kwindham

My plane leaves for san diego in a couple hours. I am having a TT, Lipo to abdomen and back, BL/BR, and possibly fat grafting to the buttocks (thinking of backing out of the fat grafting for now) just now sure how Im going to sit or lay on my behind to recover from TT and BL/BR with having my rear end injected with fat! Anyway I am using Dr Fuentes in Tijuana, Mexico, and his office will pick me up at the san diego airport and we will go to his office to get my markups done today. My surgery is tomorrow morning at 7:30. I will stay the night in his postsurgical recovery, and be released Friday if all goes well. I will try to have my brother that is traveling with me post updates after the surgery. We are then staying in Rosarito Beach in a condo for 8 more days, I did not want to travel to soon after surgery so just decided to stay and rest/recuperate in the beachside condo for as long as I could be away from home! Please wish me luck, and keep me in your prayers for an uneventful surgery, great outcome, and safety for me and my traveling companions! BTW- I am soooo excited and utterly a nervous wreck at the same time! i haven't been out of the country in over 5 years! And surely not for a medical procedure! But I GOT THIS! LOL

I stayed 10 days, which was more than was necessary, my drains were out at 7 days. I treated it like a vacation. I rented a condo on Rosarita Beach to recover in as Im not much of a hotel type girl. The price was very reasonable and it was in a gated community on the beach with 24 hour security staff if you needed anything. They brought my groceries in, luggage, etc. I laid in bed recovering the first few days watching dolphins play right off the beach. Lovely way to recover. Look at VRBO.com, homeaway.com, and just google vacation rentals in rosarita beach.

Breast lift/breast reduction. My results have been fabulous! I will be going back in the fall to Dr Fuentes to have my thighs done, they are a saggy mess still. If I remember correctly my cost was around 7000 for everything but you will have to email him pics to get a quote. both him and his staff could not have been better, the nicest people ever and his facility was super clean modern and new. You will love him!

I used dr Fuentes at Cosmed in TJ with fabulous results!

Where is everyone and how are yall doing now? Lets post some updates!

well I am 5 weeks post surgery and doing great! Almost back to feeling normal! Still a little tenderness if I overdo it but all in all im doing great! Im soooo ready to head back to the gym but I am going to wait until 6 weeks for that and then just listen to my body! Loving my results!

Im doing well! Still sore in places, but overall doing very well. Every day gets a little bit better. I love love love my results, still dealing with swell h3ll, esp in the evenings. But overall I have been really happy with outcome and was really impressed with dr fuentes skill and facility!

Made it home last night around 10 pm my time, flight was relatively easy, took my meds and a xanax and slept during the longer portion of the trip. I had 2 companions with me and they toted all my stuff, I reserved a wheelchair at airports, and my brother pushed me around so that was easy as well. I would not want to do this alone, but it is possible if you must. I enjoyed the company, and I LOVED mexico. We stayed in Rosarito Beach in a beachfront condo and I could lay in bed and watch the beach and surf crashing, plus watch the dolphins playing. It was really nice. Pain in under control now, only mild painkillers the last few days as needed. Ill post more later.

Btw for those who asked--- I had surgery on 1/24/13 Thursday, & I'm staying until 2/2/13 sat, so 9 days. I didn't want to fly in complete misery & pain so I allowed I hope ample time!

Well another day has passed I have pretty good moments then a painful few but nothing I can't handle. I go for my postop to remove pain pump today & I assume he'll change bandages so ill get to see incision. The swelling is HORRID! I feel like a cow! But I'm def keeping eye on the prize! I can just imagine my flat tummy! Can't wait!

Does anyone know if its ok to use nicotene Patches to quit smoking preop? My surgeon requires to quit 2 weeks before & after & I'm about to pull every hair in my head out! Please no bashing, I already know its a nasty unhealthy habit & I'm trying really hard to quit, but I'm also trying to preserve my sanity in the process!

Well I'm doing ok, it's not as bad as I anticipated but its def not easy. As long as I stay on top of meds it's bearable. Tried to take shower last night & that didn't work out so well, almost passed out. Had to sit on tub side & let my aunt give me quick wipe down. The whole room went black on me. I have never in my life had that happen! Was extremely scary! I'll post updates as I feel like it!

Hi everyone! I'm doing well was super impressed with dr F. & his staff & facility. I'm really sore but meds take the edge off. Been sleeping a lot. Keep praying for me plz. Will post more later Rosario beach is beautiful!

Made it just fine to TJ & on to my preop appt. was SUPER impressed with the clinic, staff, & dr. I have to be there @7:30 am in the morning. Keep those prayers coming! He said ill be in surgery for about 7 hours, general anesthesia. And I did take before pics, ill post them when I get home!

what surgeon did you use if you dont mind my asking? How long did you stay postop before traveling home?

well I heard back from my surgeon by email today and the Patches are a no go for his OR. I copied and pasted what he sent me. Dear Kellie. The nicotine also decreases the blood supply to the tissues, it is one of the reason to stop smoking. Please do not use a nicotine patch. I swear, this is hard! And by the time I get to his OR im not going to need plastic surgery anymore because I am going to be butterball FAT from eating all the time! And I haven't even completely quit yet, just cut way back, but just knowing I have to quit is driving me insane! I keep having this conversation in my head that goes kind of like this, "you really dont have to quit, you didn't quit for ANY previous surgeries and did just fine, including vsg, and major hip to hip hysterectomy,.......and I probably would be just fine, BUT, I want good results, and nice smooth healing and minimal scars" (pull hair out here)

sounds like an average price, but be sure you get online consults/prices from more than one doctor, and above all else, do your own research into the physician you choose. BTW, I have no knowledge of this dr, but Im sure others here do and will chime in! Good luck!

Thanks to all for the supportive advice! Ohhh this is soooooo hard! lol

I have never had a csection, but I have had a hip to hip incision hysterectomy. My TT is scheduled for next week, so Ill let you know how it compares. Ifs really weird how there is such a HUGE difference in people pain levels. All I can do is hope im one of the ones that the pain is minimal and keep my eyes on the prize!!! NO muffin top!!!

Your stitch line looks great!

I bought a wedge pillow. Maybe you should try to get the bf to try to locate one for you somewhere local? I live in the "woods" so I had to go out of town to find one, but I know it is going to be h3ll trying to come up from a complete flat position. Glad you're improving!

Your post are not discouraging at all I don't think. I consider them educational! LOL I think a person has to be realistic in their expectations of recovery and the more info you can gather the better prepared you are. Although I don't think a person can ever be truly prepared, I think it helps to watch others journeys so you can at least get an idea of what to expect. I have to say, after reading so many post on VSG, I expected to wheel out of the OR pain free,, basically a walk in the park! My first thought waking up was OMG! what have I done! I wasn't really in any excrusiating pain, just so violently sick I thought I would die! My surgeon wanted me up walking by 2 hours post op and it was terrible walking while so nauseous..I was maxed out on phenergan, zofran, and that patch behind the ears, plus anesthesia, so walking while so sleepy was also no fun. The nurse would pat me on the cheek and say wake up, you cant sleep while walking, which I literally was doing! LOL By that night I was fine, and everything settled down, nausea subsided, I finally woke up, etc. My point is, postings like yours are making me much more educated than I was pre=VSG. I am going into this procedure with a total different mind set. I know this will be painful, I know this will be a long hard recovery, I know I can't do this alone, etc. So Please keep posting! I am trying to soak in as much info as I can before the 24th! BTW-I think you are doing awesome in your recovery!!!

Arrrrgghhh, I am sooo excited about my upcoming procedures and dreading them as well! Im thinking the VSG wasn't anything compared to the recovery for plastics! My VSG was smooth, had it done while hubby was overseas, and came home to home alone except for 2 teenage boys that are NO help at all. Not a problem at all. But Im thinking this plastic thing is not gonna be sooo smooth! LOL Keep up the good work girl, your getting there day by day!

Glad your doing better! Keep us posted!

Anyone know of a nurse I can hire for a couple days post op in TJ? Where do I look for one, etc? I do not want to stay in a recovery house, I don't like hospitals, and I just like to be left alone for the most part after surgeries. Although Im not going alone, I think it will be better if I hire a nurse for the first couple days until my companion and I are comfortable with drains, moving, etc. Any suggestions?