Tummy Tuck: Stories

I am a 39 year old mom of a 9 & 11 year old. I exercise regularly & eat healthy most of the time. I am 5'3" & 115 lbs. I am going for a full TT with muscle tightening & a bit of lipo.

After pregnancy, my skin never went back and it has a saggy, wrinkly hang. I also have lower belly pooch (I always had a small pooch, even at age 13!).

After 3 years of looking into this, I have decided this was the year for me - my 40th birthday is coming in May!

I am very excited, but today I started looking at the reviews of people who said it is not worth it. Now I am freaking out!! I love my body (except for the sags) & am so afraid that I will end up not waking up, having nerve/vessel damage, looking worse, not healing, having a horrible looking belly button or scar. I love the hourglass shape of my figure & would be so upset if I lost that. I know he is just tightening the front, but what if that somehow effects that curvy look I like about my hips & rear? What if I get those strange hollow parts in the front hips (I think they call it the Ken doll look)? I should stop looking at those reviews, but I cannot help it!

I am trying so hard to stay in a positive frame of mind, but the what-ifs keep coming back!

I will post before & after pictures & keep you posted on my recovery. Even though I am nervous, 91% of people said it was worth it, so, I plan on going through with it! I just have to keep looking at all of your beautiful after photos now!

I am feeling so much better now about my surgery!! I think I just had a bit of anxiety the other day!! Thanks also to the kind advice & support of the ladies here!!

I am putting myself in a positive frame of mind & getting all of my questions ready for my doctor when I go to my pre-op next week. I feel very prepared & very happy! My birthday is in May & I feel that I am so ready for this. 2 & 1/2 more weeks!! It is going very fast!

I cannot believe that my turn is finally almost here!! The weeks have flown by since I have scheduled this surgery back in February. I spent so much time on this forum and cannot thank you all enough for sharing your feelings, advice, fears, recoverys, photos & well wishes. This forum was just the thing I needed to prepare for this surgery!

Of course, naturally, I am nervous, but I feel very very excited & can't wait until it is my turn to post about my recovery.

I have started taking my magnesium citrate laxative which has kicked in pretty well. I will take the rest of the bottle tomorrow. I am so proud that I have actually eaten so healthy this past month! That has never happened to me before! I usually eat healthy, but will also eat a large package of gummy bears in 2 days, extra bread & carbs, etc... It feels so nice to eat all clean & fresh foods leading up to this. For the past day & up until my surgery I have had to just eat white bread, meats - no veggies & fruits and I am missing my healthy diet! I know I will continue good eating from now on after my tt!

I spent the past few days cleaning the house -today I dusted everywhere, I changed the bedsheets, got food ready, made lists tomorrow I will vacuum. All the things I need are ready for when I get home - my books, comfy clothes, medication, tissues, videos I want to watch.

I am so ready!!

Ahhhh, I am so thankful that I am finally recovering & all of the waiting & the surgery is over!! I feel great! I am tired & have to take it easy, but for 2nd day postop I feel good. I am keeping up on my pain meds. The part I did not like about staying overnight in the hospital was that it was hard to keep up with the meds, because I would call the nurse & when they got a chance to make it over, I was already in pain. Getting up & sitting down was tremendously painful for me because I did not realize how much I rely on ny abs. I hope I did not do any damage, because a few times I sat down too fast & felt tearing pain - it was horrible. My stitches were fine though, so I think it is ok. I have one drain in & it is not bothering me.

Once I finally ate lunch & learned how to just use my leg & arm strength, I was fine. I just got home a few hours ago & feel great! My PS opened up my binder for me & it was soooooo nice to not see my pooch, just a gorgeous flat tummy with a nice low scar! Did not see my belly button, because it is under a gauze, but I am sure it is nice! I am so happy & cannot believe I will finally be confident in my bikinis from now on!

After all the worrying & anxiety, I am so happy to be recovering. I am so happy that I did this. My tummy looks so flat & nice!! I feel great today. No bm yet, but took MOM this morning. Had horrible gas pains at dinner last night because I ate too much too soon. Took gas tablets & that relieved me, so I am happy about that. Being more careful now.

My coffee repeated on me a little, so I will have to have 1/2 cup the next few days instead of my full cup. Pain meds working great & staying on them for a few more days. Sleeping great in my recliner. Took a shower & washed my hair today which felt great. I have one drain in, which isn't bothering me much, although it will be nice when it comes out so I don't have to be hooked up to anything!! That is probably when I will start to swell - when they take it out! I am draining about 35 of fluids 3 times a day right now. Seeing my ps this Thursday. Getting up & walking around a bit each hour.

My family has been so supportive & helpful. My mother in law is here for the next 2 days to help, which is great. Then my husband will be home Wed & Thurs.

Thanks for all of your wishes & support! I will post pics soon.

Here are my after photos. 5 days post op. I looked better the first few days. I am starting to look swollen. My scar looks uneven, but I understand it will drop down eventually when I straighten up & my skin stretches.

I had lipo on the front of my lower abs. My belly button looks funny, but it has stitches in it & it will all drop lower & stretch out. I am still a bit bent over. So I don't look so great now, but I know that the swelling will go down & hope when that happens the scar will drop lower!! I will post new pictures when I start to look better.

Here are my after photos. 5 days post op. I looked better the first few days. I am starting to look swollen. My scar looks uneven, but I understand it will drop down eventually when I straighten up & my skin stretches.

I had lipo on the front of my lower abs. My belly button looks funny, but it has stitches in it & it will all drop lower & stretch out. I am still a bit bent over. So I don't look so great now, but I know that the swelling will go down & hope when that happens the scar will drop lower!! I will post new pictures when I start to look better.

Wow, the bruising & incision line look horrible!! Especially in the last picture! I really hate how flat my butt looks from bending over. It is also saggy looking from sitting around a lot!! I miss that butt curve - I hope it will come back when I stand up straighter. My back doesn't hurt too much though.

Now my turn to be patient, like I have been telling everyone else!! It has only been 5 days. The true results will show in a few months.

I have not had a bm yet which I really hope to have soon! Lots of gas though. I just ate some prunes & have been taking MOM the last 2 days. I feel like today will be the day I have one!

Down to 1 percoset every 5 hours or so. Not feeling pain now, which is nice.

I will update soon!

I am now one week & one day post op. I feel terrific!! I am wearing my spanx compression garment with legs & hole in bottom (which I love!). It is so snug & makes me so tiny looking!! It keeps the swelling down big time! I have swelling above my insicion lines & they are going down just from wearing that spanx. I can really see my shape now & it is so pretty! I am loving my belly button now - I can see that it is going to be really cute & small!! Cant even see the stitches. I was very particular about my belly button, so I am glad that it turned out better than I imagined! I am standing straighter with each day. Off all pain meds since 2 days ago. I sleep very well - I am so tired at night, that I just fall asleep & happy that I don't wake up in the night at all now. I am still in my recliner & very surprised that I have been able to sleep in it! I am a side sleeper, so I am pleasantly surprised. I thought that would be my hardest part.

Looking back, the hardest part of the surgery has been the first day that I got up was excruciating for me. I felt like I tore everything open & cried each time the nurses tried to help me. After a few times, that got better. The second hard part was taking so much help & having everyone have to do everything for me. As a mom it is hard being taken care of. But I learned that it is better for recovery & healing if I just give in. It has been hard on my hubby & kids, but they have not complained & I am so greatful for that. My husband works 14 hour days & comes home at 10:30 p.m. to clean up after the cats & kids. I was on my own yesterday with the kids & did well. Mother in law left & hubby back to work. I just took it easy & really appreciated those meals I made ahead of time & froze. They were a lifesaver! One crazy thing that happened was that on Wednesday, an hour after my Mother in law left my husband was cleaning out the freezer & caught his finger in the drawer & pulled it out & broke it!! It is on his right hand which is the one he uses. So my "nurse" spent a good part of the day in the drs. getting xrays! It was such a freak accident.

Another thing I hate is it is hard to breathe sometimes & I hate not being able to take full breaths. That is beginning to bother me now.

But, on the road to recovery & happy I did this. I will post more pics in a few days as more swelling goes down.

I am 12 days post op & feeling really good! My only complaint is that after I eat, it is hard to take a deep breath. That seems to be getting better with each day though. I cannot describe how beautiful my shape is looking right now!! I am getting my hourglass look back & the swelling is going down. I also love my belly button. My tummy is so flat & I can truly see how it is going to look when all of this settles down. The scar is still kinda crooked - higher on one side, but I am not too worried because my PS said that each side heals differently. My lipo bruises are healing well.

I did overdo it yesterday - I drove around too much, running errands to prepare for Easter, Dr. appmnt., getting kids from school, etc., I ended up pretty swollen. I also got my period today, so it was probably a combination of bloating too. I also ate a handful of pretzels & some M&Ms, so that probably did not help much. But today swelling is down a lot & after dropping kids off at school, I am staying home all day & putting my feet up.

Tomorrow is my last full day home to my self so I will go to the mall! That will be fun! I go back to work one week from today, so hopefully I will feel ready. I only work a few hours each day, so that shouldn't be too bad. My kids have half days Mon & Tues. so I will rest up on those days too before going back to work.

I will post pics on my 2 week post op this Friday.

I am 2 weeks today!! I feel great & am getting around fine. I am eating very healthy & proud of myself. My worst part of this was the restricted breathing. It made me feel so suffocated. It is so much better today - I think it has a lot to do with eating smaller meals. I went to my yearly physical today & the nurse told me to also drink tea or hot water after meals to help with digestion. I tried that today & it seemed to work.

Not much swelling yet, so that's good. I can see that it will look so nice soon. I have added pictures & keep in mind that the bloody gross tape from the day of surgery is still on me, so that part looks gross. I love my belly button & am so happy about that! The only complaint is that I seem to have a dog ear - I have added a photo of that. I know, it has only been 2 weeks, so hopefully it will flatten out over time. I also know both sides don't always heal the same. It is ugly & noticible though, so I really hope it flattens out!! Otherwise I am so happy that I did this & feel great at 2 weeks! I did light housework today & feel good. Glad to be getting back to myself again & kids are happy about that too. Hubby working very hard & keeping house clean. So thankful!

I am 2 weeks today!! I feel great & am getting around fine. I am eating very healthy & proud of myself. My worst part of this was the restricted breathing. It made me feel so suffocated. It is so much better today - I think it has a lot to do with eating smaller meals. I went to my yearly physical today & the nurse told me to also drink tea or hot water after meals to help with digestion. I tried that today & it seemed to work.

Not much swelling yet, so that's good. I can see that it will look so nice soon. I have added pictures & keep in mind that the bloody gross tape from the day of surgery is still on me, so that part looks gross. I love my belly button & am so happy about that! The only complaint is that I seem to have a dog ear - I have added a photo of that. I know, it has only been 2 weeks, so hopefully it will flatten out over time. I also know both sides don't always heal the same. It is ugly & noticible though, so I really hope it flattens out!! Otherwise I am so happy that I did this & feel great at 2 weeks! I did light housework today & feel good. Glad to be getting back to myself again & kids are happy about that too. Hubby working very hard & keeping house clean. So thankful!

I am 2 weeks today!! I feel great & am getting around fine. I am eating very healthy & proud of myself. My worst part of this was the restricted breathing. It made me feel so suffocated. It is so much better today - I think it has a lot to do with eating smaller meals. I went to my yearly physical today & the nurse told me to also drink tea or hot water after meals to help with digestion. I tried that today & it seemed to work.

Not much swelling yet, so that's good. I can see that it will look so nice soon. I have added pictures & keep in mind that the bloody gross tape from the day of surgery is still on me, so that part looks gross. I love my belly button & am so happy about that! The only complaint is that I seem to have a dog ear - I have added a photo of that. I know, it has only been 2 weeks, so hopefully it will flatten out over time. I also know both sides don't always heal the same. It is ugly & noticible though, so I really hope it flattens out!! Otherwise I am so happy that I did this & feel great at 2 weeks! I did light housework today & feel good. Glad to be getting back to myself again & kids are happy about that too. Hubby working very hard & keeping house clean. So thankful!

3 weeks post op on Friday!! I can't believe it is 3 weeks already! Today I saw my PS & he took off the steri-strip that has been on since surgery. My scar does not look bad. He said to use vitamin E oil (like Palmers & Bio Oil) & Mederma. I have to wear my spanx garment all day & night for the next week - then he said I can take it off at night, but wear it just during the day until I see him again in 3 weeks. He also said my swelling is not as bad as last week. That "dog ear" could go down, but we'll see. Also my left side is not as swollen as my right side.

I feel really good now. I started walking 4 laps around the track this week. I went back to work & feel tired, but that is normal. Nothing hurts right now, but I do swell when I do too much. I started sleeping in my bed again at 2 1/2 weeks & sleep good (for a side sleeper!). I hate sleeping on my back, but I put a few pillows under my legs & it seems to help.

I will post more pictures on Friday - my official 3 week post op day!

3 weeks & 1 day post op. I really feel terrific now. I took photos. I still have swelling, especially at night, since I went back to work. I am happy with my results so far & realize that I am still swollen. The dog ear on the right seems to be smaller than last week, so we will see what happens with that. The scar is higher on the right side - you can see 2 inches of it peeking out of my underwear - but I know it will fade & I have to keep in mind that having saggy skin is much worse than a skinny scar. No stretchmarks!! I thought I was starting to get one, but it turned out to be some dry skin. I am so thrilled about that! Also when I bend over it is so flat & no sag at all!! So, here are my pictures!

Oh & by the way - I can breathe again!! That is the best feeling!! That part was freaking me out a bit, but so happy to feel good now!

My surgery was exactly one month ago today! I feel so great. I wear my Flexees garment all day - it has no bottom it just goes around my tummy - kind of like a binder but it is like a tube. I like that better than the spanx ones with butt & leg coverage, because I hate pulling it up & down every time I go to the bathroom. Also, I hated how those made my butt look in jeans! I don't wear it at night - my PS told me it was ok. I am hoping the air helps my scar heal.

I feel great - back to normal pretty much! I did my gardening today, played baseball with my family, walk the track. I really hate the scar, but I know it is the trade off. I tried on a bikini today, but it did not look good. My swelling is uneven & the scar is also uneven! As I said a bunch of times, it goes up 2 inches on my right side & looks horrible. But I am applying Palmers & Mederma throughout the day, so hopefully it will fade & I will feel confident in a bikini! I am also sleeping mostly on my left side & that side, the swelling is down a lot more. The "dog ear" is going down, but still there. I heard it could go down fully, to give it time, so I will be patient.

All in all I am happy. My tummy is so flat & when I bend down there is no sag. I just really did not realize how long the recovery was!! I thought I would be in my bikini in 2 weeks!!

I will post new pictures when I feel ready! Hopefully soon!

So here are my 5 week pictures! I still feel great. Get very swollen by the end of the day though, especially because I am doing everything again - cooking, cleaning, laundry, vacuuming, feeding my kids who are hungry all the time, working, etc. I am exhausted by the end of the day! I am careful with lifting still.

I can wear my jeans!! I also see my incision scar is starting to fade with the use of Vitamin E, Mederma, Palmers & Bio Oil - I alternate throughout the day. I heard great things about all those products, so I figured I would try them all!

Last night I had a dream the I did a plank & all my saggy skin was back! So glad when I woke up! I put up pictures of my sitting, because I am just so happy about the fact that when I sit, there is no bulge or saggy skin!! I am so happy right now!

Oh & sorry for soooo many pictures!! I am documenting this for myself too so I can see my changes!

Today I went to my PS for my 6 week visit. He said I look great & that I am just a bit swollen, which is normal, but he sees me looking better than I have before! I really feel great & my scar is actually looking better already! I know it will fade, so I won't worry about it. I don't have to see him for 6 more weeks now! I finally feel like I can do things & feel totally normal now. I can breathe better. I am swollen, but to tell you the truth, it is nothing compared to how I have been eating the last few days! I have been eating clean & healthy from before my surgery to just about 4 days ago. My birthday was this past Tuesday. I had 2 glasses of wine, cake, a big serving of lasagne, McDonalds Fries, cookies (I swear we don't eat fast food often in my house - I am a homecooker! My downfall is Mcdonalds fries & I haven't eaten any since December!!), etc. Also I am bloated from my period coming in a few days. I still wake up in the morning nice & flat, so that is nice! I will make sure to eat better again though! I do not want to gain weight again!

So it was a good visit & I am so happy. Also, I saw my friend this morning who recommended this doctor- her cousin had a TT with him & she said that she can't even see her scar anymore & that she is so thrilled with her results - so that is nice! I do heal well when I get cuts, so I am sure this scar will too.

I bought 2 new bikinis & will post pics this weekend. They should arrive tomorrow at my 6 week post op date!

When I said they should arrive, I meant my new bikinis! I just looked at my post op pictures & cannot believe how far I have come. I almost feel like this is not real!! I can't believe I finally have a flat sexy tummy!

I am 6 & 1/2 weeks post op. I feel so great!! My new bikinis arrived - one is going back because it makes me look like a salad (too many ruffles!). It was cute in the store dressing room, but when I tried it on at home, it was just too much!! I did order a suit from Target, they have some cute ones, so hopefully it looks good.

I literally woke up the morning of my 6 week post op so flat, I was never that flat before! But then....we had my 40th party this weekend & I really ate too much, had a few glasses of wine, so I feel quite bloated. I also did a lot of preparation all week - we had my daughter's 12th birthday party that morning too, so I had to shop, cook, bake & clean the house for both parties. Luckily people brought food, so that helped a lot. I only had to make 2 dishes. So it was a busy weekend & I really have to cut back now, relax & eat my healthy food again! Well, you only turn 40 once, so it was worth it!

I am no longer wearing my garment either & do not notice any difference in swelling. I can finally take full breaths, the breathing problem is gone now!! The last happy thing I will add is that my scar is lightening up now! I added a photo of it, parts of it is starting to turn skin color & other parts light pink - so that is awesome! Palmers Oil with Vitamin E & Mederma throughout the day!

I also want to add that you may already know this, but if you click on the photo, it shows larger - I know my photos are small & hard to see. Just so you know! I do that all the time to get a closer look at other peoples photos! A few people mentioned the weird look of their belly buttons & you can see the change in how mine looked so gross at first & then it started looking better each week.

Okay, I spoke too soon & got way ahead of myself!! By the time I got to work yesterday, I felt so swollen & sore (of course I just had to vacuum yesterday morning!) The jeans that I wear to work, that were actually loose on me were so tight around the waist! I think it was after this past weekend of parties, food, etc. combined with my pre-period bloat. I have never been this swollen! What a difference a few days make! Friday morning I was flatter than I ever saw, last night I was more swollen than ever! I also stopped wearing my garment on Friday, so today I popped it back on. I have decided that I will wear it when I am at work, exercising, doing housework & grocery shopping & when I am busy!! So I think I entered "swell hell"!. I just walked around the track (it finally stopped raining here!) & wore my garment & I don't feel sore at all now. I also have to struggle to avoid those salty carb cravings before my period - that is so hard!!

I know, there are so many ups & downs. It will all look great in a few months! Just had to add that update.

I am 7 weeks post op & can't believe I feel so gross! I must be having one of my "downs". The town pool opened today & I tried on my bikinis & I just look like I obviously had "something done". My belly button is nice, but red, I have a strange pulled look on my abdomen, I am uneven in my swelling, I am swelling very much, my scar is uneven & the dog ear comes & goes. None of my swimsuits that I already own cover it & my scar looks like a tree branch sticking up a few inches out of my suit on one side. It looks horribe!! The other side is perfect. In fact, if both sides looked like that I would feel so much better right now! I cannot believe how upset I am. My period finally came this morning - I have been sooooo swollen & craving salt & carbs & of course, eating them!!!

I do know that this will pass & believe me, I am happy I did this, because the saggy skin is gone & I am flat (at least in the morning!). I know that the swelling goes on for months. I just was not prepared to buy a one piece or a really high bikini. I don't like tankinis at all on me. My legs & thighs & butt are lumpy & bumpy & I really need to step up my workouts. I am sorry to be so down, but I thought this summer I would be strutting around in my bikini by now at 7 weeks! I also feel bad because Everyone knows about my surgery & will be looking for my new tummy & I feel like they will think it was "surgery gone wrong" because I am going to have to hide it. I can't believe I care what they think, but I do. I know it will look good in a few months, but no one else I know realizes the long recovery process of a tummy tuck! I didn't! I don't even look as good as I did last week in those new bikini pictures! I used to get into these "funks" before my surgery. It started with my preperiod bad eating for a week. I realize I am doing it again! I also get this way in the beginning of every swimsuit season my whole adult life! I cannot imagine going into swimsuit season confident! I know that one of these days I will!! I am trying so hard to be patient & thankful!! I just see some ladies results at 4 weeks & they look like they could definately walk around in a bikini then!

Thanks for listening to my horrible complaining. I know it will get better. I will make sure to eat healthy & work on my squats & lunges & arms more. I guess I really miss my workouts. I used to rollerblade 5 days a week, do yoga, pilates & toning videos throughout the week as well & I miss that so much. I know that it is for my tummy's good & to heal well not to do those workouts now, but I really really miss them! Swimsuit season also just snuck up on me (again) & I wasn't prepared for it. I thought I had another month at least. I guess the bad weather we had most of the spring did not prepare me!

8 weeks tomorrow! That sure went fast! My swelling is not nearly as bad as it was this past weekend, my last update. I have been eating better & wearing my garment more. I also have been massaging my belly at night. I think this heat really made it worse. I did not put on the a/c yet - I have been holding out with fans blowing on us in every room. Crazy, I know, but I just can't stand being closed in, even if it is hot.

I wake up very flat so at least I know I will look like that all the time one of these days! As the day goes on I swell, mostly in my lower abs. My scar is looking lighter still which makes me happy. I decided to go shopping tomorrow for a higher bikini or a 1 piece - a sexy 1 piece at least!!

I noticed my oblique area has a bit of loose skin when I bend sideways. He didn't do anything to that part, but did lipo my hip area. The front does not sag at all, so I am really hoping that when all this swelling goes down that I don't get that horrible wrinkly skin back! I have heard that could happen. That was the main reason I got this surgery. It is not stretchmarks because I don't have any at all now - I had 1 before my tt on one side under my belly button & it was removed. I guess we can't be perfect & this is a big improvement from before.

I don't think I will post pics yet because I look pretty much the same, though a bit more swollen than my last pictures.

Other than the swelling, I feel great this week! I sleep very well, no pillows under my legs. My belly button is still changing & this morning it even looked different. Still nice & small, but rounding nicely. I really am happy with how it looks! That was so important to me. I have been doing walking, squats, lunges (to get my butt back!), arms & thigh work. No abwork & still plan on holding off until 6 months (October). I also will wait until then to rollerblade again. I could not imagine getting on those for a while. They were the best butt, ab & thigh toner though!

I am 9 weeks today!! I still swell, but not as bad as two weeks ago, so maybe that was my peak & I am getting better as each week goes on. I do wear my compression garment in the heat & when I work. I feel awesome. My scar is fading, but still bothers me. I know, it will fade.

Sometimes I look at my waist & it looks uneven still & that dog ear comes & goes. I am trying to just not worry about my body until the 4 - 6 month mark. That is when they say you will look like you are supposed to. They also say lipo takes longest to heal, so I will hope that I even out by next summer! I do wake up very very flat which is really nice! As the day goes on, I do swell, but I know it is normal & will end eventually. I have not posted pics because I feel I look the same. I bought another bikini that goes high & it is cute, maybe I will post a pic of it in the next day or so. Still no cardio or abs. I hate to say my thighs & butt look lumpy & bumpy even though I am doing squats, lunges, etc!

On a good note, I was in the dressing room at the mall yesterday trying on dresses for a wedding I will be going to & I was amazed at how when I bent over to try on my dress, my tummy was so flat - I looked 18 years old again! How exciting! No sags or bulges!!

As I posted yesterday, I really think I am finally on the improving end of swelling!! Last night it was not too bad!! So I woke up nice & flat this morning & tried on my new bikini. I don't know what it is with skirted bottom bikinis, but I keep finding cute ones that go up high & cover my scar on both sides - I never wore those before! Anyway, I feel so happy & confident, finally! I can go to the pool or beach & feel good about myself now. I know I will still swell, but I have noticed a huge difference in the past week! So here are my latest photos - they were taken first thing in the morning before a day of eating & being busy.

I am now 10 weeks post op & I truly feel so happy that I did this! My swelling has come way down. I only swell a little now - I think the worst is over! I still wear my garment here & there, but I don't have to wear it all the time. Just at work & when it is very hot & humid. My skin is so smooth & tummy so flat & everything is really starting to look good & natural. I still have not been to the pool or beach, but now that my kids are out of school, I finally feel ready! My tummy doesn't have that "looks like I had something done" look anymore. My bellybutton is not red looking anymore either, it looks so natural! I will post pics at my 3 month post op. I still cannot believe that I am 10 weeks now!! I am on here less & less, but I thank everyone who has encouraged me & shared their advice, kind words & stories. I have enjoyed reading about others recoveries & seeing their photos & beautiful transformations.

3 Months post op tomorrow!!

I cannot believe I am 3 months post op! I added more photos - sorry for so many, but I like to record my progress & I love looking at other peoples photos to see how they change from week to week.

Today I saw my PS. He said that everything is looking great! He did say I am still a bit swollen around my scar & also my lower abs area. He said my scar is thick on the bottom, but not to worry about it. My lipo areas are still swollen & that will still take a while to go down. What is left of the "dog ear" he also said will go fully down on its own - there is swelling there. He said he will see me in 3 months (at 6 month post op).

I swell so much less now. I wake up very very flat. I have not worn my garment at all in 3 weeks. I still apply Mederma & Palmers to my scar & at night I sleep with CVS brand silicone strips. I swear they work because the difference in my scar just from a week ago, after 3 weeks of use, is amazing! So I will continue to wear them nightly for at least 9 more weeks. I bought the small ones & apply 6 of them next to each other. You can wash & wear them for a week. They are not hard to use at all.

I have been eating very healthy & go to the track every evening. I walk 2/3rds each lap of the track & run 1/3rd each lap. I don't like to run too much because it hurts my knees. No abwork still until 6 months. I still do legs & arms.

I still feel faint soreness in my muscles - I guess they are still repairing & nerves are coming together. My tummy is still numb.

I am so happy & when I look at my flat tummy I cannot believe this is for real! I also cannot imagine that if it looks so good now, how will it look after all the swelling is gone & I can tone my tummy?! I will definately post 1 year post op photos!

You can also see the scar popping out on the right side of my swimsuit, but, it is fading now & doesn't bother me as much. I will cover it with sunscreen & a bandage when I go to the beach or pool. I just finally feel so confident in a bikini!

I haven't updated in a while & figured I would let you know how I am doing now at 5 months post op. I feel great & really love my results. I swell very little now. My only complaint is my thick scar, but I looked into it & found out that with patience, it will fade, so I am happy now. I have no regrets at all. I love how flat I am & how I don't have a bulge under my shirts anymore.

I have been very lazy this summer, with the kids home & have not exercised as I should! When they go back to school next week I will be back to my 6 a.m. workouts. I am excited about that. I still plan on waiting til 6 months post op to workout my abs because they are still slightly sore! So, one more month until I can sculpt my abs & that will be so nice. I can't wait until next summer to see how I will look by then.

Wow, looking at my old before photos, I cannot believe that was me! I remember how much I hated having that pooch & extra skin & am so happy with how I look now!

I have not posted new pictures because I look pretty much the same! I will definately post pictures at my 6 month post op update!

Okay...I took a few new photos - just because I figured it is nice to look at photo updates...

On 10/8/11 I finally turned 6 months post op! I cannot believe it! I feel great - all back to normal. My tummy is still numb, but I don't even notice anymore.

I do all exercise, including my favorite - rollerblading! I am so happy to finally be back into my full exercise routine. I did gain a few pounds that seemed to go right to my flanks (which were not lipo'd), but I am not too worried. I don't weigh myself, so I don't know how much I gained over the summer, but I have muffin top over my jeans now, which I did not have before. It has everything to do with all that bread & chips & extra food. Also from hardly any exercise! When I exercise I eat better & then everything will look great.

I posted new pictures, but honestly, they do not look any different than my last pictures. Actually, I may look a bit bigger, because I took these late afternoon & this is my pre-period so I am bloated.

I still have an ugly dog ear that has not gone down at all. I saw my PS today & he said that if I want to, he will fix it, but not until spring. That really stinks because I was hoping to heal over the winter. Now I have to worry about another scar that most likely won't heal before summer & once again, I will have to conceal it from the sun. Ugh. I posted a picture of the dog ear from the back view. The scar is still quite dark, but not as red as a few months ago. I can tell it is fading. I really hope that it fades a lot more, because it is thick towards the bottom. I guess, if it is still thick & dark, I could get it revised along with my dog ear.

All in all I am still so thrilled & have absolutely no regrets. I think my results look natural & my tummy is so flat when I bend over, no sags or bulges at all anymore & that makes me so happy. I love how flat my tummy looks in my leggings & t-shirts.

Today I had my 10 month post op visit. I am finally going to get my dog ear and thick scar revision. My PS will cut out the thick scar and make it into a thin line. He will also lower the right side of the scar to be even with my left side. The right side with the dog ear comes up 2 inches higher than the left side. The left side a few inches healed into a perfect thin line that is barely noticible so I cant wait for my scar to match. He said that the reason I got a thick scar is because of tension and pulling while I was healing. I have to be careful after this so my scar can heal well this time. Revision is planned for 3/23. I will update with pictures before revision and as I heal.

As far as everything else I feel great and love my flat tummy. clothes fit so nice and I am starting to see nice definition in my abs. I was lazy and enjoying too much holiday food and did gain weight over the holidays but I got it under control. I was starting to look like my before photos! I am not kidding. Then I got nervous that I would stretch out my MR and skin so I took control! I do not want to ruin all of this! So the past month I have lost the extra pounds.

I am now 11 & 1/2 months post op. I have not posted new pictures yet, but will on my 1 year on April 8th! Just wanted to let you all know that I went in for my scar revision and dog ear removal today. I am so happy, finally!!

I have made a seperate review on "scar removal" forum. Just to brief you, I put tension on my scar the 2nd day of my tt last year - the nurse tried to pull me up before I was ready and that resulted in me screaming in pain (the pain was excrutiating!) and worse yet, I flung my body straight back onto the hospital bed as a reaction to that pain. So that is where my tension on the scar came from. Can you imagine, 2nd day after tt, hunched over & i quickly straightened - it must have opened the wound at the time a bit too.

Anyway, this revision was outpatient, i was asleep. He completely cut out the top layer of the scar, removed the dog ears and said he would lower the whole scar, so I really hope that worked. I really am nervous about stretching my scar again! I am being very careful. This is not bad recovery. I am lying on my bed, on my back and feel pretty good - with the help of percocet!

I will post pictures soon!

Day 3 - post scar revision. I love the contour of my hips without that ugly lump! It looks really nice. I can see a huge difference & I am so happy about that! I am dying to see if my scar line is thin - I am hoping it is because it was so ugly before! The scar is still high on the right side, but there is only so much lowering that can be done. I just hope it heals into a thin line & I will be happy with that.

I feel good. Yesterday I went to my son's baseball game, but felt very tired & sore when I got home, so I took it easy the rest of the day. Today I went light grocery shopping & also have been resting most of the day. I return to work on Wednesday & cannot do any heavy lifting for a month. I have posted photos on my scar removal review & here as well. I will post photos hopefully of my nicer healing scar on my 1 year TT anniversary on April 8th!

1 week tomorrow after scar revision & dog ear removal. Very happy! The scar is so much thinner, but as you can see in pictures - very bruised & very swollen! The dog ears are gone, but the one side where it was bad is more swollen than the other. The scar line on that side still goes up high, but it is thin, so hopefully it will heal better. I cannot believe the difference in my scar line from my before picture! Much cleaner looking, even & thinner! I am so thrilled! I am super swollen - cant button my jeans so I wear black leggings all the time with my spanx garment. I feel no pain & sleep great. I have not had a percocet or pain pill since Sunday morning. I have been eating very healthy, so I know it is swelling that is making me look rounded. I went back to work Wednesday & my job has lots of running around & heavy lifting, but thank god I work with wonderful caring ladies who are scolding me for not doing too much & they are picking up the pace. I am so lucky!! Happy tomorrow is Friday - so I can rest this weekend. Saw my PS today & he said everything looks great. I am so happy I did this & now I finally feel like I am on my way to my bikini body! Just can't believe I am going through swelling all over again - but so worth it!

So my scar revision went very well & I am still healing. I am over 1 year post op from my tummy tuck & 3 weeks today post scar revision. I have not posted photos as I am not ready. I thought at this time I would be posing 1 year post op in my bikini, but instead, I am still recovering! I am still swollen from the scar revision, I am bloated from my period coming, I gained a couple of pounds from Easter & this past 2 weeks - too much going out with friends & family & too much eating!! No exercising either because of my revision!! So I will post my "1 year" photos when I am ready & feel that I am healed - maybe in a few months. The new scar line is amazing (you can see my separate review in "scar removal" section - but I did not post pics this week due to bloating, swelling & the fact that my camera does not capture it as well as it looks. But I will post photos. I am happy to say that my scar is healing very very well. It is still high on the one side, but I believe it will fade. My dog ears are gone! I cannot wait to start working out again & rollerblading again & getting to where I was hoping to be at this time last year!

One year later I will say - DEFINATELY worth it all!!!! Even with the scar revision!!!!

sorry to not update in so long! i wore a bikini all summer, had to pull it up a little higher to cover the scar, but love my flat tummy. no sag or wrinkly skin at all anymore! i will post pics soon. my only disappointment is that now 7 months after my scar & dog ear revision & 1 & 1/2 years after tummy tuck, my scar on the bottom has thickened again & i still have dog ears on each side!! the good thing is the scar is not at all raised & it is fading, so there is hope. also dog ears should be easily fixed in ps office - i see him this month, so i hope he can fix them soon. i am so tired of looking at the lump instead of a smooth contour! very aggravating!! also 2nd summer having to cover & hide a scar & dog ears! i am so done with that & hope that finally, the 3rd summer after my tt & at age 42 i can finally be fully confident in my swimsuit! sorry to complain & please know that i love the flat tummy, tight skin & cute belly button - i feel so great & have no regrets doing this. just more than ready to see final results & a bit frustrated that it is so long - over 1 & 1/2 years & still not at my final results! my laptop broke & cant upload pics yet so i promise to have them soon!

So I have finally add pictures!! I feel you ladies that are starting out need to see a recovery that is further along. Be sure to scroll to through all of my photos so you can see the progress. I also have to add that I put on 5 lbs. (lifelong habit) this holiday season, but it comes off very fast when I eat healthy again (starting today :)

I cannot believe how beautifully my scar is healing. As you know, I had to have the whole scar cut out 9 months ago & sewn back, along with my dog ear removal. Unfortunately I have to still have dog ear removed & I hope it will be the last time & I can finally fully enjoy my results.

The scar went through stages. 3 or 4 months post was the worst. It was very red & purple. I am noticing it getting better with each week & this past month or so have been the biggest changes. I love how it is now a thin white line. The bottom middle is a bit thick, but nothing compared to the thick ropy scar I had from my TT. That scar was purple & red a year after my TT, which is when I had the scar revision.

Even though I had some ups & downs, I have no regrets & would do it all over again. I love how flat I am, love my belly button, love the curves of my hips, love the muscle tone. 2 things I emphasized with my PS were: must have a tiny cute belly button & must have my curvy hips - hour glass figure. I told him to please not make me straight. I did not discuss scar placement, surprisingly, so definately recommend that. The good part is, the scar does fade drastically.

I exercise a every weekday early in the morning & 95% of the time eat healthy. I cannot tell you enough how great I feel!

Stay tuned for my post dog ear removal update at the end of February & also will keep posting as my scar heals.

I had my dog ear removed 4 days ago & plan on posting 2 year anniversary final result photos in my (nonskirted) bikini on 4/8! Those photos I have up are a few years old lol! I was awake for this surgery, which was very weird! I felt the pressure of the cutting, but no pain & after that I felt nothing as my PS worked on me. He was done in 20 minutes. I am very very swollen, as you will see in the photo - it looks awful! I am bruised too, but it is all to be expected. I am wearing my CG & had put ice on it every day because of how much I was swelling. Only had pain on the first night. Took pain reliever & it helped. Really hope it is gone now! Last time it looked gone, but after the swelling went down a few weeks later a new dog ear popped up. I can't imagine going another year with a lump! But I will think positive, eat healthy & enjoy my results. I am so happy I did this & although this was the longest recovery I would do it all over again. I will post photos & keep you updated as I heal! My scar is healing so nicely & I am thrilled about that!

I want to add that the before photos did not come close to showing how ugly the dog ear looked. I wish I took a few more before photos. You could see it bulging out from my side view & sticking out like a triangle from the back & front angle. It also looked really bad when I sat down - it would bunch up & stick out.

Sorry so many photos! Go all the way to the end to see latest! 2 years post TT coming up on April 8th already!! Can't believe it! Yes, I have been through a lot with my surgery - but all worth it in the end. The dog ear seems gone now - scar fading nicely. I will have to post a new bikini shot, maybe on 4/8! My newest pictures are of me in my size 25 jeans - little bit of muffin top, but I have been exercising & eating right the past few weeks, so no worries at all. I also LOVE my curvy hourglass shape - would not want to lose that. Maybe I need to go up to size 26 jeans - lol! I am seeing definition in my abs - yahoo!! Very happy!

Sorry so many pictures!! But fun to see progress from beginning to the end. The last 5 are my recent pics - look at the difference in swelling from my last photo update! Also marks on my tummy are marks from my jeans. I am happy because those are my lowest underwear & that means I can wear a lower bikini now! Even the part of the scar that is higher on 1 side will fade & no big deal to me.