Well, it is exactly one week before my pre-op History and Physical appointment. Ohmygoodness! I know. I am excited and nervous and anxious and…everything all wrapped up in one. I bought some bras to take with me to show what size and look I am looking for as far as my breast augmentation goes and I have already started trying to determine what shirts I am going to bring. I was told to bring in a few different shirts so I can see what I will look like in each shirt.

 I don’t really know what all to expect except that this is where we will go over EVERYTHING from my medical history to what results I am looking for. When I went to my consultation appointment he was hesitant to do an augmentation with a lift but I’m hoping that he will go to the look I am looking for. It isn’t a huge look, I think it will look very nice on me, but the fact that he was hesitant at all kind of makes me eh about having to be like, “I understand but..” I’m sure we can work it out. I talked to his secretary who has been with him for 15 years, I think she said, and she didn’t seem to think that he would have any problem at all giving me the look I was even if maybe the cc’s are different. We’ll see. I think that it my only hang-up with the appointment. If I knew that my husband would be there with me than I would feel better because he can help be my voice and help me not to get intimidated..LOL..but I’m not sure if he will be or not. We’ll see!

Until next time…

#FattyGetHott

Ok, back on track. haha I told you a few posts ago that I would post about how my consultation went with Dr. Grenga. Well, it went splendidly! He is everything that I had read about and expected and more! He spoke to me in a very mild manner and broke it all down so as to be sure that I understood. When I got there I checked in and paid my $50 fee. The fee was then applied to the surgery if I chose to go ahead with it. After paying I sat and waited my turn. I was nervous and anxious and all rolled into one. Finally it was my turn. I went back to the room and the nurse came in to talk to me; find out what I was looking for, where I was at, a little of my history, etc. After I spoke with her she left and came back with the doctor a few minutes later. He then went over what I had told the nurse and talked to me about it. I told him I wasn’t sure if I needed a breast lift but wasn’t opposed, I just wasn’t sure, and that I was pretty sure I needed a tummy tuck; be it a full or a mini. After we talked he gave me the paper vest and the paper drape and left so that I could get undressed and we’d go from there. After a few minutes he came back in and we went from there. We started with the breasts. He pointed out that his opinion was a breast lift because while not very bad it was evident that I had nursed multiple children. So a breast lift it was. I also told him I wanted an enlargement, as well. We went over that and talked about size and look and such. Not in detail, that will come at the next appointment if I decide to go through with it.

Moving on, the abdomen area. My nemesis. He pointed out that, yes, I was distended and it was likely from separated abdominal muscles and childbirth. He then had me lay down and he felt my abdomen. This is my favorite part. He was talking about the biology of it and how childbirth can cause the muscles to separate and how many women do not have abdominal strength afterwards and then he asked me to do a partial sit-up to assess my muscles and he stopped mid-sentence and said, “oh! You do have abs!” haha! I have never been prouder. LOL He told me then that no matter what I did I would never be able to get those muscles back together on my own. That made me feel good because, like I have said before, I work out and lift heavy regularly so I know I have core strength…if just doesn’t show. So for him to tell me that eased my everything that I, myself, just wasn’t doing enough.

Oh! Along with diagnosing me with Diastasis Recti he diagnosed an umbilical hernia. I never thought I had that! I mean, yes, my belly button turned into an outy with my last baby but I never thought I had a hernia! Sure enough, I do. It was not comfortable when he pushed his finger into my belly button. LOL I mean, it didn’t hurt but, oy! I did not like it. My silver lining here? My insurance will pay for a portion of this entire procedure! Woop woop!! $2000 paid for? You got it!

After all that we went back over everything; a breast lift, augmentation, full tummy tuck, a little liposuction here and there to really shape the silhouette; as Dr. Grenga put it, this isn’t a weight loss surgery, this is a body contour and he includes the lipo so as to make sure that I get the body and the silhouette that I am looking for and dreaming of.

I want to talk about here the talk that he and I had about the “risks” of having an augmentation along with the lift. He informed me that when you have both together you are working against gravity. Yes, I can see that. I agree. He also said that he does them and has done revisions before because of the fact. After researching and reading I have come across the same number…25%. 25% of lift augmentation surgeries end in revision. My thoughts are I’m either looking at a for sure another surgery in 6 months to a year (which, too, means more money) or I can get it all done now and am looking at a possible another surgery in the future. So I think I am going for it. I mean, initially Dr. Grenga said that he advised against it and then once we started talking he said well maybe 150ccs and then once I told him all of my thoughts we started talking 250cc’s. I am looking at going no more than 300cc’s; so next appointment I’ll talk to him more about that.

Well, that is where we left it! After all of that I got dressed, met with his secretary who has been with him for 15 years, and set a tentative date and got a tentative price. She informed me that within the next few days I would receive a letter from him just reviewing everything we talked about and from there, should I decide to move forward, the Physical and History appointment would be made for about 2 weeks before my surgery date, a $300 deposits would be required at that, and then at that appointment the remainder of my balance would be required. It was A LOT of information in a short amount of time but it was exciting and I can’t wait to move forward!!!

#FattyGetHott

Yep, once again I was asked if I was pregnant while relaxing in my hot tub at the gym. No, no, I wasn’t asked I was basically told and then when I told her I was not she had the audacity to question me and ask me, “are you sure?” Are you kidding me? I think I would know if I were pregnant. I told her that, too. She then proceeded to ask me about 3 more times if I was sure. She almost got an earful and I about asked her if she wanted to go get a test and come watch me pee on it. To say I was angry (am angry) is an understatement but to say that my husband was angry is even more of an understatement. He made it out of the locker room before I did and he gave them an earful. The lifeguard who asked me last time was out there and he was very embarrassed and apologetic. He kept apologizing and telling me that he had told everyone not to speak to me about it again, not to ask me about it again, and when I described to him who spoke to me this time he just kind of let out a breath, rolled his eyes, and said he knew who it was (she wasn’t wearing a name tag) and he as well as his boss would be speaking with her tomorrow. One of the front desk workers who was there last time and heard about it from my husband was like, “it happened again?!” And he just shook his head. Name, phone number, and email was given so we’ll see what the aquatic director has to say about it. Needless to say, he or she better hope that they talk to me and not my husband because as point blank and as much of an earful as I plan on giving him/her it will probably be better than hearing it from Lover.

I keep telling myself “one month! One month and I won’t have to worry about it anymore!” but you know what? As much as it hurts and as embarrassing as it is, I am glad that I can be a voice and I am strong enough to be a voice. It IS embarrassing and it IS hard to deal with (even for the strongest of us) but it doesn’t define you. It doesn’t define me! As I said previously, I am getting a Mommy Makeover and having it fixed but you know what? I am doing that for me. I am doing it because I have done what I can do to rid myself of my pooch and it is now out of my control. There is nothing more that I can do. This is my next step and this is for my mental health. I don’t want anyone to think that I am having this surgery to hide who I am. I definitely am not! I am doing it because being someone who has always been comfortable in her skin and didn’t care what anyone thought, this is rough on me mentally. The way that I feel and the way that I see myself, I don’t like it. So I am doing something FOR ME (which, if you are mother you KNOW is a hard thing to do) and I am taking MY next step.

#FattyGetHott

Well friends, I’m doing it. I made a mention in a previous post about being asked if I was pregnant that the next step was a major surgery. I’m doing it. I have already done so much thinking about it and reading about it and talking to my husband and BFFs about it that…I’m doing it. I think that hardest thing to think about it is not having anymore children. My husband and I have talked it through, multiple times, but it is still a big decision, you know? It is the right one, though. A lot of thought, talk, and prayer has gone into it and I think that our family is complete. As hard as it is for me to say that.

In fact, I have already had my initial consultation. Where did I begin? Google. I started with what to look for when finding a doctor. My answer? Certification and privileges. Basically, the more certifications the better.

After that I searched for doctors in my area. I went through each doctor and looked at their websites and their ratings and reviews. I read through each doctors’ biography and looked at their credentials as well as their before and after work. To be completely honest, the first doctor that I read about I felt drawn to but I continued my search. After reading and talking and praying I knew that that first doctor I looked at was who I was supposed to see. My husband actually came home the next day from work and said that he had been reading on the same doctor and he (the doctor) is a very highly sought doctor. People travel to get him to do their work. Wow! My husband and I had not talked about this doctor yet because he (my husband) was on duty and therefore not home for me to talk to so we are talking he and I both looked into and researched the same doctor and came up with the same conclusions. So that was set, Dr. Grenga it was! I sent an email that night stating my desire for a consultation for a Mommy Makeover.

The next day I got a response welcoming me and letting me know I could email or call to set up a date for my consultation. I have yet to meet Deb, who signed the email, but I’ll never forget her name. Eve through email I felt welcomed and the email felt personal. So I called and made my appointment; it was a Monday, my appointment was for that Thursday. BTW, it was that day that I was called out at the gym for being pregnant. I told my husband, had I not already made my appointment I would have called right then and made one.

Well, it is late and I don’t want to bore you so I am going to go to bed and I will follow-up tomorrow with my consultation and what went on. Good night!

#FattyGetHott