Lower Body Lift with Brachioplasty

I wish there were a big enough word to describe how thrilled I am with my results so far. I’m eight days post-op from LBL with J-Brachioplasty...is that what it’s called? Recovery has been much easier than expected. I had gotten myself all worked up based on some accounts of the unbearable pain, but thankfully I haven’t experienced that at all. Yes, it hurts. And yes, it feels pulled tight as hell, but it’s not the kind of pain that shuts your brain down. And, so long as I don’t move there is no pain at all. Like, honestly, none. Since Day One. It’s getting up and moving around that brings on the drama, but as I said it’s not that bad even then. Maybe I just got super lucky. I don’t know but I’ll take it!
I’ve never had kids so I don’t know what that’s like but I can tell you I would’ve been one of those women with the blood curdling screaming in delivery. For sure. I don’t like bandaids being ripped off. I consider myself a wimp with pain. I did have a really bad car accident thirty years ago, with broken hip/pelvis/knee/arm, and I can say that was Shut The Brain Down pain for weeks on end. So that’s my history for your reference.
So back to this...I was on a pain pump in the hospital the first day and then switched to Percocet Day 2. I did NOT want to give up the pain pump but the Percocet actually worked even better in the long run. My nurse explained that the pain pump gives a little burst that helps with the discomfort immediately but the Percocet is long lasting and a more profound relief. (I hope I’m remembering that correctly.) Anyway, it worked.
I was in one of those air/sand beds that relieves pressure points. That is a game Changer! Yet another thing I was worried about because I’d read someone say they felt claustrophobic, couldn’t breath, etc. For me it was heaven on this earth. A relief from the tyranny of gravity at a time when it is really needed. It sounded like Dr Fisher always orders that for his patients.

So, I’ve been overweight since about the age of seven. I’m 51 now. I have always been pretty active though. I tried everything to lose weight. I’ve done every diet. No need to list them...you all know them. I’ve done hypno therapy, spent weeks in a couple of very expensive weight loss clinics, all sorts of counselors, therapists, dieticians, drugs, everything. My insanity with food runs deep. I never wanted bariatric surgery for the usual reason: pride. It felt like giving up. Well, a few years ago I did give up. I weighed 353 pounds at 5’9” and realized losing weight on my own simply wasn’t in the cards for me and it was die or get surgery. Not hyperbole. I literally thought I wouldn’t wake up many nights. I felt that sick all the time. I had so much swelling in my lower legs, horrible roasaca. Just a living wreck. Also, I knew I wouldn’t make it another year in my active job since I had serious pain and mobility issues.
Surgery changed all that. It saved my life. The first time I tried it, I was refused at the last minute because I hadn’t stuck to the diet for the month prior. Two years later, I tried again, and on 12/28/15 I had a gastric sleeve done by Dr Heider in Huntersville, NC. He was fabulous, by the way, and I wholeheartedly recommend him.
I literally do not get that blissed out effect anymore from overeating. I can’t binge like I used to, and when I do overeat I start sneezing and feel so sick. My escape through food is greatly narrowed. I’m still not totally right about it, but the improvement is stunning and just keeps getting better and better all the time and I really can imagine one day being relatively sane about food.
So, that’s my backstory.

I started researching surgeons many years ago and soon came upon Dr Fisher. I considered others but decided last year that Dr Fisher accomplished just the results I wanted. There were two other doctors I considered in CA but one’s aftercare seemed very sketchy, and the other’s most recent results aren’t what they used to be, in my opinion. So many women end up looking so flat and rectangular and it’s not attractive to me. I didn’t want to be small but I wanted to be curvy, instead of my usual lumpy potato shape. In August 2018 I flew out to San Antonio to meet him, and chose a surgery date that day. 1/8/19. I immediately felt so comfortable in his ability and his personality is just the type that puts me at ease. He’s a really genuine, down-to-earth doctor. Super confident but not a trace of arrogance. He’s blunt, which I love because to me it speaks to his integrity. Very approachable and didn’t make me feel rushed. He wasn’t annoyed by my questions, or if he was he certainly didn’t show it. He told me I had to lose another forty pounds and I swore I would. (235 pounds at the time) Well, I didn’t. In fact, I gained thirteen pounds after that appointment. The last two months before surgery I ended up losing about twenty-five pounds. It only made everything tougher on everyone because Dr Fisher had to do a lot more liposuction and it made my recovery a bit tougher, I’m sure. The less liposuction the better. Bottom line. I don’t know my weight on surgery day but it was around 225 I estimate.

So, I flew to San Antonio on the Sunday before my Tuesday surgery. I’m staying at the hotel his office recommends. The staff here are very accustomed to dealing with his patients. I’m a lunatic about germs so I bought all sorts of wipes and spray and went full OCD sanitizing my room. I also bought groceries for the coming weeks.
HEB, a local grocery store, will deliver if you order online for a 3% per item fee plus $5.
I bought a toilet chair, which I never ended up using. I did not need a walker.
The electric recliner is an absolute must, in my opinion. I literally cannot imagine this recovery without it. It costs about $100 per month and the hotel will give you the rent-a-center info to order it. Of course I lysol sprayed it and put a sheet over it. I do NOT want an infection.
The compression garments have been a real challenge for me. I’m so wide through the hips. To save yourself some money I suggest you begin that process several months in advance so you can return items and try different styles without paying expedited shipping. These things are not cheap. If you can find a place locally that will measure you and make it for you, even better. I have found the sizing isn’t that accurate. I’ll do an additional posting about just that subject since I would’ve really appreciated that info myself.
I know some people do this on their own, but if you can I’d really recommend you have someone come with you. I am usually so independent but I couldn’t have done this without help, or let’s say I would’ve been really stressed out and miserable. Just having someone to get my call button at the hospital when it falls down the crack, get me some water, make me food in the hotel, etc. It’s tough to move around and since I lost so much blood due to all the lipo, my energy level has been very low. You will definitely need someone to help you the first couple of days, and you can pay someone to do that. Dr Fisher’s office will give you the info. They aren’t nurses though. I had to show mine how to deal with my six drains, but she was super helpful and nice.
I’d recommend buying gloves and extra Hypaclens to wash yourself with once you can start showering. They’ll have you wash with that after you get marked up the night before your surgery, and then again the morning of. The markings stay on even if they fade a bit. Don’t worry about that. I saw all the ink going down the drain and freaked out but enough remained.