43 Year-old, TT with Umbilical Hernia and MR Ready to Have a Core Again! - Miami, FL

I'm an athletic person who has suffered a lot on injures post children. I had kids late (37 & 41), one baby was 10 pounds and both ended with c-sections; basically, that is every risk factor going for ending up with this belly. I noticed post kids that I literally cannot engage my core. I can sort of tighten while running or cycling but it always feels like I'm engaging around a ball. When I hug my husband, my stomach hits first - ugh. I can only presume that ball is my intestines and organs... great. I am doing this primarily to regain a strong core, which I feel is fundamental to getting older in a healthy manner. That said, it will be nice to have my flat stomach back. I always had a pack. Now I perpetually look 5 months pregnant. What shocked me was my husband's willingness, strike that, eagerness for me to get this fixed. I've never seen the man throw down his credit card for anything faster. This particular doctor had a sudden cancellation and I grabbed it. I called my husband out of no where last week and told him about the cancellation and that we had to pay immediately since it's less than two weeks out and by the time I called the doctor's office back to confirm my husband had already paid it in full himself. ahhh, thanks? Of course I'm completely grateful that we can do this, but... eager much? Anyway, we have big travel plans for late June and I thought any later than this and it could potentially interfere with the trip. So here I am, one week out suddenly from this TT. I'm completely terrified of anesthesia since I'm THAT person that barfs and spins for 48 hours with any opioids or volatile anesthesia. I've worked out a plan with my very nice anesthesiologist to provide me with TIVA (total intravenous anesthesia) in place of inhaled anesthetics but she will still be utilizing opioids for the pain triad of general anesthesia. I'll just have to survive my nightmare of dry heaving after major abdominal surgery... terrified doesn't begin to cover it. I vacillate between eager to be strong again and petrified that something might happen to me, leaving my very small girls without a mother over what is at its core, elective. I actually feel relief when I remind myself that a multi state drive, or riding my bicycle without a helmet probably holds a fair risk as well and I do that without a thought. So, I'm going for it. I've chosen a well-known PS here in Miami, which is saying something since this place is lousy with PS. I definitely don't want the guys that ply you with advice regarding implants or Brazilian butt lifts; that is not the look I'm going for. I chose Dr. Michael Kelly. He was on a plastic surgery show years ago... Body/Works. It was a typical plastic surgery show BUT it afforded me the opportunity to watch him perform surgery - cool! I did meet with other PS just to cover my bases. His approach was very different from the others. As of almost a year ago he only does Progressive Tension Suture TT. So no drains. He stitches the muscle to the fascia so there is no dead space. He says his complication rate dropped drastically following that change. Since there is no longer any dead space with this procedure, there is no way to utilize a pain pump. But he said the new product Exparel is miraculous in minimizing pain. I've read some studies and they also indicate that this particular product is somewhat of a game changer. He also will not do any other procedure with TTs. He says the risk profile goes up TT surgery is combined with anything else. So... here we go! The first 24 hours his office sends a nurse home with you. I was a little disappointed that there was no hospital stay initially, but I've since decided my own nurse in the comfort of my home actually sounds better anyway. I've truly valued following others experience here on realSelf, so I thought it was important to add my story and experiences as well. Knowledge is indeed power.

I'm minutes from taking my shower with the creepy iodine stuff and heading off to the hospital. Every feeling at once from terror to excitement to let's just this get this f*&cking thing over with, please. Apparently, the nurse who stays with me also leaves in a foley (SP) bag so I won't have to pee tonight. Strange. Also, note to anyone out there renting a recliner, give yourself time to clean that potentially nasty ass piece of furniture! I spent hours yesterday steam cleaning the recliner. I decided I couldn't sit in that thing for days without losing it if it smelled like that. I would have gotten another one but they couldn't bring it until later in the day and then I'd have had no time to clean that one. I rented a steam cleaner and it worked great. Smell gone. Also, my girls spent an hour playing on it yesterday. They are off with my parents now for 4 nights. This is absolutely the longest they have ever been away from us. The house is so quiet. My husband and I went to dinner and at one point he suggested we could go see a movie and I was literally shocked, mouth on floor, that we could actually just go to a movie. Wow. But I do miss girl squeals. :) Talk to you once I'm flat!

I'm feeling good. I walked around a bit, after some food and watched Outlander TV series! Pain a 2 w/ 1/2 hydrocodone and 1 Tylenol. I ended up having 2 hernias and av2 inch muscle repair. I will post pics tomorrow at doctor's office.