41y/o Lost 80 Lbs (16 Years Ago) Have Always Wanted to Do This! - San Antonio, TX

My Journey has been so long but November 4, 1999 I had Weight loss surgery at less than 5ft tall and 210 lbs. I lost initally 75 lbs to 135 I evened out at about 142-147. In the past 3 years I have been in the 160's, not ideal but I plan on losing 20 before surgery. I had always been looking for some help with my legs etc. but back then it just wasnt popular and was very expensive. Most Surgeons would tell me they can do tummy tuck boob lift etc. but what really bothered me was my legs/butt the most. Fast forward to a few years ago I started getting myself out of debt and saving some money and consulting more doctors. All the docs I met in NY area I wasnt confident in. I spoke with Doctor Fisher a year ago in June 2014 and I felt he totally understood my feelings etc. but it seemed unreachable in San Antonio, TX. Well After almost going to Mexico or a different Doctor in NY They are both much easier as far as aftercare etc. I just felt they werent the right fit for me. I am still working out the details of how I am going to be cared for and all the extra $ I am spending but I will figure it out. Any help anyone can give me I would appreciate. I didnt book my flight last week only to see that it has now gone up $100 =( Going to wait it out a lil bit. I have a lot of cellulite and 20 lbs to lose but I am on my way. But I still have cellulite like no one else I have seen here on RS I pray this makes a change. I am too embarrassed to post those before pictures tho. November 3, 2015 Lower Body Lift, Breast Lift, Thigh lift

Well ladies and gents I did it! It was scary as heck but I did it. Here is how the week has been. Got into San Antonio on Sunday. Stayed in a condo that I found on Homeaway.com. Wonderful lady small condo works for me and my niece (caretaker) 1 bedroom with sofa couch. I rented a medical reclining chair Mercy Medical Center. Bought a commode, that I also used to shower instead of getting a shower chair also. Stocked fridge, purchased vitamins multi and probiotics, fiber and stool softener did all this in 1 day with the Doctor visit. It was a lot.

Doctor visit, first time meeting Dr. F Monday got in very nice man, got straight to making me up and we show as he did it about keeping my shape/curves etc. I loved my butt in clothing just not naked lol. Lots of pulling, pushing (of skin) sitting, standing, laying, up, down, and drawing. He is very personable and comforting I felt that he really understood what I wanted. Sorry to be continued after nap. ...

Let me continue where I left off. So left doctors office with Mark ups. Next day surgery at 7 a.m. in the Methodist Transplant specialty hospital. Had to be there at 530 a.m. couldn't sleep the night before so basically watched t.v. until 430 showered used the Hibiclens soap (also night before)provider by doctor. Got to hospital. Was led from waiting room to pre op area. Gave urine sample. Sat with nurse giving run down on health, meds taking etc. Doctor comes in (I'm freaking out) Anesthesiologist comes and goes over the good, the bad, the ugly etc. When into OR woke up like I just took a nap but was in tons of pain. I hate to say it. My stomach was burning you feel like you were beaten (u kind of were)
I don't remember much of what happened in the post op before wheeling to my room. I do remember the pain but I was given the morphine pump which I'm not sure it took away my passion but it put me to sleep or put me in another world kind of. That's how I lived the first 3 days. I was supposed to leave on Thursday (2 night stay) had done difficulty Wednesday night with high heart rate, catching my breath, etc. Had an ekg, mri and Dr. Fisher was there at midnight or later to make sure I was doing OK which made me feel so much better and more at ease. He assured me that everything looked ok and that they would check everything. So finally Friday I actually felt like I could move because before Friday I didn't know how I was going home. The Nurses at the hospital were are all very nice. Great staff at the hospital no issues at all. I really liked them there. Friday felt good no more morphine on to percoset as needed and advil 3x a day. I don't really have the need for the percoset much. Just totally stiff, can't stand up and my back is aching. Saw the doctor removed 3 of the 4 pumps on Monday (yesterday) I was tired from going out that day and extra sore. Can't get comfortable! Today is better.

The reclining chair, I do not know how, where, or if I would have ever been able to sleep without this chair. Very comfortable. Just put down a blanket (its a rental) stayed here all day/night. Walker I'm bent over and can not straighten up, my back is hurting I wouldn't have been able to walk without it. I've been out twice in this first week. One night just to get something to eat day 5 post op and was very tired afterwards and tonight day 7 Post op went a little shopping in target for about an hour but used a motorized cart. The shower chair/toilet lift.

Feeling good today so I thought I'd post a lil something. At about 2 1/2 weeks post op I had a my incisions open (a lot) Very ugly looking would post pics but not for the weak stomached people, like I was prior to this happening. Now I am getting used to them lol. So I went to a wound care nurse she didnt do much but gave me medihoney and some gauze etc. a few days later I found a wound clinic right by my home. made an appointment. I went there and they cleaned out the wounds and pulled out lil stitches all over the plce. gave me antibiotics to prevent infection, took a sample of it to test it. There wasnt infection or anything. They packed the wounds and now I do it every other day. Tomorrow will be a week since I went there and today I could see a difference in the wounds definitely beginning to heal. Doc says 6-12 weeks though. I am just being patient. I will send pics (inbox ) to anyone who would like to see. oh Also I dont have any after pictures yet with the wounds and everything I really havent felt like taking. Also Dr F. didnt send me his YET ( I know you're reading this Dr. Fisher....lol) Ok so the great part is I am loving my body! At first the shape was odd or different to me and i was a lil worried but I am loving it more and more with each day. MOst people dont know that i had done anything which is good in a way because I liked my shape before (without the hanging extra cellulite skin). So the fact that people dont notice means my shape looks mostly the same. One concern i have is that my nipples are very high up on my breasts I thought they would settle a bit but they still seem the same. Havent taken this up with the doctor yet as I"ve been too preoccupied with the wounds! All in all best money I have ever spent. (even though I am broke now...lol) When the doc sens the pics I will post and maybe have my sister take some tonight! Hope this helps!

Looking back at some other before Pics that I have. I am very happy now. Its like a 180. Although i feel some issues that i am not going to be able to correct but I am going to suck it up and be happy with my body because no one is perfect and I look great! Especially to what I used to look like. Just remember if you are having this type of major surgery/transformation it is definitely an emotional roller coaster. I heard people say it but I thought no way I am going to be so thrilled after I have a new body that i will never be sad again. No the the case. I had 4 holes in my body that were deep and ugly. I can send you pics to see if you like. But they are graphic so i dont want to post them here. And it is all very scary and emotional! Anyway I have to hit the gym ASAP and I am not sure what I can do at this point. But I need to help myself fix the little issues that I still have. One day I will pot after pictures. Maybe I can make my sister do it for me so that i dont have to see them.

You would think that ice been looking ing the mirror but really I haven't. Every once in a while a glance. I have very large fat pockets under my butt like rolls of fat. Like the back of a fat man's head and the fat pockets on the sides of my thighs. Saddle bags are back and if ozone in 3 more months they'll be worse. I'm so loose and jiggly. So I really don't know. I'm back to the old me. Slightly better but. ...not much. I feel like I should have gotten the full leg done. I don't know. The cellulite is pretty bad again in my legs and thighs. Pretty gross still. I can't afford anymore surgery. Thanks for the support. I could never take pics, I couldn't look at them. I feel like everyone is going to think how crazy I war to go thru this agonist for nothing. I should have just done the mmo. Cause I love my flats stomach and my firmer boobs. But everything else was a hassle and a pain for not great results. I had a 5 inch opening length wise. Which was shallow, the 3 others that were more than am inch deep. They are all healing fine and not bad as far as scarring. Heading right back into the lines, very nicely. But my butt is gross. I wish I knew what to do from here. I'm never liking in the mirror again.

So I am still dealing with opened wounds. The last 2 (and a new small fissure) were getting pretty close to the top I had stopped going to the wound care clinic thinking that it would be all good and they would close like the others had. Nooooo Not my luck as I am sitting/ Laying in Bed Saturday night I feel dripping down my leg and see a lot (enough for my taste of blood) and i freaked out. Panicked. Almost went to the E.R. but it seemed to not be bleeding as much and I didnt want to sit in the E.R. all night. I was going to text Dr. Fisher also but it was 11 pm and I decided not too. I just rebandanged it and tried to sleep (while laying on other side or back) needless to say i didnt sleep much. Next day Sunday I sent the text to Dr. Fisher. Who is giving me one word answers and not much information. he seems to be very distant and not respnding or even have inquired how I have been doing in about 3 months knowing that I had MRSA and open wounds. He has been doing this COINCIDENTALLY SINCE I CHANGED MY STATUS ON REAL SELF TO NOT SURE IF I WAS HAPPY WITH THE PROCEDURE. I assume its his ego getting in the way. I will post pics from my phone of his replies to me so you all can see what I mean. Anyways I would suggest going to a doctor as near to you as possible so when things like this happen you have somewhere to turn. I went to Urgent care the next day. they didnt do anything really but take a sample to test for more infection and cover it up. Went back to wound care on Monday Which is costing me $150 a pop Now my bill is close to $1000 and I have to go back weekly until this fully heals. Whic hurts my pocket but I would never put my health in jeopardy for any amount of Money. Choose surgeons wisely. Anyways. Thank Heavens I found a wound care clinic. I would suggest anyone who is having a LBL to find out about a wound care center near you before having it done especially if you are going out of state/county. As for my body I could care less at this point. Im just trying to take care of myself. Be safe yall.

So a third hole is infected they had to open and drain. I have to have another plastic surgeon open me up and remove whatever my body is rejecting. And pay for it. So far after surgery one paid about $2,000 taking care of this and I'm sure this surgery will run me near another $5,000 that I don't have. Stay as close to home as possible. Best advice besides researching doctors. I'm left out to dry here. My fault for going to a state so far away from me.

I'm happy enough with my breasts. The areolasame are two different sizes but they are much betterthan before. I am worried a nipple might pop out in a bikini, they are very high up. Not the breasts themselves but the nipples.

Pros: i do love my new shape, With clothes on I look fabulous and no I am not small but I dont mind being a semi-flab free size 12/14, a lot less cellulite.

Cons: Nipples Waaayyyy too high they pop out of bikini tops and cami's - its a problem, Bad scars from incision openings, had to have 2nd surgery for my openings which of course wasnt easy had some complications, small ones but....My legs definitely could have used the lateral surgery but I cant imagine what would have happened if i had that, in terms of complications. Belly button ugly. 2nd surgery and finding a new plastics. But all in all I would say I am content. i am working out again and trying to get rid of the cellulite and flab that still exists.