The Real Me Hidden Under a Trench Coat of Extra Skin. - Columbus, OH

Put on 7 lbs. Can stand to lose 25.. lol forever an issue . But I am happier.

I had 4 c-sections and 1 ectopic pregnancy that swelled my belly out with blood that made me look like I was 7 months pregnant in less than 12 hrs. ( which I was very lucky to live through only with emergency surgery which almost involved blood transfusions.) . Very lucky...
With years of exercise and diet there was nothing that could take away the extra skin and sag. Nothing can boost your embarrassment and lack of self confidence at this point. No amount of friends or family can tell you "you look great" and you actually believe it.
If I lost a lot of weight my skin just hung.. then if I put weight on at least it did not hang but I was heavier . Not a happy medium.
26 yrs of marriage will not give you confidence to walk around naked in front of your husband or allow you to have sex and not be so insecure each and every time either.
I would hide underneath the sheets as much as I could, wear tank tops to cover the belly during sex, or opt for lights off...out of shower and behind a towel as fast as I could. . And all this time he never said a negative word.
But my self confidence and insecurity could not be eased until one particular day with one particular man.
Last year I decided to visit a plastic surgeon. . And he made 26 years of shame go away in one liberating defining moment. . He released all the shame within myself in one defining moment when he said.. " all the amount of dieting and exercise will never help you or take away this extra skin. You have done all the work you can.. now it's my job to help you do the rest .." And in that moment it was like the judge and jury saying "you are not guilty! !! You are free!!! "

So for the next 4 months I worked to get my BMI where it needed to be.. then scheduled my surgery. . Not one ounce of worry..regret. .or .what am I doing? ? Or Do I really want to do this????? Nope.. I walked in to each pre appointment with no fear and if he said jump on the table let's do this today I would have in a split second.
The day before Surgery we drove to our hotel ("set up by the nurses which was like a private home of our own") I really understood the word "surreal" I was so excited there was no room for fear, and did not seem real that tomorrow I would be rid of this terrible extra hanging skin. .can't believe it!!!
Could not sleep well of course. . But up and had my shower and felt like sprinting to the car to do this.. in the hospital at 6:15 a.m. prepped. . Pre shot was probably the worse pain ever!!!! It shot up my arm to the top of my shoulder holy holy ouch!!! Felt like they injected a knife, or a ball bat and fire all in one little needle!! Made the next 2 days feel like a piece of cake. Lol
My nurses, anesthesiologist, receptionist and doctors get an A+.. who I chose and where I chose made this whole experience incredible. In fact when I woke from the procedure I was joking with them.. only had nausea. .but they jumped all over it.. I got in the wheel chair and then in my car seat surprisingly flawlessly. . Back to our hotel.. called my mom and sister to report in my self ...husband was so amazing. .
Now there was some let's say discomfort more than the word pain but ...they sent me home with a catheter. ..?????? I left in till the 3rd day.. and take advantage of that baby. .

Husband said I downed a whole case of water in 2 days and more from our spigot when we got home ..so in the 3 catheter days I had ..I drank drank drank.. and I believe that that helped me immensely.. Now the catheter and how my doctor does his technic of administering pain med stuff allowed me to drink that much to flush out all the fluids they put into you during surgery. . Cause if I had the pain that the other patients that do not have my doctor and that do not give you a catheter for home ..believe me.. i would not drank that much and would have not made that many trips to the bathroom. .love love love the catheter.. especially the road trip home.. no nasty rest stops with husband trying to help .???? easy for my husband to help take out of me too...
Husband stayed to the scheduled pain meds ..shots. .drained the drains.. catered to my every need for the first 8 days then headed back to work..
Probably by the 4th day I was leaning more towards Tylenol. . Constipation I never had a problem with..started a softener 3 days before surgery as directed by my doctor. . Stayed majorly hydrated the day before surgery. . And still through out the first 2 weeks.
Drank water maybe 3 glasses of tea in those 2 weeks.. 100% fruit juices. Ate high protien. . Applesauce .. wheat (thin type) bagles with peanut butter. . And 100% fruit popsicles..
And mentally prepared to do nothing. ..NOTHING but rest this ride out.. and I have not had the blues..blahs.. or tears..
In fact I have been so content with this and patient I rarely even think of getting glimpses or pictures. . I AM SO HAPPY TO HAVE IT GONE...
My Best Tips and the best thing I did for myself was upon knowing of my upcoming surgery I worked mostly on my legs.. squats and such because let's face it.. you will not be allowed to use you abs at all.. but you will be happy your legs will do all the work picking you up off the toilet and out of chairs. .
2nd use straws ... don't try to stretch to the cup.. buy a bag of straws for a $1.
3rd helpful tip.. when trying to get up off couch or toilet or reposition. . Fold your arms like an Indian chief or I dream of Jeanie and let your husband or helper help assist you up.. best idea ever..
4th. Stay out of your room during the day and out and about in the living room.. helps with the day and night sleeping. . And passing the day and blahs of being stuck in one room.
At 4 weeks it seems most of the pain is gone. Still sore deep inside the stomach and the sides. Back aches while standing are lessening. But the binder with the cg while up and about seems to help support the back.
5 weeks you seem to find some of the energy you use to have prior to surgery. And mind set seems to be moving forward and less focused on when am I going to be able to do more.
Going on 6 weeks I just one day noticed I could bend more and further than I had been. Getting more done during the day but still swelling as the day goes. But I love what I see so it excites me for weeks to come.
I told my doctor I basically wanted the sagging skin gone. I will never be a barbie doll figure and I am fine with that.
Here at 4 months now I have put on 7 lbs due to hanging with friends and I hate that but also about 2 hours of being our of bed above my belly button it looks like a ball swelling out.. it seems to vibrate with each step and hurts. So probably by babying it now ai have a rib out and 2 pinched nerves so I can not exercise. A active day kills my back and stomach. So an appointment in 2 weeks will be welcomed.

After years of trying to achieve the body image that I knew existed under under all this extra skin, Dr. McMahan made it happen like a work of art.
As I worked with diet and exercise and daily life, the disappointment and self confidence could never be achieved to show how I tried. So I would give up, gain extra weight, lose it, gain it. But with extra skin you either lose it and look baggy and saggy or gain it and look full and round.
My consultation was so comforting that not only did I want to go straight in to the operating room at that moment, but Dr. McMahan gave me peace of mind that all the work I tried was not going to help, but he could.
In this moment it was a 25 yr release of guilt and of shame. In the next month's before surgery I walked around my husband naked and not ashamed for the first time.
Surgery has come and gone. Surgery with Dr. McMahan went excellent, as well as the surgery center.
My experience went without a hitch. I read up before on here at "realself" and was throughly prepared. So I never had to call the doctor with any issues or general concerns.
All follow ups and visits were less than 10 minute wait if even that. You just get changed and he is walking in the door for the visit. He is very attentive, goes though any questions and seems like a friend to me and my husband each time we have an appointment.
He is so worth our 2 1/2 -3 hour drive.
My results are still new at just 7 weeks but his work is so amazing. !!! To say the least.
I can hardly see my scars ..had no bruising. . No incision issues.
cutest belly button.
The staff at his office are so kind and sincerely nice as well as the surgery center.
They set us up to stay at Reds Big Lodge and it was a little cottage type house and top of the line. We felt at home even with a fireplace.