“Loving my new tummy!”

i am 41 years old and a mother of three grown children. I can't believe I am really going to have this done! I have been dreaming about this for 17 years! I will post my before pics at a later time. I love this website!!

Updated on 29 Jun 2011:
Ok, well here are my before pictures. Not very pleasant, I know. I'm so excited!! Sassy, I'm not really nervous yet but I'm sure that will happen when I have a day or two before! I too, keep looking at before & after pics and can't wait to see what my "after" is going to look like. I know it's going to be a rough recovery but I am bound and determined to stay positive and to know that I am going to have what was once mine (flat tummy)!!

Updated on 5 Jul 2011:
Well, I purchased my wedge pillows today! Kinda crazy to get excited about pillows huh? It just cements the thought in my head that I am actually going to do this....FINALLY!! Anyway, I go to my pre-op appt. this Thursday and my sister in law is going to go with me. I just figured it couldn't hurt to have an extra set of ears because I may forget something. Then her and my mother in law are going to help me shop for some comfy but stylish clothes for my recovery. I don't want to get much, just enough to get me by. I am so thankful that my family supports me in this decision! Yay!! My husband is excited for me because he sees how excited I am about the whole thing. I told him he was going to have just as much fun as I was with my new flat tummy! ;)

Updated on 8 Jul 2011:
Well I went to my pre-op appointment yesterday. I paid the docs fees and the surgery center fees too. That ALMOST hurt, almost. ;) Now all I have to do is wait for a little over a week and then I will be ready to go! Yay! I can't wait!!

I did ask my doc about a binder and if I should purchase more and he said he uses Spanx. I was kind of surprised but he said that the binders rub and pinch the drains so much that they can make you even more sore than you already are! Plus, I don't even wear Spanx until my drains are out. So that was a pleasant surprise! I also requested a pain pump. He said that not many people around here request those because they cost extra... SO WHAT?! If it is going to make my recovery a little more bearable, then I am all for it. He said it seems like people in OK want to tough things out but not me! I'm a wimp!!

My wedge pillows came in yesterday too! Everything is coming together and it is still just so hard for me to believe.

My sister-in-law and mother-in-law went with me to my appointment yesterday and it was really nice to have their support. We even went shopping for post-op clothes. I had a lot of fun, but those ladies can sure shop! I was beat by 6:00 p.m.!! LOL!

ONLY 10 MORE DAYS(not counting the day of surgery)!!! WHOOP!! WHOOP!!

Updated on 11 Jul 2011:
Only 8 days left!! YAY!!

Updated on 12 Jul 2011:
I posted this on a forum earlier but decided to add it to my review as well.

Well my husband has a cold and I'm due to have my tt next Tuesday!! I have been cleaning with Clorox wipes and spraying Lysol like a mad woman. I don't want to have a cold during my recovery. The thought of coughing and sneezing afterwards scares me to death!! =:-O I may get some of those Zicam swabs just in case. I have used them before and swear by them. If you all can think of anything else I need to do to prevent this cold, please let me know! I am also washing the sheets and blankets daily and towels daily. I know that's probably overkill but it makes me feel better. I'm a little OCD anyway! ;)

Updated on 18 Jul 2011:
Woohoo! Tomorrow is my day! I'm so excited and can't believe it is really going to happen!!!

Updated on 23 Jul 2011:
Well I am 4 days po today and I already hate these drains. I had my pain pump removed on day 2 po and it hurt like a B#%?$! Yesterday was a bad day for me because apparently I haven't eaten enough before I was taking my percocet. Needless to say, I was pretty sick yesterday but feeling better today. I just quit taking the pain meds and take extra strength tylenol when I need it. I can handle a little bit of pain before I can take being on the verge of vomitting all day!

I got to see my tummy on day 2 po and I love it!! This surgery and recovery is brutal to our poor bodies but I think it's going to be well worth it. Just don't ask me right now if I would do it all over again because you will likely get a "hell to the no!!" Lol

I will try to post some pics in the next few days or so.

Updated on 24 Jul 2011:
Well I had my first shower tonight and it was amazing! My husband just jumped right in with me and washed me. I love that man more every day.

Updated on 26 Jul 2011:
Well I went to the dr yesterday and actually got one of my drains removed. Yay! I have to go back Thursday to get the stitches out of my belly button and hopefully take this other drain out.
Is it just me but this is now day 7 po and I still haven't really had a bm? I feel so sick and the dr said take milk of mag so I took some yesterday and some today and still nothing. I have eaten prunes and taken colace and I'm so sick of water but I'm still drinking it. He said it will work out but not to stress about it. I just want to go and start feeling better.

Updated on 28 Jul 2011:
I'm supposed to go to the dr today to get the stitches out of my bb and I was HOPING to get this drain out. Unfortunately, the drain is probably going to have to stay put until Monday. There is still just too much output right now. DANG IT!! I'm so disappointed :( There probably won't be much come Monday but since the weekend is about here I guess I don't have much choice.

Updated on 28 Jul 2011:
Ok so my day went better than planned. My dr went ahead and took out my drain!!! Yay!! He just told me to take it easy the next few days and to wear my spanx 24/7. Didn't think I was ever gonna get those suckers on! =:-O

Updated on 1 Aug 2011:
Ok I was worried when my ps took out my drain when I still had an output of 45 cc's and my worries were correct. I have to go in tomorrow and have a seroma aspirated. :(

Updated on 2 Aug 2011:
So my dr decided not to aspirate my seroma. He said I had a minimal amount of fluid but he did put me on an antibiotic as a precaution.
I also asked him how much fat and skin he removed and he said about 1 3/4 liters of fat and about 5 lbs of skin! Wow! I never would have thought that I had THAT much!! I need to take some pics to post... Hmmm, I will have to work on that.

Updated on 5 Aug 2011:
Wednesday was my first day back to work. I stayed for the full 6 hours and thought it was a little much so now I am only working half days. So glad I have that option. I have a desk job but have to climb a couple flights of stairs when I get to work and when I need to go to the bathroom since the elevator is having repairs done. I think that's what is tiring me out so much. I have been drinking so much water that I have to go to the bathroom quite often.

Updated on 7 Aug 2011:
I am almost 3 weeks post op and feel great!! I'm standing up straight and back to work, doing light housework and cooking again. Oh the things I normally despise feel so good to me right now. :) I have some tightness and swelling still but that is to be expected. I will be glad when I can quit wearing these spanx! When it's 113 degrees outside it is pretty unbearable with these things on too! Love my new tummy!

Updated on 16 Aug 2011:
I just wanted to update some post op pics! I'm so excited about the results!! These are 1 month post op.

Updated on 31 Aug 2011:
Ok so I am now 6 weeks po and I'm feeling better than I expected to. I saw the doc last week and he said he doesn't need to see me again unless I have a problem. I figured he would monitor me longer but that's ok. I don't necessarily have a burning desire to go to the dr anyway. ;) He also cleared me for ab exercises but I'm a little apprehensive about that so I haven't started an ab routine as of yet. I am back on the elliptical and am feeling great that I can really work out now!

I do however have a question for whoever can answer it. When does this shelf look go away? I'm talking about the area directly below the incision is flat but then above the incision it protrudes a little. I hope it will all flatten out over time, but wasn't sure if this was still swelling. I know my belly button is still swollen and looks kinda funky.

Updated on 9 Jan 2012:
Well I am now 5 months 3 weeks post surgery! I love my new tummy or lack thereof! I even got my belly button pierced over the weekend! A little silly for me since I'm 41 but something I have always wanted to do.