POSTED UNDER Tummy Tuck Reviews REVIEWS
ETT and BBL Journey
ORIGINAL POST
ETT & BBL Journey: Part 1
WORTH IT$20,000
I am scheduled for an extended tummy tuck in just 5 days, so I wanted to start my journey documentation with an overview of how I got to this point…
I’ve always had issues with my body, even as a child. My family loves me and loved to feed me, but also loved to tell me to “suck it in” and tease me for being chunky. As I grew and gained weight, my pants/skirts would typically sit on the same spot, which started forming a pink line around my midsection. As far as I can remember, even to age 5-7, I’ve never had a flat, pretty tummy. I’ve had a dysmorphic view of my body for most of my life, believing to be much bigger than I really was. My body dysmorphia led to binge eating behavior, and some bulimic purging for a few years. My inner world has been tormented by my body and vice versa. 2020 was so intense, my depression and anxiety caused my eating to fly off the rails and I gained at least 10 lbs. 2021 I had a wake up call and decided to really dig into my psychological issues around food, to get myself healthier and find a way to love my body. That journey included the tools of therapy, Noom (HIGHLY recommend if you struggle with any form of disordered eating, it’s wonderfully informative and encouraging!), books, some physical therapy, and yoga. So with about a year of hard work and planning, I’ve lost 20 lbs and I feel mentally and emotionally ready to change my body to be how I’ve always dreamed!!! Side note: I'm 34 and never had kids, nor do I plan to in the future. None of my body issues are from pregnancy/birth. It’s overwhelming and nerve racking, but I feel confident in my surgeon, Dr. Alex Zurriarain. I visited his office in Miami in January, and felt comfortable and safe right away. The staff members were so kind and efficient, and Dr. Z himself is incredibly warm and compassionate, as well as detail-oriented and intelligent. I could tell he knows what he’s doing, loves what he does, and truly cares about his patients! Since I signed on with Zuri, my questions have gotten answers, and their prices and processes have been reasonable. I even caught Covid two weeks before my surgery (after two years of successfully avoiding it), which delayed everything. Luckily they found a time to reschedule close enough that I didn’t have to redo bloodwork/testing! This office is awesome, and I’m SO excited for the transformation they’re about to give me!!! I will be doing the extended tummy tuck now (extended to remove my tummy line of darkened skin), and a Brazilian butt lift next January! Both surgeries will have lipo, and the BBL will include use of J-plasma to tighten skin on my back that will be loosened with lipo. Final tips:- research surgeons on RealSelf; had a hard time just browsing the internet, and many offer free consultations or other discounts through the app- research the surgery options you’re interested in before consultation so you have a good idea what it entails in reality- Order vitamins in bulk, cause you’ll need them before and after surgery; I used the site Vitacost- Drink lots of water, and use electrolyte packets; I recommend Liquid IV (Amazon, Costco, Walmart) - Stretch and strengthen your body, and work to lose weight before surgery to aid the healing process; I wish I would’ve strengthened more, especially since Covid weakened me - Explore therapy and meditation for your mental and emotional well-being; don’t just focus on the physical! - Lean on your support system, but you don’t have to broadcast your surgery to everyone; your body your choice- Prep includes general practitioner checkups, blood testing, Covid tests, an EKG, and a pregnancy testExcited for this journey! I’ll post updates along the way, and answer any questions as best as I can
I’ve always had issues with my body, even as a child. My family loves me and loved to feed me, but also loved to tell me to “suck it in” and tease me for being chunky. As I grew and gained weight, my pants/skirts would typically sit on the same spot, which started forming a pink line around my midsection. As far as I can remember, even to age 5-7, I’ve never had a flat, pretty tummy. I’ve had a dysmorphic view of my body for most of my life, believing to be much bigger than I really was. My body dysmorphia led to binge eating behavior, and some bulimic purging for a few years. My inner world has been tormented by my body and vice versa. 2020 was so intense, my depression and anxiety caused my eating to fly off the rails and I gained at least 10 lbs. 2021 I had a wake up call and decided to really dig into my psychological issues around food, to get myself healthier and find a way to love my body. That journey included the tools of therapy, Noom (HIGHLY recommend if you struggle with any form of disordered eating, it’s wonderfully informative and encouraging!), books, some physical therapy, and yoga. So with about a year of hard work and planning, I’ve lost 20 lbs and I feel mentally and emotionally ready to change my body to be how I’ve always dreamed!!! Side note: I'm 34 and never had kids, nor do I plan to in the future. None of my body issues are from pregnancy/birth. It’s overwhelming and nerve racking, but I feel confident in my surgeon, Dr. Alex Zurriarain. I visited his office in Miami in January, and felt comfortable and safe right away. The staff members were so kind and efficient, and Dr. Z himself is incredibly warm and compassionate, as well as detail-oriented and intelligent. I could tell he knows what he’s doing, loves what he does, and truly cares about his patients! Since I signed on with Zuri, my questions have gotten answers, and their prices and processes have been reasonable. I even caught Covid two weeks before my surgery (after two years of successfully avoiding it), which delayed everything. Luckily they found a time to reschedule close enough that I didn’t have to redo bloodwork/testing! This office is awesome, and I’m SO excited for the transformation they’re about to give me!!! I will be doing the extended tummy tuck now (extended to remove my tummy line of darkened skin), and a Brazilian butt lift next January! Both surgeries will have lipo, and the BBL will include use of J-plasma to tighten skin on my back that will be loosened with lipo. Final tips:- research surgeons on RealSelf; had a hard time just browsing the internet, and many offer free consultations or other discounts through the app- research the surgery options you’re interested in before consultation so you have a good idea what it entails in reality- Order vitamins in bulk, cause you’ll need them before and after surgery; I used the site Vitacost- Drink lots of water, and use electrolyte packets; I recommend Liquid IV (Amazon, Costco, Walmart) - Stretch and strengthen your body, and work to lose weight before surgery to aid the healing process; I wish I would’ve strengthened more, especially since Covid weakened me - Explore therapy and meditation for your mental and emotional well-being; don’t just focus on the physical! - Lean on your support system, but you don’t have to broadcast your surgery to everyone; your body your choice- Prep includes general practitioner checkups, blood testing, Covid tests, an EKG, and a pregnancy testExcited for this journey! I’ll post updates along the way, and answer any questions as best as I can
Ambright88's provider
Response from Dr. Zuriarrain:
We are very excited to help you along your journey. Thank you for sharing on this platform. If you need anything at all please reach out we are always available.
UPDATED FROM Ambright88
Day of treatment
Pre-op
Had my pre-op appointment yesterday, and again the Zuri staff were fantastic in helping me feel prepared! Chatted with medical assistant Jasmine about the surgery, down to every last detail. I left feeling like I knew all that I could gather for the next day!
Received prescriptions and filled with Walgreens, which is nice to have the meds prior to surgery (last operation I had required meds to be picked up day of/after surgery). But it took several hours to fill, and ended up with everything in hand around 8:30 in the evening. Cost with insurance was about $130 for all meds (not bad! Don’t know what it would be without insurance). Includes: antibiotic, muscle relaxer, blood thinner, anti-nausea, and strong pain med (which I hope I can get by without opiates and just do Tylenol). I opted to get Zuri’s Exparel shot, which goes directly into the tissue during surgery and is supposed to counteract pain for up to three days! It’s an extra cost of $460, but I think it’ll be totally worth it from other reviews I’ve read.
Got myself all cleaned with the Hibiclens soap (5 days prior and day of surgery), took out my jewelry, braided my hair, and I’m about to head to Zuri for my in-house surgery! They have a state of the art operating room on the premises for patients who are low risk like me (under 45, non-smoker, good family history, good health, under 32 BMI) and I’m SO excited!!!
Will update with more post surgery. So grateful for this opportunity and every aspect of the journey. I’m ready to inhabit a body that feels more like home for me!
Received prescriptions and filled with Walgreens, which is nice to have the meds prior to surgery (last operation I had required meds to be picked up day of/after surgery). But it took several hours to fill, and ended up with everything in hand around 8:30 in the evening. Cost with insurance was about $130 for all meds (not bad! Don’t know what it would be without insurance). Includes: antibiotic, muscle relaxer, blood thinner, anti-nausea, and strong pain med (which I hope I can get by without opiates and just do Tylenol). I opted to get Zuri’s Exparel shot, which goes directly into the tissue during surgery and is supposed to counteract pain for up to three days! It’s an extra cost of $460, but I think it’ll be totally worth it from other reviews I’ve read.
Got myself all cleaned with the Hibiclens soap (5 days prior and day of surgery), took out my jewelry, braided my hair, and I’m about to head to Zuri for my in-house surgery! They have a state of the art operating room on the premises for patients who are low risk like me (under 45, non-smoker, good family history, good health, under 32 BMI) and I’m SO excited!!!
Will update with more post surgery. So grateful for this opportunity and every aspect of the journey. I’m ready to inhabit a body that feels more like home for me!
Replies (2)
September 2, 2022
Can't wait to see you after pics! Hope your surgery goes well.
UPDATED FROM Ambright88
Day of treatment
Post-op Day of surgery
The tummy tuck is done!!!
The anesthesia must have worked super fast, because all I remember is laying down on the operating table and then waking up lol. Felt very disoriented, dizzy, and weird when I awoke. No nausea because I put on the behind the ear scopolamine patch the night before- I can imagine vomiting like this would be sooo painful! There is some pain even with the Exparel shot, so I’ve taken some Tylenol, plus the muscle relaxer prescribed. Ate applesauce and part of a protein shake to stomach the meds, but definitely not very hungry or able to hold much.
The drains are not as difficult or gross as I was expecting, and walking is not as hard. Was even able to sit on the toilet to pee! Overall feeling ok, pain is around a 4/10, just really uncomfortable. Got pillows to elevate my head and legs, so I think I got it as cozy as can be :)
Will update again soon, now to rest.
The anesthesia must have worked super fast, because all I remember is laying down on the operating table and then waking up lol. Felt very disoriented, dizzy, and weird when I awoke. No nausea because I put on the behind the ear scopolamine patch the night before- I can imagine vomiting like this would be sooo painful! There is some pain even with the Exparel shot, so I’ve taken some Tylenol, plus the muscle relaxer prescribed. Ate applesauce and part of a protein shake to stomach the meds, but definitely not very hungry or able to hold much.
The drains are not as difficult or gross as I was expecting, and walking is not as hard. Was even able to sit on the toilet to pee! Overall feeling ok, pain is around a 4/10, just really uncomfortable. Got pillows to elevate my head and legs, so I think I got it as cozy as can be :)
Will update again soon, now to rest.
Replies (3)