Gina F.
Took the leap of faith...PS Sept 27th!!!
Aug 11, 2010
The post weight loss surgery journey is not one I gave much thought to when I was deciding to have WLS. It is so many things that I never considered...well it is so many things I never knew to consider until I was done loosing all of my weight. I knew that every day I would have to make a choice. A choice to do my best everyday to stay healthy & maintain all that I have accomplished over the past 2-3 years.
What I did not give much thought to was how I would deal with my body after I got "skinny". Did I think that decades of over stretched skin would just shrink back into normal form? Did I think that I would miraculously loose 100 pounds & still have boobies left over to fill out a bra? Honestly I do not think I did consider any of that, and truthfully I am glad that I did not. Because I may have used that as an excuse not to have the surgery. I have heard it ALL when it comes to people saying why they think WLS is not a good idea. EVERYONE knows SOMEBODY who DIED or at least gained ALL their weight back. Someone even once told me that they knew someone who had the WLS surgery & decided because they did not like all the extra skin they had they "chose" to gain all the weight back...because it looked so bad! It is all BS! I am telling you this with 100% honesty! I would never choose to be fat again! Even because I want my boobs big again or my arms not to flap around! I guarantee even though I may not have as much excess skin to deal with (as some post WLS pts do), no matter how much I had I would live with it if I had to.
I am now 2 years post op RNY & I have lost over 100lbs on my journey. I have been the same weight for well over a year & half. I have been thinking about having plastic surgery for many months now. I realize that even though I am thrilled with my weight loss, I am uncomfortable with my breasts being gone. In someways I feel like they are a part of my femininity that I did loose along with the weight. My abdomen is also stretched out (the muscles themselves) & even if I lost more weight it would not make my tummy any flatter. So, I have researched for hours nearly everyday for months. I have had consultations with surgeons in & out of the United States. I have been so torn on what surgeries to have, where to have them, & when to have them.
This is what I learned...
I would love to be able to afford to have everything done at some point in the future. Who wouldn't love to look like Barbie (even if it is just in my clothes)? But, at this time my priorities are my breasts & my abdomen. I tired everything I could to figure out a way to have my surgery here in my area with a PS. But, for many reasons I won't go into... that just can't happen. So I did even more hours of research, email consultations, phone consultations, & talking to people who have had their plastic surgery outside of the US. You have to decide where you are willing to travel to, what the surgeons reputation is, & what results you want to get. Let's just say it is a BIG DECISION (at least for me)!
I chose to go to Monterrey Mexico & have Dr. Sauceda do an extended TT & a full breast lift with augmentation. I am tempted to have more done because of his reasonable prices, but I think I am going to do my best to stick with my original plan. I really want to get my backside (butt lift) done & my arms done at some point in the future. All pending on the results & recovery of this first surgery of course. I chose Dr. S for 2 main reasons his reputation & his reputation! He has nothing but praise from his patients & I am lucky enough to know one personally. Her name is Suzanne & she had her PS done in December of 2009. She is thrilled with her experience & her results. I am even luckier in that she is willing to accompany on my trip & stay with me in Mexico through out my surgery & recovery! She was my WLS Angel & now she is going to be my plastic surgery Angel. I do not know what I did to deserve her love & care but I am grateful for it.
Am I nervous? Heck ya! Do I feel scared not only to be having PS but to be having it so far away from home? Hell ya! But, do I think I made the right decision? Yes, I do. My children are going to be able to be cared for by my husband (as much as I would love for him to be there with me) & everything will work out in the end. Do I think I am going to get some smack from family & friends for doing this? For sure! I have family members that seemed oddly unsupportive of my WLS especially once I got around a normal body weight (weird I know)! It has always perplexed me that people that I love are unable to be happy for me...because somehow my success makes them uncomfortable. So as far as what others think... others will just need to keep their own personal insecurities to themselves. People who love me & really know me will understand that this decision was not made lightly & they will understand why this is important to me & why I have chosen this route in my journey. I understand that something could go wrong, and that all surgery is a risk. I even understand that having my surgery away from my home adds some additional risk. I for one do not love to fly! So as silly as that sounds I even consider that an additional risk (more for my nerves). The most important thing is that I feel good about my decision. I have the approval & support from my husband, & I have a dear friend who will watch over me while I am there.
My BIG PLANS...are to actually buy a small digital video camera & video blog this journey. I want to document my plastic journey abroad for others who find themselves traveling this road. Pictures & blogs have helped me so much. I would like to give back & I would like to take it one step further. We will see how this all turns out & if I do photo or video blog the journey. I will be sure to post the links here on OH first. This site & the people who support one another mean the world to me. I can never say thank you enough to so many who have taken their time to help others. I hope I will be as helpful as others have been to me...
