How Alexis Conquered Her Panic Attacks & Biggest Insecurities: A Mommy Makeover Story

Monique Ramsey (00:02):
Welcome everyone to The La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast. I'm your hostess, Monique Ramsey. Today I have a lovely lady on the podcast. She's a patient who has a story about surgery with Dr. Swistun, a mommy makeover as it were, and she's willing to tell it for our audience and for people who are thinking about having a mommy makeover. And there's something a little bit extra that she did to get herself ready for the mommy makeover. So we're going to talk about that. So welcome, Alexis.

Alexis (00:33):
Hi. Thank you for having me.

Monique Ramsey (00:34):
Thanks for coming. So tell us a little bit about yourself and what was bothering you.

Alexis (00:39):
So about, well, four and a half years ago, I had my daughter and she was, well, I'm tall, so she was also going to be a big baby, so she was eight and a half pounds, and I gained the standard weight pregnancy and then that right after I had her was when covid happened. And so all of my standard lifestyle things just got thrown into disarray. So then I really ended up gaining a lot more weight than I was happy with. And especially from a starting point of I was never a slender petite girl to begin with, so it just kind of compounded itself. So I went to, my doctor went through the whole procedure to get it approved by insurance, and I started Wegovy before I went into have the mommy makeover.

Monique Ramsey (01:32):
And was there kind a moment that pushed you into saying, I'm going to do this?

Alexis (01:40):
I think it was just really this slow buildup of seeing all these celebrity gossip things of, oh, look at this celebrity all of a sudden got really thin and in a short amount of time. And then I started looking into it and then looking at their insurance requirements and being like, I think I can meet the insurance requirements. So then I took the initiative to go to my doctor to ask her about it because I was just kind of unhappy with how I was looking, just really struggling to see any change on the scale no matter what I was doing. And so I was like, I'll try this. I've tried other things, I'll try this. Why not? What's the worst that could happen?

Monique Ramsey (02:26):
The worst that could happen is that it doesn't work, like almost everything else.

Alexis (02:30):
Yeah.

Monique Ramsey (02:31):
In my own experience. And so what was your goal? How much did you think you had to lose and how much did you lose?

Alexis (02:38):
I had an idea of where I had gotten to my lowest number as a fully grown person, and I was like, maybe I could get back to that. And so from where I was to that would be about 70 pounds. So there was quite a ways to go.

Monique Ramsey (02:57):
Okay, for some people thinking about wanting to have surgery, wanting to have a mommy makeover, get their body back. Some people it's 30 pounds and still 30 pounds is 30 pounds, but 70, that's a lot. That's a lot. And I feel like any excess weight isn't vain, it's about health really.

Alexis (03:21):
And a lot of it is your height. So I'm five eight, so 70 pounds is a lot, but 30 pounds on someone who's four inches shorter than me is still a lot for them. So it's really going to depend on your structure, your height, your background, your genetics and everything. So every number is valid.

Monique Ramsey (03:45):
Right? That's true. I'm five one. And even being pregnant, you probably look normal pregnant because you were so tall. Could you, even with a big baby, could you kind of pull it off? I had an eight pound baby, the first one.

Alexis (04:01):
Oh my gosh.

Monique Ramsey (04:02):
I was like, where does it go? I was like a big brick. Anyway,

Alexis (04:05):
I was the type where, there was somebody I worked with and they were at a different site for a while, and so they came back and it was literally the day that I was going to be in to be induced. And so they hadn't seen me for a while, and I was washing my hands at the sink and they were talking to me and then all of a sudden I turned around and they were like, oh my God, they didn't know. They hadn't seen me for a while, so they didn't know I was pregnant. And from the back they were like, I had no idea. Oh my gosh. Then I turned around and there's a beach ball.

Monique Ramsey (04:37):
Yeah, that's so funny. So let's back up for a second because what were the procedures you really wanted to have and what did you end up having? Let's talk about that before we get into maybe some of the specifics.

Alexis (04:50):
So I wanted to have a tummy tuck because I had a lot of hanging skin from being pregnant. And even with no matter how much weight I lost, that wasn't going to change. And then also it was uneven. The belly button is kind of the middle and one side hung lower than the other. So then I was just really unhappy with that because it was always going to be there. So I wanted the tummy tuck and then my arms, so I had a brachioplasty as well. My arms have been the biggest issue that I've had in my entire life. I've always hated my arms. I struggled with buying clothes because my arms have been disproportionately large compared to the rest of my body. So my mom had previously had a tummy tuck and I was like, well, if they can do that to your stomach, I didn't know the term for it, but I was like, I assume they can do it for your arms. They can take stuff out, take their skin out and fix it. So those are the two things that I went in to talk about.

(05:57):
And Dr. Swistun, he gave some suggestions just based on hearing things that I was talking about, the things that I was unhappy with. He's like, well, we could also do a little bit of lipo. What areas of your body do you kind of feel like you want to work on? And so then I ended up actually having the 360 lipo, and then also he brought up for his wife, he's had her just that little bit of extra underneath your chin just to define your jawline a little bit. And as someone with a very round face, I was like, okay, yeah, I'll do that since I'm there.

Monique Ramsey (06:33):
Get it all in.

Alexis (06:34):
Yeah. I was like, okay, is there a limit to how many things I can do when I'm out one time? Because I'm kind of a baby, I'm afraid to go in multiple times, but if I'm out, I'm out. So what else can you do?

Monique Ramsey (06:47):
Right? So the 360 lipo, where were the areas that he tailored, let's call it?

Alexis (06:54):
So I've had a underlying really nice curve shape. So I think he really worked to bring that out a lot. So that bring the waist and then I kind of flared the hips and then just all those just little bit of squishy bits in the back that you kind of poke.

Monique Ramsey (07:17):
I'm gonna keep that Alexis. Squishy bits is good. Yeah, that you can grab and

Alexis (07:22):
Yeah, they're not like the end of the world, but you notice them. And I think a lot of the stuff, that kind of stuff is stuff that you notice and you're unhappy with and maybe a lot of people wouldn't see it or they're just like, you just look like a person. You just look normal. I don't know what you're unhappy with. And so a lot of it is about things that you see and you want to bring out of yourself.

Monique Ramsey (07:44):
Well, and I think especially with a tummy tuck, you're going to have this nice flat stomach.

(07:50):
And then if you have the squishy bits around the flat stomach, it's kind of like it doesn't flow. And it's almost like people who think I just want a neck lift, but then their face is hanging over the top. It's like you can't really kind of want it to be this nice, beautiful, congruent, flowing silhouette. And I think that's where the expertise of the surgeon, it's like, here's the things that bothered me and how do we get, I don't know, I'm not the surgeon. How do we get there? How do we get there? So how long before maybe having that consult or having the surgery, did you want to do that? Was it sort of all kind of post covid and as you were doing the weight loss?

Alexis (08:35):
So there were a couple hoops jumped through to get the insurance to approve it. But over that summer I had gone to see Dr. Swistun with my mom because she was having some revisions done and I wanted to meet him and kind of get my own impression of who he was as a person and as a doctor. And so then I also had a consult her and I told him, here's my plan going forward. By the time I had gone to see him, I had already lost part to the time later I booked my consult and went in to see him, I had lost 10 pounds in that interim time. So I think he really wanted me to optimize my results. And so he's like, we can go ahead and do the things now that we're talking about, or we can get on the glide and see where it takes you because the more weight you lose, the better your results are going to end up being. And so I was like, okay, you're the doctor. I'm not going to pretend I know better than you. You've done this a lot of times before. And so that's kind of why, then I waited and I came back in the spring for another consult to check it. I felt like, okay, I'm kind of at a point where there, there's a lot of extra skin now.

Monique Ramsey (09:50):
Yeah.

Alexis (09:53):
It's kind of hard.

Monique Ramsey (09:54):
Losing 70 pounds will do that.

Alexis (09:56):
It's kind of hard to gauge how much weight is there left versus how much of this is skin, how much weight am I going to lose just by having this excess skin removed.

Monique Ramsey (10:08):
Right. And you don't know how your skin's going to bounce back either. And skin quality, let me tell you, everybody out there, some people bounce back so beautifully. And of course as we age, we have less elasticity, bouncing back is harder, but some people just don't have great skin. And I happen to be one of them. And this is why I'm saying it, some people's skin quality, it's just less good than others. It is what it is. And so that's where you really do rely on the surgeon to sort of see, okay, here's what I think is going to be needed. But I think it's great that you did go with it and go with that weight loss to get yourself to a point where you're much in a much safer, healthy spot for having anesthesia, for having a smoother recovery, for having a great result, and to be able to maintain your result as well. And you've even lost a little bit of weight since then.

Alexis (11:08):
I've lost an additional almost 20 pounds, so bringing my total to around 90.

Monique Ramsey (11:15):
Wow. Congratulations. Congratulations. That's huge. That's huge. I think it's a testament to your dedication to wanting to be your healthiest self. And I think it's also a little bit of a testament to these new drugs. They just work on your body and your mind in a whole different way. And I think for people out there who are, you hear so much in the media and then there's people out there who are like, oh, you don't need that. Well, let me tell you if you struggle with weight and that's not a healthy thing to be overweight and maybe be pre-diabetic or like me, I ended up turning myself into a diabetic, which I was like, what happened? How did that happen? And I had markers in my family history for that. And so it was like, oh my God, what have I done? So you got to get past the judgment and just sort of go for it. And so I can say I think it's been a game changer.

Alexis (12:13):
I couldn't believe how it brought down all that noise in your head about like, oh, someone's having a snack, I want to have a snack, or Oh, I want dessert. Or all those things kind of just go down. You don't think about them. You still enjoy those things when you have them. It's not like it takes away all the joy in your life, but it doesn't come to the forefront of your mind really all that much. So then you never feel that kind of deprivation. You never feel like everyone's having a good time, but I'm not having a good time because I shouldn't be eating that. And so it is just so amazing and it really kind of makes me sad, all these people who kind of rail against it or tell you, you're cheating or why would you take a drug or anything? Because it's like people struggle with different things. What you struggle with isn't what I struggle with. And so to kind of be down on something that's helping someone with their struggles, the thing that I always think about and read about is if there was something that you could take to help somebody that would really help someone quit smoking or quit drinking, I don't think anybody would have a problem with that. They'd be like, this is amazing. This is going to help so many people. So there's a really poor attitude around that and I just wish there.

Monique Ramsey (13:41):
I love that comparison. So true. Yeah, I feel like it's the skinny crowd. They're the ones who call it a cop out and and the drug, it mimics a hormone in your body and maybe your body's not producing that hormone or whatever it is. I don't know how the science works, but it does work. And I think especially for if it's the thing that's holding you back from being able to live your best life and here's a potential solution, and you were talking earlier about how fast it goes. It's safely but also fast. And you found that pretty encouraging, right?

Alexis (14:26):
Yeah. And I actually never leveled up to a full dose. I take half of the 1.7 milligram pen and I've been on that the entire time. I've never gone up past that because I've been happy with the amount of weight I'm losing at that dose. I don't want to be shedding five pounds a week. Right? That's not good for you. And so it was anywhere between one or two pounds a week, which is still in that range of this is healthy. This is not ruining your body in any way. And even so, it's definitely a thing where you get out what you put in. You're not just having a shot and then sitting on your couch watching TV all day, eating potato chips. You do need to be cognizant of what you're eating. Make sure, we were talking earlier about getting protein, getting vegetables, and I was always bad about taking vitamins, but now I'm trying much harder to be sure that I'm taking multivitamins just to be sure that I'm not missing anything from my diet. And then also really being on top of being active. My mom and I go on walks every night and it's about four miles just to be sure I'm getting all steps in and doing lightweights exercises. And you don't have to be in the gym 10 hours a week, but you need to be sure you're staying active. You're not just sitting around.

Monique Ramsey (16:01):
And now that we've incorporated the Skinny Shot, we are calling it Signature Skinny Shot, and we've got podcast episodes about it. We have, so if anybody's thinking about it, we have quite a few different patients who've talked about their journey. We've also have the doctors talking about our medically supervised program and how it works and why these drugs work and who's a candidate. But I think they really do help you make that jump. And they're safe. They're really safe. They've been around a long time. And so even some of the things that they were talking last year about, well, certain people might not be able to have it, they've kind of debunked some of the things with some different studies and they're really pretty safe. So to your point of the lowest dose you need to be doing what you want to do, I think is great because then it's going to be a lot easier to come off of it.

(16:59):
But it's okay for some people, you might be on it longer, and then when you're ready to wean off, and that's where our program will help people be able to do that safely. And so you keep your weight off and so you keep that great result you've worked so hard for. And for you that payoff at the end of getting to have your surgery. So tell me a little bit about the surgery with Dr. Swistun and did you consider any other doctors before seeing him? And tell me a little bit about finding him and that whole consultation process.

Alexis (17:38):
So we actually found Dr. Swistun because my mom had had a previous procedure done at a different surgery center with a different surgeon, and it went really, really poorly and results were just really not that good. And when she had been going in, I had also been kind of toying with the idea of doing something as well. And then seeing her experience, I was like, I don't like that doctor. I don't like that surgery center. I don't like what she looks like now. It's like, why would you go through all that work to then have all these issues with it after the fact? And so then I was kind of in this no man's land. I was like, how do you even find a surgeon? There's so many of them. And then the people who leave say reviews either had a really great experience or a really bad experience, so how do you balance those?

(18:33):
And so I just really kind of didn't know what to do. And then my mom had an appointment for something else, and one of the nurses there was saying, oh, just downstairs, there's a surgery center and everybody's really amazing. Everybody's really nice, and particularly Dr. Swistun is the best. So then we were like, okay, and I'm one of those internet stalker people where I'll Google you and find out anything I can about you. And so I was reading up about him, anything that he has online, and I was really drawn in by his page on your website because it was so, I don't know, nice isn't the right word, but it was so real feeling and genuine, and he's talking about his kids and his wife and his background and everything. And it was so not bragging about what he does. You have this impression of plastic surgeons that they're God's gift to surgery or whatever.

Monique Ramsey (19:38):
Well, some of them are.

Alexis (19:41):
But then they had that attitude and that previous doctor had that attitude. And that's kind of why I was like, I don't like this guy. But Dr. Swistun was the complete opposite. He's so humble, he's so caring. And so then when we went in, I had that exact same impression from the website as him in person, and I just really, really liked him. And so I felt so comfortable. And so that's kind of what kept me coming back.

Monique Ramsey (20:10):
Oh well, that's super valid and it would keep you motivated. And so in that consultation, what were your hesitations I guess? Or were you nervous about anything?

Alexis (20:25):
I think just general fear. I'm a really high strung person, just generally. So any kind of doctor's office, needle type thing, I'm just losing my mind about it. But the thing that was nice is that all the nurses here and all the doctors, it's like they validate, yeah, it is a scary thing. I am not going to lie to you and say it's all sunshine and rainbows, but they always say, we're going to help you through it. You're going to get through it. We'll do it together. And I think that's what really is so nice because it is a really scary thing. And for you guys, it's kind of day to day, you're here all the time. You see these things all the time. But for us coming in, this is the first encounter we've had with something like that. And it is a really big surgery.

Monique Ramsey (21:16):
I feel like any surgery is a big surgery, even if it's a quote unquote, little surgery, you were talking about getting a little lipo under your chin. Some people come in and that's all they want. And so that's a little surgery, but it's not for them, it's a big surgery. And you want it to go well and go as smoothly as possible. And I think when you're having multiple surgeries, your tummy, some lipo all around and your arms and your chin. So out of all of those, let me just ask you, what was the thing that, was there anything that surprised you about any of those that I don't know, I guess when you were going home, were you, what hurt the most or what didn't hurt the most or what? I don't know, tell me about, because that's a lot of different little locations of things.

Alexis (22:05):
So when you do the 360 lipo, I was aware from my mom's procedure that you have the drains that are in the front. What I was not prepared for was there's a drain in the back and it's like right at your tailbone, so you have this tail coming out, so then sitting is uncomfortable. There's stitches back there.

Monique Ramsey (22:28):
Oh yeah, okay.

Alexis (22:30):
And you can't really sit because when you're sitting, it rides up a little bit. And so when that came out, that was when I was like, okay, I am definitely over the hill. The worst is over. Now that that drain is out.

Monique Ramsey (22:47):
Drains are such a necessary evil because they're kind of a pain to deal with. They honestly are no matter where they are, if you're having tummy tuck or breast lift or the 360 lipo, I mean because they need to help get the extra fluid out. It's important. But dealing with them is not the funnest thing. And then when they whip 'em out of you, okay, your eyes just went big. Tell me about when they take 'em out. Tell me about your experience, cuz I know my own.

Alexis (23:18):
I had three very different experiences for each one of my drains. The first one was, it's not painful, but is just the weirdest feeling of, so this was the one that was kind of up the middle of my chest. And so then you feel it moving inside of you in places that you don't have things ever moving inside of you. So it's just the most weird thing that you've ever experienced. It didn't hurt, but I never want that to happen again. And then the one on the other side, I didn't even notice them pulling it out, which I was like, okay, that was odd. I was fully prepared for the weird feeling again. And then the one in the back, I think because you're sitting and standing and walking so much, and I had had to trim a little bit of the stitch because it was poking in and I think it just eventually unraveled a little bit. And so then it just kind of fell out on its own. And luckily it was when I was waiting in the office to have it removed, so it kind of fell out at the right time, plop. So I felt like a little bit of something and I turned around and I'm like, oh, here's the end of it.

Monique Ramsey (24:37):
Oh, how funny. Yeah, I remember them whipping 'em out and I was like, whoa. It was way longer than I thought. It was a weird feeling. I was like, what just happened? I was not prepared. Like you said, it didn't hurt. It's just weird.

Alexis (24:51):
Yeah.

Monique Ramsey (24:53):
But it's 10 seconds of your life. But it is funny to think about some of these things that you've got these, you go home and you've got bandage. Now, did you have something on your neck? Did they give you a

Alexis (25:05):
Yeah, I had the head wrap thingy.

Monique Ramsey (25:07):
Yeah. So you had a little elastic. And how long does that stay on?

Alexis (25:10):
I think I actually wore the garments for longer than I was supposed to. I didn't really know when I was supposed to take 'em off because when I would come in, they'd be like, oh, you're still wearing that? And so I think I had the head wrap on for about two weeks, but the first week I wore it the whole time. And then I started transitioning to just at nighttime when I would be sleeping so I could go out and look normal.

Monique Ramsey (25:31):
Yeah. Well, anytime you can keep some swelling down, I think it makes you more comfortable. And so we have to fix our post-op instructions, if you didn't know when to stop wearing it, that's a little red flag for me. So tell me about the staff. Was there anybody besides Dr. Swistun on the team that kind of helped make your experience easier? And when did they come into the picture and what parts of the journey?

Alexis (25:59):
So Dr. Swistun's, nurse Kayla was with me from start to finish, and she's still with me now. My mom told me how, oh, before you leave, Kayla wants to talk to you, so don't forget to go see her. But yes, she's so great. I kind of felt weird because she's so much younger than me and she's comforting me and making me feel better, but she's so sweet and so nice, and she's always texting me of, how are you feeling? Do you need anything and everything? So just the fact that they're thinking of you even when you're at home recovering was so nice. My nurse for the operation was Rachel, and she was my mom for when my mom had to leave the room. I was, can you hold my hand when they're putting the needle in for the anesthesia? And then for me, when I have anything medical thing, I like whoever's there to kind of just talk to me about something just so I can focus on something else other than the needles and anything else that's going on. And she told me, I won't repeat it, I don't know if she wants to share, but she told me a funny story that she had going on recently because I was like, just talk to me. I don't care what it is. And I had told her, I'm like, since my mom's not here, you're my mom, you're going to be. And she's like, oh, yeah, yeah, I'll be your mom.

Monique Ramsey (27:20):
Oh, she's so cute.

Alexis (27:21):
And then since I had so many things done at one time, I had to have an overnight nurse just to watch me for that first night. And I had Krystlin and she was just so good and so attentive. I don't know how she was sleeping, but then if I just moved a little bit, she was awake and watching and just seeing if I needed anything. And the first night in the middle of the night, I woke up and I had a panic attack. I was like, I can't breathe. I was choking and everything. And she talked me down from it. She was like, no, you're fine. You can breathe. You've got everything. And within a couple minutes, she was able to put me back to sleep like a baby.

Monique Ramsey (28:04):
Oh my gosh. Have you had panic attacks before? Had that ever happened?

Alexis (28:08):
Yeah. Yeah. Not every day or anything, but I do kind of function at a higher level of anxiety than most people, I think.

Monique Ramsey (28:16):
Okay. So you knew what was happening to yourself, and that's so awesome that she was able to help you get through it. I would think that's a lot of surgery, like you said, a lot of different incisions. You've got garments, you've got drains, you've got all the things. And it could be a little panic inducing.

Alexis (28:36):
Well, because the tummy tuck, you have that wrap around your stomach and everything's been tightened up. So you do have this feeling of my body is not my body right now. I'm not used to it. It's so different than went to when I first woke up this morning, and now it's completely different. And so I think that's kind of that thought that was going through my head of I can't breathe, and then I kind of spiraled into I'm never going to be able to breathe again, and this is what my life is forever. Oh, I told you, high level of anxiety.

Monique Ramsey (29:08):
As they said, that escalated quickly. Yeah, well, but that makes sense though. And because we're not super rational beings, especially right after surgery. So I mean really that is, I'm sure other people in the audience have had very similar experiences where you just have these weird thoughts and you're creating some bizarre situation that isn't really very likely, but it seems very real to you at the time. Okay, so Krystlin was there first night after surgery and then after that your mom?

Alexis (29:44):
Yeah, my mom took care of me for, so I have a four and a half year old, and she's very rambunctious and I'm kind of her main person. She wants to be on me next to me 24/7. So I was like, I don't think I can be at home because I don't know how to keep her from remembering not to jump on me and everything. So I stayed at my mom's for, it was planned for one week, but she was like, no, stay for two just so that you know that your daughter can't accidentally hurt you and everything. So I stayed at my mom's house and she took care of me, but after that first week, I didn't really need any hands-on care. It was nice to have someone there and listen to when you're cranking about, oh, my stomach hurts. I've been sitting on this way, and I can't really adjust myself very well right now.

Monique Ramsey (30:36):
Yeah, I think it's the being uncomfortable or trying to get in a comfortable position.

Alexis (30:44):
That's the big thing.

Monique Ramsey (30:44):
Seems to be, and it's almost like it doesn't matter what procedure you're having because even people with facial procedures sometimes feel that way because maybe their back starts to hurt because they're trying to stay elevated. So did you have any tools or aids that helped you stay comfortable? Or what kind of accessories, let's call 'em surgical accessories, did you have at home that helped you get through some of the more uncomfortable parts?

Alexis (31:11):
Just a lot of pillows because then you can kind of Lego together or puzzle together what you need at that time. Sometimes I wanted my arms up high and then sometimes that would then get tiring or I wouldn't like that anymore so that you could take away pillows and adjust to exactly what you were needing. And going to your comment about the uncomfortableness, I wanted to avoid the big pain medicines just because, and so I didn't do, I only did the gabapentin and the Tylenol. I didn't go past that really. But because, and I've told people that and they're shocked you, and I've said it wasn't painful. I would not describe anything as painful, just like the most uncomfortable you've ever been in your life. And that's not something that a medication can take care of. It's just kind of shifting your body and finding what's working for that hour basically.

Monique Ramsey (32:12):
Right, right. And I think a little bit too is sleep. And if the pain or discomfort is keeping you from sleeping, then it's important to take something so you sleep, because I think that's the one thing that can help. If you're super nauseous, sleep it off, honestly, but you got to get to sleep. Or if you're really uncomfortable, getting that rest in helps a lot. And so I'm with you about pain medicine, but also if you have to take it for a couple days, don't be scared to do it because for some of these bigger procedures, you might really need it and it's okay and it'll get you through the hardest parts. But yeah, pillows, pillows are so important.

Alexis (32:55):
I struggled with sleep for first day or two. I couldn't sleep very well. I had wake up and because it's quiet, your thoughts, I have anxiety, so the thoughts were running away from me if I get up in the middle of the night because dark and there's no one to talk to or anything. So I actually asked the doctor, I was like, I'm not sleeping. I'm panicking at nighttime because I'm waking up in the middle of the night. And so I actually took Xanax just for sleeping

Monique Ramsey (33:24):
Oh okay.

Alexis (33:25):
Just about half an hour before I go to bed, the lowest dose Xanax just to kind of mellow me out so I could sleep. And you can't heal if you're not sleeping

Monique Ramsey (33:36):
Right. Now, let's talk about your scars. So you had a tummy tuck, you had 360 lipo, you had your brachioplasty, your arm lift, and a little lipo under the chin. So tell us about your incisions and your scars and your three months out right now. Right, three? Okay.

Alexis (33:54):
So I have the standard tummy tuck scar that runs from hip to hip basically, but I've never been the g-string swimsuit type person, so I'm like, anybody who's going to see it if you have, I told my husband, I'm like, if you have a problem with it, then you don't deserve to see me and no one else is going to see it. So that one absolutely fine here and there. I can see the incisions from either the drain or where the lipo tube thing went in, but I think that's only something I can see. I think it kind of just melds into just generic skin look, I don't think anybody else could point them out at all. I do have, I think you can see a little bit, I have the scar here from the brachioplasty.

Monique Ramsey (34:48):
Look at your arm. It looks so good. Oh, wow. It's so skinny.

Alexis (34:51):
Yeah, I know. But my arms have been something that I have hated my entire life. I couldn't even wear long sleeve things to hide it because you can still see how big it is when you're wearing long sleeve or there wouldn't be enough stretch in the fabric. And so then I wouldn't be able to wear the outfit because of my arm. So I had told Dr. Swistun, I do not care about these scars. They're relatively well hidden. Maybe sometimes from certain angle when from the back you can see them. But other than that, I don't think about them. I don't care about them because of it's a trade off. There was no solution where I was going to have just normal arms. I was either going to have the much larger arms or I was going to have the scars, and I would much rather have the scars.

Monique Ramsey (35:45):
It's amazing how long it takes scars to really mature and I mean, they can be right for a year and that's totally normal. And then all of a sudden over time they get better and better and pretty soon they're almost like a texture versus a scar. So it's sort of like they sort of fade into nothing. And it does take time and everybody scars differently and their skin scars differently. And I think your point about the trade-off of being able to wear the things you want to wear, who cares about the scar and it looks so good. Wow.

Alexis (36:19):
Well, and I've always said that if somebody, people, when you go out lots of times sometimes you get that guy who thinks he can say whatever he wants, but I'm like, I've been trying to concoct the most uncomfortable story of how I got the scars. If somebody brings them up to be like, oh, thanks, I was in a really big car crash and I had to have rods put in my arms. Thanks for reminding me just to put that uncomfortable back onto them.

Monique Ramsey (36:46):
Why do you ask? I love that comeback. If somebody asks you a weird question, you just say, why do you ask? And then they have to tell you why and they shouldn't be asking. So tell me about your results. How are you feeling about your results?

Alexis (37:02):
It's weird where the logic part of your brain and then the feelings part of your brain, it takes them a long time to match up logically. I look in the mirror and I'm like, I really like how I look. I get to wear all these fun clothes now. Not that you can't, just that personally, I was not comfortable with it before. And so the logic is there, I see it, it's different. But then the mental model or the feelings of I'm not there yet, or I don't understand how to shop for clothes, or it's a weird feeling and you look in the mirror and you're like, is that me? I think it just takes a while for your brain to match what's going on with you. It looks really good and I know that, and I just don't know how to connect it. Right?

Monique Ramsey (37:56):
Well, how to believe it's you, and especially with a transformation with almost 90 pounds of weight loss and getting that surgery where you're making changes with the extra skin and your shape and your silhouette. I mean, it's a lot to wrap your head around. And I think it does take time for those things to match up. And having been through almost 50 pounds of weight loss for me in the last couple of years, I saw a picture of myself recently, and I was from a distance, so it was like my whole body. And I was like, who is that? I really was like, do I look like that? And I didn't believe I looked like that. It's weird.

Alexis (38:38):
Or you're in the store when you walk by a mirror and you see yourself out the corner of your eyes?

Monique Ramsey (38:43):
It's super weird, but it is sort of, we have to allow ourselves, I think especially when you're making a change to your body or your face, allow your brain time to, because it will all merge together. And that's just the new you. But being patient with that a little different, was there anything that surprised you after surgery?

Alexis (39:05):
One thing that I tell my husband all the time is I didn't look at my chart, but just looking at my body, I can see, okay, there was a big part of skin here. And then with my arms there was a lot of flesh removed and then the skin. And I just can't believe that you can make that drastic of a change or of a removal of your body and your body's just like, yeah, that's fine. I expected some sort of, I don't know if phantom limb is the right word, or just some sort of like, oh, there's something wrong with the body, we need to fix it or something. But no, my body's just been like, yeah, okay. That's just what happened, we're fine.

Monique Ramsey (39:51):
That's interesting. That's interesting. Is there anything you would tell a patient in the recovery process to do or not to do?

Alexis (39:59):
I would say get up and walk and start moving as soon as you can. The more you sit, the harder it is, I think. But then also, don't push yourself too hard. I'm kind of the person that I tend to maybe want more than I'm capable of at the time. So there were times where I'd come back and I would walk with the dog to the park, take it potty, and then come back and I'd be like, oh my gosh, I'm exhausted. That was too long of a walk or too much standing.

Monique Ramsey (40:30):
Yeah.

Alexis (40:31):
I think pushing myself too, okay, go to the grocery store, walk around with the cart, just so that you're out and moving, kind of helps it a lot. Then your blood's moving around and then your muscles aren't kind of just sitting and scrunching up and everything. So just be sure that you're moving as much as you can.

Monique Ramsey (40:53):
Yeah, and like you said, with what your doctor is allowing, because you can feel too good and then do too much and then you'll get in trouble. So looking back, what would you tell somebody who's looking for, they want to maybe have some plastic surgery, how to look for a plastic surgeon in an office?

Alexis (41:17):
I would say read up on anything that you can find about them online. I'm not talking about reviews. I'm talking about how they present themselves online. And what kind of feeling do you get from that? Do you feel like they're full of themselves? Do you feel like they're competent? Do you feel like they know what they're doing? Do you feel like they're good people? Any sort of just vibe you get from them. And then once you kind of narrow down who you feel might click with you, then don't be afraid to go in and have lots of them have the free consult, just because you have to get to know them. You can't just choose someone out of a phone book and call it a day. And if you get any sort of feeling where you're not clicking with them, find someone else, don't feel like you're going to hurt someone's feelings or that you're committed to someone just because you've been in their office once or even twice.

Monique Ramsey (42:15):
And I think doing, you being, you said you're an internet stalker, I'm the same way I want to get to know them, but sometimes that first visit, that making that consultation is kind of an intimidating step. And so I think what we've tried to do knowing that is that we've got Dr. Swistun on a bunch of podcasts. We have his patients talking on a bunch of podcasts. We have him doing some live webinars that are now on demand. And you go on our specials and events page and you scroll down and you click and you put in your name and you can hit play and you can see him. And I think that's helpful because it helps you get to know them a little bit more and get to know the real them. And then when you're meeting them in person, it's like, okay, it's not just a show. This is who they are. And in terms of, so you mentioned Kayla, and in terms of the team, there's that support staff around you and how you felt about that part of it.

Alexis (43:21):
Yeah, I think it's the same things. I didn't stalk the nurses to the same extent as Dr. Swistun, but it's like if anybody makes you feel uncomfortable or you just get just a feeling you make the call, is it something that you want to bring up with the office to see, am I correct in my feeling on this or what's their response to my feeling about this? Or if it's just absolutely, this is a deal breaker, I just will not be comfortable with it. And any one of those dropping out at any point is valid because you need to feel a hundred percent confident going in or else you're just going to be kind of a wreck. You're going to be nervous, you're going to be too anxious to do anything. You're not going to reach out for help if you need something or if you need a question answered.

Monique Ramsey (44:13):
Right, right. You have to feel that you've got that the in-office support system, not just your support system. And actually, you told a funny story in the other podcast, so I'm going to put that little nugget out there for everybody to go listen to the podcast with Alexis and her mom, Regina, because she had a very funny story about the day of surgery. So that's all I'm going to say. So thank you so much, Alexis, because telling your story, I think every little bit helps the people out there who might be thinking about a surgery and knowing they're not alone in those thoughts. And so any last thoughts on Alexis before we say goodbye?

Alexis (44:57):
I think the main thing is that if I can do it and get through it, then I think anybody can because I am a huge baby. I told that to the doctor, Dr. Swistun, as soon as I came in, I'm like, okay, I'm going to be the biggest baby that you've ever encountered. Just so be prepared, there's going to be crying, there's going to be anxiety. So if I can get through it, I think that anybody can do it.

Monique Ramsey (45:19):
Oh, that's good advice. I love that. Alright, well thanks Alexis. And thanks to everybody who's listening today. Check the show notes because we'll have links to the other episodes, Regina's episode, her mom and the episode we did with the two of them together about their kind of plastic surgery Mother-daughter duo. I dunno what we're going to call it, but it'll be there. And thanks everybody for listening, and please leave us a review. If you can subscribe, share it with a friend, all of it helps to get out the information. If it helps another person, I think it's a great thing. So thanks everybody, and we'll see you on the next one.

Announcer (46:01):
Take a screenshot of this podcast episode with your phone and show it at your consultation or appointment or mention the promo code PODCAST to receive $25 off any service or product of $50 or more at La Jolla Cosmetic. La Jolla Cosmetic is located just off the I-5 San Diego Freeway in the Ximed Building on the Scripps Memorial Hospital campus. To learn more, go to ljcsc.com or follow the team on Instagram @ljcsc. The La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast is a production of The Axis, theaxis.io.