart said give it 4 months before any type of freaking out... I feel like such a vain brat. Anyways here's a few photos for now. Love you all. Updated on 10 Aug 2016: It posted before I could add last photo Updated on 22 Nov 2016: Well it's been a little while! I don't have pictures right now but I'm still worried. The old pooch is back. I don't know if I'm just fat or my TT didn't work out or if I'm still swelling. It could be swelling because it's still numb and I had quite a bit of trouble with localized swelling in the now poochey area. I go for an appointment Monday after Thanksgiving. I'm not happy with the scar either. My bb got better and doesn't look like a dog's bum, but it's not cute. Wish me luck! I am still exercising about 5-6 days a week for at least an hour or more. Hard to avoid a bit of stress eating. I will try to post more recent photos in the future. Updated on 5 Dec 2016: So I might still be swelling. My new ps said he would look at in Jan, the year mark. If it didn't resolv, he is thinking of lipo to shape it. I feel like it's a bad time around the holidays because of stress eating. Also during winter it's hard for me to be active. I'm still working out but I struggle with it. I missed 2 days last week. Also he talked about revising my scar upward. I want a possible revise but just to smooth. Not sure if I want it turned up at the edges. Sorry no photos lately. Updated on 9 Jan 2018: So it's been a while since I updated. I think I'm going to need a revision or break up scar tissue. The flesh above the scar is puffed and hard. While flesh on my mound is tight and flat. It may be a long long time before I can do anything. It's more frustrating than before. At least the loose skin was soft and I could smash it down in tight clothes. I can't do that now. :(
I am not a huge social media/"sharing my life to all" type person. But all the reviews, etc. on real self have been so helpful to me in my journey that I wanted to pass whatever I can along, so I can hopefully help someone else. I wanted to start by sharing my experience with the doctors in Tucson, AZ I had consults with. I ended up consulting with 4 different doctors. And honestly, I feel like any of the 4 would have done a great job. I just wanted to make sure the doctor I chose was on the same page as me as far as what I really wanted (I feel like I am not the typical implant patient, in the fact that I would be o.k. still being small chested in the end...I just want enough to feel feminine, but not enough to interfere with my active lifestyle or to be completely noticeable by others. In fact, I am totally fine with my body in clothes (push up/highly padded bras are fine with me), it was just when it came to being naked or in swimming suits that I was really struggling). The first doctor I saw was Dr. Maloney. In my opinion he seemed like a more "showy" doctor than I personally would prefer. Although, some may like this (the friend who recommended him loved him). His office is very nicely decorated and organized. He is very professional. He has the 3-D imaging, which is fun. His office staff is great. I really like the scheduler, she was very cute and willing to answer any questions. Dr. Maloney did a great job answering all my questions (and I had a ton!) and was very patient. The second doctor I went to see was Dr. Peter Kay. He was recommended by a friend that had a tummy tuck. His office was definitely less "showy". His consult felt more like a "medical" consult than a sales floor. Which I really liked. We had a good discussion and he actually explained things above and beyond the usual questions which I really liked. He also uses a pain pump in recovery. And I really liked the idea of less pain, although it does add more to the cost of surgery. Because he only uses smooth, round implants, he referred me to another doctor as he felt I may benefit from having shaped/anatomical implants. This is only my opinion, but I got the feeling from the consult that Breast Implants are not his main focus in his practice...I could be wrong though. The 3rd doctor I saw was Dr. Eades. He was recommended by Dr. Kay. His consult was more on the "medical" level than on the "showy" level. He does all types of implants. Which is nice to be able to discuss textured versus smooth, shaped versus round, cohesive versus highly cohesive. Ultimately I did not pick him because I felt a little like he's "been there, done that" as in I would just be another patient on his schedule to get done. Not that I don't think he would do a great job (especially with all his experience), but that just worried me in the off chance that I had complications that to an experienced surgeon aren't much, but to the average patient are huge (does that make sense?). The 4th doctor I saw was Dr. Reinke. I just randomly picked him as he had some of the best reviews I could find. I would honestly say his consult was a mix between showiness and medical; maybe leaning more toward the "showy" side. He seemed to have a prepared way to present his information which, unfortunately for him, I kept interrupting to ask questions...but in the end I didn't have to ask my huge list of questions because we had covered most of it in our discussion. All that being said, his "showiness" didn't bug me as much because I feel like he is such a genuine person. He seems to really like what he does and really like the patients. As a few reviews said, he really can be heard coming down the hall as he is usually singing or humming. One thing that scared me about picking him as my doctor was I felt like he was a little more pushy towards going bigger. He kept saying, "the biggest regret 99% of patients have is not going bigger". But in the end I think he understood that I was not one of those patients. Dr. Reinke also does anatomical and round implants. So it was nice to be able to discuss which would be best for me. Pat, his assistant, can seem a little cold. But I really think she is just a quieter personality. And she was great through the surgery. I personally really appreciated her no nonsense honesty. I ended up choosing Dr. Reinke. I think I was most drawn to his personality. He is also a Harvard graduate (which I know doesn't say everything, but it doesn't hurt either). I also think he has enough experience (25 years) but hasn't been around so long that he is stuck in the traditional way of doing things. I also liked that as hard as I tried I could not find any really negative reviews. I think picking a doctor is a very personal choice. What works for one person doesn't work for another. But I find that the more info you have can help you decide which doctors to schedule a consult with. There are so many doctors out there and obviously there is not enough time to meet each of them!
After years of contemplation, I have finally decided to get breast inplants. I met with Dr. Reinke today and felt so comfortable that I set my surgery date in a couple weeks. I wasn't sure what to expect size wise, but after trying several sample sizes, we decided on a 475cc on the right, and 500cc on the left. That seems SO big! But considering my body frame, 5'8 145lbs athletic build, I think it will look just fine. Updates to come. Updated on 20 Jul 2015: I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Reinke. I live 2 hours away from his office so I opted out of a presurgery final appt. I called his office today hoping to speak with a nurse to ask a couple questions I forgot on my initial visit. They took my message and to my surprise, Dr. Reinke himself called me back. He even gave me his cell number to send him pictures related to my questions. I recommend him 100%. Updated on 26 Jul 2015: Just over 1 week till surgery, anything more than this will be an upgrade Updated on 2 Aug 2015: I have read SO many reviews about people wishing they had gone with a larger implant. I was hesitant about the 500cc my doctor recommended, but I think I'm going to go a bit larger! Surgery is tomorrow morning and I'm going to try on a 500 and 525 for size and see what I think. Go big or go home, right? Updated on 2 Aug 2015: This time tomorrow I will actually have boobs, sooo exciting. Updated on 3 Aug 2015: Not too much to report, I was in a little more pain than expected but the meds are kicking in. I ended up staying with the 500cc implant as per my doctor's recommendation. I think I will be thrilled with them! Updated on 6 Aug 2015: Everything is going pretty good so far, still sore, and feels tight. They feel the most tight and firm they've felt so far, hoping that is normal. The 500cc implant is dropping a little quicker than the 475cc. It's only been a few days but they look GREAT, and I have minimal bruising. Updated on 20 Aug 2015: My surgery was a little over 2 weeks ago, and I so happy with my decision. I'm still sore, and my back has been killing me. Having boobs is hard work! I've dropped some, but I know I have a ways to go, and I have to remind myself it's only been 2 weeks. Updated on 24 Aug 2015: Looking better every day. Updated on 16 Sep 2015: I'm currently 6 weeks post op and feeling great, I LOVE them. The left still hasn't dropped as much as the right, but I'm being patient.
So I am 5'5 120lbs and I am a mother of 1. I've wanted this since I had her. I was a full A small B deflated. They looked like pancakes lol I met with Dr. Reinke who suggested that I go with the 450cc implants even though I was convinced I was going with the 400cc implants. So closer to my surgical date I decided to listen to the nice man with 25+ years of experience and I am 7 days post op and I absolutely LOOOOOOOOOOVE THEM!! They look great at 7 days!!! The incision looks amazing I've had 0 problems and I can't wait to see how they turn out!! Updated on 9 Jun 2015: So I'm only 7 days post op and I'm actually really scared that my strips already came off but the incision looks really good! I'm just keeping the area clean and keeping a close eye on the incisions! Calling the doc in the morning because it's Monday and wasn't suppose to take them off until Wednesday. ???? Updated on 9 Jun 2015: So Dr. Reinke did a post op with me via FaceTime and he looked at my incisions and breast shape. He said the incisions look great!! I told him about my worries about the double bubble and he reassured me that the more they settle the more it'll go away and he's right! My left breast is setting a tiny bit more than my right and the line I thought was a double bubble is almost completely gone! Started massaging today! 1x a day both breasts plus an extra 1x for my right!! Sooooo happy!!!! Updated on 11 Jun 2015: So they feel great!! The right breast is starting to drop and catch up with the left and the incisions are great!! I'm doing massages everyday and I love them more and more everyday!!
I figured that it's my turn to make me happy in the inside so I decided to do a mommy makeover. I have a very busy life, I'm a nurse, work and go to school full time. I don't have time to work out and eat right. I've done what I can but I can only do so much. I now just have to maintain 80% is diet and 20% is exercise. Updated on 5 Jun 2015: One month post op from my mommy makeover. Tummy tuck and breast implant exchanged. Back to work, my PS applied the Embrace dressing for scar reduction. I'm still swollen but so happy with my results so far! Updated on 10 Jun 2015:
I had got my boobs done 10 years ago had two kids since then boobs sagged time for new set I wanted my breast a little bigger also I'm happy I went back to him if I decide to get any other plastic surgery will go back to him again I highly recommend for anyone to go get a consultation. if want plastic surgery
I've recently had a breast augmentation done with Reinke and his crew. I could not be any happier with the results! As someone who really struggled and was unhappy with her breast size, this has been a life changing operation for me. Reinke and his team have been nothing but courteous and professional from the moment I walked in. They really helped me understand the process of what was going to happen during and after the surgery, and even called hours after I was sent home to check on my well being. I suggest Dr. Reinke to anyone who is looking to do an augmentation! Any worries you had about the operation will be put at rest after your consultation, and you won't want to go to any other doctor! Thank you SO much for everything!
It's been a couple years since I updated my "review" on here so I just wanted to update anyone who was interested in my experience :) I chose Dr. Reinke (TUCSON AZ) Amazing Dr. I love my results! Before I was a 34 b After a few months of fluffing after the surgery I was a 34ddd which I have remained since then:) (700cc) My profile is mod + saline. I'm happy with saline they are firm but i still love them :) Updated on 24 Jul 2014: I'm 5"5 and weigh 150lbs :) Waist: 33 inches Hips: 43 inches
I grew up always flat chested - dreamed of filling out a dress or bath suit. 5'6" weight about 140 llbs - very muscular and curvy (not fat). Finally - saved enough money and at 36 yrs old had 375 saline implants put in under muscle. Had specifically told doctor did not want to big. I'm broad shouldered and muscular. They looked great for a long time but started to bottom out and when i went to do arm curls the breasts were interferring with my lifting. I went in for a revision from saline to silicone and to downsize from 375cc saline to 250cc silicone. Its only been a few days and Im in love. They are very sore do to the internal bra lift the PS gave me - to help make pocket smaller and bring the breast implants in from oozing out the sides. I cant wait til there all healed - they look perky and just right for someone my size turning 50. I don't need huge breasts that I can serve up - I need soft and feminine. And easy on my back.
My name is Karina and I'm a mom to 3 kids, ages 2, 6, and 8. I'm currently 5'7" and weigh 136 pounds. I have struggled with my weight for the last 10 years or so. Just a year ago I weighed about 200 pounds. My highest weight pregnant was with my 8 year old when I weighed 246 pounds on delivery day. When my youngest daughter was born 2 1/2 years ago, I weighed in at 237 pounds. Over the last year I have worked my butt off with diet and exercise and have gotten to my goal weight. I would like to be 135 (only a pound or so to go) but I've been fluctuating between 136-138 for the last 2 months. I am a frequent runner/walker and have found that my body is pretty comfortable maintaining at between 135-140. Having three large babies and a short torso has wreaked havoc on my midsection. My heaviest baby was 9 lb 8 oz and the lightest was 8 lb 10 oz. When I bend a little bit to the side, my ribcage literally hits my hip bone. So I really don't have much of a waist so my babies had nowhere to go bout outward. This caused a lot of stretch marks and tummy skin expansion. I've gotten to my goal weight now and even so, my tummy is not going away. I've got quite a bit of muscle separation and extra skin and tissue that I'm looking forward to getting removed with the tummy tuck. I have been begging my husband for a tummy tuck for years now and he finally relented. :) So here I go!!! No looking back now! My tummy tuck is scheduled for March 1 and I will be getting a full tummy tuck with muscle repair and liposuction of the hips and flanks. I am nervous as heck but I can't wait! Updated on 14 Feb 2012: ***Update*** I had to reschedule my tummy tuck for April 10. Lots of family drama involving an impromptu wedding in which I am a bridesmaid. Plus there is the bridal shower and the bachelorette party I am expected to be at. On top of that, my 2 year old is having a surgery on March 5 to have a Branchial Cleft Cyst removed from her clavicle area. AND, we just found out that my son was awarded a spot in an Honor Recital concert on March 1 (only 10 kids in the whole school get this honor). So it was just going to be too much I would have to miss to keep it in March. Updated on 2 Apr 2012: 8 days to go! I completely forgot what I was supposed to do pre-op besides don't eat past midnight. My pre-op appointment was 2 months ago so I barely remember anything. As far as what I've done to prepare is this. I bought a stage 2 compression garment, purchased Bromelain and Arnica, as well as the silicone scar tape (for after 6 weeks post-op - I keloid like crazy). What else do I need to prepare? Tonight I'm going to pick up a shower chair, a heating pad for my lower back. Also I already have one of those exercise bands to tie up the drains while I shower. As far as help with my kids, luckily my hubby and I both work from home so he will be with me all the time as he usually is. I also have an adjustable Tempur-Pedic bed which will be super nice and a nice little laptop lap desk so I can still work from my bed when I feel like it. Does anyone know, do I need to eat super light the day before? I think I heard that somewhere. Updated on 9 Apr 2012: Here goes nothing! Tomorrow morning! Tummy tuck or bust! Terrified out of my mind but ready to get it over with. Hope my recovery is as easy as possible as I don't do too well with pain in general. I will be sure to keep up on my meds and take them before I need them. Now if I can just sleep tonight I should be okay. :/ Updated on 10 Apr 2012: So today is the day. Murphy's law has struck. My two older kids age 7 and 8 are home with a stomach bug throwing up today! I'm due at the PS at 9:30 (in an hour and a half) so my mom has to leave work to come take me and pick me up since my husband has to stay home and tend to the sick kids. Dear God I hope I don't get the same stomach bug while I'm recovering. :( What a day! Updated on 11 Apr 2012: PO Day 1 - I made it through surgery yesterday. Luckily my kids are done puking and so far neither my 2 year old, my husband, or I got the bug. Knock on wood. So yesterday when I arrived at the PS office (where they do surgery), I had my consult with the anesthesiologist and mentioned that I get nauseous and vomit from anesthesia. I had my gall bladder out in 2003 and I threw up a lot after recovery. She said she would give me some IV meds and some benadryl that would help with the nausea. Luckily I did not have any nausea but the benadryl made it so that I did not wake up for a LONG TIME after the surgery. No nausea. I ate some crackers and that was enough to keep me from feeling nauseous last night. Pain-wise yesterday was not so bad. I slept a lot and didn't have too much pain. Today is a different story. This pain is SUPER REAL. I was taking 1 Percocet every 3 hours. I was setting my alarm overnight for every 3 hours. The doc said I can bump it up to 2 pills every 4 hours. The drains are in my vajay-jay area and man do they hurt!!! The drain holes hurt pretty bad. My incision stings too. I have a super short waist and this girdle is just too long for me. It is riding up and folding up along my incision. I can see the sides of my incision and luckily it is super low. I can tell. I don't have my first post op until Friday. So I'm gonna have to wait to see things until then. I just hate being in so much pain. My husband is being so great though. He's holding down the fort with the kids and the cooking and housework and taking such good care of me. Updated on 16 Apr 2012: Today is Post Op day 6. I ran out of Percocet and the PS office called me in some Vicodin instead. I don't like it as much. I'm still in a lot of pain so I feel like I still need some strong meds. Yesterday I tried using just Tylenol and did not feel the same amount of pain relief. My incision corners (the far right and left sides) are starting to bother me a bit and hurt. The drain holes are probably the most painful thing to me. Yesterday my husband and my family came into my room to watch AFV with me (as is our Sunday Night tradition) and that was a BAD idea!! Laughing is PAINFUL!! I had to read a magazine so I couldn't see the TV and not laugh. But just hearing my husband and kids laugh made me laugh to a certain extent. It was bittersweet. I have my PS appointment tomorrow and I'm hoping to have my drains out. I have less than 25 cc of fluid in the drains so I'm hoping he'll take them out tomorrow. I updated the pics today as well. Looking pretty good but I'm still pretty swollen. Updated on 22 Apr 2012: Today is PO day 12. I'm happy with the way the scar is healing. Although I'm sitting here having a pity party because of how poorly the rest of me is healing. I'm so ridiculously swollen, even on days when I don't do anything besides rest. I went to church for the first time today. And I had to wear my "fat pants" and a baggy shirt because I'm so flipping swollen. I'm way fatter now than I was before the surgery. Pre-surgery I was fitting comfortably in all size 6 jeans and even had a couple of size 4's that fit. Today I had to bust out the old size 8's and I could barely button them up. By the time church was over the waist was digging into my tummy and I was in so much pain. This is really frustrating to me to be so fat post-surgery. I knew there would be swelling but for the love of God I didn't expect to have to break out my fat pants at almost 2 weeks post op. Aren't I supposed to have a flat tummy? Pre-surgery I was 136 pounds. Today I weighed in at 141. My PS told me that I should probably be about 4-6 pounds heavier than normal right now because of the swelling and boy was he right. I really really hate this. I just want to be able to wear my old jeans and not look FATTER when I leave the house in my old clothes. :( Updated on 22 Apr 2012: One more thing - I got my drains out on day 7 thank goodness. Good riddance. Still not standing straight yet today on PO day 12. :( Updated on 27 Apr 2012: Today is PO Day 17. I have been so swollen and discouraged lately, that I started using these "Xpel" pills yesterday. They are a short-term diuretic pills. I started taking them to help control the swelling and start to shed some of the water I'm retaining from the swelling. I figured that if it worked, it would help me from becoming too discouraged at the fact that I can't really see real results from the TT. I will only be taking them for a few days just so I can get a glimpse of what I will look like after the swelling subsides. (They are ONLY for short term use up to 10 days). Anyway, I started taking them yesterday morning. I was still swollen yesterday as you can see from the pic with the black shirt and gray sweatpants. Then when I woke up this morning, while I'm still pretty swollen, the swelling was the lowest it's ever been post-surgery! Of course I had to immediately take a picture. (Pics with the white shirt and my favorite pair of gray sweatpants). It is quite a big difference as you can see! I feel so much better now knowing that I might actually get my flat tummy I've wanted after my swelling subsides. Yesterday I weighed 140.8 (about 5 pounds more than my pre-surgery weight of 136). This morning I weighed 139.4 which is about 1.5 pounds of water weight I lost overnight. While I know this is all water weight, it feels much better to see the 130's again post-surgery. I'm hoping to get down to my ideal weight for me of 130. Anyway, I'm in much better spirits today after seeing what just losing a bit of swelling will do for my waist line. As I side note, I'm still undecided about my scar. As you can see, it's a bit puckered on both sides. My PS says it will smooth out over time, but I'm still not sure. Have any of you seen improvement in "puckering" over time? Updated on 7 May 2012: Tomorrow will be 4 weeks post op. I'm feeling pretty good now. Just dealing with a ton of swelling still. It seems like it's great first thing in the morning and I'm nice and flat. Then by noon I'm all swollen up again and by the evening, just forget about it. I'm fat. I'm still not wearing my pre-op jeans yet because of the swelling. I went to see my PS last Friday, and I had a couple of concerns. 1 - my belly button, it looks like a triangle. He mentioned that while you are swollen, you can't always see the end result of what your BB will look like. He said it will relax further into your tummy and look different after completely healed. He does do revisions for no charge if necessary. 2 - My scar feels high like my vajayjay area is pulled up. He said yes, that is the case, and that is normal. He said that when the skin finally relaxes, the scar will drop down by about 3/4 of an inch to 1 inch lower. That makes me feel better because right now my underwear barely cover it. 3 - When can I exercise? Unfortunately, he said he does not want me exercising yet. He said walking is fine but that's it. :( My thighs feel so flabby lately since I haven't been doing my regular 5-6 mile run/walk workouts. Oh well, I have to be patient. On the other hand I'm starting to feel a lot better about things. It is finally starting to not hurt when I laugh. It still hurts when I sneeze but that's it. And I'm finally gaining a little more tummy control when I try to "suck in". Before when I tried to suck in, nothing happened. I had no control over my belly. Now I can kind of suck in a bit and I think that's a great sign on healing. Loving the idea of having a fairly flat tummy (at low swelling times). It can only get better, right? Also, my doctor gave me (free) a 6-8 week supply of "Hybrisil" scar treatment that he says works wonders. I've been using it twice a day and I'm hoping it really helps the scar heal nicely. So far, THUMBS UP! Oh yeah! I tried on some bikinis the other day and they were not too shabby!!! I was swollen a bit as it was late afternoon but I bet when my swelling goes down and my scar lowers down a bit I might just be able to wear one!! I'm super excited about that! Updated on 22 May 2012: I can't believe today is 6 weeks post op! So far my PS has only given me the green light on light impact cardio such as walking, elliptical, stationary bike. He said no running for now. :( So I've been doing my best at walking. The swelling can still get pretty bad in the afternoon and evenings. I took some pics today, and mind you I was a little swollen after walking about 3-4 miles. My hip fat is really bothering me. My scar is looking okay. I did spit a stitch last week in the middle. Can't wait to see what the next 6 weeks brings! Updated on 2 Nov 2012: So I'm going back for my 6 month appointment a little bit late, this Wednesday. (It will really be 7 months). I'm starting to get a little bit unhappy with my results. It seems like even though I'm not any heavier than I was at the time I had my TT, my side bulges are really prominent and it looks a bit ridiculous. I'm feeling like my doctor should have done an extended TT and pulled the incision more towards the back a little bit more to get rid of the extra side skin. I'm going to ask him for a revision. I'm really not happy with the way it looks. When I have clothes on that I can tuck my sides into, it looks fine. But when I'm naked or wearing a low-rise article of clothing, my sides look completely ridiculous. I had assumed originally that the side bulges were just swelling and that it would subside. But there is no longer swelling at 7 months and this is just plain loose skin and pudge. What does everyone think? I just added 2 pics. Updated on 7 Nov 2012: I saw my PS today and he and I both agreed that the sides did not turn out as nice as they could have. I have a revision scheduled for March 14, 2013. He is going to pull the incision out a couple of inches on each side and remove some more skin, as well as do a little more lipo on the sides and upper and lower belly. Really hopeful this time!!! Updated on 17 Mar 2013: Had my tummy tuck revised 3 days ago. My surgeon pulled the incision out a few inches on each side to remove some more loose skin from the sides. He also revised some of the existing scar and aggressively lipo'd the entire hip/abdominal area. Recovery has been great from this surgery. I was in a lot of pain the first 2 days but finally was feeling so good I switched from the Percocet to regular Tylenol. I am feeling pretty swollen. None of my pants fit except my sweats, which is to be expected. The swelling stuck around for quite a while with my initial tummy tuck. Nearly 4 months until I could wear my regular jeans. Hope it doesn't take that long this time. My hopes are high for how the revision tuns out. I will keep everyone posted. Updated on 23 Mar 2013: So I am in swell hell. Doc says swelling will take 3 months to subside. My hips are hard and lumpy and sore. He said he was aggressively liposuctioning those so I'm sure that's why they're the worst pain/swelling wise. My "fat pants" won't even button. I'm gonna have to buy pants a size larger just to get through the next few months without wearing sweat pants every day. :(
