Trish Hammond: Well, good morning, everyone, or afternoon or evening, whatever it might be you’re in. It’s Trish here, from Transforming Bodies, and we are now actually doing an interview with the lovely Rosa, who’s based in Sydney, and she’s just recently had some plastic surgery with Rohit Kumar, who’s based at Leichhardt … Well, sorry, Sydney Cosmetic Sanctuary, is it Leichhardt? So I’m not sure where she had her surgery, but we’re going to find out her lovely story today. She’s got the most amazing before and afters, as well, so, welcome, Rosa.
Rosa Primerano: Thank you, Trish.
Trish Hammond: So, tell me, so you recently had some surgery. So …
Rosa Primerano: I did.
Trish Hammond: So, tell me, well, we’ll start from the beginning, and I’ll probably ask you questions, and interrupt you as you go through.
Rosa Primerano: Sure.
Trish Hammond: But, so, what did you have done?
Rosa Primerano: So I had a full body lift. Not sure what the medical term is, but a circumference lift. I also had a breast reduction and lift, as well, and that was due to excessive weight loss five years ago. So I was at …
Trish Hammond: So, did you have that all done at once?
Rosa Primerano: The plastic surgery, I did.
Trish Hammond: So, you had the circumferential body lift, and the breast reduction lift, done all together.
Rosa Primerano: All together.
Trish Hammond: In one operation.
Rosa Primerano: Yes, that’s correct. In one operation.
Trish Hammond: Okay, well, wow. Wow, wow, wow, and how long ago was that?
Rosa Primerano: That was on the 20th of July, 2016, ’17.
Trish Hammond: So, about six months ago.
Rosa Primerano: Six months ago, that’s correct.
Trish Hammond: Okay, awesome, and tell me. So, you lost weight from about five years ago, and, how much had you lost?
Rosa Primerano: Well, I lost, so I had surgery in 2011, and I was 120 kilos, and I went down to 64 kilos. So that’s a good 56 kilos.
Trish Hammond: Wow. So you when you say you had surgery in 2011, did you have a gastric sleeve?
Rosa Primerano: I did have the gastric sleeve, yes.
Trish Hammond: Okay, okay. Oh, you’re a little bit like my story, then. Because I also went from 120 to, or 120, down to 62, and then I put on 30 kilos. So, now, I’m fighting my way back.
Rosa Primerano: Oh, well, okay. But you had no surgery, did you?
Trish Hammond: Well, I had a lap band, but I had it removed. I didn’t lose weight with a lap band, so …
Rosa Primerano: No, that’s right.
Trish Hammond: It was, yes, light, but, anyway …Oh, so, great. So you lost 50 kilos. Now, if you don’t mind my asking, how old are you, Rosa?
Rosa Primerano: Sure. Well, I was, I’m now currently 30, what am I, 35? When I had the gastric sleeve, I was 29, going on to 30. So, it was in 2011, and I decided that that was enough for me.So, yeah, so, I wish I did it earlier.
Trish Hammond: Yeah! Everybody says that.
Rosa Primerano: Yeah. I did, yeah.
Trish Hammond: I mean, I, having said that myself, that, probably the only thing I would change is the fact that I didn’t do it sooner.
Rosa Primerano: That’s correct. Absolutely.
Trish Hammond: So, tell me. So you had this. So, what, first of all, what made you decide? How did you decide on your surgery? Because that’s probably the biggest question that everyone’s got, like, how do I know who I’m going to go? Because there’s many amazing doctors out there.
Rosa Primerano: There are.
Trish Hammond: How did you pick the one that’s right for you?
Rosa Primerano: I actually went to a number of surgeons, and when, before I picked Dr. Kumar, I just thought to myself, “You know what? I need to connect with the surgeon. He needs to make me feel warm, fuzzy, comfortable, that everything’s going to be okay.” I had met Dr. Kumar in June of last year. I did not hesitate, I just booked it in. So, I think, every surgeon’s fantastic at what they do. I think it’s more on a personal level, and how you connect with the surgeon, and Dr. Kumar, the minute I met him, I knew I was in good hands. I picked straightaway.
Trish Hammond: Oh, that fantastic, and I know that you looked great with, being … I’m presuming you’re going to let us put some of your piccies up for people to have a …
Rosa Primerano: Yes.
Trish Hammond: Ah, fantastic.
Rosa Primerano: Yes.
Trish Hammond: I know you look perfect, and I don’t know, you’re one of his raving fans.
Rosa Primerano: I am.
Trish Hammond: Yes.
Rosa Primerano: I absolutely adore Rohit Kumar.
Trish Hammond: So, tell me, so how many doctors had you seen before?
Rosa Primerano: I had seen three doctors before.
Trish Hammond: Oh, and how did you do your research? Did you do it online, in groups?
Rosa Primerano: Online. In groups I was in. It was, the other three surgeons were never word of mouth. It was more just social media.
Trish Hammond: Okay.
Rosa Primerano: I was discussing what I wanted to do with, actually, one of my really good friends actually said to me, “Have you tried this gentlemen?” She goes, “Go and have a consult with Dr. Kumar,” and she said, “My friend just had surgery, and honestly, it was amazing.” So, off Rosa went, it was word of mouth. Made an appointment to see Dr. Kumar, and she was absolutely, bang, spot on.
Trish Hammond: Excellent. Because I know, I really, totally believe that you’ve got to, 100 … You know, because you could go to the best surgeon in the entire world.
Rosa Primerano: Absolutely.
Trish Hammond: But if he’s not the best surgeon for you …
Rosa Primerano: That’s correct. Absolutely.
Trish Hammond: It’s going to, because you got to go in, 100% confident, so that you can recover well on, and all that, all that.
Rosa Primerano: Yes.
Trish Hammond: So, tell me. All right, so we know how you chose your doctor. So, obviously, you booked in June, and then you had your surgery in July. So you were ready, and you were hot to trot. You just needed to go and find the doctor for you.
Rosa Primerano: Absolutely. I was ready to make it happen. Coming out of a very low self-esteem relationship, I needed to obviously work on myself, and half of that was internal, but also, working on areas where I needed to improve my body. That was just something that I found along the journey, as well.
Trish Hammond: Yeah, fantastic, and tell me. So, you had, you booked in your surgery, you had your surgery. So, do you know how long you were under for, do you know anything about the process with Rohit?
Rosa Primerano: Yep. So I was admitted, well, I went, I believe the injection went in at 10 o’clock, and next thing I knew, it was 11:30 at night, and I woke up. So it was a long surgery, but I was prepared for it. It’s not just as easy as, “Yup, let me just book in.” I mean, Dr. Kumar … I did have to give up smoking. He would not operate. So I had to go through that process, as well. Gave up cold turkey. Also increased my exercises, exercise, to cardio, five times a week, so I was healthy whilst going under, as well, and the recovery was phenomenal for me. Absolutely phenomenal.
Trish Hammond: That’s good. You must have really looked after yourself, and, to …
Rosa Primerano: Absolutely. Absolutely.
Trish Hammond: Yeah.
Rosa Primerano: Because I wanted to make it happen, and Dr. Kumar said, “If you don’t quit, I’m not operating.” And, because I wanted him to do it, I had to, when you really want to do something, you’ll do it.
Trish Hammond: Yeah. Oh, totally, and so, tell me, how long were you in hospital for?
Rosa Primerano: Well, I extended. I was in there total for seven days. I have a Premium Health Fund. But, I mean, I could have got out in three days. I was walking 24 hours after surgery. By the time I had left hospital, I could literally get behind a wheel and drive the car. But I didn’t. But that’s how fine I was.
Trish Hammond: Wow. That’s amazing.
Rosa Primerano: Yeah.
Trish Hammond: That’s just amazing. But, so, tell me. With the circumference, circum, I can’t even say it. With the circumferential body lift …
Rosa Primerano: Yes.
Trish Hammond: So, I know that lifts you up from …
Rosa Primerano: The back.
Trish Hammond: Yeah, like a tree, but …
Rosa Primerano: Yes. Absolutely.
Trish Hammond: Yeah, all the way around. So, but tell me, does that kind of lift up your thighs, as well? Because I know, like, when you have a little bit of weight …
Rosa Primerano: It did.
Trish Hammond: You’re, like, your thighs, kind of …
Rosa Primerano: It did.
Trish Hammond: It kind of was getting flappy.
Rosa Primerano: Yes, it did. He had pulled up, I mean, it’s not a full thigh lift, but it did pull the excess skin up. It also shaped my buttocks, made, obviously, because there’s excess skin around the hip area, and you’re cutting that out, and you’re lifting, it will lift the buttocks up, as well. Around the front, because you’re pulling down, and pulling up, as well, it does lift it.
Trish Hammond: Right.
Rosa Primerano: So I was amazed with the results.
Trish Hammond: Oh, that’s fantastic. So you had your boobs done, as well.
Rosa Primerano: Sure.
Trish Hammond: So what did you do with your boobs?
Rosa Primerano: So, I had, with the excessive weight loss, they were pretty much like I had breastfed five children, so …
Trish Hammond: Oh, I was going to say, do you have any kids? You got five.
Rosa Primerano: No. No, I don’t. I don’t. But it was like I had breastfed five children.
Trish Hammond: Oh, okay, I must have got confused.
Rosa Primerano: Yeah. No, no, I don’t even have a child.
Trish Hammond: Okay.
Rosa Primerano: But it was that bad, because, all through my twenties, I was excessively losing, excessively gaining. Up until I had the gastric sleeve, my skin was very stretched. So we had lifted the breast, and also, reduced all the fat around it, as well. So, at the moment, I’ve got pretty much, just breast tissue.
Trish Hammond: Oh, okay, and what’d you go, do you know what size you went from, and to?
Rosa Primerano: To be honest, I’m about a B, B and a half, C, just depending on the size.
Trish Hammond: Yeah.
Rosa Primerano: You know, every cup’s different.
Trish Hammond: Of course, yeah.
Rosa Primerano: But I was a 10E.
Trish Hammond: Wow!
Rosa Primerano: Yes.
Trish Hammond: Wow. Wow.
Rosa Primerano: So it was, I absolutely adore them. Obviously, they’ve gone, but there’s other phases to come, but that’s what I wanted to do. I needed them lift. It wasn’t nice. I was a young, oh, I consider myself young.
Trish Hammond: Yeah, of course you do.
Rosa Primerano: You’re very insecure, and I needed to fix myself up.
Trish Hammond: Yep.
Rosa Primerano: Externally, as well as internally, and that was just a big self-esteem boost for me.
Trish Hammond: Of course. So, do you plan on having kids?
Rosa Primerano: I do. I do.
Trish Hammond: Is it going to, how’s it going, what do you say about …
Rosa Primerano: I’ve just got to find the right person.
Trish Hammond: Yeah, of course. Well, how’s that going to affect it? What did Dr. Kumar say about how that was going to … Obviously, he asked you that question.
Rosa Primerano: He did, yes.
Trish Hammond: What did he say about, if you’d just like to have kids, how much can the skin stretch?
Rosa Primerano: It’s fine. I mean, with the excessive weight gain, and loss, especially around the stomach area, your skin will never go to the full form. Again, I mean, going from 120 kilos, down to 65, the average woman puts on anything between 15 and 20 kilos during pregnancy.
Trish Hammond: Yeah.
Rosa Primerano: That skin will obviously revamp itself, once you do full pregnancy, once that child is born.
Trish Hammond: Yep.
Rosa Primerano: Again, it’s not a real big factor for me, because I know, physically, I can’t to 120 again.
Trish Hammond: Yeah.
Rosa Primerano: So I’m very cautious about exercise, food, health, and diet. So I keep that front of the mind, as well as the breast. So, with breastfeeding, he give me the statistics that only, like, 30 … I think he said 20% to 30% of women can only breastfeed, even at the best of times. He did give me the risks of not being able to feel any form of sensation after that. But I have not, I can feel, my breasts are fine, they’re back to normal.
Trish Hammond: Yeah.
Rosa Primerano: There was no damages done, and it was just absolutely amazing. I can’t believe that you go through that, and you can feel normal again.
Trish Hammond: Yeah, totally, totally. I haven’t had a circumferential lift. I had a tummy tuck.
Rosa Primerano: Okay.
Trish Hammond: But I know, I probably should have had lift, but it was when that first kind of came out, and it was suggested to me, I know it just freaked me out, just the thought of it.
Rosa Primerano: Yeah.
Trish Hammond: It still kind of freaks me out of it, but I’ve seen the most phenomenal results from people, and it’s like, “Oh, my God, maybe I should have had one.”
Rosa Primerano: Yeah, well, my friends are, like, “Way confident, Rosa, but you scare us.” You just, you’re scared with … How do you have the guts to go on to, 11-12 hours?
Trish Hammond: Yeah.
Rosa Primerano: And you’re fine with that, but you freak out about speaking onstage, like, “We don’t understand, you went out with it.”
Trish Hammond: Yeah, yeah, totally. But I think it’s exactly that. You know that it’s for a better you.
Rosa Primerano: Yeah, absolutely.
Trish Hammond: There’s no doubt about it.
Rosa Primerano: Absolutely. Absolutely.
Trish Hammond: So, do you have any plans for any other surgeries?
Rosa Primerano: I do. I do, so, we’re just finalising the date for my breast implants.
Trish Hammond: Oh! Okay, so did you always plan on having breast implants?
Rosa Primerano: No, I never even wanted them.
Trish Hammond: Okay.
Rosa Primerano: I didn’t. I was, look, before my gastric sleeve, I was always against plastic surgery. I thought, “Natural is beautiful, la, la, la,” as you do, when you are at your biggest.
Trish Hammond: Yeah.
Rosa Primerano: You envy people, so you’re just against everything that makes you look happy.
Trish Hammond: Yeah.
Rosa Primerano: So, but as I lost the weight, sorry … As I lost the weight, I wanted to fix myself. I’m not into any of the face. However, I wanted to do the body.
Trish Hammond: Yeah.
Rosa Primerano: So, stage one was obviously cutting the skin, and then, I became accustomed to it, where, “Well, that’s really the only way.” Because I did go to the gym, and the only way that you could get rid of the excess … It didn’t matter how many sit ups you did, or …
Trish Hammond: Yeah.
Rosa Primerano: It’s all skin.
Trish Hammond: Totally.
Rosa Primerano: You can’t tie it into the skin, so I did my research, and again, I became a fan of it. My breasts, I never wanted implants, because years ago, you saw women with implants, and they looked fake.
Trish Hammond: Yeah.
Rosa Primerano: I mean, I think medicine has advanced, or it’s, plastic surgery has advanced itself, even in the last five years, for breasts to look natural.
Trish Hammond: You don’t even know who’s sitting next to you, whether they have them or not, these days.
Rosa Primerano: Well, that’s right.
Trish Hammond: It’s just so different.
Rosa Primerano: I mean, my friends got them, and they look amazing. They look so natural. I was like, “You do not have implants.”
Trish Hammond: Yeah.
Rosa Primerano: So, I’m not going to go anything radical, just to look natural.
Trish Hammond: Yeah. Yeah.
Rosa Primerano: Dr. Kumar’s well aware of that.
Trish Hammond: Yeah. Oh, that’s fantastic. And that’s it, at this stage?
Rosa Primerano: I might go for a thigh lift, but that will probably be in years to come, probably not now.
Trish Hammond: Yeah.
Rosa Primerano: I don’t believe I need one, but as you age, everything does go south. So I can’t say, I’ll never have surgery again, but, look, it is in the air.
Trish Hammond: Yeah. Oh, totally. I get the thing with the thigh lift, because I’m the same. I’m planning on having one, once I lose lose this weight again, I’m like, “Yeah, I’m definitely doing a thigh lift.”
Rosa Primerano: Yes.
Trish Hammond: With the face, I get that, too, because I didn’t do one single thing until I was 44.
Rosa Primerano: Yeah.
Trish Hammond: The pretty thing, I think I was, and then I was, like, “Oh, I think I might go and try a bit of both.” So I totally get it.
Rosa Primerano: Oh, absolutely, that, yeah, yeah, but I’m not into the facelift, and I …
Trish Hammond: No.
Rosa Primerano: I’ve spoken to a number of people, and I just don’t think medicine is at the stage where they’ve perfected it yet. But everything else, I mean, bottom, after the neck, I’m fine with.
Trish Hammond: Yeah.
Rosa Primerano: I don’t think I’ve reached the age yet where I need to even look at fillers, or Anti-wrinkle injections, or things like that, so I haven’t thought of it. For me to say never, I think’s, a big …
Trish Hammond: That’s true. Never say never, yeah.
Rosa Primerano: Yeah, never, though, say never, but at the moment, no, I’m not looking at anything around the facial area.
Trish Hammond: Yeah. No, of course. So, tell me, if you could give, if someone was in your shoes, and you could give them one piece of advice, like, the best takeaway as to what … Either, something that you wish you’d known before, that you didn’t know. Or, afterwards, or some advice that you would give someone who’s going through the same journey. Is there something you can actually think of?
Rosa Primerano: In relation to plastic surgery?
Trish Hammond: Yeah, or any takeaway, like …
Rosa Primerano: Any takeaway?
Trish Hammond: Yep.
Rosa Primerano: If you’ve lost excessive amount of weight, especially if you are larger, and you are in your twenties? I think that’s where women go out a lot with their friends, and feel useful, and so forth. One thing I learnt was, if I knew about any of these surgeries in my twenties, I would have done it in my twenties. If it’s going to make you feel more secure, and have higher self-esteem about yourself, do it. There’s nothing out there that’s worse than having low self-esteem, and not liking who you are. If you have any doubts, and you want to do it, to make yourself feel better, don’t hesitate. Get it done.
Trish Hammond: Awesome, and you know what? Even, it’s improved so much more now, than it did, probably when you were in your twenties, you know what I mean? So it’s totally …
Rosa Primerano: Absolutely.
Trish Hammond: Every year that goes on, it just gets better, and easier, and quicker to recover, and …
Rosa Primerano: Yeah. I was so amazed. When I had started walking around at the hospital, nurses would, actually, without a lie, would actually, without a lie, would actually want to see my bandages. There was not one bit of liquid, or blood, or anything. They were so clean-cut, and if you see my scars now, I mean, they’re fading so well, it’s unbelievable. Absolutely. My …
Trish Hammond: What are you using? What are you using on the scars?
Rosa Primerano: Well, I just use a Bio-Oil, or even just plain, Sobelin cream, with collagen.
Trish Hammond: Oh-ho-ho-ho! Okay.
Rosa Primerano: So, and that’s it. That’s it.
Trish Hammond: Yeah, right.
Rosa Primerano: I’m not all these fancy trick … Sobelin cream, Dr. Kumar said, “You don’t need to spend it on the most expensive stuff. Sobelin cream or Bio-Oil is the best thing for it.” And it has been.
Trish Hammond: Okay. Do some white mixture, egg tumour, that, that one … Although it’s working well for you.
Rosa Primerano: Absolutely.
Trish Hammond: I’m really into, looking after the post-surgery lines, but I suppose it depends on age, and skin texture …
Rosa Primerano: That’s right.
Trish Hammond: And how you look after yourself, and all that, as well. So, obviously, you’re ticking all the boxes everywhere else, anyway.
Rosa Primerano: Yes.
Trish Hammond: So … That’s awesome. Oh, thanks, Rosa, I really, really appreciate your chatting today.
Rosa Primerano: No problem.
Trish Hammond: Are you happy to come on board, and be one of our, kind of …
Rosa Primerano: Mascots? Yes.
Trish Hammond: Yeah, yeah, or ambassadors for …
Rosa Primerano: Yes.
Trish Hammond: Methods of a domestic weight loss surgery patient, because there’s heaps of us out there, and they all … People always someone to talk to that can help them.
Rosa Primerano: I’m happy for anyone to give me a call, and ask me about anything.
Trish Hammond: Awesome. I’ll make sure that you’re on your, I think you are on our Facebook group, anyway, but I’ll get their details off you, later. So, that’s awesome. Thanks, Rosa, I really appreciate your time today.
Rosa Primerano: Thank you. No problems at all.
Trish Hammond: Lovely. If you guys out there, if you are looking at having a procedure done, or if you want to find out more about Dr. Kumar, or Sydney Cosmetic Sanctuary, you drop us a line to: [email protected], or if you’re in our group, just join us up then. So, thanks, Rosa.
Rosa Primerano: Thank you so much, Trish.
Trish Hammond: No worries. Bye.
Rosa Primerano: Bye bye.
