Everything I wished I had known, and everything I learned, from my LBL and BL

So the purpose of this post is threefold. 1. I promised a friend on OH who is planning for an LBL and BL that I would tell her EVERYTHING 2. There are likely people investigating/thinking about/scheduled for LBL and BLs that could benefit from this 3. A year from now I will have zero recollection and this can serve as my memory.  (I'm only 37 but I swear I have no brain storage left.

I will preface this by saying that EVERYONE'S experience is different.  Every doctor is different.  Recovery times are all over the place.  Actual procedures vary greatly.  So this is my story.  I am also only one week post-op so a definite plastic surgery newbie.

After losing 210 lbs, my body needed some work.  Although my bat wings are quite prominent and literally flap in the wind when I run, my main concerns were a breast lift (my once 42DDDDs turned into sagging, empty tube socks) and a tummy tuck (I didn't have the tummy apron that hung to my knees but it sorta hung over my lady bits and was mushy and really unsexy).

I went to a plastic surgeon near DC who specializes in weight loss patients and as he pulled and prodded my skin it became clear that if he did a tummy tuck, it would make my saggy backside that much more pronounced and I realized I needed an entire lower body lift.

This freaked me out to no end - I would be cut in half!  I would look like Frankenstein!  I would be in serious pain!  I would walk like a hunchback!  I might die!  I would be under anesthesia for 10 hours!  I had a million scared and anxious thoughts that ran through my mind in the months leading up to surgery.

In actuality, I had two terrible and painful days, and have been great since.  I was back working (from home) on day 4 post op.  Surgery was Friday and I was online answering emails Tuesday afternoon and worked all day Wednesday.  I took a total of 2.5 days off.  I do have a flexible job where I can take a nap between meetings, so if you have a physical job or have to get dressed and commute to a job, you will likely need more time.

I did not have my arms done and thank god, since the abdominal tightening makes it so hard to do something basic like sit up.  I have to use my arms to push my body to a sitting position (the first few days I had to hug someone while they lifted me to a sitting position).  However, I think an arm lift is likely in my future.

Things I needed:

• A wedge pillow (I don't have a recliner, the wedge pillow has been perfect).  I got this one online http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009HHLBKK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• A stepstool next to my bed to put a water bottle on, my cell phone, my OxyCodone for the middle of the night, a magazine, chapstick, etc.
• Someone to stay with me for a week, to help fetch me food and drinks and pills, to empty my drains, to just sit next to me while I felt crappy
• Pantiliners, to put over your incisions before you put a tank top on and then a binder over that
• A crappy tank top or t-shirt that can get bloody to wear under the binder and unsexy bra
• The abdominal binder that the doc sent me home from the hospital with
• The weird front closure non-underwire bra that the doc sent me home from the hospital with
• All of my prescriptions filled and ready BEFORE surgery (I had zofran for nausea, OxyCodone for pain, Valium for muscle spasms, an antibiotic to fend off infection, Lovanox to thin my blood)
• Non-prescription meds like Tylenol (I had a few headaches), Colace (stool softener), Senno (laxative)
• Neosporin or bacatracin for your belly button and any random skin rubs you have
• Gentle lotion like Eucerin because your skin (the skin without incisions) gets itchy being all wrapped up tightly.
• A lanyard to wear around your neck and hook your drains to while you are in the shower.
• A clean apartment and clean sheets on the bed and clean towels.  You don't want to have to worry about that after surgery, and you don't want to get infections either!
• Protein, protein, protein.  Some bars, some chicken, some fish...whatever your favorite protein is...protein helps you heal so have your fridge and freezer stocked.

Things I wish I had known:

• I felt like I couldn't breathe the first few nights.  The binder is tight but also if your doc tightens your abdominal muscles, it literally leaves you breathless.
• The importance of butt augmentation.  Some docs do it, some don't.  Mine does and thank god.  Rather than have that flat "I have been pulled up and pulled down and then sewn together" look, I could be a distant Kardashian cousin.  I am LOVING it.
• The LBL helps the outer thigh sag, but not the inner thigh sag.  I sort of knew this, but now I really know this.
• I am swollen.  I am also up 10 lbs.  As WLS patients, we are trained to have a good day when the scale is down and a bad day when the scale is up.  Well my scale is up 10 lbs.  Kind of demoralizing.  But I know it's swelling and water weight so I am forcing myself to not obsess over this.  Don't be shocked!
• There is definitely an emotional component to this.  Night 2 I was hyperventilating from the pain and super regretful.  I got into a thought pattern of "why am I here?  Why did I get so fat that I needed surgery to get normal, and then now I am not even normal, I had to have another surgery to cut skin off my body, I can't believe I did this to myself, I'm such an asshole".  Luckily this was short-lived.  But I definitely had some self-hating moments!

  Would I do this again? Twice today, and twice tomorrow.  Even despite the pain and regret on the second night, the pain is greatly diminished and managed well with painkillers.  My body looks amazing, even with incisions and bruising.  If I look this good now, well then a month from now I will be unstoppable!   I know I am only a week out and no expert on PS.  I just know that if I don't put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) I will forget everything that was necessary/important and be no help to anyone considering plastics.

I told my surgeon that I want to be his best ever before and after picture.  At my one week post-op appointment today he said I am a model patient and well on my way.  I will keep updating if there is anything to update, and of course anyone can PM me with questions.  I know we should all use the magnifying glass to search on OH but sometimes it's nice to just ask someone something :)

Good luck to everyone considering these drastic yet amazing and life-changing procedures!  Here are my before and afters!

 

 

 

You look great. If I can ask, how much does setting like this cost?

 

It definitely varies (since the technicality of the procedures vary) and by area of the country (not to mention a lot of people do it for much cheaper in Mexico).  In the DC area, quotes were anywhere from $17-$23k.  Not cheap, but worth it to me!

Thanks ... You can really see the difference from before to after. Hope you post another picture when you are healed.

You are one brave woman. I don't think I could do it.  You look great. 

You look fabulous, Em!

I know how you feel about the batwings. When I move, they flap...hahaha...so funny and sad at the same time. Watch out when I'm having to vigorously stir something while cooking. My latest joke is that my bat wings have bat wings! Seriously, I look like I have double bat wings when I put my hands on my hips and everything just sorta hangs there in a certain way.

I'm looking into getting plastics this time next year. I'm just really beginning the research phase right now. This is SUPER DUPER helpful!! You are the bee's knees.

The whole breathless/binder being very tight thing freaks me the eff out. I'm really claustrophobic, and I'm worried that the thought of wearing something that tight would make me feel boxed in....uhhh nuh uh. Nope, nien, nyet..can't do it. I mean, I freak out if my bra is too tight! ( which is why my shapewear is 2 sizes too big. ) I think I will just have to put on my big girl panties and deal, though, because I'm starting to get reallllly sad when I look down and see all the flab and loose skin.

Thanks so much for posting this!

Hi Audrey! Don't worry too much about the binder! You can loosen it as needed and it's sort of comforting that it holds you all in. That first night I just felt like I couldn't breathe as deeply as normal because my abdominal cavity was smaller. I could breathe but more shallowly. Since then I breathe just fine :) Even with swelling I'm beyond thrilled with my results and would highly recommend these procedures! I even went out last night for dinner with a group of friends, day 7 post-op. I am pretty best today so perhaps I did too much but I'm telling you, I have zero regrets and my body looks better than I ever thought possible!

Also as of today I am back to my pre-op weight so it took one week to lose all of the water weight. I'm glad to be under 160 again - it's a psychological thing! 

I know you may be a year out but I'm already excited for you!!!

I hope one day I look as good as you do.my tummy hangs terribly down to my thighs n private part saggy n mushy makes peeing n sex a challenge I hope to have some surgery done.

I am 11 years out and strongly considering a LBL but also have major inner thigh sag

Excellent post!

Great idea to put it all in writing, it's amazing how we forget all the little things, but boy at the time, they are not so little! 

Your really doing fantastic and I know your helping so many others looking to have any plastics done.

Annette 👍