Vickie J's Plastic Surgery Updates
I'm home & doing pretty good - tired but having almost no pain. If you're interested in details, I'm posting 2 e-mail updates I sent family (July 4 and July 9) for you to read. Now that I'm home I'll try to post more often.
Thanks to Sarah Margaret for posting an update for me and coming to visit me at the hotel - you're a sweetheart 
And thanks to everyone else that posted well wishes & prayed for me. I needed, and still need, all the help I can get!
Vickie J.
July 4, 2006
Thank you for your prayers & get well wishes, unfortunately, I wasn't
lucky enough to have a complication free recovery. The lower body lift surgery went fine, I was in the OR about 6 hours and things seemed fine at first. He removed a
6" strip of skin all the way around my body which weighed about 4.5 lbs.
It was pretty much all skin, almost no fat. Imagine carrying around a bag of sugar
around your middle, that's about what he removed.
On Wednesday my hematocrit (red blood count) and blood pressure began to
drop which concerned my surgeon but he was hopeful I'd begin to improve
b/c the pain meds can lower BP and as time passed I'd be taking less of
them. By Thursday my blood pressure & hematocrit were even lower and he
noticed a bit of swelling on the right side. The swelling was so slight, Garry &
I would never have noticed it but he did so he decided I might have a
hematoma (blood clot) and an active bleeder so he went back in at 2:00 pm on
Thursday. Keep in mind I wasn't in pain other than what was expected
but by the time they were able to get me scheduled and into surgery, my BP was
80-ish over 41. He also told me before surgery that he would probably
have to give me a blood transfusion. I wasn't happy at the prospect but I
trusted his judgment.
So I went back into surgery Thursday at 2:00 pm and was in surgery about
4 hours. He opened me up from the center front (below my "new" belly
button) all the way around to the center back (at my butt crack). He found a
huge hematoma (clot) which he evacuated, but no active bleeding (yeah, good
news) but to be sure, he packed the wound and as he said "sat down" for 15
minutes to see if anything began to bleed. When nothing did, he finished and
closed me back up. I did NOT have to have a transfusion but I did have to take
3 IV infusions of iron (gross, looked like pureed liver running into my vein!!)
My incision looks as good the 2nd time as it did the first time. I had to
stay in the hospital until Saturday afternoon, then I was able to come
back to the hotel. I've been taking it easy in the recliner during the day,
but have been able to get propped up in bed at the appropriate angles to be
able to sleep pretty well at night. I'm in very little pain, unless I move or
twist in the wrong way, which I try VERY hard not to do, so I'm only
taking pain pills at night.
Garry got one of those sprayers that hooks over a sink spigot so I could
wash my hair - whoo hoooo!!! I've been able to take sponge baths, so I
feel pretty normal. I'm in less pain than I had with my hysterectomy but I
still get a little light headed when I stand or walk around. Because of
that, I don't try to move around unless Garry can walk with me, just to be on
the safe side.
We went to Outback Steakhouse for dinner tonight which was great. I was
getting very stir crazy in the hotel room. Of course, by the time we got
back I was exhausted so I lay down and dozed off for about 30 minutes.
This is the first time I've sat up at the computer so I don't know how long
I'll last.
I see the surgeon tomorrow (Wed., 7/5) and I'm hoping I get a good
report. I've got 4 abdominal JP (Jackson-Pratt) drains and since I'm draining
very little from 3 of them, I'm hoping he'll remove some of them. He told me
when I talked to him on Monday that he thought the chances of me being
able to drive back to Tallahassee on Friday were still pretty good but that I
would probably still have some of the JP drains. That's OK. They're an
inconvenience but I can deal with them. He says I'm anemic now and will
have to continue taking liquid iron (nasty!!!****il we get my blood counts
back where they should be but that is OK, too.
I can't tell you how impressed I've been with the care & expertise of my
plastic surgeon, Dr. Bernard Shuster!! He was so on the ball spotting a problem when I really didn't have significant symptoms. And just to give you an example of his
caring & concern, when he added real "food" to my diet at the hospital there
was a screw up and they still had me on full liquids instead of a full
"regular" diet when he checked on me again later in the day. His wife
was coming to the hospital to visit & bring a friend dinner so he called his
wife on her cell phone to ask her to pick up some yogurt for me. Of
course, he also made sure the nurses got the diet corrected so I could begin
eating again. A little later, he was back with his wife, introduced us and gave
Garry a bag with several cartons of yogurt for me. Can you believe
that??!! I call that going above and beyond the call of duty!!
Well, I've about had it for sitting at the computer. I just wanted to
let you know how I'm doing. Keep those prayers and good wishes going. I
need them!! We'll keep you posted on my progress.
Sunday, July 9, 2006
Good news! I saw my plastic surgeon last Wed. (7/5) and he was so impressed with my progress that he said I could go home!! Three of my JP drains were drainning almost nothing (1 to 6 cc in 24 hours) and the 4th drain was draining 10 cc or less per day for several days, so he told me he wanted to take out all 4 drains and let me come home. Wooo HOOOO!! After the drains were removed, the nurse wrestled me into a compression garment, a VERY tight girdle that has hooks & zippers on both sides from knees to breast. It is so tight I asked the nurse if breathing was "optional" in this thing! I have to wear it 24-7 except when I shower or rinse it out & hang it to dry.
Since it was already mid-afternoon when he said I could go home, we decided to wait and leave for Tallahassee the next morning, Thursday (7/6). I made the 7.5 hour drive back to Tally just fine, thanks to frequent stops and a pain pill. I was only taking the pain pills at bedtime to help me sleep, which they weren't really helping at all, so I stopped taking them completely. Since I have to sleep on my back, all propped up and wedged in so I can't turn over in my sleep, I wake up repeatedly during the night with a very dry mouth & throat. I drink a few sips of water and eventually fall asleep again. The past 2 nights, I've taken a valium when I went to bed and seem to be sleeping better, only waking up 3 or 4 times during the night, instead of every 20-30 minutes and falling back to sleep quickly. I feel much more rested now than I did on Saturday.
Mom, Pop & my niece, flew in yesterday (Sat.) and will be staying until Mon. 7/17 to take care of me while Garry works. I can't get in & out of my compression garment without assistance so helping me potty, shower and move around the house will their primary duties. However, I think keeping me from doing too much will probably be Mama's biggest job! I figure I'll be watching lots of TV and reading during the next 6 weeks!
The ps told me I am not allowed to do much of anything for 6-8 weeks, expecially the next few of weeks b/c the risk of a seroma (fluid collection under the skin) is MUCH greater in the next 2 weeks since I don't have any JP drains. Garry asked if he wanted me to be walking around some and he told him absolutely NOT! Walking to & from the bathroom or the table to eat is about all I'm allowed to do. I'm trying to be good, but I am probably moving around a little more than he would like. I'm scheduled to fly back to Ft. Lauderdale / Hollywood to see the ps on Wed. (7/12) and again the following Wed. (7/19) for follow-up visits to look for seroma build-up and to check the incisions. The nurse told me when I fly down I can't even carry a purse unless it is almost empty! That is how little they want me lifting in the next few weeks. Oh well, this will pass.
The only pain I have is when I try to twist (which I'm trying NOT to do) or when I cough (Ouch) or sneeze (OUCH!! OUCH!!). Otherwise, I'm doing very well. So far, so good. I look like I might have the beginning of a small egg-size seroma, but I'll find out for sure on Wed. If it is a seroma, he'll drain it in his office with a needle. Knowing how I feel about needles, you know I'm NOT looking forward to that at all, but it is a small price to pay to have all those JP drains out already.
Well, I've been sitting up long enough, time to hit the recliner again. I'll keep you posted on my progress.
Vickie
And thanks to everyone else that posted well wishes & prayed for me. I needed, and still need, all the help I can get!
Vickie J.
July 4, 2006
Thank you for your prayers & get well wishes, unfortunately, I wasn't
lucky enough to have a complication free recovery. The lower body lift surgery went fine, I was in the OR about 6 hours and things seemed fine at first. He removed a
6" strip of skin all the way around my body which weighed about 4.5 lbs.
It was pretty much all skin, almost no fat. Imagine carrying around a bag of sugar
around your middle, that's about what he removed.
On Wednesday my hematocrit (red blood count) and blood pressure began to
drop which concerned my surgeon but he was hopeful I'd begin to improve
b/c the pain meds can lower BP and as time passed I'd be taking less of
them. By Thursday my blood pressure & hematocrit were even lower and he
noticed a bit of swelling on the right side. The swelling was so slight, Garry &
I would never have noticed it but he did so he decided I might have a
hematoma (blood clot) and an active bleeder so he went back in at 2:00 pm on
Thursday. Keep in mind I wasn't in pain other than what was expected
but by the time they were able to get me scheduled and into surgery, my BP was
80-ish over 41. He also told me before surgery that he would probably
have to give me a blood transfusion. I wasn't happy at the prospect but I
trusted his judgment.
So I went back into surgery Thursday at 2:00 pm and was in surgery about
4 hours. He opened me up from the center front (below my "new" belly
button) all the way around to the center back (at my butt crack). He found a
huge hematoma (clot) which he evacuated, but no active bleeding (yeah, good
news) but to be sure, he packed the wound and as he said "sat down" for 15
minutes to see if anything began to bleed. When nothing did, he finished and
closed me back up. I did NOT have to have a transfusion but I did have to take
3 IV infusions of iron (gross, looked like pureed liver running into my vein!!)
My incision looks as good the 2nd time as it did the first time. I had to
stay in the hospital until Saturday afternoon, then I was able to come
back to the hotel. I've been taking it easy in the recliner during the day,
but have been able to get propped up in bed at the appropriate angles to be
able to sleep pretty well at night. I'm in very little pain, unless I move or
twist in the wrong way, which I try VERY hard not to do, so I'm only
taking pain pills at night.
Garry got one of those sprayers that hooks over a sink spigot so I could
wash my hair - whoo hoooo!!! I've been able to take sponge baths, so I
feel pretty normal. I'm in less pain than I had with my hysterectomy but I
still get a little light headed when I stand or walk around. Because of
that, I don't try to move around unless Garry can walk with me, just to be on
the safe side.
We went to Outback Steakhouse for dinner tonight which was great. I was
getting very stir crazy in the hotel room. Of course, by the time we got
back I was exhausted so I lay down and dozed off for about 30 minutes.
This is the first time I've sat up at the computer so I don't know how long
I'll last.
I see the surgeon tomorrow (Wed., 7/5) and I'm hoping I get a good
report. I've got 4 abdominal JP (Jackson-Pratt) drains and since I'm draining
very little from 3 of them, I'm hoping he'll remove some of them. He told me
when I talked to him on Monday that he thought the chances of me being
able to drive back to Tallahassee on Friday were still pretty good but that I
would probably still have some of the JP drains. That's OK. They're an
inconvenience but I can deal with them. He says I'm anemic now and will
have to continue taking liquid iron (nasty!!!****il we get my blood counts
back where they should be but that is OK, too.
I can't tell you how impressed I've been with the care & expertise of my
plastic surgeon, Dr. Bernard Shuster!! He was so on the ball spotting a problem when I really didn't have significant symptoms. And just to give you an example of his
caring & concern, when he added real "food" to my diet at the hospital there
was a screw up and they still had me on full liquids instead of a full
"regular" diet when he checked on me again later in the day. His wife
was coming to the hospital to visit & bring a friend dinner so he called his
wife on her cell phone to ask her to pick up some yogurt for me. Of
course, he also made sure the nurses got the diet corrected so I could begin
eating again. A little later, he was back with his wife, introduced us and gave
Garry a bag with several cartons of yogurt for me. Can you believe
that??!! I call that going above and beyond the call of duty!!
Well, I've about had it for sitting at the computer. I just wanted to
let you know how I'm doing. Keep those prayers and good wishes going. I
need them!! We'll keep you posted on my progress.
Sunday, July 9, 2006
Good news! I saw my plastic surgeon last Wed. (7/5) and he was so impressed with my progress that he said I could go home!! Three of my JP drains were drainning almost nothing (1 to 6 cc in 24 hours) and the 4th drain was draining 10 cc or less per day for several days, so he told me he wanted to take out all 4 drains and let me come home. Wooo HOOOO!! After the drains were removed, the nurse wrestled me into a compression garment, a VERY tight girdle that has hooks & zippers on both sides from knees to breast. It is so tight I asked the nurse if breathing was "optional" in this thing! I have to wear it 24-7 except when I shower or rinse it out & hang it to dry.
Since it was already mid-afternoon when he said I could go home, we decided to wait and leave for Tallahassee the next morning, Thursday (7/6). I made the 7.5 hour drive back to Tally just fine, thanks to frequent stops and a pain pill. I was only taking the pain pills at bedtime to help me sleep, which they weren't really helping at all, so I stopped taking them completely. Since I have to sleep on my back, all propped up and wedged in so I can't turn over in my sleep, I wake up repeatedly during the night with a very dry mouth & throat. I drink a few sips of water and eventually fall asleep again. The past 2 nights, I've taken a valium when I went to bed and seem to be sleeping better, only waking up 3 or 4 times during the night, instead of every 20-30 minutes and falling back to sleep quickly. I feel much more rested now than I did on Saturday.
Mom, Pop & my niece, flew in yesterday (Sat.) and will be staying until Mon. 7/17 to take care of me while Garry works. I can't get in & out of my compression garment without assistance so helping me potty, shower and move around the house will their primary duties. However, I think keeping me from doing too much will probably be Mama's biggest job! I figure I'll be watching lots of TV and reading during the next 6 weeks!
The ps told me I am not allowed to do much of anything for 6-8 weeks, expecially the next few of weeks b/c the risk of a seroma (fluid collection under the skin) is MUCH greater in the next 2 weeks since I don't have any JP drains. Garry asked if he wanted me to be walking around some and he told him absolutely NOT! Walking to & from the bathroom or the table to eat is about all I'm allowed to do. I'm trying to be good, but I am probably moving around a little more than he would like. I'm scheduled to fly back to Ft. Lauderdale / Hollywood to see the ps on Wed. (7/12) and again the following Wed. (7/19) for follow-up visits to look for seroma build-up and to check the incisions. The nurse told me when I fly down I can't even carry a purse unless it is almost empty! That is how little they want me lifting in the next few weeks. Oh well, this will pass.
The only pain I have is when I try to twist (which I'm trying NOT to do) or when I cough (Ouch) or sneeze (OUCH!! OUCH!!). Otherwise, I'm doing very well. So far, so good. I look like I might have the beginning of a small egg-size seroma, but I'll find out for sure on Wed. If it is a seroma, he'll drain it in his office with a needle. Knowing how I feel about needles, you know I'm NOT looking forward to that at all, but it is a small price to pay to have all those JP drains out already.
Well, I've been sitting up long enough, time to hit the recliner again. I'll keep you posted on my progress.
Vickie 
{{{{{Vickie}}}}}} It is good to see you home safe and sound. Wow, what a trooper you are! Thankfully you have a good doctor who is right on top of things. I bet that was a little scarey when your pressure dropped like that!! And...God bless that doctor who would be kind enough to have his wife bring you in some food. What a sweetie he must be. Take care of your self and be sure to follow doctor's orders. Thanks for updating us and sharing your story.
I'm still waiting on my approval. Just like you told me a couple of months back, I'm having to exercise some real patience during the waiting period. 
Hugs,
Betty
Wow, what a trooper you are! Thankfully you have a good doctor who is right on top of things. I bet that was a little scarey when your pressure dropped like that!! And...God bless that doctor who would be kind enough to have his wife bring you in some food. What a sweetie he must be. Take care of your self and be sure to follow doctor's orders. Thanks for updating us and sharing your story.
I'm still waiting on my approval. Just like you told me a couple of months back, I'm having to exercise some real patience during the waiting period.
Hugs,
Betty Betty,
Thank you for your well wishes! I know how frustrating waiting for approval can be but it is worth it in the long run. Just hang in there!!
Yes, I'm soooo lucky to have such a top notch surgeon who is not only an excellent doctor but also such a kind & caring individual as well!! It sure helps keep your anxiety down when you confidence & faith in your medical team!!
Hugs!
Vickie J.
Tracey,
I am soooo blessed to have such huge support network of family and friends! I don't think I could've done all this without them.
I'm hoping to make it to the Aug. conference. I just need to find several roommates or a hotel near the Westin that is cheaper. I just can't pay $149 + tax for a room after all I've spent on plastics. But I really hope I can come. My plastic surgeon, Dr. Bernard Shuster, is going to be a featured speaker again this year and I can't say enough good things about him!! I hope to see you there!
Hugs,
Vickie J.
Most Active
Recent Topics
