43 Y.o W 2 Kids 8 and 21 and Wayyyy Overdue for This Life Changing Moment - New York, NY

God Bless everyone who has done or who will be getting Surgery...... I will be 43 y.o a week after my surgery (Happy Birthday 2 me), I have 2 Boys 8 and 21....I'm sooo nervous... I'm having nightmares, I can't sleep, tossing and turning every night. (Nerves) My surgery is in 3 days!!!!!!! I brought a recliner to help with my recovery. I think I have everything???? I hope..... My 8 y.o said he doesn't want me to get this surgery because he loves my belly and that was his home....lol..NOT!!!!.... Anyway, moving on... I stopped smoking 2 months ago, hopefully that will help with my recovery also...
Bit O' History: I've Always been on the chunky side, not fat ( No offense) but pleasantly plump in all the right places, but that ONE problem place that wasn't budging only bulging and that is my Jiggle Jaggle belly, I've always hated it and after my kids it's just been a thorn in my side. I take pics with something or someone in front of my tummy or just take pics above my boobies, or sucking in my gut before a pic, never taking a full length alone. When I tie my shoes I have to open my legs wide for my Damn belly to get out of the way so then I could tie my shoes and Let's not talk about trying to do my own pedicure...SMH...I haven't seen my kitty in over 20 some odd years..lolol...If I lift my belly I can see her suffocated...lol.... I hate that! I don't remember the last time I wore a bathing suit, everything else on my body is acceptable minus my (Freddie Crugar belly riddled with stretch marks). I need this OFF, I can't take it anymore, I want to look like a GIRL again, I want to feel sexy and feminine again. ... No matter what I do to lose weight, I gain it back 3 folds... AHHHHHH!!!!! ( Was I ranting????) lol... I hit my rock bottom when I was mistaken for a dude because of the clothes I was wearing, (Jeans sneakers and a baseball cap), although it's quite comfy but I'm no BOY and was embarrassed for some one to say that. That's when it hit me that no matter what I do to lose weight my belly wasn't going away and that it's not my fault, (It's my kids fault)...No, lol Just Kidding. I love my kids... So I've decided to GO FOR IT!!!!! If God is willing April 18th will be the day I regain my Femininity and confidence back. Soon I will post some b4 and after pics for all to see my ANGST. I pray for everyone a speedy recovery and to the ones who haven't decided yet I hope my short story will help you decide what to do. Good Luck e1 and God Bless c u all on the Flat side, wish me luck!!!!

2 more days!!!!!!

Just got a call from the nurse @ Dr. Yager's office and I go in @ 9:30 am tomorrow morning!!!!!!!!!!!! Yayyyyy, so excited!!!!!!!!!!

Thank You Jesus!!!!!! I just got home @ 3 pm and to be very honest I am doing better than I anticipated.... I can see a difference even tho I have the binder (Faja) on. I'm so greatful that I pulled thru....I thought I'd be more hunched over but I'm slightly hunched. The only thing right now is the fear to cough,sneeze or blow my nose, I've already felt the pain of just clearing my throat. What helps is hugging a pillow to your abdomen then cough as faint as possible . It's a beautiful thing when you have someone to help you! That is a must!!!!!!!. Believe it or not I feel like I can do more than I'm aloud to, but I'm not going to, I'm gonna take it eeeeezzzzzeeeee! Hey it's rare to have someone wait on you hand and foot, I will be enjoying every minute of it!!! Trust me! ..lol. I mustn't lie I did peel 4 potatoes for some home made chicken soup my husband is making,but then went directly to the recliner... Ladies homemade chicken soup IS THE BEST!! It really is comfort food. I feel like it revitalized me. I recommend it truly and honestly.

Ok.... Days b4 my TT w MR , nightmare every night if I took a nap in the day, day mares ....SMH.... The PS says that's anxiety and it's normal. ("The fear of the unknown"). As the days got closer I felt very emotional, spontaneously crying, cold chills every time I thought about it, heart thumping out of my chest, etc..

The day b4 the TT .... HOLY BAG OF NERVES BATMAN!!!!!.... Lol.... @ work I did an hour overtime in fear to go home because the day of TT was LITERALLY hours away. Of course I didn't sleep @ all, tossing and turning all night praying to God to put my fears to rest. He did. :). (TYHF)

Today surgery day: woke up @ 5 am took a shower prayed some more and said my PEACE OUT to my Jiggle Jaggle, because although I wanted it removed it was still a part of me, and wished it would have seen it my way by diet and exercise along with me, but the stubborn bulge lost (BIG TIME)... Now I'm on the flat side.... Yayyy me, I did it, I made it, I'm proud of myself, KUDOS 2 me AND EVERYONE who has done it and those of u who are about to get it done!!!! And to those of you who are contemplating on getting TT w MR (muscle repair) or other, I hope this will help... God bless u all and Happy Easter.... Xoxox
P.S. will post more pics tomorrow ...:) Happy healing e1 :)

Day 2 post op, massive back pains, muscle repair pain, and constipation... What a perfect combo. :/

Today was a good and bad day.
I was excited to go to my PS today with the possibility that my drain would b removed and finally get to take a long awaited shower after 7 days, can't wait!!!! I get there and quickly I was seen by the nurse, very nice btw, anyway I gave her the chart to record every time you empty the drain, she looked at it and mentioned that I might have to come in next week to remove fluid. ( @ that point it didn't dawn on me what that meant because I still had the drain inside me, so I didn't grasp fast enough, I guess I'm still loopy from all the vicodines I drank) anyway, I asked her if the drains were going to hurt when she takes them out, she simply ignored that question and asked me is there any questions you were thinking of @ home? I said "Yeah, the ? I just asked you!, is it going to hurt"??? She turned to me and said only for a min. I said to her, I hear min sometimes can feel like a life time she sort of chuckled, but by then my pants were down to my knees sitting on the exam table and there was no way out of this, I had to MAN-UP!!! LADIES!!!!! LADIES!!!!! LADIES!!!!! WTF!!!!!!!!!! Holy Freaking cow!!!!! that SHIZNIT FREAKING HURTS LIKE A MFer......I can not begin to explain the trauma. But before she YANKED it out, that's right ladies she didn't pull it out she yanked it out!!!! Two painful yanks and it was over,not before I took it like a champ, cried like a baby but didn't scream. I should have! 4 real.... I was like WTF?!?!? Anyway, nightmares tonight!. The nurse didn't lie it did hurt a little over a minute. This is the part when it hit me, she's going to use a needle to drain the "Fluid" out of me next week!!!!! too much stuff happening to quickly, I was stressed, I got home and fell asleep. My back hurts, belly is swollen really bad I'm glad I have a walker with SEAT, that's very important YOU WILL NEED IT! I'll post some more pics tomorrow after my shower... Ta ta 4 now :)

Feeling better today, my tummy feels hard all thru the incision, I'm done with my antibiotics and went thru the pain meds :(, I'm managing.... I went out for a walk today but now I'm pooped. I posted 2 more pics... I'll post more soon... Take care and happy healing... :)

This is my first week back to work and honestly, I wish I were home for @ least another week. It's crazy how I took things for granted such as: being able to bend to tie my shoes, shave, kiss my son, look 4 a pot or pan, cough,even speaking etc... I mean, this TT w MR and any other procedure is very debilitating and u can b very limited into doing something so simple as reaching over to get something, reminds you right away that u need to do it slower and methodical. All I can do it b patient. Time will heal us all... Be safe, b kind and God Bless u all. Happy healing. :)

Hello RS ladies I hope everyone is recovering beautifully. Sorry I haven't been updating frequently. Work and family have most of my attention and little time for writing.... I've posted some new pics of my swollen belly, still have a lot to go slowly but surely I'm getting there... The spasms that I mentioned in an earlier update have gotten better. I saw my PS on 5/24 and he looked at my BB and said I should leave it to air dry and no more gauze inside of it, so I noticed Tuesday that my BB got significantly smaller which I was not to thrilled about so now I'm using a marble to shape my BB, I asked the Dr. and he said it was fine as long as it's completely healed. In my pics I wore the same clothes as my pre-op pics to see the difference in size, I'm still very swollen and I have a few dark spots from the surgical tape that made blisters on my skin post op. The Dr. also said I can try to do some crunches which I did and that felt weird, only did 3 b4 the burning started. I have to talk to Dr. Yager about my right hip area seems to be bigger than the other side. I hope I don't have to get it lippoed