Tummy Tuck: Stories

I am a mother of three (8, 6 & 18m).

I had my first child at 17 and was not at all prepared for what it did to my body. None of the women in my family ever experienced loose skin/ stretch marks and I got all of that to the extreme. Most of the damage was done with my first child but my body got worse with each child after. I always stayed slim until my third pregnancy where I packed on a lot of weight which made my skin/stretch mark situation way worse. After years of wanting a tummy tuck my husband and I decided to go for one more child (our third) and then get my tubes tied BEFORE I went for the tummy tuck as to make sure we didn't mess it up.

I have three months to drop as much weight as possible before my surgery. I am on a no carb diet (which has always been very successful for me in the past) and will be working out at the gym twice a week.

I will post before photos of now (before weight loss), then I will take more before shots 2 weeks pre-op and of course after pictures!

I noticed that for some reason the wrong Dr. Coffey was listed as my surgeon. My surgeon is Allen Coffey.
Today I started my first day at the Gym and back on my no carb diet. I am exhausted from being at the gym and I have a ton of work to do because I am so weak!

I am so sore today after my first night at the gym.
I also started a new vitamin regime today.

Whole Food Multi Vitamin
Vitamin D 5000
Fish Oil
B Vitamin complex
B12

I figure if I am going to no carb diet and workout I needed to tweak my vitamin regime and make sure I was getting what I needed. I actually had blood work done and found out I was lacking in some areas so the new vitamin schedule should really help me.

I will take BEFORE photos tonight!

Okay so I didn't get around to posting before pictures last night because I got really busy but I will do it for sure soon. I am still very sore from the first day working out and I am back to the gym tonight. Not sure how much I can do being as sore as I am but I will work my butt off. I have a friend who has been training me and helping me with my diet and I don't know what I would do without his help!

I was thinking today of some things that I will much enjoy getting to do again once the weight is off and my TT is done. It may sound silly but there are little things we take for granted when we cant do them:

1.) Being able to see my lady parts. Yep that's right, I have so much belly that I can't even see it. Forget about shaving in the shower unless you want to cut yourself badly and/or look like you went at it blindly with a weed whacker. YIKES!
2.) Being able to reach and/or paint my own toenails! OMG I break a sweat trying to maneuver around my belly to paint my feet.
3.) Being able to run and be more active for life. I can't run with my big jiggly belly and it is horrible. I also understand that all of the dieting and exercise I am doing now is going to be a lifetime commitment after my surgery if I want to maintain my new figure without slinking back into my old bad habits and ruining my surgery. I am not paying 8 grand to ruin my dream.
4.) Wearing a bikini again. I haven't done that since I was a teenager. Oh how I took it for granted, thinking I was fat and looked gross at 16 wearing a size 2.
5.) Having self confidence in the bedroom and all around EASIER sex with my husband. My tummy always gets in the way and makes me feel gross and unsexy.
6.) NOT having to wear a bulk, uncomfortable girdle everyday just to hide my skin under clothes. Yeah it helps hide the skin but it makes me look like I have no curves like I am a sausage in casing.
7.) After my muscles are tightened during the procedure I can actually workout and have abs. My doctor told me that no matter how much weight I lost or working out I did that I would never had abs because my muscles are so stretched out.

I will be adding more to this list for sure as they come to me!

I had my second night at the gym last night and I did great! It was much easier the second time. Diet is going great and the beginning of next week I start a new workout schedule: Mon, Wed, Fri I will have a two hour workout with my friend who is training me on machines and weights. Tues & Thurs (sometimes Saturday) mornings after I drop the kids at school I will go to the gym, drop my 18m old in the childcare room and do a brisk 2-3 mile walk on the treadmill before I eat anything.

I thought of more stuff for my list!

8.) NOT lifting my belly to wash under it in the shower.
9.) NOT wearing maternity or "mom" clothes. I have been wearing maternity clothes forever because it hides my belly, I used to be a very sharp dresser wearing nothing but vintage clothing. I am so busy with kids and miserable with my fat body and loose skin that I wear frumpy long skirts and tee shirts everyday.
10.) NOT having to lift my loose belly skin over my seat belt in the car.
11.) NOT being limited in how much I can bend over during exercise. It's hard for me to bend doing squats or lifts in the gym because my huge belly is in the way and it pisses me off.

Hello again!
I FINALLY uploaded my before pictures today but they uploaded upside down and sideways so I am trying to figure out how to fix it. The pictures I uploaded today are my 3 month pre-op photos before weight loss and exercise. I am planning to take pictures again 2 weeks pre-op to show the progress I made losing weight before my surgery as well. I can't wait to be on the flat side!

Also,
I wanted to mention a few things about myself for reference.
I am 5 feet tall even and extremely petite. I have always maintained an average weight between 120-140 depending on age.

It is only since my 18 month old son was born and I had a C-Section that I became overweight. My surgeon said I need to be 25lbs or less from my goal weight at the time of my surgery and my goal weight (after surgery and continued diet and weight loss) is 140. I am shooting to lose 20-30lbs before my surgery but even if I lost 15lbs I would be well within the 25lbs.

Hey everyone,
You wont believe my night last night. I worked out for 3 1/2 hours at the gym and it was so rough. After I got home I had to eat specific foods and tons of them in order to make up for what I put in at the gym. I feel asleep pretty quick and woke up in the middle of the night in horrible pain so I took a Tylenol to fall back alseep. Luckily I am not in pain this morning, not sure how that happened because I thought I was going to die in the middle of the night. Also, I took a look at myself naked this morning and I swear my boobies look great from all the arm workouts. I am on my way back to the gym now to walk 3 miles on the treadmill. See ya :)

Hello again,
Just wanted to update you on my weekend. I went to the gym Saturday morning like I mentioned and I walked (super brisk walk as fast as I could without running) three miles in 60 minutes. It was hard and I was pouring sweat! Sunday I took my off day from the gym and tonight to do my machines and weights. My diet is going well, I was craving sweets on Saturday but I went to the store and bought some no/low carb stuff I could eat like sugar free Jello and a Coke Zero to stop the cravings. I haven't really weighed myself yet. Last time I did no carb without diet I lost 15lbs in a month so I am hoping to lose big especially the first month since I added the workouts. I would be happy if I could lose 15 this month but I am not watching the scale or getting my hopes up. More later!

Hello,
Just checking in to say that diet and workout is going great. I am using substantially heavier weight now than when I started. I went from 174 to 166 but then gained 4lbs back this weekend on my carb cycle night. My trainer assures me it is water weight for loading back up and that I may be gaining some muscle as well. Right now I am bummed a bit by the gain but I also started my period and when I do I usually gain a couple pounds that come right off again after aunt flow is gone. I am keeping my chin up and moving forward. I just started a really great protein powder with zero carbs called IsoPure. If anyone is trying to up their daily protein intake without carbs, I highly recommend it. Every time I lose 10lbs I will update with some new photos.

I wanted to mention that I really love this site. It is really inspiring to see all of you in your own transformation process and it is nice to have an online support system. Is there any other sites/forums that you all recommend?
Thanks and GOOD LUCK to everyone :)

Hello again,
I am here to give you guys another update. Last time I updated I mentioned that I had gained so weight back and it was bumming me out. I decided to not take my friend's advice (the friend that is helping me in the gym) and do low carb with a once a week carb night anymore. I am sticking with 100% low carb until the surgery because I have really great results when I stick to it. The good news is, I am back down to 166 like I was last week before I gained. I feel extremely skinny right now because all of the water weight is off and my clothes are fitting so much better. I am still in the gym 3-5 times a week busting my butt and I am getting stronger everyday. It is October now and I am less than 2 1/2 months away from my surgery. I am super nervous about it, mostly about going in the morning of the surgery. I know that as soon as they knock me out I will wake up a new person but the anxiety of the morning of the surgery is freaking me out! Right now I am just trying to make plans to get all my Christmas shopping done, the tree up etc. before my surgery so that I can focus on recovery. Well that is all for now!

Hello there! Realself emailed me today to let me know it had been a month since I updated so I figured I would do just that! Well I am down to 155lbs, I feel another few pound loss around the corner as well. My pre-pregnancy weight before I got pregnant with my third child was 152 (which was still heavy for me) but needless to say I feel excellent. At my heaviest I was 185 (October 2011) so that means I have lost 30lbs from my heaviest weight. I feel extremely good about myself, I feel thinner than I am on the scale even. My stomach looks a LOT better, you can see my hips and waist, which means that I will have a much better end result after the TT. I am hoping to lose another 10lbs before my surgery in 1 1/2 months, but even if I had my surgery tomorrow at the weight I am right now I would be very satisfied! I am still on my diet very strictly, but I haven't been working out. I know, it's dumb but I just haven't been going. I am starting to get really nervous about the surgery, specifically the morning of. I am really scared of hospitals, needles etc. so the sooner they put me under the better. I have a two week pre-op appointment one month from today and it's all a go from there! Talk to y'all soon, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Oh by the way, I will take updated photos of my weight loss soon.

Down to 150lbs.

I finally added updated photos but my stomach looks just as bad as ever despite a total of 35lbs of weight loss since last fall.

Right now all I can think of is how terrified I am that my surgery date is creeping up. I am not scared of complications, dying on the table or a horrible recovery... all I can think about is the anxiety I have and will have the day of the surgery. Anyone else as scared of hospitals/needles etc as I am? I am completely terrified and it is giving me tiny panic attacks. How did you cope? HELP!

OMG tomorrow is my pre-op appointment and I am scared to death. The reality that I am having a tummy tuck in two weeks is putting me in panic mode. Tomorrow at 9am I have an hour long pre-op appointment followed by lab work and then I have to go to the hospital and register for surgery. Tomorrow is also when my entire $8000 tummy tuck fee is due.

I am so scared of everything. Like I mentioned before, I am not scared of dying during the operation or how horrible recovery is going to be really, it is just the anxiety that it is all about to happen. I am terrified of hospital environments. I really hope I can get over it and think about how awesome my life will be after the surgery is done and I have recovered.

After my appointment tomorrow I am going to have the busiest two weeks of my life preparing for the surgery, family members to help me with the kids, getting my house deep cleaned, laundry done, the house stocked with food/ meal planning and the biggest thing of all CHRISTMAS! I have to get all of my Christmas shopping done for the kids and family and everything wrapped and ready because I wont be able to do anything from the 13th to Christmas.

I AM FREAKING OUT

In other news I have lost another 5lbs putting me at 145 which is WAY better than I expected three months ago. I am very please about that.

Pre-op appointment is done and went very well. It is all paid for too. I had my blood drawn and got my Rx's filled for the surgery. My surgery is at 6:30am on Dec 13th and I have to stay the night in the hospital which I think will be best. I also found out I will have a pain pump for three days which is great! I got the doctor to write me a Rx for some anxiety meds to help me the next couple weeks and the morning of surgery. I am freaking out! But I am so happy at the same time :)

One week away from my TT. It is really start to dawn on me that by this time next week I will be sitting in recovery with a brand new stomach. I finally got all of the babysitting plans squared away. My surgery starts at 6:30am on Thursday the 13th and my mom is getting the kids the night before (wed) to keep until Sunday. We are spending the night in the hospital and I get to go home 24 hours after surgery. The first three days it will just be me and my spouse. The kids have school the whole following week but my husband got approved to work from home so that he can take care of me and the baby and getting the big kids to school. I am almost done Xmas shopping, I did it all online via Amazon. This weekend I am spending every day getting the house deep cleaned, laundry done and shopping done because I won't be able to do any of that for a few weeks. DID I MENTION I AM SCARED!

OMG my surgery is in 4 days. I got all of my Christmas shopping done today and I also got all of the shopping done for my surgery. I bought everything from 4 extra pillows, vit E oil, gatorade-water-sparkling water-V8, vit c capsules, gauze & tape etc. plus more healthy snacks, lean cuisines and meals that are easy for my husband to make than you could imagine. I am freaking out with anxiety but I am trying not to think about anything at all until I absolutely have to and considering how busy my life is day to day I know I will be distracted. God help me, when I get to the hospital on Thursday morning and they give me the IV they better give me so friggin Demerol or I am going to pass out from anxiety,

Yesterday at 6:30am I had my TT. Everything went great, I slept in the hospital last night. The doctor should be coming to see me in a couple of hours to change my dressings before I can go home and I can't wait to see it! I will take a photo for sure.

Added a pic! I am finally home from the hospital.

It's my second evening home from the hospital and the pain is unbearable. None of the pain meds are helping, the pain pump has run out of juice and I feel terrible. I just want it to stop. I am also in swell hell and I feel like I cannot breathe. YIKES.

Hey guys it's day 3 PO.

Here is a quick update of what's happened with me in the past 24 hours.

1.) Last night I slept in my bed!! With about 100 pillows positioned just the right way and my husband holding me I was actually able to sleep in my bed and it was far more comfortable than any sleep I have had in the recliner so far.
2.) Today I took a very careful shower. I used a washrag and soap and clipped my drain to a giant rubber band around my neck. I let the hot shower water stay on my back and not directly hit my incision. After the shower, washing my hair, brushing my teeth and clean PJ's I felt so much better,
3.) Pain is about the same today as it was yesterday but I am trying to deal with it and take less pain meds.
4.) The milk of magnesia hasn't helped me have a BM in three days so today I used a mini enema and was instantly relieved. I had a really large BM painlessly and I feel much better now. I may do another enema tomorrow morning as well. I highly recommend it, it does NOT hurt and it gives you instant results.
5.) I am freakishly swollen. My face, hands, feet, tummy... everything is three times it's normal size right now. I have been really pushing the fluid and cutting the starch from my diet to help it but it seems like I will have to deal with this for a while. I had the same swelling after my C-Section and it took forever to go away. Today I ate lots of fruit and yogurt.

More later. If you have any advice for the swelling please let me know,

1 week post op and I am still in a lot of pain. I am very pleased with the look of my stomach and I feel like my whole world has changed. I added a new pic :)

Hello again.
Today I am 13 days post-op. I haven't had to use my pain pills nearly as often the past few days. I only take about 1 per day instead of ever 4 hours on the second. I am walking completely upright now as well. My incision is healing very nicely, the scab around it has flaked off on 90% of my incision and now it is just a light pink scar. Right now I am using alcohol swabs 1-2 times a day to wipe the incision and the belly button and then I apply triple antibiotic to the entire area and a big glob in my belly button. I wear my binder (the stiff one) about half the time. Most of my stomach is still completely numb, I hope that most of the feeling will return over the next couple of months. I STILL HAVE MY DRAIN. I hate the drain, it is making me miserable and I cannot get it removed until Jan 2nd because the whole office is out until then... I don't know how I am going to do it but I am going to have to find a way to hide the damn thing under my skirt on NYE. The good news is I am wearing a very full skirt on NYE so I should be able to fasten it to the underside of my skirt with a couple of safety pins... still sucks though. I am so happy about my results and it was the best thing I have ever done. I am so happy it is done and over and I never have to deal with the body issues I had again. What a wonderful feeling. I added a new photo.

Hello again.
I cannot believe I have failed to mention this until now but during my TT procedure I also had a Mons Pubis reduction. I didn't have the Mons lipo, I had a small incision made in the center of my TT incision going down a few inches toward my lady bits. The doctor said that he opened that area and cut a "pie slice" of fat out of the area and removed a "pie slice" of skin and sewed it back together.

Anyone else have the Mons Pubis reduction during their tummy tuck?

The reason I ask is because as I mentioned in my last post I still have my drain which is coming out of the mons pubis incision and it is really starting to hurt. I have had to tape my drain tube flat along my tummy tuck incision several times in order for the tube not to move around and hurt me really bad. Also, my drain is sewed into my mons with a very thick and scary black thread and I am scared of how bad the scaring is going to be on my vagina after the drain is removed and begins to heal.

Outside of that, I am extremely pleased not only with my TT but my Mons reduction as well, it looks absolutely perfect now that the swelling has gone. I trust my surgeon, he is incredible so I am trying to keep the faith that no matter how bad the scar/drain/black threading on my vagina looks now that it will heal decently because my surgeon is a professional and knows what he is doing.

If you had the mons reductions please share your advice with me and any photos you may have.

Hello again everyone.
Quick update on whats going on...

Tomorrow morning I am supposed to finally get my drain removed and the stitches out. I am scared of getting the drain removed just because I have had it so long that I am afraid it is going to be even more painful. But I want this drain gone so badly that it seems like it will be so far worth whatever pain I might have. I have been having lots of swelling on and off mostly towards the end of the day. It feels like I have a big fat puffy tire around my hips when it happens. I took a break from my diet the past 2 1/2 weeks after my surgery in order to heal and relax, but tomorrow I am getting back on the diet. I plan to eat low carb like before but not as hardcore, just clean eating and realistic dieting that I can live with for the rest of my life.

Funny story, I went out for NYE last night and had to come up with a clever way to hide my drain so nobody knew I had it. Luckily I went to show that was a costume party time machine theme so I wore a really fancy ball gown that had a very full skirt with a petticoat. I ended up safety pinning the drain to the underside of my skirt and it worked out great and nobody knew.

I have been slowly regaining some feeling on my tummy. Mostly on the side of ribs and hips, nothing in the middle from the ribs to the groin. I am really hoping that most of the feeling returns to those areas in the next few weeks/months. How long until you had feeling return if any?

I will update again tomorrow after I see the surgeon :)

YAY!
So I finally got my drains and stitches removed yesterday! The drain removal was painless but felt extremely odd and uncomfortable for about 3 minutes. The painful part was the removal of stitches on the incision and the belly button. Have have never had stitches removed so I had no idea what to expect, but the pain was brief.

I was thoroughly freaked out when they removed the drain and there was a giant gaping hole in my vagina. My doctor told he how to change the dressing and said that the hole would close in 24-48 hours, but to be honest I didnt believe it would close because it was so huge and deep. BUT!! I just changed my dressing and the hole is completely closed and you cant even tell it was there, I was so shocked and so happy.

Right now the only thing that hurts is my belly button. Ever since the stitches were removed I feel like the belly button is detaching from the skin it was sewn to. Every time I cough or laugh it feels like it is popping off. It is hard to describe but I am sure it will stop soon.

I feel like the drain removal was the last big hurdle in my recover. Although I still have a lot of recovery before I am totally well, I feel like the drain removal means I can begin to return to normal life, light chores etc. which I am attempting to do today.

-H

Hello! It has been a month since I updated. I am just a about a week away from being two months post-op. Not much has changed. My scar is really dark but is fading for sure. My stomach is very flat and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. I haven't been dieting like I did before the tuck but I haven't gained a single pound. The pain is gone for the most part but some days the muscle repair will start to burn or hurt if I work really hard around the house. I have no problems with my scar, it is very low and never shows when I have panties on. My mons pubis scar is just awful though, I hope it fades soon. I don't have a lot of pubic hair naturally so it is not like I can hide it underneath the hair. Other than that I am just enjoying my new tummy and looking forward to shopping for bikinis this year!

I added a new pic today