Tummy Tuck: Stories

Well...I've finally decided to have a tummy tuck. It's crazy because for so many years it was just a thought, and now I'm actually going through with it. I just woke up one day and took a look at this sagging, overhanging piece of skin and fat and said THAT'S IT!
I'm 5'6" (some docs say 5'7" which leads me to believe 5'6"), I'm 39 as of today and I have two children ages 16 and 20. I bounced right back after my first baby within two weeks of having her, but my 2nd child wreaked havoc on my entire body, arms, thighs, stomach, and butt. I know it was the way I ate with him, but I never knew that this would be the end result.
Ever since then I have been overweight with my current weight being 266 (I just lost 11lbs.) my lowest weight was 135 from 8th grade and all through high school with my highest weight being 150.
The doctor so far has put me on a diet plan with HCG injections and B12 lipo shots. I can tell I'm losing inches. I'll definitely be ready for my surgery in Jan but it just seems so far away.
I keep reminding myself that it's ok because that gives me time to be as small as I can possibly be and get the best results. I'm just restless right now.
This forum is really keeping me from going stir crazy.

Does anyone else here have to wait on their surgery because of weight issues?
Are you doing the B12 Lipo and HCG?
Any feedback would be great!

Thanks ladies!

So far I've lost 13lbs. OMG! This is going to be a long process (we all know that 10lbs is water weight). It's been no change since Wednesday last. I'm frustrated. I know there are plastic surgeons out there who would give me my tummy tuck RIGHT NOW, but I just want the best possible results I can get. I work out and burn 400 cals almost every time (I'm only allowed 1000 cals a day on this stupid diet), and I just feel like its not paying off at all. I'm NEVER hungry, but I expected to see better results. Either way I WILL have my tummy tuck in Jan/Feb. without question.

Sitting at my desk calculating how much I can lose (healthily) in 6 mos. I'm pretty sure I can lose about 50 - 60lbs. I've already lost 14lbs since June 27 (1st doctor visit) and I can already see it in my face. This is definitely a lifestyle change because I have to keep this up after the surgery. Ugh...what am I gonna do when I can't work out after surgery?

Doing leg lifts to figure out where my MR will be done. My waist is gonna be so tiny : ) I'm thinking I may wait longer than 6 mos. just so I can get down to my ideal weight. I don't think I can do it in 6 mos. 7 maybe...I don't know. I can see a real difference but my dietician is gonna go by my BMI. I'm sure I can find another surgeon to do it in 6 mos. but I want the best results I can get. Stay tuned...

Random thought...I hate the way my belly slaps when I'm intimate with my boyfriend. I like for him to grab my waist cuz its do small, but you can't really tell when you look at me because of all of this flab : (. *FML* I'm down and sad tonight. Can't have my tuck until I lose more weight/save so I may as well focus more on the weight loss as planned.

Hi ladies! I'm going to see my boyfriend on the 24th, he hasn't seen me since I've been losing the weight. I know I look smaller around the waist, but I know he's going to notice the skin more. He knows I've changed my eating habits, but he hasnt seen me since June. What if he notices the flab more and finds me unattractive? Ugh...I know he loves me, I'm just panicking...It's a means to an end (mommy makeover) and I just hope he understands that.

Does anyone feel like they look 'funny or weird' having the tummy tuck without the breast lift?

Hi all! Well so far I've lost 25lbs. 53 more to go to reach a decent weight for surgery. I plan on being 199 but if I lose more that's fine too. I just can't see myself at my ideal weight of 130 - 150. It seems really skinny. I was 135 in middle school! Anyhoo...still debating the breast lift. Haven't decided on the doctor yet...just focusing on the weight loss. TTYL ladies!

Well I finally did it! I set a date. I'm soo nervous now. I remember reading all of the ladies posts who said they were scared that they would back out, and now I feel the same way. So far I weigh 240lbs and I'm 5'7". I carry all of my weight in the lower half of my body, but I'm pretty curvy. I really don't wanna be my ideal weight of 135. I know I'll be smaller by the time February rolls around, but my doctor says that I won't need lipo! This is the part that's freaking me out. How does a tummy tuck look without lipo?! You can't have one without the other especially if you have as much belly as me. I'm just so nervous it won't turn out right without lipo. My plan is to work out as hard as I can and get as small as I can before the date, but I'm freaked about this no lipo deal. Has anyone out there had a tummy tuck without lipo? Did you regret it?

Oh. He's the first plastic surgeon that I've heard of that lipo wasn't included in the tummy tuck.

I'm feeling a little frustrated right now. I want to lose 40lbs before my surgery but it seems like my weight isn't budging! Maybe I should just call this off. I don't want to still look 'fat' after spending so much money. I know I would never get to my ideal weight in time. All I ask is that I can at least see 1xxlbs. I have to do this before February. I just feel so frustrated!

Sorry ladies! Between work, the gym, and school I've barely had time to update. I'm going to post pics tonight for sure. Since my date is so close, I'd like to put pics up now and how I look right before just so I can do a comparison. Of course I'm going to miraculously lose 41lbs by February 22nd : ) see you tonight!

Hi Ladies! I just added the gruesome pics...wow that was harder than i thought it would be.

I'm looking through the pics on the website, but I haven't come across any that look like mine. I'm getting nervous. I only have 80 days before surgery and I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to look like afterward. I just don't want to go through all of this, and still feel like the girl with the big stomach.

Oh...277 to 239 since July ladies...two more months to go...

Hi : )

I stopped eating carbs. I mean ALL carbs...even fruits. Except ONE day a week I have a cheat MEAL, not a cheat DAY. If you have a sweet tooth, don't eat carbs all day so if you make the mistake of slipping, it won't hurt you as bad. Meat and veggies! I promise it works. I went from a 53" waist to a 40" waist. Lift HEAVY weights and WALK. You don't have to work out hard if you eat right. Slow and steady. I have two more months. I don't want to be at my ideal weight because that's way to skinny for me, but I am trying to lose at least 10-15 more. Hope this helps!

I'm feeling super nervous today. I've seen all of these spectacular results on this site, and all I can think is: what if I come out with a round belly? What if he doesn't take off enough skin? What if my stomach isn't tightened enough? I don't want him to take a cookie cutter approach to my surgery. I don't want to be the 'average 2 1/2 hour' patient. I'm just nervous.

So annoying that I have absolutely no clue what I'm going to look like after. You can look at 1000 pics but no results are the same. This is really starting to freak me out.

A little more than 40 days left. Is it bad that I disregard the pics of 'skinny girls' on this site? I'd just like to find some bellies like mine. I feel like we would relate better. We all worry about being round instead of flat because we're not at our ideal weights. We'd all like to see the results of a woman who gained weight and didn't lose it all right after our pregnancy. I'd just like to see some 'thicker' females have this procedure done so I could see their results. In the mean time I'm still working on my weight. 43 lbs down.

I feel a little better when I look at the pics. It's a teeny bit nerve racking though. I'd rather be looking at pics of my surgeons procedures, but since I couldn't take the pics out of the office : ) I'll settle for this site. Tell me how you got over the anxiety of wondering what your outcome will be. Thanks ladies!

Things to do in the last 30 days:

Work out
Get supplies
Work out
Buy sweats n Jammie's
Work out
Go to pre op
Work out
Get prescriptions filled
Work out
Pay final payment

Did I mention...work out! Lol!

The diet was great, but I keep thinking I could've done a little better with the workouts. I still have 30 days to 'get it in' though. I NEVER wanted to be my ideal weight. I figure 10lbs in 30 is realistic. I think that will make a physical 'visual' difference in my tummy region. The doc can do the rest. I'll finish up when he's done. I figured the diet was more important because I needed to learn how to eat for the weeks at a time that I won't be exercising. There's already a lot of hanging, loose skin on my belly anyhoo. I have a YouTube page under TPR0913. I hope you ladies check it out. I have pics and stuff on there.

Added a new pic. 29 days to go equals 29 more days to lose weight! Trying soo hard to stay positive. Pre op is 2/6 so I'll post then.

Has anyone noticed that you look bigger in your pics than you actually are? I look so huge in my pics! Especially the belly...everyone who sees me says I've lost a ton of weight, and I get hit on ALL the time. I dont have a shortage of self confidence (obvously), but I hate to take pics of myself...can't wait to get this done so I can see what everyone else sees.

Hello ladies! Not long now...I got two prescriptions in the mail today with a discount card for one. One is my antibiotic (monocycline) and one is my pain pill (nucynta). I have a discount card for that. It says 'pay no more than $25'. I also have a postage stamp. I'm not sure what that's for. Has anyone else received their prescriptions that way? This is starting to feel soo real. I'm thinking I can use my insurance to fill the prescriptions and the discount card to pay the co-pay on the pain pills. I've heard everyone say that they had three and four prescriptions. I just have the two for now. I'm wondering if I'll get some type of muscle relaxer and/or 'chill out' pill. Now...to just wait for the government to pay me what they borrowed so I can make my final payment!

Ok. Income tax is filed and will be here in time for final payment! Yay! I was stressed about that. I know it's crazy to spend it on vanity, but I've been wanting this for almost 17 years. I can't back out now. Anyhoo...would it be too much to ask if you ladies would say how much you weighed before? Lol. I know weight and height don't really matter - it's the shape of the body, but I'm detail oriented. I just want to know I'm not crazy and the only one doing this at 230lbs. I want the little waist, big boobies, and thick thighs. I have 2 out of 3. Lol. I'm just really excited now that things are coming together. I know this isn't weight loss surgery, but anything has to be better than this flap of fat and skin hanging. I'm going to tell my surgeon to be aggressive in removal of skin and tightening of my muscles. Pre op is the 6th ladies! Whoo!

Hi ladies! Tick tick tick...lol. I'm getting closer. I need any and all suggestions. What did you ladies eat during recovery? I only eat meat and veggies, but I've heard talk of a liquid diet while recuperating. I welcome all suggestions : )

Hi ladies! Is midnight EST. I'm awake in my bed and feeling very anxious. I wrote down some questions to ask my PS. I'm going to tell him what my expectations are for this surgery. I just want to have a flat tummy. Anyhoo...wish me luck tomorrow. Since it's my pre op I'm assuming he'll be marking me up so I'll take pics.

http://www.realself.com/find/South-Carolina/Charleston/Plastic-Surgeon/John-Hensel

Well...went to my pre op and got to ask my questions. He said he will take the scar as far as he has to to make sure I have the best results and don't have dog ears. He also said that I should be very flat because I don't have much fat in the top area of my stomach and the skin is 'beautiful' at the top with no stretch marks. ALL of the fat and skin will be cut from the bottom half. He didn't do any mark ups today. He said it only takes 5 minutes and he'll do them on the day of surgery and spend about an hour with me answering questions. Sorry, no pics ladies, but I'm feeling a lot more reassured about the procedure.

Good morning! 6:53 AM to my East Coasters! I'm up early excited about my surgery that's TWO WEEKS away. I don't think I'm going to get a full nights sleep until this is done. Everything is paid for, prescripts are filled. Now, I just need to be sure I have all of my supplies. I'm renting a recliner for two weeks so I guess I should put my order in now to be sure they have one available. I can't help but think (besides the food) that I'm forgetting something. I have a dozen pillows on my bed, so that's not a problem. My daughter is moving to her new home with my grand kids next week (which makes me a little sad) so the house will be quiet. Just me, my mom, my son, and my man (he's too old to be called a BOY FRIEND). He works at night and my mom works during the day, so they'll be pulling shifts. I really feel better now that I spoke with my PS. I need to emphasize that I need to keep my waist in this process without compromising my flat tummy, but I'll stress that to him when I get the mark ups on my big day. I have a little cough, but I still have until the 22nd so I'm not stressing about that. Well...I need to get ready for work. Two weeks and a wake up ladies!

Sitting here looking at pics of you ladies that have just had your tummies done. You look great. I know the recovery is brutal, but we just have to think about what we'll look like after. I'm torn...I want to look at my tummy when it's done, but at the same time I want to wait until some of the swelling subsides. One of the girls said that the best time to look at it is RIGHT after surgery. I'm really feeling numb about the whole thing. Like I know it's happening, but it's just not registering in my brain yet that its only 10 days away. I'm not even trying to figure out what my results will be like anymore. I get to talk to my PS for an hour before I go under, and he's going to mark me up, so I'll talk about what I expect my results to be and be can tell me if I can expect that or not. No more no less...it's already paid for so no backing out now.

What were some of the things you and your PS went over right before surgery? Did you tell him where you wanted your scar, or how far you wanted it to go? Did you tell him what you expected to look like when it was done, or did he tell you?

10 more days and all I'll be asking is recovery questions : )

YouTube: tpr0913

People are starting to ask me what I'm having done. I told one person some minor back surgery. I figure it'll explain the hunching when I get back in two weeks. I don't think the tummy tuck will be too noticeable to anyone until I start to wear tighter clothes (and yes I will be wearing tighter clothes). I just wish I could've gotten out of here before the questions were asked. Anyhoo...my boss hasn't said a word about me being off for two days. Kinda shows the importance of my position huh?! Lol. I still get a paycheck every two weeks so I can't complain. Although I would LOVE something more challenging, I'm also in school for my bachelors and that's challenging enough. Hope to hear from more February ladies!

YouTube: tpr0913

Oh yeah...I'll get my mom to take pics the night before surgery and I'll post them. So glad I can do it from my iPhone now!

I meant he hasn't mentioned anything about me being off for TWO WEEKS...

I didn't think it would hit me like this. Now I'm scared as hell that I'm not doing the right thing. All that money...what if it doesn't turn out right? Why was it so important for me to do this? I can't remember. Is this really worth it? I just feel really selfish right now. My daughter could've used some money for moving into her new place, I have to make sure my sixteen year old has food while I'm incapacitated. My daughter has to get to work at her new job...so many things I'm going to worry about while I'm down. I just can't be excited right now.

Lol! I can't figure out for the life of me why I didn't schedule tomorrow off. What was I thinking?! *ugh* anyhoo...I'm doing a while day, then going home, gathering my things and I'm off to the hotel suite. I'll post an update and video then...wish me luck ladies!

Sitting in the suite trying to fall asleep. Praying everything turns out beautifully. Thank you ladies for so much encouragement. My emotions have been up and down and back up again these past few months and now it's finally happening. I'll post pics after. Wish me luck!

I'm here! Just waiting for the doc. I'll check in when I'm skin-ty!

Hi ladies! Well I did it. Flat as a board from what I can see. I've been sleeping on and off all day. I'm not really in any pain, but I've been on my pain meds faithfully. I can't see anything right now but I'm gonna post pics so you can see my markups. I can't remember much and I'm a little drowsy right now. Doc told my mom he took of 6 lbs with no lipo which is cool with me. My drains are in my kitty : ) I've been milking them so they don't get clotted. I can take a shower today, but I'll wait til tomorrow. I feel really good. Just relaxing in the recliner. If I think of anything else tonite, I'll let you know. Yay...now here goes recovery.

Hi ladies! I'm feeling good. Did some walking around the house. The doctor did an AMAZING job. I'm super swollen at the bottom of my tummy, but he put a 'cut' in between my stomach muscles so when I get my 'six pack' it'll really show. I'm sure my silhouette would've been better with lipo but I'm not worrying about that anymore. At I still have a tiny bit of jiggle when I walk : ) the belly button is in a really good spot. Can't tell what size it is yet. It's no walk in the park, but it's a lot easier than I thought it would be.

Just took my first shower...ahhh! It felt great. The doc did a great job. All the worrying I did was for nothing. Even from the back and with no lipo you can tell how small my waist is. My belly button is really cute and right on center. I'm really amazed. I can't wait to start working out and adding the final touches. This was soo worth it. Oh and there's no pain today. A little pulling here. A little burning there, but nothing major. I'm standing up straighter too. I'll take more pics tomorrow. Happy healing you supportive dolls! I love you all!

Hi ladies! I've added some new pics. I think it turned out great. Now I'm just waiting for my swelling to subside a little. I'm worried about my diet right now. I'm eating a lot of carbs which I don't usually do. Oatmeal and bread mostly. It's making me nervous. I need to go out and get some protein bars and eat more eggs. Now that I'm moving around more the eggs shouldn't be a problem, but I definitely need to get some protein bars. They keep me from snacking. I'm not a stick but my body seems to be well proportioned now. I'm loving it and this isn't even the final result. I go to my post op tomorrow. I don't think I'll get the drains out but I still have another week at home. I just don't want to have to wear them to work.

Five days PO - just got one of my drains out! I was dreading the ride to the PS but it wasn't that bad. The drain felt really weird coming out, but it didn't hurt at all. This is when I have to start using Triple A and keeping the hole covered for a couple of days. The doc says that I don't have to do anything to the belly button at all except keep it clean. The incision still has tape on it so I don't touch that, but I can put lotion on my stomach. I was wearing my compression garment backward : ) I felt a teeny bit retarded when the doc told me that! He says to keep the garment a half an inch below the incision so it doesn't rub and it should be fine. My incision is really low, but for some reason my brain has only focused on it yet. I think because the tape is still covering it. I'm feeling great and all is well ladies! Let me know of you have any questions!

I'm soo tired of sitting in this house. I move around, but can't leave the house alone. I can take a shower by myself, but don't stand up straight enough to wash my hair. I miss having lunch and meeting up with my friends. *sigh* I just want to stand up straight. I don't want to stretch my scar, and I know this comes from a great result from my surgery, but how long dear god?! How long?! Lol. *ugh*

I'm reading some of the two week posts. Wow! we are a really impatient group of ladies! lol...I notice that the more i move the more i swell and the more output i have in my last drain (which gets removed on 03/05). i'm wondering what happens to all of this fluid AFTER the drain gets removed? anyhoo...i can tell from the posts from some of you other ladies that i'm going to want lipo at a later date. i think we forget that we can make some of those improvements that we're willing to pay thousands of dollars for just by exercising and eating right. i'm sure i can work on my flanks with exercise. i know i can't get rid of the bra fat with exercise, but did this really bother me before i got the tummy tuck? not really. i always lose back fat when i lose weight so i'm sure i can lose it now. i actually look forward to seeing what kinds of differences I can make in my body now that the extra skin is gone. I don't want to have to go under the knife for every little "imperfection" that i see. i want to look normal when i take my clothes off, i just wanted that flap of skin gone from around my waist. i just think it's a waste of hard earned money having a PS 'fix' what we can do ourselves. I can understand flapping skin and fat around the midsection, but 'bra rolls' i can live with : ) and flanks will go in when you put your clothes on honestly. sure i would LOVE to have a boob job but when i look at my silhouette when i get dressed i can and say that I 1000 times better than before i had my tummy tuck. I can't be a person who tries to reach for 'perfection' because i don't think it exists.

I feel fat. My scar itches. I'm bloated. My clothes don't fit. I freaking hate this drain. I'm tired of this recliner. I want to wear clothes. I want to work out. I want to go back to work...blah blah blah. Everything i eat makes me miserable...Thumbs down today

2nd post op appt. today. I had my last drain removed and the tape taken off of my scar. I was the flattest I've been since the day of surgery. Started back on my low carb diet today. The doctor says I can do any exercise I'm comfortable with so I guess I'll start with walking. He says I can lift very light weights. He wants to see me next week to make sure I'm not accumulating fluid, but other than that it was a very uneventful visit. I'm not sure how long it'll take for me to determine what size I wear but I go back to work on Monday so whatever size I am now will have to do because I can't fit my old clothes. He was impressed that I only drained 25 cc in 3 days.

15 days! So far so good. I stand up a lot straighter, but find myself leaning the more I walk. I think my boobs are making me topple over! Lol. I was wearing a t shirt under my binder but it made it rise up too much so I stopped. Yes ladies! I did get a yeast infection from the antibiotics that I was not prepared for.

Supplies - ok. Spent at least $100 on supplies that I did not need. Gauze, cotton, tape, etc...when all I really need is my binder, moisturizer for my stomach after my showers (which I started taking the day after I came home), and hydrogen peroxide to clean my belly button. I'm gonna treat my scar in two more weeks with cocoa butter. I think the main thing is to keep it moisturized and massage it to make sure the blood circulates. I posted a couple of new pics just to show you how it's going. I keep my binder on most of the time. I think I take it off at least 10 - 20 minutes a day just to let my stretched skin, belly button, and scar breathe. You don't want things to be wet from sweat and get infected. Besides, 10 minutes won't hurt if you're sitting still. Check out the pics. I'll make a video soon - YouTube:tpr0913

Remember: just because you're overweight doesn't mean you have to deal with all of the extra skin. I lost 47lbs. and I'm still 230lbs!

Happy healing ladies! I still keep up with all of you.

Ok...I'm not freaking out. Lol. I'm just saying...spitting stitches is gnarly business. I went to my 2nd post op yesterday and everything was great. No seromas...belly button is adorable. Then I left the office and 3 hours later...I spit a stitch! Not cool! So I have this little teeny weeny opening but of course when you see it, in your mind it looks like this HUGE gaping hole! So I washed it thoroughly, put some neosporin on it, then added some gauze. I was going to cover the whole incision, but was advised by my PS not to do that. He said its normal, but eww! Anyhoo...I added a pic of my HUGE gaping hole!

So my doc says I can take off my compression garment. Have any of you ladies gone without compression all day, or do you do the 12 hours on/12 hours off deal? Any suggestions? I just want to be comfortable.

Update: it's a little over one month. I've tried the 12 on/12 off compression...umm no! That was not the business. I swelled up so bad! So now I wear a waist clincher during the day and hospital grade to bed. I feel so much better. The swelling is crazy without compression. I don't know when I'll be able to take these off and it frustrating not knowing, but I feel so much better with it on. I need to learn not to rush this healing process.

There is so much more I could think of, but I’ll let you ladies add to this. Just some random thoughts...

Before surgery, you will have 2nd thoughts. You’ll go back and forth about whether you want to do it, whether it’s worth it…you’ll think of better things to do with that money. You’ll think about what will happen to your kids if you DIE. Guess what? nothing is more worth it than you. Not that car payment, or that new furniture set, or those bills but YOU…you’re not going to DIE from this surgery. They lift up skin, tighten muscles, and close you right back up. Lipo is sometimes done, and yes I’ve heard horror stories about the pain and bruising, but guess what? There’s risk in every surgery. Just remember to move around 24 hours after you get home. As much as you want to sit in that recliner, or lay on that couch or bed, you MUST move as soon as you can. It’ll be hard and you’ll hurt but blood clots are no joke.

Buy healthy foods BEFORE you go to surgery. The whole month I ate TERRIBLY. Snacking on everything I could get my hands on…mostly out of boredom. This is not the end of your weight loss. You have to manage what you spent all of that hard earned money on. Eat plenty of protein so you can heal properly…I think that’s why I was up and moving at two weeks. I’m on a very high protein eating regimen. Stock up on protein bars…get plenty of fruits and veggies.

You will sleep A LOT. Yes out of boredom…but mainly because it’s your bodies way of healing after surgery. I would watch tv and the next thing you know, I would be out like a light. I couldn’t go anywhere without being exhausted when I got home, and that’s ok. The more you sleep the better. You’re not lazy…your healing.

Don’t weigh yourself…this is NOT weight loss surgery. You may not lose ANY weight, but I promise you, you will lose inches. You did this to look good in your clothing. You did this because you got tired of seeing that hanging skin in the front of your stomach. You knew you were skinnier under all of that flab and fat…that’s why you did it. no more tucking you stomach into your pants and wearing those big shirts to hide the bulge in front of your jeans. I would NEVER wear dresses because I couldn’t layer, now I can’t wait until it gets warm outside.

Look at your before pictures on a regular basis. We’ll find things wrong with the tummy tuck, or with other areas of our body after the surgery. You MUST look at how you looked before to keep appreciating how you look now.

Maintain…maintain…maintain. I’ve heard so many women tell me that they’ve done this twice. Don’t do that to yourself. It takes A LOT to get back into the position you were in before this surgery. You’ll feel miserable if you gain all that skin and fat back again. You have to maintain. Eat right…exercise even if it’s just walking we have to respect our bodies enough to not put it through this a 2nd time. Like I stated in the beginning…this is NOT weight loss surgery.

It’s just really life changing for me to not see that skin hang outside of my panty line and not have the bulge in front of my body anymore. No matter how I ate or how much I worked out it just got worse and worse. I’m just so glad I did this. I may not have the ‘perfect’ body but the one thing that was the biggest nuisance to me is gone for good.

So I think I figured out how to beat the swelling. Here's what I do:

During the day I wear a waist cincher. Doesn't matter where you get it from as long as its comfortable but tight around your belly.

At night I wear the hospital grade compression (I have the one with Velcro).

Here's the thing: I lay down as flat as I can when I go to bed and tighten that sucker up as much as I can to make my stomach flat but still be able to sleep comfortably (I'm a side sleeper).

When I wake up in the morning I'm as flat as a board (I'll post pics this weekend).

I've even lost 3lbs (I'm assuming its water).

You gotta try this ladies. Let me know if you have any other tips or if you're already doing this. And if you are (and didn't tell me) shame on you! Ha ha!

Hi ladies! I'm doing great! someone asked me how long i wore a compression garment so here's my answer:

I wore my hospital grade compression for one month exactly. Then I wore pull up girdles for about two weeks and my hospital grade to bed. Now I just wear my hospital grade to bed and make it as tight as possible and still be comfortable, so when I wake up in the morning I'm flat. This lasts until late afternoon.

Ladies...something they don't tell you...rainy days make you SWELL! I mean to the point where you feel like bending over all over again. Very uncomfortable...

I no longer need my compression during the day because no matter what you're going to swell. I can only speak for myself, but if it makes you feel more secure then by all means wear it...some people say that it helps to shape you after the surgery, but I'm not a big believer in that since some women look great after surgery with NO BINDER. It definitely minimizes swelling though.

I've been walking. Nothing major just yet. I'm afraid to run, but I've been doing the elliptical and that seems to be doing the trick. Funny though...it's been two months and I haven't gained or lost. Just 230 even. I nice, shapely 230 but the scale won't budge. I want to lose 16 more lbs...my doc says it won't affect my tummy since the weight will probably come from my legs, boobs, and butt now : ) I can't stand to lose Anymore booty!

I'll get my mom to take pics so you can see...just hasn't been a priority for me since I've been focusing on losing more weight!

Happy healing ladies!