Plastic Surgery

[salsa1877 10]

LOL!!! Hey....I never thought of doing that! My "flap" admission.....it's where I tuck my napkin at dinner so it doesn't fall off my lap. Do I really want to lose that????????

I do. I will bend over and pick up my napkin any day if it means I don't look like Jabba-The-Huts' sister!:confused:

[LadyBugRed 2]

LOL!!! Hey....I never thought of doing that! My "flap" admission.....it's where I tuck my napkin at dinner so it doesn't fall off my lap. Do I really want to lose that????????

LOL! Oh JudiM, that is my admission also!!!!:biggrin::lol::lol:

[losingjusme 12]

LOL!!! Hey....I never thought of doing that! My "flap" admission.....it's where I tuck my napkin at dinner so it doesn't fall off my lap. Do I really want to lose that????????

LOL ... i admit to that too ... in fact, we were out to eat last night and i told DH i had no place to put my napkin now ...

his response -

try your LAP ...

(duh....)

[pizzicato66 1]

I'll own that one too! That belly flap CAN be a helpful thing! I'd prefer to just learn how to keep a napkin in place by balance though!

[TexasBecky 1]

OK, I'm scheduled!! I'll be getting a lower body lift and medial thigh lift on June 12! Less than a year since my lapband surgery. I never imagined that this could be possible. I am thrilled. I just can't tell you how blessed I feel to have been able to get banded and now to be able to have PS. It is all a dream come true. I am soooooo grateful.

Don't get me wrong. If I could not have PS I would still be a happy woman. I've hated my body for years. I always felt like my body was my enemy and since losing 100+ pounds it really is a wreck. But, if I look past the saggy, flabby skin, I can see muscles and feel bones. I have a waist, and hip bones, and my legs still look pretty darn good. And in a cute new outfit, nobody knows what a mess lies beneath the clothes. I'm amazed that this old, abused body has responded so well. In spite of all the damage I've done to it, my body has cooperated completely with my decision to change everything. How could I go on hating it?

The plastic surgeon gave me a list of pre-op testing that he requires to clear me for surgery. He said that many of the WLS patients that he works on are malnourished to some extent so he ordered all kinds of blood work to check my Iron, folate, prealbumin, Vitamin D, etc., etc., etc. I saw my primary care doc on Monday, so he went ahead and did the lab work (it took 6 vials of blood for all the crazy stuff he checked), chest xray, and EKG. The nurse called today and said that all of my blood work was normal. I try really hard to eat well, so I was going to be shocked and disappointed if I had some kind of deficiency. This is so exciting for me, because 100 pounds ago, I assure you my labs were not all normal!

On May 12 I start my pre-op diet. Yes, the PS has a pre-op diet! Thankfully though, it isn't about losing weight or shrinking my liver, lol. He just wants me to add Protein supplements to my regular diet to aid in wound healing. Salsa, didn't you say your PS does that too?

Ok, enough from me for now. I just wanted to share my excitement.

[LadyBugRed 2]

Becky,

How exciting!! Congratulations! You put your mind to it and did it!! Again, you are my hero!!

All of you Big Losers in August are amazing. I wish I could have the drive and determination you have to make it. But, you have helped me so much get to where I am! Thank you!!

Jody

[salsa1877 10]

OK, I'm scheduled!! I'll be getting a lower body lift and medial thigh lift on June 12! Less than a year since my Lap Band surgery. I never imagined that this could be possible. I am thrilled. I just can't tell you how blessed I feel to have been able to get banded and now to be able to have PS. It is all a dream come true. I am soooooo grateful.

Don't get me wrong. If I could not have PS I would still be a happy woman. I've hated my body for years. I always felt like my body was my enemy and since losing 100+ pounds it really is a wreck. But, if I look past the saggy, flabby skin, I can see muscles and feel bones. I have a waist, and hip bones, and my legs still look pretty darn good. And in a cute new outfit, nobody knows what a mess lies beneath the clothes. I'm amazed that this old, abused body has responded so well. In spite of all the damage I've done to it, my body has cooperated completely with my decision to change everything. How could I go on hating it?

The plastic surgeon gave me a list of pre-op testing that he requires to clear me for surgery. He said that many of the WLS patients that he works on are malnourished to some extent so he ordered all kinds of blood work to check my Iron, folate, prealbumin, Vitamin D, etc., etc., etc. I saw my primary care doc on Monday, so he went ahead and did the lab work (it took 6 vials of blood for all the crazy stuff he checked), chest xray, and EKG. The nurse called today and said that all of my blood work was normal. I try really hard to eat well, so I was going to be shocked and disappointed if I had some kind of deficiency. This is so exciting for me, because 100 pounds ago, I assure you my labs were not all normal!

On May 12 I start my pre-op diet. Yes, the PS has a pre-op diet! Thankfully though, it isn't about losing weight or shrinking my liver, lol. He just wants me to add Protein supplements to my regular diet to aid in wound healing. Salsa, didn't you say your PS does that too?

Ok, enough from me for now. I just wanted to share my excitement.

She doesn't require a diet per se, but she does want me to make sure that I am getting a lot of Protein, especially since I will be running the half marathon 4 days before my surgery (assuming I get over this injury!) However, I have NEVER had a problem getting in enough protein so I am not worried about this. After surgery I have to get in 150 grams per day. So I will probably have to add a shake, but I will sacrifice my taste buds for the sake of surgery!

BTW I am sooooo excited for you, but TOTALLY jealous that you get to do this almost a MONTH before I do! I WANT MY TT NOW!!!!!

[Candle 11]

Becky!!! Congrats on getting a date!!I'm so looking forward to hearing all about your PS journey. (and Salsa too!) I hope to not be too far behind you guys.I did major clothes shopping this past weekend and did a lot of looking at my saggy tummy in the unflattering lights of a dressing room. My pani really does limit the type of clothing and sizes I can wear.

[TexasBecky 1]

Thanks everyone. I think I'm in somewhat of a state of shock that all this has/is happening. I'm anxious and I'm a little bit afraid.

I've just encountered a little bump in the road. My chest xray revealed an area described as "a patchy infiltrate" on my left lung. They say it is likely scaring from some illness years ago, but they want me to have a CT Scan just to be sure. Of course this adds another dimension to my anxiety. I'm scheduled for the scan on Monday.

I know Frangi posted on another thread about a medical issue that has come up for her too. It leads me to believe that high malpractice insurance premiums have forced doctors to be overly cautious in all their testing. I hope that is the case and that both Frangi & I really have nothing to worry about. I guess we'd rather them be overly cautious than miss something important.

Candle, I know what you mean about the clothes. I really do hate that I still have to look for shirts long enough to cover the tummy. I can't wait to tuck in a shirt. I don't think we should have to carry around a constant reminder of having been obese. There will still be plenty of reminders - that's not something you can forget. We deserve another chance. In my mind plastic surgery is a small price to pay.

[salsa1877 10]

Becky - I am sure all will be well. I know what you mean about being anxious though. That was one of the main reasons that I was so excited to find the half marathon 4 days before my surgery was scheduled. It certainly does give me something else to concentrate on. I can't be worried about surgery when I am pushing myself to the limits on running. For that hour+ that I am training...I am not thinking about how I look, or what I will look like, or recovery time. Running pain is actually a good distraction. When I had my lap-band surgery I went from decision to surgery in less than 1 month! Not a lot of time to think about it. With plastic surgery it was more like decision to surgery in 4 months...an eternity to think about.

I am eagerly anticipating your surgery, though I am just having the extended TT with vertical T-incision. I guess I was "lucky" that I only carried my weight in my tummy. My arms aren't pretty but the PS said they are not bad enough to even consider for surgery because of the visible scar that would be left. My thighs are GOOD! I had sculpted thighs at 250 pounds! What does the Lower Body Lift entail?

[Frangipani 1]

Well Becky you and I have been corresponding a lot lately and you know how excited I am for you!!! This additional testing is just a minor blip and I am 100% certain that everything will be just fine.

I think you're right about all this testing sometimes being something other than about our health per se. However, being considerably more cynical than you (total sweetheart that you are), I feel that this has less to do with "malpractice insurance fears" (many states, including Texas, already have tort limits on medical malpractice claims) and more to do with the fact that health insurance makes it possible for Dr.'s to sometimes go a bit overboard in their testing, for a whole variety of reasons, including (at times) their own economic interests. Anyhow, enough about that........

I'm trying to get my PS details worked out once I get the "all clear" from the gynecologist, but here's what's going on with me so far.

I will be doing something a little different. There will be two surgeries. Surgery number one will be a laparoscopic myomectomy (utilizing a fascinating new technology called the DaVinci robot), Tummy Tuck (the first half of a circumferential tuck) and breast lift with implants. Surgery number two will be finishing out the circumferential tuck, and large-volume liposuction of the thighs.

I have lots of details to share about my plastic surgery/gynecologic surgery saga and I have been working on this and researching like crazy for quite some time now. But since this post is getting very long, I will leave it at that for now and will fill in some other details later.

For obvious (and health insurance) reasons, I will be having my surgeries done in the US, and I am simply thrilled with both Dr.'s that I have chosen to work with -- both are absolutely top-notch.

I am shooting for surgery number one in early June if I am fortunate enough to get everyone's schedule together. My gynecologic surgeon is always quite busy and very in demand, so his schedule will probably end up dictating the timing of this whole thing.

More updates later!

[LadyBugRed 2]

Wow Frangi!! Keep us updated. I hope to be in your shoes someday! Actually I would take those shoes off your hands that you posted when you posted your before and after pics!!!

You are an inspiration to many!!

[Frangipani 1]

Wow Frangi!! Keep us updated. I hope to be in your shoes someday! Actually I would take those shoes off your hands that you posted when you posted your before and after pics!!!

You are an inspiration to many!!

LOL Jody! And thanks for the well wishes :frown:.

I wanted to share some additional details regarding the surgery saga in the hopes that it might provide additional info to someone else who might have the same gynecological issue I have (Fibroid tumors).

The gynecologic surgeon that I finally chose to work with is actually the fifth gynecologist I have consulted with over the past year. The first three Dr.'s I talked took one look at my fibroid (which is quite large) and immediately recommended a hysterectomy. The fourth Dr. I spoke to was willing to do a myomectomy, but only very reluctantly, and was strongly encouraging me to go with a hysterectomy. The fifth Dr. was the only one out of the five who left the choice completely up to me.

Many people I know (including my Mother and Grandmother) had hysterectomies for their fibroid tumors, BUT in the vast majority of these cases a hysterectomy is not necessary. In Europe, for example, hysterectomies are almost never performed for this reason.

Long story short ladies, if you want to keep your uterus in the USA, keep talking to Doctors until you find the right one and don't take no for an answer!!!! There are several minimally invasive treatment options out there. Do lots of research and learn as much as you can about the various treatment options and then talk to Doctors, and choose the one that's right for you -- don't let someone else make that choice for you. I was "this close" to scheduling a hysterectomy, thinking that it was what I "needed" to do, but something in the back of my mind kept telling me to explore this whole issue a bit further, and I'm glad I did.

Fibroids can grow back of course, and frequently do, however they also often don't grow back. Therefore, my thought about this whole thing is that I will have it removed, and if it comes back in a significant way, then I will consider having a hysterectomy.

Another interesting twist to this whole saga was the decision to have the gynecological procedure done "openly" or laparoscopically in conjunction with the plastic surgery.

One Dr. unequivocally told me that it makes "no sense" to do a laparoscopic procedure while doing a Tummy Tuck, because I would already be "open." Well, it turns out that this is not exactly accurate. After running this past wonderful Dr. #5 and my wonderful plastic surgeon, I discovered that it likely does make sense to have the procedure done laparoscopically because the plastic surgeon does not need to cut through the abdominal fascia (as one would need to do to perform an open myomectomy or hysterectomy) and cutting through the abdominal fascia is the thing that creates the most post-operative pain and recovery time.

I hope I'm not boring everyone with all these details, but I found these little pieces of information I discovered along the way very interesting -- and certainly not readily available without research, talking to several Doctors, and asking lots of questions.........

Edited May 4, 2008 by Frangipani

[LadyBugRed 2]

Frangi,

Thanks for sharing your personal story. Many women may not be as open as you are. The info you give us is so valuable for a woman's health. I'm glad things are working out even better for you!! Your perseverance is amazing and it always pays off!

[TexasBecky 1]

Frangi, I agree with Jody. That was a great post with really valuable information. You should consider posting it on the main PS thread so more people might see it and benefit. I'm sure others would be interested in following your story too if you don't mind sharing with a broader group.