Tummy Tuck: Stories

So I'm 40 years old and have 2 children ages 19 & 16. Within the last 3 years, I lost 60lbs on Weight Watchers, became a lifetime member and at 140, I still had a skin apron and a protruding top belly. I felt that all my hard work didn't pay off. So, I have been struggling to maintain the weight I lost. However, it has been hard 30 lbs heavier and 3 years later, I decided to do something about it. Last year I had gotten a carecredit card for Lasik procedure and realized I could actually get a tummy tuck.

So a few months ago, I started researching. I went to 4 consultation meetings, and when I went to my PS I felt like I had found the one. I looked into my doctor because he was recommended by carecredit. I checked out his website and was impressed that he had been on 20/20 and the View and had lots of pictures on his website.

At my consultation, we sat down and spoke, but he just didn't talk to me, he examined my body. He pushed and pulled skin and explained what would I would look like. He explained where my scar would be and what it would look like. He took pictures. I had a tummy tuck, with muscle repair and lip of the hips.

I met with the patient coordinator and set the date. It was important to me to have the procedure right at the end of June because I am a teacher and wanted the summer to heal.

I came back 2 weeks after (it was also 2 weeks before my date) and paid the balance and met with the doctor again. He answered my questions in regards to lipo of the hip area. He showed my pictures of other patients that had similiar bodies to me.

Pros
very detailed doctor
attentive staff-emails, phone calls, etc..
1 night stay at a wellness center
Even though my PS explained that he will see me the next day, 6 weeks, 3 mos, 6 mos and a year. When I called about a concern the had me come in right away.

Con
New Jersey (30 mins. away from where I live)

4 weeks post op today. I'm feeling good except for the swelling in the afternoon/evening. I can stand straight, but when i get tired i shrink. :). Still sleeping on my back and last night i slept on my side for a couple of hours. I still need help getting out of bed... I have done it a couple of times but theres so much strain on the tummy. I can't pick up things that drop on the floor yet and i have been butterfingers! I have found ways to shave my legs and lotion my feet. :)
:) my doc removed 7 lbs of skin and I've lost another 7....so 14 lbs in 4 weeks. Yay!
My ps also doesnt want me to put anything on the scar for 6 weeks. He also does a different kind of stitch than what many of you ladies have. However its beginning to flatten out. Ive also have had some superficial skin separation on the corner of my pubic hairline. My doc says its because thats where the most tension is. It is scabbing now. My doc says that means that that little area's scar when healed will be 1/4 of a cm. Thicker than the rest of my scar. He said the could revise it but we have to wait. Also, i am still stuffing my bb with gauze 3 times a day till the end of this week.
My lipo bruises for the most part have gone away or have turned grey. The areas dont hurt only when i touch it. I havent had any stinging. Still have some lumps which are areas of scar tissue that need to heal. They are not visible but when i touch them (2) i feel them.
Mentally, ive been ok-aside from the one day before my period but thats it :) i still have no regrets. I didnt realize how long the healing would be and what it entailed (even though we're told) but it's still worth it .
I have been a pain in the butt calling, emailing and making extra appts. But i feel that i want to make sure everything is healing the way its supposed to be healing. I have another appt tomorrow.

Mentall






Havent worn any type of compression garment-ps prefers i dont, and i dont think i could deal with more tightness.

Sorry for typos and spacing...typing on my ipod is sort of new! :)

29days post op
Went to the doc today, wasnt one of the scheduled post op visits, but wondering about my belly button still. I guess i must have become a big pain with all my calls, emails, sending images, etc...because i was seen by both dr. Capella and Scott his PA. They explained about the belly button and tension. They reassured me my bb was normal and that i could stop stuffing it with gauze.

I will return in 2 weeks for my 6 week visit. My bf wasnt happy that we drive 45 mins to get to the dr. Office for a 10 min visit, "only to reassure me". Its really hard bc my doc does thing completely different, so i cant compare when it comes to some things. I guess i will listen and relax. :)

Aug 2nd-5week anniversary of my tummy tuck, w/ muscle repair and lipo. Well so far I'm ok. My scar is healing. My belly button is healing slowly. I am grateful for not having to have stitches or staples removed and for not having to wear and binder/ girdle, etc... I couldnt do it when i was heaver with a big tummy. I have realized that I am not as quick a healer as most of you ladies: maybe because my tt went around to my hips, maybe because I wasnt at my perfect weight or a gym person... But I am getting there. I started sleeping on my sides and lying down flat with only a pillow for my head. This weekend I started painting my kids room, with lots of their help but Ive been on the ladder, with the roller etc... Yesterday I did do 4 loads of laundry and clean my kitchen and bathroom....I am not in extra discomfort but I do take breaks. I am still swollen by the end of the day I am up 2lbs and 2 inches across my bb. I have been doing my weight watchers and have lost 8lbs on top of the 7 that was taken out in skin and fat. :). However, none of my clothes (pants,stretchies, panties) fit me or are too snug which by the end of the day is very uncomfortable.
Havent started any scar treatment yet (as per doc) but I ordered the silicone sheet from makemeheal.com.
Hoping that in 2 weeks I will be able to enjoy my vacation to loscabos, Mexico with my boyfriend. Ttfn

Okay ladies...tomorrow I will be 7 weeks PO!! I can't believe so much time has passed. I also can't believe how much patience one has to have to go through the recovery. :)

Overall I am feeling good. I have lost 19 lbs since my surgery (7 skin and fat-the rest on weight watchers), so that is great! But I still feel like my healing process is going slowly. I still have lots of swelling at night. I miss sleeping on my stomach. And my belly button and a small section on top of my pubic are are still healing, there is till some some scabbing. My PS is not worried about it though. My PS does not believe in scar therapy but I did go ahead and get a silicone strip (even though I can not use until my scab falls off), and maderma.

Interestingly enough, the dark spots that were caused by the tape, which I thought was adhesive-really is my skin's reaction to the tape. My PS has seen before and said it will go away. He recommends not putting anything that has vitamin A and E.

I got the okay to start easing myself into exercise-no elliptical or P90x yet, but walking on treadmill is okay. He said 1 to 2 miles per hour.

Waxing okay, was told to stay away from the scar, so I am thinking of leaving a strip of hair and waxing the rest.

I have been lucky enough to be off work for the summer. I go back in 2 weeks. Today, I went in to fix up my office, had lots of help. My children and beau are spoiling me.

I still can't fit into my pants, well to be honest, with the scab-healing area, I haven't even tried. However, I got lots of dresses (with a waist) and they look great.

I still can't visualize what my tummy will look like by 12 weeks. My tummy is flat for like the first 20 mins of the day and then I get my swelling back-not bad but enough...until the evening. Counting the weeks.

I go back to my PS on my 12 week. :)