Mommy Makeover: Stories

I am a 43 yr old married mother of two boys 23 and almost 21 years old. Never did I imagine I would be able to have this procedure. This website has been a true source of information and TRUTH . It helped my decision to be an informed one. I am going to have my surgery on August 21 about seven days before my 44th birthday, what a perfect birthday present !! It has been a real encouragement to read all of the information on the procedure and the recovery so I know what to REALLY expect post op. my pre-op appt is on Friday Aug 10th. I am very excited and nervous all at the same time. I feel like a kid at Christmas.....

Along with the TT I am also having lipo to flanks, hips ,thighs and Brest lift w/aug. From what I read this is common to have all done at the same time. My first son was a C-Section and that was not to unbearable but then again I was only 20yrs old. The recovery was a pretty easy one. Has anyone had a breast lift w/o the augmentation and wished they had ? I would really
Ike to know your thoughts on this subject... Thanks
Also.... How do you upload pix ???

So today was my pre-op visit so it is starting to become more real, especially after I wrote the check ! The guilt of spending so much money on myself also began to set in, but after some thought I began to look at the bigger picture. Let's face it ladies because we are so uncomfortable with our bodies we are less likely to enjoy our time with our children and our husbands (wife). So if you do the math and take the money spent and divide it by the number of years you have left on this earth.....which by the way will be filled with much joy and happiness... It really is not that much money after all ; )
At least that put my mind at ease.
I have 11 days left until my surgery and the nesting phase has begun. I have started to clean like a crazy lady so I won't be tempted to do too much too soon. I am used to working out six days a week so this down time will not be an easy one for me. All of you ladies who have had surgery keep posting your post-op status it has helped me to prepare for I will be going through
Happy Healing Everyone

Now six days awat from MM and the nerves are getting a little frayed. I feel like I need to move, stretch and exercise as much as I can because soon my mobility will be so limited.

I changed my profile name because I know how lucky I am ( we are ) to be able to do this for ourselves. The change we are going to feel is a positive one that will affect every aspect of our lives. So much of what we do and how we do it is directly related to how we feel about ourselves. Our self-esteem and confidence will be through the roof !! So no more negative thoughts about ourselves ladies !!

Surgery August 21, 2012 (been having some computer issues so thisn is late)
Went in @ 7:30 and was out at 12:00 noon. I had a full tummy tuck, Breast Lift w/ Saline implants, Lipo on my Inner thighs(down to my knees), Outer Thighs, Flanks and underside of my arms. Surgery was supposed to take 6 hrs but I was out in 41/2. Doc said everything was great and he was able to pull my tummy the tightest of any patient due to all of my hard work in the gym.When I woke up i was totally alert and not in any pain just tightness & muscle sorness. The worst part was getting up to go to the bathroom. OUCHIE !! I got home about 2:00 took my pain meds and spent the afternoon watching TV. I made sure to make myself eat something every 4r hrs and have had no neasuea or lightheadness. All I can say is I feel great and am so very glad I have done this. Honestly Ladies I can't tell you how much relief feel now that the surgery is over. Words can't explain it, a weight has been lifted.

Day 2: August 22
My night was very uneventfull. Stayed on my every 4hr pain meds even though my pain was more like discomfort and tightness. Today I was up and around every so often to keep the blood flowing. Feeling really great and super happy. Went back to PS today @1:00 this afternoon. Took off the bandages and WOW !!! My tummy is so FLAT. I couldn't keep this giant smile off of my face !! My PS was suprised at how good I was feeling and how mobile I was. He said the people who workout on a regular basis have a high pain threshold. Thats good to know. I am still keeping myself eating every 4hrs and still feel really great. I will be taking my pain meds every 4hrs also today because my PS says that day three can hit like a ton of bricks.

Day 3: August 23
My night was the same untill about 5:00am...Then my girls must have been jealous of all the attention my tummy was getting so they let me know they were nice and perky !! It only lasted about 30min and they calmed down. I was a little more stiff this morning but am really getting up and down a lot easier by this afternoon. A lot of the ladies have said their pain meds make them very groggy and out of it. This has not been my experience. After i take them i might have a 30 - 45 minute snooze and then I am awake and totally with it. But I also make sure I am eating food every 4hrs and this might make all the difference. I know it is still early in this process for me but I am here to tell you Ladies it has been an Awesome experience. Words cannot really do it justice. I feel like I am really starting to live my life again. Okay so I might be walking slow and hunched over but the joy I feel about the decision I made to do this is indescribable. I will post pics when I get a chance. Going back to PS on Saturday morning hoping to get some after pics then. Happy Healing and Speddy Recovery
If anyone has any questions about anything please just ask, we are all in this together

Post -Op Day 3:
Just had a shower. It is amazing what a little soap & water can do for a gal. The most important thing is to have a shower chair, it is a MUST !! After you take off your CG stay sitting down because after a few minutes you get very very lightheaded and it takes a couple minutes for it to go away. So go slow. It's funny the drs office showed us how to put the guaze on over the incinsion sites after changing them and it went so smoothly but at home it was a different story. Between trying to place the guaze and then trying to put the CG back on .... What a comedy of errors and the worst part is trying not to laugh.. But the shower was worth it !!!

Post-Op Day 4:
Had much better time sleeping last night. Took my first shower so I am sure that had something to do with it. What a difference a shower can make !! I felt like a new woman.I must say a shower chair is a MUST have. I only have one drain so there was not much to manage externally. Please be advised...take off your CG while you are sitting amd dont get up for a couple of minutes. I was doing fine and all of a sudden a wave of weirdness hit me... it was like i was moving in slow motion and had very poor motor skills and I was almost seeing stars. It took a few minutes and it passed and I was fine.I will say getting that CG on is easier said than done !!Today i am just really swollen in my breasts and they feel like i could nurse the entire neighborhood !! My abdomen is swollen also but not as much, Other than that it is just that muscle sorness and the tightness. Getting up and down is really easy now so moving around really good. I will say the back pain has kicked in today but i also switched to extra strength tylenol too. Go to PS tomorrow to have drain taken out. I have had very little drainage from it. Will try yo post pix tomorrow after appt. Happy Healing & Speedy Recovery to everyone !!

Post-Op Day 4: August 25
Had my appt today and had my drain removed. It didn't hurt at all just that funny wiggly feeling from under my skin but it did burn just a tad bit, otherwise uneventful. I had a pretty good night, the awesome boobies are waking up a little more each day and the swelling is still pretty tight and uncomfy. I thought yesterday would be a good day to just take ES Tylenol and that was all well and good until about 12:45am and it couldn't touch the chest pain I was starting to have. So about 2:00am I took 2 pain pills. I don't know what silly notion I had about trying to not take the pain pills and I suffered for no reason. If you need them please take them. I am taking Hydrocodone and can take 1-2 every 4 hrs as needed for pain, they do not make me sleepy so I can function just fine. Today at 11:30 I dropped to 11/2 pills every 4hrs and by tomorrow hope to only take one w/ Tylenol. Most of my discomfort is coming from my chest and today the soreness of my lipo spots has kicked in also. I am getting around really well, my abs are just sore and tight no real pin there. I have started to get itchy under my CG so I might do a tank top under it has others have suggested. All in all I feel supes awesome and my husband says I look amazing and I am still pretty swollen so I dont see what he sees. It is true that each day you feel better and better. I go back to PS on Monday ( my birthday) so hope to get some pix again then. I hope tonight I can post my before and my 2day post-op. I am super happy with my decision and would do it again. Happy Healing to All and Speedy Recovery.

Post-Op Day 5
Doing better each day. I will say the back pain has really hit me today. You know how you start having all these little weird sensations in different parts of your body as it begins to "wake up". So I have decided I have an Ailen in my tummy. Every now and again it's like something is moving in there and today when I took a shower I could see it moving... Very strange. So now when I get a funny look on my face my husband asks if my Ailen is acting up !! Ladies you have to find the humor !!!
Most Positive thing that happened today / My "Worth-It" moment:
When I take a shower my husband gets in with me to help me. I need him to wash my hair and other parts I can't yet reach. Usually when I shower I make sure my husband never sees my horrible body. It's in quick, into a towel quick, and clothes on quick. Today when we showered I was not the least bit embarrassed to have him look at me and get me all soaped up. Let's face it we are still in the early stages of recovery and are bruised all over, swollen and highly unattractive. It feels soooo good to feel soooo good about my body
As we are going through the early weeks of recovery I ask all of you ladies to try to find a "Worth-It" Moment to remind ourselves why we were so passionate about doing this to our bodies and our lives.....we were not wrong
Going to the PS tomorrow morning to check insincion on tummy & the girls All in all was a good day but I cannot wait for my girls to drop a little and settle down..... Happy Healing & Speedy Recovery to those on the flas side and No Worries to those who will be going thee this week.

Post-Op Day 6: Aug 27
Happy Birthday to me !!! Went to my PS this am and had the Steri strips removed from my nice flat tummy and my awesome perky girls. ( yes everything is still swollen )Everything is going great, doc says I look great and am already healing nicely. I think my bb is going to look really good, I'm very excited about that. Still feeling really good just the usual tight, sore and a little stiff. I know I will feel much better when I can finally poo. I know that is part of my belly bloating I'm too uncomfortable but I can't wait for the relief. I have noticed a lot of people asking what to buy. For post-op recovery so I will give my two cents.
Compression Garment:
My doc provided me with one and I bought an extra on at his cost so I could change every time I took a shower. Buying from him was cheaper than buying one elsewhere. Also he requires that I wear it for 4 weeks so I knew I needed it. Not all PS require you to wear one so be sure to check with your doc. I also bought two extra compression bras knowing I will wear these for at least 6 weeks. Also from doc at his cost.
Clothing:
I have lightweight cotton Capri pants, lightweight cotton zip front hoodies, and I even found a couple short sleeved ones on clearance for 9.00 at Lady Foot Locker. I also bought 5 pair cotton underwear one size larger than I currently wear knowing there will be swelling.
Shower Chair:
A total MUST have, and be sure to get one that has a back on it. It is so nice to sit back and have that warm water running all over you. It also makes it easier to wash yourself and keeps the strain off of your back. I was able to borrow mine from my parents so I did not have to purchase one. Always check your local paper classifieds for medical equipment for sale.
Recliner:
Yes it is a must and makes life a lot easier but many of you are doing a great job getting in & out of bed. My first night post op I stayed at my sister in laws and she did not have one so I stayed on the couch with some pillows behind my back and under my legs and thet was fine it just requires more help from others to get you up & down.
Walker:
For those of you who are getting the girls done with your TT you need to keep in mind that you can't use your arms in any fashion for weight bearing for the first 14 days.i do not have a walker and don't feel the need to have one.
Toilet Chair:
I found that when it comes to getting up and down if you use your legs correctly you won't need one. My toilet is lower than the average one and I have been doing just fine. When you want to stand or sit get you feet a little wider than shoulder width apart, put your weight in your heels and pushing through your heels begin to move up/down. It is like doing a squat. The nice thing about it is you can control the speed so you don't plop down and hurt yourself. Also usually by day you are moving so well you don't really need.
Misc Items:
I have a tv tray next to my recliner with all the things I need to have handy
My cellphone
It's nice to set alarms for you pain meds so u stay on schedule it's easy to lose track : )
My lip balm
My crackers
My pain meds
Remotes TV/VCR
Books / tablet
My tervis cup w/ straw (must have)
Medical Supplies:
Talk to your doc bout what he recommends for you. They are all different
I am not much of a blogger but I hope this helps some of you, just trying to share my experience because I have so learned from all who have gone before me. For those who are having surgery this week good luck and those who have been, Speedy Recovery

Post-Op Day 7: One Week. Aug 28
Everything continues to be going really well. I still need to get a major poo going, went a little but not enough to provide much relief. I swear my CG is cutting off my circulation in my ab area, jeeze. My girls are still feeling somewhat uncomfortable, I can feel they are getting a little softer but still swollen. I am moving around great and in no real pain just that burning sensation in my insincion area. I will take a shower today and try to get some one week pic to post now that I have no drain and no Steri strips on my insincion . Hope all ladies are doing well and to those who will be going to surgery this week Good Luck !!

Post-Op Day 8: Aug 29
Feeling really pretty good. Took a shower last night and it's always feels good to have the CG off for a brief period. My doc wants me to wear it for 4 weeks then switch to spanx, so only 3 more weeks to go : ) . As I am reading others updates and seeing there 1 week post-op pic I have to say how envious I am at how straight a lot of you are standing up, I am not even close to being that straight.but I just try to remember we all heal at different rates and my incision is really low. Also as a little FYI be sure to take a pic of yourself at at least day one or day two post-op before the swelling has started to settle in. You can get a better idea of how you will look , Ll other pics after that will have swelling and it wont show your new curves as well.I have been off pain meds for a couple days and have no pain just a slight burning from time to time in incision area. I will say the restlessness is starting to settle in. I really can't use my arms that much due to my breast aug, if I do too much boy do I know it, so it limits what I am able to do. I have no problem getting around so I am going a little stir crazy. All these channels on TV and not a decent thing to watch, I didn't realize how much crapy TV is out there. Now I know why I dont watch much to begin with. At least I am a reader so I have enjoyed the time to catch up on some books.
I will say I am so glad I did this but am anxious to be getting back to my normal self. We all know we will be down for WEEKS but it doesn't make it any easier to go through it. So ladies let's keep hanging in there knowing there is an awesome life ahead of us !!!
For those heading to surgery this week Good Luck !! Speedy Recovery to the rest of you

2 Weeks PO: Sept 4
It seems like it has taken me forever to get here : )

I have been off the radar for a few days I went to the lake with the family for the holiday weekend and we don't have Internet at the lake house. So I went to my 2 week PO on Tuesday and had the stitches removed from my bb. It would appear I have more feeling than most in this area and it stung a smidgen. Everything is healing very nicely, the good news is I can switch to a spanx style CG, I am so very happy !!! My crotchless one the doc gave me went all the way down to below my knees... Our temps are still in the high 95 -100's so glad to be able to wear some shorts !!!! One thing to be aware of is there might be a few stitches beginning to poke out, if so just grab them with a pair of tweezers and gently hold while you cut it with a pair of manicure scissors. It doesn't hurt.. Just be aware, and never pull on them. I feel really great, my only complaint is that I still can't stand up straight !!! Very frustrating !!! I did start sleeping in my bed on night 13. I am not a back sleeper so this is a challange for me but I don't want to be in the recliner anymore. I had to will myself to stay in the bed and after about an hour I finally went to sleep, I had pillows under my knees and a couple behind my back so I'm not sleeping flat. I am strarting to do laundry and housework but am limited in how much I do because of the back pain with still being hunched over. I had a nightmare wher my doc told me I will never be able to walk upright again !!!! Some days I have to wonder if I ever will !!!

I feel my recovery has been a very easy one and I never had any pain just soreness and feeling uncomfortable. The only discomfort I feel now is the very random shooting pain in the breast that goes away as quickly as it came and the weirdness of my tummy when there is swelling, but I have to admit I don't have a huge amount of it. I am very happy with my new boobies and can already tell that my scar will be very unnoticeable as well as my tummy incinsion. I am glad I waited until my children were adult age before doing this, I could not imagine having small children and trying to recover, those of you who do my hat is off to you !!! I would do this all over again in a heartbeat which is saying a lot for me. I am a very independent gal and needing to rely on others for daily care has been a challange. My results are super amazing and no time in the gym would have given me this body. My doc took 21/2 lbs from my tummy and 3lbs in lipo. I know I am only 2 weeks PO and have a long recovery ahead of me still but I am super happy !!!
Also.... We really have to appreciate the fact that our husbands can see past our Frankenstein bodies in the early days of recovery and tell us how awesome we look.
I will post my 2 week photos tonight when my hubby gets home I can't do it from my iPad
To all ladies having surgery this week good luck, to those in recovery happy healing, and thanks to all those who continue to post their progress thought the weeks of recovery it helps me to know what to expect !!

I forgot to mention I am down 7 lbs !!! Not bad for two weeks and I am still swollen !!! Life is good !!

5 Weeks PO.....Has it really been that long?? Sorry I have not posted since my 2 weeks but I feel I dont have a lot to say. The road so far has been a very easy one for me, I feel kind of guilty when I read some of the ladies are having a few "bumps" in their recovery. I can proudly say that on day 33 I was able to stand up just about all the way straight, however, as the day goes on and the swelling sets in I began to hunch again, bummer, it was such a great feeling to be upright !! At my 4 week dr visit my doc gave me the ok to begin cardio exercise and weight training and I could stop wearing my CG garmet. As we all know we are greatly waiting for the day the doc says this to us, but we have such a love/hate relationship with our cg garments that when we can finally leave them behind we just cant bring ourselves to do it. So I have a maidenform compression garmet cami that I really LOVE and on days the swelling is over the top I also wear my spanx breifs.My boobies are the perfect size and my scar is really getting smooth and I have no doubt they will be very unnoticeable when healed completly.My tummy scar had some puckering on both ends in the begining and I am pleased to say they are really starting to smooth out, it really is pretty amazing. My scar is low and is getting pretty light already. I do not use any scar treatment, after my shower I put on Palmers Coco Butter w/ Vit E and reaply again at night before bed.It is really great for dry skin and I don't itch. I will be glad when this swelling begins to go away. I am down seven pounds since surgery and that seems weird with as much swelling as I have.My boobs are starting to be less sensative, thay are becoming pretty soft but when I lay flat on my back they still feel a little foreign.My tummy is still numb in places and it is a little firm in the area below my bb. I don't really have any pain but I do get that tingling sensation in the evenings and it is a little tender to the touch.The incinsion below my boobs is just a tad bit sore by the end of the day.I have not been to the gym yet because I was not about to go before I could stand upright. My energy level is back to normal and I really have not felt the fatigue a lot of ladies have been reporting. So far my only real struggle has been with the fact that I feel great but my body is still limited in it's ability to perform. If there is one thing you pre-op ladies need to be aware of is this......Every day you wake up feeling sore and limited in what you can do. This will last for weeks. It is mentally tough, so prepare yourself for this. I don't say this to deter you from the MM I say this to prepare you for what is to come. Everyone else is feeling fine having a grand ole time and here you are resting.....BUT.....It is TOTALLY WORTH IT !!! I have had a really great experience with no issues what so ever. But know this, I knew going into this surgery thay 6 weeks po I was going to Vegas to celebrate my youngest son's 21 birthday, SO, for the first 4 weeks the only strenous thing I did was walk up the stairs in my house. I was not taking any chances. There was no way I would miss out on this Vegas trip. The only down side is I wont be looking all that hot because the swelling is still my bff. Oh well. I will post my pics from week 3 to now. I hope all are healing well and those who are going under speedy recovery.

So ladies today I went to the gym because I am finally standing upright. WOW !! 5 weeks of laying around like a queen has really taken its toll on my fitness level. I am a trainer by trade so I know what to expect but starting back at square one ( more like -10) is just no fun. But I have to say it felt great to do something " normal" again. So tonight I am pretty swollen from my workout but that is to be expected. I feel really great and am going back again tomorrow !!! Getting back to my regular routine will be so great, I'm pretty stoked about getting these jello legs and butt of mine back into shape. So ladies there really is a big bright light at the end of the tunnel on this crazy train we all get to ride during the recovery process. Stay positive ladies
Continued healing to the PO girls and Good Luck to those going under this week...

Ladies I have been off the radar for some time...I am now about 4 months PO and thought I might post. All is still going very well with no real complaints. I really love my breast and my scars are not really visible at all. My tummy scar is nice and flat and has no puckering at all. I do still have the numbness in my lipo areas and in the center of my belly. When I workout my upper body my chest still feels a little funny, I am hoping that will get better with time. Keep in mind that I didn't feel like I could go all out in the gym until week 9 even though I was given no restrictions after week 6. So all of you that are in a hurry to get back to the gym please take your time. This experience has been a positive one for me, but, I will admit it has been a long recovery and I still don't feel like I am 100% myself yet. So please be sure all of you who are considering this type of surgery you have the ability to take the time you will need to heal completely. I will post current pictures when I get some taken....Ladies stay positive and Happy Healing