Now that it's less than a month away, I wanted to start a thread where I post all of my experiences regarding my upcoming plastic surgery. I loved watching Telly and Puddin's journeys and I thought I'd enjoy sharing mine with others as well.

The background is that I'm 5'2, 34 years old, no pregnancies. I've lost 150 lbs in 10 months and would like to lose 40 more. I carried 100 lbs of my excess weight for a long time, given my age -- at least 15 years. The other 100, I gained in the last 6 years upon entering the workforce. I've lost weight successfully twice before being banded -- once on NutriSystem (about 60 lbs) and once on Optifast (about 90 lbs), but was unsuccessful at keeping it off.

Though under ideal circumstances I would wait until I actually hit goal to consider my major plastics, three factors have encouraged me to go ahead with surgery on March 28th. First, I'm changing jobs and have the unique ability to take the month of April off. I won't have this kind of flexibility again for several years and it's a "now or never" kind of thing. Second, both my band doctor and my plastic surgeon are on board and don't think I need to wait. I have substantial excess skin in the stomach and breasts and the whole team thinks the majority of my remaining excess weight is in the lower body (hips & thighs). Finally, my father is my plastic surgeon, so cost issues should I need a revision later for losing additional weight are less of a concern that they would be were I paying surgical fees. Thus, March 28th it is!

I had my "consult" with my dad last week and we decided on what will likely be the procedures (he's still thinking it over before deciding for sure). At Christmas, we had tentatively decided on a breast lift and a mini-abdominoplasty (where just the excess from below the belly button is removed). Now, we've decided on a larger operation because I've managed to lose quite a bit more weight between Christmas and now and he thinks I'm close enough to goal to go for a more aggressive result.

So, I'm having a breast lift for sure. As for the stomach and thighs, he's going to do what he calls an extended tummy tuck. This is a complete tummy tuck (i.e. both above and below the belly button), but the incision will extend around the thighs, akin to a LBL, to take out some skin and fat from the outer thighs. It won't go around 360 degrees like a true LBL because I don't have much excess in the back -- it's a bit of a hybrid. Plus, since I haven't had children and I've been working out consistently for several years, I don't require the muscle repair that often goes along with a tummy tuck -- just the skin and fat ressection. This should make the recovery a bit easier.

As far as preparations go, I've bought my plane ticket (I live in NYC and my parents are down south). I'm staying home for at least 3 weeks before returning to NYC -- longer if necessary. I rented a hospital bed to help with getting up and down and keeping the legs raised. My step-mother is a nurse and she'll be staying with me for about 10 days post-op, and, of course my Dad will be home in the evenings/on the weekends. I have bought all of the seasons of the TV show "24" to keep me company in the early days. I got a wireless card for my laptop so I can use it from any room. I have a shower chair but no raised toilet seat. Dad said without the muscle repair, I'll be moving around fairly well pretty quickly. I'm spending one night in the hospital.

That's it for now. As things develop, I will post again. For those ahead of me in the journey, if I've neglected any preparations, please let me know!

Hi Julie - I'm new here and just starting the process... next step is to attend a seminar! Anyway, I cannot tell you how wonderful reading this thread has been! You are such an inspiration, and it's just so good to know it actually can, and does, happen to people! You have given me such hope! You are just awesome, and I am looking forward to more pictures!

Mary in Florida

oh... P.S. - where does your dad practice?

:faint: I just fainted - because you are amazing!

So happy for you.............Love, Mama Betty

Julie,

Can we get an update on your surgery? Very interested in what has happened.

Jayne from NJ

4-28-07 last post on this thread by Julie......

Julie please throw us a bone. We are eager/beggers for updates from those who have gone before us! I am 33# down now, and am ready to save for my own PS. I can't imagine losing as much, as fast, as you have, but I'm willing to try!

You're totally right Mazie, I'm way overdue for an update!

OK, here goes. I'm 8 weeks post-op and I almost never thing about the surgery anymore. It's as if I never had a pannus and I feel 100% recovered. I have a little bit of numbness below my belly button, but I'm told that's probably permanent. It doesn't bother me at all, it's just a little bit of a different feeling from what was before.

At 6 weeks I was released to exercise and I slowly started running again. That was a weird experience. The weirdest thing was running and not being conscious of my stomach flapping. The downside is now I'm extremely aware of my things and butt being loose and I can't WAIT to have them taken care of this winter (probably over Christmas).

My breasts have settled into a 36C. As I get to goal, if they get any smaller, I'll probably have implants. For the moment, they're just right, but I wouldn't want them to be even a hair smaller.

The scarring is healing much better than I'd thought. As you'll see in the pictures, the chaffing marks from where my binder hit (well above the belly button) is much darker than the actual suture line. Those chaffing marks will go away completely -- they're just taking their own sweet time. I've always marked easily. For example, a regular bloodpressure cuff leaves a mark on me for about 3 months. Anyway, Dad is coming to NYC to visit weekend after next and he said if it hasn't started to flake off by then, he'll prescribe a bleaching cream to help it along.

OK, now the pictures. The first one is just a normal shot with the side of my underwear pulled down a little so you can see the scar. For the second one, I wanted you to be able to see the scar on the breast lift, so I just blurred out the nipple with Photoshop. I think the breast lift is just great. For the third shot, I wanted you to see that you can completely hide the scar with even the tiniest of underwear, so don't worry about that. Lastly, you asked for a side shot, so here you go. To me, it looks a little distorted. It's hard to take a self portrait from the side, so I'm kind of in "crunch" position, which makes it look like the stomach isn't perfectly flat, though it really is pretty darn flat. The awkward position also makes my breasts look proportionately larger than they are, since my arm is kind of acting like a push-up bra. Anyway, you can see in all of them that as good as a result is, stretch marks and overall skin quality aren't improved by this procedure, so most of us will never be swimsuit models. Anyway, I'm happy and looking forward to my legs matching my torso! Of course, I have 35 lbs to lose before then, so I'd better get busy on my part too....

Take care,

Julie

Julie

You look so amazing.

Thanks for posting your pictures. I'm inspired.

OH Juli

Wow! When you meet Alan, I just might make you "show and tell" so that he'll let me do it! (Just kidding - I think!). You look great. Would I love to wear itseybitsey undies like that (even at my grammy age)!

You really do look wonderful... THIN! Thank you for posting an update.

You do look great!!

Thank you for sharing

You really do look wonderful... THIN!/quote]

Only because you can't see my thighs. Boy do they take the wind out of my sails....

Thank you all for your kind words though. It's a work in progress.

Betty, you should have whatever you want done, done! Age isn't a factor for you. You are a smokin' granny who can wear any kind of underwear she wants! (See you in less than a week!)

Julie,

Wow! You look absolutely fantastic! The scar has really healed up nicely. You are an inspiration!

Julie you look absolutely great. I can relate about the thighs though. I know once I get my tummy tuck and breast lift I'm going to be complaining about my inner thighs and bat wings. Can't wait to have mine done and I hope to have as great results as yours.

You look great.

Ana

SPEECHLESS AS USUAL, YOU LOOK GREAT! I am always shocked to see that you look so great! Must be all the running! How is it with no "luggage"/ pannus? Must feel like freedom!

Tiny panties.... that is my new long term goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will give my daughter Mazie, my current panties, to make a fort/tent to play under!!! ha ha ha ha

My you experience as much success with the next PS! Will "Dad" be doing the next one?

WOWIE! Thank you for posting.

I had my first consult yesterday, so I'm getting excited. My PS said I wouldn't need implents with my lift and I'd end up with a B. I'm tall and wide. I want breasts like yours.... I want cleavage. I know you don't have implants, but you confirmed that I want them. Yea, I've got thigh issues too..... no easy answers there. I figure bigger boobs will distract from the thighs.

Lucky 5'8"

1/31/05

274/150

All I can say is - you are HOTTTTTT!!!!!!! can't believe your date didn't kiss you goodnight. I defintely would have.