Plastic Surgery Questions - Lynda M.

G'morning friends ~ This is a reply to a post that LYNDA M. sent to me yesterday, buried in someone elses thread. I thought I'd start a brand new one, in hopes that OTHERS that have ALSO had plastic surgery can see her questions and share their personal experiences. We can NEVER have too many opinions in the mix, right? Anyway - the questions Lynda had are listed below, if others can chime in with their experiences, that would be great! Hope everyone has a great weekend - a group of us from the VA Board are going line dancing tonight, anyone else wanna join? Hugs to all ~ Lei LYNDA's Questions: · How long did it take you to recover from your breasts/arms? · You did do both of those things together--right? · How is your arm scar looking? · Do you think I can have the arms/boobs dones mid September and play in a golf tournament mid November? · How long was the recovery from your abdominaplasty? · Trying to figure out if I could have that before Thanksgiving and go on my cruise Dec. 17? What do you think?

LYNDA's QUESTIONS: · How long did it take you to recover from your breasts/arms? The type of breast surgery you have will probably depend on your overall recovery. My "girls" were in such bad shape that the doctor did a lift w/implants. The cut was completely around the nipple - then down and under the breast. Kinda like the "anchor cut" on the stomach. Also, the implants were set under the muscle - which trigged additional aches and pains, but I think you said you were just going with a LIFT? I was up and about (taking it very easy) within a week of the surgery. I don't think I felt "great" until about 3 weeks into recovery. By then the aches and pains and all the recharged nerve endings had pretty much packed up and moved on. · You did do both of those things together--right? Yes, Arm lift and breast lift w/implants were at the same time. · How is your arm scar looking? They look great - if you want, I'll get Paul to take some more pictures so you can have a "right here and now" kinda visual. The pictures on my profile are from 2 months ago. I go back and see Dr. Merrell's replacement on Monday and Im going to ask him what it would take to "recut/resew" the scar line on my left arm. That was the one that had so many problems with the water build up (remember Lei's Spidey Squirt Elbow story?) Anyway - I guess Im too much of a perfectionist, I don't like that the bottom part (near the elbow) looks a little stretched and twisted. · Do you think I can have the arms/boobs done mid September and play in a golf tournament mid November? Hmmmm... that's a tough one. Do I think you'll be up to it? Yes! Do I think you should? Well...uh.... prolly not! hehehe - sorry Momma Lei is typing now. I'd ask the doc his thoughts on it, for sure. One story I can share with you, in reference to myself? FIVE weeks after I had my arm lift and breast lift, a friend and I joined a Jazzercise class. I warned the instructor from the start - don't look for me to really be aggressive on the upper body stuff. Although I felt GREAT by then, no pain, all healed, ready to take on the world (and the exercise mat) I knew it was SMART to take it easy/slow. Long story over? After barely flappin' my arms in the air, 1 beat to the instructors 5 beats, I got home and found that I'd opened up the incision (which had already healed) under BOTH of my breasts. Not one, but BOTH - with little to NO movement on my part. If you're swinging a golf club, that's a LOT of movement, effort, swinging, etc. LOL, so nope - you're not gonna get me to sign a release form for ya'. · How long was the recovery from your abdominaplasty? UGH - that was the surgery from HADES, as far as PAIN levels go. It literally kicked my butt. Speaking of butts, there's a BUT in this story. I think the reason it hurt as bad as it did for me is because they ended up having to do an emergency surgery while they had me on the table. Doc M found a tumor on my ovary the size of a football. LOL, my excess SKIN was keeping it hidden and buried and none of my docs (including the GYN) ever knew about it. Anyway - they yanked the tumor AND the left ovary. Not sure if I would have healed faster with less aches if the doc had only done a tummy tuck. I did peek at my profile notes (under plastic surgery, if you want to read them too) and I show that I was out having lunch with friends, sleeping in my real bed (which is a water bed) within 2 weeks. Very hunched over when I walked, and lots of pillows to sleep, but feeling somewhat alive. I don't think the "HAPPY TO BE ALIVE, BURSTING WITH ENERGY" came until six weeks out. · Trying to figure out if I could have that before Thanksgiving and go on my cruise Dec. 17? What do you think? ABSOLUTELY! Of course, I also think you should take ME with you - uh, as moral and medical support. Pssst.. one thing you might want to consider BEFORE surgery and while healing? UP YOUR PROTEIN - I supplemented with 2 extra shakes, every day, several weeks before and several weeks AFTER. I also UP'd my B-12. Surgeries really kick my older butt now'adays and I just don't find the "energetic happy" Lei as quickly as I used too. I always did my B12 shot, monthly, but decided this time around, to include the sublinguals every other day. BIG DIFFERENCE in energy levels. Okay - Im gonna shaddap now - all done - hugs, Lei

Thanks a lot Lei I guess I am debating about backing out of the tournament with my friend. We are the co-chairs and she has become my buddy and we play all the events together as partners. It would be so much easier if I didn't play in the event. Then I could schedule the lbl /or abdominaplasty sooner. I would feel like a heel though. Anyway--thanks for thinking of me and starting this thread. Hopefully we will get more responses.

My pleasure!! I also sent the post to the Plastic Surgery board - in hopes of getting you a wide range of opinions. Here is the link: http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/plasticsurgery/postdetail/8497.html?vc=0

Hey there.. I'll help if I can. Don't always feel qualify, but I got background in this area LOL LYNDA's Questions: · How long did it take you to recover from your breasts/arms? Full recovery took awhile. I really had a hard time with this one for some reason. I pretty much didn't do anything for about 3 weeks except lay in my lazy boy, and take my pain meds. Once I started eating more protein and moving around more, things went better. The swelling was pretty extensive for about a week. I had surgery in Sept and again on the right boob twice in one day in February. I'm facing yet another on the left, will know more after seeing the doc Monday. I had lift, implants and arms done at the same time. · You did do both of those things together--right? Right LOL · How is your arm scar looking? I think it looks good. Its still VERY dark, but the incisions are straight. I tend to scar dark, and it takes a good 1-2 years for my incisions to fade. · Do you think I can have the arms/boobs dones mid September and play in a golf tournament mid November? I'd say YES BUT only if its putt-putt LOL. That swinging motion uses a lot of muscle and motion. Best check with the doc on this one. The only way to truly know is to guage how you feel right before the event. You don't wanna pull anything. · How long was the recovery from your abdominaplasty? Full recovery for me was 6-8 weeks, however, I was at the Nascar races, camping in a camper 3 weeks post op. I had my thighs done at the same time as my tummy though, along with 3 major hernias repaired, so its hard to judge. The thighs gave me fits, the belly healed well and quickly, although I couldn't stand upright for about 2 months, and literally couldn't lay flat on my back for over a year without feeling tremendous pull. · Trying to figure out if I could have that before Thanksgiving and go on my cruise Dec. 17? What do you think? Absolutely. How better to relax and recover than on a cruise. However, I'm going in the suitcase with Lei, as you personal assistant.. you know, to get your vitamins and pina coladas for ya! Good luck, hope this helps! Wendy

wekk I can't answer arms and breasts, my arms are courtesy of my water weight workouts, and the boobs are courtesy of QVC! tummy 1st stage/tt extended to a lbl with medial thighs 2nd stage total of non-exercise time was 3 months. Then I had to have one thigh revised off for another month. Then 6 months later I had to have a seroma surgically repaired off 1 month. Then the keloided tt was repaired (unsuccessfully the keloid from hell returned for the third time). Is it worth it- for the tt and lbl yes yes yes!!!! for the thighs they are certainly more functional but not as good as an aesthetic result as I had hoped for gratitude is my attitude Amanda S VG- October 2001 highest >350/342 start of wls surgery/156@goal and after ps

Thanks Amanda for giving me your take. I have been wondering about maybe doing the lower body lift in two stages. Why did you do it that way? Is there nothing they can do to prevent keloids? Did you try injections and stuff? Ya know on a ps board the other day someone posted about having their scars tatooed to help them blend back in with the skin. That is probably the only way you'll ever see me with a tatoo. I hear that all the time about the legs--funny. Take care and thanks again for answering my questions.

she feels she gets better healing if it is done seperately, less anesthesia, less blood loss at anyone time---as it was I probably should of had a transfusion after the second surgery I bled alot in the first 8hours post op, developed a large hematoma. Luckily it stopped bleeding so they did not have to go back in. Keloids we did it all:steroid injections weekly, mederma cream, tight binder extra long. Mine most likely has to do with my autoimmune arthritis, my body actually attacked the suture material. The first one she used for the tt- it walled off the dissolvable sutures then became infected, needed more antibiotics( and of course I got a vaginal yeast infection from all that, lucky me ) then theyopened up 3 weeks later and about 8 of them I had to cut out and they were perfectly intact. The plastic surgeon had never seen anything like it. So for the second surgery we used a different type and it was better I only had two places that refused to heal- again 3-4 weeks later they opened up and I cut out the suture and they finally healed. I only got to deal with them at home as I am a physician-the plastic surgeon was willing to do them at the office for me-but it was easier to do it myself after she did the first one. They use thermage lasers to treat birthmarks, unwantet hair and varicose veins here in town. There has been some success with keloids- somewhat smaller but for me with my very fair skin the best part is the reduction in red color. I spoke to the physician that oversees this and I am going to have an initial appt to see if the medical literature and the type of laser (frequency needs to match)they use will work. So I have not given up the battle yet I have just moved from scapel hopefully to laser gratitude is my attitude Amanda S VG-DS October 2001 highest >350/342 start of wls journey/155@goal and after ps

· How long did it take you to recover from your breasts/arms? I had my breast lift at the same time I had my LBL in Jan '05 in the hospital. At 3 1/2 weeks postop, I was still pretty much in bed 90% of the time. Then, in Feb, I had my arms (elbows to armpits and 1/2 way down my sides) and breast implants (under the muscle) done on an outpatient basis. The pain from the implants was unreal though recovery from this round of surgery was MUCH faster. It was about a week before I could resume basic activities and another few weeks before I was feeling back to normal. At 2 months out from my arms/implants, I was back to normal activities. My thighs/buttocks (and R breast revision) were the worst - I am almost 4 months postop from round 3 and still experience a bit of pain. · You did do both of those things together--right? I had implants and arms done at the same time though the breast lift was done a month earlier. Because my breasts were in such sorry shape (I wore a 32G bra and breasts literally fell past my hip bones), my surgeon had to break the surgeries into stages. · How is your arm scar looking? The scars looked a lot better early out. With time, the incisions have thickened. The incisions from elbows to armpits are much better than the incisions from armpits to sides as my surgeon used dissolvable stitches from elbows to armpits. · Do you think I can have the arms/boobs dones mid September and play in a golf tournament mid November? Probably if your experience is similar to mine. At 2 months out, I was able to put in a walkway at my hubby's and my new home here in PA. · How long was the recovery from your abdominaplasty? I didn't have just a TT and I didn't require any muscle tightening (no hernia and I had/have super strong tummy muscles from all the working out I did). With the LBL though, I was still recovering at 3 1/2 weeks out. In round 3 of my reconstructive surgeries, my surgeon reopened almost my entire LBL incision and I am still healing from this (3 1/2 months afterwards). · Trying to figure out if I could have that before Thanksgiving and go on my cruise Dec. 17? What do you think? In my experience, this would be pushing it, though everyone is different. I know some who were back up and running a couple of weeks after thier TT. Hope this helps!! Caroline http://abutterflyemerges.com http://picturetrail.com/carolineam (password is ps )

Thanks for taking time to respond Caroline. I would like a lbl also, but would probably prefer to do it in two sections. It is a lot of surgery. But then you know that already. I am rethinking the sequence of my procedures. I will be discussing this with my plastic surgeon next week. I may just do the arms and breasts and wait til next summer for the lbl. BTW--I find you really inspirational. You have come a long way baby! Glad the move is working out for you guys. Take care