Mommy Makeover

I am a very petite person and my babies left me with a surprisingly large amount of loose skin and large diastasis. After each one of my babies was born, I worked very hard to get back in shape; after each pregnancy, my body got progressively more foreign to me and I worked harder each time to get back what I had. I picked up a lot of weight training and hiit cardio. I slimmed back down and toned up to a degree that I had not ever been before. I quickly learned that nothing would address what I was unhappy with and not to mention, I began to lose volume in my breasts quickly as I got fitter, not to mention how they were impacted by breast feeding.
I hated the idea of surgery to fix anything post-pregnancy related. Well, I still don't like the idea of elective surgery and I struggled a lot trying to just accept the changes to my body and move on, but I couldn't. It took me several years to understand I couldn't control any of it, which I always assumed I could when I was younger. My biggest disappointment was my stomach and secondary was my breast, but they weren't a huge deal in the initial phases.
I began researching doctors about a year prior to surgery. My OB/GYN knew how unhappy I was and suggested the first plastic surgeon to start my journey. While he was a good doctor and I was very excited after my consult, I still went to 7 more Atlanta Plastic Surgeons over and 8 month period. I first met doctor Dr Nelson Castillo in August 2016; he was the second surgeon I had met with. He answered several of my questions on RealSelf, so I took a closer look at his website for photos. I didn't find any so sent in for a consult seeking additional photos since I was impressed with everything else about him. I received a personal email from Dr. Castillo I think the same day. We exchanged a few messages back and forth, and I scheduled my first official consult with Lynne, who is the most welcoming person Dr Castillo could have greeting and corresponding with his patients. She was very warm, calming, and friendly - completely genuine. While I absolutely loved my first consult with him, I still researched for a few more months to have a clear basis for comparison and because I'm a little OCD. Yes, just a little.
I researched everything from my procedure (how all doctors perform it, and I learned they all did it differently), office staff (the people who greet you, the patient coordinators, nurses, and anyone else encountered), doctor credentials (I verified certifications, looked up patient reviews, articles, etc.), cost (although I learned you get what you pay for), bedside manner (chemistry is huge; I had to believe that the doctor I chose cared more about my life, safety, and happiness than anything else);, surgical facilities (independent, outpatient, and credentials), how much time each doctor spent with me directly (instead of nurses alone), and process for follow up and possible post revisionary repair. There were a few other things that I looked it, but these were most important.
It's funny because after I met each doctor, with the exception of 1, I would get so excited and call my husband and tell him that I think I found the one. Then, when I let it sink in and continued to meet and compare all of these characteristics, I quickly realized how easy it is to get caught up in the excitement of someone's presentation, their nurse, their office, lower cost, or fun technology, which are not important to me after the procedure was over. I will say that I wanted more photos from Dr Castillo than what he posted, but due to his background, he doesn't have rights to photos of his work and he is newer to Atlanta, but he surely demonstrated the skill and expertise in every other area so I was fine with less photos in exchange for the awesome results that I have.
After my consult with Dr. Castillo, he ranked very high in all categories. I had never-ending questions that would pop into my head; I saw him several more times and he always told me to email him any questions I had - I'm not sure how many questions he answered in person, on the phone, and via email to educate me about the procedure I wanted, but he did and it helped me get over a lot of my fears and adequately prepare for the procedure. Many of our conversations occurred before he knew I had actually selected him to be my surgeon, which proved that he was committed to his job. He is extremely honest about risks, post surgery limitations, he explained the entire procedure to me, and even talked to me about my fears and emotions that I struggled with along the way. Wow! That was huge. He was human in conversation that was able to connect with his patient on more than just a medical level. In comparison to the other surgeons, he spent the most time educating me and examining me, which was a huge deal as I realized his extreme attention to detail.
As far as the breast augmentation, the nurses were the most helpful at all of the offices I went to, but I always wanted to hear about sizing from the doctor. I like answers to be black and white, not gray. So the BA decision was a constant struggle because sizing is not an exact science. I learned that I had to show my doctor my vision and trust that we were on the same page. That was very thing for me to let go and do. Dr Castillo did, hands down, the best job at explaining sizing, types of implants, how they change over time, pros and cons of incisions, and anything else imaginable. Since it wasn't my priority surgery, it was a difficult decision to add on because of additional recovery, the emotional aspect of it, being unsure of results, and being concerned because I really wanted my results to look conservative.
I ended up opting for the full mommy makeover, but was more concerned about recovery from all procedures combined. All docs except one recommended flank lipo during the MM procedure, I just personally didn't want a tummy tuck and lipo procedure done together because I felt it increased risk afterwards. Dr Castillo offered to do the lipo separately saying I was the perfect candidate for in office lipo since it was such a small amount. For me, it was perfect. Yes I had more down time, but I personally thought it was pretty neat and reassuring to see Dr Castillo at work. I got to see how he prepped for surgery, handled my nerves, handled my feelings and my spouse's concerns, and of course, how he handled the surgery and post-care. It solidified my decision in him 150% for the big day. My husband waited in the waiting room and Lynne visited with him the entire time. Dr Castillo proved to be very good, explained the entire procedure (tools, process, medicines) as he did each step, checked on my level of comfort the entire time, and I never felt like I wasn't in good hands. He basically kept me company the entire time which helped me stay calm. If I ever felt discomfort, he would stop and reassess - he was very gentle, but got good results. I remember reading horror stories of women who said they burned, cried, and it hurt so bad and the doctor ignored the pain, but that was not what I experienced AT ALL. I got a phone call the following day and many days thereafter from him checking on my progress. I felt comfortable in asking any question about post results. My results were so much better than what I had before. I had absolutely no bruising either. There was a spot I was unhappy with and he was the first to notice it, mention and plan for revision, which he ended up being able to take care of on my big procedure day.
Prior to my big day, he did a mock mark up which helped me see what he was going to do, he answered all my last questions, called me the night before surgery for any last minute details (which was really I think to check on me and make sure I was still coming because I can tend to get super anxious. Yes, just a little.) Besides, he had already prepared me for anything I needed to know and do.
I am currently about 2 weeks post op and haven't had any unexpected moment - I'm not going to lie and say it's been a walk in the park, but he honestly prepared me for everything I've experienced so far. My TT pain has been less than what I thought while the BA has been a little more difficult than I thought. I've been on an emotional roller coaster which I am glad I was prepared for as my doctor mentioned it could happen. He's been here 100% to guide me through any question that I've had. I know he was 100% invested in my happiness and the outcome of this procedure.
I have already recommended that several of my friends see him and they are so excited to make their first consult after seeing my results, which still have so much progress to make since I'm so early in the post op period. I am personally very happy with my 2 week results and look forward to seeing how everything settles over the next several months. He is also very pleased with my progress and tells me I'm ahead of where he had thought I would be - which has the most to do with his skill! He's amazing - best doctor I could have asked for! I do not plan to post my pictures on RS, but my doctor has them and can share. I just wanted to post a snippet of my journey. As long of a post as this is, it is nothing compared to the months I spent researching or the emotion that went into this decision. Good luck to all the women out there. Hope this helps.