deedadumble

1. How long were you at your goal weight before you had skin removal surgery?

2. Is there a suggested order for removal?

3. Did you think it was essential to get down to absolute goal weight or did you have the skin removal done at a weight you were just comfortable with? How much did you actually lose with having skin removal over your whole body?

1. VSG on 1/17/13 (273lb highest weight). Close to goal in about 7 mo but worked on that pesky 20 lb for another 6 mo. Plastics on 7/22/14 at 165lb (in 5'10"), so I was at goal for maybe 6 mo. I think it's more important to wait for a year when you're young and your skin has more elasticity and will continue to tighten. Mine was never going to tighten at 48 yrs old. Part of the reason to have plastics is to keep the weight off long term by being more satisfied with your body image and I wanted it done asap.

2. I had everything done at once. Arms, breast lift/augmentation, lower body lift, and 2 days later a lower face lift (neck lift). I went to Mexico for plastics for a lot of reasons, but one big one was that they do surgery using twilight sedation and epidural. I woke after surgery feeling awesome! Felt like I'd had the best sleep of my life. Hardly any pain. If it weren't for a compression garment that irritated the nerves in my elbow I would not have had to take any painkillers. Very lucky! If I had to do it over again, the only thing I might change would be to do the LBL in two surgeries and only because I think doing it in one puts more stress on the back incision (because you have to walk hunched over because of the tummy tuck) and you end up with a wider scar.

3. I did not lose any weight from plastics. The total weight of skin removed was around 6 pounds, but I had some of it put back in with a butt flap augmentation. Swelling for the first 3-6 months more than makes up for weight lost. Lots of lymph pathways are destroyed, so you are in swell hell until they re-generate.

I have two of each of the following for sale. They are in excellent condition. Hand washed only. Never dried in a dryer. These are the best compression garments on the market. Having two garments is nice because you can hand wash one and let it dry while wearing the other.

Marena Mid-thigh girdle with suspenders - Large - $40

Perfect for Tummy Tuck or lower body lift.

https://marenagroup.com/fbt-1st-stage-compression-suit-with-suspenders-mid-thigh-length/

Retail is $99

Sizing information is available on their website and is accurate.

Marena 3/4 length sleeve vest - Large - $35

Perfect for arm lift, breast left, and/or breast augmentation.

https://marenagroup.com/gfvm-3-4-length-sleeve-vest/

Retail is $94

Sizing information is available on their website and is accurate.

Free shipping. If you'd like more than one I can make a deal.  

Size guide for girdle:

Size guide for vest:

The scars I saw looked like augmentation from decades ago when women had silicone implants. Very long scars vertically along the aureolas. As well as underneath the breasts. I thought most scarring was now under the arm pits. Granted I won't need augmentation rather a lift. Just gave me pause. Thanks for the input

There are four main types of incisions for breast lifts and it will depend on the amount of tissue that you are having removed and how much lifting needs done. You can google for more info and pics. Crescent lift (incision along top of nipple; minimal lift needed), Benelli lift (donut or circle cut at the border of the areola; repositioning just the nipple higher and some tissue removal), lollipop lift (Benelli plus vertical incision down the front; works well for low hanging breasts), and anchor lift (lollipop plus incision under the breast; needed for women with large distance between the nipple and the mammary fold).

I had a lollipop lift plus augmentation. You can't see the scar around the areola at all and the vertical scar is very faded.

For just breast augmentation they can go through the armpits or the nipple. It depends on the Doctor and to some extent what type of implants you're getting.

I looked at some patient pictures posted. The surgeon was mentioned here. Located in Mexico. I was taken aback because of the obvious scars on the surface of the breasts as well as underneath from augmentation. That is a red flag for me. I wouldn't expect that type of scaring now. Maybe 20 years ago

Scarring varies based on genetics and how thin the skin is. In many cases, those who have been obese or morbidly obese for a long time have very thin and fragile skin. It's much more difficult to get a beautiful thin scar in those cases. My BL/BA scars are barely noticeable 1.5 years out. My front LBL is a very narrow white line below my bikini line. My arm lift scars are a bit wider but fading. My back LBL had some hypertrophic scarring and is a lot more noticeable. Not anything the doctor could have done differently. I have read research reports that taping can prevent hypertrophic scarring, but I'm allergic to almost all adhesives, so not a great option for me. I may get a scar revision on my back done some day but it doesn't bother me enough to do it right now.

I'm ready..........where it seems doing multiple areas on the body for lifts tightening displacement of fat to other areas is done on the same day!! Do you think that full shebang would be done in the states? Is it mandatory you bring someone with you or can you go solo. Is this all cash or does insurance play a part if they would pay a portion. How did you find your Dr? Word of mouth? Sorry for all the questions. Thanks

They won't do as many surgeries at once in the states because they use general anesthesia and that limits the time to about 7 hours. I had a LBL, BA/BL, and AL in one surgery in Mexico under twilight anesthesia. My surgery took about 9-10 hours. I've heard of others going as long as 12 hours. I felt amazing when I woke up, in fact I worked for a few hours on the computer (the nurse lifted it for me).

I went solo and was thankful that I did because I was able to rest and relax without worrying about someone else.

I found Dr. Sauceda through some on here that had posted about her experience. I then went and read just about every post on his discussion board on ObesityHelp. After I had a confirmed date, I joined his private Facebook group and read everything there. I found two others that were going at the same time and connected with them before I got there.

Here are some more pics.  

@@deedadumble Thank you! This was really informative. I sent him the pictures he requested yesterday so now I'm waiting for his response with cost. Does he make you stay the whole 13 days? My husband will have vacation but it will only be for 9 days. I REALLY don't want to go alone since I've never even been to Mexico. I wish I had someone to go with if he couldn't. I guess I could go alone but that scares the crap out of me. I'm off right now and only working a few days a month so I have plenty of recovery time. Did you wake up during surgery? I've heard of people waking up, not feeling anything but woke up. Also freaks me out! How do I get to where all his pictures are? I can't find it. You look wonderful!

You're welcome!

The board is at http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/Dr_Sauceda_Patients/discussion/

The time you stay is going to depend on your procedures. I had two surgeries (body and face) so I needed to stay the whole time. Ask Dr S if 9 days will be enough for what you're having done. The biggest issue is making sure you're ready for the trip home. It's exhausting.

I went alone, but I had my sleeve done in Mexico so I was ok with it. I also met two people on the Facebook group having surgery at the same time.

Yes, I woke up a few times but the epidural was in and didn't feel anything. I remember asking are you done yet and instantly was back asleep. It was not stressful at all. Dr. S's wife is the anesthesiologist and she monitors you the whole time. They do most surgery in Mexico with twilight because it has fewer side effects. Wish they would in the US.

Thanks so much, I feel great!

Here's my before wls pic: ImageUploadedByBariatricPal1454711471.693267.jpg

I know you have said get in contact with him for a quote but I am curious as to what you paid. From your pictures he has done a great job

I paid $18,000. It included: airfare (up to $600), 12 nights hotel/hospital, compression garments (2). All I paid for was food while I was in the hotel (free breakfast), tips, and spending money.

Please note this number is just for reference. My surgery was 1.5 years ago and each person is different in the amount of work the doctor feels it will take.

Surgeries (body on one day and face two days later):

-lower body lift with autogolous butt flap implant

-breast lift and augmentation (240cc)

-arm lift

-lower face lift (neck lift)

FYI: Dr. Sauceda is going to be in Las Vegas for in person consults on July 17 and 18. Several past patients will be there for you to check out his work.

@deedumble...can you point me to the FB page you're talking about? I just started my FB page (just one for bariatric support only) and only have one friend at this point! I have over 500 on my personal page but I want to keep them separate. So if anyone wants to be my FB friend (PUHLEAASE??) please friend me at https://www.facebook.com/queenofcrop or just look for Zoe Belle I really like the Before and After photos and find FB so much easier than here...speaking of which deedumble, do you have After photos???

The Facebook group is private and they will only add people that have surgery scheduled. The instructions for who to send the message to are on the ObesityHelp board. Many of the users are also on the ObesityHelp Sauceda discussion board: http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/Dr_Sauceda_Patients/discussion/

I'll dig up some more after pics and post them.

@@deedadumble Thank you! This was really informative. I sent him the pictures he requested yesterday so now I'm waiting for his response with cost. Does he make you stay the whole 13 days? My husband will have vacation but it will only be for 9 days. I REALLY don't want to go alone since I've never even been to Mexico. I wish I had someone to go with if he couldn't. I guess I could go alone but that scares the crap out of me. I'm off right now and only working a few days a month so I have plenty of recovery time. Did you wake up during surgery? I've heard of people waking up, not feeling anything but woke up. Also freaks me out! How do I get to where all his pictures are? I can't find it. You look wonderful!

You're welcome!

The board is at http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/Dr_Sauceda_Patients/discussion/

The time you stay is going to depend on your procedures. I had two surgeries (body and face) so I needed to stay the whole time. Ask Dr S if 9 days will be enough for what you're having done. The biggest issue is making sure you're ready for the trip home. It's exhausting.

I went alone, but I had my sleeve done in Mexico so I was ok with it. I also met two people on the Facebook group having surgery at the same time.

Yes, I woke up a few times but the epidural was in and didn't feel anything. I remember asking are you done yet and instantly was back asleep. It was not stressful at all. Dr. S's wife is the anesthesiologist and she monitors you the whole time. They do most surgery in Mexico with twilight because it has fewer side effects. Wish they would in the US.

Thanks so much, I feel great!

Here's my before wls pic:

Thought I would chime in for those considering Mexico and Dr. Sauceda and plastic surgery in general. I had the following procedures done in July 2014:

-Breast Lift and Augmentation (before 38D; after 36DD)

-Arm lift

-Lower Body Lift (360) with autologous butt flap implant

-Neck lift (aka lower face lift)

My reasons for choosing Dr S were many including cost, ability to have multiple procedures at the same time, recovery support, his experience with former morbidly obese patients (please consider putting this high on your list for any doc!), former patient support group, and twilight sedation. All these reasons ended up being why I was so happy with my experience plus a few additional good surprises.

The costs were significantly less than what I would pay in the states. Costs can vary significantly, so get a quote from the doc.

Ability to have multiple procedures. I didn't want to have to spread this out over a year. I own a business and can't afford to be out of commission for that long. Docs in the US use general anesthesia and can only do a certain number of surgeries at a time. Twilight lets you stay under for longer. I had two surgeries while in Mexico. Body on one day and face a few days later.

Recovery support was really important to me. In the US they send you home after outpatient surgery. I was in the surgical clinic with full nurse support and doc visiting every day for 5 days and then in a hotel nearby for the next 8 days with a nurse and the doc visiting every day. I also had two surgery sisters that I had met on Facebook that were having surgery at the same time. They helped tremendously to pass the time and for general commiseration. I went alone so it was nice having new friends there.

Experience with former morbidly obese patients. Our skin is thinner and our lymph systems are different. Don't go to a doc that just does mommy makeovers!

Former patient support group. There is an extremely thorough board on ObesityHelp for Dr S patients with photos, help documents, and patient stories. There's also a private Facebook group with past patients and those with booked surgeries for support before, during and after surgery.

Twilight sedation with epidural pain block. After my 10+ hour surgery I felt like I'd had the best night sleep of my life and woke up in little to no pain. I have had so many issues with general anesthesia (vomiting, grogginess, difficulty waking up, long term fogginess).

Wonderful surprises. I'd heard what a wonderful Doctor Dr S is but nothing prepared me for how humble and kind he was as well as what an artist he is in sculpting the human body. He never promises perfection (and run away from any doc that does) but he does promise to do his best. I was 100% comfortable with him as my surgeon.

Words can't begin to describe Dr S's nurse Paty. Of all the reasons, she was one of the highlights. She has pure magic in her hands. She truly cares about you. I hated leaving and being without her to help change my bandages and compression garments.

Pain and recovery. I had a lot of work done! My pain was mainly from the uncomfortableness of the compression garment and an existing issue I have with the nerves in my elbows. If not for this, I could have done it without anything but tramadol and OTC pain meds. I had itchiness that drove me nuts. Exhaustion for at least 6 weeks and would get tired easily up to 6 months later.

Seromas are very common with patients that have lost a lot of weight. I had one in my abdomen mainly from losing my drain earlier than I should have (busted the stitch that holds it in while I was asleep). Added extra compression and it resolved in a few weeks.

Under or over? I have Gummy bear implants over the muscle. I think they look extremely natural for my age (50). My boyfriend agrees! I'm not a fan of the way gummies look under the muscle. It also adds to the pain and discomfort afterward. Look at a lot of pictures with similar body types to decide. Definitely take the advice of your doctor and what they think is best for you, the amount of skin that you have, how big you're going, and the look that you want. I am tall (5'10"+), muscular, and curvy, so all of that impacted my decision.

Autologous butt flap implants! Whew, that was a decision that went down to the wire. The doc takes the layer of fat that is removed from above the butt area in the lower body lift and implants it into the butt to round out that area. It took the longest to adjust to of all my surgery. It felt weird when I would run (I ran half marathons before). It zinged when I would hit it on something. It was uncomfortable when laying on my back. Even with all of this I am happy that I did it. My butt is not flat and looks good in jeans and a bikini. It is not as big, nor does it have the issues that a Brazilian butt lift would have.

Running. I ran half marathons before surgery. I was back running about 10 weeks after surgery. I started back with couch to 5K but progressed quickly through it, skipping days. Ran a 5K after a month (14 weeks after surgery). Ran a half about 5.5 months after surgery. The butt was the biggest holdup on the running. It just felt weird. Some people will tell you to take it slower. Listen to your body!

Lower face lift or neck lift. So very happy with this. It looks completely natural. Took the longest to heal. The nerves in the face take a long time to come back and some may never return. I had lumps in my cheek that were not noticeable to others but I could feel them. It also "jiggled" when I ran so it took some getting use to.

Scars. All of my scars are fading. The least noticeable are the breast lift (lollipop, so no under boob scar) and the Tummy Tuck portion of the LBL. Most noticeable is the back portion of the LBL. I had some hypertrophic scarring in that area. This is genetic and nothing could have been done to prevent. I may go and have a scar revision done at some point but my bikini covers it and my boyfriend doesn't mind it (and neither do I)! I used coconut oil pretty religiously. I tried silicone scar tape but I have a sensitivity to adhesives so it didn't work very well. I used scar lotion on occasion but didn't notice that it helped. I used vit e oil and I think it helped. I had SilkPeel Dermalinfusion on my back scar and although it helped, probably not enough for the cost of it.

Work. I have a job where I work on a computer sitting down 99% of the time. I also work from home. I was able to continue working immediately after surgery (I even did some work within hours of coming out of surgery). I wouldn't recommend it though! I had deadlines that had to be met so had no choice. Plan for at least 6 weeks off if you can.

Weight loss from plastics. Don't expect it unless you're getting a lot of Lipo. I didn't lose any but I was at my goal weight (175 and didn't get any lipo). I do think that plastics helps me psychologically to keep the weight off. It's like it finished the transition for me. I haven't had any regain and I haven't struggled with my diet (very lucky).

Fibromyalgia. I haven't seen anything posted about this from other plastics patients. I have fibro that was controlled with cymbalta. I think the plastics and stress of it caused a flare up so I had to add gabapentin to deal with nerve pain. I'm finally feeling like its dying down but be aware that if you have other medical issues you may need to manage them more closely for a while.

I am 1.5 years out from surgery and if I had to do it all over again I would in the exact same way. I absolutely love my new body and feel like I've been given a second chance to live fully.

Feel free to PM me with any messages. I'm not on here as much as I used to be but will respond as quickly as I can. 

Legs!!! Got them and flaunt them regularly. Here they are in my morning stretches.

@@deedadumble How did you figure out if your really were shin splints?

The eBook goes into detail on how to determine what's causing them. Mine were chronic for years and I haven't had them since.

Best thing I ever did was to find out what was causing them and follow the instructions for healing. I never buy eBooks, but this one was so worth it. I can send it to you if you PM me your email. Here's the link if you want to read part of it. http://saveyourself.ca/tutorials/shin-splints.php

My shin splints were chronic (non-acute) compartment syndrome, so your results may be different if yours are truly shin splints (fracture in the shin bone).

A lot of Vitamins have Vitamin E and fish oil which can increase risk of bleeding.

I'm two and a half years out and and I've been battling it for the last year. I recently was traveling and didn't have a single incident in 3 weeks and I didn't do my regular 5 small meals. I think it was because I cut out almost all caffeine and I was extremely active (lots of hiking). Trying to incorporate these changes into my lifestyle and have noticed a decrease in incidents.

Pennsaid 2% is the same drug as voltaren but stronger and is usually free for most insurances (not Medicaid or Medicare). It's ordered through a mail order pharmacy (or at least it was when it first came out). I've used it and it works. None of the over the counter gels have worked for me. Pennsaid and voltaren are NSAIDs.

BA/BL, arm lift, LBL w/ butt flap aug, and neck lift. $18K includes compression garment, 5 days hospital/clinic, 7 days hotel, and airfare. Mexico 7/2014

They have salad with chicken on it on the kids meal at several of the restaurants. It's the perfect size.

High B12 may also indicate a MTHFR genetic mutation, which about 30% of the world has. It inhibits your body from properly processing the inactive forms of B12 and folate. High B12 is not dangerous, but if your body is not processing inactive B12, you're going to lack energy. Try switching to methyl B12 for two months and retest. Start low with methyl B12 as it also helps detox and detoxing too fast can lead to side effects.

Here's some more info: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/mthfr/

I'm compound heterozygous MTHFR and have hashimotos. Felt tremendously better after switching to methyl B12. My levels before switching were +1,800.

Smooth Move tea has been a Godsend for me! More effective than Miralax, and it's a nice calming break in my day. If I drink in the evening, all is better in the morning. No cramps at all. You do not want to go more than a few days between bm's--very uncomfortable!

For those of you drinking smooth move thinking it's better for you than a laxative, please know that smooth move uses senna, which is a laxative. Laxative are very easy for your colon to become dependent on.

If you want to take something regularly to get regular, gradually increase Fiber or add an osmotic like Miralax. Miralax draws Water into the colon and does not work on the muscles of the colon making them unable to function on their own.

PS, Four ounces of Protein three times a day is not enough Protein for a sleeve patient. My doctor recommends 70-80 grams a day. Eat more protein and that might solve your issue. Unless your doctor told you to eat the amounts of veggies and fruits you are eating a day, you are eating too little.

Try to get 70-80 grams of protein a day, 20-30 grams of fat, and 50 grams of carbs a day and see if that helps (that is if your doctor clears you for those amounts).

12oz of steak = 75g of protein

12oz of chicken = 66g of protein

12oz of fish = 60g of protein

Unless she's not eating any other sources of protein, that's more than enough. Protein can also cause Constipation, so you might change up the type of protein you're eating to see if that helps.

I don't see how this can be answered, how does this pertain to WLS?

It's in the Mexico surgery forum so of course it's relevant.

I added intl data and voice when I went because I had to be available for work. It was about $55 total.

Your best solution to avoid charges is to turn on airplane mode and then only use wireless. Make sure you download a chat app or Skype. You may need to buy some Skype minutes.

Here's a recent pic:

Hey Cowgirl!

I remember reading that you met a doc that was starting to use twilight. I'm shaking my head, but I get it. We are so litigious. I’m in Florida and we have OBs here that dropped their malpractice insurance (because they’ve proven that they have the financial resources to deal with any lawsuits) because the costs were crippling them. They’ve been using nitrous oxide for labor and delivery in the UK for years. There are a few hospitals up north (mostly teaching hospitals I think) that actually offer it as an option. I think if we weren’t so litigious many alternative (healthier) treatment options would be available.

Now back to Mexico. I do think that with the popularity of Medical Tourism the docs’ prices have gone up. It happens. I live in Florida and we have tons of Plastic Surgeons here (remember Nip/Tuck) so the non-snooty ones without TV shows tend to be somewhat competitive. We also have three state universities with medical schools that offer discounted pricing (50% off) hence my comment about there no longer being such a disparity in pricing.

That being said, I prefer the work of the MX and DR surgeons. I don’t want to risk life and limb going under the knife to have a boxy, boyish figure. I want to get “snatched” as those RS girls say. In order to get that level of skill here, you are going to pay. That’s what makes things so difficult. I can get competitive pricing, but it’s not necessarily going to deliver the results (i.e. shape) I want. It just seems like the surgeons outside of the US have more of an appreciation for curves and allow you to look like a real woman.

Eh, just my 2.5 cents.

I even found one USA surgeon starting to use twilight for SOME procedures. It is controversial.

So, I was curious about your remark of the Mexican plastic surgeons being same price as USA. things must have really changed over the last 2 years...because that is not at all what i saw. I didn't go to Mexico due to cost alone though; for me there were alot of other factors including the 2 weeks close monitoring/aftercare which i valued.

I love my Mexican curves

Dr. Sauceda -- LBL, arm lift, BL/BA, and neck lift

My surgery was a year ago and the price was far lower than the U.S.

Also, woke up after twilight feeling so rested and no pain.

Big pluses for Dr S: twilight, the good doctor himself, his gentle as an angel nurse Paty, the support of past patients, the support of surgery sisters, the doc's experience with massive weight loss patients (our skin and lymph systems are not the same), and the amount of time in the hospital (no same day and sent home).

I had my sleeve in Sept 2013. I have over 100lbs. I am about 20 lbs away from goal. Looking into plastics finally. I just can't wrap my head around recovery time. All the sites say something different. I feel like I have to get a lot done! Ugh.

My first question is what was your recovery time for the following surgeries? Please tell me age and activity level. I feel that makes a difference. I am 46 female and moderately active. I work out.

Recovery time for Tummy Tuck with muscle tightening?

Recovery time for Thigh lift?

Recovery time for Brazilian butt lift?

Recovery time for arm lift?

Recovery time for breat lift with implants?

I am not sure if I will get all that but as of now I feel I need. The TT and thigh lift are a must.

My 2nd question is if you had more than one procedure at the same time. If so which ones?

Thank you in advance for your help!!

Out of everyone I've seen in the boards that have had plastics, I'm probably the closest in age and procedures. I was 48 when I had plastics. Lost 100 lbs and had LBL, butt flap implant, arm lift, breast lift/implants, and neck lift. I'm almost a year out. My only complication was a abdominal seroma from the drain coming out too early. It reabsorbed within two weeks. I work out of my home and honestly was back working the night of surgery from my hospital bed. I took everything very easy as far as physical movement for 6 weeks. Wore full compression for six weeks and when swelling after that.

I feel amazing now. I was active before but had taken time off from distance running for a few months before surgery. I was back to running half marathons at 6 months.

I also live in the Tampa area (Safety Harbor), so if you would like to get together for a coffee to discuss further and look at scars in person, please message me.