Post Op Plastics 1 year

It is hard to believe that it has already been 1 year since I had my plastics in Monterrey by Dr. Sauceda.  I definitely wanted to share with everyone on my progress and let everyone know how I am doing.  This is one of the main reasons that I started this blog!  I wanted to be able to help people make decisions that were right for them, show my progress, give them the good/bad/ugly/happy/etc......

Overall, I am very happy with my results! I still have swelling after 1 year post op, and I am discussed this with Dr Sauceda.  It is mostly only in my belly and back, and I am so sick of it.  I really wish that would come to an end and SOON! I have my days when I see my imperfections more, but then I look back at my BEFORE pictures.  I have to remind myself that I have had 3 babies, lost 108 lbs, had over 800 stitches in my body from plastics, and I still look decent in a bikini! I am not going to look like a super model, but I do look like a 34 year old Mom that has been through ALOT!  I do need to go back and have some stuffed revised in the future, but that is really farthest from my mind as we gear up for Chief to leave for Iraq.  My small thigh lift needs to be redone, but we already knew that before I left Monterrey.  He went conservative and didn't want to take the chance of any wounds opening.  I also need more lipo on my hips because I have bulges right above my scar line.  My stitches in my belly button ripped while I was in Monterrey, and he will also fix my belly button to make it bigger.  I also may get my belly pulled a little tighter of just some lipo to help streamline that a little more as well.  Dr Sauceda will evaluate that when I go for the revisions.  I also may pay for a small arm lift while I am there because I have a little excess skin that I despise!  I love love that I have a butt now.  It is shocking looking at the before and after of it. 

I don't visit the OH boards much at all anymore because I finally just have normalcy in my life.  It is weird to not have to obsess with how I look, what I need to do next to be nornal, etc.  I still want to lose 20 more lbs, but I am working on that right now.  I am down to 157, the weight I was when I came home from plastics.  I gained some from laying around after surgery and losing so much muscle.  I wish I would have known more about that so I could prepare for that.  I definitely got more flabby, and it is noticeable in the new pictures.  I am working out a lot, watching what I eat a little closer, and I will get that weight off.  I also bought a new Bodybugg, and that is helping me keep track of what I am actually burning during the day and how much activity I am getting. 

Ok, ok, here are the pictures.  I cut my head off in them because I looked awful since we took these right when I got up this morning.

BEFORE

AFTER

 

BEFORE

 

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

 

BEFORE

AFTER

 

BEFORE

2 Year Anniversary!

I cannot believe it has been 2 years since my first weight loss surgery. I have gone from a size 22/24 to a size 6, lost 105 lbs, and I have had my plastic surgeries. I still want to lose 20 more lbs, but it just does NOT want to come off! I have been slacking lately, but I am back on track. I never dreamed I could go on a run, but I actually ran (well most of it) 1.5 miles yesterday. I also walked another 2.5 miles pushing the stroller as well, so I had a great cardio day! I am eating 500-1000 calories a day and low card to try and get this last 20 off. I have to say that it is really frustrating because the scale just isn't moving!!! I am used to the weight pretty much falling off of me, but that doesn't happen anymore. Honeymoon is definitely over!

I am also 6 months post op from my plastics and STILL have a ton of swelling in my tummy and back. It can range from 2 to 6 lbs per day depending on what I do and the level of activity. I am so ready for that to go away as well!

I had a friend take pictures of my recently, and we had so much fun! I wanted to dress up like a 1940's pin-up girl, so I could make a calendar for Chief to take with him when he deploys to Iraq late this fall. Thank you http://chelseamckinleyphotography.blogspot.com/ and http://www.kaciowensphotography.com/! Love you both! Here are some of my favorite pictures! FYI~ I was really swollen during this shoot!  Also, everything is covered, but these pictures are definitely flirty!

18 weeks post op

I was 18 weeks post op as of Thursday, the 11th. I am sorry to say that I am still battling a lot of swelling on a daily basis. I still swell in my tummy and back, and I can gain 4 to 6 lbs per day from it. I am not wearing my garment anymore, and the swelling does go down while I sleep at night, but not completely.

I still have loose skin on my belly, but that is because I didn't want the anchor cut on my tummy. I will live with that because I would rather not have the scar and deal with skin. It is hard to see it in pictures, but it is definitely noticeable in person. I have a small roll when I sit down that is around my hip bones when I sit down. If I am standing or laying flat, it is not there because my hip bones stick out and stretches the skin tight. I don't know if he would even be able to fix without doing the anchor cut since it is caused my by my hip bones. I also still have wrinkles in my thighs, but that was known before I left Monterrey. We knew that a revision was needed there as well.

I will be going back to Monterrey the 2nd week of June to have my thighs revised, my belly button fixed(too small due to the stitches ripping), a little lipo on my hips that have pockets of fat, and possibly get a small arm lift. I am still very happy with my results even though I need a few small revisions. I could live without the revisions, but I am choosing to go ahead and get them fixed.

I am dreading the recovery again, but I it will be worth it. It is strange not having plastic surgery or weight loss consume my life anymore. It is great just living and enjoying life as a normal weight, normal shaped woman. I am about to bump up my workouts since I will be living 2 blocks from the gym on Schofield. We are moving in 2 weeks from the North Shore, and we are sad to be living 2 blocks from the beach anymore. We will be about 20 minutes from the beach, so that isn't too bad.

Cinderella at the Ball

I attended my first military ball last night since I have lost all my weight and plastics.  It was soooo nice not to be able to be the biggest girl in the room and not worry about rolls or lumps showing.  I didn't have to fight with spanx in the bathroom or wonder if people were looking at me when I ate.  It was so much fun, relaxing, and so different from what I am used to.  I had strangers telling me all night how beautiful I looked and pretty I was.  Here are some pictures from the night.

 

 

 

14 weeks post op update!

Hi everyone!  It is hard to believe, but I will be 14 weeks post op tomorrow.  I am still battling quite a bit of swelling in my tummy and mostly in my back, but I am finally seeing signs of improvement in that area over the last week.  The scale is not my friend, and it can vary anywhere from 4 to  6 lbs a day from swelling.  It has been staying a little more steady the last few days, so the swelling is getting better.  I  guess that I have gained a few lbs from laying around during my recovery though.  He took off 3 lbs of skin and 6 lbs with lipo, but he transferred 1 1/2  lbs back in to each butt cheek, making that a total of 3 lbs.  Plus, I got 400CC silicone implants, so that adds a little more than a 1 1/2 lbs back too.  So, I should be down about 5 lbs from surgery, and I am the same weight I was when I went in to surgery.  When I came home, I was down 3 lbs from surgery, so I either gained weight or hanging on to fluid.  If I look back at my pictures, I look smaller in my pictures that were taken earlier on post op.  Anyway, I am working on that though and bumping up my workouts and gym time.  I am starting yoga 3 times a week, boot camp once a week, and elliptical on the other days.  I am also going to start Jillian Michaels 30 day shred as well.

Back to my plastics results, I am still pleased with my results.  I spit quite a few stitches, especially on my right breast, that messed up my scars, but I can live with that.  They will fade in time too.  I do have loose belly skin, but I knew I would because I chose NOT to have the anchor tummy tuck cut because of the scar.  I wanted to wear a bikini and not worry about the scar.  My breast look very natural even though they are large.  Dr S gave me exactly what I wanted, and I should have thought about what DD's would look like on me after I lost 6 inches on my waist.  I knew what they looked like before my LBL, but they look much bigger than my old ones did.  My husband loves them though!  My thighs have a huge improvement, but I am probably going back for a revision on those and have a little more taken off.  I still have some wrinkles around my knees.  I knew I may need a revision before I even left Monterrey because he made a decision during surgery to change my markings because he was afraid they would be too tight after the LBL.  I have a little pouches of extra skin around my scar area when I sit down that needs to be taken off.  That is the only time it is noticeable.  I am happy to say that I do not have a J Lo booty anymore, and it is the right size for me.  I had a very flat butt, and now I have just enough.  

I am wearing a size small or medium in everything, a 6 in jeans ( I have one size 4), but I have a hard time finding fitted dresses that fit right.  I am going to a military ball tomorrow, and I had to get an 8 because that is the only size that fit me in the boobs.  I can get a 4 or 6 zipped up until I get to my boobs, and then no luck!!!  I have to wear the dress a little big because of my boobs.

 
I have to say that Dr S is STILL the best, and I am so happy I chose him as my Dr.

More post op pictures

I had a better swelling day Sunday morning since I wore my garment to bed, so I thought I would take advantage and have Chief take some more post op pictures of me.

Then, we needed to run some errands in town, and it was cool enough to wear jeans!  I think the temperature was about 75 degrees this afternoon, so it was very pleasant.  I liked my outfit, and it made me feel pretty!

10 weeks post op

I know it has been awhile since I updated my blog, but life got in the way! We have been super busy with Monkey Doodle's school stuff, Christmas shopping, looking for new houses, and everyday things as well.

Well, I am 10 weeks post op, and I am still battling some swelling. I have it mostly in my belly and some in my back. Overall, I am pretty pleased! I am wishing my thighs were a little tighter, and I am going to talk to him about that. I still have some wrinkling down my my knees, but I also need to build more muscle back in to my legs. I cannot wait to start swimming in the ocean again, but I am trying to stay out of the sun because of the scars.

The scar on my right breast is still really bright red.  My body rejected quite a few dissolvable stitches, but that was not a surprise to me since it has happened before on a few occasions.

Jeremy took these this morning even though I am not having a good swelling day.  I do not have to wear my garment anymore, but I still wear it sometimes at night.  If I do, I usually have a much better swelling day.  I just get tired of wearing it!  

I am still wearing a solid size 6, size small dresses, small or medium tops, and I do have 1 pair of jeans that are 4's. 

Now for some before and after pictures.

These 2 were taken in April 2009.

These were taken this morning, 10 weeks post op wearing the same suit, but 1 size smaller in bottoms.  You can see a pretty significant difference!  I still have 15 lbs that I would like to lose, but I will do it gradually so I don't get loose skin.