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Plastics becoming a possibility
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I never thought I'd be getting any plastics done after I lost too much weight and was rejected for a breast reduction. That was the end of my dreams of finally having decent breasts. My whole life since I was 16 years old it's all I ever wanted. It's the main reason I had WLS. As a 13 year old at 5'4" and 120 I had 34DDD breasts. I never in a million years thought I'd lose them with this surgery. But I did. Once I got below 115, boom! they were gone. Not only did I not qualify for a breast reduction, I now needed a lift with implants according to the plastic surgeon I consulted with. $7,000 per surgery as her would not do both at the same time.
Now here I am presented with an opportunity to possibly go to Mexico and have it all done. EVERYTHING! Breast lift with augmentation, tummy tuck, liposuction, and Brazilian butt lift. All of it for about $10,000. I am so damn excited by the possibility, but scared out of my mind by it as well. I hear just the tummy tuck alone is painful as all get out. I handle pain pretty well (never took anything at all for pain after WLS), but I don't know about all that work. Whew!
Anyone else have it all done at once? Anyone know anything about this place or can recommend another? I'm just getting started looking, and I know nothing.
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My sister had ALL of that work done, here in Nevada,minus the butt lift a dozen years ago and she was in pain. She had to wear the long tight stockings for the liposuction (from waist to ankles) for 4 - 6 weeks. She said her implants/surgery was sore and she had drains coming out for the first few days, but she said it was the abdominoplasty that was a killer. She later said that it was too much to have done in one day.
(This past summer she had to have the implants removed because she had hundreds of blobs of scar tissue from the surgery that built up over the last 12 years, and it was the most painful thing she said she'd ever experienced. First they thought they were tumors, but only deep scar tissue).
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I agree with Lori. That sounds like a lot to have done at once. Just my thought process.
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How much fat is needed for a Brazilian butt lift?
The amount of fat harvested and injected into the buttocks is measured in cubic centimeters, or cc's. “The exact amount of cc's needed depends on you,” said Dr. Mendieta in a BBL Q&A. “The BBL is a very personal and beautiful augmentation when it is performed specifically to your dimensions.”
If a patient does not have enough fat to get the results they want, they may need to gain 10 to 20 pounds before surgery. Back to top
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Mexico and DR are both reasonable places to go for plastics out of pocket. I have to have revision surgery but am planning on plastics two yrs. out from revision. I'm going to be close to 60 and yes ladies don't ever think you're too old for plastics or beauty treatments. You deserve to be a princess whatever your age. Shop around, Brazil, Mexico, DR, Costa Rica all offer reasonable procedures. Some places offer spa's, recovery houses, and private nurses.
From what I hear the first 3-4 days are the worst. After that the pain is tolerable. In the recovery houses, they offer you meals and massages. Some people can't handle the massages till one week post op. Be aware you'll have to wear a body girdle for 6 months but you wean yourself off of it little by little.
The surgeon gives you one right after surgery but one week later you have to change to one that's more binding. The surgeon also gives you a list of supplies to bring and many of them can be purchased on Amazon. So if you have Amazon Prime you're good to go. Also watch the YouTube videos, on what to pack for surgery. There's also a stand up urinal ladies have to purchase for tummy tucks and butt lifts as it's uncomfortable to squat for a few days. But the Youtube videos are pretty thorough on what to buy and pack. Also get your doctor back home to give you a prescription for Vicodan, or Percocets. I met women who told me it got them through the first week almost without severe pain and made it tolerable.
Being the fact I'm older, I plan on taking 3-4 trips to restore my body. I won't do more than 2-3 areas at a time. If you're younger you may be able to handle more but you'll be laid up for several days before you can move. I met a woman in Mexico who was 40 and did half of her body because the more plastics you do at once the cheaper it is but she told me if she had known how sick she'd be she would have taken it slower.
Plan on staying 2 weeks minimum. Order a wheel chair at the airport for the flight home. Believe me it'll make things a whole lot easier and get you through customs faster. And when you're sore from surgery, you'll need it.
Also you can't return to work till 3-4 weeks post-op and that's if you have a desk job. If you're on you're feet you need to take 4-6 weeks off.
Other than that. Good Luck and wishing you the best.
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I would also like to mention the Youtube videos show how the nurses pack you into the faja (body shapers) with the padding, foam, and tummy boards after surgery. There are also videos showing the nurses giving lymphatic drainage massages and these are given post surgery at the recovery houses.
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You know, Pam, I've wondered about that BBL and where'd they get the fat. I want a butt!!! I've never had one. If I'm going to put myself throught the pain of plastics, I am getting a butt, dammit!
My sister got butt implants years ago, but had to have them removed as she was allergic. Before she died, she (I think jokingly) told me to go get her implants. I really don't want to go the route of implants though. They look fake and the move funny. And I cannot even believe that I am evtertaining the idea of breast augmentation. I was busting out of a 38H when I had WLS, and I hated having such huge boobs. Now here I am missing some of that cleavage.
I gotta admit, I'm scared to death to have any of the work done. The drains freak me out. I didn't have those after WLS. I'm being given the money for surgery as a gift, so I feel like I should jump on the opportunity, but yeah, scared shitless.
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A friend of mine had a tummy tuck, boob rejuvenation, and leg left. The 1st night she went home she passed out. She's fine now and all is a bad memory. She had it done in the US, so bad things can happen anywhere. I'll be looking around to Dom Rep or Mexico for my surgery. It's too expensive here in the Washington DC area.
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Lorna,
I'm in the same boat with you, age and thought pattern. After my surgery on 3/22/17, when it comes time to look at plastics, I'll be looking around and really only do 1 at a time. I would love to get recommendations for clinics in various countries. Please share. Thanks.
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Katrina, if you could share your info on the clinic that you are talking about, I would very much appreciate it. Thanks in advance.
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I want to go to the DR. Plastics are really reasonable there. I called 2 doctor's who are popular with the young people. They have to be booked several months to a year in advance. They refuse to work on women after 55. They have so many young patients they don't need money from the older groups. One doctor told me there's frequently complications with older overweight women. I'm not severely overweight but I'll be going for plastics after my revision.
Most surgeons won't touch you till you're 18 months past WLS. I called a few surgeons who said 60 yrs. old is no problem and as long as I pass the EKG and the blood work they'll operate. I googled online and there are people even up to 75 who do plastic surgeries as long as they're in good health. Plus, I'm not a smoker. The doctor I spoke to told me it's best to stick to a strict vitamin regiment for 2 months prior to surgery. This ensures you pass your pre-surgery labs. And if older females have problems after a tummy tuck he'll administer oxygen. He also told me due to the fact I'm older to take it slow restoring my body. He told me he doesn't like to have patients out more than 4 hours on the table.
He told me complications frequently happen when patients try to do too many procedures at once. Also I want to add someone on another forum mentioned the best time to do plastics South of the border is Fall and Winter. Apparently a lot of people go to the Caribbean in the Summer to do plastics when they take their Summer vacations at work. Also avoid 'tax season'. Apparently a lot of ladies spend their tax returns on plastics and the doctor's get overwhelmed during tax season. Doing as many as 10 patients a day. So choose your surgery time wisely.
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The TT was the most horrific pain I can ever remember (sorry ... just the truth)... was it worth it? Yes of course but it's been a little over 2 years and I am still numb in that area. I know at this point I'll never get the full feeling back. (and mine was done is the US) It honestly felt like I had done a million situps in an hours time lol The main pain only lasted a week and I didn't take any pain meds - never do - so I just tolerated it
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I'm on a plastic surgery forum as well and one girl did this to control her pain:
Week one, percocet every four hours, valium every 8 hours.
Week two, percocet every eight hours, valium every 8 hours.
Week three, you can get by with motrin 800.
Everyone recommends you get your medical scripts from here before you go South of the border. Some folks get it on their insurance. Also you're too sick to go for meds after surgery unless the doctor gives you them before you leave the clinic. But most girls asked their doctor's what to bring. Also augmentin is helpful. Many folks contract infections when they do plastics. Anyhow there are Youtube videos which teach you to plan ahead so you're prepared.
Some clinics will have meds ready for you but it's an extra fee in addition to your surgery so find out before you go if you're planning surgery abroad.
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Sue, did you just have the tummy tuck or did you get a BBL too? I have heard many times that the TT is God awful painful.
I just read a news article about a young woman dying in Florida from BBL. She was like the ninth one in a year in the US. It says that you are 20x more likely to die from that procedure that any other cosmetic procedure. Now I've nixed it. Not a risk I'm willing to take. I don't need a TT too terribly much, just a tiny bit of skin that is easily covered in any bathing suit I wear. My breasts are definite must dos If those are the only thing I'm going to do, I think I'll just stay stateside to have them done, even though it will cost three fortunes. They quoted me 14,000 in two separate surgeries for a lift and augmentation. They won't do both at the same time. Ugh!
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I already saw two surgeons for the tummy tuck when I was having my ligament issue in my tummy. For sure this surgery is the most painful and dangerous, it takes 4 hours to do the surgery, it's one of the longest in plastic surgery. I will meet a doc in France in a few weeks because I need a special reconstruction and they don't know how to do it here in Asia (people are not that big here, usually it's only a skin issue, not muscles).
I had breast reconstruction 20 years ago (after tumors were removed) and the technique used was almost the same as a lift. It was painful but not too bad. After loosing so much weight I could probably use a lift but seriously I'd rather wear a good bra. It's nor really an issue. It's different for my bat wings...
Right now, my insurance will pay for the tummy tuck and arm lift. I'm not sure what I will decide yet but will meet a surgeon really soon. There's very good doctors in Europe too, prices are more reasonable compare to the US. But they don't do several surgeries the same day because it's too risky.