“New Body Here I Come!!”

Hello,

I am a 28yr old who has 3 beautiful children ages 9,7,4. I am a small town girl who has always been active and love to do outdoor activities. When I was 15 I had an ovarian cyst removed that was an emergency opperation due to the fact that it was the size of a basketball! This left me with the beggining of a pouch on my 5'2 small boned frame. After birth control and left me with more weight added I got pregnant and added even more! With each child I gained a min of 20lbs. So by the time I hit 25 I was up to 250lbs. I knew i was depressed and I hated my body but my wake up call wasnt until my mother passed away from an inherited genetic dissorder that i realized I beter get a handle on this if i wanted to live past 46.

So when my husband joined the military i decided I wanted him to come home to a new and improved me for a new and improved life. After 7 months of training in 2009 he came home to a wife that had lost 100lbs (all naturaly,no surgery or procedures) and felt great about herself! But even after losing all that weight I didnt feel as if I was happy with how I looked. I still have a huge amount of skin that hangs down and pockets of fat that i just cant reach with my diet and exercise. This is where I decided to look into a tummy tuck.

My husband was deployed to Iraq in sept 2010 and will be returning sometime this sept so he will yet again see a different wife when he returns. My surgery is scheduled for Aug 2nd. (tomarrow!!) at 10 am. Now I am totally freaking out right this moment even as I write this but I know that I will be so much happier to not have a huge flap of skin that flopps around whenever I do any exercise or run or anything. (I call it the click tongue, like on the move "click") lol.... anyways I plan on taking some before pics later today and I will definatly post some after as well.. I am so excited! The only part I am truely worried about is having the genetic dissorder that my mother had. It is a connective tissue dissorder which leaves me bruising very very easily and affects all connective tissue. I havent had a problem with any of my other abdominal surgeries before ( the cyst removal, c-section, hernia repair) but this is a huge thing for me to undergo. The surgeon assures me that if I have healed ok from the other surgeries that I should do fine with this one as long as I follow his instructions to a T.

So in short, New body here I come!!!

ps.. the 2920.00 is after insurance

Updated on 7 Aug 2011:
day 5 post op...moving pretty good...here are some after pics for you alll....

Updated on 8 Aug 2011:
ok so when the doc tells u to make sure u take ur stool softener do it!!! with every meal if u can remember...it is not a fun experience when the time comes and it just doesnt want to cooperate!! i know tmi for some but just lettin everyone know...also my ps hadnt planned on doing my muscle tightening but since he did i have found it very hard to not be in pain with my back....u need to hunch over to stand up but that in turns makes ur muscles spasm in ur back...sooo make sure to keeep on top of the valuim for any muscle aches...that will help wonders...other than that i am moving great and i am even standing a little taller...i cant wait for this to be all finished!!!

Updated on 10 Aug 2011:
so i go in for my 10 day check up...well 9 but they say that i may get the stitches out!! and the drain as well...that will be a releif! When everyone said they are a pain they werent kidding! i tell u what though if u have been having swelling...the best thing i have felt works for me is a heating pad...it instantly loosens up the muscles and brings the swelling down...hope it works for u too!

Updated on 11 Aug 2011:
10 day post op apt. whent very well...the nurse said that she hasnt seen a whole lot of peep who havent had any seepage from the insicion site before..i didnt have any except for where the drain was...both drain and stitches are out and i tell u what, it feels soooooo much beter! i can actually take a shower tomarrow which i am looking forward to sooo bad! lol... but all in all she said that it is healing wonderfully. It was healings so good that the stitches were already starting to go into the skin alittle so my body was trying to heal aroung them!!! I really couldnt have come away any happier...plus they refilled my pain meds so i wont have to try and suffer too soon...im just loving my results!

Updated on 14 Aug 2011:
so 13 days post and idk if maybe the blues are setting in but i want to be around people all the time..i feel like i constantly need to talk to someone...wierd cuz usually i keep to myself...but ive had some anxiety about the whole not having a belly button thing...everyone looks so cute and and i know they are gonna be soooo happy and im soooo happy for them...i just dont know about me... i know i already am so happy wth the way everything else is and how i look so far but i feel like i will never be able to wear a cute bikini without feeling comfortable again....the surgean said he could make me one later down the line but idk how much that will cost and we already maxed ourselves out for this...oh how i wish my hubby were home from iraq so i could have his support...good news is though i have been walking tons more and it is getting easier and easier to stand up srait..without pain that is...so a nother 2 weeks and i should be feeling like a champion!!!

Updated on 15 Aug 2011:
ok so 13 days post and i think im doin pretty well..ive got it down to just motrin and the muscle relaxer because my back flares up anytime i try and stand up strait and the muscles spasm. but other than that if i feel i mite have over done it a bit i take some motrin and grab my heating pad and it works wonders. I had a little melt down at walmart today though....im not a dependant person and i hate asking others for help(except my hubby and family} but i couldnt reach a box of fiber bars on a top shelf cuz im only 5'2 and i totally started crying...it hurt to reach and i was embarrased to say anything and i was already tired from doing the rest of my shopping and i broke down...some nice gentleman asked if i was ok and helped me out but it was so silly of me to do...I just think that doing this without my husband here and being in Iraq where i worry every day and then my sis left last week to help me and so now im left again by myself with my 3 kids but now i cant even do everything for myself like im used to...oh what a day...i beleive it is some motrin time, dinner and lights out for me...

Updated on 18 Aug 2011:
well 16 days out and feelin pretty good...went shoppin for school cloths for the kidos and it was so much easier this time...i really think getting out and walking and moving more is helping out alot...my muscles are getting not so sore cuz i caughed and it didnt hurt too bad so i think that is a good sign...only think im worried about is not eating properly...i just cant seem to find an appetite and only eat one plate of food a day and even that makes me feel so full i feel sick..im losing weight a bit also and that isnt good that way....but i hav been drinking ensure just to get the extra nutrients at least if i cant eat..im calling my ps tomarrow to see what they say...

Updated on 19 Aug 2011:
ok so 17 days po and i think im doin pretty good...gettin around the house doin little things everyday, walkin while shoppin with the kids and pretty much doing anything that doesnt involve pushing or pulling or lifting..one bad thing...had another fall last night...i dont think it did any damage cuz i wasnt screaming with pain but it was scary.... it was because i had some pain meds im sure..i over did it alittle yesterday and then i was paying the price.. i still have some areas that are not completely closed and my drain tube spot still oozes some..i use gauze every day so i wont be rubbing on it but i was thinking at some point wont it need air to breath??!!! Also alot of people are talking about saroma....idk how to know if u do or dont have it...there is one spot on my belly that bulges alittle and it isnt as tight as the other side but idk if it just swelling or not..if it is saroma will it be ok to wait till my next po visit on thursday?...any help would be nice!

Updated on 20 Aug 2011:
ok so 18 days out and im getting very restless...i want to be out doing things but even just walking tires me out! During the day i want to be moving...and in the mornings i really want to stretch! idk if it is ok to do that or not but i really feel the need to stretch out my back and my belly...anyone know if thats ok??? oh and the itching is driving me crazy at the insicion site...must mean im healing!!!

Updated on 23 Aug 2011:
ok....so i am 20 days out, which means 1 day away from being 3 weeks...i was feeling like superwoman and sooooo good until my baby (well 7 yr old) had to go to the hospital today...her fever was so high at 103.8 that she couldnt walk real well and was dizzy so i had to do alot of suppport...unfortunately i only had one person to call to take care of my youngest throughout all this so i had to do all the things with my 7 yr old myslef...i sat in the ER for over 8 hours while they ran test because they couldnt figure out y her fever wasnt comming down..every 2 hours she was alternating motrin and tylonal and it never went below 102....after a cat scan showed a big sinus infection we got to go home with meds but i tell u what a day of sitting and helping out ur baby does to ur body is horrible...if only my hubby were home to help it could have been more bearable....the worst part was watching her scream while trying to find a vein to put the iv in....i lost it then and that doesnt help ur tummy muscles at all!!! It has been quite a day but at least she is home and i can have hope she will be just fine...and tomarrow i have my 3 week po apt. so i should find out how fine i am doing...wish me luck!!!!

Updated on 28 Aug 2011:
26 days out..which means alittle over 3 weeks and not too bad...may have over did it a bit this last few days but i couldnt help it...my 7 yr old who was in the er the other day ended up going back into the er because she couldnt walk from spinal tap..it hurt her so bad, so i took her back in and found out that not only did she have that sinus infection, she had an infection in her blood and a case of phnemonia as well...soooo 2 nites in a hospital( which is not comfortable after a tummy tuck) i was able to go home with my baby and give her oral antibiotics....she seems to be doing beter but i have never been soooo exhausted in my life..i would literaly sleep 24/7 if i could but my other children kinda need their mother too...plus i feel like if i dont have my pain meds in me i feel more tired..if i dont then all i want to do is sleep...it isnt normal i think but idk what to do...anyways i got the ok to take baths now so that helps with my muscles hurting and i also got the ok for "a little bit of love" when hubby gets back from Iraq in 2 weeks!!! so excited...yet kinda scared..but ill post pics here at the 4 week mark so peopl can see how it is commin along..im using a cream the ps gave me plus a stretch mark lotion to help with the itching!

Updated on 7 Sep 2011:
ok guys! so its been a while since i updated but have been so busy trying to prepare for my husband to come home from Iraq in just a few days!!! so excited but i did have my 5 week po check up...swelling is still alittle high but could be from the stressful week of dealing with the sick 7 yr old and having to catch her when she fell...but...they said it looks good and the weirdest news was what to expect now after week 6...she said that i am to expect the swelling to get better then worse then better then worse...and this can go on for around 6 weeks b4 the swelling is completely or mostly gone...so i shouldnt expect the end result for quite some time it sounds like... OH and make sure u keep som meds on hand if you happen to get sick because sneezing and caughing (especially sneezing) hurts so bad and causes your muscles to cramp and basicaly do that whole charlie horse thing... just a warning that even at 5 weeks it a killer! But i was able to go shopping and fit into my new smaller size and it looked so awsome to not see a bulge and be all flat! Still dont know how im gonna feel about the belly button thing but we will have to see..Right now its just me and the doc and my kids who have seen and in just a few days time my husband will too.. Today is our 9 yr anniversary and it was awsome to walk down the street and feel so alive and happy and confidant!! I am so happy that i decided to do this and i support everyone else who is in this same journey...

Updated on 2 Oct 2011:
Exactly 2 months out and doing pretty good. I have been super busy since my 6 week. My husband is home from Iraq and me and the kids are enjoying some good family time. I have a few issues im dealing with in one spot of my belly and i am trying to decide to go to the ps earlier or not than the end of this month. I try to take it easy but sometimes its hard when i do things like laugh so hard i start crying!! LOL i guess thats the downfall to having your family back together! I will post some pics soon so u can see that the swelling has gone down quite a bit in front but the sides are still up and down. My scar is kinda wierd and hurts sometimes like it is dried out or something... Any ideas on a good scar treatment would be great! I still have about 3 weeks till my next apt then i will have a better update.