Tummy Tuck: Stories

I am a 40 year old mother of 2 teenage girls. I gained >50lbs with each child losing 40lbs after each birth.I had C-sections with both. I have been a "thick"and curvy all my life. I lost 40lbs 2 years ago and have struggled to keep it off. I continue to exercise and am fairly satified with my body except for the large amount of stretch marks and a unsitely tire around my lower waist. If I gain any weight, my tire just gets bigger. It effects me every day of my life in some way and is a huge source of depression.I have cut my smoking to 2 cigarettes a day and have had a few anxiety attacks in the process. I gathered my cashiers checks today and go for my pre-op in 3 days.

Feeling guilty about the money and worried that something will go wrong and my girls will be without there mom. I am also a nurse so I have seen ALL the bad stuff! Am I crazy? Nurses can be the worst patients!!!

I am post-op day 1 now and doing well. Stayed overnight in the hospital Surgeon required this. Thank goodness he did! IV pain meds are the BOMB!I was sent home with 5 days of antibiotics and Percocet. Started stool softners also. Appetite good. sleeping alot and getting up in between naps about every 2-3 hours to urinate and check drains(I have 2).Overall this has been better than I expected. Is very similar to C-Section as far as pain and ambulation goes. You don't want to cough, but have to keep trying to keep those lungs cleared out to keep secretions from settling in the bases and causing infection. I have been taking the pain med and then a little while later start working the lungs with deep breaths and short coughs. Not Fun! I can't express enough the absolute wonderful surgical staff from the intake receptionist to the last nurse I had. They were wonderful, attentive, empathetic and not understaffed. I spent the night in the day surgery building and had 2 nurses for 2 patients. It was like having a private duty nurse.Historically post op day 2-3 are the hardest so I am bracing myself.

I am post-op day 1 now and doing well. Stayed overnight in the hospital Surgeon required this. Thank goodness he did! IV pain meds are the BOMB!I was sent home with 5 days of antibiotics and Percocet. Started stool softners also. Appetite good. sleeping alot and getting up in between naps about every 2-3 hours to urinate and check drains(I have 2).Overall this has been better than I expected. Is very similar to C-Section as far as pain and ambulation goes. You don't want to cough, but have to keep trying to keep those lungs cleared out to keep secretions from settling in the bases and causing infection. I have been taking the pain med and then a little while later start working the lungs with deep breaths and short coughs. Not Fun! I can't express enough the absolute wonderful surgical staff from the intake receptionist to the last nurse I had. They were wonderful, attentive, empathetic and not understaffed. I spent the night in the day surgery building and had 2 nurses for 2 patients. It was like having a private duty nurse.Historically post op day 2-3 are the hardest so I am bracing myself.

I am now at my 20 week mark. Still very happy with my results! I do have a hard, perfectly round area below my bellybutton but above my incision. Surgeon not quite sure what it is, but I return in 1 month to have it rechecked.Also what is unusual is that I have had terrible menstrual cramps in the same area. My periods were really wacked out after surgery. I had a cycle every 2 weeks for 6weeks then they slowly got back to every 21 days. So I going to my gynocologist to get that area checked out! Overall, It was worth doing.