“Updated Pics! Tummy Tuck Muscle Repair & Lipo - Clearwater, FL ”

Wow! I can not believe this is finally happening. I have wished for a tummy tuck for 15 years and I am only 31 years old.

I became pregnant at 14 years old. I gained only 3 pounds until I was 7 months pregnant and then gained 40 pounds in the last 2&1/2 months. This shredded my tummy and I only realized that my stomach would never go back to it's prior state when my son was approximately 3 months old.

I was the only teen in my group of friends unable to bear their belly during the low-rise jeans phenomenon a la Britney Spears.

After my son I delivered 3 beautiful daughters. They gave me no further stretch marks but the damage was done and was quite severe.

The appearance of my body severely messed with my head. I have dealt with eating disorders and body image breakdowns consistently for the last 15 years. I have been super skinny with super saggy skin and I have been overweight with super saggy skin.

I basically live in body shapers when I go out. I'm looking forward to wearing a bikini and having it not disappear into my stomach flap.

I am the editor of the leading online denim themed e-mag. Denimology.com. I hate that when I am sent samples, I am too ashamed to post pictures of my self on my blog because jeans generally don't fit me properly thanks to the general squishiness of my stomach.

I will definitely be documenting my healing daily. Ideally, putting it into a flip style image viewer to share with everyone.

Updated on 20 Apr 2011:
Pre-Op Today! Eeeeee!!!!!

Updated on 22 Apr 2011:
My Pre-Op went fine. Waiting for my phone call today telling me what time surgery is on Monday morning.

Updated on 24 Apr 2011:
Just finishing packing my things for the hospital.

I'm worrying about my medication. I see most people are prescribed percocet but I was prescribed vicodin. I don't wanna hurt too much. Eeeee......

8 hours till take off. 11 hours till the start of surgery. Nervous.

Wow... today is the last day my body will look like this. I hope I like the new me.

Updated on 26 Apr 2011:
I am at home and the pain in amazingly less! I can not believe that this is finished and I am on the healing end. I definitely look smaller already. Can't wait to photograph and compare my images.

Updated on 26 Apr 2011:
When my doctor came in to see me he said that he cut off almost 3 lbs of skin and fat and went a little more than 2 inches above my belly button. I am draining very little. Only about 10 cc's each 8 hours.

It was comforting to hear one of my nurses tell me that she HAS to get something done by my plastic surgeon before he retires.

Updated on 27 Apr 2011:
Tomorrow I am heading to the plastic surgeons office to have my drains removed. Pretty excited. I am only leaking light pink to clear fluids. Barely anything at all.

I can not wait to get a peek at my new tummy even though it's still pretty swollen.


Updated on 29 Apr 2011:
I'm not sure how I feel about my nw=ew stomach. I need it to heal up some more I suppose. I am disappointed with one side that is not as well blened into my hip as the other side. I am under them impression it is just swollen so I guess we will have to watch and see how it heals.

II can't wait to put a spray tan back on. I am PASTY white!

I have faith in my doctor. He is the doc you go see when another doctored has botched you. I know it will loook great in the end and these pictures only represent day 3.

Updated on 1 May 2011:
So today is day 6 I think... I had my surgery Monday and things are starting look a lot better. Unfortunately, I probably will have a couple of dog ears to remove but I expected that considering the amount of loose skin and sagging fat that was dangling from my body prior to the surgery.

Updated on 1 May 2011:
After looking at theses photos again, I have to say I am a wee bit concerned about my belly button. But I guess on the bright side I could not even SEE my belly button before so this is definitely better!

Updated on 2 May 2011:
It's official. I HATE my binder. I hope I can use spanx and get the same result because that is what is about to happen. I can put 4 hands in the waist bandwhen it snug on my hips and it keeps sliding up. I HATE THE DAMN BINDER!!

It's 4:30 in the morning and I can't sleep. Why you ask... because of this binder. ARGH! Want sleep.

Updated on 2 May 2011:
Those doctors mean it when they say don't do anything for 2 weeks. I did too much yesterday. You can not even do light housework..... like wipe over your bathroom surfaces.

My stomach has been so achy. Is that swelling I am feeling? That MOUND of stone where my womb used to be?

Upside healing very slim and even so far, despite the pain. Followed the maxi pad advice for covering the incision and yesterday I replaced with 5 pantyliners and paper tape.. Good looking!


Updated on 10 May 2011:
It's 2 weeks since my surgery and it's so strange. I can feel my nerve endings healing back up. You get a little tickling sensation that ends with another sensation that I can only be describe as a tiny jerk.

I am healing well with only a bit of seeping in two spots towards the center of my incision.

Updated on 13 May 2011:
Been dealing with red skin that is insanely itchy. I think i am allergic to the steri strps because no sooner than I took them off the itching lessened by half. I can only describe the intense agony to feeling like a dog with a horrible case of fleas. Scratching, scratching, scratching.

When does the itching end?! It's AWFUL!


Updated on 18 May 2011:
How come nobody here in the realself forums mentioned the awful itching when you are healing? It started at about a week and a half and has been pretty consistently itchy up till today which is 3 weeks and 2 days since the day of my tt surgery.