Scamp

If you can get two weeks off work you should be OK- It depends on how you are really - I was fine after my surgery - No pain or anything but you still hafta take it easy. The scar goes right through your armpit so does remove some of that skin. Talk to your surgeon and he may be able to revise the surgery to accommodate the excess skin that you are having problems with. I had my arms done at same time as breast reduction and it went great - COMPRESSION garments will help you to be protected through this time - My compression garments were from Design Veronique and they were worth their weight in gold (It was a bra and sleeve type thing) My arm skin broke my heart to be honest - After losing so much weight then having arms twice the width of anyone else because of the skin. I am soooo glad I had them done! And the Boobs - WAHOO! Love em! I did not have any Lipo with my surgery, so not sure about that... Good Luck

I had no problems at all after my Op - No pain at all (No pain from the breast reduction either) So much no pain that stupidly i wednt shopping and bought some potatoes then thought 'I shouldnt be doing this' Called someone to come take me home LOL. My surgery was on a Thurs and the next Monday I was out for lunch with friends...... I can't believe that the Ops didn't hurt (Bar the inner thighs - That one was OUCH the first time I got up - But the moment I was in compression garment - It was all fine again I do think that maybe cos I am the type of person who is very open with my surgeries because I am proud of what I have achieved - I have lost half of myself - And changed myself in so many ways (Emotionally and physically - in every way) That I guess the new found confidence has helped me to accept this new me - And learn to like myself for the first time in my entire life... Good luck to you in your surgery

I said - YAY! My arms before broke my heart. There was a photo of myself and some friends in a bar with our arms round each other - My arms were twice the width of my friends - All because of the skin. It was the first Op I had and it made me feel soooooooooooo much better! (I had a breast reduction in same op and that one was AY-CARUMBA - Fantastic!) The scars fade - And you make friends with them somewhat - My scars are part of my journey - Part of my story - Part of me..... I have so many scars now after reconstruction that had I not made friends with them I think I would be upset but - ALL of my scars are my friends as they are all part of what makes me so determined to never slip back in to old habits - To always appreciate the gift my surgeon gave to me - And the money I invested in the nw me Pics taken a while ago - June 2014 - Had op in 2010 You can see definite scars (I made sure you can see otherwise pics would be worthless lol) But in real life - Nobody has ever mentioned them to me - I do not noticed them day to day and have to have my arm in that position for them to really notice...

All I could find was this -- http://www.myplasticsurgeryinmexico.com/surgeons/salk.php Hope you can find some more info out there

I think i would have to tell them - Mainly cos I have 162 inches of scars everywhere But as said above - If you are going as far as to be intimate with someone - Then you must trust them right? If you cannot trust them over a few scars - Then maybe they are not the right person to entrust yourself to? Personally if anyone does not agree with my scars - Thinks I am vain - Or anything at all - Then to hell with them, they ain't worth sharing my new fantasticness with LOL

I think some people are happy without plastics and some people cannot find their version of 'normality' without plastics. The first thing that broke my heart was a photo of me with some friends - Our arms were round each other and my arm was twice the width of my friends, all empty skin - I felt more of a freak than I did when I was twice the size. My belly skin meant I was unable buy clothes to fit properly as the skin needed it's own space. I felt in my heart that I would always feel freakish without trying to do something - I decided in the end - If the plastics had gone wrong - It would possibly have been easier to cope with than the way I felt at that time (Obviously I don't know that as my plastics went fine) Some people have very elastic skin and don't need plastics at all. Everyone is different and has different genetic traits etc... For me - The scars I am left with I have made friends with as - I can fit in clothessmaller than I ever thought I would be able to - I look so much better in my body than i ever thought - Yes - There are maybe one or two bits I would change - But - They are small tiny bits (Tiny bit of assymetry on belly) That is just me being picky tho - LOL You will know..

I believe the massaging is more about keeping the skin moist and supple less about actual massage, as my best scars are the ones I just wipe-massaged (no true effort) but i also kept the paper micropore tape on them for 12 weeks - Thus supporting the scar through healing = no stretching on those ones. I don't have any lumps etc - I just kinda like the feeling of more moist skin after all this time I guess. (Or into a habit lol) I do notice in hot summer months the scars still feel dry and kinda weird -Tho that might be just in my head or something - LOL

I also wore no bandages. No1 - Get some micropore tape - Keep it on the scar line for 12 weeks No2 - Compression garment - wear 24hrs a day (minus showering) for 10-12 weeks No3 - Personally I had tea tree wipes (facial wipes) and whenever I wanted to clean round the scar line, or hands before and after - I used that - tea tree is great stuff, and I had no problems with infection or anything - over 5 ops - Methinks I did pretty well No4 - After that 12 weeks, use E45 or diprobase (not sure if called something different in US) and massage the scar twice a day - every day No5 - Take it easy - Rest - Relax, and take it easyyyyyyy - You will be healing - You must take care of the work - If you want the work to end up at its best - YOU - Must be the one to look after and protect it :-) You will be ok- Just take care of yourself I didnt need bandages or ice packs of anything like that to be honest, but I would say Design Veronique compression garments are worth their weight in gold! No they aren't the cheapest but having used them - I can say I loved them and the moment after surgery I woke up - I couldnt wait to put them on - As they felt like protection of all my scars etc Good luck <3

Yes - Compression garments like armour against all ills - I stayed in them also for 12 weeks :-) I am in no way perfection - But - I believe that this long journey (and a small dose of personal OCD) has helped me to be absolute in maintaining the loss and never going back to the old me that I used to be. Good luck to you :-)

The paper tape was just micropore tape (its pinky) it was the best one - I tested different types on myself and micropore gave me the best scar results, lol This tape (They say it's brown but i always thought it pink lol) http://www.chopmyhair.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/c6d773281cabadc582c3cd676b3a9b63/1/4/1401b-1.jpg My fleur de lis stretchdd a little bit (not a lot really) but I loooooove my new belly - So amazing even 4yrs down the line I still adore my new belly! This was my belly in 2011 (op aug 2010) I will hafta get a recent pic uploaded... I did not use any special cream - My PS said E45 - But my daughter has exzema so I used her Diprobase cream (Its like E45 just easier to use as not as dry) I am 4yrs post Op1 and 2.5yrs post op5 and I still massage twice a day - Just makes me feel better I guess, lol The reason I still return here is because this was the only site where I could really SEE pictures at that time and talk to people about my fears, and now, to return that gift, I return to help other people on this part of their journeys. Return one kindness for receiving one I guess.... Plastics was one of the most important parts of finding ME. Getting to know the ME I am now. Getting to normal - Though in many ways I guess all the scars make me abnormal, but I have never been this size since I was a child. I have never felt as good in myself - ever! Plastics was a gift I gave to myself, and a wonderful gift given to me by my surgeon, who was amazing (He probably thinks I am nutso - Prolly correct lol - But - I get through the trials and tribulations of life with humour, if I am laughing - Then I am coping, when I go silent - It is time to worry - lol) I am glad to find another person who also measured their scars length - LOLOL

At first after my brachioplasty I was so shocked and mortified - Looked like someone did a right mess on my arms. Now (4yrs on) I can hardly find the scar unless I look for it - Nobody has ever mentioned it - Even in summer when I wear a top that shows all my arms. I am sure your scars will fade considerably over time and you will also come to terms with the new you - Unfortunately with plastics, an incision leaves a scar - BUT - These scars - I have found are so much better than the deflated balloon suit that I wore before. I am sure all will be OK in the end. These are some pics from a little while ago You can see the scar - But it doesn't take over my entire focus I guess. People don't always look at you in that way - And I guess if they do - I would say 'Thanks for noticing - They are the scars from a surgery that changed my life' And leave it at that. And the worst looking one... (Which also doesn't bother me - Just noticed it looks worse in this pic) I guess my surgeon made me well aware to keep my expectations realistic n our first, and all consultations. I am covered with scars, but I have come to make friends with them as I hated the me that went to the surgeons office that first time. I was a freak when I was fat, and then again afterwards - I felt a freak again. All I wanted was normality... Seemed that was something I would never get - I hated me. After the first Op (Breast reduction and brachioplasty) I felt amazing - The scars went down quite fast and the arm scars didn't bother me, as I was too busy thinking of the next Op that would give me more normality (TT with vertical T incision) I think alot of accepting the scars is in accepting that they will always be there - Forever. But they are so much lesser than arms that waved half an hour after you actually waved. They are the trade off for this kind of surgery and if you didn't ever want a scar then I guess you would hafta stay in the skin you were in. To me - I could not bear to stay in the skin I was in and the scars - And I personally have 162 inches of them - Yeah I measured, lol. But - To me - I wear a swimsuit, which shows alot of them off (on legs, sometimes lower back and belly, and arms of course) But I say &^%$ THE WORLD, I love the new me and I am gonna LIVE and laugh and be happy"! I do hope you are happy as I am with your end results. (Forgot to say - Keep the paper tapes on for as long as possible - 10-12 weeks is good, no matter what your PS says! - Mine said 6 weeks but in my 4th and 5th op I keeps them on for 10-12 weeks and those scars are much finer and much better than these, my first scars from first Op. The paper tapes support the scar in the first healing, and the scar won't stretch as much if supported by the tapes - Had I known that at this op and kept the tapes on longer - These scars woul have been finer - Also make sure you massage the scars twice a day aftertapes off,and massage for a longgggggggggg time)

Can't say I know alot about it, but my Mother has had breast cancer twice (once on each side) I have had breast augmentation (reduction) and nobody ever said anything to me about anything bad. I have mammograms every year as she counts as two people in the family as she has had it twice in different breasts. So the family history people said I get mammograms every year until I am 50 or something. After I had the reduction the skin removed etc was sent off for testing and came back clear. As said above I would say have the test for the BRCA gene. We asked about that over here and they said no to the test as we have no other family members (Not that that is true - We just have no contact with my mothers sister in many years, so are unable to ask etc) I believe you can only make an informed decision on this when you have gone through the gene thing, at the time of my surgery my Mum had only had it once, so we did not know it would come back for a second go...... Good luck <3

I stayed in hospital for 3 days then came home (I live less than 1 mile from hosp) Pain was fine - Though I did not have my stomach muscles done as I have hernia mesh in there meaning they couldn't be done) I do believe the pain comes from the stomach muscles being sutured though. I had very little pain - Just couldn't stand up straight for a week as stomach felt so tight. After that all was fine again. Here is a before pic or three (Sorry it's fuzzy that was my old camera)

I have! I would say keep in compression for a good 6weeks and keep those paper tapes on for 10-12 weeks as they support the scar whilst healing - Then massage with E45 or something - alot! Good luck! You will love your results :-) Below pic not too long after my Op (Maybe a month after)

Every person scars differently and every scar fades it seems at a different rate Some of mine are slightly pinkish even years later and most are just a white line

Good luck to you!! You will be amazed at the difference it brings. :-) I had my TT in Aug 2010 (No muscle tightening as I have hernia mesh in there) - And I am happy today as I was back then - My scar has widened a tiny bit in healing - But has stayed the same for years as I am same size etc. I Love love love my results! Pic below is not long after the Op - Now it is similar but a white line... When I say it has stretched a bit I think that is cos my PS said to remove tapes and now if I did it again I would keep the paper tapes n for at least TEN weeks to support the scar whilst healing - Stopping it stretching a little - I know this to be true as in my other operations I did that and they haven't stretched like this one... You live and learn I guess... Still love it tho!

I had honestly never heard of problems with an old gallbladder scar - So I searched t and found lots of information... https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=old+gall+bladder+scar+and+abdominoplasty&rlz=1C1KMZB_enGB510GB510&oq=old+gall+bladder+scar+and+abdominoplasty&aqs=chrome..69i57.8496j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8#q=old+gallbladder+scar+and+abdominoplasty&spell=1 Apparently to do with slow healing etc Must admit before my Inverted T surgery I had a 5 inch scar from previous hernia surgery and that caused no problems at all in healing etc. I hope the above info is of some help to you

I agree about the car thing - Our body is the car we drive for life - So to look after our own 'vehicle' is a good thing. I guess everyone is different and we will all see if different ways but personally after losing half of my body weight - I thought it would give me 'normality' and then after I felt more of a freak than before - Now after the reconstruction - I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful outcome and to actually not hate myself. I have embraced my scars as they are a small price to pay for being able to wear what I like. It's funny how after you have had plastics even people who knew WHY you did it - They can turn on you and call it vanity when all you wanted was normality.... But - If some people assume I am vain then that is fine with me. I don't flaunt my new body at all...... I just live in jeans and a T shirt - I really missed jeans when they didn't fit right. I guess I could have bought a new car, had a few holidays, gone out to eat..... Do up the house. - But I LIVE within this body and every day is a holiday within this new vessel I now reside within! Every day is so much better than I felt before. My PS said to me that I had changed - The person who first went in to see him very tearful and felt a freak. The person who said goodbye to him after all the surgery was much more happy and not so self-conscious and hating myself. He noticed that I changed emotionally - As well as the physically. The surgery has helped me so much MORE than just making of a new body - Mentally I am a whole new woman! And I really believe that PS is so much more than just the vanity aspect people see - The emotional and the mental scars we all carry from our pasts - They are not 100% gone - They will always be a part of me - But I feel so much more 'ME' now..... Hard to put in to words really what this amazing journey has given to me in so very many ways.

As Cowgirl Jane said - Your body is your body..... I am sure your PS will know what is the best route for you to take I have lost 126lbs - Half of myself I agree Cowgirl Jane - I kind of like them now in a weird wacko way - I know it makes no sense but - I think part of the journey is being able to accept yourself ya know. I did the long thigh lift - I think it is the one that did not give me the amazing results I was expecting - It did stop the top leg touching down on the bottom one when lifting it - But - It did not give me 'model legs' - It is all about realistic expectations (one of the first sentences my PS said to me) I had tree trunks for legs then and I have them now - But - I am still mostly happy - And the bit i dislike are lower legs but not willing to chance Lymphedema by changing them. To be honest - Before my first surgery I was sure I was going to die on the table (Anaesthetic-o-phobia) I remade my will and wrote letters to all my family - I still have them- Lol - After the 5 ops I had to have to get through this part of the reconstructive journey - I think I have got to know myself better - Having 'death-o-phobia - And yet to put myself through all of this - I gues it showed how important it was to me to finally see myself as 'normal' Though - I am not normal am I - I never will be with scars - BUT - Who is normal? I am a crazy lady who is OCD about not getting fat again..... But I guess my OCD helps me in many ways as I can choose what I eat and when and nobody will EVER sway me from staying the size I am - And apart from going up or down a pound.... I have stayed the same 126lbs for quite a while now :-) I like that...... I do have a bit of a boyish figure now (Handy as I am not a girly girl and I dont do dresses etc) So - Jeans and a T shirt kinda gal. I would have had a smaller waist but couldn't have muscles done due to previous surgeries inside (hernia mesh) My waist is 29 inches - But I am happy with that :-) I do have a flattish butt tho.... But - Its ok - lol I had the 'body lift' in two stages. Front first then Butt lift later TheRealMeIsHere! - If you have the vertical incision he can tighten it round the core and give you a slimmer waist - Like wrapping up a present.... Just gives the skin a better drape on the body rather than straight up and down... Sorry to babble I do think I have ended up looking older in the face though - Empty and drawn - Need facelift now - LOL - Maybe one day, if I get the guts and win lotto...

I don't want to seem rude (And I hope you don't take this as rude) Why do you not want the scar that goes up the front? (Called Inverted T or fleur de lis tummy tuck) I remember back when i went for my first consult and he didn't mention it. My second Dr did mention it and I was worried about it - I thought more pain (It was not more pain) - And that it would be hideous. My surgeon told me that I would look 'boxy' if I didn't, and I would get a more defined waist with the Fleur de lis Tummy Tuck. - Now - 4yrs on - I am so very happy I took his advice. Remember the scar will fade. Being that I have now 162 inches of scars (No idea why I measured them lol) I have made friends with them - They are part of the journey to the new me. Without them I would not be the Me I now am. And I am so happy to not have to wear bigger clothes to fit the skin into - I am so happy to have found a Me I don't despise. Nobody has ever mentioned my arm scars..... And the other scars I have when at swimming etc... I think we view our scars as imperfections that the world will notice - And maybe they don't see them at all? And now I am on the other side - I am so glad that I had a fabulous PS who knew where I had come from - And what I needed to achieve in this - Then he gave me MORE than I could have ever dreamed of Good luck to you . Before and after pics = (Hope they don't come out too big) And not long after. Now - 4yrs on it is just a whitish line....

I didn't have implants either - When I went to him I begged for a B cup but he said that the best he might be able to do (he would see in surgery) was possibly a C cup - After being a massive G cup I just wanted the smallest possible boobs! I am not sure whey they went down again - But I m sure glad they did :-) I think maybe they are not as full on the top part of my breasts a little bit - But I am so happy to be able to turn over in bed without them being in the way etc I think they were a D at first because of swelling - Then were a C for a while and maybe i might have lost a pound in boobs yet gained in my butt maybe? To make them a tiny bit smaller - Who knows really it is hard to tell.

I would say 6 weeks - BUT - Then I would say - Do not buy a million pretty bras - Just buy 'some' I say this as 6 weeks after surgery I was a 34D (Down from a G cup) All was well but 1yr after surgery I was a C (No weight loss etc) Now - I am a B to C cup depending on the bra! I like being a B cup to be honest (After being a G cup - It is a relief) - But I sure wish I had not bought a plethora of bras that are now sooooooo big on me... Love love love my new boobs! But I wish I had not bought out the shop of bras LOLOL

Hello You! Lovely pic!

My surgeon told me if after losing as much weight as I had - I went with a 'straight incision' it would leave me 'boxy' meaning I would have loose skin to my sides still. My ex and Mother told me - It wouldn't hurt any more and you wouldn't want to be upset after and hafta go get it redone so I did it. And the Dr said to to have the FDL would give me a better waist - I am very very veryyyyy happy I listened to him. In the end I did have a kind of body lift after (Butt lift etc) which I am also very happy with

Those words were the exact ones I was about to say EYES ON THE PRIZE I know how it is - I always focused on all that could possibly go wrong... These are the steps to the new YOU! <3