Mini Tummy Tuck: Stories

Now you are probably wondering why i didnt go back for the TT. I went back to Dr Zandi in 2008 for some additional lipo. This was such a wasted investment. I had several areas done so again i had gen anesthesia. I had my arm pits,my inner thighs, my back fat and most importantly my problem area my upper and lower abs. I just landed up over time having loose skin and still fat in my abs. I knew it was me cuz of my age i didnt retract. I kid you not the compression garment stage 2 by veronique was now my daily girdle for years. I had my surgery on july 20th. It was about 4 1/2 Hour procedure. I weny home in a stage 1 garment and i go today, day 5 for Dr Allen to see how Im healing. Im not bleeding or oozing and i dropped some pounds. I have a feeling im gonna look great. Pre op: 5'1, 55yrs young, 2 generations of kids the youngest is 15. Weight was 130-133lbs. Till about 6 months ago it wontgo below 136. I walked a couple time a week at two miles and attend a jazzercize class 2 to 3 times a week. I really just want to see the fruits of my efforts and hated the spare tire hanging on my waist. The cost for the procedure, the anesthiologist, the surgery center and extra lipo came to $10,000.00 But i live in the SF Bayarea and i think this is the going rate.

I am about 12 days post op and still wearing my stage one compressioj garment. I try and take a nap daily as im wiped out in the afternoon. I walk about 500 steps a day cuz i notice if i sit to long i get really stiff. Im just on extra strenghth tylenol and miralox for stool softner. My compression garment is a little to long in the torso so it has been soo tight under my breast bone. I wake up with a sore neck somtimes becwuse i have to sleep on my back. I can feel like Im getting stronger. I think my work outs befor surgery really has helped with my post recovery. I stretch every morning while sitting. I stretch all of my upper body. I got a mani and a pedi and drove to the shop myself. Im real itchy on my suctures and still have my tape on. My tummy is still swollen too which I expect to last awhile. I also try and ice my tummy about 3 to 4xs a day for 20 min to aide in the swelling.

I went to my 3wk plus appt as I am at 24 days post op. I had no drains and I had disolvable stiches with some sort of new product that is a sticky steri strip. I was able to take a shower with it on and it never came off. Today my PS took off the strip as easily as pull of a piece of tape. He sniped of a few of my stiches on each end of the incisions. My belly button had a little plug that was similiar to a scap. He pulled it off gently and it looks fantastic. I have no more love handles and I finally have definition on my belly. I used to have this annoying extra fat under my bra as well. I have a very thin and unlifted scar, which my PS said looks fantastic and I probably won't even need the steri silicone but I already bought some and so I just go ahead and use it. I go back in three weeks and they will take my post pics then. I am to continue to wear the stage 2 compression garment 24/7. I have a extra large one that I will change out at night cuz the one during the day is a large and it is very tight. I had a wide waist and I am still kind of swollen in my lower ab. I always had a wide waist but I get the feeling with time I may finally see maybe a size 28 or 26 waist. I always had a 30 waist and my bra size was always a 36. I find that I get full very fast and try and drink lots of water with lemon in it. I eat fish, chicken. beans and a handful everyday of mixed nuts so I get in protein! I am so happy that all my hard work is finally starting to shape up! I am wearing the same size clothing right now so now adjustments needed right now. I just cant' wait until my figure warrants me not having to wear this compression garment. PS says to see great results that will last longer Ideally I should wear the compression garment for 3 months.; I say to anyone wanting this surgery, please do research on the Dr and read all the posts so you get a good idea of some of the different recoveries individuals have. I think I'm pretty stong and worked out with walking and excercise classes for 3 years so I knew that I could probably handle a major surgery like this. I'm 55 years young and hope to look good for at lease another 10 - 13 years!

Just posted some pictures I took at 4 weeks, but I am at 5 weeks. I have since shrunk even more! I've lost about 10 lbs too. My burning on my tummy is much better now. I used to feel like I had the worst sunburn ever internally. I also felt like I had a vice gripe holding down my tummy! I mean talk about tight! Ladies you want flat tight abs, you got it with a tummy tuck. I haven't been back to my excersize classes yet. I'll probably wait and see at my 6 week appt. What the Dr says.
I love my new belly button. I has some problems with the slits on each end of my incision when the evening after I removed my CG and taking a shower it was burning like a cut. Sure enough the disolvable stitches were gone cuz my PS removed them but I had small little openings that were bleeding a little. I bought some bandaids that come with antibiodics on them so I put some of those on with surgical tape just to make sure by the next shower the bandaids didn't come off. I changed the bandaids about three different times and on the 5 day I started using gauze and tape so the area could breathe. It healed up but I did check with my PS office to tell them what happened and they said I was doing the right thing but if it was getting worse or bleeding alot that I should call them and come in to be checked. So everything has been ok. I find that I can't eat much and I guess thats why along with releasing alot of fluid is why I'm shrinking. I wear a CG all day until the evening and then I take about 1 hour break before I put on my compression binder. My back seems to hurt if I keep the CG on 24/7.
When I take my clothes off I can't the difference. I'm so proud of the small low scar and the fact that my bra doesnt bunch under my breasts (as I had lot of lipo done in this area) and the fact that my underware sits right on my waist without those horrible love handles I couldn't stand! I used to look at all women bodies and admire how even if they were chubby if they didn't have love handles I wished I could look like them!
Anyways I give another update and probably a post some more pics in a few weeks.