Tummy Tuck: Stories

My story starts in April of 2011 when I finally decided to get off my butt and lose the excess weight I'd been carrying around my entire life. After a number of failed, crash yo-yo diets in which I'd lose 20 or 40 pounds (only to regain that and more), I finally looked into weight loss in a more serious way. Over about a year I lost sixty pounds, and I have been maintaining my weight now (give or take three pounds) for about six months. I've gone from a size 16/18 to a 6/8, my blood pressure and resting heart rate have plummeted, and a recent physical and blood test attests my clean bill of health. I've come to realize that the remaining areas are mostly loose skin from years and years of being quite overweight (my high weight was 213, and I am 5'3) - although I still weigh 150 pounds, most do not think so when they see me in clothing and doctors and nurses are usually surprised by that number. I exercise at least three times a week, usually more, and I'm very very strong - all that muscle weighs a lot. So, I've turned to surgical intervention to finally complete my goal of getting the look I've worked so hard for.

After interviewing/consulting with more than five surgeons, I finally chose my provider - he left me feeling completely calm and confident after our meeting, a result to which no other surgeon even came close. I'm so, so nervous - I've avoided doctors almost my entire life and I've neer had surgery before, not even my wisdom teeth. I'm terrified of waking up during surgery unable to move like that awful movie "Awake", even though I know that's both sensationalized and a long shot - but I know that this is the next step in my journey, and that I'm doing something for which I'll thank myself for years to come.

Currently focusing on finishing this semester - spring is my last semester before I graduate, and my tummy tuck will be done during my winter break so I'll have four full weeks to do nothing but recover. My supportive parents and live-in boyfriend are standing behind me in this both financially and emotionally. I am an extremely, extremely lucky girl.

One thing I'd like some advice on - my doctor has proposed a skin-only procedure without any muscular repair, since I have only very slight diastasis as I've never had children. He proposes this because I'm only 23 and although I'm currently pretty sure I don't want to have children, if I ever do change my mind, the muscular repair would put pressure on the baby and although many women have perfectly healthy children after MR, the effects haven't been fully studied. What do you guys think? It would also cut a bit of the price and time off my procedure, but I do want to get the best possible result.

I am also considering brachioplasty and a medial thigh lift at future dates, as I've excess skin in these locations as well.

I'm a bit nervous about posting before and after pictures on a public forum, but would be happy to provide my before pictures to those who ask.