Body Lift date! Need lots of advice!

[skiddles 66]

Got my surgery date- January 17th. Full body lift. Then after 6 months, Boobs and 6 months later, thighs

Would have been the 14th but my surgeon wants me to have a low profile port. So- he says I'll be out of work for 6 to 8 weeks! But i read that alot of people were up and about after 2 weeks.

I want to fly out to see my daughter after 21/2 weeks. So whats everybodys do's and dont's?

Sue

[BandedDietitian 13]

Hi Skiddles,

Here's my body lift story..I am 8 weeks post op as of today.

If I had to get on a plane 2 1/2 weeks post op I would have died...not literally, but surely I would have felt like dying. My drainage tubes were in for 4 weeks. I had 2 in the pubic area only. I could not wear underwear during this time and pretty much stayed inside my house. Showering daily was exhausting. sleeping was painful, sitting in chair other than my Lazy-boy recliner was very uncomfortable. In fact, I slept in the chair for 5 weeks each night too.

I was on pain meds for 6 weeks due to swelling and pain. Of course the pain meds were taken every 2 hours the day after my surgery and very slowly tapered off over the whole 6 weeks. Standing up was very difficult for about 4 weeks. Lying down flat on a bed..impossible. I'm amazed when I read how some people are up and about and shopping or going out to see a movie on day 3 post op...they SHOULD NOT BE. I had my brachioplasty done the same time as my body lift and could not even imagine wearing a bra for the first month. I also had my "bra fat flaps" liposuctioned on my back right where my bra strap would have been. My thighs also had liposuction in the front and on the sides.

Remember, this is MAJOR, MAJOR surgery and your body needs to heal. I had ZERO complications post op and I'm still swollen even 8 weeks post op, especially in the evening after I get home from work. Even though I have a desk job, I took 5 1/2 weeks off to heal.

My advice: be gentle to your body and remember that each person heals from this serious surgical trauma differently. Everything online I read told me that drainage tubes stay in for 2 weeks. My surgeon said he's never done a body lift and taken them out that soon. Your drainage must be LESS THAN 25CC PER TUBE PER 24 HOURS. Would you recommend someone fly on a plane after having their body cut in half and sewn back together shortly after surgery? Also, the psychological effects of this surgery are very HEAVY. Expect depression for about a month. I couldn't even look at my body for the first 3 weeks because I was so bruised and beaten up and in my head I wondered "why the hell did I do this to myself?" I had to have phone sessions with my therapist during that first month because waking up in someone else's body is the freakiest thing I'd ever done...and I'm no cream-puff I assure you. My doc removed 15lbs off my body in 8 hours.

Be sure that your doc gives you a compression binder for your abdomen after the first week or so to help push all the layers of your new tight stomach together. It will hurt like crazy to wear the thing, but will benefit you in healing faster.

Take measurements of your waist, hips, thighs, arms, breasts, etc. before you have your surgeries. Weigh yourself the day of. You'll be shocked at the results. With 15lbs gone I am a full size smaller in pants and with my arms trimmed down, a full size smaller too. I had NO clothes to wear to work on the first day and shopping for a whole new wardrobe was terribly exhausting. Trying on pants really hurt after the 30th pair. I still have a hard time finding jeans that fit my larger thighs, and flat tummy and skinnier butt. My thigh reduction won't be scheduled for a while since I want to enjoy my summer and swim and bike to get to my goal weight (15lbs to go).

Good luck and take it VERY EASY ON YOURSELF.

[skiddles 66]

Thanks for the info.

[hollyr 49]

Ok. I have to ask... What all does a full body lift entail?

Thanks.

[Kris 78]

I just had a fleur de lis lower body lift done 3 weeks ago (with Lipo in arms and thighs) and flew from CA to WA (2.5 hour flight) on day 19 after surgery. The flight was manageable but I had lots of help on both ends of the flight with luggage (didn't even try to pull the suitcase; someone else took care of it for me). You could probably fly but the longer you can wait to fly, the better.

I have had a rough time with recovery (I'm in my mid 40s, just FYI). Due to a combination of factors, I unfortunately have experienced leaking incisions, which are pretty awful to look at and deal with. I believe a combination of too-early removal of the drains, poor post-op nutrition, and overdoing it a couple of days contributed to the issue. I am working with my PS to manage the leaks and hopefully they will dry up soon. In the meantime, it is quite an emotional struggle to deal with this issue.

I still have pretty extensive swelling and my incisions are still extremely tender. I am still walking over stooped like an old lady and shuffle around the house. I spend most of my time resting, sleep/nap at least 14 hours a day. You really should plan to have tons of downtime for the first several weeks after surgery. My husband has taken over all the chores for me so all I need to do is rest. If you live alone, you definitely need to line up as much help as possible from friends/family/neighbors in your first weeks after surgery. You are not going to have the energy or the physical ability to do most things you currently take for granted. Things like doing laundry, loading/unloading a dishwasher, cleaning, shopping, etc ... someone else will need to do for you.

I am scheduled to return to work next week (4 weeks post op) but am 90% sure I will not be able to work a full day and will probably need to work half days for couple of weeks at least (I have a desk job but still, can't imagine doing a whole days' worth of work at this point).

I agree with Matahairi that this has been a very debilitating surgery from both a physical and emotional perspective. Ironically, I am more emotionally fragile now after 3 weeks post op than I was the first week post op. I think a major part of it is the first week post op you expect it's going to be tough, but I was expecting to be feeling/doing a lot better by this point and I'm not doing as well as I thought I would. I now realize it is probably going to be several more weeks before I'm feeling anywhere close to normal.

Major lessons I learned:

1. You may not want to eat after this surgery but it is absolutely critical that you get adequate nutrition and Protein so your body can heal. For the first couple of weeks after surgery I couldn't stand most food and barely ate anything. That really hurt me, I'm convinced. My appetite has returned somewhat and I am eating as much Protein as I can manage each day.

2. Take it super easy. As it was the holidays, I made a couple of stupid mistakes overing doing it (went shopping when I shouldn't have, and helped out my mom in preparing for a Christmas Eve party when I should have spent the day on the couch. I think that hurt me a lot to and contributed to the incision leaks.

3. Expect it to be physically and mentally debilitating, even if you have a perfect recovery. I had a lot of emotional issues the first month after getting sleeved; this has been just as bad emotionally, but the physical trauma has been exponentially worse than the sleeve surgery (which was actually a piece of cake compared to plastic surgery). Many days I want to cry (I don't, but I want to). I totally have had many thoughts of buyer's remorse, but when that happens I just tell myself this will pass and in a few months I'll be happy I did it.

4. Your body is going to go through lots of changes. Even though my belly is now amazingly flat compared to what it was before surgery, I still have tons of swelling. I know it will take many weeks or even months for things to settle down. Just expect lots of swelling and that your body will be doing weird things on a regular basis.

5. Support is good and necessary. I've learned a lot and have gotten great support from folks on this site. They have helped me get through some tough moments!

Having said all that, I sure don't want to scare you ... I know if a few months I'll be thrilled with my results. Just expect the first month to suck in a major way and then if it's better than you thought, all to the better (and if it's worse than you thought ... that's pretty normal!)

Best,

Kris

[Sweet Pee 349]

Ok. I have to ask... What all does a full body lift entail?

Thanks.

A full body lift means the incision goes around your body 360 degrees.

I had a full body lift also.

http://www.bariatricpal.com/gallery/member/116222-sweetpee/

I have before and after pictures in my gallery.

[skiddles 66]

I am 54 and I have my husband and my son and daughter in law live with us So I have plenty of help. My husband is flying with me and it's a 2 hr non stop flight. My ps wants me to do what I did before Lapband and pile up on the Protein for faster healing. I may have to buy myself a lazy boy! It'll be 2 1/2 weeks before my flight. I just had a new Grandbaby so I have to go see him and my daughter had a rough time and wants my moral support. Still value all you alls opinions. Thanks. Sue

[skiddles 66]

Ok. I have to ask... What all does a full body lift entail? <br><br> Thanks.

All the way around with thigh and butt lift and straight up to the boobs

[skiddles 66]

Just an observation- does it seem to be the ones that had their surgery in Mexico are having a rougher time than the ones that have it done in the States? I notice a big difference in drains and stitches.

[Kris 78]

Just an observation- does it seem to be the ones that had their surgery in Mexico are having a rougher time than the ones that have it done in the States? I notice a big difference in drains and stitches.

As one of the folks who had surgery in Mexico and is struggling with recovery, I believe my surgeon did a fine job. For what it's worth, he is board certified in the US and has worked extensively in the US, and his clinic is state of the art, so it's not like he was a quack doing a back alley surgery. I think the major benefit you get from having surgery close to where you life is if you have a complication, your PS is probably more physically accessible. My PS has been very accessible since I discharged, but it's been by phone and email rather than in-office visits.

I had breast reduction surgery locally (in the states) last July by a board certified plastic surgeon with a very good reputation, but I still experienced one of the worst complications possible (tissue & fat necrosis following surgery; basically I lost the nipple on my right breast and have a misshapen right breast from extensive fat necrosis). I will need to have to have reconstructive surgery this year on the damaged breast. Maybe the same complication would have happened with any other surgeon, I have no idea. My PS did provide me great support throughout the complication and I visited his office many times for checkups, but the visits didn't really affect the outcome much (the necrosis happened within 24 hours following surgery, and once the tissue died there was not much that could be done). So, I am living proof that major complications can/do happen in the US as well as outside the US.

When I decided to have the body lift, I decided to go to Mexico to a PS. who had a lot of surgery with bariatric surgery patients, and due to the major cost savings associated with having surgery in Mexico I could afford to stay in the recovery suite a full week with 24/7 nursing care that I knew I would need following such a major surgery as a lower body lift. The problems I've experienced with leaking incisions happened AFTER I discharged from the recovery suite and I think were mostly due to me having very poor nutrition post op, due to my total lack of appetite & being repulsed by almost all food, and overdoing it on a couple of occasions (neither of these things was my doctor's fault).

Unfortunately for me, having had two major plastic surgeries, each with unpleasant complications, I've basically come to the conclusion that I'm not a very good healer.

I know Cowgirl Jane just had extensive plastics in Mexico with a different surgeon and had zero complications, so I don't think the location of the surgery has as much to do with the outcome as much as skill of the surgeon, post operative care (both by the dr. and patient), and individual healing. By no means do I think surgery in Mexico is for everyone, but I would be very upset if people thought my problems were due to me having surgery in Mexico. Oh, I should menotion, I got sleeved in Mexico (Dr. Aceves); had zero complications and no problems at all and had outstanding care. I had such a good experience with Dr. Aceves that I wasn't afraid to go to Mexico for plastics, as I know you can get outstanding medical care in Mexico.

Just my .02.

Kris

[Sweet Pee 349]

Just an observation- does it seem to be the ones that had their surgery in Mexico are having a rougher time than the ones that have it done in the States? I notice a big difference in drains and stitches.

I have also plastic surgery in TJ, Mexico. I had a wonderful experience, with virtually no pain, complications, or problems.

Mexico is a great place to have plastic surgery, but I encourage lots of research before choosing a plastic surgeon.

[hollyr 49]

I just had a fleur de lis lower body lift done 3 weeks ago (with Lipo in arms and thighs) and flew from CA to WA (2.5 hour flight) on day 19 after surgery. The flight was manageable but I had lots of help on both ends of the flight with luggage (didn't even try to pull the suitcase; someone else took care of it for me). You could probably fly but the longer you can wait to fly, the better. <br><br> I have had a rough time with recovery (I'm in my mid 40s, just FYI). Due to a combination of factors, I unfortunately have experienced leaking incisions, which are pretty awful to look at and deal with. I believe a combination of too-early removal of the drains, poor post-op nutrition, and overdoing it a couple of days contributed to the issue. I am working with my PS to manage the leaks and hopefully they will dry up soon. In the meantime, it is quite an emotional struggle to deal with this issue. <br><br> I still have pretty extensive swelling and my incisions are still extremely tender. I am still walking over stooped like an old lady and shuffle around the house. I spend most of my time resting, sleep/nap at least 14 hours a day. You really should plan to have tons of downtime for the first several weeks after surgery. My husband has taken over all the chores for me so all I need to do is rest. If you live alone, you definitely need to line up as much help as possible from friends/family/neighbors in your first weeks after surgery. You are not going to have the energy or the physical ability to do most things you currently take for granted. Things like doing laundry, loading/unloading a dishwasher, cleaning, shopping, etc ... someone else will need to do for you.<br><br> I am scheduled to return to work next week (4 weeks post op) but am 90% sure I will not be able to work a full day and will probably need to work half days for couple of weeks at least (I have a desk job but still, can't imagine doing a whole days' worth of work at this point).<br><br> I agree with Matahairi that this has been a very debilitating surgery from both a physical and emotional perspective. Ironically, I am more emotionally fragile now after 3 weeks post op than I was the first week post op. I think a major part of it is the first week post op you expect it's going to be tough, but I was expecting to be feeling/doing a lot better by this point and I'm not doing as well as I thought I would. I now realize it is probably going to be several more weeks before I'm feeling anywhere close to normal. <br><br> Major lessons I learned:<br><br> 1. You may not want to eat after this surgery but it is absolutely critical that you get adequate nutrition and Protein so your body can heal. For the first couple of weeks after surgery I couldn't stand most food and barely ate anything. That really hurt me, I'm convinced. My appetite has returned somewhat and I am eating as much Protein as I can manage each day. <br><br> 2. Take it super easy. As it was the holidays, I made a couple of stupid mistakes overing doing it (went shopping when I shouldn't have, and helped out my mom in preparing for a Christmas Eve party when I should have spent the day on the couch. I think that hurt me a lot to and contributed to the incision leaks. <br><br> 3. Expect it to be physically and mentally debilitating, even if you have a perfect recovery. I had a lot of emotional issues the first month after getting sleeved; this has been just as bad emotionally, but the physical trauma has been exponentially worse than the sleeve surgery (which was actually a piece of cake compared to plastic surgery). Many days I want to cry (I don't, but I want to). I totally have had many thoughts of buyer's remorse, but when that happens I just tell myself this will pass and in a few months I'll be happy I did it. <br><br> 4. Your body is going to go through lots of changes. Even though my belly is now amazingly flat compared to what it was before surgery, I still have tons of swelling. I know it will take many weeks or even months for things to settle down. Just expect lots of swelling and that your body will be doing weird things on a regular basis. <br><br> 5. Support is good and necessary. I've learned a lot and have gotten great support from folks on this site. They have helped me get through some tough moments! <br><br> Having said all that, I sure don't want to scare you ... I know if a few months I'll be thrilled with my results. Just expect the first month to suck in a major way and then if it's better than you thought, all to the better (and if it's worse than you thought ... that's pretty normal!) <br><br> Best,<br><br> Kris

Thanks so much for sharing the truths and "lessons learned" about what to expect. I think that's so important.

Holly

[hollyr 49]

Ok. I have to ask... What all does a full body lift entail?

Thanks.

A full body lift means the incision goes around your body 360 degrees.

I had a full body lift also.

http://www.bariatricpal.com/gallery/member/116222-sweetpee/

I have before and after pictures in my gallery.

Thank you! I am just now starting to think about plastics in the future. I had major complications after my sleeve that I am still recovering from but hoping one day I will be brave enough to get something like what you had done. I've lost over 115lbs but still want to lose 15-20 more. But I know one thing for sure- I look better with my clothes ON! Lol

[skiddles 66]

I wasn't trying to offend anyone. If it wasn't for insurance, I'd be on the first flight. I went through hell and high Water to get the insurance to pay for my surgery. I just noticed not just on this site, the scars seemed to me to be more severe. I know everyones pain tolerance and healing is different.

I really like reading everyones surgery and recovery stories.And seeing pictures. I'll be posting a few of my own soon!

Sue

[Ms24 8]

<p>I wasn't trying to offend anyone. If it wasn't for insurance, I'd be on the first flight. I went through hell and high Water to get the insurance to pay for my surgery. I just noticed not just on this site, the scars seemed to me to be more severe. I know everyones pain tolerance and healing is different.</p> <p>I really like reading everyones surgery and recovery stories.And seeing pictures. I'll be posting a few of my own soon!</p> <p>Sue </p>

May I ask how you got insurance to pay for it when I was overweight there were all for it now that the cyst and rashes have gone they won't