Well, I thought it was time to leave the old TT thread and start a separate one for my lateral thigh lift and brachioplasty that are coming up on November 8th. I figured months and years down the road, it'll be easier for someone considering the different procedures to find info if the threads are appropriately titled, so I'll have a thread for this surgery, and then probably another for the medial thighs and mons lift that I have planned for December 20th (assuming all goes well with the recovery from the November 8th surgeries).

As backgound for anyone who hasn't followed my first round of PS, I had an extended TT and breast lift on March 28, 2007, approximately 11 months after my band was placed. I am 5'2 (when I stand very very tall!) and I started at 358 lbs. I was at 199 when I had the first PS, which was somewhat controversial because obviously 199 isn't goal for someone who is 5'2. I went ahead with it because my pannus was so large and completely in my way in terms of exercise and the timing coincided with a job change, which gave me the time off I needed. Plus, I'm in the fortunate position of having a father who is a plastic surgeon, so cost wasn't too much of a concern (it's not free, but it's close) if and when I needed a revision (which, BTW, I do need).

Lateral Thighs

OK, so November 8th. The lateral thigh lift is the last MAJOR surgery I'll likely have from my morbid obesity. It's a very big surgery, particularly for me because I have an extreme amount of excess skin on my legs and bottom. Basically, they will re-open my TT scar on the sides and continue it around until it nearly makes a circle, as if I was wearing a belt. Then they pull up the outer thigh and butt. I'm expected to lose about 5-7 lbs in skin. It's not expected that I'll need any lipo in conjunction because I'm supposedly quite thin, but for the skin (or so they tell me). Supposedly there will be some improvement to the inner (medial) thighs as well, but they do think it's a near certainty that I'll want a separate operation for that, even though the scar is bad and many people would rather live with the excess skin. Mine is extreme enough that they think the scar will be outweighed by the improvement. Medials will likely be December 20th, along with a mons lift.

Brachioplasty (arm lift)

As for the brachioplasty (arm lift), I've been working out my arms for 2 years with a trainer my muscles are really great (if I say so myself!). I toyed with not having the arms done. Like the medial thighs, the scar is really bad if you're not a candidate for having them done through the arm pit (my hang is all the way to the elbow, so I'm not a candidate). Once again, my Dad said that the scar is bad, but that my extra skin is bad enough to justify it. If my Dad weren't the PS, I don't know if I would be having the arms done. I trust him completely when he says it will be worth it. I guess it's that I know the extra skin is bad, it's just that the legs are SO SO bad that I don't question them for a moment. the arms, well, I usually wear sleeves and they just don't bother me as much. Anyway, I'm doing it. As it can be done in conjunction with the lateral thighs, there's not much more surgical risk, so that's the plan.

I will post pictures along the journey, including before shots. 16 days in counting. I expect this will take me from being a size 6P to a size 2P (on bottom) -- something I truly can't fathom as I still see a heavy girl when I look in the mirror. I don't know if my top (4P) will change a size or not. Probably not. My rib cage is large for my frame and I don't find myself not buying things because they're too small in the arms -- they're more likely to not zip up the side, etc.

So there we have it. This forum was such a major source of support during my first round of PS. I look forward to sharing this journey with you as well.

To be continued....

Julie!!! How are things going???? Did you have your LAST surgery!?!?!

i believe it is tomorrow ... i'll be thinking of you tomorrow, Julie!

Hi Julie;

Tomorrow iis the big boob day huh?

Well, best of luck for a speedy uneventfull recovery...

Can't wait to see your after pics (hee,hee)

I'm thinking about you!

These are not the best pictures. I want to give you good pics of how well the scars are doing but I'm dealing with limited software since I'm traveling. When I get home on the 6th, I'll do better. I'm at 6 weeks postop.

Wow, your arms look so thin and toned! It looks like you are healing very well. Thank you for sharing your PS journey!

Did you have your Breast Implants done yet? I thought it was sched. for Dec 20th???

Hi Julie, How's everything going? Hope your latest surgery went well, I think it was right around this time that your boobs are getting done. If you already had it, hope everything went well. If you haven't had it yet, then good luck. Please keep us posted.

Cindy

Hi guys, Julie started a new thread for her breast and thighs. Check it out at http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f12/julienyc-s-medial-thigh-lift-breast-augmentation-mons-lift-47261/index4.html#post662745

You are such a fast healer! Your arms are looking fantastic. I'm at 4 weeks post-op and my arms are no where close to how yours look. Are you using silicone sheets or mederma or anything else on the scars? And are you still in a compression garment for the arms?

Enterprise,

For what it's worth (and it's only one guy's opinion), Dad says Mederma, Vitamin etc. is a waste of money. He says moisturizer in general will help, but that specific products that claim scar reduction won't. I don't know what I think about that, but I've been using Nivea cream, per his recommendation, and it's worked pretty well.

No, I'm not in a compression garment. If I'm honest, I quit wearing it in week 4, though I was supposed to wear it through week 6. I would have worn it longer if I had one like yours. Mine kept rolling down (it wasn't joined behind the shoulders) and was too loose by the time the swelling went down to do any real good (that was my excuse anyway).

For what it's worth (and it's only one guy's opinion), Dad says Mederma, Vitamin etc. is a waste of money.

I heard that same thing yesterday from another surgeon . . .

I took my 14 year-old daughter back to see her surgeon for a 2 week follow-up appt after she had a cyst removed from her throat. She asked the doctor how soon she could start putting "Mederma" on the scar and her surgeon said the same thing - that there really is nothing that works to make the scar less visible.

I wish she hadn't told her that, because my daughter had in her head that it would help. As it is, she looks like she survived a mugging and ended up with about a 2 inch scar right across the front of her throat! I am sure with time the swelling will go down and the incision will be much less noticeable, but my teenager wants it gone YESTERDAY!

I have used Vitamin E oil on my band incisions and after a year, all but the port incision are barely noticeable. I bought Mederma, but didn't like the way it smelled.

I forgot to say that the doctor told my daughter that the worst thing for her incision was the SUN. She told her to use a moistuizer with SPF on her incision whenever she is going to be outside for the first year . . .

.... I bought Mederma, but didn't like the way it smelled.

I remember reading somewhere that Mederma is made from onions. That's probably why it smells funky. Dr. Heller suggested the silicone sheets. My guess is that the silicone sheets help keep the scar flat because of the way they adhere to the skin. I also like the idea of keeping the scars covered because the whole area is extremely sensitive and just the slight rubbing of my clothes against the incisions causes pain.

Lynn, I'm sure your daughter will heal just fine. Youth has quite a few advantages. But I do remember being that age and worrying about every little flaw. (What am I saying? I still do that!)

Dad likes the silicone sheets too, for scars that look like they're going to develop raised. He's always looked at mine around 6 weeks and said not to bother. Where do you get the sheets? The regular drugstore? I might do that this time if so....