Mommy Makeover: Stories

I have only met with one plastic surgeon so far (even though it's the one that I feel is the one). I've researched doctors off and on for a few years. This doctor is in Miami- hours away from where I live. I am also interested in Soto in Orlando, and Diaco in Tampa, but both of those are about 2 hours from me, and I think would end up being more inconvenient than Miami (since my family is in Miami).

I'm looking at a tummy tuck, lift and augmentation. During my consult, the dr. said we could do a benelli, but a full would leave no sag. During the consult I told him full, but if he feels confident with the Benelli, I'd like to go that route for less scarring for the time being. I can get the full lift years down the road ;).

I've seen quite a few pictures of women that had a benelli lift and their "moderate sags" are gorgeous. ;). I don't technically have the nipple below the crease problem, nut definite tissue loss, skin issues, and areolas that have had the life sucked out of them! It's weird to think that I was a 40DD and now I'm approximately a 34b. I go back and forth 247. I thought I would always be way too scared to get a TT, but then suddenly I was considering all out mommy makeover. Then, the next day I'd decide on only the breasts. Round and round we go.

The recovery sounds like it could be a bit draining and will literally take my whole summer out of school nursing it, so to speak. However, I long to wear a bikini. I have a ton of stretch marks on my thighs and hips, too, but nothing is more unsightly than the mangled marks above the belly button!! At the height of my pregnancies I was about 225 lbs. Now I'm at around 130-135. I ate myself silly. My girls are just over 15 months apart. So, yeah, I was a little hard on my body with the pregnancies, weight gain, nursing, nursing and pregnant, then nursing again.

This site is now my new evening cool down. I am a bit infatuated with reading reviews and hearing how people are healing. It has been incredibly insightful, and at times scary. It's awesome to see pictures and hear stories - it makes me that much more informed, or at leat gives me more questions to ask! It's all so very exciting, overwhelming, and nauseating at the same time!!

I'm wondering about the whole scheduling deal b/c now I'm going to do the surgery six months later than originally planned. I decided that I'd rather take my Christmas Break to heal.

Anyway, the surgeon's office says to usually give at least 6 weeks. I'll be putting 20% down, so of course like anything else, the longer I can hold on to my 2 grand or so, the better.

Do women typically receive an incision in the breast crease during a benelli lift?

Oh, and I had another consult during a recent trip to Miami.
I still feel very confident in Hochstein's Work.

My first consultation was in March and I was on the fence with doing a lift or the complete Mommy Makeover. A friend referred me but ultimately I chose this doctor because I was consistently impressed by the before ans after photos or his breast lift and/or tummy tuck patients.

2 weeks post-op

I'm already so happy and I am still completely covered in steri strips at 2 weeks post-op. Everything appears to be sized the way I hoped it would be.

I think the scariest part of any surgery is the unknown. I was never in true pain after the surgery. I was terrified of the ride home because where I would be after the surgery was 45 minutes-1 hour away from the surgery center. I really don't remember much of the ride home.

I do remember being ready to use my legs to help my weight, pretty much right when I was allowed to get up after being in the recovery room. I was a little dizzy on the elevator ride down (I was in a wheelchair, obviously). And I was a little concerned I would become ill, but I never did. I did receive nausea meds before and after surgery, as well as zantac before surgery, and demerol before I left the surgery center. I took my pain meds regularly for the first 36 hours or so and then I was able to go longer stretches before I would get uncomfortable and take pain meds. I really stayed up on taking them so that the pain never became intolerable.

I am so excited to see the changes as the strips fall off and I continue to heal!