POSTED UNDER Tummy Tuck Reviews
My Journey to the Refined Version of Me - Santo Domingo, DO
UPDATED FROM Israel manon doll 2B
6 months post
5 months post op
$5,500
So I am at the place they warned me about. Where the pain has taken its leave and I start thinking about a possible round 2.
Let me start with how I am feeling. Physically, I feel great. No pain, just an occasional sting in my breast and a sore kind of pain to the touch in the areas where I had lipo. Emotionally I have my days. Though much of it is due to lack of patience. Some days u feel spectacular especially when friends or family members tell me how " natural" my work looks. Then there are days when I'm feeling, I look too natural. I should disclose that I have a smaller body so there was not much fat for Manon to work with. I also have the scars from the lipo which discourage me from showing skin.
My results I am pretty satisfied with but would do some fine tuning I correct the following:
Breast; I feel like there is water in one of my breast. It's the one which had the larger pocket though a bigger implant was place in it. I did a series of test including a mammogram and was told the lumps are implant related and not harmful at this point. There is no pain just a Buick wavy look and a touch that I old best describe as a "water balloon" feel. The other breast is quite fine and I even got my sensation back in that one. He scars healed pretty nicely but I still feel a kind of irritation when it the internal stitches rub against my bra.
Tummy Tuck; So yes I am happy with the significant decrease in my gut size. I till wear my faja but get swollen with hours of removing it. Sometimes I feel like it's been decades but wanting the best results keeps me wearing it. The area between my breast and stomach has his everlasting lump that is stubborn as a mule. I have had carboxy treatment for it about 5 times, drained fluid and applied a considerable amount of compression but... it persists.
The area above the scar beneath my navel boast a cute little pouch. It has a tighter and more dense feel that the other areas around my belly when I poke it. It feels hard, a bit harder than the stubborn lump I mentioned. Now there is in indentation between the lump and the pouch. If it doesn't go away, I'm going to have to have then taken care of surgically.
The scar seems to have healed but it is visible but the end has this weird fold. Thinking that's what they call a "dog ear".
The side lipo looks great with just bit of roll on one side and it's barely noticeable. My back looks great too.
I could use a bit more butt and a more defined curve but I really don't know if that is going to be possible considering the fact that I don't have fat anywhere.
Overall Manon did his thing. I know we yield different results on our respective journey. Staying positive has got to be the best thing when it comes to coping. Then trying to master the art of gratitude. In an ideal world, we get it all right on the jest try but there is à whole lot I am grateful for.
I'll post more pics on my next review. Best of luck on your journey my fellow dolls.
Let me start with how I am feeling. Physically, I feel great. No pain, just an occasional sting in my breast and a sore kind of pain to the touch in the areas where I had lipo. Emotionally I have my days. Though much of it is due to lack of patience. Some days u feel spectacular especially when friends or family members tell me how " natural" my work looks. Then there are days when I'm feeling, I look too natural. I should disclose that I have a smaller body so there was not much fat for Manon to work with. I also have the scars from the lipo which discourage me from showing skin.
My results I am pretty satisfied with but would do some fine tuning I correct the following:
Breast; I feel like there is water in one of my breast. It's the one which had the larger pocket though a bigger implant was place in it. I did a series of test including a mammogram and was told the lumps are implant related and not harmful at this point. There is no pain just a Buick wavy look and a touch that I old best describe as a "water balloon" feel. The other breast is quite fine and I even got my sensation back in that one. He scars healed pretty nicely but I still feel a kind of irritation when it the internal stitches rub against my bra.
Tummy Tuck; So yes I am happy with the significant decrease in my gut size. I till wear my faja but get swollen with hours of removing it. Sometimes I feel like it's been decades but wanting the best results keeps me wearing it. The area between my breast and stomach has his everlasting lump that is stubborn as a mule. I have had carboxy treatment for it about 5 times, drained fluid and applied a considerable amount of compression but... it persists.
The area above the scar beneath my navel boast a cute little pouch. It has a tighter and more dense feel that the other areas around my belly when I poke it. It feels hard, a bit harder than the stubborn lump I mentioned. Now there is in indentation between the lump and the pouch. If it doesn't go away, I'm going to have to have then taken care of surgically.
The scar seems to have healed but it is visible but the end has this weird fold. Thinking that's what they call a "dog ear".
The side lipo looks great with just bit of roll on one side and it's barely noticeable. My back looks great too.
I could use a bit more butt and a more defined curve but I really don't know if that is going to be possible considering the fact that I don't have fat anywhere.
Overall Manon did his thing. I know we yield different results on our respective journey. Staying positive has got to be the best thing when it comes to coping. Then trying to master the art of gratitude. In an ideal world, we get it all right on the jest try but there is à whole lot I am grateful for.
I'll post more pics on my next review. Best of luck on your journey my fellow dolls.
Israel manon doll 2B's provider
UPDATED FROM Israel manon doll 2B
2 months post
After care... the core of the journey
It's been 7 weeks now and I am physically feeling much better. My results are fearing off pretty nicely. I wanted to do an update to talk about some of the things I've experienced in the past few weeks that I was not necessarily prepared for.
I came back home knowing I had extra fluid in my abdominal area, partly because my drain was removed early. It's common however with or without ones drain being removed prematurely. Before I left Dr. Manon gave me the information to Ariles in the @ 637 east 225th street Bronx NY
Phone: 347-5253683. .Where they do the massages, removed the fluid with syringes and also administered a series carboxyl treatments to assist with eliminating the fibrosis. I also did a few massages with a nurse Diana in Queens, very thorough and she works with a surgeon here in the States. Her phone number is +1 (646) 712-4197. I love the fact that she educate you as you're being treated and will work very early (6am) or late (10 pm) to accommodate your schedule. She also have the best price.
Altogether I had about 18 massages and I am still sore in my back from the Lipo, have small deposits of fluid in my back and stomach area and arms. It does get better with time. For the most part I've tried to be diligent because I really don't plan on getting à round two but you never know...
It helps when I go for my massages, I get to meet people who talk about there own experiences that helps you to not feel as if you have a unique situation going on. I've met dolls who had to reinstall drains because they had so much fluid; dolls with HUGE deposits of fluid even after waiting 15 days to remove their drains. What I've come to appreciate though is that draining is not a bad thing, it's what you do once you realize you are draining excessively and how. It's so important to take the water pills if they were prescribed and to do so religiously till you've exhausted the dosage. COMPRESSION COMPRESSION COMPRESSION... helps so much and even though the garment is uncomfortable, you can't get complacent with this piece. If you have to adjust your Faja or buy a new one, please do so. The an board along with the poise pads and a waist trainer helps significantly with the swelling and breaking the fibrosis. Stay compressed and worry about looking cute a few months into it. Drinking water and pineapple juice is another thing that truly helps as well as the massages. Even with these measures, you're still not exempt for any potential woes that come with post op care.
I had a hard thing ( fibrosis) in my chest area which took the masseuses somebtome to break down. It's much better now but not completely gone. The area in my abdomen where the fluid was accumulating reduced over time. After about 6 sessions of removing the fluid witha syringe, there was not enough where a syringe was any longer required. So that was off my head and the issue of the fibrosis lingered because by this time, I had several (though small). It became concerning to me, to the point where I had a meltdown in front of Ariles but she reassured me, I would be ok. As fibrosis is pretty common. She also kept telling me I am healing great and my wounds look amazing but that's just typical me... worry about everything.
Wound and scar care I probably am still trying to navigate. Too many damn things to use and how the hell will I know what gonna work for my skin type. So after spending all this money on all these different oils and scar treatment I reduced to complexity to a Shea butter I ordered on line from Eugenia Shea. It seems to be working quite well but I'll give an update on my next review. For the wounds I used Neosporin an bactracin daily after cleaning them with hibaclens. Those closed up nicely. Sometimes the board rub against the incisions underneath my breast so the sutures (stitches) on the inside was causing some friction. I thought it was the stitches on the outside being covered by my skin but the ER doctor said that was not the case. It was the internal stitches protruding.
My breast is where I think I had the least knowledge. So going into surgery I did not specify " over or behind the muscle". At my last appointment Rosa told me it was in frontvtge muscle when she handed me the purple card with information about my implants. A week ago I went to do massages at Diana's and she was asking questions about my breast ( do you massage them? do you wear a band?...etc.) I realized how little I knew about the whole breast portion of my journey. It resulted in her giving me some very important tips. Since then I've started to massage them at least once per day and have also ordered a band ( from Amazon about $22). She was also. Interned about how the Faja and the surgical bra squeezed the sides of the implants. According to her, it could cause the implants to become stiff and stuck in the muscle, causing them to look lapsided. She later told me to send her a screen shot of my purple card. Came to find out, my implants were under the muscle. The other concern she had was that my areolas were pointing down. Something she said the band would address. Well thank goodness it's not too late but I'm now wearing my band so hopefully my aeriola will be pointing up sooner rather than later.
I came back home knowing I had extra fluid in my abdominal area, partly because my drain was removed early. It's common however with or without ones drain being removed prematurely. Before I left Dr. Manon gave me the information to Ariles in the @ 637 east 225th street Bronx NY
Phone: 347-5253683. .Where they do the massages, removed the fluid with syringes and also administered a series carboxyl treatments to assist with eliminating the fibrosis. I also did a few massages with a nurse Diana in Queens, very thorough and she works with a surgeon here in the States. Her phone number is +1 (646) 712-4197. I love the fact that she educate you as you're being treated and will work very early (6am) or late (10 pm) to accommodate your schedule. She also have the best price.
Altogether I had about 18 massages and I am still sore in my back from the Lipo, have small deposits of fluid in my back and stomach area and arms. It does get better with time. For the most part I've tried to be diligent because I really don't plan on getting à round two but you never know...
It helps when I go for my massages, I get to meet people who talk about there own experiences that helps you to not feel as if you have a unique situation going on. I've met dolls who had to reinstall drains because they had so much fluid; dolls with HUGE deposits of fluid even after waiting 15 days to remove their drains. What I've come to appreciate though is that draining is not a bad thing, it's what you do once you realize you are draining excessively and how. It's so important to take the water pills if they were prescribed and to do so religiously till you've exhausted the dosage. COMPRESSION COMPRESSION COMPRESSION... helps so much and even though the garment is uncomfortable, you can't get complacent with this piece. If you have to adjust your Faja or buy a new one, please do so. The an board along with the poise pads and a waist trainer helps significantly with the swelling and breaking the fibrosis. Stay compressed and worry about looking cute a few months into it. Drinking water and pineapple juice is another thing that truly helps as well as the massages. Even with these measures, you're still not exempt for any potential woes that come with post op care.
I had a hard thing ( fibrosis) in my chest area which took the masseuses somebtome to break down. It's much better now but not completely gone. The area in my abdomen where the fluid was accumulating reduced over time. After about 6 sessions of removing the fluid witha syringe, there was not enough where a syringe was any longer required. So that was off my head and the issue of the fibrosis lingered because by this time, I had several (though small). It became concerning to me, to the point where I had a meltdown in front of Ariles but she reassured me, I would be ok. As fibrosis is pretty common. She also kept telling me I am healing great and my wounds look amazing but that's just typical me... worry about everything.
Wound and scar care I probably am still trying to navigate. Too many damn things to use and how the hell will I know what gonna work for my skin type. So after spending all this money on all these different oils and scar treatment I reduced to complexity to a Shea butter I ordered on line from Eugenia Shea. It seems to be working quite well but I'll give an update on my next review. For the wounds I used Neosporin an bactracin daily after cleaning them with hibaclens. Those closed up nicely. Sometimes the board rub against the incisions underneath my breast so the sutures (stitches) on the inside was causing some friction. I thought it was the stitches on the outside being covered by my skin but the ER doctor said that was not the case. It was the internal stitches protruding.
My breast is where I think I had the least knowledge. So going into surgery I did not specify " over or behind the muscle". At my last appointment Rosa told me it was in frontvtge muscle when she handed me the purple card with information about my implants. A week ago I went to do massages at Diana's and she was asking questions about my breast ( do you massage them? do you wear a band?...etc.) I realized how little I knew about the whole breast portion of my journey. It resulted in her giving me some very important tips. Since then I've started to massage them at least once per day and have also ordered a band ( from Amazon about $22). She was also. Interned about how the Faja and the surgical bra squeezed the sides of the implants. According to her, it could cause the implants to become stiff and stuck in the muscle, causing them to look lapsided. She later told me to send her a screen shot of my purple card. Came to find out, my implants were under the muscle. The other concern she had was that my areolas were pointing down. Something she said the band would address. Well thank goodness it's not too late but I'm now wearing my band so hopefully my aeriola will be pointing up sooner rather than later.
Replies (0)
UPDATED FROM Israel manon doll 2B
14 days post
My advise...
So being a rookie to this thing, there are certainly things I would do differently. First off, unless you have no choice.... Don't go alone!!! Try to go with a team of girlfriends, a relative or friend that's a nurse or someone who can simply help you navigate the process and generate the pertinent questions every step of the way. Support is important ... I can't stress that enough.
Be sure you are convinced you really want to do this for YOU. I've heard so many stories while I was there. People have their respective reasons but it gets really if it's for anyone other than yourself.,.. it's gonna be a problem.
Safety is first, get checked by your regular PCP, take all the relevant test even see a a psychiatrist if it makes you feel better. Your hemo is like the number one thing. The sooner you start working on it the better. Get that hemo up up up, it's dictates so many things (flight change, blood transfusion, adding more days to your trip, extra cost for recovery house, delayed recovery and ultimately your return to work dates...). Just getvthat piece right!!!. Even if your surgeon don't request one, get a clearance from your regular doctor. The horror stories are real and No one walks in a surgery with plans of not coming out looking good and feeling healthy enough to go through recovery.Tell a friend or family member about your intentions (an open minded one preferably). You don't have to broadcast your business but you never know how much valuable information. You can acquire by talking to others who have either gone through the process or know others who have. Update your family on everything and everyone involved in your Pre and post op care.
The packages can be tricky find out what packages come with what (massage, transportation etc.). Different recovery house come with different services. Ask....
my own experience was that my recovery house said they provide massages but... that's not every day, Sundays and holidays are not included. It was also not at the recovery house but a short distance away. Their masseuse does not change or unclog drains so if it's clogged and you have a lot of fluid.... not good.
The same person that removed my drains early was an amazing masseuse and I was sent to her the Sunday after my surgery because the recovery house's spa was closed. She did it out of her house but the treatment was ROYAL.. she fed me and even gave me a free wife beater to put under my Faja.... that's why I wasn't really mad at her when I found out she was wrong for removing my drain. I just thought it was pure ignorance and inconsistency with communication between them and the doctor. Rosa seems to be the liaison but she either needs help or need to step up her game!!!
Stay on top of your medication, don't leave that responsibility solely up to recovery house nurses. They are very sweet but not always very sharp. Flo, Suny and and a new nurse (Mariela) happened to be the sharpest among them at the recovery house I was staying. When you communicate health concerns etc., CC the doctor and his/her assistant. They sometimes are very inconsistent and at the end of it all, you are the one left in the mess.
The people taking care of you at the recovery house really try hard so tip them as much as you can. I see them try their hardest and it only encourages them to do more. In terms of the lack of knowledge, that's incumbent on the recovery house owners to provide training for the people who keep there businesses running.
Though it might be harder and more expensive, try to stay longer (3 weeks) and see your doctor at least 4 times before you leave so by the time you are ready to go home you are not feeling ambiguous about what's next with your recovery.
Ask for aftercare pamphlets, they have the answers to many of your questions.
Join social media groups, talk with other dolls at your doctor's visits, on real self, at your recovery house and share your true experiences.
Many people have a hard time navigating their journey and the best way is help with that is being armed with authentic information (good, bad and the ugly). As women we struggle with so many issues and it only makes sense that we help each other by sharing our stories in the most naked form possible.
Be sure you are convinced you really want to do this for YOU. I've heard so many stories while I was there. People have their respective reasons but it gets really if it's for anyone other than yourself.,.. it's gonna be a problem.
Safety is first, get checked by your regular PCP, take all the relevant test even see a a psychiatrist if it makes you feel better. Your hemo is like the number one thing. The sooner you start working on it the better. Get that hemo up up up, it's dictates so many things (flight change, blood transfusion, adding more days to your trip, extra cost for recovery house, delayed recovery and ultimately your return to work dates...). Just getvthat piece right!!!. Even if your surgeon don't request one, get a clearance from your regular doctor. The horror stories are real and No one walks in a surgery with plans of not coming out looking good and feeling healthy enough to go through recovery.Tell a friend or family member about your intentions (an open minded one preferably). You don't have to broadcast your business but you never know how much valuable information. You can acquire by talking to others who have either gone through the process or know others who have. Update your family on everything and everyone involved in your Pre and post op care.
The packages can be tricky find out what packages come with what (massage, transportation etc.). Different recovery house come with different services. Ask....
my own experience was that my recovery house said they provide massages but... that's not every day, Sundays and holidays are not included. It was also not at the recovery house but a short distance away. Their masseuse does not change or unclog drains so if it's clogged and you have a lot of fluid.... not good.
The same person that removed my drains early was an amazing masseuse and I was sent to her the Sunday after my surgery because the recovery house's spa was closed. She did it out of her house but the treatment was ROYAL.. she fed me and even gave me a free wife beater to put under my Faja.... that's why I wasn't really mad at her when I found out she was wrong for removing my drain. I just thought it was pure ignorance and inconsistency with communication between them and the doctor. Rosa seems to be the liaison but she either needs help or need to step up her game!!!
Stay on top of your medication, don't leave that responsibility solely up to recovery house nurses. They are very sweet but not always very sharp. Flo, Suny and and a new nurse (Mariela) happened to be the sharpest among them at the recovery house I was staying. When you communicate health concerns etc., CC the doctor and his/her assistant. They sometimes are very inconsistent and at the end of it all, you are the one left in the mess.
The people taking care of you at the recovery house really try hard so tip them as much as you can. I see them try their hardest and it only encourages them to do more. In terms of the lack of knowledge, that's incumbent on the recovery house owners to provide training for the people who keep there businesses running.
Though it might be harder and more expensive, try to stay longer (3 weeks) and see your doctor at least 4 times before you leave so by the time you are ready to go home you are not feeling ambiguous about what's next with your recovery.
Ask for aftercare pamphlets, they have the answers to many of your questions.
Join social media groups, talk with other dolls at your doctor's visits, on real self, at your recovery house and share your true experiences.
Many people have a hard time navigating their journey and the best way is help with that is being armed with authentic information (good, bad and the ugly). As women we struggle with so many issues and it only makes sense that we help each other by sharing our stories in the most naked form possible.
Replies (5)
Thanks for the details. Happy recovery
I hope your recovery is going very well for you. Can u please give some new pics. Thanks
Im gonna try putting some photos together
Thank you for this, Im going in 2weeks alone and staying at Rocio Ortega. Im abit disappointed at your review, i really thought they were top notch. Plus why are they handling your post op meds, i prefer to handle them myself. Pls can you confirm if they gave heparin shots at the RH? Thanks and sorry for my plenty questions, lol!
Sounds like you've been bumping into some difficulty and I hope with time you'll feel better about your decision. Do bear in mind that my review is based on my own experience.
The recovery house will need to administer your meds since they are considered medical professionals by DR standards.
After your surgery, you will be given a prescription. Upon arrival at the recovery house the staff will retrieve it, call it in and advise you of the cost (mine was $161). The pharmacy will deliver the meds and you'll then pay for it in US dollars. If you have no change, your change will be in pesos. The fact that you are not staying at a medical institution, the staff at the recovery house will definitely have to be the body responsible for ensuring your medical well being. You should stay in touch with your doctor and update him/ her on whats taking place regarding your post op care. As for your query on the heparin shot, they do administer whatever was your doctor prescribed it. On their own, the most you will get is some pain medication that they said helps with the swelling. Everything else should be among your prescribed meds.
No need to apologize for the many questions. It's a very good practice that will make your journey a lot less complicated. That goes for everyone at all junctions of this journey. Even if there is a language barrier, put Google translate to use.
Hope this helps and best of luck!!!
The recovery house will need to administer your meds since they are considered medical professionals by DR standards.
After your surgery, you will be given a prescription. Upon arrival at the recovery house the staff will retrieve it, call it in and advise you of the cost (mine was $161). The pharmacy will deliver the meds and you'll then pay for it in US dollars. If you have no change, your change will be in pesos. The fact that you are not staying at a medical institution, the staff at the recovery house will definitely have to be the body responsible for ensuring your medical well being. You should stay in touch with your doctor and update him/ her on whats taking place regarding your post op care. As for your query on the heparin shot, they do administer whatever was your doctor prescribed it. On their own, the most you will get is some pain medication that they said helps with the swelling. Everything else should be among your prescribed meds.
No need to apologize for the many questions. It's a very good practice that will make your journey a lot less complicated. That goes for everyone at all junctions of this journey. Even if there is a language barrier, put Google translate to use.
Hope this helps and best of luck!!!
Thank you so much for this information! I'm following you so I can read this when I prepare for sx.
I know this has been over a year, but if you recall, were there any meds that you took with you that you needed/that we should take? Or were the ones in the $161 package good enough?
Replies (0)