Mommy Makeover: Stories

Hello, i am a 33 year old Mother of 3, ages 7,5 & 2. This just so happens to be the craziest things I have ever done. I mean I've always talked about wanting a mm, but to actually go and schedule the surgery is just nuts, right?

Well it just does to show you how unhappy I am about what is left of my body. Please don't misunderstand me. I am nothing without my children. They are everything to me. BUT what pregnancy has done to me is something that just won't go away. Before children I was 5'3 and about 115-120lbs. With each child I would pack on about 45lbs. Gaining 45lbs three times in five years does a lot of damage. I go to the gym 3-4 times a week. That has improved my overall look and I'm healthy, however the stomach and the boobs and just something I need to have fixed.

Ok so Im about 2 weeks away and starting to freak out just a bit. I had my pre-op and decided on the size (278). My Dr. went over the surgery with me. The only thing I have to do it blood work and fill my meds. I have all the dinners made and child care taken care of. There is some worry about that of course, but I did my best and I just hope my plans dont back fire while I am recovering.



So I have a few questions...



1. When do you think I can stay alone with my kids, do you think by day 9 or 10?

I have 3- 7,5 and 2 1/2. my youngest is potty trained and my two older girls are very helpful.



2. I would like to see what everyone bought for the surgery or what they wish they had? (Im sure this was asked 100x's, sorry)

Ok here are some pictures of me before. Still freaking out!!!!

Ok so I have been really thinking a lot about this. I am very sure about the tt. However the BA is something that is starting to scare me. I guess its the studies on breast cancer and how it can be harder to detect in women that had BA. I dont know... is it worth it?? I would be so pissed if for some reason I had to replace my implant within a few years because of something wrong (I am going with the silicon gel). Then there are some women who have had them in for 20+ years. This is making me nuts. To top it off I told me kids about the surgery and one cried. I only told them that I need to fix a muscle in my tummy.

I hope this will pass. I really wanted this, but it is it worth the risk??

What a wave of emotion..guilt,fear and then the excitement. The feeling of a new start! I'll be honest I have wanted this for so long but never did I think it would be really happening. I think the waiting is getting to me. I'm the type of person who makes a decision and wants to get it done right away!

My husband wrote out the bank check the other day...that was hard. It's so much money and the thought on using it all on myself is making me feel so guilty. BUT if I add up all the hours in the past 8 years that I work as a mom $18,000 would be a crappy salary. So I have to start to look at this as a treat for me ;)

It's like the count down I had when I was pregnant.. Too funny! So I have most things ready. All I have to do is get my meds & pack my bag (I'm staying at my moms for the first 3days) and then I'm ready to go. My fear is slowly going away. Now all I can think about is the positive side of how I will look & feel. Of course 4 + weeks from now lol.

Well I added one more thing to my list of tune ups. I am embarrassed by it.. Labia reduction. I'm sure there are some pp out there that have the same problem. For me with every pregnancy it would just get bigger and uncomfortable. So I'm going in for a trim;) lol all kinds of things happen when you have kids. But they are such a true gift!

To be honest I only talk to you ladies about this surgery. I feel that many pp will judge me for what I am going to have done. So I have come clean:)

So I filled my scripts the other day and last night I started to freak out about the surgery and how is everyone going to handle taking care of my kids with homework and driving all over for this activity blah blah, so my ps told me for days like that I could take a up to 3 valium(it's a very low dose). Well I stared out with 1 and then waiting 20 min & nothing so I took another and nothing. Another 20 mins later I took one more & still nothing. Whats wrong? I never to Valium before bit I have taken Xanax 25m and that would take the edge off ( I has post partum depression with my last child). I guess I'll call my ps on Monday but I really don't want to sound like a pill popper.. Is this normal?

so sorry for all the typos I just work up and I'm using my phone to update. Correction - I had ppd but that was a year ago.

Well I'm about 2 hrs away!!!! Every emotion you can have I'm having them. As far as the valume it just doesn't work for me so my ps gave me .5 of Xanax I have taken that before but for some reason it I don't feel like that calm and at ease feeling. I guess it's just too much for my brain to let go and know that everything will be alright. Wish me luck!

It's been almost 24 hrs and I can honestly say it's not really bad. My bs is very tight and sore. If I sitting in my recliner it's also not tha bad. I can get get up w/o help but my sister won't et mentor fear of falling. So she walks me to the bathroom.



I did how ever go over my 4 hr mark w pain pils. I forget to get the alarm, bit did I feel that. It look me a good 4 hrs after got home to get all anesthesia out.



My labia reduction so far is a piece cake. Let's just hope it gets be tree from here

So it's day 4 and I feel great. Very tired and sore but NOTHING what I thought it was going be. My breast feel tight and my stomach is also tight. It only hurts when i get up or down. I'm sleeping at night and only taking 2 percs every 6-7 hours and a Xanax mid morning. I have one drain that see seems to filling up less and less. Also the color of the fluid is getting lighter. Into back to the ps tomorrow...maybe he'll tale th drains out but I'm not rushing anything infant everything done right!

I'm having problems uploading my new pictures. Can anyone help?

It's almost a full week and tonight I am questioning why I did this to myself. I feel worst today then I did 2 days ago. The help has slowed down & I can't last more then 20 min before I need to sleep. My drains are still in and my back hurts. I feel like this bra is too tight. & now I'm crying:(. I know this is just apart of then healing but I'm this isn't what I am up for. My kids are fighting, my house is a mess and I just want to turn this corner of sadness. Please someone help me get pass this

Thank you everyone. Today I threw up!!!! OMG the pain, the crying. Thank God its over. Im ready to kick the shit out of my husband...if I was able. He acts like I ask the world of him but really the reason why I threw up was bc I am doing too much. Who would have thought that asking him to empty the dishwasher would be the end of the world.

Ok so its 8 days and a feel better, not great but better. Last night was hard and it set me back but everything will be o.k. Just like all the wonderful people here said it will be. Thanks again ladies.



They took the drain out. It wasnt that bad, kind of burned. I think that has a lot to do with why I am starting to feel better. Plus I am taking the pain meds as directed. Before I was trying to bush back the amount of time between and how much I would take.



So here is the question:

What type of scare treatment did you use? I was told to use 1% hydro and vit e caps. What do you guys think? I keloid so I want to make sure I use the best.

Please forgive me for not up dating. I remember checking the site a few times a day before surgery to see how everyone was doing.



So it is day 12 and I feel good. Not great, but good. The first 4-5 days are very hard. I suggest having a sister/Mother or close female friend to help. I know for a fact my wonderful husband would not have been up to the challenge. You need help with most things. After day 1 I was able the walk to the bathroom unassisted!



Taking the first shower kicks your ass! As a matter of fact all showers up to day 12 knock your energy level down.

-THINGS I USED FOR SHOWERING

Plastic chair (I used a folding plastic chair)

Shower Cap

New Luffa

Yoga strap, used to hold drain

Dial pump soap



-WHAT I HAD AT MY BEDSIDE (folding table on each side of my recliner)

Every charger to all of my devices. Tape them on so they don't fall.

Wipes

phone

laptop

headphones

netflix ready and loaded

I put all my meds in a big zip lock bag

Water

Trash bag (to use for trash or maybe if you puke)



Ok so speaking of puking....I did and it was painful. I will admit that I cried. All over my sisters shoulder. God love her, if it wasn't for her I would have never have made it!

Now I have no clue what made me throw up. It was 7 days later. I did have the hiccups all day and walked around probably more then I should have. But I did make it to the back door. There would have been no way I would have gotten down on my knees to grab the bowl.

On a lighter note, all that was needed to help clean up was the hose :)



-MEDS

I had a hard time trying to figure out the right combo for pain.

I used the valium and percocets for the first 4-5 days.

Then ibuprofen during the day and valium at night.

Right now I took a percorcets because I just cleaned up and did way too much.



-WHAT I WAS ABLE TO DO WITH KIDS & THE HOUSE

By day 7

I was able to wipe down the counters, sweep and have one of my little ones sweep it up.

By day 10

I was able to put the laundry away lol, steam mop (I have a ocd thing about clean floors)

By day 12

I was able to clean up the bathrooms. I wasn't able to clean the tub but the counters, toilet and floor was clean.

With the floor I just sprayed and stood on a towel and wiped it.

I was able to give the kids cereal and warm up food if hubby wasn't around.



So thats where I am at today. As far as how I look. I LOVE LOVE my boobs. I went with 275 silicone moderate smooth. Its exactly what I wanted. To fill the lost volume. They don't hurt at all. It feels like the first few weeks of breast feeding. I My stomach looks better everyday. I still wont let my hubby look at that yet but he cant get enough of the boobs!

Pictures to come soon.

Hey everyone, things are going well. Everyday I am feeling better. I promise to post pics soon.

Anyway I have a question about bruising. I thought I had lipo on my flanks/tummy but there wasnt a hint of bruising at all. As I look at everyones pictures I see that most of you did have at least some bruising. Could he have not done the lipo? Im so swollen from my belly button down that its hard to tell what was done. When will the swelling do away? I wear my binder 24/7 and still cant see the results. I do have to say the scare is wonderful. Very, very thin and so far no puckering. For $18,000. I want my fat sucked out!! lol or some money back. What do you guys think? Also have anyone of you had the labia reduction? I did and have a few questions...I know I can jump to that board but you guys are mm family :)

One more thing...does anyone have very sensitive nipples after their BA? Mine are over sensitive, kind of like when you're breastfeeding the first few days. God I hope that does away!

I cant take it anymore. The swelling just wont go down. I still cant put on a pair of jeans and Im so over wearing yoga pants. How much longer will this continue? I am staying clear from salt as much as I can...what gives? Also where my stomach is swollen its hard, is that normal? I have an apt with the my ps tomorrow lets hope I get some answers.



BTW what happened to my before pictures????

I have this crazy tire of swelling around and below my scar. The white garment that was given wasn't tight enough around the bottom so my ps gave me this capri type crotchless torture thing that still doesn't give me enough support from below my belly button to the top of my pubic bone. Does anyone have any advice on what to buy? There are soooo many products out there and they are so much money that I want to make sure its the right thing. Thanks Guys!!

Well I figured out the right combo for my swelling. I am wearing control top underwear and then the garment that was given to me by my ps. The swelling is under control. But I am still not able to wear anything other then yoga pants. I even tried on a pair of my "period jeans" and I couldn't button them. I think Im going to try the treadmill this week. I am feeling much better physically. I will be honest, coming off the meds took me through a depression. I think it was the pain killers. For doing it cold turkey was not a good thing. Weaning yourself off might be better. Just a thought.

So its just a little over 4 weeks. I am still wearing this garment 24/7 along with a tummy tucker type underwear. I feel great for the most part. The only thing is I wasn't sure if I should still be wearing this garment 24/7. I have read a lot on here that many of you felt you were dependent on it and I am trying to make sure that I don't end up that way. What do you guys think? Should I only wear it at night or just during the day?

I also desperately want to go back to my yoga. Its my one and only true mind/body cleansing and I miss it. Is there any yogies out there, whats your advice?

I just got back from my check up with my ps. All is well. I would say I am about 90% back to normal. My daily activities are 100%..kids, work, house work etc. As far as the gym goes I would say am 90%. I am really into yoga and the only thing I am unable to do is anything that has to do with back bends. I was told that the muscles are so tight right now that it will take time for them to relax. Also I was told that there is still swelling in my stomach area. The scare for the tt is as thin as a pencil line, but red. I have been using a wooden massage thing from bath and body works to break up the scare tissue. It has 4 round wooden balls on it that smoothly rubs the scare tissue when I use it with vitamin E.



I know there are many of you that are either not sure if they did the right thing, or if they should do it. For me it was life changing. I love the results. The guilt of the money and time away from your family/responsibilities will disappear with in a month or two. I will post pictures later on tonight.



I hope all it will with everyone.

I feel like my body is cut in half. (yes, I know it basically was) What I mean is when I rub my hand along the scar either vertically or horizontal it feels like it's not even my own body. What a weird feeling. Is there anyone who is past this point in the recovery? Also I am getting a spasam of the mucesals that were sewn together. Closer to the top then the bottom. Just wondering if anyone else has had this.