Circumferential Body Lift Done 12/6

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

You mention that photos of those of us that had plastics in Mexico show that results are obviously not as good but I shouldn't take it personally. Well I disagree - my results are great and it is kind of hard to not take that personally.

If I were rich and could afford the nursing care I would have needed on top of the higher cost USA surgeons I would have happily stayed local but saying that my results aren't good because I went to Mexico is frankly untrue and unkind and smack of nationality based judgement on surgeons. And I got great care both there and follow up at home.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

Oh and I had 5.5 pounds of skin removed and it totally transformed my shape and appearance of my body in a very positive way.

Edited February 16, 2014 by CowgirlJane

[skiddles 66]

You mention that photos of those of us that had plastics in Mexico show that results are obviously not as good but I shouldn't take it personally. Well I disagree - my results are great and it is kind of hard to not take that personally.

If I were rich and could afford the nursing care I would have needed on top of the higher cost USA surgeons I would have happily stayed local but saying that my results aren't good because I went to Mexico is frankly untrue and unkind and smack of nationality based judgement on surgeons. And I got great care both there and follow up at home.

Don't blame Scout, I believe that was me that made that statement. Since then, I've seen the same aweful hack jobs in the states. When I first started researching LBLs I saw alot of pictures of some really terrible jobs. So I revise my opinon that there are alot of terrible plastic surgeons. Sue Sorry if I offended anyone.

[Scout1234 161]

Cowgirl Jane,

I really don't care how you take it……I was giving my opinion and as a matter of fact in the post (which i copied below) I said I wish anyone very good luck if that is the choice you make just not one I was comfortable. I tried to log my experience as it happened so that I could help someone that might be considering this surgery and give them as much information so that they can make the best choice for their situation. Furthermore, I did not reference your pictures and said nothing of your experience of which I know nothing about…... so for you to take offense is ridiculous and to accuse me of being nationality biased is what is truly offensive. Also, the last time I checked, there are surgeons in the US of all nationalities. You would have a point if I said…..make sure your US surgeon is a true blooded American. My opinion was based on what I was able to see from photos on the internet from various providers based in Mexico. It would be all together different if I said…..wow, my scar looks much better than hers so don't go to Mexico. I am thrilled that you are happy and that you were pleased with your care. What I mentioned in my post was that getting care at home MAY be difficult. I will say it again, if you can do the surgery stateside, that is what I would recommend. As far as being rich…..I am not. I saved for my VSG and then I financed most of my plastic surgery.

FOR ANYONE THAT CARES SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEARCH FOR MY COMMENTS….I SAID THE FOLLOWING IN A LONG DETAILED POST TRYING TO EDUCATE BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE:

MY PERSONAL OPINION:

A few people have mentioned that they were thinking of doing Mexico for plastics to save money. I obviously did not do that, I paid for both my VSG and LBL out of pocket. I saved for my VSG (18k ) and paid 4.5k out of pocket for the hospital portion of my plastics and put the balance on CareCredit (using their 18 month 0 interest plan) which is GE Bank.

In hindsight, I see no problem with the VSG in Mexico but with everything I have experienced and pictures I have seen of patients that have had plastics done in Mexico I would NEVER go there for that part. I am not passing judgement and if that is your decision, I wish you nothing but the best. I compare what I look like versus others and there is no comparison, not even by a long shot. In addition, if you do have complications, getting the right care at home may be difficult. At that point you might be wishing you had paid more!!!

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

A heartfelt response is always appreciated...and I read the post the first time so re posting it didn't make it any less insulting.

And my pix and story are well documented on this very forum so saying based on the photos you've seen results from Mexico aren't as good is a slam. But whatever.

I did save money going abroad but my main reason was better nursing care and being able to have more procedures at once - two factors that were important to me personally.

Lots of reasons for choosing a surgeon and I most clearly understand the pros and cons of in country vs abroad but it is a generalization about a specific nationality to say that results from Mexico aren't as good. It simply isn't true.

Edited February 17, 2014 by CowgirlJane

[much2gain 12]

There's always someone up on their box, or in this case, horse, looking for a verbal fight. Whether you agree with a few sentences of this thread or not, please get off your horse Cowgirl and appreciate what Scott has tried to do here; give all of us a first hand account of a major surgery. He has taken the time to research, experience and document with incredible detail his personal surgery for all for us. It takes a lot of courage, strength and dedication to post as much detail as he has, answer all of our questions honestly and be as open as possible. I'm not saying all of us are not allowed to speak our minds but you would rather continue with your verbal negativity, I think I speak for many people by saying, please take it to another thread. We would all like to get back to the positive work that is being shared here.

[aayers88 31]

Thank you much2gain!!

Edited February 17, 2014 by aayers88

[Ms.AntiBand 2,984]

I have been reading here and never did anyone get on the ol soap box and start anything other than adding an additional opinion. Lighten up people.

As for the states vs mx.. you can find awesome surgeons in both and you can find awful surgeons in both.

[Scout1234 161]

ms.antiband...

i agree with you, however, i got a little upset when i was accused of being racist in a very politically correct way when she claimed my post smacked of "nationality based judgement"

this whole site is based on personal experiences and opinions. the only people that lose in this are folks that read these types of exchanges and are then afraid to either participate and offer their experiences or even worse ask questions because they are afraid of being cyber bullied.

i gave my opinion, she could have simply said……"i decided based on my research to go to Mexico and had a wonderful experience so don't rule it out. do you own research and make a decision for yourself and what you think fits best for you" I absolutely respect that, I might disagree but that is why this forum is great…….

i won't stop giving my updates because i know there are people out there that are anxious and excited to have this procedure done and never get all of the answers they need. being a man, i did not have any other outlet other than this to get the info i needed to fully expect what i was truly going to experience. my surgeon put me in touch with a 2 other men that had the same operation which was hugely helpful in me selecting him but this forum was there for me 24 hours a day and i vowed to pay it forward.

good luck to anyone considering this procedure and as always don't hesitate to ask any questions as i would be happy to tell you about my experience…...

BTW: I will even answer peoples questions that are going to go to mexico for surgery……lol

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

Well, I am not sure why anyone ever thought you should stop giving updates. I didn't say it and certainly never meant it. I also never called anybody a racist. What I did say is that a statement was made that results from people who get plastics in Mexico aren't as good, based on research and photos seen. I take issue with that remark, as my photos (and many others) who had work done in Mexico have been posted on this very forum so it implies that our results are part of that "research".

Drawing a conclusion based on the country (I may have used the word nationality) that the surgery was done is a sweeping generalization that is inaccurate. There are good and bad surgeons everywhere. End results also vary a great deal depending on the patients starting situation and other factors.

I am very happy that you have had great results - but so have many others. There are plenty of good reasons to stay "in country" for medical care and there are plenty of good reasons to go outside the country -whether it be Mexico, Costa Rico, Thailand, India...etc. A blanket statement that results from Mexico are "worse" or not as good or whatever is what i took issue with - that's it. That's all. Don't read anymore into it.

So, for anyone who thinks I am trying to stop people from talking about plastics - I certainly apologize as that was never my intent and I am not really sure how anybody drew that conclusion. I and many others have shared results too and I always appreciated hearing people's stories as I have learned a great deal that way myself.

As I frequently say... carry on!

[skiddles 66]

Haven't had an update from you in a while! Come on, how ya doin'?

[silkwoodmedical 0]

You are doing fine dear just take good care of your self !!

[skiddles 66]

Yoo Hoo Scout! Where are you?

[Scout1234 161]

skiddles…...

thanks for checking in!

On Tuesday I have my 4th post op visit with my surgeon. I suspect that its a routine check in that is mostly for them to take pictures for my file and document my progress. I am anxious to ask him the following:

1. Do i need to continue to wear my binder? I have been wearing it religiously except for when I workout. I really think it helped me progress well with my swelling but I don't have anything to compare that with. I am a little over 11 weeks post op and many others have long since ditched their binders but I kept going because it felt good. I am sure he is going to tell me its not necessary but it have become a habit.

2. Swelling questions? I know the answer is going to be "you can have swelling for as much as 6-8 months post op but I want him to tell me how far along I am after he examines me

3. Can I have my clothes tailored yet? Kind of goes along with above but I have way more than I care to say out loud invested in new clothes that I bought in the fall thinking I couldn't get thinner that no longer fit!!!!! I need to have them taken in but don't want to do so unless he thinks I am just about where I am going to be. Example, I have been buying 34 waist sized items prior to surgery, on Friday I bought a really cool pair of golf shorts at Dicks in 34 and they are way to big. Got to take them back and get the 32's CRAZY!!

4. Silicone strips: hard to tell what my progress would be without them but all i can say is my scar looks amazing ( i think ) so i swear by them and i recommend anyone to use them

I will take a picture of the scar and post it again soon.

I also had a body comp analysis done in the Bod Pod. It showed that I was at 13.1% body fat. I am no longer going to use the scale to measure my success, I am going to have that done 4 times a year to show the progress I am making with my strength training. Only 22 pounds of fat out of 170 pounds of body weight. I still can't believe it!!

[skiddles 66]

Sounds like you're doing good. Dr said I don't have to wear the binder any more but It's like my security blanket when I go out. any feeling coming back yet? I get little shock waves now and then. Guess with being ripprd in the front and back, I'm glad I'm still numb. I'm going to try to go back to work. Don't know if they'll let me with lifting conditions. Keep me informed. It gives me something to look forward to.