Tummy Tuck After Bowel Resection - Baltimore, MD

I'm a little bit late to start writing about my experiences so I will give you a quick summary.
I am mid 30s, 5'3" tall and I have had great weight fluctuations throughout my life, both from pregnancy and suffering from Crohn's disease (inflammatory bowel disorder) since childhood. I had drastic weight loss and gains based on the state of my disease. Crohn's disease is the chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. When I am not properly medicated for my condition, I have a difficult time eating, as my inflammation goes through my esophagus and mouth, all the way through my intestines and what not. What food I do eat, often times nutrients are not absorbed, and I suffer from intestinal bleeding. During a flare up it was not uncommon to have up to 20 visits to the restroom in a day. There were times that due to sickness I weighed 105 pounds, and was a size 2. My healthy normal range of weight when healthy ranges from a women's size 6-10. My highest weight was approximately 200 pounds when I gave birth by c section 5 years ago, and I was a size 12 directly after giving birth, walking out of the hospital at 178 pounds. Through weight watchers and exercise, I was able to lose to a weight I felt comfortable at in 2011, which is in the 135-140 lbs range, and puts me at a size 6 / 8. (I feel like I've been pretty much every size!)
After my pregnancy, my body really took a turn for the worst; I found myself completely out of remission. I developed fistulas, I was put on to biologic medications, and I had about 4 years which were a constant state of pain, vomiting, hospital visits and steroids before finally opting to have a bowel resection in 2013. I already had loose skin from the weight gain and loss, large stretch marks from the rapidness of the gain due to prendisone, in addition to an undesirable scar from my original c section. I joked with my colorectal surgeon that if he wanted to go ahead and take out all the loose skin and perform a tummy tuck while I was having the bowel resection, I wouldn't mind. He laughed about it and said he was sorry to report that things might end up looking worse after surgery from a cosmetic standpoint, but the goal was to end the pain I was in, and get me back to living my life before my disease took over. I was positive I was making the right decision, and told myself I would just have to live with my stomach as a battle scar of making it for over 20 years with this disease. Directly after surgery things turned around; I started a new regimen of medications and I have achieved remission.
I have been desiring to have this surgery since initially giving birth, but due to medical issues it was not a possibility. Since things are in a stable place for me now medically, I talked to my specialist who felt it would be OK to go ahead and have a single procedure. In meeting with the plastic surgeon I choose, he felt that due to the fact that my stomach already is flat, there was no need to do muscle tightening, so performing a modified tummy tuck (dermolipectomy) would be in the best interest. This was exactly what I was looking for; a way to get rid of the excess skin.
April 1 is my surgery and today I went for the last consult. We discussed special needs which I must follow, in interest of my condition. I am opting for using a local pain pump for the surgery to avoid taking narcotic medications as pain control, as they tend to wreck my gut for days. Over all, I'm actually not terrified or anxious. After having emergency surgery for my disease, a 4 week hospital stay and a 6 month recovery... nothing seems that bad. The plus side is I will get to start fresh, all the scars and holes from my last surgeries will be a thing of a past. No more visual reminders of a very painful past. I also have two tattoos on my hips which will be mostly removed during the surgery as well. I'm very much at peace with my decision to have this surgery and I have a very realistic idea of what I wish for with the outcome.

He's the before.

Doing the last of my preparations today, cleaning my house and doing all laundry. I need to do some light grocery shopping. I said I wasn't nervous before, but I can't say I'm not a little on edge. I know I can't eat after midnight, so I'm having a nice light meal tonight and drinking as much water as I can stand today. Still have to pick out what to wear to the surgical center tomorrow, and pack a pillow to sit on for the ride home tomorrow.