Lower Body Lift on THURSDAY!!!

[galaxygrrl]

@Clematis, so do you mind me asking why you had you work done in the US. You went to MX for the DS, but paid US pricing for plastic surgery. Just curious?

 

[southernlady]

It's a tricky balance. Too much protein and yet MORE kidney stones form.

I am starting arnica and bromelain which is supposed to help reduce bruising. I've stopped vitamin E supplements outside of what is in multi. Some recommend stopping zinc but my zinc levels are a little dicey to begin with. I will not take my Wednesday evening vites and of course not any Thursday vites except for COLACE (!!!) as morphine/percocet will turn my bowels to stone, and PPI.

Yeah, but we are only talking 3 days?

 

[Clematis]

@galaxygrrl I followed the expertise for DS, at the time Ungson which became Esquerra by the time of my surgery. I did contemplate Costa Rica for PS. But I did not want to spend 2 weeks there recuperating in a motel/recup center and then fly all the way back and be totally on my own. (My family was not on board with me spending 2 weeks so far away.) Here, I can spend the night in the hospital and fully recuperate in my home with a private duty nurse. Next if there was a complication during the two weeks i was still in CR, they would fix it but once I returned to USA I was on my own. I have complication insurance here for my PS, and if a month or two from now I discover one butt cheek higher than the other, he will fix it. Furthermore, I did not want to do all my surgeries at once -- too long being unconscious for someone my age (and many docs would argue for someone of any age -- <5 hours is recommended). So that would mean at least two and possibly three trips to Costa Rica. Finally, there are aesthetics in PS unlike DS, and I was not sure I could communicate my aesthetic to someone who was not a native English speaker. Going local just made more sense and actually the price was not all that bad. My LBL will be $14k - which includes overnight hospital stay, pre-op testing, anesthesiologist, surgeon's fee.

 

[hilary1617]

Clematis, Best wishes for a safe and uncomplicated procedure and speedy recovery. Recliner and walker sounds like a great plan. All the best - you will be in my thoughts!

 

[bearmom]

I"m excited for you, and relieved that it sounds like you have a surgeon that is familiar with the idiosyncrasies of our post weight loss bods. I had tummy, circumferential and thighs/butt all done at the same time, and OW. Worse than the pain, is the limitations. Just be mentally ready for what's to come, and it sounds like you are. Everything else I'd recommend, it sounds like you are already doing. Happy healing!!!!

 

[Jen-2]

@Clematis who did you ultimately decide on for your LBL surgery?

I'm looking to get the same procedure and am in the process of scheduling consultations with Dr. Capella in NJ and Dr. Michaels in the DC area. I had a brief consultation with Dr. Greenbaum who performed my DS as I found out he does plastics at my 2 year follow up appointment.

 

[galaxygrrl]

@galaxygrrl I followed the expertise for DS, at the time Ungson which became Esquerra by the time of my surgery. I did contemplate Costa Rica for PS. But I did not want to spend 2 weeks there recuperating in a motel/recup center and then fly all the way back and be totally on my own. (My family was not on board with me spending 2 weeks so far away.) Here, I can spend the night in the hospital and fully recuperate in my home with a private duty nurse. Next if there was a complication during the two weeks i was still in CR, they would fix it but once I returned to USA I was on my own. I have complication insurance here for my PS, and if a month or two from now I discover one butt cheek higher than the other, he will fix it. Furthermore, I did not want to do all my surgeries at once -- too long being unconscious for someone my age (and many docs would argue for someone of any age -- <5 hours is recommended). So that would mean at least two and possibly three trips to Costa Rica. Finally, there are aesthetics in PS unlike DS, and I was not sure I could communicate my aesthetic to someone who was not a native English speaker. Going local just made more sense and actually the price was not all that bad. My LBL will be $14k - which includes overnight hospital stay, pre-op testing, anesthesiologist, surgeon's fee.

Thank you! You really made me think. I'm sure I will have more questions. Wishing you a speedy and pain free recovery.

 

[Toya C]

@Clematis sorry for the delayed response. Lol @ "adding on breasts", i think you have enough on the "surgical docket" to safely leave breasts for a later date.

I am a RNYer, currently interested in DS revision. My RNY was laparoscopic....saying that to say unless your DS was not laparoscopic I assure you the pain/discomfort levels are DIFFERENT!!!!!

Not to freak you out, simply to inform you. You will be tightly stitched all the way around. Every move will hurt because it will pull on the stitching. Actually, the stitches will be tight some motions might feel impossible to do. With RNY surgery I had abdominal soreness and any pain/ discomfort was focused in that area.

 

[Clematis]

My DS was lap @Toya C I had two bikini-line cesarians but I am aware that midline incisions through muscle are brutal and surgeon says as much. (But I won't have be stitched up AND nurse and care for a baby. How did I do that??) The good news is that the pain from the ab muscle stitching is supposed to be so bad that I will barely notice the pain from the 360 circumferential skin sutures! I'm really gonna have to suck it up, tho, as my family has informed me that I'm not allowed to complain since I chose to do this. Even my hired critical care nurse (my son's friend) has said as much.

This electric recliner/lift chair will be my salvation. All I have to do is back towards it (it lifts almost as tall as I am), press my back against it and push the remote button for it to gently progress from standing to sitting to reclining. It will be perfect... unless the cheap thing dies after a few uses. EVERYONE should rent or buy one for LBL/abdominoplasty.

@Jen-2 drleedy.com in Cleveland. Note: under "gallery" one has to scroll to get beyond face and breast in the black section on the right to see Body-After Weight Loss. It is not readily apparent that it is a scroll panel. (And my body will not be in there as I did not agree to it.) He had 100 more LBL photos not on website to see in his office. I would not recommend any other surgeon in Cleveland for LBL as they either don't do enough, do a crappy job or worse call a belt lipectomy a lower body lift when it is not. (And I suppose I really can't recommend my guy until afterwards.) He does all his PS in a Cleveland Clinic hospital OR as out patient except for LBL which gets an overnight in private room. I inquired as to whether I could pay my insurance's contracted rate for hospital/OR even though insurance will not cover this but -- good news -- his contracted hospital/OR rate is less than my insurers.

 

[Clematis]

Further info on homeopathic treatments to reduce bruising during plastic surgery...

ARNICA: recommended dosage of 12C pellets is 5 pellets 3x a day starting 2 days prior and continuing for 2 weeks. This stuff is available online everywhere, and at Whole Foods and vitamin stores like GNC, Vitamin Shoppe (where I bought it). I could only find 30c pellets. The explanation for 30c vs 12c is an eye roller, but essentially the amount of pills one takes is the same: 5 pellets under the tongue 3x a day. (My surgeon said it was ok to take arnica when I asked but he did not specifically recommend it as some plastic surgeons do.)

BROMELAIN (some docs instead recommend daily cup of pineapple as it has bromeliad in it, but in me pineapple might cause gas). Bromelain plus quercetin is best. 3000 GDUs a day on an empty stomach. 3 days prior plus one week. IMPORTANT: some recommend NOT taking this until post-op as it could cause excessive bleeding because of its anti-inflammatory properties. I have decided to wait until the day after surgery.

The research to support the efficacy of the above is sketchy at best. It may just be fairy dust and only work if you truly believe it will. Who knows.

 

[Munchkin]

Best of luck! I will be thinking about you.

 

[Clematis]

It's done. Yes I am most assuredly sore and can barely stand and walk (more because muscles aren't working) but not anywhere near the pain half-my-age others report. Being old does have some advantages I guess. Besides anything pales to kidney stones. I'm swollen so my inner thighs look amazingly smooth - I doubt that will stay as I was told beforehand that inner thighs aren't helped by LBL and will need a separate procedure. But a girl can DREAM. Because of the swelling I can't really tell much but what I can see in the front looks great. Percocet kicking in. More later

 

[Larra]

Posting already? You must be tough as nails. So glad you're done and all went well.

 

[southernlady]

Glad to hear from you. Now REST.

 

[galaxygrrl]

Yay! Glad to hear it. Here is a toast to a fast recovery.