47 Years Old, Lost 50 Lbs., Ready for a Tummy Tuck and Breast Reduction/Lift! - Gainesville, FL

I think I'm nine weeks out, although I've lost count! I finally weighed myself--141. My bra size is a full D cup, about two sizes smaller than it was before, and even though they're still big, they look proportional to my somewhat stocky bone structure, so I'm really pleased. The spot where I had the penrose drain for all those weeks has scabbed over nicely, and I've been using silicone tape on everything. At this point, I can definitely see an improvement in my figure, especially first thing in the morning. Boobs look great, scars are healing nicely. Starting around 4:00 in the afternoon, however, I swell like crazy! No matter what I eat or what I do, it happens, so I'm just going with the flow. Because I'm roughly the same size as I was before the surgery, I'm not trying on clothing and expecting anything to be loose. In order for THAT to happen, I'm going to have to drop at least ten pounds--and my goal is twenty before the end of this year.

Now that I seem to be out of the woods and on track to smooth healing, I've taken stock of what I still need to have done before I'll be satisfied. (Don't get me wrong, I'm no perfectionist and am NOT expecting to ever wear a bikini. I'm talking about areas that are still somewhat disproportionate and need a little tweak so my clothing will hang right.) I'd like additional liposuction under my arms (the bra strap area), my upper abdomen (although that's mostly visceral fat, which you can only lose with diet and exercise), and probably a monsplasty. I have a high public bone, so carrying any extra padding there looks awful. Dr. Gaines did a really nice job tightening that area and it looks a lot better, but it's still sort of a "Ken bulge." Of course none of this will happen until early 2017 (that's my goal), which gives me time to lose weight and save money!

And last but not least, in 2018...my fiftieth year...I want to have a mini-face lift. In the years after that, I'll keep that maintained, but my true desire is to look about ten years younger than I truly am every decade. And NO MORE TUMMY TUCKS EVER!

Dr. Gaines removed my penrose drain last Friday, and so far everything seems to be healing and normal. My husband is good at spotting that weird "waterbed" movement that indicates a seroma, so I'll probably ask him to check my stomach tonight to make sure everything's okay. I tried on a traditional bra for the first time since my surgery, and it turns out I'm a solid D cup. I felt a twinge of disappointment (I dreamed o being a mere C cup!), but if I'm being truly honest with myself, the way I'm naturally proportioned wouldn't look right if Dr. Gaines had taken me down to a C. I remember him saying in the recovery room that he'd brought my size down about a cup and a half each breast, and when I look in the mirror, that seems exactly right. My breasts looks great, especially now that they're relaxing from that strange super-perkiness they had right after surgery. I put silicone strips on them, and as soon as I'm certain the drain hole in my incision is closed, I'll put silicone strips on my abdomen as well.

Going on seven weeks PO, I'm still wearing my binder around the clock, but I've ordered a compression garment from Leonisa.com that extends from below the breasts down to boy shorts-length, which I'll probably wear during the day or when going out. I'm not ready to switch over to a regular bra quite yet, but I have an excellent one from Wacoal waiting for me in my drawer. I have yet to try on my old clothes, but don't expect a HUGE difference. The change is more in how I look naked--which is much improved. :-) My self-consciousness about being naked in front of my husband, doctors, etc. has been literally cut in half. YAY! This is huge for me after 40 years of hiding in the bathroom to change clothes!

Pain-wise, I still take Advil once in a while. When I woke up this morning, my left breast was sore. I believe the nerves are waking up on that side. Twinges continue in my abdomen, which I am strangely used to, and occasional itching here and there, but nothing of issue. My energy level is good, but I get fatigued easily, and I believe this is from having to remain so inactive over the past few weeks. Most people at my stage of recovery are back to their lives, and I'm not long away from that myself. I can't WAIT! I want to start yoga and walking.

On a down note, I seem to have developed dog ears at either end of my incision. They showed up once most of my swelling dissipated--sometime in the past week. I'm not that bothered by this as I know it happens to a lot of people, and I know Dr. Gaines will fix them and that it's an easy fix done in the office. I feel so blessed that despite all the issues with seromas I experienced, I never once had to deal with infection or hematomas or significant pain. In fact, the worst pain I've felt post-surgery was when the nurse took the stitches out of my breasts! :-)

Although I still have some liposuction (and maybe a monsplasty) ahead of me in the next couple of years, I'm really pleased with my results and feel that Dr. Gaines is a very skilled surgeon--and just as importantly, a kind, caring and conscientious doctor. If he doesn't run away screaming at the idea, I'd like him to be the surgeon for my next procedure. :-)

Lastly, and I think most importantly, after one week+ of returning to my regular way of eating clean/Paleo, I am no longer puffy, and in the future as I deal with other procedures like lipo, I won't sway from this diet. I feel so, SO much better, slimmer, and happy all around.

Every day gets better!

I stumbled on something that is making me shake myself at myself. Bear with me while I explain. As I've posted previously, it's been incredibly discouraging to be in danger of failing at my recovery. Four days ago, I looked in the mirror while I was changing the bandage over my penrose drain, and I just looked puffy, even in my face, and definitely bloated in my upper stomach, pelvic area, breasts, etc. More than just swelling, I thought. My surgery site looked awful. I hit a new low. And then it occurred to me (DUHH!) that I had been eating mostly white flour, large amounts of dairy, and sugar for the last six weeks. More than fruit, meat or vegetables. The starch made it easy to take the antibiotic I've been on (you have to eat with it or you WILL throw up--eek!) It was easier to grab a piece of bread than to deal with assembling a salad or something healthy. BUT WHAT A MISTAKE! I immediately changed my diet at that very moment,and went back to my usual way of eating--vegetables, meat, fruit, minimal dairy. No gluten. No sugar, and no chemicals. The next day I peed about a million times! And this morning, I looked in the mirror again and was shocked at the difference. My puffiness has decreased significantly. Any swelling looks like just swelling, not fat or bloating. I actually have a waist! I look fairly proportional. And the best part is, I liked what I saw in the mirror. I lost fifty pounds a year ago and kept it off by eating mostly Paleo. It changed my life and my general sense of well-being. By resuming this way of life, I feel a lot more in control of things as I work heal from TT complications. So diet is definitely something to think about, especially if you're feeling low-energy, lumpy and discouraged!

I'm supposed to get my penrose drain removed on Friday morning. I don't know if I'll have to be even more inactive than I am now, as the nurse warned me last week when we discussed removing the drain. (She said at 5-7 days of being verrrrrry quiet). But I'm prepared. I feel so much clearer and less discouraged than I did before, and while I don't have all the answers, I do believe in this case it has to do with my diet. :-)