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Julie - Extended Upper Arm lift & liposuction.
Dr Piyapas - Sept 09
I kinda knew things were not gonna go back when I started out. I had just been diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome and prescribed medication to help control the condition but it had gone undiagnosed for too long and I had over 100kg to lose. I had reached breaking point, this was ruining my life and I had to start somewhere so I went away for the weekend with friends knowing Monday was it... the day I had to face up to reality.
After loosing 35 kgs After loosing 100kgs
3 years later I had lost about 85 kgs and was now able to shop in the “normal
sizes” section of stores instead of the “big girls department”. The only
drawback was the hanging skin left under my arms. Most sleeves either clung to
the contour or were too short to hide it so I would spend summer either tugging
on the sleeves of men’s tee shirts to try and cover them or sweating in hoodies
or jackets. I had seen this coming so had been saving but when I went to see a
surgeon in Christchurch I was stunned at the cost. I left in tears and thought
that was the end of it.
I can’t remember where I had first heard about surgery overseas but one day I
googled it and found the Restored Beauty Getaways website. I sent off my photos
and got a quote back, then came the hard part. It was probably the toughest
decision I have ever had to make, I agonised over it for weeks! I talked to my
parents, partner, friends and did my homework but in the end I had to just make
a decision and stick to it. I was lucky to have had great advice from a friend
who is a surgeon in the US and one of the things he said was “lose another 25
pounds before going” so I got totally focused on doing that while I counted down
the 20 or so weeks. Before I knew it I had lost the weight bringing my total
loss to 100kg and I was getting on the plane.
The first day Jo and I went to the hospital. I was so nervous and scared I felt sick but once I met Dr P I felt much better. I could tell from the questions he was asking me that he knew what he was doing. Right from the beginning he understood exactly where I was coming from and I trusted him completely. Once he saw me and what needed to be done the plan of attack started to change, so Jo and I went back to the hotel for a swim
By the next day Dr P had researched similar patient case studies to devise an
individual plan for me. I was admitted for surgery the next morning. The
hospital room was like a 5 star hotel but we escaped to a nearby mall to keep my
mind off what was coming and later I was given a sleeping pill and that did the
trick.
They came and got me bout 8am all I can say is I was “packing myself” I was
totally terrified, I had never had surgery before, never spent a night in
hospital and everything in me was screaming RUN but Dr P was there comforting me
and I knew that the alternative was to put up and shut up and that just wasn’t
an option.
Afterwards I was surprised how good I was considering I had just had 11 hours of
surgery. Granted the day of the surgery didn’t really exist for me, but the day
after I was feeling good. Jo, always the professional but with a side of
compassion fed me breakfast, I felt like a kid again, we laughed about the plane
going into the hanger scenario.
My Mum and Dad arrived a couple of days later and we were all able to enjoy a
fabulous holiday at our awesome hotel right on Patong beach. Jo had organised us
adjoining rooms overlooking the pool and garden area so we felt like pigs in
muck! After bartering lessons from Jo we went shopping and shopping and
shopping! I came home with so much Ed Hardy stuff my suitcase which was almost
empty when I left, was overweight. The funny thing is I remember saying to my
partner before I left “I wonder if they will have an Ed Hardy store in
Thailand”? He had just rolled his eyes at me.
It wasn’t all plain sailing, I had blood trapped in the cavity between my skin
and my ribs which had to be drained daily, one day it decided to drain on its
own and I had to make an unscheduled trip to the hospital for dressings but the
care and professionalism of Dr P and the nurses was second to none, you just
couldn’t fault it. Dr P had been operating that day and it was late but he even
made sure we were organised with transport back to our hotel. What NZ surgeon
would do that? It was no trouble to go back and forth between the resort and the
hospital, they sent a car for me and took me back when I was done, no need to
organise a taxi and the drivers seem to know to take it easy over the judder
bars! You just work through it, you have to listen to your body and take it easy
when it needs rest. At no point was I in a lot of pain, I’m a bit of a wosse and
that was one thing I was really worried about but it was managed and cant have
been too bad cos clearly it didn’t stop me shopping ! Sleeping on my back with
my arms propped up on pillows was a total pain in the arse, not being able to
swim in the fabulous pool...not impressed about that, small complaints really
and only temporary inconveniences.
Dr Piyapas changing my dressings
Pre surgery
1 month after surgery
The experience has changed me in so many ways and not just physical ones. I do
not regret getting big now, I have had the most amazing experiences because of
it and it’s not over yet. I want to return for a tummy tuck once I have had
children. You can’t lose that kinda weight and expect the skin to go back but
you can do something about it. I would not hesitate to do it again but I
wouldn’t do it here in NZ even if I could afford it. I think it’s a huge
advantage to be on holiday while you recuperate, it keeps you from going
straight back into your normal routine. Without a doubt I will go with Jo and
RBG. You don’t need any dramas; you need someone there to make sure everything
is taken care of. Jo does that with one hand tied behind her back. She is
awesome, I consider her a friend for life, she understands the fears and
emotions and is always there to give support ...and feed you breakfast.
Dr P is my hero, hands down the best doctor I could have hoped for and more.
So that’s phase one complete, phase two tummy.