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I've been meaning to write this for some time. My...
I've been meaning to write this for some time. My surgery was 1 year ago tomorrow. Can't believe the difference the year has made!! I had been looking into getting a tummy tuck done when I came upon Dr. Pousti's site on the internet. I was drawn to it because it was so thorough. You could see the operation up close and personal. Most of my questions were addressed somewhere on his patient site. I am a researcher by nature so I had been viewing plastic surgery sites for months. I never contacted a single doctor because I just didn't like what I saw or read. I even had a friend who referred me to someone for a different procedure but when I went to that doctor's site I was less than impressed. I got up the nerve and made an appointment to meet with Dr. Pousti about getting a tummy tuck.
He was just wonderful to talk to. He has a very gentle, kind nature that I wish more doctors would take as they talk to nervous patients! He didn't have that arrogant doctor attitude that is such a turn off for me. And he understands the extreme embarrassment that you feel showing someone your most hated body parts.
A bit of background on me. I was 47 at the time of surgery. I had lost 60 pounds but still had this huge hanging stomach that pulled on my pelvis all the time. I lived at the chiropractor & massage therapy. Every single week. I was always in pain as I had damaged my pelvis delivering my 2nd child 21 years before. I was unable to do much walking as my pelvis was always out of alignment and hurting. I was frustrated as I was trying so hard to get healthy and my body always held me back. Plus no matter how much weight I lost I still could not wear most clothes and would hid under bigger tops. Life was very frustrating and disappointing. I wanted more and knew surgery could change many things for me. I just had to get through it first.
First I'll say I was not someone looking to be a bikini model. That has never been a goal and still isn't. Also, scars weren't that much of an issue either as my body was covered in scars from childbirth. I was happily willing to trade a few more scars to get rid of my very hated flap hanging down!
Dr. Pousti suggested an extended tummy tuck. He said I could have a great outcome by cutting me all the way around and removing the excess from the front and back. He could sculpt it for a better result w/ lipo on my flanks & then doing the muscle repair. I trusted his judgement and quick frankly I had a lot of stuff to remove so that made sense to me.
That's what we went with. I was pretty nervous & scared the day of surgery. I'd always dreamed of having it done but that doesn't take away the fear of going through it too. I went down the night before to get marked and then surgery was bright and early the next day. I was staying that night in a nearby hotel and had hired a nurse to get through the night too at the doctor's urging. If Dr. Pousti recommended it then I did it.
Surgery went smoothly. I don't remember too much other than getting back to the hotel. I was very difficult to walk and I was not feeling great. I had labor like contractions that would not calm down for a hours and my nurse called the doctor and they doubled my valium. Once that was done I was in much better shape. I believe he removed 12 pounds of skin/fat, 4 liters of fat & did a 6 inch muscle repair.
My recovery was rough. I was very sick from the meds I was taking and had zero appetite for the first time in my life. I could eat nothing without feeling terrible heartburn & nausea. Dr. Pousti addressed every issue I had. He never blew off an issue I had or waited to respond to it. He called constantly to check on me. And I mean that. He would call until he talked to me even it it was a holiday weekend or if he had talked to my mother or husband. And throughout the week his staff would call just to see how I was.
I did have some complications. Due to my lack of eating (and most likely lack of nutrition) my incision started to come open in the front after about a month of so. I was getting very depressed too. Something that the doctor did discuss before the surgery as it was so common. He also took it seriously. I was a mess and crying a lot of the time. I wasn't able to get around well and now my incision was opening. They had to cut the stitches and let the fluid drain out. My entire bikini line opened after a few weeks. It looked huge and ugly. Dr. Pousti told me I was not far from needing to be hospitalized if I didn't pick up the eating/drinking so that I could recover. He laid out what he wanted me to eat ~ protein shakes and lots of them. That's just what I did. And other really good quality foods & a good vitamin too.
I never had an infection or a seroma. This was my body not being able to heal from lack of nutrition. Dr. Pousti offered me a few solutions on how to deal with the opening. We could pack it w/ wet to dry saline gauze changes a few times a day. That would take months for it to close. Or we could go back into surgery and he could reopen it and close it again. I opted for the first choice. I couldn't bear the thought of surgery again even if it was going to be much more minor. He told me to trust him and that my body would heal from the inside out and from the sides in toward the center. That's exactly what happened.
I wish I could say it was all smooth sailing at that point. I had many ups & downs emotionally and cried a lot. I saw him weekly and was never made to feel like I was a pain-in-the-butt patient. On the contrary they were all very welcoming & concerned over my welfare.
As I slowly recovered I started to push myself physically too so I could gain strength. I read others on the boards here recovering so well by 6 weeks when it would take me 6 months to get to the same spot.
By January I finally stopped having to do the wet to dry changes and over the next few weeks my incision closed completely. My body took a good 9 months to heal before I could stand most clothing touching it. I wore yoga pants forever. Dr. Pousti said it could take a year or even more to fully heal and again he is right on the money with his advice. I still feel the healing taking place even now. I stopped comparing myself to others as it didn't matter because my journey to healing was different and longer and that would just have to be ok.
I am now THRILLED with my new body! I have so much confidence in clothes and even naked. I don't hide anymore. I am free to be me! I'm not perfect by any means. Never was before either. But I'm whole again. I can move again. I can walk 5+ miles at a time with out any issues. I couldn't do a mile before surgery!!! I am still working on getting stronger. I have had to modify my movements as I'm healing. Probably because of so many pelvic issues for years. So I'm learning a new way to get fit & healthy and I know I will get there.
It has been a long year. I thought I was prepared for all I'd go through but you can't know how you'll end up healing. I can say I'm 100% positive I had the right doctor. He walked me through some of the worst days of my life and I'm grateful for that. He also changed my life by changing my body. Again how do you thank someone for that?? He has been wonderful to work with and his staff has been the best. Friendly & caring. Just what I wish all doctor's offices would be like.
So if you are thinking about having plastic surgery then I urge you to give Dr. Pousti a visit or a call. You could not be in better more capable hands!
He was just wonderful to talk to. He has a very gentle, kind nature that I wish more doctors would take as they talk to nervous patients! He didn't have that arrogant doctor attitude that is such a turn off for me. And he understands the extreme embarrassment that you feel showing someone your most hated body parts.
A bit of background on me. I was 47 at the time of surgery. I had lost 60 pounds but still had this huge hanging stomach that pulled on my pelvis all the time. I lived at the chiropractor & massage therapy. Every single week. I was always in pain as I had damaged my pelvis delivering my 2nd child 21 years before. I was unable to do much walking as my pelvis was always out of alignment and hurting. I was frustrated as I was trying so hard to get healthy and my body always held me back. Plus no matter how much weight I lost I still could not wear most clothes and would hid under bigger tops. Life was very frustrating and disappointing. I wanted more and knew surgery could change many things for me. I just had to get through it first.
First I'll say I was not someone looking to be a bikini model. That has never been a goal and still isn't. Also, scars weren't that much of an issue either as my body was covered in scars from childbirth. I was happily willing to trade a few more scars to get rid of my very hated flap hanging down!
Dr. Pousti suggested an extended tummy tuck. He said I could have a great outcome by cutting me all the way around and removing the excess from the front and back. He could sculpt it for a better result w/ lipo on my flanks & then doing the muscle repair. I trusted his judgement and quick frankly I had a lot of stuff to remove so that made sense to me.
That's what we went with. I was pretty nervous & scared the day of surgery. I'd always dreamed of having it done but that doesn't take away the fear of going through it too. I went down the night before to get marked and then surgery was bright and early the next day. I was staying that night in a nearby hotel and had hired a nurse to get through the night too at the doctor's urging. If Dr. Pousti recommended it then I did it.
Surgery went smoothly. I don't remember too much other than getting back to the hotel. I was very difficult to walk and I was not feeling great. I had labor like contractions that would not calm down for a hours and my nurse called the doctor and they doubled my valium. Once that was done I was in much better shape. I believe he removed 12 pounds of skin/fat, 4 liters of fat & did a 6 inch muscle repair.
My recovery was rough. I was very sick from the meds I was taking and had zero appetite for the first time in my life. I could eat nothing without feeling terrible heartburn & nausea. Dr. Pousti addressed every issue I had. He never blew off an issue I had or waited to respond to it. He called constantly to check on me. And I mean that. He would call until he talked to me even it it was a holiday weekend or if he had talked to my mother or husband. And throughout the week his staff would call just to see how I was.
I did have some complications. Due to my lack of eating (and most likely lack of nutrition) my incision started to come open in the front after about a month of so. I was getting very depressed too. Something that the doctor did discuss before the surgery as it was so common. He also took it seriously. I was a mess and crying a lot of the time. I wasn't able to get around well and now my incision was opening. They had to cut the stitches and let the fluid drain out. My entire bikini line opened after a few weeks. It looked huge and ugly. Dr. Pousti told me I was not far from needing to be hospitalized if I didn't pick up the eating/drinking so that I could recover. He laid out what he wanted me to eat ~ protein shakes and lots of them. That's just what I did. And other really good quality foods & a good vitamin too.
I never had an infection or a seroma. This was my body not being able to heal from lack of nutrition. Dr. Pousti offered me a few solutions on how to deal with the opening. We could pack it w/ wet to dry saline gauze changes a few times a day. That would take months for it to close. Or we could go back into surgery and he could reopen it and close it again. I opted for the first choice. I couldn't bear the thought of surgery again even if it was going to be much more minor. He told me to trust him and that my body would heal from the inside out and from the sides in toward the center. That's exactly what happened.
I wish I could say it was all smooth sailing at that point. I had many ups & downs emotionally and cried a lot. I saw him weekly and was never made to feel like I was a pain-in-the-butt patient. On the contrary they were all very welcoming & concerned over my welfare.
As I slowly recovered I started to push myself physically too so I could gain strength. I read others on the boards here recovering so well by 6 weeks when it would take me 6 months to get to the same spot.
By January I finally stopped having to do the wet to dry changes and over the next few weeks my incision closed completely. My body took a good 9 months to heal before I could stand most clothing touching it. I wore yoga pants forever. Dr. Pousti said it could take a year or even more to fully heal and again he is right on the money with his advice. I still feel the healing taking place even now. I stopped comparing myself to others as it didn't matter because my journey to healing was different and longer and that would just have to be ok.
I am now THRILLED with my new body! I have so much confidence in clothes and even naked. I don't hide anymore. I am free to be me! I'm not perfect by any means. Never was before either. But I'm whole again. I can move again. I can walk 5+ miles at a time with out any issues. I couldn't do a mile before surgery!!! I am still working on getting stronger. I have had to modify my movements as I'm healing. Probably because of so many pelvic issues for years. So I'm learning a new way to get fit & healthy and I know I will get there.
It has been a long year. I thought I was prepared for all I'd go through but you can't know how you'll end up healing. I can say I'm 100% positive I had the right doctor. He walked me through some of the worst days of my life and I'm grateful for that. He also changed my life by changing my body. Again how do you thank someone for that?? He has been wonderful to work with and his staff has been the best. Friendly & caring. Just what I wish all doctor's offices would be like.
So if you are thinking about having plastic surgery then I urge you to give Dr. Pousti a visit or a call. You could not be in better more capable hands!
Been a while since I updated. I'm feeling pretty...
Been a while since I updated. I'm feeling pretty good. Life is getting more and more back to normal. Still swelling daily especially on the right side. Not horrendous or anything but just still noticeable. Underwire bras get uncomfortable in the evenings but I still wear them daily to get more and more used to it. Still get pain on the inside. More like nerve pain I think.One step at a time.
My wound is almost closed. I no longer pay attention to it very much because I don't have to pack it or dress it. I still have a ridge above the wound that is slowly going down. I know it will be fine in the future.
I feel good about myself. I feel sexy and beautiful!! That's a first for me and I'm enjoying it. It is nice to no longer feel like the biggest person in the room.
Best part is I'm still shrinking. Every 3-4 weeks I can feel a difference and sure enough I try on clothes and they are loose. Love it!
My skin is still having issues on my stomach so I haven't been able to wear my actual size yet. I go up a size so I can handle the "feeling" around my waist. That's getting better too. Someday I'll be able to actually shop & buy the right size. For now, I'm doing just fine.
My recent trip to TX was a total bust. I was sick w/in 6 hours of arriving. Got fever, chills, headache, bodyaches & it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was so bummed but what can you do. I missed a lot of the conference but at least got to hang out w/ some great friends which was nice.
My daughter was just diagnosed w/ Celiac's Disease. That means she can no longer eat gluten(wheat, barley or rye). She also can't eat soy, dairy or eggs. It's been tough trying to figure everything out around here. My husband and I are getting tested too since we each have a gene for it that was passed on to her. I've joined her in not eating any of the things she can't have. It's a huge change cause gluten is in so many things as is soy. Hoping she feels better soon. I know since eliminating those items I do feel better.
OK that's it. Hope you all are feeling great too.
My wound is almost closed. I no longer pay attention to it very much because I don't have to pack it or dress it. I still have a ridge above the wound that is slowly going down. I know it will be fine in the future.
I feel good about myself. I feel sexy and beautiful!! That's a first for me and I'm enjoying it. It is nice to no longer feel like the biggest person in the room.
Best part is I'm still shrinking. Every 3-4 weeks I can feel a difference and sure enough I try on clothes and they are loose. Love it!
My skin is still having issues on my stomach so I haven't been able to wear my actual size yet. I go up a size so I can handle the "feeling" around my waist. That's getting better too. Someday I'll be able to actually shop & buy the right size. For now, I'm doing just fine.
My recent trip to TX was a total bust. I was sick w/in 6 hours of arriving. Got fever, chills, headache, bodyaches & it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was so bummed but what can you do. I missed a lot of the conference but at least got to hang out w/ some great friends which was nice.
My daughter was just diagnosed w/ Celiac's Disease. That means she can no longer eat gluten(wheat, barley or rye). She also can't eat soy, dairy or eggs. It's been tough trying to figure everything out around here. My husband and I are getting tested too since we each have a gene for it that was passed on to her. I've joined her in not eating any of the things she can't have. It's a huge change cause gluten is in so many things as is soy. Hoping she feels better soon. I know since eliminating those items I do feel better.
OK that's it. Hope you all are feeling great too.
Happy New Year!! 20 weeks Post Op. Feeling...
Happy New Year!! 20 weeks Post Op.
Feeling pretty good these days. Cough has almost gone now ~ thank goodness!
My incision is still not completely closed. I stopped the wet to dry dressings on New Year's Day. And I just stopped even putting a pad over it. It looks like it is scabbing over slowly and there is no drainage so that is fine by me. Saw the PS on Wed and he was happy w/ how it was going. I have a big indentation where the incision was bad. It is still swollen there and below it. Dr said it will all slowly go down still and I will see a lot of improvement there and that the indentation will gradually fill in too. I want nothing to do w/ scar revision so it is nice hearing how that will pan out. The area is still tender but I think that will get better too. It is rather nice not having a big pad in my pants all the time.
I've been really pushing myself to get back to normal. I've been wearing an underwire bra and no tank or anything on my stomach. Feels weird but I have to get my life back. I don't want to wear these crappy stretchy bras forever. Even though the commercials claim all this support they do NOT deliver. They are good for when I need a break but shirts don't fit unless I wear a normal bra.
I'm also wearing some new jeans that I bought. I still have to be careful of the waist band as it is still pretty tender. So nice to wear something that I feel amazing in! Bought a bunch of new clothes :) Size 12 and they are big but I'll take that for now.
Now that I've had my TT my boobs look HUGE! I'm a DD so they aren't small but I didn't realize how big there were. It is rather fun putting on clothes and liking the whole look in the mirror. My husband is loving it too :)
Still have to get the "old me" out of my head. I was used to wearing bigger shirts to hide me. Now I'm starting to let my shape show and that feels just amazing.
Still get swelling in the evening. Nothing like I did in the past. Pants & bra get uncomfortable after a while and the sensitivity on my abdominal skin increases. I know this will continue to improve over time.
I go to TX on Wed for my business trip. I can't wait to go and see my friends who I haven't seen since before my surgery.
Life is good and I'm so happy I had this done!
Hope you all are doing well too!
Feeling pretty good these days. Cough has almost gone now ~ thank goodness!
My incision is still not completely closed. I stopped the wet to dry dressings on New Year's Day. And I just stopped even putting a pad over it. It looks like it is scabbing over slowly and there is no drainage so that is fine by me. Saw the PS on Wed and he was happy w/ how it was going. I have a big indentation where the incision was bad. It is still swollen there and below it. Dr said it will all slowly go down still and I will see a lot of improvement there and that the indentation will gradually fill in too. I want nothing to do w/ scar revision so it is nice hearing how that will pan out. The area is still tender but I think that will get better too. It is rather nice not having a big pad in my pants all the time.
I've been really pushing myself to get back to normal. I've been wearing an underwire bra and no tank or anything on my stomach. Feels weird but I have to get my life back. I don't want to wear these crappy stretchy bras forever. Even though the commercials claim all this support they do NOT deliver. They are good for when I need a break but shirts don't fit unless I wear a normal bra.
I'm also wearing some new jeans that I bought. I still have to be careful of the waist band as it is still pretty tender. So nice to wear something that I feel amazing in! Bought a bunch of new clothes :) Size 12 and they are big but I'll take that for now.
Now that I've had my TT my boobs look HUGE! I'm a DD so they aren't small but I didn't realize how big there were. It is rather fun putting on clothes and liking the whole look in the mirror. My husband is loving it too :)
Still have to get the "old me" out of my head. I was used to wearing bigger shirts to hide me. Now I'm starting to let my shape show and that feels just amazing.
Still get swelling in the evening. Nothing like I did in the past. Pants & bra get uncomfortable after a while and the sensitivity on my abdominal skin increases. I know this will continue to improve over time.
I go to TX on Wed for my business trip. I can't wait to go and see my friends who I haven't seen since before my surgery.
Life is good and I'm so happy I had this done!
Hope you all are doing well too!
Provider Review
I don't think you could be in better hands. Awesome doctor. Would not leave town until he knew I was ok.
Oct 10,2011 update.:
I wanted to update this now that I'm at 8 weeks PO. I have a rather larger opening in my incision. My doctor has been on it immediately. He has always shown concern & compassion to what I have been through. He reassures me that I will heal and that I will still have a fantastic result. And I believe him. He also calls me constantly to check on me - even on a Sunday and also a holiday. He doesn't just want know how my wound is doing or the pain level. He also asks how I'm doing emotionally. I could not ask for a better doctor and feel like I'm in the best hands.
Updated on 15 Aug 2012:
My review says it all. I think he's the best there is! Kind, compassionate & extremely talented doctor. I trusted him fully & he delivered!