Edited to say: 1 month photos on page 5 of replies

Well, i went to Mexico to Dr Sauceda and had fairly extensive work done. I started with 7 drains and am now down to 1. I still have stitches in. So far, my results look great and I am very pleased, but it takes 2 months to see your final due to swelling etc. I still have a bit of a poochy tummy but I think it will be flat once the swelling goes down.

I was very pleased with the surgeon and his care team. I loved the 3 nights and 4 days of clinic supervised recovery - excellent pain management and nursing care. Then, I was released to a hotel were I was bandaged and checked daily by a nurse and the doctor visited each day as well. For me, this was the only way to do it as the level of care I needed post op was fairly high in the early days.

His way of doing anesthesia and working with a partner means he could do alot in one surgery safely... however, no joke - this was alot of surgery at once. I had the lower body lift, breast lift and augmentation, arms and "small" thigh lift. That means no incision down the inner thigh, just along the groin. My recovery has so far been textbook. I saw my PCP and she was overwhelmed with happiness at how good things look, the incisions look good, all signs so far are of excellent healing.
I am far from out of the woods though; complications can still happen so I am diligent about taking it easy (this is killing me as I am normally so active), getting in even extra Protein and wearing the compression garments from hades.

The surgery was NOT painful and the incisions have never really been worse then kind of sore. The very worst part is dealing with the tight garments, the forced inactivity and of course the drains. There are certainly discomforts.... of the 6 drains pulled so far, two of them hurt.

Taken today, two weeks out, I am sorta hiding the two drains still in the mons area:


These photos were recent, pre surgery. As you can see, I had worked out and had some "toning" under all that skin.


I will get better pics when that last drain comes out... it is quite literally a drag on my style!

To round this out, i decided to add a pre VSG photo so you get the gist of how much I have transformed!

Edited November 21, 201312 yr by CowgirlJane

Hey Jane.. Congrats on looking so great! I can imagine how excited you are to get back to yourself.

I couldn't find the site with some price quotes you mentioned in previous posts.. Do you happen to have that link?

Thanks and .. You go girl!

You look fabulous! Congrats to you and thanx for sharing so much of your experience.

The price list is here, but you do get some savings when you do multiple procedures.
The only way to really know is to get a quote. What I will say is that I paid less, way less, for getting all my procedures done at once then I was going to pay for just having the extended tummy tuck and breast aug/lift in the USA.

http://www.medicaltourism.com.mx/mtpl.html

AkMama - I haven't had alot of pain... I expected the thighs and arms to really really hurt and they haven't. The thighs are definately most difficult to live with though. Do you have any idea how hard it is to go for 6 weeks without parting your thighs or otherwise stressing those incisions? (get your mind out of the gutter!). getting in and out of a car, bending and reaching down low, daily normal tasks - you CAN do them, you just have to be careful to not do them - not because of pain but to avoid putting tension on the incision and widening your scar. I had the added bonus of having some skin problems. I have very delicate skin and the tape caused one abrasion. Anyway, it is all coming along okay.

I think the very hardest thing for me personally is accepting the physical limitations. I have found this to be very very hard. I realized that it reminds me of my darkest days of being 300+ pounds. I am a naturally high energy, likes to move and do stuff kind of person... and to be forced to sit... or lay... and rest... day after day... has definately played with my mind. Sometimes, it makes me feel fat and I have to remind myself that I am not fat, I am not disabled, I am just healing.

I have literally been watching the doghair grown on the carpet. My horses are filthy (caretaker feeds them, but doesn't really attend to them like I would). I have felt stircrazy at times and thank goodness I have friends who have rescued me by getting me out of the house, but like a baby I would get tired fast and need a nap. It sucks. I would say that around week 3 I was regretting surgery - not because of pain, i was happy with results, but because I felt I was going crazy not being able to do the most simple tasks for fear of interfering with my healing.

Anyway, my summary is that I worried way too much about pain and stuff and underestimated just how long it takes to heal. In another week I am cleared to start exercising, but I don't think I am really ready to do much besides walking. I am supposed to be okay to ride horses in 3 weeks, but based on how I feel now - no way - I need longer. I still have trouble opening heavy doors at commercial buildings - like wow - I used to feel so strong and now I am a weakling. (horses are a highly physical activity as they can do unpredictable things and they do weigh like 1200 pounds!).

I think I am finally ACCEPTING that this takes a lot of time. All I can say is I am sure glad I waited till autumn to do this. I would have cried over losing my summer (horseback riding, camping and hiking season) because it takes MONTHS to be back to full steam. Well, at least for me and probably for most people that have so many procedures at once.

I finally no longer regret having done the surgery and really am pleased with my results. I was always an apple shape and to finally have something that is more balanced, and womanly looking... makes me so happy. My clothes fit better and people see the difference in my shape even under winter clothes.

My ex made the statement that I needed to do plastics to sort of close a certain chapter and I think he was right. I can see that it is making me feel just so normal, which is all I ever really wanted.

Jane....you're half way to the promised land. I got my release today. It feels like a weight has been lifted. Too bad I now have the cardio of stale bread. But it will come back soon enough.

Hang tough. You're gonna be through this in no time.

You are looking great Jane. You are doing great not to rush into exercise. I can only walk, which is something I am not use to doing, but I know my body is still in the healing process, even though it has been 5 months. Everyone does not heal at the same rate. I know when my husband gets a cut on his hand, three days later if has completely healed, but whenever I get just a small, tiny cut on my hand, it takes 3 weeks to heal. I am the slowest healer ever! Whenever you are ready, your body will know let you know. GelZone is great! I like use Tamanu oil and Rose oil on my scars before I wrap up with the GelZone. Thank you for the pictures, and updates about your plastics. Smile.

I have a question. I had my tt and ba 9 weeks ago tomorrow. I still feel discomfort in my abdominal muscles when I move quickly or strain a little. Butter do you still have this? Anyone else who is further out have experience? How long until the muscle feel "normal?" I don't feel like I can go back to exercising my abs at this point with out pain. I keep thinking of going out to run, but the swelling and pulling stops me.

I feel less than fully flexible, but I can't tell how much of that is from sitting on my ass for 2 months. I've run easily a few times already. Lots of walking. And today I swam laps. No pain or discomfort. I still haven't wanted to lift any heavy weights or do any direct ab work. I need to ease myself into that. I really don't know if that would hurt and I'm not anxious to find out.

Jane - how far out are you now?

Would you consider yourself to be a "quick healer" or the opposite, historically speaking? Three weeks after my VSG I went back to Iraq, which was not a good idea, can't believe my surgeon allowed it .....

Butter TB - what all did you have done? How long has it been?

I had a tummy tuck 8 weeks ago. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/266280-tummy-tuck-today/?fromsearch=1

I just got my doctors release to go back to work and full exercise. It's been a much tougher recovery than the sleeve but indescribably gratifying and I feel 100% recovered. I just need to get back in shape. But I didn't lose as much fitness as I thought I would.

Okay, I am one month out now and in the process of scar treatment. I have alot more swelling now, so my results don't look that great, but I am confident that in another month or so - I will have a flat tummy again.

I am using a product called gelzone that is a silicone infused athletic wrap. It gives me great compression which helps with the belly swelling. So far it is easy to use. I cut one of them up to make little thigh and arm strips. The arm ones are held down by the compression garment.

Wrapped up in gelzone, i wear this under my compressin garments. Bikini bottoms are on for photo purposes only

11 21 2013 scar treatment at 5 weeks.jpg

More swelling in the belly then I had a few weeks ago, but scar is still flat and making progress

11 21 2013 tummy at 5 weeks.jpg

Arms scars still look good. Remember, it takes 1-2 years for scars to "mature"

11 21 2013 arms at 5 weeks.jpg

Amazing results...just wow!

Jane - how far out are you now?

Would you consider yourself to be a "quick healer" or the opposite, historically speaking? Three weeks after my VSG I went back to Iraq, which was not a good idea, can't believe my surgeon allowed it .....

Butter TB - what all did you have done? How long has it been?

My surgeon considers me a slow healer. Not necessarily the incisions, but my energy/feeling good level. I think my incision scars look as good or better then typical from a healing perspective. I would say that was true after my VSG too. I took 3 weeks off from work - I have a somewhat stressful desk job - and I wound up needing to take a few more days because i was so tired. I am not sure if i am a slow healer, or just complain more. I tend to "worry" about medical stuff so notice every little thing...lol Maybe my mental attitude and uncomfortableness with all things medical makes it harder for me? not sure.

My arm incisions have been tingling a little. I emailed the surgeon about it and he told me that is just nerve recovery but it is happening a little later for me then some other patients - I guess more evidence for him I am slow healer.

Thing is, I get lots of Protein and am fit, I feel like I SHOULD be a fast healer but that is my reality. I think in hindsight I should have allowed myself more carbs and stuff during my recovery but I am doing so little activity I worried about weight gain.

So now I am cleared to ditch the compression garments and start working out. i am still wearing the garments because I like that I am not swollen and want to keep it that way and I am going to go really slow with the exercise. I am very focused on NOT putting tension on my scars with the goal of giving them the best chance to heal to a thin line.

Oh I bet you're happy to be released. I found it wasn't as bad as I anticipated....the loss of fitness.

Stop "shoulding" all over yourself Jane, you are doing great!

Congratulations Jane, you look so amazing!! Before you know it, you'll be back to all of the activities you love.

Butterthebean who did ur tt? I read how much u paid.