A sale-rack dress: the final straw to getting a tummy tuck

Tummy Tuck surgery is often offered by plastic surgeons under the cutesy name, “mommy makeover.” But make no mistake—it’s serious surgery. For many women, having a Tummy Tuck goes well beyond a bit of back-in-bikini vanity; it can be a truly life-changing experience.  To get the inside scoop of the Tummy Tuck experience we interviewed Cherita, a RealSelf.com reader who posted a review about her Tummy Tuck surgery with Illinois Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Joseph Daw.

RealSelf (RS): It’s been about 4 weeks now since your Tummy Tuck—how are you feeling?

Cherita: Good—but now that the stitches are breaking down, I’ve developed some blisters at each hip. It’s uncomfortable, but my doctor and his staff have been wonderful. I can call any time, day or night, and he’ll get back to me within a half hour. He examined me and gave me some bacitracin ointment to apply and it’ll just take time—it’s part of the normal healing. But I still don’t regret one minute of it!

RS: Sounds like quite a recovery process

Cherita: Well, it’s probably the hardest surgery I’ve had, but the most satisfying. I’ve also had gastric bypass (2004) and a hysterectomy (2007)—and 2 c-sections. It’s not that it’s painful, but it does take a lot out of you. For example, the first two weeks you’re bent over and it affects your back a lot. But outside of the births of my children, this surgery was really the most satisfying.

RS: How so?

Cherita: I was getting depressed with this saggy bag of skin. I’d lie in bed and tell my husband, “One day, this is going to be gone.” I’d lay awake dreaming about it. My husband—he’s so supportive—would say, “Honey, you don’t understand—I don’t see you the way you do. I see the bride I married.” But it was about how I felt. It was all about learning to love myself. And now, I know this sounds gross, but when I sit down to go to the bathroom, I can see my thighs!

RS: No, that’s not gross—it’s honest! And it sounds like that might’ve been one of the catalysts for you to decide on a Tummy Tuck—is that so?

Cherita: You know what did it? I saw this gorgeous dress on the clearance rack—it was $700 marked down to $50! I had a black-tie event to go to. I tried it on and it fit perfectly everywhere except across my stomach. It was the last straw! That’s when I said, “Ok, I’m going to do this.” Shopping had become a chore—it wasn’t fun anymore. And there’s only so much lycra can do to help!

Also, no matter how many crunches I did or how much I exercised, I could not see any results. It’s very discouraging. It’s disheartening to do all the work and see nothing. That was also a catalyst.

RS: So once you were ready, how did you go about finding a doctor?

Cherita: I probably researched my Tummy Tuck for about 3 years. I got referrals from friends, and from my weight loss doctor. I checked out every doctor online; I Googled them, checked to see if they had any complaints filed against them, found out if they were board-certified—all that. Then, when I met with them, I asked how many Tummy Tucks they had done, and whether they had pictures I could see. I did have a budget in mind, but I didn’t want it to dictate which doctor I chose. I asked a lot of questions—and I didn’t want to feel rushed. If I did—or if the doctor didn’t seem to want to answer some of my questions, I was out of there—and you should be, too!

One doctor recommended liposculpture for me, but I wanted the skin off—so that wasn’t for me. The doctors I met with also stressed that many patients have totally unrealistic expectations about Tummy Tuck surgery. You know, they can remove skin, but not the weight. If you’re pear-shaped before, you’ll be pear-shaped after. So many t.v. shows make it look like you get the surgery, and after the commercial you’re fine. It’s not like that—this is major surgery. You really have to think of why you’re doing it.

RS: Speaking of, did you have any surprises? Was there anything that you wish you knew before the surgery that you know now?

Cherita: Yes! The doctors said that it usually takes about 2 weeks (after surgery) and then people are up and around. Well, I just went back to work at 4 weeks after, and I’m still not great. You should probably plan to take 4-6 weeks off for recovery. It could be in part because I’m 52—but it has definitely taken more than 2 weeks. I just thought they’d cut this big smiley face and take the skin away and stitch me up! It wasn’t that simple. And you really should have some help afterward—I was lucky to have my daughter home from college—she was such a help!

RS: So now that you’ve gone through your Tummy Tuck surgery—and I realize it’s only been 4 weeks—how would you say your life has changed? What’s different now?

Cherita: It sounds silly, but even though I’m still swollen and have some pain, I get such a kick out of stepping out of the shower and not seeing that big ol’ bag of skin hanging down. It’s a joyous thing—I’m pleased as punch and thrilled with how I look. I wasn’t trying to look 20 again. And I didn’t just have a little blub of skin from being pregnant—that’s a badge of honor! I had a lot of excess skin that just wouldn’t go away. Now I’m happy with myself. It’s a dream come true. Oh, but now that I can see my thighs….

You may know where this is going… But Cherita seems to be very realistic about Thigh Lift surgery and Liposuction and what’s involved. So for now, she plans on trying out her Pilates class first…Thanks to Cherita for sharing her story with us.   -- Nancy

Email to friend

Return to RealSelf blog