#6: Stacie Gets Her Mommy Makeover
Patient Stacie Rigall talks about life after four kids and wanting something for herself but having to weigh that desire against savings and future college funds. Hear the funny and delightful story about Stacie's entire Mommy Makeover process performed by Dr. Barrett and his amazing team.
You are listening to the Barrett Plastic Surgery Podcast. I'm Dr. Daniel Barrett, Board-Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon located in Beverly Hills. I specialize in cosmetic surgery of the face, nose, breast and body. I'm passionate about natural-looking results and this podcast is dedicated to those deciding if plastic surgery is right for them and revealing all the latest beauty secrets. Thanks for tuning in.
Dr. Barrett: So, everyone, this is Dr. Barrett, we're here at the podcast Barrett Plastic Surgery, The Natural Plastic Surgeon podcasts. We have on our show Stacie.
Stacie: Hi.
Dr. Barrett: So, Stacie, we're actually just…we were chatting with…she, she was just mentioning that she has a doctor who knows about me in Redlands...you came. I just want to…I just want to kind of update the viewers. So we are three and a half weeks.
Stacie: Yes.
Dr. Barrett: Three and a half weeks from your Mommy Makeover.
Stacie: Right.
Dr. Barrett: And I cannot believe how fantastic you look right now.
Stacie: I know it's crazy.
Dr. Barrett: You are like an incredible healer, it’s like Wolverine. Unbelievable. You know what I’m talking about? He gets, like, a cut and it’s like it’s five seconds, it's healed up.
Stacie: I wish.
01:08 STACIE IS HEALING WELL
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. And, and so, like, you are doing so well. I just saw you in exam in the office. And would you…would you be willing to share with the viewers and the listeners what surgery you had done?
Stacie: I had breast augmentation, and a tummy tuck, and a hernia repair and a little bit of lipo.
Dr. Barrett: A little bit of lipo. Yes. Yes you...
Stacie: Right? Or maybe a lot. You tell me.
Dr. Barrett: Well, so I'll tell you, I’ll tell you the exact details. And so, we actually, we did…here, I have your full operative note here because I wanted to get all the details right. So we did our tummy tuck--abdominoplasty, liposuction of abdomen and flanks, hernia repair, bilateral breast augmentation using silicone implants. Okay...
Stacie: Yep.
Dr. Barrett: And the total amount of lipo aspirate fluid we got out was actually a fair amount. This is more than usual. We did 600 off the abdomen and about 1200 off of each side. So that's a total of three liters.
Stacie: Wow.
02:05 STACIE HAS SOME SWELLING
Dr. Barrett: Yes. Now, I know you don't see that yet because you still have a lot of swelling. But...
Stacie: No, I can tell.
Dr. Barrett: Okay, how, how can you tell? Tell me. Tell us about that.
Stacie: I put on my swimsuit that I've worn for, like, the last two years and it was, like, really baggy, like, in the back and in the front. I did fill out the top a lot better.
Dr. Barrett: That's right. So the operation worked.
Stacie: Yes.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. That's, that's fantastic. You know. So we were just talking about, you live in Redlands.
Stacie: Yes.
Dr. Barrett: Okay. How did you find...how did you find me? I mean, that's, that's a far… Distance-wise it's not bad...
Stacie: Right.
Dr. Barrett: But knowing L.A., that's a ridiculous kind of commute to do, especially with traffic. And you're here now to share and, and you know..
Stacie: It’s gonna take me three hours to get home.
Dr. Barrett: Exactly. So, I mean, because as you, as you know, I, I love to see my patients a lot post-op just because there's a lot of things that we're fine tuning and so forth. So what, what made you come all the way out? Let's start, let's start from the beginning. What made you come all the way out here, and, and what were you looking for?
03:07 WHAT STACIE WAS LOOKING FOR
Stacie: Well, I did have a consultation with another plastic surgeon, but I just kind of wanted to shop around. And one of my friends was, like, hey this is my doctor, you should check him out and she sent me all your stuff and I was, like, oh, awesome. He seems really cool. So I came and had a consultation and you were actually more thorough and I felt like you really took your time and understanded what I wanted and...got really excited. Which, I liked that you were excited to help me. You know?
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Stacie: No one's ever squeezed my belly like that. Just so you know.
03:41 STACIE HAS FOUR CHILDREN
Dr. Barrett: Ok. Well, you know, it's, it's, I actually don't have a picture. The one time I don't have a picture of the amount of skin that we took off. And that's what I get really excited about, because I'm, like, this is my chance to kind of, you know…you've done a lot on your part. Your, you know, you've had one child right?
Stacie: Four.
Dr. Barrett: Four children, excuse me. Four children.
Stacie: Yeah.
Dr. Barrett: And you did some breastfeeding.
Stacie: All of them.
Dr. Barrett: All of them. And I…it's my one chance to kind of help you get your body back, you know? And I get excited because I'm like, I got this.
Stacie: Right.
Dr. Barrett: You know, and so I, you're not the only one I do that for, because I do get excited. It's, like, it's one of my, my favorite operations. Combined with the breast augmentation, it just doesn't get any better than that. So. Yeah. So. Okay, so then after I squeezed your tummy, you knew that was it.
Stacie: Right. He's the one.
Dr. Barrett: That's great. That's good. Is that like, what made you make this...so you had four children?
Stacie: Yes.
04:35 TURNING POINT
Dr. Barrett: What made you make this decision? I always like to know, like, when's the turning point in someone's mind? So you went to one previous doctor. Right?
Stacie: Yes.
Dr. Barrett: Tell me about that.
Stacie: Well, he's famous.
Dr. Barrett: Ok. Well you don't have to...don't, don't share any name. Okay. So, I just, I just kind of want to know, like...
Stacie: I mean, he was, he was great.
Dr. Barrett: Okay.
Stacie: But his price point was almost triple what I paid for my operation.
Dr. Barrett: Really? And I'm not cheap either, so...
Stacie: No.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. Okay.
Stacie: So.
Dr. Barrett: Wow.
Stacie: Yeah.
Dr. Barrett: All right. So you only came to me because of price.
Stacie: Well, not just...Not just because of that.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Stacie: But once I was told that number, I was just like, wait, what? Like. That's, like, half of my savings account.
Dr. Barrett: So we didn't…we decided we didn't want to deplete your entire savings.
Stacie: Correct.
Dr. Barrett: All right. What else?
Stacie: Well, I mean, with finances, it's, like, I have four children.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
05:34 MONEY DILEMMA
Stacie: Like, hopefully they all go to college. Who's going to pay for that? So I think it was kind of, like, do I spend all this money on myself, or do I save it for my children's education? But there's still quite a bit left, so they'll be fine.
Dr. Barrett: Good.
Stacie: You know.
Dr. Barrett: Well, yeah. I mean, you know, you have four children. You sacrificed your body, your sleep...
Stacie: Yes.
Dr. Barrett: God knows what else for them. I mean, it's, it's, it's totally fine to invest in yourself and treat yourself. That's one of the hardest thing, I think, that mothers have to, kind of, contend with. Like, it's, like, go, go, go, give, give, give, all to their children all the time. And then all of a sudden when they're presented with an opportunity, it's almost like many of them--I don't know if you felt this way--they feel guilty kind of doing that…
06:14 FEELING GUILTY
Stacie: Yes. I still feel guilty.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Stacie: Because it’s like, what else could that money have paid for? Or what could I have done for them? But you know…
Dr. Barrett: Well I'm sure you've done…I haven't met your children, but I'm sure you've done a lot for them.
Stacie: Yes.
Dr. Barrett: So…
Stacie: They're pretty cool.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. All right. Well, good. So let's back up. I wanted to get back to that, that, that pivotal moment when you're like, I'm reaching a point where I need to consider something other than what I'm doing to, to get what I want. That, that difference when you decided to do something about it. That's what I always like to know.
Stacie: I mean, I've lost some weight. I definitely wasn’t to my actual goal weight when we had, surg...when I had surgery. But I’ve lost twenty-five pounds since last summer and kept it off for a little while. But I think it's just knowing like diet and exercise isn't going to fix what pregnancy and childbirth has done to my body. And so with, like, all the loose skin and, you know, I mean, I think my boobs were pretty great to begin with.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Stacie: But now they're just better.
07:24 REACHING GOAL WEIGHT
Dr. Barrett: No, that's great. You know, Stacie…I mean it just, it's, it's one of those things that it's very difficult. You know, when people are overweight and they're losing weight or they're, they're, they're just, they can't make any more gains. They reach a point where they just kind of want to try and just do something. And it's okay. It's okay that we don't reach our goal weight. You know, it's okay to do something. And maybe you will lose more weight in the future. And, you know, you might have a little extra skin from, from what we did, but that's okay, because it looks great now. And, and, and you know, it's just gonna...yeah, it's just...yeah, maybe you have a little bit of loose skin in the future. So I get people like that all the time. They hit a wall or they're just not going to go anywhere. And they're like, you know what? Now's the time...And we had this discussion and we talked about it. You know, it's like, hey, if you lose more, if you lose, you know, more weight later on, you might need to do a little, little extra skin excision. Sometimes not, surprisingly. But if you do, no big deal, at least right now, we can you we can make you feel better about your body and take care of a lot of issues.
Stacie: Right.
Dr. Barrett: And, and again, it's not like there were really any major issues. You're beautiful. You have great breasts. You had some skin laxity from pregnancy and some extra volume that we took care of. And it turned out great. It turned out really nice.
Stacie: Yeah. It's really good.
08:36 STACIE’S SECRET
Dr. Barrett: What was your secret for your breasts? Because I get a lot of women in your situation...four kids, four breastfeeding...all of them. A lot of...I'm sure a lot of mothers out there want to know, what do you do? What did you do to keep them so great looking? Because all we had to do for you was just an augmentation just to get them fuller. We didn't have to do a lift. We didn't have to an aerola…
Stacie: I don’t know. I didn’t do anything.
Dr. Barrett: You didn't do anything.
Stacie: They’re just…up.
Dr. Barrett: You're just naturally gifted.
Stacie: I guess so.
Dr. Barrett: That’s great. Good. So let's, let's dive into a little more. So when you first…okay, so you went to the one expensive Maserati of plastic surgeons office. I don't know who that is. And then, then you came to see me. And how did you feel after coming here?
09:15 STACIE SHARES HER EXPERIENCE ABOUT OUR OFFICE
Stacie: I was...I felt really good, like, oh, yes, this is the one, it just felt like the right fit. I liked you. The staff is amazing.
Dr. Barrett: Great.
Stacie: I mean, if I lived closer, I'd be able to go have drinks with the girls after work, right?
Dr. Barrett: You still can. You just...you won’t make it or you’d have to get a hotel room.
Stacie: I’m sure they'd have me.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. No, I think they do sometimes.
Stacie: But yeah, everyone was just great. And it just felt like it was the right time and right decision and just all worked out.
Dr. Barrett: Awesome. And then the…let's, let's go to the day of surgery. So we're here in the same operating room that you had your surgery. How does that feel?
09:58 SURGERY DAY
Stacie: Well, I'm just glad I don't have to get on the table.
Dr. Barrett: Tell us…Like so, picture...so for someone who's never had surgery before in their life...
Stacie: Which is me.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, right?
Stacie: Yeah.
Dr. Barrett: So, so for, for a listener that's out there or for a viewer, describe what was going through your mind and how you kind of got through. Because it's a lot, and you go... You see me in the pre-op area. And we do some markings like they do on the TV show. That's why I do it by the way, just because they do it on TV...and then…I'm just kidding.
Stacie: Right. You got your tape measure out...
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. Yeah. No, that...there's reasons why we do that. And then...walk me through how you kind of got back here, got on the table, like mentally, what was going through your mind?
Stacie: Well, I'm the type of person that always thinks, like, the worst thing’s gonna happen. So it's, like, oh I'm gonna die. My kids are gonna be orphans. Like, what am I going to… like...That is where my mind goes, like, all the time, even though I'm sure it's more dangerous to drive down the 10 to get home than it is to have surgery.
Dr. Barrett: Statistically, it is.
Stacie: Right. So I don't know. I mean, I just came in and my fiance was with me and it was just like, okay, well, today's the day and no turning back...
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Stacie: And just...hope for the best and...you know?
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Stacie: I mean, I was definitely really, really nervous. But I mean, once you have the IV in you’re...you're done.
Dr. Barrett: You got the good stuff.
Stacie: Yeah. So...
11:25 THE RISK OF ANESTHESIA COMPLICATIONS
Dr. Barrett: Well, you know, it's, it's interesting you say that. I, I always try to…you know, my patients, they come in, they, they're worried about anesthesia complications, way more in proportion to, like, surgical complications that can happen. Statistically, anesthesia complications…you're more likely to be struck by lightning in your lifetime than to have a problem, major problem with the anesthesia. That means like death, you know, pulmonary embolism or something horrible, catastrophic like that. So it's extremely rare. And so I always tell people is, like, all you have to do is just show up and we'll take it from here. You know? And it's kind of like getting on an airplane for the first time. It's kind of a crazy thought that you're going to go 30,000 feet up in the air in an aluminum aircraft.
Stacie: Yeah I don't like that either.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. It's safer if, like, mentally, you know, it’s safer than actually driving down to Redlands today. Probably. You know, and then getting in a flight and going to Virginia. So, so it's, it's always tough. And I always like to know kind of what, what people, what goes through their minds, and how you can kind of prepare yourself. Because it is, it is challenging. Not everybody, you know, has been in that situation.
Stacie: Right.
Dr. Barrett: And handled it as well as you did. I mean, you, you had such a positive attitude. It was great.
Stacie: Well, sometimes.
Dr. Barrett: Yes. Well yeah, we’ll talk about that. So, no. So just, also so you know, I, I, I, we …that's why I have a fully-accredited surgery center. This whole surgery center is built out for surgery. I have HEPA filters, I have LED lights, all this stuff I kind of designed from the ground up to make...
Stacie: Yeah I didn't even know this was back here.
12:52 DR. BARRETT’S SURGERY CENTER IS A HIDDEN PLACE
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, I know, it's like a hidden place.
Stacie: Right.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. But it's, it's a really beautiful...we have beautiful windows. We have…everything is, like, state of the art. So really set up for that. We use a board-certified anesthesiologist and we're a fully-accredited surgery center. So, like, you know, when it comes to safety, we don't cut any corners. And so, I always try to reassure people on that.
Stacie: Right.
Dr. Barrett: All right. So surgery's done. What happened...you go...so you got the mommy makeover.
Stacie: Yes.
Dr. Barrett: So breasts, and your tummy tuck, and the lipo.
Stacie: Yes.
Dr. Barrett: What happened in recovery? What happened, like, day one?
13:21 THE DAY AFTER SURGERY
Stacie: Really, really, really painful. Like, excruciating pain.
Dr. Barrett: Oh, my goodness.
Stacie: Like, woke up, like, when I woke up, I was really upset because I was in so much pain.
Dr. Barrett: And, you know, I do inject a lot of pain medication in the plication, in the areas that typically hurt. But some people...we, we miss the mark on that and they can experience some pain when they wake up. So it does happen. But with…I think you, you had it a little worse than the average patient has. And it's not like I did anything different.
Stacie: Right.
Dr. Barrett: Some people are have up regulation of, of, of nerve sensations or, or nerve fibers or things like that. But yeah, I'm so sorry to hear that.
Stacie: But I don't remember waking up in here.
Dr. Barrett: Oh, okay. We, we do!
Stacie: I only remember waking up in there...
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Stacie: Yeah. Apparently everyone else remembers.
Dr. Barrett: You were…I think you were shouting...if I could share this…you were shouting at your husband who, you thought that the anesthesiologist was your husband.
Stacie: Right.
Dr. Barrett: And you were shouting at him. And Dr. Fine was very confused. He was, like, I am not your husband. And you're like, yes you are. Quit pretending...or something like that…
Stacie: I’m sure it was, like, filled with expletives.
14:33 LEVEL OF POST-OP PAIN
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. Well, all right. So about how many...all right...so, you know, that's a good question. Like how much pain...and there's a, there was a long-acting pain medication that we sometimes inject during tummy tucks. We didn't opt to do that for you...I think we offered it to you, but…
Stacie: Right. But, I wasn't really sure. I mean, now, looking back, I'd be, like, oh, just give me all the pain meds.
Dr. Barrett: The pain medication. Yeah, I know. I think we should...I think we're gonna work on trying to actually just include it in all the operations, because I don't, I don't like people waking up in pain. Not like that.
Stacie: Right.
15:00 WHEN IT STARTED GETTING BETTER
Dr. Barrett: So we're, we’re working on that. But how many days did it take for things to kind of start get better? To get better?
Stacie: Maybe like…to be pain-free?
Dr. Barrett: Well, not pain-free, but things more manageable like your, your kind of, you can get through it.
Stacie: Well, I mean, I think it took maybe, like, a solid week…
Dr. Barrett: A week. Okay.
Stacie:...for me to feel better. And just not being able to sleep on my side and be in the same position. That was hard.
Dr. Barrett: So because of the tummy tuck right?
Stacie: And then my back hurt really bad, you know, from being in that one position, and not being able to sleep on my side...which that's how I normally sleep. And then it's just a little frustrating. So…
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, it's a, it's a, one of the biggest operations we do. We're basically cutting you in half.
Stacie: Right?
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. And it's you know, it's, it's, that first week is notoriously the most challenging and most difficult. And you're right. So you have to sleep in a certain position. It is called the Semi-Fowler position. So we take the tension off the incision because we just made it nice and tight. And then over time, you can gradually start to lay flat. Now, generally doesn't happen until about seven days later. And by that point, your back is kind of hurting...
Stacie: Right.
Dr. Barrett:...because all of that pressure is now on your lower back. So that's what I get. I get tightness, followed by lower back pain right around five, day five or seven. And then we're like, look, we've got to we've got to get you to the other positions. So it sounds like you went through all that.
Stacie: Yes.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. All right. So now, we're three and a half weeks out and you, you look great. You look fantastic. How are you...how are you feeling now?
16:45 HOW STACIE IS FEELING NOW
Stacie: I feel good. I can stand up straight again.
Dr. Barrett: Yes.
Stacie: I can, like, lay flat. Sleeping on my side is still a little difficult, but I don't know if it's because of my tummy or just because I have, like, all this side-boob action and I'm not really sure, like, where to put my arms. So just how I would normally sleep is a lot more difficult because these are in the way.
Dr. Barrett: Right.
Stacie: So...
Dr. Barrett: So what you're experiencing right now, right around the three and three-and-half week mark, is you're getting sensations of the breasts kind of feeling like they're not part of your body. What happens is your brain is really smart, your body's really smart, around five or six weeks, they're starting to get the reformulation of the, of the, the proprioception signals and they start to feel like they're part of your body. So that means whenever your arm kind of goes by your breast, it'll start to feel like, hey, that's just me. It's not, that's not something different. But it takes about five or six weeks for that to happen. The other things that start to happen are little electrical signal. Little, little shocks. Little tingles, little burning sensations.
Stacie: Oh yeah, I get those. Like, if I get cold, I'm like, oh, my gosh, that feels so weird.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. And that's another thing that happens. And so that typically resolves around three months. So what helps with that is massage, which we didn't start yet. We'll start that at the week-six mark. But that really helps desensitize the nerves so that you don't get that. Yeah.
Stacie: That’s exciting.
18:09 WOULD STACIE DO THIS AGAIN?
Dr. Barrett: Good. So, Stacy, so, so we've got a long way to go. We're doing great. Your incisions look fantastic. What's one thing you would tell...well, first of all, I want to know, if you could go back and do it all over again or not do it...would you do it?
Stacie: Yes.
Dr. Barrett: You would.
Stacie: But I’d need more pain meds.
Dr. Barrett: Okay.
Stacie: More pain meds.
Dr. Barrett: I guess they say no pain, no gain and…
Stacie: Right?
Dr. Barrett: And, you know, it's, it's, it's hard. It's you know, it's kind of like, perhaps it's like childbirth. You know, it's, like, when...I've never had children. But you have one and you're, like, I'm never gonna do this again at the time, right? I've heard women say.
Stacie: Right.
Dr. Barrett: And then you forget about it, right? So does that happen? Tell me.
Stacie: Yeah, I think you forget, like, until you're there again. And by that time, it's too late. But, you know, it's fun.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Stacie: Making the babies. That’s fun. So, so everybody, I think, forgets about you know...
Dr. Barrett: Absolutely. And that is why we're here. Yeah, somebody had some fun.
Stacie: Yeah.
19:08 STACIE’S TIP FOR A PROSPECTIVE PATIENT
Dr. Barrett: Well, good. So if you could. What's what's your tip for the person, the prospective patient out there? What’s like your, your secret advice that you would give somebody, or the one thing you wish you knew prior to going through all this.
Stacie: I mean, I would say if it's something that you're thinking about, like, definitely have a consultation and, you know, figure out if it's something that's right for you. And, you know, I'm gonna be thirty five this year. So it's like…
Dr. Barrett: And you look great.
Stacie: Thank you. You know, I mean, so it's like...you can be….you can feel good about yourself even after you've had four children and, you know. So I would say that maybe that's...if it's something that you've thought about and you don't like how your body looks and diet and exercise are going to get you the results that you want, that there are other options and...you know, I'm happy. I'm sure I'll be a lot happier once I lose all my swelling.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. Yeah, so swelling after this kind of, this kind of operation can last up to six months. The majority of that swelling goes away in six weeks. So in six weeks you're gonna be like, Hallelujah!
Stacie: Right.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, it's gonna look fantastic. And hopefully the weather will still be nice in six weeks from now.
Stacie: Oh, it will be. It’s gonna, you know, it's L.A. It's hot all the time.
Dr. Barrett: It is.
Stacie: Right. Or I'll just go on vacation.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. Do you have any trips planned? Do you have anything coming up?
20:40 STACIE IS PLANNING A TRIP TO HAWAII
Stacie: I'm going to Hawaii in May. I have a friend getting married. And she's like, oh, you're gonna wear a bikini. And I’m like, probably not. But like...
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. You should. Send us pictures. I’d love to see it.
Stacie: Right. So that's planned. So that's a long ways out. So I should be healing...
Dr. Barrett: When, when is that again?
Stacie: May. I’ll be at, like, one hundred, by then.
Dr. Barrett: Oh, my goodness.
Stacie: Yeah.
Dr. Barrett: You are gonna look great. You should do something before that though.
Stacie: Well, you know, some people have to work. Not me, but…
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, the savings, you gotta replete the savings.
Stacie: Oh yeah.
Dr. Barrett: I know. So tell me. I do want to touch about your family a little bit. What was your family's response to you wanting to do this?
Stacie: So my parents, I didn't actually tell them at all.
Dr. Barrett: You're 35. Why do you need to tell your parents?
Stacie: I know. You know, it just feels weird, like, oh, hey, dad, I'm going to get some new boobs. Like, that just feels so awkward. And so I haven't even had that conversation. I did tell...
Dr. Barrett: So,they don't know.
Stacie: They know that I had a hernia repair. That was medically necessary.
21:41 UMBILICAL HERNIA AFTER PREGNANCY
Dr. Barrett: Yes. Yes. So, by the way, a lot of people, a lot of pregnant women, you, you sometimes get an umbilical hernia. And that could be a dangerous situation if you don't fix it. And so when we do a tummy tuck, we can actually repair it at the same time. So we did that for you, I forgot to comment on that. So that feels better.
Stacie: Yes.
Dr. Barrett: Yes. Good. All right. So carry on.
Stacie: So I had that. And so I said, oh and while I was doing that, I decided just to get a tummy tuck...
Dr. Barrett:...and liposuction...
Stacie:...and just cut some of my extra skin off. And of course, my dad, he's like, well, how much did that cost? Did your insurance pay for it? And I'm like, yeah, they paid for some.
Dr. Barrett: That's a nice way to break it to them.
Stacie: You know, like...I'm just hoping they won't notice. I'll just wear some loose shirts around my parents when they come visit me.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Stacie: But I think everyone else has...I mean, obviously, my fiance...he's gonna enjoy all of this.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Stacie: So he's excited.
Dr. Barrett: So he was onboard from the very beginning.
Stacie: Oh yeah.
Dr. Barrett: Okay.
22:39 STACIE’S FIANCE TOOK CARE OF HER
Stacie: Yeah. He's like, it's your body. Whatever you want to do is fine. You know, if that's what's gonna make you happy, then go ahead and do it. And so he was really supportive. In fact, we had changed my surgery date. So that way I had surgery right before his one week of vacation so he could stay home and take care of me. So his vacation was staying home and taking care of me this summer.
Dr. Barrett: What better way to spend a week on vacation? You know, just with the person you love and...
Stacie: Right.
Dr. Barrett:...you know, helping them get better.
Stacie: Watching Fourth of July fireworks on TV instead of out somewhere.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. Yep, that's, that's where the magic happens.
Stacie: There is always next summer.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, good. Well good, was it anything else you want to share with listeners and potential patients out there or?
Stacie: Just, I mean, the overall experience has been wonderful. I have zero complaints except for the pain, but that, you can't really control that.
23:35 PAIN CONTROL
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, well there's some things we could do. And that's, and that's good feedback. And we’re, it's something that we're gonna work on. And that was actually kind of surprising. Most, most patients don't have as much as you did. And some people are upregulated, and some...it's interesting. We learn more and more about the human body every day. And some people are born with resistant receptors. So we give a certain pain medication, doesn't work on you. So I'm wondering if that kind of happened. Typically, the redheads that have that, that gene.
Stacie: Interesting.
Dr. Barrett: Are you...what color is your hair?
Stacie: This is my natural color.
Dr. Barrett: Is it? Okay? So you’re no like a secret redhead?
Stacie: Well, but my dad is a redhead.
Dr. Barrett: Is he?
Stacie: Yes. So maybe there is something.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. Maybe you have that…
Stacie: The gene.
Dr. Barrett: Yep.
Stacie: But is that one of those things where you can do like the cheek swab and see what medications work on those people?
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. But 23andMe wouldn't have that gene trait. It would have to be like another company. There's, there's a couple of companies that’ll actually get that particular gene but I don't know them off the top of my head.
Stacie: It's like if you go in to get like ADHD medications, there's, like, a cheek swab they can do to see which ones would work on you.
Dr. Barrett: Oh, really? Is that true?
Stacie: Yes.
24:46 GENE TESTING FOR PAIN RECEPTOR GENE
Dr. Barrett: Wow. I didn't know that. That would be a great idea. Develop a gene test for the, that pain receptor mutation.
Stacie: I'm sure there is.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. Well, yeah, I mean they know, they know what gene it is but they, you know, it's like 23andMe, you can, like, buy a kit online. They send it to you in the mail. Boom. You know it's, like, I know that I have a widow’s peak or I have, I can taste asparagus or, you know what I mean, like, they have all these weird things that are, like, related to your genes which is kind of interesting. So maybe they can add that one. I have the redhead gene...
Stacie: Right.
Dr. Barrett: Yes, for pain.
Stacie: I think that might explain some other stuff.
Dr. Barrett: Perhaps. I don't know. So what's next for you, Stacie? What's on the horizon?
Stacie: Well. I mean, basically, I just taxi a bunch of kids around and take care of them and take them where they have to go and....
Dr. Barrett: And, and did you have to explain to them about surgery at all?
25:41 REACTIONS FROM STACIE’S CHILDREN
Stacie: My oldest, he's eleven, so obviously he noticed that my body looks different and when I came home and, you know, was...you know, he was pretty, like, well, why did you need that? And I’m like, well, because I wanted to...and...but he's still, like, really young and I don't think he's noticed girls boobs yet.
Dr. Barrett: Okay, that's I guess, good.
Stacie: Right, like he hasn't. So I think it wasn't really a big deal, but maybe it will be to him later if other people notice and say things to him. I dunno.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Stacie: But my younger kids, it was just like, oh, you can't climb on mommy.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Stacie: She's...hurt. You just have to...you can sit next to her, but you can't climb all over her because normally I have... because my youngest is three years old. So normally there's children crawling on me.
26:36 AFTERCARE FACILITIES
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, how did you prevent...did you stay somewhere your first night?
Stacie: Yes. I did.
Dr. Barrett: You stayed, where did you stay?
Stacie: At Serenity.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, you stayed at Serenity, which is aftercare facility, which is, is a great option if you have lots of kids that want to jump on you.
Stacie: Yes.
Dr. Barrett: After surgery. So we recommend that typically when we do two areas like this, we recommend you go there just to be like, hey, I need to get my anesthesia out of my system. I need to be more comfortable. And so that's...
Stacie: They were amazing.
Dr. Barrett: Oh were they? Great.
Stacie: They have a shampoo bowl. They washed my hair before I left, they, like, helped me take a shower. I really actually just sat there and she washed my body and then I went in the shampoo bowl and she washed my hair. So they were great.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. They’re, I, you know, I, I used to just kind of go there all the time and they make great omelette, they make great food, too. I was like, hey, you can make me an extra omelette? Yeah, they're, they’re fantastic. You go there, it’s like a hotel.
Stacie: Yes.
Dr. Barrett: They really pamper you.
Stacie: It's like a hotel with the nurses.
Dr. Barrett: Yep.
Stacie: Like, basically that's the best way to describe it.
Dr. Barrett: And it's, and it's good, it’s a good time. At least one night after an operation like this. And we send, we try to have most of our patients there, but they get so booked. I'm glad you were able to go there.
Stacie: Yeah. So that was great.
Dr. Barrett: Good.
Stacie: And then I, I mean, I wish I have could stayed longer. That would have been nice.
Dr. Barrett: So you stayed one night?
Stacie: I just stayed one night. Yeah.
Dr. Barrett: Wow. Yeah.
Stacie: Then I went home. But my in-laws, they took care of the kids, so…
Dr. Barrett: They did. On dad’s or fiance….
Stacie: Yeah. They're good. They're great. His parents. Yeah. They took care of the kids. And so everything's good.
Dr. Barrett: Good. All right, Stacie, thank you so much for being on the show. You have a wonderful result. And thank you for sharing your experience with all the viewers and listeners today.
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