When I first meet Dr. Rockwell I was extremely impressed! Very comfortable with his straight forward approach to procedure.He explained every thing in words undetstood,however his staff "my after care nurse Josh" made me feel very uncomfortable with questions fallowing my surgery about my pain.He was bias and I left there feeling distraught*I asked for his chart notes and was told I needed to go online to obtain them. The final result of my actual surgety9 I will post in a few weeks. Updated on 1 Oct 2016: Only 12 days into post-op recovery feeling a little disappointed but I'm still very early in the stages of recovery with swelling. No liposuction was performed
I have always had huge boobs and wanted to get some of the weight taken off, I also had a saggy belly that laid on my legs when I sat down, I wanted to get a tighter core and rid of lose skin. It started out well looking good. I won't lie the first few days are so painful. After 3 weeks I noticed my skin going black on my scar from my tummy tuck. It went neurosis and ever since then it has been a roller coaster ride. It is a very long process to heal and is so emotional seeing something like this on my own body. Today on August 11 I went and had is debrided and am hoping it will start healing faster now that the dead gross tissue is out of it. I will keep you posted. I do smoke cigarettes and have cut back from where I was. I am at 1-4 a day instead of 10-15. Updated on 12 Aug 2015: one day after my debriding the wound looks better and smells better. Now just got to give it time to heal a bit and continue a wet to dry dressing. Updated on 31 Aug 2015: This is a update on my open wound. It has been three weeks after debriding and it is getting healthier. I am still doing the wet to dry dressing daily. In a week my doctor will sew it closer together in hopes it will begin to close faster. This has been quite the process but will be worth it in the end. I will continue to update. Updated on 8 Sep 2015: Today the doctor sewed my opening. It looks a lot better. Let's hope it heals right this time. So far it is healthy. He left a little opening for me to continue stuffing with a wet to dry dressing so no infection grows inside. What a journey. Updated on 20 Sep 2015: Stitches didn't hold for long. It did help narrow the wound. Still stuffing with wet to dry dressing. Last week I noticed a rash which turned out to be celulitis. I got a shot of antibiotics and ten days worth of antibiotic pills. That has gotten better. The rash is pretty much gone and I do not have a fever anymore. One day at a time. Updated on 6 Oct 2015: All the stitches atrium but still have a opening. It is healing pretty well and getting smaller. The tissue and skin are healthy. Still doing wet to dry dressing and allowing the wound to heal. I have learned patience and to just allow things to happen how they will happen I will have an ugly scar I am afraid but that can be dealt with years from now. Updated on 19 Oct 2015: Still doing wet to dry dressing, good news one side is covered in skin. Yay. Updated on 4 Nov 2015: So my wound is almost fully closed. I am no longer doing a wet to dry dressing and I am able to soak in a bath. I thought it would never end, but I feel so great now that I am able to see such a big difference. Thanks for all the support. It's coming together (literally). ????
I am 18 now and I recently got a breast reduction! I was extremely hesitant but after extreme back pain and troubles with bras and swimming suits I decided this was right for me! All I can say is life changing and amazing! They are exactly what I wanted and I feel beautiful! I highly recommend this!
I'm a 24 year old who has had issues from large breasts. Since I was 13, I've had a narrow rib cage and large breasts. At 12, I was a B going on C, and that's the last time that I liked them. At 14, I was already pouring out of my DD from Victoria's Secret. The rapid growth created many stretch marks on the side and underneath. I would like to be a small C. I will still have to special order my bras online due to the band size. Unfortunately, 28C is still not a size that is readily available in store. I can wear a 30, but I wear it on the tightest hook, so it has nowhere to go stretch-wise. They only west a few months before the elastic stretches and they are not wearable, or at least uncomfortable on my shoulders. I've had 3 consultations so far, and have been approved through one of them for a reduction, with only my insurance deductible to pay. Unfortunately, I don't really like the one that got me approved (#2) hence the visit with #3. Third time will hopefully be the charm! I expect to hear back in the next few weeks. I'll be updating this review with photos, information, and a step-by-step of my experience. As a final mention, I am looking at getting a lollipop reduction vs anchor. I want to avoid the horizontal scar, since I want to wear low cut dresses and bikinis. Not trading one breast issue for another! Thanks for reading, and I will appreciate any comments so that I know I'm not writing to thin air :) Updated on 3 Feb 2016: I have a surgery date. March 7 is the big day. I'll try to do my best to document my entire journey here on real self so that others doing research on this surgery will benefit. I am going through with an anchor reduction to get more lift from the procedure and so that I can go smaller than with a lollipop. Updates to come! Updated on 29 Feb 2016: Time to share photos! I gained a bit of weight from all the recent stress in my life. About 6 pounds. Sitting at a 30H Freya Bra size. Going to eat very healthy for the next week and go for a few runs with my dog. Updated on 3 Mar 2016: Trying to get the time off work is proving to be the most difficult. Everything I hear from my HR rep is "Call so and so and apply for such and such" so then I do, and I get told by "so and so" that "such and such" is not available for some reason or another but that "you don't need that anyway" and it is soooo confusing. Almost as confusing as my boobs trying to fit into this sports bra. Updated on 4 Mar 2016: Just random photos over the last year. Updated on 8 Mar 2016: Surgery went well, my surgeon did the marking and I was lucky enough to have my boyfriend and stepmom there. My stepmom is a nurse for surgeons at a nearby hospital so she was very helpful. My boyfriend was so supportive, watched me get the markings, etc. the markings went well, my nipple marking was basically on the nipple I already have because as you can tell in my before photos, I have pretty high nipples for my breaste size. Most befores I see are much lower. That could account for the lower amount of pain, since the bipple was probably barely moved. Surgeon said he was aiming for a small C. We shall see! I'll be taking a peek tomorrow night. Thanks for the support and for a place to document all of this! Updated on 9 Mar 2016: I feel so light! I asked fora small C and I have to say, they feel like a small C! I can't see or feel anything under all the gauze but you know that constant pull on your shoulders and pressure on your ribs? Gone. So I know they are going to a be a good size simply based on that. I get to take a peek tonight. I'll post photos from that as well. Here are a few of the gauze-filled bra this morning. Updated on 9 Mar 2016: Okay! I got the gauze and surgical bra off and... I've got myself some GREAT looking boobs! Are you kidding? Only 2 days in and I love them!!! Here are some photos and I'll put more up tomorrow. Updated on 9 Mar 2016: I just realized that I hadn't posted the amount removed. 360 from right side and 240 from left side. Updated on 10 Mar 2016: So, throughout this process, my boyfriend and I have decided he wants to be kept in the loop but he doesn't want to see any graphic photos. Yesterday I was so excited about the new shape of my breasts but I couldn't share it with him. So I had to find a creative way to at least show the shape. He is a surfer. I sent these two photos to him and he loved that he could see a different without seeing any bruising or incisions. Ah, relationships! Haha. Updated on 10 Mar 2016: Just a quick update and a couple of photos. My stepmom (who is a surgical nurse) has offered to come by and take a look at my post op incisions later today. There is only 1 troublesome spot and that is at the T-junction on the right breast. The right was the larger of the two and had more removed. I'll update later today but for now, here are some photos. Updated on 11 Mar 2016: I find this photo helpful for a lot of folks who have said to me "Why are you reducing? You're not even that big!" I say my size is about a 28H to 30G and they say "No way! They look a little like 34DD to me!" I've tried my best to explain it but I fell like this photo does a great job. If you're a 34 (ribs measurement) and you're a B, someone with 30 inch ribs would be a D and so would basically have the exact same size as you. It's all relative. Since I was a 30G going into the surgery, that's the equivalent of a 36DD. I'm just not 36" around! You'd be surprised how many women with large chests refer to themselves as DD or or say their band size is bigger like that's what makes their actual boobs big. I mean, it does but I'm wondering if they've never been sized properly. I met a woman at Walmart making a return on one of my post op bras that was too big. She was dying that she was a 50DD. I gave her my real self info so if you're reading this: you're not a 50DD. You're perhaps 40-46" at most and your cup is more like a J. You definitely are a great candidate for the surgery and I hope that Walmart has good coverage :) Best of luck to you and PM me of you have any questions. Updated on 11 Mar 2016: I'll just update with some photos really quickly. I can start to feel them drop a bit now. My right breast is the troublesome feeling one. You can see the spot where on the right breast on the inside near the cleavage here the skin is tight but the tissue hasn't dropped in there just yet. Well, o can feel the right breast trying to settle and it feels odd. Really weird. Not painful just weird. I'm trying to gently squeeze it every now and then to help it settle. Otherwise the healing seems fine! Updated on 11 Mar 2016: Just keeping an eye on this bruise. Right breast in the outside lower portion. Lots of swelling there and since o didn't get drains I want to keep watch and see if it changes overnight. (I post so many little updates, but I hope it's helpful!) Updated on 12 Mar 2016: Here is a shot of the same breast (Righty) tonight. Any tips to help the bruise subside? It is firm to the touch on the outside lower part. The upper bruise and yellowish part above the nipple are tender but not firm. My follow-up instructions that I am reading right now only say that I should follow up immediately if there is increased redness or swelling and persistent bleeding, increased pain or drainage or fever. So, I think a bruise is pretty normal. Updated on 12 Mar 2016: I was able to go out today with my mom and sister for lunch. Still no... Bathroom relief. I have been taking the max daily dose of stool softener since post op day 1. Yesterday I began taking Milk of Magnesia instead of the stool softener pills hoping the liquid form would help. Today in the morning I took another dose. 4 tbsp. Still nothing at 9:45pm. Sigh. Seriously that's the most uncomfortable part. I fit in zero jeans and I feel like a whale. I'm down 3 pounds since surgery though. Okay so I have posted photos. You can see they are beginning to drop, which is great! Starting to regain a little bounce. There's still a fleshy empty pocket on the right side where it hasn't quite filled in yet. I have a photo here wher I press the tissue into place though and that will look nice. Once I'm given the OK to start breast massaging, they will likely fall right into place. I'll bring it up at my post op. Did I mention? My first post op appointment is Tuesday at 9:45am. Only 3 days to go. Then I'll figure out when I can return to work, drive, lift things, etc. I am taking very good care of everything. Running water over them every other day to help clean anything up. I don't really feel comfortable with my range of motion in my arms yet. Felt like I had armpit surgery it's so sore! Well take a peek at the pics and I'll throw updates in as needed. I probably update too much. I'm just so bored! Updated on 15 Mar 2016: Okay so I had my post op appointment today! Photos to follow. Righty still hasn't dropped much but lefty is looking nice. Again righty did have a larger reduction by 120grams so I get it. Unfortunately my nipples are a teeny bit asymmetrical for now but I do see that it will be a lot less noticeable in a few weeks (note that the right side is still very bruised and lifted) I included one that I quickly editors for bruising and nipple scars. Looks nice! I need to do that for my own anxiety about healing... Don't judge me! ???? Also, I got the OK to return to work on Saturday the 19th, as well as begging wearing a regular bra with no underwire. I picked this one up at Kohls. I left out the UPC so you can look it up if you need to. It's front close, so it's a great transition. Only issue is, obviously, I couldn't find the right band size. So this is a 34C, which sizes to a 30DD as a sister cup. I'll have my mother take in the back a few inches and it'll be fine. Kohls 27.99 Updated on 17 Mar 2016: The healing has been going smooth lately but the last 2 days both breasts just feel like one giant bruise each. They hurt when I walk and the "zing" has started to happen that I've read about from others. For me it's on the nipple. I'll just be sitting here and it'll hit like a hot poker iron on my nipple and last just under a minute. Maybe has happened 6-8 times since Sunday, and happens on both right and left. I had a nightmare that my nipple rotted off. That was scary! But no such thing will happen, as I did not have a free nipple graft and I do not smoke. I also have had no caffeine or alcohol since March 5. I'll post update pictures in a few days when I maybe have more settling on the right side. I tried on my bikinis yesterday. The old ones. Boy do they look awesome! I can wear a strapless bikini to my cruise next month!! So excited. I actually still have that pink bandeau bikini from the old photo. Perhaps I'll shoot a quick before/after this weekend! That would be fun. Happy healing to all of you others out there. And to the hopefuls and the pre-op soon-to-be-smallers: It's all very worth it. Updated on 17 Mar 2016: This total jerk was trolling the site trying to tell me I look nice so why bother. He was very offensive. I'm posting his message to me in a screenshot right here so we can all take a look at the stupid stuff people say to those of us choosing reduction. My response was lengthy, but I will post the final words as a screenshot as well. I hope he stops trolling this site. Honestly. Trying to scare women into thinking they'll look like freaks? Saying he wouldn't date us? Guess what! We learned very early on as large breasted women to develop a healthy amount of self worth, so as to fend off those who would love to get us in bed because of our large chests. We recognize pigs like this in an instant and, trust us, we are not interested in you. Signed, Big Boobed Ladies everywhere. Updated on 18 Mar 2016: Here are a few photos I took 3 days after the last update. The healing seems to be going nicely. I'm taking a lot of photos because if I think something looks odd, I look at a while ago and say "Hey that's actually looking a lot better!" Still paranoid that I'll accidentally hit "share to Facebook" ah! Anyway there is still a little adhesive in a couple of spots but I don't want to rub adhesive remover over what are essentially paper cuts right now. I'll work up the courage next week. Haha. I included a "view from the top" on this update. Call me crazy but they look pretty damn symmetrical from the top. Cool. The fleshy "sack" on the right side you've read about in my earlier reviews seems to be filling in nicely. I'll update again soon if I see any differences. Also: I ate a lot before my surgery. Emotional eating, anxious about the surgery etc. I gained about 6 pounds in 2 months. I am trying to lose 5 before my cruise mid April so I'll be updating my progress on that journey as well because... accountability. Updated on 21 Mar 2016: Hello! Two weeks ago today at this hour I was in surgery. I'm posting photos for progress below. It looks like healing/scarring will look very nice! Look how Lefty is coming along! Righty is still bruised but better. They are starting to feel more like boobs again! In a couple more weeks I think everything will look great! My only gripe? I have one wide nipple and one tall nipple. It's superficial I know but... sigh. I'm starting my homemade moisturizing cream tomorrow. I formulated this one to be a bit of a "scar cream" for my new boobs :) It's a blend of the following natural butters and oils that I whipped up: Raw Shea, Raw Cocoa, Virgin Coconut, Sweet Almond, Avocado, Jojoba, Vitamin E, Sunflower Seed. Added a few drops of these 100% pure essential oils: Lavender, Rose, Melaleuca. Hopefully that will help in any scarring and dryness. We shall see! Updated on 21 Mar 2016: One thing I forgot to mention. So, I got back to work on 3/19 and... everyone said I looked the same. One girl even asked if I got implants. I lost 5 cup sizes!!! She rolled her eyes and didn't believe me. Just a reminder, perception is not always the truth. I fit in size small/small/2 tops now. No more medium/6-8, all so baggy. I know I'm smaller but it would be nice if others... I don't know. Validated it? I know my family will, when they see me in a couple of weeks. Maybe people at work never noticed I had a chest. I did wear very conservative shirts and compression sports bras. You other large busted girls understand. If you show any cleavage, with size H, it's automatically inappropriate. So that's why? Haha anyway. Bothered me a bit. I've been having a little itching along the incisions. Okay a lot. But I've been good, no touching. Tonight I'm going to try Neosporin+Pain Relief to calm the nerves and 800mg ibuprofen. I haven't been able to sleep, and I go to work again tomorrow. God natt, allesammen! Updated on 24 Mar 2016: Yesterday 3/23 at 4am I woke up and was so nauseated I had to go hover over the toilet but I did not puke. This morning 03/24 I woke up at 3:30 and same thing except this time I did vomit. I don't know what's wrong. I don't think it's anything I ate and I am not taking any new meds. I was pregnancy tested 03/07 day of surgery and it was negative. My boyfriend and I are long distance so we haven't been intimate lately besides 02/13-02/15 and 03/06. Thoughts? I'll take a preg test in the morning and if it's negative I'll call my doctors office. Sincerely, Nauseated!! Updated on 26 Mar 2016: Quick update with a few photos. I was undressing at the end of the day and I glimpsed in the mirror from far away and I could bare see scarring on lefty! Now, I know it was at a distance in dim lighting but it's a step! Righty is still lagging. Have you guys noticed the vertical scar on righty has an extra line/divot next to it? I can't see it too well and there used to be a scab on it and now it's just a pucker. Hoping it fades along with everything else. I'll do a 3 week update in a couple of days too with more side by sides of progress. For now just a few shots in said dim lighting where I noticed how much better they are looking. Definitely healing. (Using the scar cream twice daily and massaging the rough spots for a couple of minutes as well.) Updated on 28 Mar 2016: Today marks 3 weeks so I thought I'd share some progress photos. There are some before/afters and also progress from the day 11 update that I last posted. To update on my weight loss I have dropped 4 pounds since I posted about trying to lose a little extra weight. I ate way too much while recovering so it was easy for me to scale back and see a difference. If I could run it would be easier!! Oh I can't wait for that!! Everything is going smoothly. The sensations I was getting in my right nipple are gone as of 4 days ago. No more incredibly painful stabbing feelings anywhere. Cruise departs in 2 weeks and I have a plethora of strappy and low backed things to wear!! So glad I got this done before the trip. I have been using the scar lotion and massaging 5 minutes 1x daily. Going to up that to two starting today, because I know massaging helps the settling. The flesh pocket on righty is filling out nicely. The nipple asymmetry really only bothers me a little because... well you saw what they looked like before. Just wish a little tiny bit more care would have been placed there. Other bothersome part is the extra incision on the right side that just ends. One vertical scar is bad enough and I didn't sign on for two. We will see. Those gripes are so very minor though. I really am 100% happy that I did this. It's more like, "If I had to nitpick" sort of stuff. Comments are always appreciated, since you guys are literally the only ones who have seen my boobs. It's not like I go around flashing my friends and asking for comments on my incision healing... Though that sounds like a good way to frighten some of my male friends! Updated on 4 Apr 2016: Just a few quick shots, I have a lot of packing to do for my cruise next week so I don't have time for much! I'll definitely post photos from the cruise when I get back! I posted a shot of my final bill after insurance deductions. This actually includes a few co-pays and a lab from an older GP visit. So it's more like 1280. I can finally push them together for a little cleavage and I did go snag a VS Pink bra (32 band, ugh) so I grabbed a D and I'm coming out of it a little BUT I am assuming some remaining swelling. So I'm probably a 30DD now and should settle to a small 30D which is great! Because that's a sister size to 34B! I'm right where I want to be. Only thing I'm worried about is showing scars in my bikinis over the vacation! Haha. I'll just say I got them "done" so people won't bother me. Everyone who I tell I got a reduction judges the crap out of me right now. But honestly. I look better now. So they can shut it. Okay there's a few pics below, and I'll update maybe 1 more time before the cruise! I sail in a week! Updated on 16 May 2016: I will just post a few photos today and let you all know that I am doing well. I have been jogging/running a bit. It feels really really good, I don't get the cramps in my ribs and the out of breath feeling that I used to get while running. I just feel so comfortable. I have settled into size 30DD or 30DDD. Coming from popping out of 28-30H-J cups, I would say that it is a massive improvement, and worth every single amount of pain and every single dollar. The photos that I have an ear or from the two month mark and then I will caption the one from today as well which is exactly 10 weeks from my surgery date. Feel free to leave any questions or comments below. I am here to help people who are looking into the surgery. It's very scary to put this big decision into a surgeons hands but when it is over, no matter how much scarring, it is 100% worth it. Side note: All nipples look different when warm or cold, so in the 10 week photos, I captioned accordingly so you can see the shape shift. At 10 weeks, very happy and the scarring is subsiding rapidly. Updated on 23 Dec 2016: Just a quick update to show that they have settled and scarring is lighter. Photos are in natural sunlight from window by my bed this morning. Updated on 1 Mar 2017: Well, in 6 days. Thought I'd throw in a quick update while I'm thinking about it. Photo attached, and it is of the most exciting part! The hang of the breast onto my torso was many inches. I think 2 and a half inches on the left and 4 inches on the right. Now, none at all. It may look like it from some angles, but I actually have NO hanging breast skin laying on my torso. I can't pass the "pencil test" on either breast. (I'm sure you all know, but it's whether you can hold a pencil under your breast skin) I used to be able to hold my hairbrush under my boobs. WITH my arms raised! Now, nada. So I go braless most days. Because why the hell not?! They're not perfect, but the scarring, size, and comfort are 100% satisfactory and NO ONE has perfect breasts. I feel complete. And that's my quick update written while at work :) Updated on 5 Mar 2017: A man is contacting me on Facebook after tracking me from this website. He is using the name Josh Good. He is pretending he knows me in real life somehow. I let him know that this website is not here to used for his perverse sexual gratification. Please be aware of this and block anyone like him.
I had a consultation today for a full abdominalplasty with muscle repair and scheduled my surgery day for the 20th of April!!! I am so excited to finally be having this done. After the birth of my first born my weight peaked out at 276lbs. 8 months later I became pregnant with my youngest who was delivered by cesarean section. When he was 8 months old I had a total hysterectomy. I felt so yucky and gross about my body and my health that I finally said enough is enough! I started my weightloss journey with P90X which was awesome. Finished that and continued exercising but the weight didn't really start coming off until I started really watching what I ate and put into my body. I am currently 140lbs, 5' 5" and am hoping to lose 5-10 more lbs before surgery but if not I am totally ok with that also. This is just so surreal to me! This is actually happening! I could of had it scheduled sooner but I am a former smoker (quit 10 days ago) and my surgeons office said minimum 4 week tobacco free so that put me out a bit further than I would like but my health and safety is worth a little longer of a wait. Updated on 12 Mar 2015: Just wanted to share pre op pictures. Updated on 16 Mar 2015: So over the weekend I sent an email to my PS coordinator to ask about adding an BA with my TT. She said that I absolutely could have both done but would have to come in for a consult with the dr and take measurements and choose size. I would love love love to have that done at the same time but I am a little under $2000 short if I have both procedures done. I'm going to brainstorm and try to figure out how to come up with the money, there are several people in my life that I could ask for a loan from but really really really don't like asking anyone for anything like that, know what I mean.......dang dang double dang!!! Ugh, will update as soon as I know what I will be doing as far as adding the BA. Updated on 19 Mar 2015: So I have decided to just have the TT at this time and plan a BA around the end of the summer/early next year simply for the reason of not having all the money in time. It's a major bummer but not the end of the world for me. It will happen when it's ment to happen, kwim? So as of today I am down 2lbs. If I am able to maintain this low carb high high protein diet I should be right where I want to be come surgery day. Here are some more pre op photos. Updated on 23 Mar 2015: I have been unable to go sense last week....I'm so uncomfortable and I think it's the stress of all this coming up. If I am already like this now then I need to get a proper plan in order for the PO poop :-( I had been just eating high protein like protein powder egg whites canned chicken that's about it, maybe a few crackers. Just downed a can of prune juice, had a cup of smoothe move tea this moring and I'm on day four of miralax. If I am not running to the toilet soon I may just cry lol. Ugh. This is not so something I want to deal with on the verge of the flat side :-( Updated on 6 Apr 2015: In two weeks from now I will be in a medically induced deep sleep! Eeek! So nervous! I have been put under 4 times so I'm not too worried about that I'm just nervous about the few hours before (I have always suffered from anxiety and panic attacks so the build up before hand is hard for me to cope with) and the pain after. Last week we had the stomach flu going through our house. It was horrible! Lost 10lbs between being constipated to not being able to keep anything down or anything in. I'm just thankful to have all that cleared up. I got my package in the mail from my PS with pre-op/op/post-op info and consent forms that I am suppose to sign and take with me to the surgical center day of. Speaking of, I think it's kinda strange that I am supposed to call the 17th between 2-4pm to find out what time I need to be there for surgery on the 20th and then just show up surgery day at said time...no pre-op appointment or pre blood test. I just had blood work done last week, unrelated dr, and it was all good so I'm not worried about that but it just seems odd. All my other surgeries we medically necessary, maybe elective cosmetic surgery isn't as involved with pre registration/blood/ect. Eh, I will email my coordinator and ask if there is anything I need to do before the 20th. I also have some questions about the info in my packet because some stuff contradicts other instructions. Anyways, that's it for now. I hope there next two weeks goes by quickly! Updated on 14 Apr 2015: So 6 days I will be heading to the surgery center. For some reason it doesn't seem real to me. I thought for sure this week I would be a mess but I'm not. I do have moments of panic and butterflies in my tummy when It pops into my head about how soon it's coming. I talked to my ps coordinator about my questions I had and clarified my questions so all is good there. This weekend I am going to deep clean what I haven't cleaned already and make sure all the laundry is all done and put away and get my area set up around the recliner. Well that's it for now. I will upload a few more before pictures this weekend. Updated on 19 Apr 2015: I called on Friday to get my time....tomorrow morning at 7:45!! I got everything taken care of, I'm just finishing up laundry today and I need to go to the grocery store to get a few things and after the kids go to bed I need to set up my recliner area, although im wondering if I should just have everything I will need in a pile in my room and just have someone get it all for me after I get back home tomorrow. Knowing my kids they will destroy my area while I'm gone, they are good at that lol! Anyways, instead of taking a few more pictures I did a short video because I think it shows the extent of my loose skin better. I will try to remember to update after I have been home for awhile tomorrow but might not feel up to it...we'll see. Updated on 20 Apr 2015: I made it!!! All went well and I am now at home resting in the recliner, and by resting I mean breathing though the pain. They said this was going to be like a c section........well I'm saying [RS bleep] lol!!!!!!! My insicion isn't too bad, it's the muscles that hurt really really really bad. This is definitely more intense than I thought it would be. Anyways, I arrived at the surgical center at 7:35 and they got me back to a room by 8. My nurse was awesome! I loved her and my surgeon is a very nice guy. I went back to the OR by 9 and before I knew it I was being rolled into recovery and it was 12:35. I have quite a few allergies and unfortunately a medication they gave me have me a histamine reaction in my IV arm but they quickly treated it with liquid Benadryl and it was cleared up. The dr said they removed 2lbs of skin and really tightened my muscles. I was on my way home by 2:30. On the way home I started getting weepy and cried a little bit quickly stopped, not fun. But they were happy tears :-) I have been able to eat a few crackers and some yogurt and have been drinking my water. I am kinda hungry but can't think of what sounds good for dinner, maybe more crackers and some soup. Btw, this binder is horrible lol. Updated on 22 Apr 2015: My whole abdomin is so uncomfortable, all the way around from sternum to pelvic mound. Oi! The gas pains are the most uncomfortable at the moment. They are so intense that it feels like baby movement, it's so strange! I am having a hard time passing it without bearing down to do it. I'm not sure where all the gas is coming from because I haven't been able to eat much, really just a few bites of greek yogurt and crackers here and there. I am so tight that I feel super full very quickly. I start hurting more also when my bladder gets full, puts a lot of pressure on my insicion so I have been getting up every 45 mins to pee. I have been drinking lots and lots of water though also. I can take my binder and bandages off today to shower, I'm excited but also scared to do that, I guess it will just depend on how I am feeling later today. My husband had to go back to work today so I really really miss his help. I have other help here while he is at work but they aren't as attentive or as gentle as my wonderful husband. So the arm that I had my IV in and had the allergic reaction including is quite swollen and tender today. I'm keeping an eye on it and if it gets any worse I will call my dr and let them know. Maybe take a Benadryl to see if that helps. Anyways, that's where I am at right now. Still in pain, no BM, lots of gas and no apitite but drinking lots of water and getting up to pee often. If I shower today I will take pics and post them. Will be the first time I see my tummy...eek! Updated on 25 Apr 2015: So this morning I had a BM!!! Yay!! It was kind of scary at first because it had been sense Monday morning that I had gone but after the first initial "cork" got out everything else came out smoothly and quickly. Sorry if that's TMI but I only say it so I can stress the importance of stool softeners!!!! Yesterday morning I woke up from a good nights sleep and was puttering around the house for a bit but I ended up home alone for almost two hours and unable to get back into the recliner so when my help got back home I was way way way past my comfort level so I wasn't doing well the rest of the day. I did have another shower though. I'm sure it would have been better had I not already been pushed past my threshold. So I have not been dealing with swelling at all really. I contribute that to drinking almost 2 gals of water a day, mixing benifiber in 2x daily and really avoiding salt/sodium. I have been snaking on raw unsalted cashews and almonds, dry wheat chex, plain Greek keifer, pineapple, and for dinner I eat a protein filled (baked chicken or beef) quesadilla, light on the mozzarella cheese. I stepped on the scale two days ago was up 2lbs but stepped on the scale again after I went potty this morning and was back down to my pre surgical weight. Watch your sodium and you shouldn't have a problem with swelling. My drains have been putting out about 60-80mil a day but the fluid is getting less red and more orange/yellow and the lines don't stay constantly filled all day. So that is improving as well. I'm actually glad I still have drains in and will have them in for another week or so. They aren't annoying or uncomfortable to me and I would rather the fluid get out instead of waiting for my body to move it out at its own sweet time lol. I am going to post pictures of 2 days post and then pictures of 4 days post. Updated on 28 Apr 2015: I was feeling pretty dang good yesterday and over did it :-( I have been quite miserable all day today. I have also been swollen today. My whole abdomin, front to back, top to bottom is just feeling like hell. I have almost started crying several times today but quickly stop myself because that would have just made me feel worse. I just took my first pain killer for the day, definitely should have taken it sooner but they are almost gone and I want to try to stretch them out....my husband Is mad at me for letting myself be in such bad pain all day. He worries about me so much and knows that I have a pretty high pain tolerance so the state I was in when he got home from work really startled him. So yea, feeling shitty today. I have my follow up on Thursday, hoping that goes well. Updated on 30 Apr 2015: Had my first post op with my dr today. His practice is in a clinic in one of the largest hospitals here and it's almost at the end of what seems like a mile long hall. Oi!!!! I am worn out and very very sore because I walked from hospital parking to his clinic and then had to sit and stand without my binder for the whole appointment which was about 1-1.25 hours. I told him that I walked all the way in and he said "well, I'm going to call for a wheelchair for you to get back to your car, you need to take it easy." He really is a great dr, and his assistant is wonderful and I also really like his resident that has been at my two appointments and assisted during my surgery. They are all great! So he told me that in all his years of doing surgery (he isn't just a plastic surgeon, he performs other surgeries, teaches surgical med students and is an examiner for board of plastic surgery certification) that my muscle repair is the most extensive he has ever had to perform and he removed more skin than he normally does. So that explains the pain I have been in and why I can't stand up straight yet. He said that's ok though, that I should go at it at my own pace and only do what is comfortable. Both he and his resident didn't feel comfortable enough yet to have my drains removed, said I am still putting out to much fluid. He is going to be in Ghana Africa next week for 7 days to teach but if my output is less than 20mil in a 24 hour time period for a few days that I can still come and have them removed. I am going to post pics tomorrow because I am just way too swollen to take any right now. Will update again soon. Updated on 5 May 2015: So each day is a little better but every little thing quickly tuckers me out. In the morning I am pretty straight up but start hunching through out the day and by day's end I am pretty bent over and get extremely winded. That is one thing I am haveing problems with the past few days...I can't catch my breath and get very very very short winded. It's because my tummy muscles start contracting on their own like 5-10 min long Braxton hicks that turn into Charlie horse pain in my ribs. It eventually calms down but it is quite uncomfortable and anxiety producing. I still have both my drains in. My left is still putting out 35+ml and my right is putting out 45+ml a day. They are starting to bug me but I can put up with them if it is what is best for my body. I put on a pair of jeans today!!! Yay!!! Lol I'm sure it would be more comfortable without the drains but hey, I'm wearing them :-) lol! I'm attaching some pics that I took this morning. My scar is really crooked lol and I can't totally cover it with my panties, will barely be able to cover with my pants but honestly I don't care, not right now anyways because it's still better than what I had going on there before. And I can always have the scar and my mins revised if it is still bothersome after its all healed. I'm just trying to focus on the here and now and I am happy with that :-). Updated on 14 May 2015: I finally got my drains removed this afternoon!! Hooray! So I would definitely say that I am an extreme example for the length of time for having drains in but I was putting out ALOT of fluid for a long time so it was nessicary. My right side wasn't too bad getting out but the left side.....oh mama!!! It had started to adhere so it hurt pretty bad to have the resident dr rip it out. I'm just happy they are out now. I was told to still take it easy for another 3 weeks, still no lifting anything heavier than 10lbs and no exercise other than simple walking and even then to take it easy at a pace that isn't too strenuous. I'm just ready to be back to normal, but I want to heal in the best way I can so I'm following drs orders. I am still really sore but It doesn't start getting bothersome until the late afternoon. I'm still bent over but again it doesn't start happening till later in the day. I will update pictures tomorrow. I get to swollen at night for pictures. Updated on 16 May 2015: I'm not swollen at all in the morning but that doesn't last long. It's not anywhere near what it was though. Updated on 17 May 2015: Lastnight after my shower I noticed a small peeling scab right by my pubic line and I picked it (I know, bad bad bad!) and I have a stitch coming through. What do I do? I just put some neosporin on it and covered it with a bandaid. Is this something that will work it's way out on its own or do I need to call my surgeon? Updated on 3 Jun 2015: I have been in swell hell :-/ I am at the blah stage in the recovery process. I'm still feeling quite a bit of pain and discomfort and starting to feel that it is not normal at this point...I Just thought for sure I would be totally back to normal at this point and totally in love with my results, but I'm not on either. When I sit I have quite a bit of loose skin still, like a handful, and I thought it wouldn't bother me but my mons area is reallt starting to get to me in conjunction with the loose skin that I still have...I don't know, I will discuss all this with my PS next week when I have my next follow up. I am going to post pictures of the kind of swelling I have been dealing with by the end of the day. In the morning I love how I look but that last for about a half hour. Will update again soon.
I'm having my second consultation March 3. (3 days from now) I was SO excited to hear that my insurance had agreed to cover the cost. What a blessing!! I've seen all the before and after pictures and I can't wait. Although I am nervous for outcome. I don't want to be too small. So I've been giving it a lot of thought. Doctor said it will change my life for better :) Updated on 5 Mar 2015: Well I had my surgery yesterday and it went very well. :) I was nervous of the outcome. Dr told me to not shower until Friday. So far I've only taken a peek at them and they look fabulous. My pain has been manageable. I've only taken three 5 mg Norcos. It just feels like I did 300 pushups. :) Updated on 5 Mar 2015: I can't believe how awesome the staff at the surgical office was. Each one of them were so kind and very personalable. I wish I could pick one to rave the most about but they were each just awesome. I may send them a fruit basket or something. :) Updated on 8 Mar 2015: Today i am feeling alot better. Day 2 was really rough. Every muscle in my body hurt so bad. I felt like i had run a marathon. Ive got alot of bruising but thats normal. I have this weird itch, like inside my left breast but when i go to scratch it its numb. Strange and annoying. Im so happy with the results. I love them!!
