Ten days away from my breast augmentation- Guest post

My surgery day keeps getting closer and closer. Here’s an update on how things have been going the past couple of weeks since my last post.

I ended up with a nasty case of bronchitis, which actually worked out perfect because I went seven days with a cigarette. (I had a show Saturday night and did have one), but for the most part, sticking to my guns with all this.

I’ve been eating well, working out 6 days a week, and drinking tons of water. I feel good, I’m meditating, and getting really excited.

Since I’m coming from out of town, I’ve been working with Dr. Ronel’s staff. They’ve been pretty amazing. They’ve sent me different sizes of implants to figure out what I want to go with, they’ve been emailing me making sure I’m doing well. So far, it’s been a really great experience.

As I mentioned in my first post, my mom is coming with me. She’s having a tummy tuck, thigh lift and a breast augmentation. She has also been consistent with doing what she needs to do (eating right, drinking lots of water, etc). Dr. Ronel and his staff have been exceptional with her as well. We’re both super excited. It’s kind of a bonding thing.

More later.

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Valentine’s Day Specials

Once a year, we have that Hallmark holiday that is dedicated to that special “someone” in your life. So, I was thinking about this…not that long-stem roses aren’t wonderful, along with the chocolates and the hundreds that we drop on this evening. These are all great, kind of cliché; So, I was thinking, why not give a gift that lasts a little longer than a week?

Therefore, we’ve got two things going on over at my offices (Santa Fe and Albuquerque) for Valentines Day.

The first one: We’re giving you 15% off ANY service purchased on February 14th or February 17th. We also have gift certificates available. So, if you have something in mind for you or your loved one, we’ll include the 15% off on the gift certificate and make note of it.

The other thing we have going to show some love, and this one lasts a little longer (and they can’t be mixed) is we’re giving you $50 off your Dysport treatment. If you haven’t heard of Dysport (aka the “new” Botox), you can read about it here. This special will begin on February 1st and will run through March 31st.

Perhaps if you’ve overheard your loved one talking about something a gift like this could take care of, they may appreciate it…a lot. Hope this helps! Any questions?

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Is Bridalplasty over the top?

Most of you know of, or have watched the popular show, Bridalplasty, on E! Entertainment. So, after checking out a couple of episodes I wanted to talk about it. But I also want to get your thoughts on it. I have to say that I thought the concept was kind of cool in the beginning but I’m not really a big fan of it anymore. Some could say it’s a bit over-the-top…but then again, it is a reality television show. Where’s the line between reality and television though?

For those of you who haven’t been on the TV circuit, Bridalplasty is a reality television series about brides-to-be competing for plastic surgery…in order to fit their view of “perfection” for their wedding. They’re basically away from their fiancés for four months. The winner gets a celebrity style wedding. The contestants get piecemeal plastic surgery throughout the competition based on how many contests they win against each other. The winner’s fiancée doesn’t get to see her until he lifts the veil on the wedding day. Yes, kind of interesting, mostly artificial. I wouldn’t have wanted my wedding to be so weird!

Here is a clip off of You Tube on the show. BUT, it’s not the show. It’s four women’s view of the show. (I love You Tube for these reasons.)

Do you think this is sending the wrong message? Or would you agree with the people affiliated with the show, that it’s really just a show.

Would you sign up or want to be on Bridalplasty? Please post your thoughts, comments, or questions.

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Teens, bullying, and plastic surgery

So, there was recently an article on 670kboi about teens undergoing plastic surgery to prevent bullying from schoolmates. I think this is absolutely not the way to go about it. Teens have enough to deal with and the idea that they think they need to “look” a certain way in order to not be threatened is something all parents really need to consider.

Does everyone remember the recent concern over the multiple teen suicides across the country over bullying? I could not imagine my kids having to face such turmoil at school and by kids around them that they would rather turn to suicide.

According to the article, there is a small but growing number of teenagers who say being teased or bullied prompted them to consider or even undergo cosmetic surgery. Nearly 90,000 teenagers had cosmetic surgery in 2007, and doctors say the numbers are growing.

Popular cosmetic surgeries for teenagers include nose jobs, breast reductions, breast augmentations, ear tucks and Botox injections.

“The idea of someone getting plastic surgery to avoid bullying seems to me as crazy and worrisome as if a black person were to go to a doctor and say, ‘I wanna become white to avoid racism,’” Dr. Ned Hallowell, a child psychiatrist, said. “The problem is clearly with the phenomenon of bullying, and not with the person’s nose.”

Hallowell said parents who allow their teens to get plastic surgery may be putting them at risk, both psychologically and physically.

“Any time you have any kind of surgery, there’s risk of infection, risk of — the wrong patient getting the wrong procedure,” Hallowell said. “So, you [want to] have darn good reasons for doing it. And when you do the risk-benefit analysis, cosmetic surgery, to avoid bullying, unless you are severely deformed, clearly doesn’t pass the test.”

I agree with Hallowell on this. There are certainly times that teens need a procedure done, especially if health is involved. But to feel like you have to make yourself look different to avoid people picking on you is misguided. What about parents teaching their kids to love themselves? And what happened to parents teaching kids not to bully? Are parents actually teaching kids to bully? Is this something they learn at home?

What are your thoughts? And what are your thoughts about teens and plastic surgery?

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The importance of having a support system when having plastic surgery

Deciding to have plastic surgery is a pretty big decision that thousands of people make each year. It’s certainly not something to take lightly, and it’s also not something to go through alone, especially if it’s a major procedure. I think where the problem lies is that so many patients feel like it’s a private matter and don’t really want to tell people that they’re going to have something done. It’s understandable that patients feel this way. However, having a strong support system is fundamental to the healing process…emotionally and physically. This is why I have a psychotherapist on my staff…because plastic surgery can have a profound effect on your life.

Emotions can be tricky, and I’ve seen them all. One example I’ll give you is a breast reduction I did a few years back. It took my patient over a year to accept her new breasts…not because she was unhappy with the results, but because she felt like a piece of her identity had been taken…despite the fact that she was in back pain and something had to be done. She had lost the largeness behind which she had been hiding. I’ve also had patients who are very concerned with how others might view them. We can be pretty hard on ourselves sometimes.

And, not all patients go through emotional roller coasters, but it does happen. This is why it’s so important to have people in your life you can talk to and lean on. I wrote a post a while back on the pre-conceived notions we can have about plastic surgery, so definitely check that out.

The thing to remember is that plastic surgery, for most people, isn’t about looking “perfect.” There’s really no such thing. The biggest percentages of my patients just want to feel good about themselves. At the end of the day, having an emotional connection and sharing your experience with others can help you heal faster and be more comfortable.

What are your thoughts?

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A patient journey post 2 – One month away from my breast augmentation

Hi, I’m back. If you didn’t get a chance to read my opening guest post, be sure to check it out. In a nutshell, I’m posting my entire experience leading up to the breast augmentation I’ve been wanting for years. Dr Ronel will be performing this on February 4th. This is my second post.

So, I’m one-month way from flying into Albuquerque and having Dr. Ronel work on me…actually 29 days to be exact. So I’ve been preparing. Okay, wait, I’m lying…I’ve been preparing to prepare, if that makes sense.

I’m already in the place where I meditate on a daily basis and practice visualization and things of that nature. I also work out regularly. The place where I’m really going to focus on in the coming weeks leading up to my surgery is alcohol consumption. That’s always been my downfall. I’m not an alcoholic by any means, but I’m in a rock band and we’re in a bar-like environment most of the time. It’s easy to have a couple beers or a cocktail a couple nights a week. (I’m also the tamest of the band, which is interesting.)

So, for me, with alcohol, comes cigarettes. Oh, the vicious circle. I’ve decided to take this month and next month off from drinking. I’ll keep you posted on how that’s going. Instead, I’m getting really focused on healing visualization (yes, I know, the surgery isn’t even done, but I’m serious about all this. I want this to be the best surgery experience of my life.) I want people to understand that state of mind has everything to do with your physical everything. This is why I’m guest posting.

Okay, so, I’m working out, journaling, meditating, drinking plenty of water and eating right. I’m getting excited. Not nervous. That’s where I’m at today.

For any of you out there, did you do any kind of prepping for your procedure? I’m curious to know what worked and didn’t work for you.

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Are your arms ready for spring?

Treat yourself to a brachioplasty (arm tuck) or a mini tummy tuck.

In-office procedures means minimal down time + lower cost.

As we age our body can lose the elastin which gives our skin it’s natural ability to bounce back to it’s original form. When fitness and healthy eating are not enough to deal with excess skin underneath their arms or around their tummy many patients choose to undergo a minimal incision arm-tuck (brachioplasty) or mini tummy-tuck.

The minimal incision brachioplasty avoids the typical long scar that goes down the arm to the elbow. It lifts the upper half of the upper arm, not the skin around the elbow. The mini tummy tuck tightens the skin under the belly button and does not tighten the abdominal muscles (only a full tummy tuck does that). Because these procedures are less invasive than the traditional ones, the recovery time is much less. They are designed for those people who want a nice little change without undergoing a major procedure.

Both of these procedures are combined with Tickle Lipo.

Just something to think about…
Questions? Let us know! 505-988-8886

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