Monday, August 06, 2012

More About The Body Lift

I am jumping out of my skin (pardon the pun) with excitement over this body lift surgery. I have wanted this done before I ever lost a single kilo because I knew my stretched out stomach was never going to go back into place when I lost weight. I can't believe I will have a flat stomach for the first time in my life. I can't even imagine what that will feel like!

Things I am looking forward to (warning-- there is some TMI):

  • Jogging without my stomach flapping about
  • Being able to wear clothes from normal size shops
  • Not being mistaken for a pregnant lady constantly
  • Doing pilates without my stomach falling in my face
  • Wearing whatever I want without having to check if it's clinging to my stomach
  • Sexy time... if you know what I mean...
  • Not hitting my stomach on furniture when I underestimate how big it is as I walk past something
  • Being able to see my 'down stairs' when I look down
  • Wearing jeans that fit me properly in the waist and my legs/bum at the same time
  • Having a waistline for the first time ever
  • Sitting down without my stomach sticking to the top of my legs
  • Not having to wear spanx quite so much
  • Less lower back pain
  • Being able to fit into friends clothes
  • Not being so self-conscious when going for massages and beauty treatments
  • Getting a bikini wax without having to hold up my stomach
  • Wearing nice underwear without my stomach hanging out
  • Buying an expensive winter jacket and know it will fit for years to come
  • Washing and drying myself without it having to be an olympic event
  • Summer time without the sweat rashes
  • Losing the shelf of skin and fat that hangs over my bottom
  • Seeing myself in the mirror and feeling normal

Now you know why I am spending $15,000 on a body lift!

I know most people are not overly familiar with a body lift as it is not as common as the tummy tuck so I'll try and explain a little more...

A lower body lift is a complex surgical procedure. It is performed under a general anaesthetic, given by an anaesthetist, in an accredited hospital, so you can be assured of the best care.
During the procedure, incisions are made around your waist, across your lower abdomen and down your thighs. Excess skin is trimmed, muscle is tightened and any excess fat is removed. The skin is sutured in place with absorbable sutures.
Drains are placed under the incisions and will remain in place for 7 to 10 days. The incisions are closed and covered and a compression garment is applied.
Source

These pictures may help a bit more as they show where the surgeon will cut. The skin between those red dotted lines will be removed and the remaining skin pulled up/down and stitched together so that it is tight. Yes that is going to hurt! You will also notice that I will lose my belly button, so the surgeon will create a new fake belly button. I guess I would look pretty weird without one.




I found an article published in the UK about one woman's experience with getting a body lift. I can't say it is particularly positive or negative, but it gives a good idea of what I am up for, you can read it here.

If anyone has any questions about the surgery just leave a comment and I will answer them in the comments section.

16 comments:

  1. I had a FULL CIRCUMFERENTIAL Tummy tuck... but what you are having is pretty much EXACTLY what I had done, just a different name for it.

    Although I have gained a lot of weight AGAIN, I still have a flat tummy!

    All the reasons you mention for doing it are VALID... and are the same ones I had for doing the surgery too.

    It is 1000% worth doing girl.. you GO FOR IT!

    I can't really give you any advice about how it will feel after the surgery, as we are all different, with different pain tolerance levels.

    It hurts like HELL... no getting around that, but the pain does NOT LAST, but the flat tummy does!

    *smiles*

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    1. Thanks Chris, it's really helpful to hear about your experience with tummy tuck. Happy to hear your stomach is still flat!

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  2. WOW! Its a lot of money - I spent $16000.00 for my band so I guess its all worth it in the end. Im totally terrified but I expect to be in the same boat in a few years also. Good Luck I hope everything goes great!!!

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    1. Yes, it is a crapload of money that is for sure, hopefully it will all be worth it... :-)

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  3. Hi Tully, You are such an inspiration, and I'm reading your blog from start to finish right now. I know I am going to need plastics, and it scares me shitless! I'm glad that I will be able to listen to your experiences, and know what to expect. I'll also need a boob lift (as if I didn't before surgery. ha!). Though I am scared, I have to think if I would rather have lots of loose skin for my life, or a franken-body with scars. Umm... no long thoughts required there! Good luck as you prepare for your new bod!!

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    1. Hi Momma2fi,
      Surprisingly I a not too worried about the surgery, but I'll probably be terrified as it gets closer. I guess I am just too excited right now. I'll keep you informed of all the ups and downs so hopefully it helps when it comes time to making your decision.
      Cheers,
      Tully.

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  4. sorry, left my comment in the wrong post -

    i'm really excited for you :)

    i have lots of weight to lose and already have excess skin on my arms, breasts, stomach, back, pubic area (sorry, TMI indeed!). i'm finding it's leaving me really depressed and reluctant to lose weight. did you experience that? i'm really scared of the cost and all the physical damage i've done to myself. i feel like it's all sort of pointless now, if i'm just going to end up with lots more skin.

    your story is really inspiring and makes me think that maybe it's possible. i don't know if you've experienced what i have, it's really tricky to feel good about your body. i don't know what i was thinking.

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    1. Hi anonymous,

      I definitely felt depressed and frustrated by the loose skin. When I see myself naked I feel like I look the same as I did when I was at my biggest, it is hard to see the weight I have lost.

      I do still feel so happy because I have lost the weight, it has really improved my life. I think the plastic surgery will be worth it too, I'll let you know how it all goes.
      Good luck!

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  5. Good for you Tully! You've worked so hard to get to this point, you deserve to have the freedom that this will give you!

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  6. How would you (and anyone else with this procedure) go with future pregnancies? Am curious with regards to the skin stretching and scars?!?

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    1. Hi Anna,
      I think they prefer that you wait until after you have finished having babies to have the surgery, but it is not totally necessary. My friend had the surgery and then had a surprise baby about 5 years later and she didn't have any problems with any loose skin or stretching after the pregnancy.
      Personally though, I am not planning on having kids.
      Cheers,
      Tully.

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  7. couple of questions - how much weight will you drop with this surgery? any idea?

    also - why aren't you going to have children?

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  8. “I can't believe I will have a flat stomach for the first time in my life. I can't even imagine what that will feel like!” Oh my..I’m excited for you, Tully! :) After your treatment, try to restart things right by taking your first steps towards a healthier lifestyle. Make sure to engage in as much physical activities as you can. Also, choose the right food and have a well-balanced diet. :)

    Terry Bayer

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  9. I worry about this. I'm 3 months in to a complete lifestyle overhaul. I've lost 16kgs so far but I have probably 40 to go. I am worried about excess skin.

    I'm doing it relatively slowly, no surgery. But I don't know if there is anything that can be done to prevent this problem. And I can't see me ever having $15000 to fix it.

    However, I can imagine how exciting this operation must be for you! I've only just found your blog, but I'm loving reading it and I look forward to getting to follow you through this.

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Awww thanks so much for the comment!