Fleur de Lis Abdominoplasty in 2 1/2 weeks - ??

I'm scheduled for my fleur de lis abdominoplasty (with the corset muscle tightening) on the 17th and I'm starting to get excited and nervous! I'm excited to finally be able to wear properly fitting jeans (I'm down about 175 lbs from my highest and have QUITE a pannus tucked into my pants), but I'm getting nervous about having unrealistic expectations. I've heard so many people say they were the same size after TT and that they were wearing the same pants. I can't imagine this will be the case, because of the size of my pannus, but if it IS, I know I will be disappointed.

How many of you who are post TT are happy with your results? Does it take a long time before you could really see your results (due to swelling, etc)... and do you have any suggestions/tips/tricks that will make surgery / healing a little easier?

I had my Tummy Tuck with lipo 2 1/2 weeks ago and I am very happy with the results.  I did have alot of swelling after about a week...better now but still have some.  I can still totally tell the difference.  I have had people tell me (that don't know what I did) that I look like I have lost more weight.  I think my waist is more curvey now along with my flat tummy.     I don't know about size yet...I haven't put on real pants yet.  I am still wearing yoga pants and sweats...and jammies alot.  I am still very sore and would not feel comfortable wearing jeans yet. 
  I am so very happy I did this...but be prepared it wasn't easy.  Take one day at a time!  It is so worth it and keep telling yourself that.

good luck
Patty

I am 8 month post TT with Anchor Cut and I love my results!  Before I had my first TT (2009) I was wearing a tight size 16.  After surgery I was wearing a 14 and in May I had the revision and am now wearing a 12 and loving it!

Did the PS discuss LBL?  I have my first consult for body work this week and am always curious why some doctors do TT vs. LBL. Is is patient choice?   I read LBL is good if the hiney is a big issue, mine is, more than other parts.  I have a face lift consult, and I know that surgeon will also want to do the body work and might give me a price break to do both.  I don't know.  I do know I want the best results, and the second surgeon does more TT where the first surgeon I will see does more LBL, I believe.

Congrats on moving forward in this journey...it is exciting.

I just LOVE you, Dasie! You have been reading and reading, and asking all the right questions, so I KNOW you will be ready for your consults when you go this week. Good luck!!

 

Thank you so much!  I needed that.  Sometimes I feel like I ask too many questions.  I am living on this forum now.  This surgery makes me nervous...the incisions opening, the swelling, the pain....all that stuff.  I am always pretty bold, but there is so much unknown  for me. 

I was disappointed with my first face lift consult, but I knew by the time I left I would not use that surgeon.  I'm sure his skills are great, and I liked his training, results, etc.  But his staff, especially the financial coordinator would not answer my questions.  I began feeling very awkward.

I don't want what I don't need.  I'm so confused as to why some do TT vs. LBL.  I did read a response to me that indicated  if hiney is the bigger issue, LBL gives better results.

I have not asked this...do you completely disrobe for the consult.  At the first consult the doctor was willing to give me a body work quote and said he can most likely get insurance to pay for the pani, but  I told him I was only interested in facial procedures at that time.  I was already feeling like I was not going to use him, so I was not about to disrobe.  I'm pretty self-conscious about my hiney.

You can't ever ask too many questions, for sure. It sounds like you know exactly what you are looking for, and that's great. I believe that when you find the right doctor, you'll know it, and be able to look forward to your surgery.

I'm SO excited about my facelift with Dr. Lev. I've been looking and looking, mostly at doing body work, but I was not at all happy about spending money for that when I want to do my facial work first. 

Now that I've decided to do the facelift, and I've found a doctor that I know in my heart will do his best to give me the results I am looking for, I just can't wait for March 7th to arrive!

I was reading your post about the facial consult doctor offering the body work, and I'm wondering if maybe facial work is not really his thing anyway? Many doctors who do body work just don't do too well at facial work. There are a few out that that can do both, but if when you look through before and afters of different docs, you'll notice that there is nearly always something that a doctor is not all that good at, and other areas that they are really good at. That sure makes it tough to pick and choose, because it's expensive to go from doctor to doctor to get all of the things done that we WLS patients need. 

Don't stop asking question, for sure! I love reading your posts...

I meant to comment about the LBL vs TT. I don't know a lot about those things since I have been told by all of the surgeons that I have consulted with that I have a rather small area that needs to be addressed. I guess I have about an inch of "overlap" on my lower belly that needs to be removed (panni?). 

From what I have read, though, people who have extra skin on their sides get more of an "extended" tummy tuck, where the incision goes further around the hip bone toward the back. 

If you have a lot of extra skin on your lower back, or a really droopy butt, I guess they extend the incision all the way around (360 degree) to catch all of the extra skin. 

If you have ever sewn (I sew all the time), you could easily imagine how and why they decide on the type and length of incision needed. Basically, they have to be able to remove large sections of skin, and sew them back together without puckering. In many ways, it's the same as making a dart in sewing. They just have to keep going with the incision until they get to a point where they can stop and not have any puckering because the skin meets evenly. Sounds sort of yucky putting it this way, but it's just a combination of cutting and sewing, but doing so with flesh rather than with fabric. That's the way I see it through my novice eyes, anyway. 

Excellent analogy.  I have been leaning more towards the face lift.  I have a consult with a surgeon on the 8th.  I was interested in him a year ago.  When I asked my bariatric surgeon for a recommendation, that surgeon was the first one he named.  That gave me a lot of confidence. 

My daughter and husband keep telling me to do the body work first.  I don't understand that.  They don't say why, but that is their opinion.  But they see what I don't I guess.

They can't fix what they don't see!
I had to get nekkid and put on a paper thong.

They took about 20 pics of me like that.

So, get yourself ready.