This Old House........Knoxville, TN

The remodeling of this old house…..
Here is my story. I am in my fifties and the mother of several grown children who underwent a full abdominoplasty, and a mastopexy with silicone implant placement 4 weeks ago. I had wanted to have the abdominoplasty for the last 40 years, and now seemed like a good time to proceed. My husband and I are in the medical profession so we did extensive research to find the “best of the best” in a plastic surgeon that could do the remodeling. This old house has a solid foundation, but man how things have shifted and become loose! My husband found Dr. Reath, and I am so thankful he did. We had met with other plastic surgeons but we left unimpressed and discouraged. We do not live in Knoxville so we traveled a fair distance to meet with Dr. Reath. Well worth the travel! He did much more than remodeling…he rebuilt this body! I now have a stomach flatter than I have had since I was 18 years old. I am sure I am a dress size smaller and my breasts turned out beautiful. Yes, remodeling is challenging, painful and difficult on the wallet, however, this is not an area to skimp on or cut corners. I encourage you not to let price be the major factor in your decision, as that would likely lead you down the path of unhappy results. Dr. Reath does impeccable work and you will get quality beyond your investment with him.

Another most important advice I can give you is plan, plan, plan. Take the time to get things in order. If you follow Dr. Reath’s pre-op and post-op directions you should do just fine. Dr. Reath suggests a shower chair is helpful for the first week. I say it is absolutely essential. Standing in the shower is almost certain to induce nausea, dizziness and weakness. You need a shower chair. I think the next bit of advice is important too: eat well, make sure you get plenty of protein. This is essential to promote wound healing. Aim for 100 grams of protein a day. Each meal should consist of 20-30 grams of protein, with 2-3 snacks that contain 10-15 grams of protein. A few sources of protein are: lean meat, cheese, yogurt, peanut butter, beans, nuts and eggs. If you prepare and freeze a few weeks worth of meals for yourself and family it will do wonders to keep a sense of normalcy in the home. Remember now is not the time to diet or eat junk food. Watch your sodium intake…there will be swelling. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids as recommended by Dr. Reath.
If you smoke, now is a good time to quit. Theres nothing sexy about wrinkles. Why pay for all that sprucing up and remodeling just to smoke it up?

I can’t stress how important it is to have a good caretaker, one that will be there for you and not leave your side for several days. I am fortunate to have a wonderful husband who supported me in every way. If you have pets and or small children, I highly recommend having them stay with family or friends the first 2-3 days. Your caretaker will be plenty busy taking care of you. I love my pups, but we boarded them for 2 days and I am so glad we did. As far as comfort goes, find a recliner that is comfortable and move it to your favorite room as you may be sleeping in it for the first week. I did. Dr. Reath is always just a phone call or email away. He is very, very approachable and a gifted dedicated plastic surgeon. I am already planning on the next remodeling project and Dr. Reath is the only one I would trust to do the job. He is beyond superb! He is simply the best and so is his helpful staff! I also would like to praise the Physicians Surgery Center where the operation was performed. I could not have received better treatment from a more caring and competent staff. I hope this has been helpful to you. Best wishes as you start your self-improvement venture. You will wonder why you waited so long!