“Bringing Sexy Back?! - Green Bay, WI”

I'm a 33 year old mother of 3 (including a set of twins). No C-sections, but I was stretched to the limit with my boys, going to 37.5 weeks with 2 seven pounders! After all was said and done, I lost 40lbs and am back to my "ideal" body weight of 153lbs (I'm 5'10"). The twin skin plagues me...it looks like crepe paper. The linea nigra never went away, and was so stretched that my whole lower abdomen is discolored. Booooooo!! My belly button is a disaster, and my boobs (which have always been small) are now sort of sad and deflated. I've worked very hard to get into excellent shape (I distance run) and I want the payoff! I'm tired of my loose skin making my workouts uncomfortable. Bouncing down my pants, making it impossible to find workout clothes that fit properly, sweating and itching.

Pros: No more spanx (tank tops, which totally flatten the girls) needed to wear the correct size clothes (if I wear the right size waist, looks like I'm wearing a bag...right sized legs/butt equal awful pinchy muffin top). No need for pushup bras! Less self consciousness...no more hearing "You look great...for having twins!"

Cons: Well, it's surgery. It costs a lot. I'm giving myself scars and subjecting myself to anesthesia for vanity. I'm struggling with this, but I'm coming around.

I consulted with three different doctors. They all told me the same thing with regards to the belly: My issue is relatively minor, I likely won't need muscle repair, and there is no need for lipo of the flanks. They all had slightly different ideas about the boobs (different incision sites, different placement). The surgeon I liked the best (who also happens to be at the same medical complex where I work) believes a subglandular placement will give me the best result. I think he's right.

I go back and forth between being extremely excited and totally terrified. I'm scheduled for an outpatient procedure 5/31 @ 8:30am...I have the money, the home support, and the time off work.

Wish me luck, and I'll update with pictures and ramblings.

Updated on 1 May 2011:
Oh. My. God. 30 days and counting. I swear I will get pictures up this week!

Updated on 24 May 2011:
Pre-op appointment yesterday. Looks like I'll be getting 286cc silicone mod-plus (Natrelle) implants! He ordered a couple of sizes and we discussed what I want and do not want. My surgeon will place sizers and make the final call based on symmetry in the OR. It's funny, I thought I wanted 339s based on my research, but the doc said "try the 286s, I bet you'll like them better". He was beyond right. The 339s, while not abnormal looking or anything, were way more "blessed" then I want to be! The 286s were PERFECT. Just the way I always wished my boobs looked :)

Starting to get really excited. 7 days and counting!

Oh, and I added some pictures.

Updated on 24 May 2011:


Updated on 29 May 2011:
Well, day after tomorrow is the big day! I can't believe it's actually here...feels like I've been waiting forever. I'm starting to get really nervous, and I've been "nesting" like I did before giving birth. Cleaning, laundry, getting my room set up for the immediate post-op period. I have my milk of magnesia, my docusate, my big water cup with the straw, my Netflix subscription (and my first DVD!), my Kindle all loaded, my knitting supplies and projects, a big bottle of Ibuprofen, my compression stockings, my stage 2 garments, my smoothie making ingredients (high protein, low fiber!), and lots of non-carbonated low-to-no sodium beverages, whew! I feel alternately like I've been prepping forever and I'll never be prepared enough!

I want 6:30am Tuesday to be here NOW...also NEVER. I feel on the verge of panic sometimes :) Almost wish I would have asked for a sleeper or an anxiolytic at my pre-op. Almost.

I have been indulging in salty foods this week since I'll be off salt after the fact. I also realized that I'm going to get my period this week. Probably on Thursday. Which means I'm already retaining crazy water (hello, puffball) and it'll get lots worse before it gets better!

That reminds me, I need pads! Thank heaven for 24 hour Walgreens!

Updated on 31 May 2011:
All done! Went in at 6:30 this morning for pre-op, rolled into the OR at 8:30, fell asleep and woke up at 11:40am. Can't really say anything results wise (exept the binder they put on my boobs is floral and pretty!) I'm not bound very tightly up top (I had a subglandular placement, not a bi-plane) so I can see my cleavage....and boy is it pretty. Just a touch sore, but full functionality in my arms and sholders without pain.

My belly is wrapped up, and I can't even hazard a guess that that looks like! The drains are kind of a pain, but I was expecting that. Not draining much, though.

I have had no nausea, and have been eating just fine. I'm really thirsty, but I think that's from the intubation. As a side note, the CRNA that did my drugs had a tummy tuck and BA herself! Small world :)

I would describe my pain as a 1-2 on a scale of 10. It really is just soreness. I took some ibuprofen when I got home from the hospital because I had a headache, but there is minimal, minimal pain. I should mention, though that I did NOT have muscle repair, so I wasn't expecting much beyond discomfort.

I may take a Vicodin at bedtime tonight. Just for funsies.

So far? Based on the boobs alone this was worth it :)

My follow up is on Friday, so I'll be sponge bathing it until then. Took a long how shower this morning before going in, so I'm good until tomorrow night at least.

Can't wait to see it unwrapped!

Updated on 1 Jun 2011:
Post-op day 1. No pain. Boobs are a teeny bit sore, but not even enough to warrant pain meds. I took a Vicodin before bed last night, and it knocked me right out, which is what I was hoping for :) I'm actually sort of shocked by how good I feel! I can stand almost fully upright already, and I'm moving around a lot (to the kitchen, the bathroom, etc). Spending today in the living room instead of the bedroom (the kids are at daycare). I've been doing some online shopping for swimsuits! I seem to be drawn to the ones with plunging necklines....imagine that. I'll post afters when I'm allowed to unwrap!

Updated on 4 Jun 2011:
Today's lesson: No matter how good you feel, do not over-extend yourself or you will be down for the count!

I felt really, really good yesterday and was out and about quite a bit. Crashed hard and slept great last night. Got up this morning and "helped" my husband with the kids? Needed a 2 hour nap to recover! Guess I'm not ready to jump back into it just yet :) Maybe I'll stick to sitting around knitting and drinking water for a couple more days.

It's SO HARD to be inactive. My PS told me I had to keep the drains in over the weekend at least because "as you become more active, you'll drain more". I told him "Ummm....I've already been pretty active." He kind of tut-tutted at me, but then said "Well, at least you're honest about it...most patients lie!" His nurse said that they had stopped by recovery on Tuesday to check on me, but were informed that I was long gone. She said I might have made the fastest escape of any patient they've ever had :)

I'll get some pics up in the next couple of days!

Updated on 7 Jun 2011:
My drains come out tomorrow, my drains come out tomorrow! Mostly because I called the office and whined about how they aren't putting out much and they're driving me craaaaaaaaazy. I can't wait!! I'll get to wear clothes (that aren't my too big scrubs)!! Woo!

I put up my afters as well. I'll get a swimsuit shot up when the drains come out (tomorrow!!). I bought a tankini (just to make sure the scars are protected from the sun this summer), but it has a plunging neckline :)

Updated on 14 Jun 2011:
Well, my drains are out, I'm back to work, everything is healing nicely! There is a box of new underthings on it's way to me, and I will post a two week post op when I have them!

The steristrips are starting to fall off, and I've been given permission to just pull off the loose ones. It's weird...I want them to come off (because they make me look and feel like an arts and crafts project), but I'm nervous about them coming off, as well. They feel like my armor...they protect my incision and keep me from really having to SEE the thing, you know?

I have a couple of raised...ridges, I guess for lack of a better word...along my incision line from where the drains came out. The PS assures me they'll flatten over time. I'm not too worried about it, they're in a place where no one but me and my husband will ever see them, and they aren't grotesque or anything, just little "cliffs" of skin. My friends who had C-sections describe a similar thing.

I have noticed more swelling since going back to work (I didn't really have much post-op swelling at all). It's not too bad, but I think I might take the suggestion of another poster here and get a 10 lb bag of birdseed to lay on my abdomen while I sleep to smoosh that fluid back into my vasculature where it belongs!

I have been cleared for light exercise and walking. My next post-op is in 3 weeks, and my PS said that if I keep looking as good as I do now, he'll clear me to run. I can't wait!

Updated on 21 Jun 2011:
Three weeks post-op and feeling great. I've been walking daily, including a 10K walk with a friend on Saturday, and it feels so good to be moving again! My boobs have dropped and they feel fab. I've been swollen the last few days, but it's my own fault because I have been WAY, WAY overdoing it. Hard to avoid when there's 15 month old twins climbing the furniture! I'm doing more compression at night to deal with it, and that seems to work out fine.

I'll try to get some new photos up this week.