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Brief Update - One Year Post
Six Weeks Post Op
- Ditched the compression outfit (is there a place where we can donate these things???)
- Ditched wearing a bra at night
- Traded off Bio Oil for scar treatment with silicone gel strips
- Got a tiny granuloma (where the last drain had been) lopped off and stitched up by a local doc
- Snipping off suture knots I see as well as any I can feel right below the surface (even though they're dissolvable, until they dissolve, they're annoying...) - helpful Olga had given me pointy tweezers and scissors with a hook on them and my OCD loves them...
- Got the hubby mandate to toss and replace my "granny" underwear with a "no limit budget" but now find that my pre-kids La Perlas fit fine (did not seem to object to/notice that they were not new) - as the mother of three boys, I say without disparagement: men are so simple
- Booked a few beach adventures (Langkawi, Malacca, Bali, Krabi) - kids are dying to go to the beach and surf - but pledge to be covered up (lest scars become permanently dark - don't want that!)
- Started to exercise - man, I'm a tub of lard! - goal is the Angkor Wat Half Marathon in December
On the horizon:
- Underwire bras - can't wear until 6 months post op
- Scars fading - like waiting for a pot to boil
- Being more healthy in earnest - my husband has begged me to eat more healthily and exercise more; I should take as a compliment that he'd like me to kick around longer...
Conflicted: I think I have knots under some of my scars that are too imbedded for me to dig out. They are mildly annoying. Don't know whether I should (a) leave them alone - "they'll dissolve eventually in as long as 6-9 months," (b) massage the scars in line with the theory that massaging bumpy scars helps them heal and flatten out more quickly, (c) try to dig them /cut them out of the skin and cut off the knots - there was some doc commentary about desirability of removing pesky knots under the skin... (d) other? I'll ask Dr. Hughes...
Photos of where my daughter and I will spend next week and how things are shaping up at 6 weeks post op; you'll see silicone gel tape and bandage where granuloma was removed.
Medial Thigh Lift Update - Healing! :)
I've read Q&As about doing a tummy tuck, breast lift and augmentation + medial thigh lift in the same surgical procedure. Most doctors responded from the doctor's perspective, saying it's best to do it in 2 separate procedures since the multiple procedures can result in a longer surgery time so that's more time under the knife, under anesthesia and puts you at higher risk. All makes sense. I would guess the most important thing is going with a surgeon with lots of experience doing the procedures at one time.
From a recovery perspective, from my experience, I had the tummy tuck, breast augmentation and lift and medial thigh lift done at once. I think that my total recovery time is taking about as long as it takes to recover from the single procedure that takes the longest to recover from: the thigh lift. The incisions for the thigh lift are in a place that gets a lot of action (not like the breasts which were fine immediately or the tummy tuck which just sits there). It's at a joint that gets movement incessantly (like trying to heal an injury on your knee). Also, it's right where you go to the bathroom, so there's no avoiding that. The recovery is tough, no doubt about it. I'm relieved that I got the surgeries done at once.
I've been extremely fortunate to have had no complications - and my heart goes out to anyone who has encountered any - because God knows, just recovering is hard enough!
I was concerned about blood clots. I've read that the chances of developing blood clots is higher with thigh lifts and also with multiple procedures. I guess that's one reason why I went with an experienced surgeon. I know that there are a lot of great success stories from traveling outside of the US, but it was very important for me to get the surgery done in the United States. These are serious and complex surgeries. The medical standards, regulations and certifications are much more stringent than anywhere else in the world. And having had family members who have tried to get into med school or pass the boards in the US (and then have gone to the Caribbean when they failed in the US) - I just couldn't take that kind of risk. (Believe me, I'd never want my cousin performing surgery on me!)
Moving around after the surgery and walking around during my long 24 hour flight back home - 11 days post op were also things I did. Finally, keeping the drains in (even though they were a MAJOR pain), taking the antibiotics as long as the drains were in and being religiously clean with rubbing alcohol - probably helped ward off infection. Again, I don't know if any of this had any bearing on not having any complications - but I'm glad I followed my doctor's advice.
Finally, it's been reassuring having chosen a surgeon who is extremely responsive whenever I have a question post op. I happen to live half way around the world from my surgeon. But even if I lived in the same town, when you go through this, you have all kinds of inconsequential questions you want to ask and not feel like you're bugging someone. Dr. Hughes responds quickly and decisively with specific instructions on what you should do - regardless of whether it's the weekend, before 9AM or after 5PM. Clearly, his work and his patients are very important to him. So I was impressed when he was available to talk with me live when I was interviewing doctors - but that shouldn't be surprising - he's trying to win my business. (And anyone who is unresponsive during the marketing/sell phase should be a red flag! Imagine how responsive they'll be when you're having an emergency problem after the surgery! And even worse - what if you're having an emergency problem and they're not in the US and therefore aren't subject to US liability???) Dr. Hughes has been great with answering questions before, during and after the surgery date.
One correction - finally found my breast implant tags, and they are Natrelle Allergan 234 ccs.
Good luck to all out there.
Provider Review
What I liked about Dr. Hughes: 1. Tons of experience on multiple types of procedures and knows what he's doing 2. Lots of examples of his work 3. Lots of accolades from real people who can attest to his results 4. Doesn't just do one body type or desired body type. For example, I'm a smallish person with a boyish figure. I didn't want to become a bombshell. He respected that and didn't try to convince me to become something I didn't want to become. There are a lot of his patients who want to become bombshells, and he's obviously good at that, too. 5. He listens to what you want and does it. For example, I said I wanted a breast lift. I exchanged emails with Dr. Bruno, who was very nice. But instead of hearing my needs, he recommended that with the bigger breasts, I wouldn't need a lift. Which is not what I wanted... 6. At the same time, Hughes doesn't stay silent if, based on his experience, he'd recommend something else for you. For example, I was interested in an arm lift. He advised me against it and said the scars just wouldn't make it worth it. He said he'd keep the option open and see me in person and reevaluate. When he saw me in person, he confirmed his initial thinking. Also, though he knew I wanted to remain with modest breasts, and I thought the absolute smallest silicon implants would be good, he recommended going one size higher, and I'm glad he did. I'm glad about both of his recommendations. 7. He's incredibly responsive and isn't a "9 to 5er" or "Monday through Friday" type in terms of when he'll talk to you or respond to your questions. When you're going through this, it is all consuming, and you have urgent questions that you really want advice on. Dr. Hughes responds quickly and gives definitive answers. 8. He seems to like what he's doing and care about his patients. When I returned home after a 24 hour flight from LA, I had an email from Dr. Hughes in my inbox asking if I got home safely. That was even before my mom's email! 9. No sweat. He accommodated my schedule for the surgery, pre-op, post-op, etc. In my last visit, I thought, why not get some Botox for good measure? No problem! 10. The results! I almost forgot the most important item of all. I was waiting to make this review until after I had a sense of how the results were turning out. I'm now 3+ weeks out, and I'll say that I'm really happy with how things are shaping up and how I'm looking. My tummy stretch marks are gone. My stomach is flat and tight, and the incisions are healing well. My breasts look great and exactly how I wanted them - better cleavage for wearing bathing suits and certain kinds of evening clothing but not an obvious difference when I'm wearing regular clothing. And the incisions on my inner thighs from my thigh lift are healing, and my thighs look much tighter and sleeker. Equally important, I haven't (knock on wood) had any complications. Hughes told me to keep the drains in, which I think are a big hassle and I hate them, but he warned me of the repercussions of taking them out too soon (the wound opens up and you need surgery again) or seromas which would then require a doctor to aspirate via long syringe) and I followed his advice and am glad. I'm still on antibiotics as long as the drain is in. At the 3 week mark, I turned a corner, started to see past the incision marks and the drain still coming out of me, started to realize that I'm going to have the body that I envisioned (even better, actually) and also started to feel much better physically. Great doc - thanks, Dr. Hughes!