Smiley Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 I had my TT and Arm Lift at Menorah Medical Center on Thursday, April 30th. They took my back to the operating room about 7:45 a.m. and the doctor came out and talked to my parents about 3 p.m. They said it would be a six to eight hour surgery and it was. I spent the night in the hospital and finally got to eat solid foods yesterday. Prior to having to get out of bed and sit in a chair, the worst part of the process was having an extremely dry mouth. Once I got to eat that subsided a little bit, as long as I wasn't sleeping with my mouth hanging open, which according to my dad I was because he took a picture. My doctor wanted me to stay in the hospital until late afternoon or early evening. I think it was somewhere around 6:30 or 7 when I left. I have made a couple of trips upstairs to the bathroom and fixed some breakfast a few minutes ago because I was starving, but other than that I have been in my recliner resting and sleeping. I have not been able to see the incisions yet as they are covered by bandages, but I expect to able to see them on Monday afternoon when I go back to the doctor. I have been and still am very impressed with Dr. Barnthouse, and so where my parents. According to the nurse he called about 11:15 on Thursday night to see how I was, which she said was very normal for him to do. He then checked in with me about 7:10 Friday morning. I really am not in any pain unless I try to stand up or change positions in my chair. Just sitting still and I am basically pain free. I have 3 drains that I have to keep an eye on. I am thinking at least one of them will come out on Monday, but I bet the other two will be in there for a few more days. I do have to walk hunched over, but that is due to the way they taped the dressings on. I figure that by taping them that way if prevents attempting to stand up straight and put undue pressure on the TT scar. My arms do not really hurt, but I can tell when the bandage rubs across the incision in the armpit. He said that wrapping the arms is a very difficult process and they getting the incision in the armpit covered can't be done and still allow me to move my arms. Even though I am swollen and have thick bandages on me, I can already tell that I am missing my fat rolls. He told my parents that he took off about 8 lbs. of skin and fat. I was hoping for more like 10, but oh well. Besides, after being on clear liquids starting at 12:30 on Wednesday and not eating or drinking anything at all on Thursday, I may have dropped a couple of pounds Dr. Barnthouse also told me that he tightened my stomach muscles everywhere except around the port so as to allow better access to the port without having to go thru muscle. Time to do my breathing treatment, but I will keep you updated as I go along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrty835 Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 Glad to hear everything went well. Can I ask what was youre weight at surgery? I am planning my tt and breast augmentation for the end of June. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAMMIE Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 GLAD TO HEAR EVERYTHINGS COMING ALONG NICELY FOR YOU I'M SURE YOU'LL LOVE THE RESULTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiley Posted May 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 Glad to hear everything went well. Can I ask what was youre weight at surgery? I am planning my tt and breast augmentation for the end of June. I was 172.5 Thursday morning, which was a 70 lb. loss from the time I started this journey. I am also 5 feet 4 and 3/4 inches and large boned compliments of my German heritage. My parents left about an hour ago to do some running around. Mom didn't bring any long sleeve shirts, so she raided some of my new clothes for 3/4 length sleeves. The last time my mom and I could wear the same clothes was when I was in 4th or 5th grade and I am now 36. As of Wednesday night I was one pant size larger than she was, but once I am healed and the swelling has gone down I am thinking we might also be the same pant size, at least in some styles. The problem is my mom is only 5 feet tall, so her full length pants are high water pants on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CottonwoodAZ Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 Glad to hear it went well. Dont over due anything and heal. keep us posted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrty835 Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 Thanks for the info. Im 5'6" and Im at 192 right now the doctor wants me at 180 for the surgery. So I have 2 months to get rid of 12lbs. Keep us posted and get you some well deserved rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValleyGirl Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 I'm glad to hear you don't need to be teeny-tiny for a tummy tuck. I'm certain if I had one NOW it would make a huge difference in my body since most of my weight is there- typical post-babies body with small arms and legs and this big muffin-top hanging over my pants, ugh! I thought I'd need to be somewhere in the "normal" body weight range (normal according to those unrealistic charts) but now I may aim for the ps when I'm in the 170's. Is there any reason it's better to wait to be at a lower weight? My ultimate goal is 160 pounds. I don't want to or expect to be lower than that. Sabrina:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shiney42 Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 I had my TT and Arm Lift at Menorah Medical Center on Thursday, April 30th. They took my back to the operating room about 7:45 a.m. and the doctor came out and talked to my parents about 3 p.m. They said it would be a six to eight hour surgery and it was.I spent the night in the hospital and finally got to eat solid foods yesterday. Prior to having to get out of bed and sit in a chair, the worst part of the process was having an extremely dry mouth. Once I got to eat that subsided a little bit, as long as I wasn't sleeping with my mouth hanging open, which according to my dad I was because he took a picture. My doctor wanted me to stay in the hospital until late afternoon or early evening. I think it was somewhere around 6:30 or 7 when I left. I have made a couple of trips upstairs to the bathroom and fixed some breakfast a few minutes ago because I was starving, but other than that I have been in my recliner resting and sleeping. I have not been able to see the incisions yet as they are covered by bandages, but I expect to able to see them on Monday afternoon when I go back to the doctor. I have been and still am very impressed with Dr. Barnthouse, and so where my parents. According to the nurse he called about 11:15 on Thursday night to see how I was, which she said was very normal for him to do. He then checked in with me about 7:10 Friday morning. I really am not in any pain unless I try to stand up or change positions in my chair. Just sitting still and I am basically pain free. I have 3 drains that I have to keep an eye on. I am thinking at least one of them will come out on Monday, but I bet the other two will be in there for a few more days. I do have to walk hunched over, but that is due to the way they taped the dressings on. I figure that by taping them that way if prevents attempting to stand up straight and put undue pressure on the TT scar. My arms do not really hurt, but I can tell when the bandage rubs across the incision in the armpit. He said that wrapping the arms is a very difficult process and they getting the incision in the armpit covered can't be done and still allow me to move my arms. Even though I am swollen and have thick bandages on me, I can already tell that I am missing my fat rolls. He told my parents that he took off about 8 lbs. of skin and fat. I was hoping for more like 10, but oh well. Besides, after being on clear liquids starting at 12:30 on Wednesday and not eating or drinking anything at all on Thursday, I may have dropped a couple of pounds Dr. Barnthouse also told me that he tightened my stomach muscles everywhere except around the port so as to allow better access to the port without having to go thru muscle. Time to do my breathing treatment, but I will keep you updated as I go along. Goodness, God Bless you - WOW that's a long time, what we go through!!!! I hope your recovery is speedy And all is well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianBandster Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 Im glad everything went well for you! Cant wait to hear your reaction once you see yourself without bandages - its awesome! I had my tt years ago. I was probably ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh 170ish. Now I am 144 and my stomach is pretty damn good I have to say. I am having ssome lipo done in one area though and a bit around my waist - but honestly I dont think my original surgeon took enough - even Dr.Q at Cosmed said things look good except this one spot I dunno what the hell the surgeon was thinking - but it will be fixed soon. I dont see the prob getting the TT at 170-180 ish because it only gets flatter along the way....and having it does wonders for the self esteem and makes us want to exercise more to get it even flatter!!! Since that actually helps after...its not like before when no matter what the hell you do it doesnt get any better I hope things keep going smoothly for you and glad to hear you arent in too much pain! Would love to see pics after if you are willing to share...I will be posting before and after pics of my breast aug and lipo once I have it May 20th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawkchick75 Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 So glad to hear it went well! I hope you aren't having too much pain! Definitely keep me up to date on your progress. I'm glad to hear you really liked your doctor and i'd be interested in seeing how the scars look since that is one of the doctors on my short list. It's gonna be at least 6 months or more for me, but already keeping my eyes peeled. Did you get any lipo on your arms? I know some do that when they get the lift so I was just curious. Congrats and I can't wait to hear about your progress! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsParris Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 So glad to hear all is well. If you don't mind, where did you have it done, and what was your cost? I am looking into a TT, but I thought I would have to lose more weight first. Because of finances and my job, I can't get one until next summer anyway, but I am doing my research. Thanks so much, Kimberly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazycoolbutterfly Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiley Posted May 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 I had my first doctor's appointment today and he was very pleased with my progress and how straight I was able to stand for only being four days out. He was shocked to find out that I have only taken 5 pain pills since leaving the hospital on Friday night, and one of them was before the appointment because I feared the additional pain that would occur during the appointment. If it hadn't been for going to the doctor today I would not have taken one at all today. His nurse was suprised that I had color in my face and that I was acting normally, she said most people are pale and barely functioning on their first follow-up. He took all of the bandages off and the staples out, cleaned the incisions and then put tape over them. The pulling of the tape on my skin is seriously the only thing that hurts. The three drains are still in, which really isn't a big problem. I have to call on Thursday with the amount of drainage and he will decide if he is going to take them out on Friday or on Monday. I am now wearing a binder around my stomach, which I will wear for the next 4 to 6 weeks. He also put compression garments on my arms. I don't have to leave these on if my arms start swelling to much or if I lose feeling in my hands. He did say I could cut them a little bit in the armpit if they got to tight - that is the first thing I had my mom do when we got home. He did do some lipo on my arm, not only for a more conformed appearance, but also to get a tighter lift. While he was marking me on Thursday he said that my left arm was worse than my right arm - had no clue, I thought they were both horrible. It was nice to see that I now have a flat stomach, even though it is still swollen. My belly button stitches will come out on the next visit. However, I do think my butt looks even bigger now, although I am telling myself that I am still swollen and things will change as the swelling goes down. He originally wanted to do a Lower Body Lift, but I was the one that wanted the Tummy Tuck only. I hope I don't regret it, but if I do, I can always move in the direction of a Butt Lift when I do the Inner Thigh Lift. I am not really sure how my inner thighs look at the moment as that is one of the areas that is swollen from the TT. He did pull out my before pictures and the change was very noticeable. We didn't take new pictures as that will come later once the swelling has gone down. I also took some the night before surgery, but have nothing to compare them to at the moment. I promise I will post them once I do have something to make a comparison with. My surgeon was Dr. Joseph Barnthouse in Kansas City. My prices will be off a little bit because I combined the Tummy Tuck and Arm Lift, but I paid about $13,000 for the TT, Arm Lift, Anesthesiologist, and one night hospital stay. If I had done the Lower Body Lift only, all of the fees together would have been about $16,000. For anyone in the KC area or anyone willing to travel, I would definitely recommend Dr. Barnthouse - he is very particular and is the only one that attends to his patients. I did some other consults in which I saw the nurses and staff more than I saw the doctor, but not with him, and I spent two hours in consultations with him before I had even given him a committment verbally or montarily. He also called the my nurses at the hospital to check on me about 11:15 the night of my surgery. The nurse said that was a very normal occurrence for Dr. Barnthouse. My parents were impressed with him as well. When I did my consultation he said as long as I was within 15 to 20 pounds of my goal weight he would be willing to do the surgery. Another surgeon wanted me within 10 and a third surgeon wanted me at a stable weight for six months. In my mind, I have steadily been losing for 14 months, compliments of the tool in my tummy, so it isn't like I have just lost a bunch of weight on my own with nothing except willpower to keep me from gaining weight. I was okay with being within 10 pounds of my goal, even though I don't have a specific goal in mind, just a general range, but he wasn't the surgeon I decided to go with, even though his prices would have been $3,000 less, because I would not have had an overnight stay in the hospital. I was okay with the overnight stay for the extra care from medical professionals as well as IV antibiotics and being given more education on my drains and such. I have typed enough for now as it is time for a glass of milk - I finally found fat free chocolate. I will let you know how the next step goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrty835 Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 Thank you so much for you great update. This really helps me alot as i'm getting ready for this next step of my journey. And Im glad its all that you esxpected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willi333 Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 WOW this is awesome. Thank you for keeping us posted. Can't wait to see piccies, since I am looking into a brachio myself later on this year My doc wants me to be at goal for about 3 month for the arms ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbynnoel Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 ((((((((((((((((Smiley))))))))))))))))) Glad to hear everything went well! Hugs to you. I can't wait to see pictures. xo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiley Posted May 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2009 Had my second follow-up today. The doctor said all of the incisions looked good, took the belly button stiches out and said I am now allowed to drive - Yippee! He did tell me that he didn't want me to take off and go shopping for 5 or 6 hours, so I informed him that I had already been shopping. I got the look, but I guaranteed him that I hadn't been out for 5 or 6 hours and that I spent no more than 30 minutes standing in each of the 3 stores I was in. He also said that my contour was going to look good - guess we'll see about that. I do still have my drains in as there was just too much drainage still to remove them today. I will call in each morning and report in with hopes of getting them out at some point later this week. Other than the fact that they are annoying when getting dressed and that they look funny under your clothes, they don't bother me. The alternative if they come out too soon is having a needle put in my tummy every day for a week to remove the fluid. Needles in my tummy for a fill/unfill are one thing, but needles in my tummy to remove fluid just doesn't sound as fun to me, so I will be content for a little while longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrty835 Posted May 11, 2009 Report Share Posted May 11, 2009 Wow I was told that the drain come out in 8 days. Im glad you are doing so well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiley Posted May 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 For most people they do, I guess I am just extra juicy. :-? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrty835 Posted May 12, 2009 Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 lol just keep us posted please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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