My Elite Journey

I know it’s been a while but I wanted to provide an update on my progress for anyone who’s curious.

As I indicated in my last post, I still had a noticeable pouch three weeks post op. I was assured I was still experiencing significant swelling, but three months out, it was still quite prominent. Not only that, but it was super pinchable! It appeared to me to be a combination of both skin and residual fat. The incision was also *much* higher than I’d discussed with the surgeon, and I noticed my hips were the exact same in terms of measurements—very pinchable, just like my abdomen. Finally, my breasts shrunk even more than I could have imagined, given how they first looked post-op. I’ve attached photos from just after my three-month follow-up so you can see what I mean.

My follow-up appointment was November 8. I don’t want to get into detail, but the doctor was very defensive and I felt as though my concerns were minimized to a significant degree. Thankfully, the wonderful staff (including nurse Emily, who is a rockstar) understood my concerns and let me know I could get a second opinion, and the practice manager got me in ASAP to see Dr. Bullis for that purpose.

Today I met with Dr. Bullis and felt my concerns were finally validated; he signed off on revisions. He took a look at the incision and treatment areas and felt more skin could be removed, the incision placed lower, and more fat could be removed (and transferred!). I cannot explain how relieved I felt. While it’s unfortunate I have to undergo this all again, I’m optimistic that I can finally get results that align more with what I’d expected, and I’m pleased by how the staff, Dr. Bullis, and the practice manager have handled this situation.

I have not yet scheduled my revision, but will continue to update.

Wanted to just give a quick update on my progress. My chin is still looking pretty good. I’ve experienced some on and off swelling, and still have a couple lumps that I can feel when I apply pressure under my chin, but overall I’m not concerned about this since it’s not really noticeable to others and I’m still early in the process.

My tummy is still not as flat as I was hoping. Now that my tape came off on my incision I can see there’s still a small ridge that kind of sticks out, versus a nice flat appearance. But I can tell from the pics it’s better than before. And I’m hoping though that that the ridge/slight bulge that’s still visible could be due to residual swelling. I posted before and after pics in more or less the same clothing (except I’m wearing my unpadded recovery bra instead of a sports bra in the after) for easy comparison.

I think the breast swelling has gone down a bit. They’re still nicely sized, but not quite as big as when I left the office and in the first couple weeks following. I’m still satisfied on that front.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Honestly I’ve been holding off on this update because I am a bit discouraged that I’m not seeing better results for my full abdominal and Tiny Tuck. Both Nurse Emily and Nurse Diana told me to expect a lot of swelling, and that swelling could last weeks, so I’m hoping that’s what’s going on. As you can see from the photos my stomach is not exactly flat and it’s definitely pinchable. I was also hoping for a slightly better belly button appearance. Hmph.
I am, however, happy with my Up a Cup and double chin procedures. I was told to expect my breast size to decrease quite a bit between swelling going down and fat loss (I knew not to expect 100% of the fat to survive), but they feel MASSIVE compared to my flat chest pre-procedure. So I am thinking even after fat loss and the subsiding of any swelling in my chest area, I’ll still come out of this with greatly improved breast size. The photo I’m including here is in my recovery bra, which is not padded at all.
Regarding the double chin procedure, I think the before and after photos speak for themselves. I’m not sure if I’m still experiencing swelling in that area, but even if this is the final result, I would be satisfied.
As for my recovery, it’s been more than tolerable. I was quite sore for a few days, but after the first two days I was able to limit my use of the Tylenol/codeine prescription to just before bedtime and ibuprofen during the day. And for the past few days, I haven’t needed any ibuprofen during the day, though I’ve still been taking the Tylenol/codeine at night since sleeping has been less comfortable (due to the Up a Cup procedure, I can ONLY sleep on my back—pressure on my breasts could result in decreased fat retention). I’m now able to walk a few miles a day on my treadmill (nothing strenuous since I need to heal more!), and the soreness is down to what I’d expect the day after a good ab workout. I’ve also been taking Arnica tablets for bruising and swelling (both nurses recommended it), but I’m not sure whether it’s making any difference.
Im still wearing all my garments almost 24/7. I’ve gone out in public without my chin compression garment, but aside from that I’ve only removed them to wash them and to shower. On that note, one thing I didn’t know going into this is that you have to wear a foam pad under your compression garment, so if you’re planning to get any part of your abs done, factor in the fact you'll probably need to wear baggy clothes for at least a couple weeks after your procedure. I have exactly one dress that manages to conceal my pregnant looking tummy when I need to go out to run errands, which isn’t super fun, but it is what it is.
Anyway, I hope this update helps others considering any of these procedures. Feel free to ask any questions you might have. I’ll update again soon.