BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Beauty Basics Plastic Surgery

OK, I promised I would, so I'm going to "tell all".

I had a very nice nose until about age 12 or 13, when I started to develop a "ski jump" which gave me a really "interesting" profile. By age 14, I had what a plastic surgeon referred to as a Dick Tracey nose. Or, as he put it, "You look like the Indian on the Buffalo Head nickel."

Now, with a lot of positive affirmations and ego-boosting from my parents, I might have learned to accept my unique nose. Instead, they insisted I never turn sideways in front of a camera, and they walked around mumbling to themselves about where I could possibly have inherited "THAT". No one else in the clan had a nose like mine!

Well, my folks were determined to fix the offending part, and so I had plastic surgery at age 16. It was done under local anesthesia, so I was fully aware of the whole procedure but too doped up on IV Valium to be freaked out by it!

However, recovery was painful. I woke up tghe morning after with my eyes swollen shut, looking and feeling like I'd been hit by a truck. I stayed in the hospital for four days, lost 8 pounds, and was in pain the whole time.

That's not all! A few months later, I had to go under the knife again because the cartilage at the end of my nose had healed with too much scar tissue, making the tip of the nose uneven.

Although my parents thought they'd found me a decent plastic surgeon, my experience and results said otherwise. My nose looked more "normal", but it never looked natural.

A few years ago, I looked into having some corrective surgery done to compensate for the less-than-wonderful results I'd gotten. Mind you, I'd had my procedure in 1976, so a lot had changed in the field of platic surgery!

Both surgeons I saw for opinions told me that today's techniques were much more refined, that I would not have any hospital stay, and that the post operative pain would be minimal.

But, in order to fix the mistakes of the original surgeon, they would need cartilage from my ear and bone from a rib. One of the two surgeons wanted to "refracture" the existing bone in my nose as part of the corrective surgery.

I decided to pass. I look good enough! Positive affirmations and a positive self image DO go a long way toward making a person feel comfortable in their own skin, flaws and all!!

The moral of the story?

First, work on your self image before you decide that the only thing that will "fix" you is surgery.

Second, if you do opt for surgery, do plenty of homework first. Plastic surgery certainly has come a long way since 1976, but it still pays to find someone with a great reputation, great credentials, and lots of happy, enthusiastic former patients who are willing to tell you about their experience!!!

Third, avoid Micheal Jackson's surgeon like the plague!!!

Sooo...anyone have a story to share?? ;-)

An alternative to lasik and something I use are Paragon CRT lens. If your script is better than -6 diopters you can use these. I took up this option because my vision fallen from 20/15 to between 20/30 20/40. Any decent dr will tell you anything not to touch it for that little of treatment = 100% risk just a slight gain.

Anyway with the CRT lens you pop it in before you go to bed and take it out when you wake up. You don't need glasses or contacts all day long. The weaker you script and the longer you wear them can let you skip nights. I'll wear mine 5 nights and skip the weekend.

Cons: comprehensive fees for a year checkups, 2 set of lenses 1200-1500. If you stop wearing your CRTS your vision will go back to its original script.

Pros: I get 20/15 vision can do whatever and no risk of surgery problems.

The women I've known who have had plastic surgery all have had breast reductions. In all cases, the surgery was covered by insurance as these two ladies both had hideous upper back problems from the size and weight of their natural breasts. One woman went from something like a G down to a C cup and is soooooo happy.

I also have a friend who has lost over 100 lbs and if she can lose another 100, will have some procedures to adjust her breasts and skin. I can see at that amount of change where you'd want to have a few things put back into place.

Hi Rea,

I absolutely agree with your there! I had a patient back around 1989 whose 21 year old daughter had a breast reduction because of disproportionately large breasts. They were causing back pain. They also made her self conscious.

The recovery, I'm told, was painful. I suppose you can think of a breast reduction as a partial mastectomy, and that's major surgery.

I'm wondering...have things improved in the last 15 to 20 years? Is this procedure easier to endure nowadays?

By the way, my great grandmother, who barely spoke English, used to have a few favorite stories about her village in the old country. She claimed there was a woman in the village with breast so large, she could throw them over her shoulder! I think Great Grandma might have been exaggerating a wee bit. If not, that poor woman!!!!

Yes, I've had plastic surgery twice. I have had my nose and boobs "done." To tell the truth neither was all that painful. The post-op experience with my nose was just a little discomfort. As far as the implants, I think it took about 1 week to feel better. The most I remember is during that first week, I could not raise my arms in the air...so I couldn't wash my own hair. Had to have mom come over and wash my hair for me. Oh, the other thing with the boobs was that they just felt really heavy when I was lying on my back because I wasn't used to all that weight on my chest. I had my implants inserted through my belly button and can't see why anyone would do it any other way. I have zero scarring and I believe that is why I had very little discomfort/pain....no cutting into my breasts or underarms.
I have had the implants for 7 years now and I have never had one single problem with them. No pain/discomfort/leaking/hardness. Nothing. Most of the time, I forget I even have them. Couldn't have asked for a better experience with the 'ol implants.
I have saline. I would never get silicone....seems those are the ones that can have a lot of leaking problems.

Oh and if I ever decide to have a child,I will have a tummy tuck ASAP, if I cannot get rid of that baby fat.

Some of y'all may have noticed my other post, but I am getting ready to undergo Gastric Bypass surgery sometime in December (waiting for the insurance company to approve a date.)

My hopes are to lose 100-120 lbs. Since my hysterectomy I have already lost 15, and the skin around my tummy and arms is already saggy (I'm undergoing P.T. right now). So it is very probable that my skin is NOT going to "bounce back" after I lose the weight. Sometimes insurance companies will cover "tummy tucks" if there is a possibility of a hernia after a large amount of weight loss, but not always.

But ideally, I'm probably going to need (want?) a tummy tuck (if not a panniculectomy - all the way around) and an arm tuck - I hate my arms being this floppy; and they are muscular, I can lift as much as most men. My legs are fairly muscular with not too bad cellulitem so they may be okay, my butt may need some help!

And I have ALWAYS hated my nose (nothing to do with weight loss!) So, who knows, maybe you guys will see me on Extreme Makeover one day, because that will be the only way I'll be able to afford everything. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hi Lynnk,

Thanks for sharing your experience with us. My nose had to have excess bone removed, and that was the really painful part. Did your surgery involve bone or just cartilage, or both?

I know that having implants inserted is very different from having breast reduction. In the case of implants, your body stays in one piece, except for the invasion of having something inserted. With a reduction, they're actually removing part of the body, and this has got to be more drastic. I'd love to hear about it from someone who's had it done.

Your story is amazing, I didn't know implants could be delivered through an opening as small as a belly button!
And it's great that you've had no problems. A friend of mine had hers done about 5 years ago and has had lots of trouble. Hers are under the muscle tissue, and she's had trouble with the tissue over and around the implants feeling very tight and uncomfortable. She has to massage her implants to help with that, and she's a gym rat but now isn't allowed to do any pushups or chest presses.

After hearing her describe her experience, I think part of the problem is the surgeon she used, and part is with her own body. She has Lupus.

Still, the woman is a knockout at age 47, and men turn their heads to gawk at her wherever she goes!!

Hello,

No problem. I like to let people know that there are people out there who have had very positive experiences with implants. All we ever hear about are the problems. Having them inserted through my belly button was great. The implant is rolled up and sent through a tube (tube inserted through the navel), once the implant is in place in the breast, the saline is sent through the tube into the implant. Hope that made sense. Oh, and my implants are over the muscle...I wonder if that is why I haven't had any problems with them. I am supposed to massage mine as well but I never have.

As far as my nose, it was mainly removal of cartilage. I had a bulbous tip and wanted it smaller.

They recently featured the "Implants through the Belly Button" procedure on Dr. 90210.

Great to hear Lynnk's story. If I ever want breast implants, the bellybutton method sounds like the way to go! And speaking of having babies, here's another thought: I'm currently 7 months pregnant and have been doing a lot of reading up on breast feeding. The literature says that many plastic surgeons will never ask a woman who's considering cosmetic surgery on her breasts whether she wants to be able to breast feed. It seems surgeons will often cut the connections to the milk ducts, leaving the woman unable to nurse.

Has anyone in the forum either had the surgery or had a consultation for breast augmentation/reduction in which the surgeon happened to leave out that question?