Hi everybody. I wanted to start this thread to document the plastic surgery journey that we are about to start on. Frangipani & I both were banded last August and have each lost over 100 pounds. Since we have been traveling the lapband road together and now are about to have PS at the same time (me on June 12 & Frangi on June 13) we thought it would be appropriate to share a thread.

We have both learned so much from those who have gone before us and our hope is that our stories can be of some value to others.

I am having a lower body lift and medial thigh lift. All of my pre-op testing is done and now I'm just nervously waiting for my big day, which is less than two weeks away! I will post clothed before and after pictures for sure and I'll have to think about more revealing pictures later.

Thank you all so much for your nice comments on my photos. I am so glad I had the surgery, even with all the whining I've done, I am now 100% convinced that it was all absolutely worth the pain and expense.

I saw my plastic surgeon today for my one month follow up. He was very pleased with the way I'm healing and assured me that everything is going to keep getting better and better. He says that some of the areas that are not completely smooth are because of internal stitches that still need to disolve. When they do the puckering that I'm concerned about will go away.

I am up to one hour walks at about three miles per hour now and he said I could continue increasing my speed as tolerated. If anything causes discomfort I should stop, but otherwise I can keep building back until I return to my pre surgery activity level. I can also start lifting light weights.

Frangi, I saw your great question to Dr. Schulman about scar treatment so I asked my doc today what he recommends. He agreed that Mederma is a waste of money. His thought is that massaging the scars is the best thing one can do. It is the compression thing. The pressure from the massage will diminish the appearance of the scars. I'm going to combine massage with Dr. S's ideas and hopefully get good results. I don't think it can hurt.

Jody, I'm glad you're going to give the "Strong Women..." plan a try. It is so simple and takes very little time and I've gotten really good results. It is a plan that I know I can stick with. I hope you'll like it too.

Karey, Are you really thinking of doing your butt and legs next? I was hoping you'd do your arms and tell me all about it before I have mine done, LOL. Really, I think you'll love the thigh and butt lift. When you've already had a tummy tuck do they lift the backside and meet up with the tummy tuck scars? Frangi, is that how yours will be?

Hi Becky,

I'm glad to hear that everything went so well with the Dr. today!!!

Yes, I believe that my Dr. will be just continuing the TT incision right on along into the back, but I will confirm all the details with him once I plan out phase 2, which I hope will be very soon!

I'll be curious to know whether or not he'll propose to do that fat transfer to fill out the backside. I asked him about this and he told me that he does it on an "as needed" basis. I know from his photos that he does gorgeous backsides and I trust his judgment completely, so just as I did with the breasts, I'll let him decide the best way to go about this, and just show up for the surgery :confused_smile:.

Yes, Dr. S was very helpful regarding the scar treatment advice, and I'm already wearing my tape.

Have a great night!

:smile2::smile::crying:

Edited July 15, 200818 yr by Frangipani

Ok, This is hard but I'm attaching a before and after shot so that you can all see that it was so worth it.

Holy HE double hockey sticks! YOU LOOK GREAT! Congrats!!!!!

glad that you and Frangi are recovering and getting back into your routines :confused_smile:

thank you both for posting your experiences!

I'm having a LBL with mastopexy in October and yall are giving me a realistic view of what to expect, what helps/doesn't help

thank you again!

Becky.... holy crap woman!!!! You look beyond INCREDIBLE!!!! No way you are 50ish. You whine all you want.... with results like that you totally deserve it! Your doc is a star and I've no doubt he'll do equally well with your breasts and arms. Dang, I can't wait until I'm there!!!

The bike? It rocks. Really and truly. I've gone on long rides for the last two days and my sitter-downer area does not hurt AT ALL!!!!!! Best $300 I've spent in a really long time. I got the bike with 7 gears. The Pac NW has PLENTY of hills and those gears are all I need. I bought a basket for the front today and it is just too darn cute. Becky, I say gor for it. LOVE IT!!!!

Hey Frangi. Your doctor obviously has impreccable taste... I agree, you are smart to let him do what he knows will work :confused_smile:

Hope you are all having a fabulous day!!!!!!

Oh. I was talking to Brian (dh) this morning about PS. He says I don't need it (yeah, right. That c-section shelf has been there for 15 years.... it is not going anywhere without surgical assistance! And the ladies? They are looking like empty tubes of tooth paste... not a look I care to contiue with.) Anyway, I just thought I'd share with all of you that my husband thinks you are all corrupting me... (he's right!) so thank you! I love your corruptive influence :confused_smile:

Hi Cori,

Oh we definitely are corrupting you, that's what we love to do -- corrupt the women of America :confused_smile::biggrin::smile2:!

But let me ask you this, is there anything that men think we need? Just ask a man, do I need this or do I need that, and the answer will almost always be NO, NO, NO!!!

BTW, I LOVE your new bike. It's gorgeous and I hope you're having a lot of fun with it.

I love biking so much and really miss it. My bike is in storage in the States right now, because biking is not really an option here on the island. For one, the roads here are unrelentingly steep, and secondly the crazy drivers (which I guess I should include myself in that group, if I'm being honest) make biking fairly dangerous.

There is a group of incredibly fit, hard-core men that go out biking at dawn (the only time when the roads might even be remotely safe for biking), but they all look like something out of the Tour de France, and probably are. Needless to say, there is NO WAY that I could keep up with that crowd.

Anyhow, enjoy!!!!

Becky: I believe that the backside will meet up with the incision on my hips. When I have the back side down, I'm going to get my arms done too. Not anxious to recover too many more times and I think my ps will do them both at the same time.

Frangi: Thanks for asking the scar question. I used the silicone tape stuff and it was alright. I think the paper tape sounds easier.

Mcgreen and Cori, you sure know how to make a middle aged former fatty feel good about herself. Thanks so much.

Cori, do you think DH is trying to be sweet or is he just trying to save money? My hubby said he didn't care if I had PS, he loved me just the way I was. True, but he sure likes the results now, LOL! I suspect your hubby will love you a little bit "corrupted".

Karey, I really am glad you're going ahead of me with the arms. You've been such a wonderful source of info. I like following in your footsteps. I assume you'll go ahead of me. When are you thinking of having another round? I don't think I'll be ready before December at least. I have another question for you. How is your numbness? I'm curious when it starts getting better.

Becky: I don't think I'll be up for another round to January. December is too hard of a month to not be feeling well. Of course, than I would have an excuse for not being superwoman! LOL. Numbness. Yes, I still have some, especially right under my navel area. It is getting better all the time and I don't really notice very much anymore unless I touch it. My actual stomach muscles are doing so much better now. I actually can control them and am up to speed in pilates class. It's really quite an undertaking, isn't it?

Hi everyone,

I've really got nothing new to share on the plastic surgery front, but I did have a nice little victory today, thanks to the plastic surgery. I'm getting ready for a short trip to Chicago next week and then ten days in Eastern Canada, so today I set out to buy new jeans.

Frangi, your prediction of a size 8 was correct! Can I get some dancing bananas? I really can not recall wearing a size 8. I probably did decades ago, but I have no memory of that. Most of my jean shopping memories are bad. Down right traumatic. Those are the memories that stuck. Last May I went to Chicago and I bought new jeans before that trip too. They were a size 22.

Woo Hoo Becky!!!!

Size 8 -- Congratulations!!! :woot:

:cool2::smile::smile::bananapowerslide::bananapowerslide::bananapowerslide::bananapowerslide::bananapowerslide:

WOW BECKY!! How fantastic you must feel! We know how good you look from those pictures!! Look out Canada here comes HOT Texas Becky!

:cool2::Banane03::smile::Banane01::smile::Banane03::Banane01:

congrats becky on the size 8!!!!! not sure what part of NTX your in - but we need to meet up!

got to hit chicago last friday night for a fantastic diner in little italy - it was 78 and breezy .... such a treat vs the TX heat - enjoy yourself & those jeans!

lulu

PICTURES!!!!!! This thread is useless without pictures! (OK, that might have been a slight exaggeration, but you know what I mean)

Becky, you are a rock star my friend!!!!! Size 8? Hooo RAH!!!! Last MAy a size 22 to this July a size 8..... unbelievable! You have worked so hard. I hope you have a fantastic time in Chicago.... I never thought I would but I love that city. For several years I'd go once a year for a convention and man, too much fun. Great memories. You're not by chance going for ACCI?CHA are you? Hope you have a BLAST on the miracle mile :cool2:

As far as Brian and PS.... he already loves the results and I should lose another 40 or so pounds. I don't think it's the $$ (though I know he wouldn't mind using that on a killer vacation instead of PS) or even being sweet (though is is). I think mostly it's because he worries and he doesn't want me going through more surgery. He lost his mom during surgery when he was 18 and though he doesn;t verbalize it, I know that has stuck with him through the years. He stressed majorly about my c-sections, my carpal tunnel surgery and the band placement. I honestly think he just doesn't like the surgical risks, regardless of the fact that I do really well both during surgery and post op.

Frangi, how much longer will you be in the VI? My husband used to be a hard core cyclist, but I've softened him up a bit over the years. I can picture exactly what you are talking about though with those tough rider dudes.... they can move!!! When you can get your bike back I've no doubt you will enjoy it.... I am completely in love with my new beach cruiser. It is sooooo comfortable!

Hope you are all have a fantastic day!!!

PS, Becky, if I had a clue how to do dancing bananas I'd ssend them to you in a heart beat. You so totally deserve the extra happy dance!