POSTED UNDER Mommy Makeover REVIEWS
'Mommy' Makeover - Grand Rapids, MI
ORIGINAL POST
After reading so many expieriences I decided that...
WORTH IT$15,000
After reading so many expieriences I decided that I will document my makeover here and hopefully help others in making their decision.
My surgery is scheduled for December 9 and while I am worried I am excited too! I did have one child when I was 17 (gave up for adoption) but my problems with extra skin stem from years of being obese. I have lost over 100 pounds and decided to do this for myself. I work out every day, I eat right and I just ran my first marathon so I think I have earned the right to feel better about myself :)
I will be taking before pictures this weekend and then will document every couple of days after the procedure.
Christina Grand Rapids's provider
Replies (9)
November 17, 2010
Thanks! Running the marathon was tough but incredibly worth it when I crossed that finish line :) I kind of look at this surgery as another marathon! I will post the doctors name afterwards. I am using the same doctor my sis in law used several years ago when she had her breasts done and she did a great job!
November 18, 2010
A marathon, good for you sounds like you have made some lifestyle changes to reach your goals. You definately deserve a makover. I know at times it is easy to doubt yourself but there is no way you will reach your body goals on your own. That tummy flab just never wants to budge!
November 18, 2010
I lost about 80 pounds and kept it off for a few years, the last 20 plus I lost a year or so ago. I figured since I have been able to maintain this weight loss it was ok to have the surgery. What I have just empty skin, there isn't any kind of exercise or diet that can get rid of that and so surgery was my only option. I am having the tummy tuck, breast lift and implants and both of us are going to look fantastic :)
November 19, 2010
Wow- Christina! Amazing you ran a marathon. I am envious of you for doing that. I have been trying to get into running. I have done a few 5ks and want to progress to more (10K, 1/2 marathon and then a marathon). I just haven't worked up to the same consistency of running. I hate to run on a treadmill and the only time I can run outside is November till March, because of the Florida heat. I think its great that you eat healthy and have lost so much weight. You are an excellent candidate and deserve this. Congrats and I look forward to seeing your before and after pics.
UPDATED FROM Christina Grand Rapids
Surgery is just three weeks away now. I scheduled...
Surgery is just three weeks away now. I scheduled this months ago and now I can barely believe it is almost here!
Replies (11)
November 21, 2010
I posted an update and pictures but they aren't showing up - anyone know what I might of done wrong?
January 23, 2011
I was just looking at your pictures and you look great. You lost a lot of weight and you are having a good recovery. My implants are too high and I keep doing the exercises. I heard it is good to run to help them drop. I have four herniated discs and was told not to run.
January 23, 2011
Thanks Ivette! I think I'm very lucky in how well I've healed and recovered. I'm not fully recovered but I know I am well on my way :)
No, with four herniated discs, I woudn't run either. Thankfully there are great machines out there that you can use :) My left breast is too high because after surgery the fluid pushed the implant back up. The doctor is not happy with it but wanted to give it time to see what it would do. I go on Wednesday to see here and fully expect her to want to schedule a time to go in and fix it.
Any luck getting yours to drop?
No, with four herniated discs, I woudn't run either. Thankfully there are great machines out there that you can use :) My left breast is too high because after surgery the fluid pushed the implant back up. The doctor is not happy with it but wanted to give it time to see what it would do. I go on Wednesday to see here and fully expect her to want to schedule a time to go in and fix it.
Any luck getting yours to drop?
January 27, 2011
Cristina, my PS asked me to keep doing the exercises and give it time to see if my implants will drop. They are very small implants, hard and not moving anywhere. I am a fast healer and perhaps tissue grew around them before the PS assigned the exercises. I have a lot of pain on the left side of my abdomen and left breast today. It feels like when you are doing dishes and you have a small cut on your finger that it burns.
November 21, 2010
Guess I need to be patient :) Thanks!
January 7, 2011
Thanks :) I feel like I am slowly getting the results I wanted.
November 22, 2010
What a big difference. You are going to look fabulous. There is definately nothing you can do about the extra skin. You are making a good choice to have the surgery and you do deserve it. I can't wait to see your results.
November 22, 2010
Thanks! My husband says the same thing when I get down on myself and start saying I'm fat because there is a shirt I can't wear because you can see my rolls. Funny how you can lose a ton of weight but when you look in the mirror you still see the person you were! I know logically that it isn't fat but my emotions sometimes get the best of me :) I bought these great Tommy Hilfiger shirts in Florida this year but they are very fitted around the waist. I wore one of them one day to work and the entire day I was uncomfortable because I just knew my rolls were visible. I am NOT going to miss feeling like that at all :) Ok so I came in from my run this morning and came straight to the computer to see if there were any new posts LOL I had better get in the shower or the girls at work are going to dislike me very much :P
November 23, 2010
I know what you mean about still feeling fat. I do that to myself all the time. I put a fat picture of myself on my bedroom mirror. It helps to put things in perspective and it helps keep me motivated so I don't get like that again. I showed my fat picture to family one day and my boyfriend was there it made me cry to have him see me like that. He was really terrific though. Always supportive and proud of me for losing it and keeping it off. We try to eat healthy for both of us and it helps that he doesn't complain when we have turkey burgers instead of regular ones.
UPDATED FROM Christina Grand Rapids
My pre op appointment time was moved to 11am on...
My pre op appointment time was moved to 11am on Monday...can't wait! We paid for everything which makes it feel so much more real...I can't believe I am actually going to do this!
Replies (7)
November 24, 2010
I feel incredibly lucky to have the support of my husband too! We both eat pretty healthy and he didn't even complain when I made lentil burgers :) We still eat meat but now I use more of the Morningstar burgers and cook more meatless meals...he has been a real trooper and for the most part has loved everything I have made.
November 28, 2010
I just read your update. It does make it seem more real when you pay for it. kind of like no turning back now. You will do great.
November 28, 2010
I know exactly what you guys mean... I just received that check that I will be using for payment and I will be paying it all this week. It makes is so much more real!!! Wow... I also feel guilty with the holidays right around the corner. Luckily, my husband is not making me feel too bad. The only thing that is doing right now to bother me about it is he is not letting me buy any clothes until after the surgery. I guess I can understand but I do love to buy clothes and its getting a little annoying.
November 28, 2010
I do too but I am trying really hard not to buy anything until after. I did buy a pair of jeans at Goodwill yesterday...yes I love bargain shopping :) I figured for $4 I wasn't really hurting anything buy getting them. On the upside I bought a size 0...the girl that was always the fat one, the girl that loved McDonald's a couple times a day, I bought a size 0 :) I was a size 20 when I started and my husband jokes that all I did was drop the 2 ;)
November 28, 2010
Wow Christina!!! I can't believe you went from a 20 to a ZERO!!! What an amazing accomplishment! I only lost 35lbs and I constantly tell myself that this is my gift to myself for losing the weight. I still have about 10 to go and it's really tough!! Hopefully this will motivate me!! I am so excited for you and Baby Blues... Only 11 days away...
November 29, 2010
First let me say thanks! It hasn't always been easy but I am so glad I decided to get off my butt and do something about my weight. Second, don't you dare say you have ONLY lost 35 pounds. 35 pounds is a huge accomplishment and doesn't deserve to be described as only :) Back several months ago I was on the CNN website in regards to my weightloss. Well at that time I was in a size 2 and that was mentioned in the article. You should have seen the comments about my size, everything from great job to basically calling me a liar because there was no way at 128 pounds I could be a size 2...well since all of my pants said 2 I was pretty certain I wasn't lying LOL I tried to explain the whole muscle weighs more then fat thing but it was like beating my head up against a brick wall so I gave up :)
November 29, 2010
Muscle definately weighs more than fat. I was down to 116 at my lowest and it was after my biggest weight loss I was exercising but not really for muscle mass. My face looked gaunt. I put some weight back on (too much) I was up to 129lbs and then did a round of P90x I ended up at 122 but fit my clothes even better than when I was at 116 and my face didn't look gaunt. You are not a very large person. My whole family is small. My Mom is 5'2" 114 pounds you look right around her size but she has very little muscle mass. No use arguing with people who don't have the facts.
Sunshine, I lost 33 lbs and it is hard. I always feel the way you do. 100 lbs is such an accomplishment. Sometimes when you hear such large amounts of weight loss you don't feel as "worthy". I am not sure why that is. I do hear from most people that lose large amounts that the last 10 or 20 is the hardest to lose. So I guess it is an accomplishment. The bigger accomplishment is keeping it off so we are all now in the same catagory. We are maintaining and doing something to make ourselves feel and look better. Whether it is from kids or massive weight loss really doesn't matter. Not everyones skin can stretch and then go back to normal. I know some people that have gone back to normal after two kids but the majority of us have to struggle and put up with stretch marks. Just think for the new year we are going to have new bodies. YEAH!
Sunshine, I lost 33 lbs and it is hard. I always feel the way you do. 100 lbs is such an accomplishment. Sometimes when you hear such large amounts of weight loss you don't feel as "worthy". I am not sure why that is. I do hear from most people that lose large amounts that the last 10 or 20 is the hardest to lose. So I guess it is an accomplishment. The bigger accomplishment is keeping it off so we are all now in the same catagory. We are maintaining and doing something to make ourselves feel and look better. Whether it is from kids or massive weight loss really doesn't matter. Not everyones skin can stretch and then go back to normal. I know some people that have gone back to normal after two kids but the majority of us have to struggle and put up with stretch marks. Just think for the new year we are going to have new bodies. YEAH!
Hi there,
Will you be posting the name of your surgeon post-op? That  information is always so helpful for others in your area. December 9th is coming up quickly! Looking forward to hearing more of your story. And congrats on the marathon! What an accomplishment.