Tummy Tuck: Stories

Hello ladies, Sue here. I am 49 and have two children, 29 yrs old son and a 21 yr old daughter. Both my babies were c-section deliveries as they both were close to 10 pounds. My current weight is 195 and I’m 5’5 inches tall. I hope to lose at least another 10 pounds before my surgery date.

I am from the states and have been living in the UK for almost 13 yrs now. When I arrived all those yrs ago I was 30 pounds lighter and went to see a surgeon about a TT then. He told me I was too big and needed to lose more weight. I was 165 lbs then. It was terribly upsetting for me as I had lost over 60 lbs in the 3 yrs before. I worked hard to get it off and was in great shape except the tummy, but he made me I feel like it wasn’t good enough. I should have gone to see another surgeon but I so knocked back by his answer I thought they all would just say the same thing. Over 12 years I put back on 30 pounds.

Wow, how times have changed and techniques as well. I have been to see two surgeons in London and both say I am a perfect candidate for this procedure. First surgeon was nice enough but not hands on enough for me. Just look at me and said what don’t you like. I gathered my belly fat and said this is what I don’t like. I sucked in my stomach and pushed in the fat rolls and said I want to look like this. He asked a few more questions and so did I.

Second surgeon was so nice and as he has a very good reputation I was extremely nervous. My husband said he has never seen me that nervous before. But the surgeon made me feel at ease. He asked me if he could see it. Then asked me it he could touch it. He examined me carefully and even had me lie down and do leg lifts several times to assess my muscle tone underneath. He was so thorough and then told me what I would benefit from a full TT with lipo to the upper abdomen area as well as the flanks. He said any other lipo would have to wait, as he doesn’t like to do too much as it does increase the chance of complications. Thighs definitely on the to do list for the future! He is very conservative.

Also, as I have had 2 benign breast lumps removed in the past. (The last one being in 2007) He is insisting I get a mammogram to check for any lumps now. The reason for this is that he also does reconstruction surgery for cancer survivors and this big fat roll beneath my BB is what they use to make new breasts out of if I ever needed it. I never knew that. I felt so reassured that he actually cared enough to even consider this for me. I have book my mammogram for Monday the 14th of May. Has anyone else been asked to do this? It will be fine and it is just a precautionary measure. When this report comes back I have to send it off to him and then everything is a green light. Lab work to follow asap just encase there is anything else that needs dealing with before the surgery.

I have booked the date of July 30th to have it done. I am going back to the states this summer to visit family and I will be gone just over two weeks and won’t get back until the middle of July. The surgeon will not operate on me until I have been on the ground for at least 2 weeks, as he wants no chance of complications due to blood clots. He even examined my lower legs in the consultation. Oh did I mention my surgeon is on the conservative side. LOL. Better safe than sorry!

So I have paid my deposit with a 2 week cooling off period. (As if I’m going to change my mind about this gift he is going to provide me with.) I am so happy that this dream I have had for so long is actually going to happen! Happy Healing to those of you who recently have gone over to the flat side and prayers all around! ?

Went for the breast check up and mammogram today. I was told when I book the results would take a couple of days. Today they said it may take up to ten working days to get the results. Why do people feel the need to lie to get your business? If I had known this I could have gone further afield and got the result the same day!

Good news, After chasing the wellness clinic and explaining how I was told I would get my mammogram results in a couple of days not 10 days they got them for me yesterday afternoon. Everything is just fine as I hoped it would be. I also bought a recliner off of eBay on Tues. and it's being delivered this evening. I hope my surgery goes this smoothly!

I also spent over an hour yesterday on the power plate in the gym yesterday. I am becoming highly fond of this machine and you really feel it the next day. I'm sore and achy but in a good way. Happy healing to you girls and good luck for everyone who is having their TT in the next few days! God Bless

Going in tomorrow to get my lab work done. It is a walk in clinic so this is helpful. They are open tomorrow from 9-5. They will be doing a blood test and a MSRA test. The MSRA test is" administering a swab test to ensure you do not carry the MRSA virus. The lab will swab four sites: 1) nasal, 2) groin, 3) axilla and 4) throat."
I will have to fast for 8 hours before and nothing to drink except water. I plan on arriving at noon. UGH. I'm gonna miss my morning coffee.

Did the lab test today. I must have walk in at the right time as I didn't have to wait. They took 4 vile's of blood and swabbed me for the MRSA. All in all it took 10 minutes.

List of things I need to obtain while in the states next month, Neosporin, House dresses and granny pants from Walmart, I am going to order my scar therapy silicone sheets I'm getting the Oleeva Abdominoplasty Shape and the one for the BB and have them sent to my mom's house before I leave. Also for you ladies who are having the full makeover. All kinds of breast strips as well. Here is the link for their Silicone sheets
http://www.contourmd.com/silicone_sheeting_s/136.htm.

This site is fantastic and has everything for every kind of surgery you could think of!
It's a bit pricey but we didn't go into this thinking it would be cheap and if we pay so much for the surgery why not splurge abit for scars! Scar's arent not like an old pair of granny pants you can throw our from Walmart!

I had a second consultation with my PS today because the first time I was so nervous I didn't ask very many questions. Firstly my blood test where great. Some of the best he has seen. I put this down to a heathy diet and exercise among a few other things, First of all,

I take Meratol (a natural herbal drug, that increases metabolism and reduces the absorption of carbs. I have been using this for the past two years. It has Cacti-Nea, A cactus supplement for water retention, ID-alG™ (a brown seaweed extract) for weight control, red pepper for increase metabolism . Here is the link for their medical studies and they do ship worldwide, They are based in Scotland. http://www.meratol.com/medical-studies/

I also have been drinking a chinese sliming tea called Feiyan Tea for about 7 years now. It takes some getting used to as it gets things moving swiftly. I drink one cup in the evening with a dash of cranberry light juice or have it just plain. Let just say you will not be backed up in the morning. This is what I plan to use after my surgery so I wont get constipated but there are no guaranties I'm sure. I just might increase the cup size and use two tea bags or three if thing are not happening. I sometimes have two tea bags now if I am feeling sluggish. Please get this from a reputable chinese herbal shop and not offline on eBay as I did once. It was a knock off tea and wasn't the same and was thrown out, Importers should be Ekong from Hong Kong or London. Its in a purple box. Its has: Green Tea; Lotus Leaves; Cassia Seed, Vegetable Sponge. Very healthy! So if you need to drop those few pounds before surgery you could give the slimming tea a try.

He also suggested a high protein diet and increased vitamin C intake before my surgery for better healing afterwards. Also start to take the arnica 4 days before the procedure if you are worried about bruising. He said multi-vitamins aren't necessary.

He also showed me exactly where he would lipo the flanks and abs. He told be why he is only doing the upper middle abs and not the sides of abs just under the breast area. This part of you torso has very important blood supply vessels and nerves and it would interfere with them. He suggested a little more weight loss to help with that area. He also follows the natural outline of your BB. so you get what basically god has given you which makes sense to me. Also the BB can takes months to take on it's final shape and it closes in a bit and gets smaller. My long scar will follow the natural line of my apron ( which is pretty dam low!) lol! and join the c-section scar .

No pain pump as this is just another hole to worry about for possible infection to invade. He uses the injections in the areas done for pain relief during surgery for pain releif after surgery and my anaesthesiologist deals with the pain meds afterwards. He is planing only using one drain. No shaving for at least 7 to 10 days before the surgery or after until healed as sometimes you get those little red bumps and that can kick of to something bigger. Start using the Hibi scrub 2 days before surgery to bath in and a really good wash the day of the surgery.

My biggest challenge so far has been quitting smoking. I started 3 weeks ago cutting down to 3-5 cigs a day and now have had not one since this past Friday. I sometimes get this overwhelming urge to have one and then it just passes. This is happening less and less as the days go by. Yesterday it happened about three times. Just under 6 weeks to go and I do not want anything I do to interfere with this surgery! Take care everyone and happy healing!

Just under 5 weeks to go before my surgery date. I'm off to the states tomorrow, First NYC for 4 days then Maryland for 7 then DC for 4 more before coming back to the UK. It's going to be nice to be home and see family and friends. My sons even coming in from Ca. next week with my lovely granddaughter which I'm very happy about! My daughter is joining us next week too. All this will keep me busy and my mind off the coming up surgery so hopefully it will go by quicker. I just hope I am strong enough to make healthy choices and not over do it too much on the eating out side of things. I am bringing my gym gear and hope to either work out or do alot of walking while I am back. I am also excited about my trip to Walmart to get my essentials yeah!!!.

Hi Everyone, Having a fantastic time back here in the states. Wasn't prepared for the portion sizes here at all. Making healthy choices for the most part but the portion sizes are obscene. Gain five pounds in NYC but have lost that since being in maryland and DC. Working out in the hotel gym and walking everywhere is also helping. Only 2 days left in Washington and then we go home. I'm ready to go back and start preparing for my op. Got a few compression garments and my lipo foam and scar revision therapy strips. Also go loads of stuff from Walmart. So much I needed another case. Woo Hoo just 20 days to go!

14 days to go. OMG. I am so ready for this! My husband gave me the check for the clinic yesterday which I am posting tomorrow. He's such a sweet and generous man. As I'm writing this he has just brought in my Feyian slimming tea. I have ordered my toilet riser and showering stool today also. I spoke to the clinic co-ordinator last week when I was in the states. He had all my measurements but one. He said needed my bra size for the CG. I guess I am getting a full body one. LOL at least I hope so! All my laundry is done from my trip and shopping is in the house. Just need to get over this jet lag and get to bed at a reasonable hour. I got to sleep last night at 3 am but better than 4 am on Friday night. I am very, very proud to say I have been smoke free for 4 weeks and 2 days. Not one puff. I do get the occasional urge but it passes quickly. All I need to do know is to hit the gym hard for the next couple of weeks and I think I'll be good to go! Stay strong ladies and happy healing!

Hi everyone! Today my payment to the clinic has cleared. They sent me my time table which is 7 am check in at hospital and the op takes place at 8 am. So far in the post op instructions for pain relief they sent me, read just to take over the counter pain meds (no aspirin) but I hope I will get something stronger at the hospital to take home. I will be going to my GP before the op to pick up something else just to be on the safe side to help me rest at night. I am planning on the recliner for at least 2 nights downstairs before attempting to climb stairs.
I went and had my hair done one last time before my transformation and confided in her. She had a cousin who had a TT and she absolutely loves it. She wears the nicest clothes now. She was almost excited as I was which was very cool as I wasn't sure how she would take the news. It was nice cause it was only her and 1 helper today so we could talk freely about it all. After my hair appt. I went to the gym and had a pretty good workout. Did 1-1/2 hours. I also weight myself and up 3 pounds :( but also measured myself and have lost an inch in my hips, waist and chest so thats good :) Hopefully I will shift the 3 pounds it in the 11 days I have left.

Made it to the gym for the last three days and feeling abit sore but in a good way. My knee is acting up a bit and doesn't like all this activity but it could also be the few extra pounds from my trip. I'm hoping to lose some weight after my procedure and this will help with the knee pain. I don't want to have to do another washout for at least a year or more. Darn this getting old stuff sure does suck sometimes.

I am feeling quit anxious now and terribly excited as well. I don't know what it is. Maybe I'm questioning myself why I am doing this. I know why though. We all know why we want to do this, but it doesn't make the approaching date any easier to handle. Don't get my wrong I'm a tough cookie as they say back home. But one thing I wasn't prepared for is when I came to England. No family support system in place and no friends here. Sorry to say his family have not been the most welcoming of people. I have a few friends but no one I'm very close too here. It has not been easy to say the least. Don't get me wrong I love my dear husband with all my heart and he is a very special man to me. He changed my life, but no one person can be everything you need all the time you may need them, can they? I am hoping and praying that he will be able to look after me in the way that I need it when I need him too. I am gonna stay positive and just have faith in him that he will once again be my knight in shining armour!

A lot to do in this last week. Must get to it, let's see clean,organise, cook some meals and freeze them, as well as hitting the gym hard this last week!

Well hubby has taken his kids off to Spain until Sunday evening as they didn't join us in the states a few weeks back. I am please he will be spending some quality time with them. My daughter is coming home tonight and we will be having a girlie day out tomorrow facials and all before she heads back to her place for work. So from Friday to Sunday evening I will have the house to myself and me to myself.

Prepared lamb stew, spaghetti sauce and chicken soup today, clean out freezer to find room for all of those meals. Also went to GP and got some pain meds, Tramadol and diazepam, to help with the discomfort. My village pharmacist is wonderful and help me out with all the little bits and pieces and even said he could deliver if I needed anything else. Spinach, carrots and lettuce have be sown and watered just wishing I had some red tomatoes from this English summer may do eventually but so far they are the size and colour of peas!

Just spoke to my clinic coordinator and he said my surgery may be push back to 1:30 so check in would be around 12:30. I would prefer the earlier slot but that's fine by me just means more traffic to deal with. This seems to be the norm with most surgeons so not to fussed about it. I am very excited about my surgery and very grateful I will be able to concentrate on what I need to do the last few days before hand!

I spent 2-1/2 hours in the gym today and planning on going in tomorrow and Sunday as well My check-in time has been push back to 12:30 pm on Monday so I'll have time to prepare well before we leave for the hospital. It's going to be a real bummer not being able to have coffee or anything for that matter in the morning but I'll survive. My husband and daughter are having lunch while I am being operated on and both be there when I wake up which will be lovely. I have also taken some pics of me in my recent swimsuits to compare with after my surgery so that will be interesting to see the difference. Swell hell or not It's got to be better than the flab slab! lol

Sitting here in my bed with the sun shining outside on this Sunday morning and reflecting to myself. Today is the last day in my body as I know it. Tomorrow afternoon will be a new chapter for me and I am under no illusion that it will be easy peasy thanks to this website. It has opened my eyes to the trials and tribulations of this surgery. Good, bad, happy and sad. I am ready, although a bit nervous about the unknown and what it will be like for me. I want to thank each and every one of you for sharing your experiences about what this surgery has felt and meant to you! Take care and God Bless! XX

Yah today is my day!!!!!

Hi girls the op went well and its looks fantastic. The only thing was supposed to go into theatre around 130 pm. I arrived 15 minutes early but ws called back until about 12:45. No biggy right? On the way in I started to feel a headache coming on an I put that down to being dehydrated . As you know no food or water for eight hours before going under. That meant I would have to had something around 5 am. So I slept threw and didn’t have anything. Big mistake .I got into my room and waited nd wait. I finally sent my hubby and daughter for lunch, I. By this time I was in so much pain from this migraine I was writhing around on the bed. I was vomiting bile.
They finally gave me some tylex which I wasn’t able to keep down. Then they finally decide to put me on a drip. I thought great. They sent some random dr. in who seemed totally rush. He proceeded to ram a needle in my arm so hard I flinched back screaming. Totally missing my vein. He then proceeded to blame me for this by moving my arm. I am totally cool with needles if done properly and the many times I have had this done only once many years ago a trainee couldn’t find my veins. He did the other arm fine but was still alittle painful. I just love those people who do it and you can’t even feel it. Some people have no bedside manner or skill.
My surgeon came in around 5:30 to draw his markings. As soon as he started my hubby and daughter came back and came in and my daughter was so lovely. Holding my hand and gave me such warm comfort. I had to stand up and then proceeded to get nauseas and puked several times during this process. Fortunately the nurse had a pan nearby. Still my daughter was such a comfort. The surgeon gave me the option to go home and come back in a couple days, I said no was I’m going threw with this tonight. I did feel a lot better after the vomiting episode. The anesthetist came in and he was so nice and had the most beautiful comforting eyes. I had a chat with him then he left. My hubby and daughter went out to meet up with a friend of the faimly for a bit while I was in surgery. I didn’t go down until 7:30 pm. I was wheeled down to the theater are and was so impressed with how clean it was. The hallways were gleaming and everything was so organized and sparkly shiny. I have never seen such a clean theater area. You could have eaten you dinner off the floor.. The anesthetist then said I am going to put you to sleep now and I was out. Didn’t see any of the surgery staff in the theater before this but I could hear them in there getting things. After all I had been threw pics were the last thing on my mind.
I woke up around 11.30 pm and I was in pain. They wheeled me back and put me in my room and I manage to scooch to my bed and then gave me some pain tabs which didn’t really work. Around 2 am I was given Tramadol which help a lot. I have to say the night nurses where excellent but the day nurses where ok but where quite slow when called.
The op took took 3 hours and I look so different now. OMG I'm so happy I choose Dr. Fallahdar. He came in before he left and apologized profusely about the delay and said I should have been told to come in much later. I could have had brunch! Lol. He told me that my drain would be removed in the morning and he would be by to check to make sure everything was alright and check that it could be removed.
He came in around 10:30 to check me him and the nurse to unhook my cg. I have no binder but they gave me two pretty full body CGs. Told me I could get a Velcro binder if I wanted. I was also given a shot to help with blood clots, this thins the blood so I need to be very, very, careful. I can’t bend down except to sit on toilet or chair because he says this causes seromas above the incision line. Bending down a lot is very comfortable for me but its not good. I can’t do this for 3 days and afterward not often until the healing process is well underway!
My husband tried to get into the clinic around 10 pm but it wasn’t open. We chatted on the phone before I went to bed and my daughter sent me a lovely text. All in all my experience wasn’t the smoothest except the most important part, my surgery. So I am very happy with my result and pleased I choose this surgeon.

Hi everyone, I found yesterday very hard. More so than the first day back home by far! Had to wake hubby up 3 times last night to help me get back into my rise recliner. No problem getting out but pillow placement under knees and behind my head seems to be an issue getting back in comfortably. Drinking loads of water and emergencies C drinks as well. Taking diazepam and co-codamol during the day along with erythromycin as I am allergic to penicillin. At night I'm taking the tramadol to help me sleep. Waking up every 2 to 3 hours to pee at night but definitely sleeping well in between . Passing wind is getting easier but no bm yet. Also walking about 5 minutes every 2 hours and even taking a turn in the garden to the veggie patch and back weather permitting. Loving the Olympics and its a terrific distraction. Happy healing to everyone and good luck to those who's turn is soon! God bless xx

Feeling a bit better with the pain and have move to sofa as its way more comfy and easier to get into and out of on my own. Gassy but no BM yet. Walking every two hours but not up to the 10 minutes as instructed yet as my back hurts terribly from being hunched over. Peeing with no problem and the toilet riser is a god send as well s turning on the tap at times lol it does work for me at least. Seeing my PS tomorrow for dressing change and hopefully will get the all clear for when I can have a shower. The " Wet Ones" are a real help with keeping clean,Thanks to Abscape for that tip! Everyone take it easy and for those having surgeries soon Good Luck annd just remember it will get easier! Happy Healing vibes to you' all! XX

Hi Ladies, Since the captions on the pics don't work any more.I'm posting a 3 more pics from today with the description here.The pic with the white bandages is from this morning and the other two without white bandages are from this evening before I covered them up again. The reason I did this was I got a call from the clinic about 2 hours ago to move my appointment once again to Monday at 11:30. So I decided to change the bloody white bandages myself. I have left the sterile strips over the main horizontal bandages on but changed the white ones that covered these. I also clean up a bit of dried blood with peroxide and q-tips. Before I did any of this I washed my hands very,very well with Hibiscrub and made sure the scissors where put threw the dishwasher last night to cut the tape with. I am definitely liking what I see! :)

Hi Ladies, End of day 6 here and abs are still very sore with certain moves.Not cleared yet for a shower (perclinic coordinator) but hubby help wash my hair and I felt like a new woman. I was even considering to pop out to the shop for some pineapple and bits but decided against it. I get extremely tired and light headed after 10 minutes (up from 5 minutes) of very light activity.I have to sit and rest for a few minutes and then I'm ok. To lay down that is lol Such activity as walking, making a cup of tea or just climbing the stairs to change into a dressing gown and have a little wet wipe wash etc.

I had to change my ragged original incision dressing .( see frontal and bb pic) I originally left this on as instructed per clinic coordinator and covered with new sterile pads and taped down yesterday afternoon then it really started to hurt in certain places along the incision and just didn't feel right and I was getting a fever on and off all day and it started the night before although a very slight fever .5 up so I decided to take the matter into my own Hibiscubbed hands and removed everything then swabbed the whole incision with peroxide and reapplied gauze pads with a light coating of neosporin. There was spot on my incision that was looking whitish and not like the rest of the incision. I then attached these neosporin gauze pads over the cleaned incision and held them down with cloth bandaids vertically just like using sterile strips. I then covered everything up with the sterile pads and taped them down No more fever (,5 !or not) no more pain and the incision is feeling so much better. I now know I made the right decision and sometimes we must just listen to out own bodies.

On another note I had my first BM and it wasn't the smooth operation a lot of girls talked about but at least its over. I used the magnesium sulphate and with an hour things started to get moving. Looking forward to seeing the PS tomorrow and I am sure he we be pleased about the care I've taken on myself.

Also I have lost a total of 8 lbs and 8 oz and that was this morning before my BM. Who Hoo!

The mark on my right hip is a bruise in my latest pic!

Hi girls, Im feeling much better thank you! yes I caught it very, very early, the nasty original bandages just needed to be changed. I saw the PS and he said everything is fine, and I did an excellent job cleaning and reapplying new bandages to the incision before it got out of control. No infection, my stanima has improved as well. I managed to walk a few blocks in London after the apptment, came home had lunch and then crash for 2 hours, I have been cleared for my showers and had one this evening.,

In total he removed just under 4.5 pounds = 2 kilos of fat and skin and also 600 cc of lipo juice (lol) 200 cc from each flank and 200cc on my abs, right now I'm still in pain but off the tramadl and just taking my co-codomal.

my PS arranged for me to speak to hospital head today as well and she wanted to apologise about my wait. I told her about the dr who (was an intern) and the way he was rushed and rammed the needle and missed the vein and blamed me, she even looked at my veins! Lol she appreciated the feedback, I told her I didn't mind the wait, it was the way they left me without treating me knowing I had to wait that long. I should have been given an immediate IV and left in a dark room to rest and rehydrated to shake the migraine, oh well s*#t happens, but I'm so please my scar is very low and the perfect shape and placement for a nice 2 piece swimsuit, Happy healing to everyone and the best of wishes for those who are due for your surgeries very,very, soon :)

Hi Girls, I'm feeling very pleased at the moments with my results My weight is down I check in at surgery at 91.1 kilos (200.8 lbs and 8 oz.) and now I am at 86.3 kilos (190 lbs 2 oz) that's over 10 pounds in 7 days. No salt in my diet and eating far less than I used to. Drinking large cups (you know the ones Walmart were selling with the screw on top and straw during the heat wave a few weeks back. ) of water. Lol Filling this with water or water with 2 emergence C's sachets mixed in. I'm getting ready for dinner now so tonight I'm making a protein shake.

1/2 c of strawberries or any berry you wish or a combo of berries
Small ripen banana
1/2 cup of ice
Dash of OJ
Tablespoon of protein powder (I like the vanilla favour) but whatever you like
Some Greek yogurt or a dash of whole milk and if you want it to be a bit creamy and naughty a dash of single cream ( not much)

Blend up for at least three minutes until the ice is crushed properly. Mmm good!

I'll sip on my water and have my slimming tea at bedtime.
Happy healing and have a restful day between our little burst of activities xx

10 days PO and wow I can't belive how fat the time goes by afterwards, Yesterday as I was feeling I had a little more stamina to go longer than 10 minutes without being wiped out. I decided to try on some of my clothes. All the ones I tried on fit the way there are supposed to fit now, I'm a american size 14/16 depending on the style and brand and i'm happy with that. Still getting swollen in the afternoon and by evening its the worst. I have save so many clothes and they are in storage and it will be exciting to see if these fit in a couple of months or so.

Last night i managed to squeeze into one of my compression garments using a lipo foam as padding for comfort underneath it. It took awhile but I did it. The lipo foam comforts the areas where the hooks and zips up at the side with a nice flat tight front panel and i put in 3 pieces of foam ,One at each side and one in the middle to have even compression. Work beautifully until 4:30 am i woke itching on my back right flank where I have some allergic reaction to the stupid bandage glue. I guess it was just to much compression and its flared up the stupid reaction bumps from the glue. You would think they can make a glue that does do this to peoples skin. But boy was my tummy nice and flat and hardly no swelling to see.

I took everything off and just laid there listening to Beyonce with a cotton pad dapped with the palmers oil going over the reaction areas and my tummy (not the incision) and boy it felt so good. Cant wait till i can massages the whole ma-coy with oil. I think I may be starting to get a little impatient.

I only used the tramadol for the first 3 days and saving them for bads days. I took one this evening as I went out and drove twice today for the first time. Once to the village shops and once a little further to pick up my daughter from the station.After I got home I then proceeded to get over whelmed and had a mini breakdown in front of hubby and her. So I took one and know I'm chilled and relaxed.

. Now check this out it's hilarious they are running around making me comfy and I ask hubby to make one of my prefrozen packs of chicken soup in the freezer I made for myself the weekend before surgery cause he doesn't really cook. I asked him to take it out the bag put the frozen lump of soup in a pan and cover on low heat. He's in the kitchen for while and I say what's going on what taking you so long it's going to take 20 minutes for the soup to defrost and heat on low you don't need to stand there and watch it.. He tells me the plastic is burning at the bottom of the pan. I said why did you put the plastic bag in the pan, He said the soup wouldn't come out of the bag! I said why didn't you run it under hot water for minute and then take it out. All I could do, is laugh and laugh. His response to me was I'm not a chef.LOL I love him to bits but he lacks some common sense at times. And get this, he is an international corporate solicitor! so he's very smart! bless his cotton socks

Hi all my fellow TT'ers, if any of you read my post yesterday about my hubby trying to cooking me dinner will probably have guessed that I have been making my own food and looking after my own wound as hooking my own CG myself since about day 4 PO he has been doing all the washing and tidying of everything else. It has been extremely tough of me and I obviously having been doing way to much too soon concerning my personal care. In hind site we should have hired a nurse. I even manage to get a slight fever down twice last week my 2 angry bumps decided it was time to act.

I called my clinic coordinator and explained how these two red angry bumps next to each other ( which by the way never felt right the day I came home from my surgery) flared up and the redness started to spread up the smooth part of incision and towards my hip. I told him I needed to see the PS or at least a nurse ASAP if not this weekend then on Monday. He got back to me at 12 today and got my an appt with the wonderful Dr. Fallahdar to see me today at 3 pm.

When i saw the Dr it was obvious he had come in just for me. Dressed in jeans and a white shirt he looked very casual and cool. I went in and layed down and the timing on this was perfect or maybe it was my husbands driving that wasn't so perfect anyway as he took off the bandages to my incision the red angry bumps bursted and started to seep a clearish pink fluid and a oil type substance which he wanted me to see. Not one drop of fluid had come out before this appt.. He took a swap and then sent it to the lab and then sent my husband to get me a prescription filled.

He then proceeded to push this fluid out of the area, (not really a hole.) im sure its there but I can't tell where it's coming from some where near the bumps. It hurt but it hurt in a good way as I felt it I was really being cared for and I new he was helping me. He did this pushing action along the incision for what seemed like 20 minutes. He then flushed out the cavity as he called it! It was not infected as it wasn't puss. As some of it was a bit oily he did say when they stitch you up inside what happens some times is the fat gets caught in the sutures and dies and turns to an oil like substance. This happens very rarely but it is more common to happen with someone who is bigger and fatter like me. I said that part and he just said no and smiled. He said it's rare and happens about once a year. The rest of my incision is doing great and my BB is looking fantastic and will only look better he said. I am to see him either on Monday or Weds. He's leaving it up to me. If I feel I can wait then I will go in on Wed. If its starts to flare up again I'll go in on Mon.

I'm to rest a lot more frequently and when I am no CG and air it out as much as possible. When I wear the CG a long cotton shirt between the CG and me nothing else. I do not think the driving had any thing to do with this as my car practically drives it's self. And these angry bump have been there from the get go and even mentioned them before on this site! Mr Fallahdar spent almost a hour and half with me today and when the chips were down he was there for me with less than 24 hours notice. Update. Coordinator just called and I need to go in on Monday at 5pm. I'm attaching a pic of the incision this morning after a shower and washed it with Hibiscus scrub but I need to switch to my laptop as this IPad won't allow it!

Still manually draining the fluid by pushing it toward the bumps, under the bumps is the incision and this is where the fluid escapes from a small slit. I put on a tight CG and went out to the store with hubby for a couple hours. I had a little seepage but not much. Not tiring but sore when I came home and went to take care of some exspession ( lol ) pushed along the incision from the other side and loads came out. Even in the middle of the lowest part of scar which is healed lovely when pressed down and toward slit pushed a pinkish clearish fluid came out. I'm needing sterile gauze pads like there going out ot of fashion! Only a little bit of fluid comes out from above the incision and most is coming froma swollem waterbed like mons pubis.

Did this for over and hour and got so much fluid out. I am feeling so much better. I also have been reading about this happening and it being a drainless TT and it sometimes happens and some docs even leave small insicion sites open for drainage and the girls use pads to absorb the fluid. this makes me feel so much better but as I am larger gal I should have had a drain in for awhile I think but I'm no doc, my incision is healing up pretty darn well except this drainage area. I can live with this cor awhile and i am on 2 different kinds of antibiotics to ward off any risk of infection and so anal about hygene my husband is getting alittle annoyed with be but It 's my body and get and do what i need to avoid the risk of any nasty bugs! I also read abscabes last update about hydrogen peroxide and have stop this everything except my hibisccrub at shower time with a blowdry to dry it before the sterile lightweight guaze pads are applied. I must say absolutely LOVE my results and its defo worth it! i'll let everyone know what the PS says tomorrow! Take care everyone and Happy healing!

I'm off to see my PS in an hour. I hope I am doing the right thing by expressing this fluid on my own but I have just done what he did in the office and feel so less tender and sore afterwards.I am doing it in different places now yesterday along my incision from left to right and from the swollen top of my mons pubis. Today i was quit sore on my right front flank and push that towards the 1/4 in slits and it just had a burst of fluid from the lipo site. Bot I sure feel better though. We'll see if he chastises me hahaha! I am posting pics from this morning. 1st pic is just taking off the CG I wear at night to reduce the fluid build up you can see a little seeping, 2nd pic expressing in standing up, 3rd is what it looks scar like after a manual draining session. 4th well you see why I think its worth the aggro! Happy Healing Ladies!

Hi Girls , I had a little rupture for the fluid to leak out on the way to see the PS on Sat. When this happens and the fluid can't escape it festers and then gets infected especially after your lymph drainage system has been tampered with. The depressed and shiny area to the right of my leakage site is were this abscess would have form and ruptured into a hole if he had not pushed this out on Sat. (Those of you who have had cats that get into fights know this and this is how these holes form from abscess and then rip open YUKKY)

He is the best and together we caught this early, If he was not able to see me until that monday instead of saturday it may be a different story here. The little slit is fine and I am not to push on the shiny depressed site as this is almost healed. He just wants me to do my right front flank area once a day and starting tomorrow night. He was happy everything look as good as it did and even high fived me :)

I am on 2 different antibiotics for infection. Everything is back on track and I am so happy I did this surgery and choose this man as my PS. His aftercare is the drop of the hat kind. no probs for him.

Things are much better with my incision. My coordinator called and said my swab culture was just fine no nasties! The Ps said he could see me tomorrow or Friday. I opted for next Tuesday as my scar is healing fine and looking better everyday! Just the little leak hole! Being extra careful with my hygiene routine and very fortunate that I work from home as an artist so no pressure to hurry about and get ready for work and the such or tend small kids. . I can't imagine how you ladies do it with kids and hubbies that work away from home especially if there is a complication such as mine. Hubby has been a great help with the housekeeping and keeping me in clean sheets, granny pants, nighties and clean CG's since I leak threw the sterile pads onto my clothing. So it's been no picnic and a real mess sometimes I'm just blessed to have the means to tends to this as it needs to be! Happy healing everyone and Godspeed!

Leaking less and weighing less started 91 kilos weight this morning is 85.7 kilos!

added a new tummy pic!

Weight this morning was down to 84.7 kilos Starting weight was 91.2 kilos the day of surgery. Went for a 45 minute walk today and could feel myself swelling as I walked. Was nice to get out into the country air though!

Hi Ladies,
Hope every one had a great weekend. Weight down to 84.5 so slowed down a bit. I purchased a new corset style CG here in the UK from MaCom and absolutely love it. Its so comfy and I wear it at night with my lipo foam to really contour my tummy. During the day I wear it without the lipo foam as it is tighter with the foam but maybe I should, I also rest a bit without any CG of any sorts for a few hours a day.

I still have a very tiny hole where I leak now but only when I do it myself. I had stop using gauze balls inside my BB which in turn the BB started to get all red and moist surrounding it like so I have resumed that and the soreness and redness have eased up now. It seems a bit rough but at least its dry now! I pushed the redness area outside the BB down toward my scar and along it and loads of fluid came out of the tiny hole and the redness and tightness has improved in and around my BB. I am including new pics from 2 morning ago of my new CG and a close up of my scar and BB. The pic of the purple panties also a few days old and you can see the tiny spot where it is darker from where my tiny hole was leaking. Leaks no more Yah!

I must say that the emotional side of this surgery is truly understated. I have been blue more often than not in the last 3 weeks. I seem to be coming out of it back to my normal self. It is so important to have a proper caregiver for oneself in at least the first week after this surgery and lots of friendly support this is no disrespect for the love ones who try. There are not rained in this caregiving business so its to be expected that they may make your recovery a little more uncomfortable than need be.

Maybe it's my age but I found that the two c-sections I had (one at 19 and one at 27 a breeze) where nothing compared to this surgery. They basically skinned your tummy up and this is then stretched down after the fat is removed and a new BB is opening is made and this all needs to reattach itself to a new position and adhere itself to the underside of your abdominal wall which its muscles have been tightened to give you a new shape! Not like a straight forward cut that just mends cut muscles or not for me at least. I am extremely pleased with my choice in surgeon has he has done a fantastic job and my scar will only improve with time and I am loving my new shape and cant believe at three weeks on i am looking so flat and shapely for a big gal that is!

Total weight lose is 14.5 pounds. Is that why my stretch marks are more visible now? Jeeze I just need to lose it in my thighs and I'll be fine!

Hi Ladies, Saw the PS today and he as very happy with how things look and even asked how I liked it. I love it and its only 3 weeks I said! He show me where and how to massage the scar for now as things are still healing somewhat. Scar therapy can start in two to three weeks form today. He has given me the all clear to fly so headed for Spain on Sunday.

He said that exposure to the sun even if covered up will promote swelling. Who knew that? I was told to stay out of direct sun (Sunbathing) from the hours of 11am to 3 pm! Which is fine by me. Also when in the sun to cover the scars completely before or after these hours. I told him that this TT for was for next summer to show off not this summer! I can swim once the tiny hole closes up and shower afterwards which should be any day now as long as I stop leaking. I am attaching some pics from this morning as well as before bikini shots! I so need this break!

My weight stable at 84.5, doing more and feeling on the mend doing light housework and even lifting shopping bags but not to heavy. Got some antibiotics for my trip to Spain incase something flares up with the climate change (much hotter than the UK) and the fact I'm still leaking a bit from my pinhole leak. I wont take these unless something changes for the worse. Scar doing well and only 2 weeks away from the scar therapy! Loving it and looking forward to seeing some friends and chillaxing! oh yeah!

Hi Ladies, went out and hit a couple of shops for the last of the summer sales. Picked up lovely dress for cheap for my trip. I am now in a Uk 16 which is a US 12 I think. Looked great with my new hourglasss figure. Slept last night the first time without a compression garment on and it felt so good, also able to sleep on my side now! Weighed myself this morning and down to 83.7 kilos. Just getting back into the swing of things and living a normal life helps with metabolism im sure. Still resting a lot as need be! Happy healing everyone!

Hi The bed here is so much harder and makes sleeping very tricky. Sleep well on my side with the CG. Still leaking but is very light. New bikini pics!

He Everyone, Just healing fine here in Espana and going well. Stopped leaking a few days ago and now finally experiencing the swell hell especially at night. Finally starting to stand up all the way more often than not. Sleeping a bit on my tummy but bed has to be the softer mattress. Mostly on my side now! Still doing alot of stretching can feel it starting to feel more normal. Going swimming is defo weird and you can really feel the muscle repair and doing a bit beach walking. Take care! Happy Healing

Hi Ladies, Yesterday was officially my 6 week po mark, Everything is doing great. I am back from my holiday in Spain. and I was a bit naughty. Eating to much not so heathy food, I gained about 4 pounds but since being back I lost 2 pounds. I had few gin and tonics in the 2 weeks I was gone and a bit too much of red wine one evening but had a fab time. Going in next week to see my PS for my 6 week check but will be 7 weeks po. I have healed up fine and my pin hole leak closed up 2 weeks ago. I have put up 6 week pics I took this morning. I am very pleased so far but would like to get back in the gym. I may go in before my appt next week but just do some reclining cycling or walking on the treadmill. Really looking forward to working out again. I hope everyone is healing fine and I want to wish everyone with upcoming surgeries all best with the flat day! Take care!

Hi Ladies, Went to my PS today and he said everything is settling down well. Told me to massage my scar for 10 minutes every day. Tiny circular motion on the ends and also to go along the scar with firm pressure to reduce scar tissue build up. Do this arounf the BB too.
I have officially hit swell hell and he agreed. He said to stay away from sodium, caffeine and alcohol! Easier said than done. The latest pic is from this morning and you can't see my definition anymore :( He said not to worry as I time passes it will come back! Got the all clear to hit the gym but to take it slowly. He said I can wear the cg for a couple more weeks if I want but not nessary but I feel it does help with the swelling so I am gonna keep wearing it. Tomorrow I will take and post some pics of my scar at 7 weeks PO. Overall very pleased but just wish the swelling would go away and stay away! Oh a positive note I have lost the 4 pounds I gained on my holiday yeah!

Hi Ladies, here are my 7 wk scar pics. I massage with Palmer scar therapy oil or organic raw coconut oil. I have been told to no sun on it for 1 year. Tiny circular motion on the ends and firm pressure along scar for 10 minutes a day.

Hi Everyone, 10 days PO and feeling great. Except for this stupid head cold. I'm so pleased I had my TT. My weight is at 82.6 k from a starting weight of 91.2 k. There are 2.2 pounds in 1 k so thats almost 20 pounds down from the day of my surgery.

I went back into the gym at 6 weeks but haven't been in just over a week due to my head cold and not feeling up to par. But as soon as I can breath easier I will be hitting the gym again. I am doing leg extension lying in my bed but only one leg at a time. My abs feel like I have had a long hard workout on certain moves I do so its clear I am still in the healing process and must not push to hard.

My swelling is going down but I do have days I feel very bloated but it usually passes at night so when the next morning comes around its gone. Certain foods tend to make me swell more than others. Cheese is a definite bloater for me. I have stop wearing my corset CG unless I am super bloated.

I have been having acupuncture for 6 month prior for my aching neck and shoulder and it worked wonders but I have had a couple acupuncture treatments PO for the swelling and in my eyes it hasn't help with my swelling but made it worse. So I have started lymph massage last week. My therapist worked on my lymph nodes from my head to my incision. She said on my right side about 3 inches above my scar there is a lump which is back up lymph fluid. She did a gentle massage on this area the most part and she said it went down a lot. I could see a difference in a couple days with the swelling so I am going again on Weds. and at that session she wants to assess my nodes and then 1 or 2 times a month until the lymph nodes start working again and start flushing the toxins away,

I am still massaging my bb scar and long scar every day and they are improving day by day! I started sleeping on my side at around 6 weeks and have just now started sleeping on my stomach at 10 weeks PO but need to ease into it as my abs are still tight. I also have numbness below my BB but gaining more sensation as the days pass. So as the days go by I see little improvements and changes as I was excpecting from reading the reviews on here.

I can not express how much this surgery has given me my confidence back. No more being upset with nothing to wear or trying on a zillion outfits to find something that either looks right or fits right. It is definitely a life changer. I would recommend this to anyone who feels that they may need a TT- I did and you can do it too . I am bless and so happy that I did this. Giving me a new lease on my life. Good luck to all those who are approaching their flat day and happy healing to those who have recently done it and all the best for those who may be reading this and are having a few bumps in the road! God Bess XX

Hi Ladies, All is well with me! My weight is hovering around 82.5-83.5kg. depending on what I eat. Have been in the gym a bit (2-3 times a week) but not as much as I need to be to kick myself off of the plateau.I have been doing alot more walking though and keeping up well with hubby when we go out. Which is really nice. Feeling so much stronger in my core and legs then before and back to all my normal activities. Also sleeping well on my tummy/side now but when switching sides I need to be careful still as it can pull on my abdomen when I flip over. Mt knee pain is almost none existence since my weight loss and people are telling me I look so happy and relaxed. Still using the Palmers or coconut oil on my scar and have finish up the two silicon strips I purchased. They get all funky after a few weeks even when washed and get to be more trouble then they are worth.

Once again I can't express how much this surgery has meant to me. Every time my husband and I go out I have to thank him. He says" for what? and I reply with for making me so happy with myself.

I want to send prayers and best wishes to everyone who may have been effected back home with Sandy. God Bless you all and good luck with those who have surgeries soon and happy healing to those who have recently had their flat day. XX

Hi Ladies, First of all lets me tell you what I have discovered why the pics are coming out sideway even though they are the right way around on your computer of phone. The haven't been edited. Even if you don't need to do anything I would recommend that you run them threw a program and crop them down a bit and then save. It's work for me so I hope that this helps others.

I am exactly 4 months PO tomorrow. My weight has stabilised at 83.5 kg or 184.1 pounds. So after the surgery I lost weight. I was around 91-92 kilos. I give credit to this weight loss to lots and lots of water and vitamin C and really nothing else except a cup of coffee in the morning. My eating habits as far as what I eat hasn't change but I do eat a bit more than the few weeks after my surgery. Also I don't drink nearly enough water anymore but need to up this as it is true that it helps a great deal with weight loss or whether you are already at your ideal weight and just want to maintain. My alcohol is very limited to maybe 2 units a week if that. I feel there is need to be put empty calories on my already large frame. lol.

Ok lets move on to working out. Workout make you swell. I can feel myself swelling as i am going about my business on the cross trainer listening to my favourite tunes. But I stuck it out. Then I move to weights in particular for my legs, back and abs. I haven't been told to abstain form ab work but I learned the hard way not to push it. A couple of weeks ago put myself threw a hard work out on the cross trainer, weight machines and the power plate. Ab work included. I was paying the price with sore everything for several days and my swelling stuck around for over a week. I started wearing my corset CG a few night ago and really help so much. Peeing about 2 to 3 times throughout the night without wearing it can usually can wait till morning. So to me that means the swelling is fluid. So I am back to wearing my CG on a regular basis at night. Sometimes I just wake up close to dawn and just take it off as I want to be free of it. but it is helping. I am working out 3 days a week until this swelling ceases and not pushing to hard.

As you can see from my pic showing my thighs that they are extremely flabby. Lots of muscle though underneath. I'm going to see about either mid definition laser lipo or a thigh lift after the new year. I hate them!!! I hated them before but my surgeon wouldn't do to many procedures at once. I wasn't going to switch surgeons for the sake of 6 - 8 month wait. Quality is always better than quantity. I will see what he says about my best course of action on these thunder thighs next year. I also want my back fat and maybe my hips lipoed but not sure how the hips will effect my TT result which I love, love, love Happy healing ladies and Merry Christmas. Till next time! XX

Hello fellow TT'ers, Yesterday was exactly 6 months since my surgery. I had my 6 month PO visit with the surgeon and every is going well. I gain around 3lbs. from X-mas and have only managed to shift half of that since then.

I increased my workout to every other day and still nothing happened on the losing weight dept. I had stop my tummy massages as well. Well guess what, about 2 weeks again I got up from a stool and my lower back went out. It was terrible and has only every happen one other time years ago the day after I tried running. I think the increased workouts were to much for my back so I took a 10 days of to recoup and low and behold. I started to drop the weight. I am easing gently back into working out now. Walking and cycling and ab work on the big supportive ball. My surgeon did say I had a bit more swelling and said I need to massage to keep the lymph draining. The swelling as subsided and is much better since I resumed the massages from last Sunday.

I asked him why at first it was so easy to lost the extra pounds gained. He said after you have such a major surgery you body put all its resources and energy into healing it. (I guess its sorta like breast feeding in that respect) Thats why I was able to get to just under 83 kilos from 91 kilos start weight in the 4 weeks since surgery and after my little hole healed up at 6 weeks PO I gained a bit back and stabilised.

All is good and I am cutting my workouts back to 3 days a week for now. I am so please I did this I am very happy with the way my clothes fit and the way my confidence as increased. Good Luck to those having up coming surgery and happy healing for those still in the healing process. I does get better.