nursejenny07

Hello everyone! It has been quite some time since I’ve posted! I’m s/p SVG in 2014, circumferential body lift in 2017. Ive maintained about 100lbs weight loss. Very happy with my body lift results, but after a few years, am really considering thigh lift, brachioplasty, and breast lift. The thighs are my #1 problem spot by far. Looking for info/experiences for people who have maybe had, or are planning either thigh lift or spiral thigh lift (which is where I’m leaning). Just starting this process, so pretty uninformed at this moment, lol. Also, if you have an surgeon recommendations in the Sacramento area, that’s a bonus. I LOVED the surgeon who did my body lift, but I loved out of state. Still haven’t completely ruled out going to her, but not sure what that would look like! Thanks for everything!! Jenny

Goalz, I went to Dr. Stacey Folk in Denver, Colorado. She is AMAZING. Would highly recommend her. Just had 4 years lost op this month, and I’m still thrilled with my results!! 😄

Scheduled for my next round!! I had gastric sleeve in 2015 and have maintained about 100lbs weight loss. I had a circumferential body lift with thigh liposuction in 2017, and absolutely LOVE the result. I was living in Colorado at that time, but moved to California almost 2 years ago to be near family. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever do a round two, but am blessed the opportunity presented itself. This time I’m going in for a thigh lift, extended brachioplasty, and breast lift (without implants). I’m scheduled for August 18. Can’t believe it! From what I understand, the breasts and arms won’t be too bad, but the thigh lift is always a difficult one to recover from. I work as RN in a community health center and plan to take 2 weeks of PTO, then work remote for about a week before going back in full time. I’ll get some pics up soon of my before, and the results from the body lift! 😊 Jenny

Thanks for the recommendation!! They actually came up in my google search earlier and I was going to check them out more!! It looks like they specialize in patients who have lost a lot of weight! I live in Placerville, so Folsom would be amazing! Good luck with your tummy tuck! Such a wonderful and life changing surgery! 😊

Does anyone know if the staples left from sleeve gastrectomy are safe in an MRI four years post op? I tried to call my Bariatric surgeons office, but have not heard back and his MA was less than helpful. My daughter is having an MRI tomorrow, and I’m not sure if it will be safe for me to go in with her. Thanks!

I'm sitting here at 4:45 am on post op day 2. I had a circumferential body lift, and liposuction to my thighs. Everything went really well. I came out of surgery feeling great. Minimal pain. The surgery took about 6.5 hours. I've stayed in the hospital 2 nights, and the nurses and staff here have been amazing! I'm at Rose hospital in Denver Colorado. I've been taking Valium every 6 hours for muscle pain, and 2 Percocet every 4-6 hours for pain, they help a lot. When resting, I feel pretty darn good. Getting up and moving is a bit awkward and painful, but is doesn't last long. It is MUCH easier to get up from a chair than a bed. I slept like a baby last night, didn't need any meds, but when I work up this morning I was really stiff, and had a hard time rolling out of the bed. I took a walk down the hall for some coffee, took some pain meds, and am now sitting in the chair and feel good. Most of the pain or discomfort I have is in my upper abs. Feels like I did 800,000,00 sit ups, lol. There is one little spot on my incision that burns if I move just right, but goes away quickly when I correct. My back incision hasn't given me any trouble, and that was the one I was Moat worried about! I got a very brief look at my tummy as they checked my incision yesterday, and almost started crying. My stomach is flat. No longer flabby with the fold in the middle leadin to my perpetual muffin top. My belly button is currently covered, but everything looks beautiful. I have three drains in that exit at my pubis area. They are quite the site, and make it a little awkward when using the restroom, but very manageable! So far the lipo to my thighs has been fine. Mostly when I sit on the toilet I feel like I've been kicked in the behind by a horse, lol! Well, I think that's it for now. My dream is finally coming true, and I couldn't be more happy! I'll keep you all posted on my recovery and progress! Oh yeah...Dr. Folk removed about 7 lbs of skin and fat, and 3 liters of fat from my thighs during lipo! [emoji1]. Amazing!! Stats: Highest Wright ever 285lb Weight at sleeve (July 28 2014) 262 Preop plastics weight: 169 Hope you all have a GREAT day! [emoji8]

She’s the best . I was lucky enough to be living in Aurora Colorado when I had my surgery, and moved at about 8 weeks post op. If/when I can get my thighs done I will definitely travel back to her. I can’t thank her enough, and would recommend her to everyone!! [emoji173]️

Hi all! It’s been quite some time since I posted! I had a bit of a rough time after we moved to Virginia. I fell into a bit of a depression having moved all the way across the country from my family, leaving my friends, leaving my career as an RN to be a stay at home mom... lots of great changes were happening too, but I just had a hard time coping with it all. Anyway, things are much better, and I’m enjoying this new life! I’m almost 9 months post op lower body lift and thigh Lipo and 3 yr 8mo post op gastric sleeve. I’m 5’ 6” and my current weight is 162, exactly 100 lbs down from my sleeve surgery, and a new low for me as an adult! I’ve been trying to work out more, and sticking to a clean healthy low carb diet. I LOVE my post op results!!! Dr. Stacey Folk in Denver is my angel! I do eventually want to have my thighs done, but that will have to wait for now... I currently wear a size 8/10 bottoms and S/M tops. I also plan on wearing a bikini in public when I go to Vegas in a couple weeks!!! [emoji50] Anyway, I just wanted to check in And update you all. Hope everyone is well!

I'm scheduled for LBL and liposuction to the anterior and lateral thighs on June 8, 2017. I'm trying to prepare for what items I may need to have on hand before going in for surgery. I've heard a lot of people report that a commode or shower char, lanyard for drains, walker...have been life savers. I'm curious what things you couldn't live without after surgery (or wish in hindsight you had had) are. Any advice is much appreciated!!! So looking forward to this next chapter!!! Jen

I would say immediately post op, I felt way worse after my sleeve!!! I felt nauseated and had quite a bit of pain and discomfort. I had a terrible time coming out of anesthesia, couldn't stay awake and felt miserable! Long term recovery wise, I felt amazing about 5 days after my sleeve. Other than adjusting to the new diet and way of eating/drinking, I felt amazing! With my body lift, I actually felt really good right out of surgery. Even though I was under anesthesia for about 6.5 hours, I felt more awake and alert, even in PACU. I remember talking to my nurses (though who knows if what I was saying was actually intelligible, lol). It was definitely tough to get out of bed for a while. Some pain, and ZERO ab control! I by no means felt terrible, in fact I think I had a very lucky amazing recovery, but it took a lot longer to bounce back from this one! Pain wise, my incision never really bothered me, except for every once in a while if I moved funny, or was trying to get up after lying down (even then it was only about a one inch section, and not the whole incision that hurt). I was so worried about the incision on my back, but never once did that ever hurt or give me trouble! What was hardest was the muscle soreness from the muscle repair. Every morning I work up and felt like I'd spent 6 hours at the gym doing sit-ups and squats! Once I got moving around though, it would ease up. I took it easy the first week, but once I was able to stand up straight again, I was up and moving around pretty well. A bit slower than normal, and my stamina wasn't great, but I was doing well! I feel like I got lucky since I had zero complications, no wound openings, no nausea, no severe pain...BUT, I I also think that by following my surgeon's instructions, I gave myself the best chance of an "easy" recovery! I hope that helps a bit! Both surgeries had their own set of challenges, but both were 100% worth it and I'd do them again in a heartbeat! [emoji1]

Hey there! Sorry I've been MIA! A lot has happened: we're under contract on our house, found a rental home in Virginia, are finishing up packing, and I returned to work! My recovery is still going really well. I'll be 6 weeks post op tomorrow. I had my last f/u with my surgeon on friday (since we'll be moving to Virginia in about a week) and she said everything looks great. She expects my scars will fade to thin white lines around the 12-18 month mark. She said I'm currently in the "ugly purple scar phase" but i really don't think they even look bad! I've been cleared for cardio, but have to hold of on crazy ab workouts or heavy lifting for 6 more weeks. Since returning to work, I notice I'm more swollen and the tiniest bit sore by the end of the day, but it's nothing bad! I apparently packed away my measuring tape, so I haven't been able to take my measurements. As soon as we get to the new house, and I find it, I'll see where I'm at. I'm comfortably wearing jeans again, so I know that means I've gone down a bit, lol. Weight wise I'm at 165. I feel amazing, and am so incredibly happy with how things look! Here are some pics of my progress: some at my highest weight before my sleeve, the day of my body lift, and today! In the pic of the side view, the thing on my back is an embrace silicone scar strip. Hope you are all doing well! [emoji173]️

I had a VSG . My scars faded and healed really well, so you can barely see them. I hope I get that lucky with these scars!

Here are a couple pics from this morning! I love that I can now wear leggings and a t-shirt WITHOUT having to wear spanx underneath! I don't miss the fold in my stomach that would always hang over the waist band!!! This is all without my compression garment on! [emoji173]️

Hi all! Sorry it's been a few days since my last post! Been busy packing and cleaning! We met with our realtors this week and signed all the papers to put our house on the market! We'll be listing and starting showings July 8, while we're on vacay in California, visiting family. We figured that would be easiest since we'd be out of town and our three dogs will be out of the house. Fingers crossed we get an offer that first week! Meanwhile, my husband has been talking to a few people back in Virginia, so we're getting closer to having a placed to live lined up there [emoji1]. Post op wise, I weighed in and repeated my measurements on Monday, which was exactly two weeks post op. Here are the stats: Weight: preop 169.4, 2 weeks 172.2 (she removed 7 lbs of skin, and a lot of fat through lipo, so I still have a lot of swelling and fluid retention) Waist at belly button: preop 34", 2 weeks 37" Hips: preop 44", 2 weeks 41" (this is where the bulk of my extra skin was) Left thigh: preop 25", post op 24.5" Right thigh: preop 25.5", post op 24.5" I've definitely still got a lot of swelling. My poor feet look like balloons by the end of the day. I know this will just take time. Pain wise I do great during the day when I'm up and movingly. My incisions don't hurt at all, and my muscles are feeling pretty good. I have a couple spots where I can feel what I think are suture sites in the muscle, but is a really weird tickle sensation, not pain, and only when I move a certain way. I still have a lot of numbness on my abdomen. I can feel pressure, but not light touch (around belly button and incision mostly). I also have a couple Spots that are VERY ticklish. It's almost like a hypersensitivity where my skin fold was. I'm wondering if it's like a "phantom limb" kind of thing. Not painful at all, just weird. I developed a rash on my abdomen that was soooooooo itchy. I seem to remember something similar after my sleeve. It was only on my abdomen, and I don't think it was allergic. I got some hydrocortisone cream, which helped. I also washed my compression garments and am trying to let my skin breathe more. It's getting better. The hardest time for me is sleep. I cannot seem to get comfortable at night. I have still mostly been sleeping on my back, at an incline, propped by pillows. I wake up often with muscle soreness and butt pain. Last night for the first time I attempted to sleep on my side. It wasn't very comfortable. Not necessarily painful, but not comfortable. This morning I woke up with a lot of muscle soreness. It's a odd thing to basically have zero core strength, but feel like day two after a crazy workout!!! That's basically what it feels like. Crazy sore after a really good workout. I'm hoping this gets better soon!!! I'm so grateful I was able to take 5 weeks off from work (I had to use all of my vacation time) but I can't imagine being back at work at this point! Not without being able to get a good night's sleep! I don't go back to work until July 17, and am grateful for the time off! I will get some more progress pics soon! I forgot to get more on Monday! Thanks to everyone for the continued support and reading my long posts!! Have a great Wednesday! [emoji173]️Jen

Thank you! I'm happy to share! Going into plastics comes with so many questions, and I know reading about the experience of others really helped prepare me! Good or bad... You know what you're getting into! It feels like it is going to take forever for the time for plastics to come, but it really does get there quickly, and is worth the wait!! I still can't believe my sleeve was almost 3 years ago. My life has changed so much since then, and I'm so grateful for this journey! Good luck to you!!! [emoji1] Jen

You look amazing!!! So glad to hear your recovery is going well! It gets better each day!!! [emoji1]

I forgot to write yesterday, so thought I'd post a quick update before the family wakes up! Not too mucin new to report! Still feeling great. Spent most of yesterday cleaning and packing (but within the limits of my recovery restrictions! NO lifting!). I actually didn't take any pain meds yesterday, except for the Celebrex prescribed by my surgeon (I take twice daily). I started the silicone scar strips on my front and side incisions. They aren't hard to use, and are super sticky on the skin side, so they stay in place even with all the moving around. It's still comforting to have something on my incisions, so I like the scar strips! My daughter wanted to have a camp out in the living room, so we did! I'm loving all this time with her. I usually work 40 hrs a week, so having this time with her during recovery has been an extra blessing. We watched a movie, ate popcorn, and made ice cream sundaes. It was great. We both ended up sleeping on the couch (one at each end) which was slightly less than comfortable, but still better than my first night on the couch after surgery, lol! I'll update again later. I'll weight myself and take measurements tomorrow since I'll be 2 weeks post op! Have a great day! [emoji173]️ Jen

Thank you!!! The time really does go by so fast! It doesn't seem like that long ago I was 262 lbs, tired, unhappy, unhealthy, and ready to make a change! I hope you're at your goal in no time and can get the plastics you've dreamed of too!

Day 11 post op: I can't believe it has already been 11 days! Everything has been going perfect, and I feel amazing. The past few days my energy has definitely returned. Not completely to pre surgery levels, but I feel like I'm relatively productive and don't need naps! I had another post op visit today and my two remaining drains were removed, woohoo! They weren't terrible, but it's just nice not to have to deal with them anymore. Having them removed is not painful. Just a strange tugging sensation, but it's over in a second or two! All the tape was removed from my incisions, and I was given the silicone scar sheets to start using. I also purchased, at an extra cost, a serum that will help further fade the scars. My incisions look beautiful, and I'm certain in time the scars will be barely visible. When I got home I took some new progress pics (now that the drains are gone). And even 11 days out I am just over the moon with how everything looks!!! I love my stomach and my new belly button! I'm still sleeping propped on pillows, but only because I'm nervous to try sleeping on my side or stomach (I'm normally a stomach sleeper). No good reason why...just a mental thing. BUT, I've been sleeping well in my own bed. I am sore and stiff in the morning, but that wears off quickly once I'm up and moving around. I have no problems with mobility, other than being slightly slower than normal. I can stand up straight, bend, squat, twist... I do still like to sit with back support, only because without it my back gets a bit sore after a while. I'm still wearing my stage 1 compression garment, but was cleared today to move to stage two (spanx). My surgeon just wants them to have shoulder straps so they don't roll down, which means I need to return the two I bought before surgery and exchange for a different kind. My stage one garment is from mid-calf to shoulders (open in the front so I can wear my own bra), but the new one will only need to go to the knees. Well, I think that's the latest and greatest. I'll attach the newest pics! Hope everyone has a GREAT day! [emoji173]️

Hey there . Thanks so much! It's amazing how immediate the transformation is! To be honest, I was ready for plastics a year ago, I had been maintaining my weight, felt good, and just thought the time was right. The universe had other plans, lol! I had consulted with two plastic surgeons and had decided which one to go with. That's when it all went wonky. I learned that because this procedure is elective, it would. NOT be covered under my short term disability plan at work. FMLA was approved, which would protect my job while I was off...but I would not receive any pay. I couldn't afford to pay for the surgery AND take 5 weeks off without pay to recover. I ended up having to cancel my plans, and we waited another year so I could save up my vacation time. It all really worked out for the better. I found another surgeon, who I just adore, and who ended up doing my surgery for me. We saved up additional money for the surgery so we could pay 100% cash, and I had enough vacation time to take time off to recover, and still get paid. I'm taking 5 weeks off. My insurance plan does not cover any part of my procedure, so I was completely self pay. We knew that plastics would be something I would want/need, so we saved for about 2.5 years to be able to pay for the surgery. We did not want to finance or create additional debt for this surgery, so we made sure we had enough cash to pay for it. In the end, it actually came out to be slightly less than we had planned, so we had additional left over. Most surgeons book out quite a way, so I would give yourself at least 6 months before when you'd want to have surgery to start scheduling consults. I had my consult back in December, just before Christmas, and booked my surgery for June. She did have some opening sooner, but we planned for summer and around our daughter's school schedule. As hard as it is, because the whole process is so exciting and you're just ready to get it over with, try to see at least 2-3 different surgeons. You want to feel totally comfortable with them, and with their price point. You don't necessarily want to go with the cheapest option, but I saw 3 surgeons and one was about $10k more than the others, mostly because he was with a very prestigious practice. He was amazing, but I could not justify his prices just because of the name of the practice. Price was important, but mostly I needed to feel confident in my surgeon. Dr. Folk's work is AMAZING, she is kind, personable, honest, and very well known in the area as a top surgeon (I work in the medical field, and she is well known amongst nurses and other doctors as being one of the best). She had everything I was looking for, and from the first moment I met her, I just had a great feeling. I knew she was the one! Plastic surgery obviously Isn't something we go into lightly. It is expensive, life altering, major surgery, and you want to feel really good about who you go with. Even if insurance DOES cover some or all, finding the right surgeon is so important. I wish you luck! The time flies, and your surgery could be here before you know it! [emoji1]

Post op day 9: today has been great! I slept in my own bed last night for the first time since surgery and it was AMAZING, lol. I had a bunch of pillows to help keep me propped at a good angle, but it was so nice to sleep in my own bed again! I had a little cry moment last night as my husband put our daughter to bed because I have felt so useless. I know I've said it many times here, but the hardest part of this for me has been the down time and not being able to help around the house. It wouldn't be so bad if we weren't working to get our house listed on the market in early July. BUT, Everything is coming along, and we'll be ok! After my moment of crying, my wonderful husband assured me again that everything is ok, and eventually I'll get back to my normal self. Until then, he's got it under control and wants me just to focus on healing. Today I have noticed a big increase in my energy levels! Probably thanks in part to the wonderful night of sleep in my own bed! Our daughter is at day camp today and tomorrow, so I'm taking advantage of the time to focus on myself. I did do some cleaning, but mostly I have kicked back in the chair with my feet up and rested! I even went out for lunch with my husband. I have had virtually zero pain today. Mostly at this point there is just some stiffness and soreness when getting up in the morning, and some swelling and soreness at the end of the day before bed. My incisions feel great, and standing up is fine now, it all still feels very tight, but not at all painful. I'm looking forward to my other two drains coming out in Friday, and plan to take some more full body progress shots then. So happy I was able to go through this whole process, and continue loving my results more every day! [emoji173]️

One more post before bed! I had just enough energy left at the end of the day to take a quick shower. This is only my second shower since coming home from the hospital, so only my second time completely removing my compression garment (which feels sooooo good by the way!). I was checking myself out (still getting to know this new body and make sure everything looks good and is healing normally). That meant getting a really good look at the bruising from my lipo! Just so you're aware, this bruising is very normal and is part of the healing process. LUCKILY, it looks worse than it feels! My surgeon has me taking arnica to help with bruising, and i know this will get better. BUT, just want to share the real experience, so here in all their glory are the bruises on my inner thighs from the lipo...

Had a post op check up today! I'm 8 days out from LBL and thigh lipo. Healing has been going really well! Hardest part is just being stuck at home and not being able to do too much. I've had more energy the past two days, so I've been able to do a little cleaning. We've had painters and flooring people at the house since we're getting ready to go on the market (yep, terrible timing, but this surgery was booked months ago, and an opportunity to move from Colorado to Virginia came up after. It was an offer too good to refuse). Anyway, having everyone here during my recovery has been a bit annoying. I feel like I'm confined to my living room and I'm ready for everyone to just go away. Not very nice, I know...especially since they've all been very kind and doing a great job... I would just love some peace and quiet. Our dogs freak out every time they see the flooring Guy and bark like crazy! Very annoying! Anyway...back to the post op... one of my drains was removed, as suspected, the other two stayed in. They're both right at the cusp of being removed, but I'd rather them stay in a few extra days than risk a seroma. They should hopefully come out at my next visit on Friday. They changed the tape on my incisions and everything looks great. My surgeon took a pic of the back incision so I could see it, so I'll attach it here. I think it looks really good! Peeling the tape off felt sooooooo good, lol. I have been so itchy, so removing the tape felt great! I'm going to try sleeping in my own bed tonight. I still feel most comfortable at an angle, so I'll use a bunch of pillows to prop myself up. I think that's it for now. So far so good!! [emoji1]

Quick update for post op day 7: I had more energy today and started to feel more human! I was able to tidy up a bit and even did a load of dishes! Felt good to do something productive! Still swollen, but feeling less uncomfortable than I did yesterday, so that was nice! Today was the first day since surgery I didn't take a nap (aka randomly fall asleep in the chair)! My husband has been so incredibly supportive through all of this that I offered to put our daughter to bed tonight so he could have at least a few minutes to himself to relax. He has been doing everything since I went in to the hospital, and I can't thank him enough! I have my second post op appointment tomorrow. Hopefully at least one of my drains will be removed (maybe even two). They haven't been terrible, but it'll be nice to not have to deal with them for much longer! I'm definitely able to stand up straighter. When I'm up and moving I try to slowly stretch to a more upright position. I think it helps. Pain was almost non-existent today. Even with the increase in activity I felt really good! Well that's it for Day 7. I'll update again tomorrow after my post op

About how long did it take for you to start noticing swelling going down and get some relief? I'll be one week post op tomorrow, and still feel like a Macy's thanksgiving day balloon, lol. I'm trying to increase my fluids, but I don't feel like the swelling is getting any better. I know it's not unusual, this was a major surgery and will take time, just looking for a light at the end of the tunnel! Thanks