Tummy Tuck: Stories

I can't believe this thing I've been thinking about obsessively for 3 years is finally happening! I finally got up the nerve last fall to sit my husband down and have a serious conversation about it, and he understood how important it was to me, god bless him. I think he's more worried about the risks than anything, but he's hopeful that sewing my core muscles back together (and fixing my hernia) will relieve my back and hip pain that's been so bad since the birth of my 4th son. I have 3 boys, 3, 5, and 15, and one daughter, 18. I exercise a ton but have this belly that sticks out, and I have horrible muffin top issues with my clothes, so I feel like I can't wear anything trendy, always hiding it with baggy tops. Did I mention I started a new job yesterday, my husband will be starting a new one June 4, and we're selling our house and have to be out June 18? Hahaha it's funny how the universe converges, maybe better to get it all over with at once. Anyhow, you ladies are an amazing bunch and I am drawing so much inspiration from you, thank you for sharing so much!!!!

Had my pre-op on Monday, and the PS was running late and I had to catch a train and was so stressed out I feel like I didn't take the time to ask him all the questions I wanted to. Things have been so busy that I've hardly had time to think too much about my TT, which is good in a way but I'm also starting to feel so unprepared--I haven't gotten my prescriptions filled yet, or any special chairs, beds, pillows, or anything for afterwards. I did get some very loose pajama pants and granny underwear, but that's about it so far. My hubby will only be with me for a day or so afterwards, then he is heading back to our new house to stay with the kids, and I'll be in our almost-sold house for a week with just my in-laws. I hope that's not too weird, we get along great but my MIL is sort of uptight and I'm starting to worry that she'll just be horrified by how I look and feel afterwards, not unconditionally warm and accepting about it. Meanwhile, during that first week PO, they'll help pack up some things for the moving truck, which will arrive on day 5. She assures me that they'll do the work, all I'll have to do is point, but I'm sure it will still be exhausting. (Maybe I'll just be so unable to deal that I'll tell them to throw everything out, which might just be a blessing in disguise :)

It's funny, I quit all caffeine and alcohol a few weeks back, and it took a few days to get used to it (especially the coffee!) but ironically, after that I've been feeling more energetic than ever. This week though I was away for work for a few days and had a few glasses of wine, and I thought I would really enjoy it, but all it did was make me feel crappy! I also quit ibuprofen, which has been tough because of my hip pain.

So I always buy low-cut pants that hit below my gut. Yesterday my hubby and I worked like crazy all day to get the vegetable garden planted, and I ended up with a nasty strip of sunburn at the top of my butt from my pants getting pushed down too low (see photo). I'm hoping the MR will end this unbelievably annoying issue!!!!

Almost there! By this time tomorrow I'll be all fixed up!!!! I took some measurements today (some are a little weird because I'm trying to get a sense of how the whole thing will change):
Bust: 38
Waist: 31
Right at BB (where it is now): 36
Top of hip bone: 36
Top of bikini line: 36
At butt: 38

Also uploading two last before pics, of my lovely muffin top. Will take some after pics in the same pants at some point!
Am nervous, but ready. I'm sitting here grabbing my gut, so hard to believe it will be gone!!!!

Well it's done! So glad to get started on the next leg of this journey. The surgery went very well--we arrived super early, my PS marked me up, met my hilarious anesthesiologist, and next thing you know he was joking to me about something, waking me up from a dream. The first few hours weren't bad at all-- I was all numbed up so not hurting very much, and I had "deep sedation" anesthesia, not general, so wasn't sick at all from that.

My PS doesn't use or recommend binders--he doesn't want anything putting pressure on the area and interfering with circulation and healing. It's a little swollen but not too bad, and I can see what it looks like! And surprise, my PS did lipo on my hips and flanks too, even though I had elected to pass on that because it was too expensive! I'm so happy about that because I kept wondering if I was making a big mistake not doing it, in spite of the $$. My husband was sort of taken aback though, because he didn't understand how he could just go ahead and do it if we "didn't pay for it and didn't ask for it", but I'm not complaining. Dr. Sullivan has been wonderful, and I just keep hearing so many good things about him, what an artist he is, how meticulous, etc. He also called me at home the night before surgery, again in my recovery room last night, and then stopped by to see me today.

The worst part about this right now is having to get up and pee, which I seem to have to do every hour. The pain isn't too bad when I'm lying still (no recliner but tons of pillows on the couch, which is fine), but when I have to walk it really, really burns. I don't want to get dehydrated, and I've been working a chocolate soymilk protein drink all day--I guess it forces me to get up and walk though, which is good. I tried at first to skip the percoset and just go with extra-strength Tylenol, HA! That was a joke. I'm taking 2 percoset every 6 hours, which isn't making me as dopey as I had feared but is controlling the pain pretty well. But now writing this much my eyes don't want to stay focused anymore, so stay tuned for more updates. But oh yeah, I'M FLAT!!!!!!!!!!

So I've been waiting to update my review until my drains came out so I could take a few early "after" pictures. Got them out yesterday, Hallelujah! They quickly became the most annoying thing about the surgery. My recovery has gone very well--I've had little pain after the first couple of days, and didn't use any Percocet after 48 hours PO. I was up and moving around pretty well by day 3, and little by little getting more upright. Still not 100% upright, only about 90%, but close! Went to the PS yesterday to get the drains out and got a first look at the incision- I was really surprised at how thin the line was, and not at all red or angry. It just looks like someone folded my skin over, and sewed it together. I'm hoping this will mean the scar won't be too bad, but I suppose it's too early to tell. I'm definitely swollen above and below my BB, and also over my hips- it's a firm swelling, but my PS said it will take a while to go down. By BB looks beautiful! I also did some research into the binder issue (pro/con), and I learned that not using post-op binders is a more recent trend. While binders do help the swelling stay down, they also are extremely uncomfortable, they interfere with circulation and the healing of the incision and lipo areas, and they increase the risk for blood clots. So right now I may not look as pretty just yet because of the weird swelling, but I'm really happy that I ended up choosing a PS that doesn't use them. I think I'll be really, really happy with the results once everything finally heals!!! Posting a few pics here-- will try to update with new ones as things change.

Almost 3 weeks PO, and wanted to post a couple more pics. Still an awful lot of swelling in front, above the BB and over the hips, but I took the dressing tape off and got a pic of the incision, which I think will look beautiful in time. My left drain hole is still oozing from time to time which is extremely annoying--last night quite a bit in fact, maybe because I overdid it with packing and moving stuff? Can't wait to be healed and totally back to myself again!!!