So far, I have been at peace with going through with my plastic surgery with Dr. Frank Stile in Las Vegas. He’s definitely an expert I trust and I just know he will do a great job, because I’m confident that I’ve done all my due diligence and personally trust him with my body. Dr. Frank Stile is THE best plastic surgeon in Las Vegas, and I’m not just saying this because I’m biased. Based on my LONG research of Las Vegas Plastic Surgeons, he’s truly the best! You can read all about my consultation with Dr. Stile HERE
And, if you haven’t already heard, I recently decided to have plastic surgery again. You can read all about my past plastic surgery experience HERE.
It’s so important to physically and mentally prepare myself and my family for this experience. Setting those expectations early means being able to eliminate any feelings of worry, anxiousness or fear of the unknown. I wanted to make sure I AND my family were 100% ready to do this surgery, otherwise, I wouldn’t do it.
First things first, sit down with your spouse and discuss scheduling, taking time off from work, and the coordination of dealing with an “unactive, bed-resting me” and the shuffling of the kids. Once we established how we could make it all work, we determined the best date of surgery was October 23 (Wednesday) which would mean my husband would take time off on Thursday and Friday (and I’d have 5-days of his help before he returns back to work the following Monday). Surgery on a Wednesday also gave me the most time to recover with the 8-days of time off that I wanted to use versus surgery on a Monday or Friday. All of these logistically needed to be thought through, because every day really does count!
There were several moments I asked my husband if he was sure he would be okay with this, and every single time he whole heartedly said “Yes, let’s get this over with. You’ve been wanting this done for a long time, and I’m ready just as much as you are.”
Days before my plastic surgery, I attended a red carpet premiere in Los Angeles for the Hub Network Halloween Bash, and this is the most recent body shot I have right before surgery. Note the swollen face and wide frame.
Once we decided to schedule my surgery date for October 23, I called the office to make sure the date was still available. Dr. Stile does plastic surgery on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays of each week but he’s one of the most-wanted surgeons in Las Vegas (and elsewhere) so booking as far in advance as possible is ideal. Thank God he had one more opening for 1:00pm on October 23rd. I snagged the date right away and scheduled my pre-op for two weeks before surgery.
Prior to attending my pre-operative appointment, I really wanted to prepare my body physically and emotionally. Because I’ve gone through this process before, I knew what I wanted to do to make sure I allowed my body plenty of time to get ready for the trauma to come.
The biggest factor in my decision to choose Dr. Stile was that my surgery could be performed by him and his team at his very own Premium Surgical Services Center and NOT at the hospital (and NOT by unknown hospital staff scheduled to work that day — trust me, it’s very uncomfortable standing naked in front of strangers prior to surgery)! He is the ONLY plastic surgeon in Las Vegas that has this available for patients. I dislike hospitals, and honestly don’t want to be seen in public being hauled out, because Las Vegas is a small town for residents. I want discretion, uncompromising safety, and convenience. Everything fell perfectly into place the way I’ve been wanting it to.
Here is my checklist of things I prepared for before surgery with Dr. Stile as my very own plastic surgeon:
*Eat clean 5 days each week and exercise 3-4 days each week until surgery day.
*Make sure I am as healthy as I can be. My blood pressure medication is effective, I’ve got good levels of iron, pap smear is normal, and I’ve met with my primary care physician AND ob/gyn to get clearance from them (I just want to make double sure I’m good on both ends)
*Make sure family’s preventative care appointments are complete: immunizations, check-ups, dental exams, dental work, and flu shots.
*Request time off at work for both hubby and I.
*Make child care arrangements for Jude (my Kindergartner) and Juliana during my recovery.
*Get a deep tissue massage the week of surgery to promote blood flow circulation.
*Stay away from any type of second hand smoke! FAR AWAY!
*Secure an electric recliner rental during recovery.
*Clean the house from top to bottom.
*Bills are paid and expenses balanced.
*Do a 10-day herbal cleanse that ends no later than 2-weeks before surgery. Want to know all about my experience with Advocare? You can check it out HERE
*Have discussion with kids on my surgery.
I love how Dr. Stile provided a booklet with EVERYTHING I could possibly read up on from before, after, and during recovery from surgery. They didn’t let any details slip (including risks and complications) and I was so at peace knowing that they’ve thought everything through for me already.
Since Dr. Stile and I both decided that the best thing for me to do was have all the procedures done at once. The procedures I elected to go with are: abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), breast augmentation (breast implants), and liposuction of my arms and neck/chin. I met with Michelle, Dr. Stile’s nurse, to go over EVERYTHING to prepare for from 2-weeks before up until surgery day during my Pre-Operative Appointment. She went over everything line by line, showed me tips and tricks for a comfortable recovery, and even taught me how to measure and clean out my drains. We discussed massages for my breasts, prescriptions, and then also took before and after photos in a room with a pure white wall, professional lighting, and professional camera. It was pretty high-tech and impressive. Here’s an overview of what we discussed…
Preparing For Surgery Checklist (from Dr. Stile):
1. STOP SMOKING
2. TAKE MULTIVITAMINS
3. TAKE VITAMIN C
4. DO NOT TAKE ASPIRIN OR IBUPROFEN
5. LIMIT VITAMIN E
6. FILL YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS AHEAD OF TIME
7. DO NOT TAKE ASPIRIN OR IBUPROFEN
8. CONFIRM SURGERY TIME (THE DAY BEFORE SURGERY)
9. PROPERLY CLEANSING (THE DAY BEFORE SURGERY)
10. NO FOOD AFTER MIDNIGHT THE NIGHT BEFORE SURGERY (INCLUDES WATER)
11. TAKE MY HYPERTENSION MEDICATION WITH A SIP OF WATER EARLY IN THE MORNING DAY OF SURGERY
12. ORAL HYGIENE
13. CLEANSING MY BODY WITH DIAL ANTI-BACTERIAL SOAP
14. NO MAKEUP, MOISTURIZERS, CREAMS, LOTIONS, OR MAKEUP DAY OF SURGERY
15. WEAR LOOSE, COMFORTABLE FITTING CLOTHING (NO JEWELRY, WIGS, HAIRPINS, ETC)
16. CHECK-IN PREPARATION TIME: 12:00PM
And as traumatizing as it is looking at this photo, I felt compelled to show you (in as non-graphic way as possible) my stomach (GAG). This scar is just ONE of the scars left from my last tummy tuck fail from another plastic surgeon (there are 2 more from hip bone to hip bone that I’ll spare you the details on). And if you look at my belly button closely – it’s NOT real, it’s just scar tissue the last plastic surgeon tried to make look like a belly button. As you can see, this was much needed!
The excitement of a new me, new changes, do-overs, whatever you want to call new beginnings really gave me hope for a better me. Getting rid of these old scars signify the removal of my awful past and I’d love to finally say “good riddens, nasty scars!”
Again, I can’t thank you enough for all the positive vibes you’ve been sending my way. My readers, friends and family have been such a wonderful support system, and equally thrilled for me during this process. And I think that’s important when you’re going through such a big step in your life.
What’s holding you back from making that important decision in your life? And what questions would you ask your plastic surgeon if you were given the opportunity? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to leave a comment and share your story.
No Comments