“Full TT, muscle repair and lipo on flanks-So Glad I Did It!!- Newport Beach, CA”

Hi everyone! I love this realself community, it has really helped me get over the guilt of spending this money on myself and the anxiety of getting my tummy tuck.

I am 40 yrs old and have three children ages 20,19,11. After My first two pregnancies I went back to my very thin self with no problem but my last pregnancy I kept more of the weight and of course since i was older now my kangaroo pouch never disappeared! So now i have decided to do my tummy tuck and feel human again!! I have had Breast Augmentation over 14 yrs ago and it was the BEST thing i ever did so I am hoping i feel the same about this!

My surgery is scheduled for May 12th. I will post before and after pics once I have some. Wish me luck and I will be posting more once there is something for me to post. Thanks again for all of you sharing your experiences here on realself.

Updated on 29 Mar 2011:
okay i thought maybe i should give my stats, I am 5'3" and 129 pounds. I have been trying to lose some extra weight though before my surgery so still working out 5 times a week for one hour each day. So hard to lose weight ever since I turned 35 years old. It seems as if I work out and just not gain weight but can't lose it. I eat pretty healthy too so its hard to understand why i can't lose this belly, SO a tummy tuck it is!!!! I am getting a full tummy tuck with lipo on my hips and flanks. Very Excited!!!! ")

Updated on 9 Apr 2011:
hi again!! I am now getting more anxious since my pre op is coming up on the 18th of April. I am sure i will be even more anxious once i come back from that appt. I can't stop thinking about this whole tummy tuck adventure and trying to keep my mind elsewhere but it is very difficult! Iknow all you ladies know what I am talking about, I can't be the only weird one out there, right? lol =) Well I hope everyone is doing well recovering or awaiting their surgery. I Will be back soon to let you know how my pre op went. bye for now!!!

Updated on 16 Apr 2011:
25 more days for surgery!! 2 more days for pre-op, I am so excited and can't wait for the painful recovery to a nice flat stomach!! =D

Updated on 18 Apr 2011:
Today was my pre-op and had most of my questions answered! of course i forgot to ask a couple but no worries i will just call or stop by some other day before surgery. Paid in full today and got prescriptions called in. So now it's just time to wait for surgery day!! My scar is probably going to be a little longer than I would have wished for but need to get rid of some extra skin and fat. As long as the kangaroo pouch is gone and i have a new flat tummy, I will love it!!! The important thing is that My doctor makes me feel so comfortable and at ease, I am glad I found him.

Updated on 20 Apr 2011:
posted my before pics!

Updated on 30 Apr 2011:
wow I can't believe it is only 11 more days to go before my special day in surgery!! I am having a hard time though since I suffer from menstural migraines and can't take any of my medications since it is so close to surgery. I hope these days go by quickly so I can be done with the migraines and just concentrate on getting everything I need for recovery!!

Updated on 7 May 2011:
Four more days and then its my turn to get a flat new stomach!! I am almost ready except for some grocery shopping and some house cleaning, I want to leave everything spotless =) My husband will be my nurse for the first two and a half weeks of recovery. Got to love him ;)

Updated on 9 May 2011:
countdown starts today!!! Three more days for my full tummmy tuck, lipo of the flanks and muscle repair. I am getting very anxious and just want to get this over with so I can think of something other than this event! I know the day will come and go so quickly so I need to concetrate on what is needed to be done before I go. Basically just need to buy groceries and the usual cleaning as I do when I am going on vacation. (Too bad the vacation is going to be spent on my bed!) lol =) Well, thanks again to everyone for the support and wish me luck!!

Updated on 11 May 2011:
Tomorrow is my day! Can't believe in just twenty four hours I should be done with my surgery. I am so glad that I found this site so I can share my fears, happiness and experiences with people who can understand me and what I am going through! Thanks Ladies for everything!! Very much appreciated!

Updated on 14 May 2011:
Hi Girls!!! I made it! I have to say it isn't as bad as I thought! Compared to my boob job this was easy! Everything went smoothly and I was home by four thirty since it is about one and a half hours away from home. I was sent home with a catheter since I was not able to urinate on my own. I saw my dr yesterday for my first post op and he removed the catheter but when I got home I tried to urinate again and just could not get anything to come out. So I had to go to urgent care close to home to get one put back in. I will have it until monday when I see my dr. I hope this has happened to someone else? The nurse at urgent care said it does and sometimes it takes a week to be able to urinate on my own. Other than that and my back hurting since I am bent over, I feel great!! The pain is very minor with the tummy tuck its just the mobility and the back what is difficult for me. I saw my tummy yesterday and it looked so good! Can't wait to be out of catheter and drains so I can feel more normal. Thanks for all your support and feel free to ask me any questions you might have!

Updated on 17 May 2011:
I can PEE!!! finally, never thought I would be so happy to just be able to urinate on my own. I got my catheter out this morning and my bladder was able to function all on its own. YAY!! =D I am 5 days post op and feeling pretty good. Back is not hurting as much, still have not been able to shower since i still have my drains, and getting use to this recovery life. I just always think of the way i will feel in about one month with my newer body! Hope everyone is doing well in their recovery. God Bless =)

Updated on 20 May 2011:
Hi girls,

I got my drains out yesterday at my post op and it did hurt. More of a bad stinging sensation than a pain feeling!! I think the removal of the incision tape hurt me more, i even started to sweat. lol =0
I am eight days post op today and feeling pretty good besides my aching back. Not as bad as before but still achy! Can't wait to stand up straight and not feel like a granny when I walk. I finally get to take a shower today and I am a little nervous to feel the sensation of water on my tummy. Does it feel weird? Do you girls who have showered just let the water run down on your tummy or do you actually clean it by rubbing your tummy? So afraid to ruin something!! How about your belly button? Well any input will help before I take that leap. thanks =)

Updated on 23 May 2011:
List Pros & Cons, Advice you can offer others

Updated on 24 May 2011:
today is day 12 and feeling pretty good! I am almost standing straight but not quite yet maybe a couple more days.. I have another post op on Friday to remove the tape from my incision and just check on things. I have most of my swelling right above my scar but nothing too extreme. I weigh seven pounds less than the day I went into surgery and I am on my period so that is a real good sign. I also have a little swelling right under my breast in the middle and is very sore there too. All in all everything is going well. Hope all of you ladies going through recovery are doing well. Have a great day ;)

Updated on 29 May 2011:
Hi Girls,

I am 17 days post op today and feeling pretty good!! I am standing straight but just need a little more for completely straight! I just feel so much tightness and when I pull I have pain or should I say soreness. I have been trying to stretch while I sleep since it is the easiest way for me to do it. I also am wearing a newer binder that helps me stay straight. I just feel so darn tight!!! I know that is probably a good thing just hard to get use to.
I started using this gel over my scar yesterday that my PS had me buy from him. It is expensive but the results I've seen from his previous patients are great, so hopefully with me too. It is a silicone gel and seals over the scar and i have to apply it on every twelve hours. The full results are suppose to show from 60 to 90 days of use. My PS made my inscison very clean and thin. I am so glad for that!
Started sleeping on my sides and feeling great now since I actually get an adequate amount of sleep. I am not a back sleeper so it was so difficult to sleep all night without waking up all sore. I have not been on any medications since the first week not even tylenol. Pain pills I stopped after the fourth day and the only other one I was taking was the antibiotics which I finished at seventh day. Enough of my rabbling just wanted to let you know how things were going in case someone is not at this point yet!! Happy Recovery everyone! =)

Updated on 8 Jun 2011:
I just posted some after pictures. I still have some swelling right along my incision to my pubic area and my upper mid ab right underneath my breast. I am 4 weeks tomorrow and feeling so good! The only issue I have at this point is that at the end of the day I am so tired and start to slouch from the pulling feeling of my abs. Other than that I am doing good and getting better every day!

Updated on 14 Jun 2011:
I had a post op today and I am just two days shy of 5 weeks. Dr said everything is going great and I have had NO problems with seroma or excessive swelling. So glad I am recovering well and feeling so much more normal everyday! I am so pleased with my results and my scar, it is healing so nicely. My belly button is a little flat still but hopefully it will go in more with time. Glad I did this and would do it again in a heartbeat!!!!!!

Updated on 30 Jun 2011:
I am now 7 weeks post op and feeling great! I am pretty much back to my pre op self except for not using my stomach muscles. I started to work out again but started slowly and cautiously on my eliptical and walking my dogs. I seem to get tired easily but everyday gets better. Saw my Dr today and he says everything is looking real good! I won't see him again for about a month since he is going on vacation. Time is finally flying by not like in the first couple weeks seem to drag maybe because we are so anxious to progress with our recovery. Will be taking some more pics soon to post.

Updated on 8 Jul 2011:
8 weeks now and feeling GRRRREAT!! I have been taking it easy these past two months which I believe is the reason I don't swell. I am lucky to have the opportunity to be able to just take it easy and I am glad since it makes a big difference in recovery. I have been wearing my skinny jeans since week three and even had to buy two sizes smaller ( and that is with my big binder on too) . So happy with my results can't wait to enjoy the beach next summer feeling confident!! Good luck to all you girls looking for that flat stomach =)