Mommy Makeover: Stories

So here's my story. I'm 28yrs old, married and mother to a beautiful 5yr old girl (going on 18!). I am a proud active duty member serving with the US Air Force as Security Forces (military cop). I had my daughter two years after joining the military. I went from a petite, physically fit to a GINORMOUS oversized gal. I gained 60lbs for a 7lb baby.. yikes!! Apparently I took the eating for two part above and beyond. Anywho, 5yrs later I've lost most of the weight (can still lose about 10lbs more though) and no matter how many sit ups, planks, Zumba classes I do this belly is staying put! I know I have a strong core but skin not so much! It's all saggy and my belly button kinda droops. It looks like a sad belly button. After much discussion with my husband and a few close friends but mostly finding this AMAZING website I have decided the Mommy Makeover is a great thing for me. Because of my job I was a little bit apprehensive since I knew I would be restricted for quite a bit but thankfully I am getting A LOT of support from everybody! So now I have scheduled my surgery for Sep 28 and I am SO SO excited. Not even nervous.. yet! I was originally just going to get the tummy tuck but the more I thought about it I thought what the heck, might as well throw in the boobs too! My boobs are actually not that bad but figured since I'm going under I would take advantage of it!

Here is how my consultation process went. I want to mention it on here because I think it is so important to pick the right doctor for you! I was deployed when I scheduled my consultations. I scheduled a total of three consultations. Two of the doctors waived the consultation fee and one charged me $60.

First consultation: Drove TWO hours to see this Dr. I found him after reading about him on here and hearing some good stuff about him. The consultation was free. He looked at me, took three pictures and gave me some really basic info on just the tummy tuck absolutely nothing on the breast augmentation. I saw him for maybe 10mins then my husband and I were whisked away to another office where we were given quotes. We drove a total of 4hrs for a 30min appointment.

Second consultation: This doctor was only 30mins away. He was recommended by some friends. Consultation was free. As SOON as we walked into his office the ladies really made me feel comfortable. Filled out some forms and my husband and I were taken to the room where the doctor would be seeing us. First they showed us two videos: one for the tummy tuck and one for the breast augmentation. About 10mins each and really helpful. Then the doctor came in with his assistant. He was AMAZING! He went through EVERYTHING. Pros, cons, side effects, results, goals. I had no questions when he was done because he covered everything. When he walked out the door to let me get dressed, my husband and I looked at each other and we both knew he was the doctor. We were really impressed with his consultation. We were there for almost 2hrs and it was worth it!

Third consultation: Even though I pretty much decided on the second Dr. I thought I would check out the third one just to make sure. Well, the third doctor just confirmed the second doctor was MY doctor! This doctor was also 30mins away. They charged me a $60 consultation fee and they made me wait 30mins after my scheduled appointment. The doctor finally came in looked at me, made me turn around, looked some more then he said "sure, I'll do it." What?! Then he added, you should get lipo on your thighs too, they're kind of big don't you think? I am so glad my job has trained me to remain calm no matter the situation because I just about took this guy out! I just said "sure." I got my price quote and left but not before taking every single candy from their candy bowl! Had to get as much of those $60 back!

Needless to say, I scheduled my surgery with the second doctor. I have my pre-op on the 13th! I'm leaning towards silicone implants right now but I have not fully decided. If I do go with silicone the cost would be $12,800 (it's normally $14,180 but like I said this doctor is awesome!)

All this would not be possible without the help of my more than amazing husband. Although he continues to assure that he loves me just the way I am.. I don't love me. I want my outside to reflect how I feel on the inside. I LOVE my life but I'm still human and my body appearance sometimes makes me a little insecure. My hubby is also active duty so he will be taking some leave to help me out and he will pretty much be single daddy all over again until I am well enough to do things again (I JUST got back from a deployment two weeks ago so he is being a true trooper about being single daddy again! Like I said.. he's awesome!)

Ok, I think I have written and entire novel here. I just want to be as detailed as possible with my experience because I would love to help other people just like some of the gals have already helped me here by sharing their stories.

Here's one thing I would love to hear some opinions about: saline or silicone?! I am currently a 34C. My doctor said the fact that I already have boobs he thinks that most of the implant would be well hidden behind my own breast tissue but he did mention silicone tends to feel more "real" than saline. I get the feeling that he thinks saline would be fine for me but my hubby is scared that they wouldn't feel real enough. Ladies what do you think?!

Oh just in case, for reference: I'm 5'2, 145lbs, 34C (quite comfortable with my weight believe it or not but the Air Force says I'm too fat still! Darn it!) I'll post pictures soon promise!

Tomorrow is pre-op appointment and I'm so excited! Not one ounce of nervousness.. yet! I'll be taking in some shirts to see how I would look with my new boobs! My husband will go with me to ensure I don't go overboard :) Still deciding if I want to silicone or saline! I already told myself that tomorrow I will decide and after that I will not be changing my mind!!!

Ok I had my pre-op appointment on the 13th and it was so much fun! I got to try different sizes of implants and ended up settling for saline 390cc which would make me about a small D cup. I took different shirts and tried them all and it looks like that size would be perfect! My husband was with me and he also got a kick of trying on the different sizes. I also took in undies to make sure that the incision that is being made on my tummy would be hidden by it and he said it would be. And as far as teh compression garment.. ohhhh my! It was a riot just trying to put it on so I can only imagine once I'm swollen and in pain. That's probably why they told me to not take it off for anything for the first week! Not even for a shower! EEK! I got a really long list of medications I should stay away from and other things to expect after the surgery. I also got to pay the remaining balance. Ouch! No worries though because I know I'm going to feel and look AMAZING!! I cannot wait!

So it's less than a week away and I'm so EXCITED! I want to buy new clothes so bad but I know there is no point since I'm not sure what size I will be until weeks after my surgery. Just found out that my mom will for sure be here for a week after my surgery so that will give my hubby a break. They are both being so supportive and I think that is what is really helping me not be stressed and only excited. I've had a couple of conversations with my 5yr old daughter to let her know that mommy is going to be a little out of it for a few days and she is just excited she gets to take care of me. We'll see how long that lasts though :) Now for some BIG NEWS: I have decided to get lipo on my inner thighs too! Eek! I don't know how it came about but I did. My doctor said he would do it but no more. I'm just so sick of my thighs being so darn big! I wear shorts but they will ride up because my thighs are making out with each other. It's going to be a whole new me! Oh and I took some pictures and will upload as soon as I get home!

Just added pictures and they are not pretty! Can't wait to see some results in less than a week though!

Yayyy I did it! My boobs feel fine, just sore. My TT hurts a bit but not too bad. Just finished changing my dressing thanks to my mom and husband. Will go into detail once I feel a little bit more alert! Thank you for the support!!

Post Op Day 1: I slept in our recliner couch and it was actually quite comfortable. My husband laid out pills and to take thm at a certain time. I have a pain pump for my tummy tuck so that helps a lot! My mom and hubby have been taking excellent care of me! I feel incredibly sore but the pAin is not too bad! I ended getting 390cc one boob and 420 in the other. I love them! Havent seen my tummy though but hopefully soon!!! His office staff were incredible!!!! Still loopy so I will chat more later! :)

Post-Op Day 3: Well I don't feel 100% but my progress is amazing! I don't need my walker and I'm off my pain meds! I have no problem doing my hair or make up! My doctor made it very clear my compression garment does not come off for a whole week so I have to shower with it and then blow dry which takes about 30mins! I don't mind so much since my hubby does all the work! My boobs look amazing and they are just a bit tender but no pain. I go in on Monday and my pain pump and one of my drains should come out! I havent been able to see my tummy but you can definitely tell its incredibly flat! The first day was horrible but now I'm just excited to see results!

Ok, I'm going to go back a bit and be a little bit more descriptived with my last few updates:

Surgery Date, Sep 28th: I had to be at my doctor's office at 9am with the surgery scheduled to start at 9:30. It's a 45min drive so I ended up waking up at 6am to shower. My doctor had given me this anti nausea patch that goes behind my ear and I had to place it about 2hrs before my surgery. So I showered, placed the patched and got dressed in stretchy yoga pants and a large buttoned down shirt. Both my husband and mom drove me to my doctor. I was not nervous at all until I said bye to my mom and husband. I was then taking to a room and an IV line was inserted in my arm. The nurses and staff were absolutely AWESOME. They completely put me at ease. My doctor came in and drew all over with a pink Sharpie marker but guaranteed me I would be cleaned up before I left his office! I was then taking to the surgical room where I was completely nude but could care less lol. They covered me in Iodine and laid me on the surgical bed. Last thing I remember is they placed an oxygen tubes in my nose and then I don't remember anything until they were waking me up. When they were done they woke up and transfered me over to the recovery room. I didn't wake up in pain or anything. I did wake up with a compression garment, two drainage pumps and a pain pump. I just felt really drowsy. While in the recovery room the nurses told me I wouldn't remember even being in the recovery room but I actually remember everything. They were so nice. They got me dressed and gave me my meds. I'm not sure how long I was in the recovery room but then I was placed in a wheelchair and taken to my vehicle. My mom and husband were waiting for me. As soon as I got in the car for some reason it was extremely urgent I put on my sunglasses lol. I was awake for most of the car ride and remember everything. Once we got home, I used the walker my mom got for me (a lifesaver!) to get inside the house and then finally passed out on the recliner.. WITH MY SUNGLASSES ON! My hubby and mom thought it was too funny so they just left them on lol. I was in very little pain that whole day of the surgery.

Post-op Day 1: This was the worst day because I was still trying to figure out how to maneuver with all my new gadgets. I found out that our recliner was the best place to sit. My husband bought me a heating pad and it was AWESOME!!! My tummy incision hurt but not as bad as my lower back. I did the mistake of trying to lay in a different position and then I couldn't get back up even with the help with my mom and hubby. I took my pain pills on the hour to avoid any pain. This day I just mostly laid around and let my mom and hubby baby me. It was kind of nice. I also took pics of my boobs this day. I couldn't help myself. I can't take pictures of my belly yet because I'm under strict orders that my compression garment is not to come off. Not even to shower!

Post-Op Day 4: Completely off my pain meds! I can't stand up straight because of the darn compression garment but my belly is FLAT! My boobs are awesome! I woke up, made breakfast helped fold laundry and now enjoying football. I really want to venture out but I just can't hide my pain pump so I'll just have to wait until Monday. I am extremely happy with my surgery. No regrets whatsoever! I have no doubt that I will be feeling 10x better each day!

Post-Op Day 5: Well today I had my first post-op appointment! I've been waiting to see my tummy and let me tell you I am mad at myself for not doing this years ago! I think my tummy looks super flat already but my Dr. says it's still swollen so I can only imagine how much flatter it's going to be! He took one of my drains out and it stung but only for a quick second. My pain pump was also removed but that didn't hurt one bit. I have to continue showering with my compression garment for another few days... boo! I will still continue to wear the compression garment for another couple weeks but atleast I won't have to shower with it. My second drain will come out once I only drain less than 25cc in a 24hr period. Thankfully I have mastered hiding the drain. My boobs are sore from the sides but I absolutely love them. I still can't walk fully upright but I still cruised through Old Navy and had dinner at Olive Garden. My back is killing me now but nothing my awesome heat pad can't cure! I still can't believe that most of my pain is on my lower back and not actually on any of the areas I was cut open lol For any of you ladies worried about the pain it's really not that bad :) My computer had a little accident so I'm unable to post pics but I will soon! I'm so happy!!!!

Finally got around to getting some pictures on my computer! Going back for another post-op appointment tomorrow. I was hoping they would be removing my second drain tomorrow but I'm a little doubtful since I'm still draining about 20cc per day. As you can still by the pictures I'm still bruised and swollen but time will take care of that. One of my flanks is less swollen than the other too but again, hopefully time will take care of that. My boobs are slowly startle to settle and very tender. I cannot fully stand upright yet but I'm getting there. So happy still!

Ok so I had another post-op appointment today. As I suspected my drain is staying put! I got used to the darn thing so I'm not that upset about it. They went ahead and removed the sutures from my boobs and belly button. I cannot believe what a small incision he made for my boobs! It pretty much looks like I got a paper cut underneath my boob :) My belly button is healing, looking a little crusty but I know it will look nice in the end. I still have to wear my compression garment for another two weeks before I can change into just regular spanx. I hate my compression garment. I think it's the worst part of the surgery really. Oh well, two more weeks. I'm standing almost upright but I still hunch a bit. I'm pretty much back to mommy/wife duty but take breaks in between and I'm careful not to bend over. Still no heavy lifting, my hubby is taking care of all that. By the way he is still being absolutely wonderful. I got really lucky! Oh in regards to my clothes! I can wear my jeans, although because of the compression garment they look a little bit bulky from certain angles. All my shirts still fit great and I can even wear the ones that used to be too small for me! I weigh the same as I did on my surgery date which I'm glad because I thought for sure I might gain a few pounds since I haven't been able to work out. I went and picked up a couple of more bras today and it looks like I'm a 36D right now (which by the way was super hard to find in Walmart!). Still extremely happy with the surgery. No regrets!!

Still going! Doing way more everyday. Again, it is still only my back that bothers me and ocassionally my stomach if I sneeze! I forgot to mention yesterday that my doctor told me to use cocoa butter for my boobs since they might get a little bit dry since they were stretched out. Plus it will help out with some of the itching I've been getting. I asked about adding anything to my tummy sutures and he said no. In regards to my stomach, I have sutures on the inside and he used glue for my skin then put some anti-scar tape over it. He does not want me to remove that tape unless it comes off on its own and even then he said he will replace it if it falls off. I added another picture showing how I look with clothes on. I cannot believe the clothes I can wear now. I can't wait until this compression garment comes off because I know I will look even better :)

Another good day! Showered this morning and put on my compression garment in record time! I'm really getting used to that darn thing. I even forget I still have a drain attached to me. Sneezing and coughing makes my stomach ache but that's about it. I'm almost walking fully upright so I still have some aches on my lower back but nothing that a few minutes on the couch can't take care of. My incision has been getting super itchy but I am forced to just ignore it. I went to my daughter's tee ball game today, did some heavy cleaning and feel great. My boobs are feeling super engorged but it's annoying not really painful. I'm doing the daily massages and that seems to be helping to settle the gals. Can't believe I had this surgery only 10 days ago and I feel and look this great! I can only imagine what 10 days from now will feel/look like!

Still going. Boobs doing better but still feeling super engorged. Like I have rocks in there. They look great though. Sometimes I think they look a little bit bigger than I wanted but I don't mind the extra size. I'm sure the swelling will make them go down a bit anyways. My only complaint right now is how ITCHY I am getting. Right around the incision line of my belly. I don't scratch it but it is really, really bad. The incision is covered by tape so I can't really put anything on it to make the itchyness go away. Other than that everything is good. I can fit in my pre-op jeans even with my compression garment, swelling and drain tube. Happy about that. I can probably go a size smaller but I don't want to feel too snug. Almost 100% but not quite. Can't wait for the doctor to give me the ok to start running again. I miss it and I know I'm going to have to work my way back to my pre-op running condition I was in. Oh well.. it is all worth it!

Ok minor set back. Yesterday I was watching TV when my 25lb Boston Terrier decided to sneak up on me. He stepped on my left side where I still have my drain, right by my hip bone. It caught me off guard and it hurt so bad. Well about an hour later it started throbbing and I took some Tylenol. Woke up this morning and it hurt even worse. It hurts like I'm badly bruised. Forces me to limp a bit and not stand full upright like I had been. I checked myself out and there is no bruising and everything looks fine. I'm thinking it just hurts this bad because of my drains. I haven't called my doctor, going to give it a day. Still plan on shopping today so hopefully walking around will make it feel better. Other than that everything is good. My boobs are feeling better, not so tender. Doing daily massages and that seems to be helping. Rubbing cocoa butter on them and that keeps them moisturizes and not itchy, however my stomach incision is still itchy but not too much I can do about that. I still have the anti-scarring tape on my incision so I don't see much point on putting lotion on it. I'm still draining about 25cc in a 24hr period but I'm hoping by the end of the week I can get it removed. Still extremely happy about with my surgery. I'm supposed to go shopping for my daughter but I know I'm going to get clothes for me since clothes shopping is fun now :)

Day 16 Post-op!!!! Finally my left drain has been removed! I was afraid it was going to hurt but it didn't! Dr. Lee assured me I'm healing nicely and from looking at my body I can tell I am. Most of my upper pubic area is still very swollen, what he called the "gutter" area but assured me that over time it will go away. He told me the warning signs if i start to collect fluid in there and to give him a call if that happens. I got to take a closer look at my stomach incision and WOW! The tape really hides how pencil thin the incision is, barely visible!!! I am so happy my doctor uses glue instead of the standard stitches, the end results are amazing! My tape will remain on the incision to speed up and minimize the scarring. I'm 100% better since my dog stepped on me. I'm walking around no problem. Right after my doctor removed my drain I headed straight to Old Navy and I had SO MUCH FUN SHOPPING!!! I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to fit to size SMALL because of my boobs but nope, all my shirts are small now!!!! I love my body, the new me! Oh and the best part, on Weds I can change to regular spanxs! No more compression garment!!!! My boobs are doing great, they are a little bigger than I wanted but not too big where I'm upset about it. Again, I am so HAPPY with my surgery. No regrets!!!

Ok so maybe another minor set back. Maybe. I am going to call my doctor in a few to confirm. It looks like my belly button might be infected. It still looks great but it's been oozing a bit. It's not painful and hasn't slowed me down one bit but I know it needs to get taken care of. It's partially my fault. I was not super careful while I was drying and took off a tiny scab on it. It bled a bit and the next day I realized something wasn't right. Again, not too worried but will take care of it ASAP. I'm feeling great now. Going to go shopping for some spanx since I can start wearing them on Weds. I'm so happy because I hate the zippers on my compression garment! I'm really bummed my doctor hasn't given me the ok to work out because I'm dying to just go on a run!! Surprisingly I haven't gained weight. It's been the opposite, I've lost about 4lbs since my surgery. I attribute that to watching my diet since I knew I couldn't work out, cutting out soda and drinking plenty of water! Gonna upload some more pictures! Very happy still!

Ok so it turns out I did have a minor belly button infection but nothing that a little Neosporin and hydroger peroxide couldn't cure. I am out of my compression garment and moved on to just regular spanx. My doctor wants me to wear spanxs for at least 3 more weeks. Fine by me. I got so used to them and it makes me feel "together". I am still not allowed to work out aside from walking until 6 weeks post-op. I feel like I'm ready but he says nope. I still haven't returned to work although if I knew I would be returning to light duty I am confident I would have no problem. I am sleeping in my bed now which is nice but I do toss and turn a whole bunch. I'm a belly sleeper and still doesn't feel right if I try to sleep on it. My flanks are still a bit bruised and you can feel lumps where scar tissue is trying to build up but daily massaging has been helping. One of my boobs has dropped more than the other but the doctor said that's normal since one had more cc's put in it than the other. Again, daily massages should take care of the problem. All in all everything is pretty much back to normal. My belly doesn't hurt but doesn't kinda feel funny because it's still very numb. According to my doctor it will feel that way for a bit because of all the muscles and nerves need to re-attach and until they do so it will feel numb. He said that soon I won't even notice it. Still very happy I had this done. I feel so much better in my clothes. I'm a small in my shirt size now and I know I have dropped at least a jean size but I don't want to go and spend money now until all my swelling goes away. Best thing I have done! Ladies I promise you that you will not regret it!

I went to the pumpkin patch today with my daughter and husband. I wasn't sure it was a smart idea because it involved a whole bunch of walking and a bumpy tractor hay ride out into the pumpkin patch but you know us mothers.. we can't say no to those adorable faces. I did everything I would do at the pumpkin patch minus carrying them, my husband did that :) After the pumpkin patch adventure we had lunch and ran a few more errands too. Came home and vacuumed, did some laundry and swept the kitcher. Well it sounds like a full day and it was BUT I am happy to report that I am swollen but not any more than I usually am at the end of the day! It seems like my recovery is well on it's way to being 100%! I posted some pictures on my Facebook about our fun today and friends couldn't stop saying how great I looked. I have to admit that feels really good! Ladies don't be nervous, this is awesome! :)

Oh I forgot this information. Somebody asked me earlier how I hid my drains from the world when I decided to venture out of my house. Well, I was lucky enough to fit into my pre-op jeans fairly quick. I would just tuck the drain in my jean pockets and have a shirt cover it up. I put up a picture so you could kind of see what I mean. If you are wearing yoga pants, the drains come with a little clip. Just clip to the inside of the pants or your compression garment and again a shirt to cover it up. I had one drain for three weeks so I became a pro on hiding it! :)

So I'm not sure how I have been so busy these past few weeks but I have. It will hit my 3 month mark since my surgery in a couple of weeks. I can't believe it has been that long! I LOVE my results. I cannot express how happy this whole surgery has made me. I am back at work and doing just great. Back to working out with no limitations. I work 14 hour shifts with about 10lbs around my waist (gear) and sometimes I might be slightly swollen but for the most part no huge issue. Shopping is great. I now wear a Small or X-Small. A Medium is too big! No way I though that was ever possible. I lost TWO pant sizes and my dresses fit awesome! My boobs are still a busty 34DD. Was really going for a single D but now that I have DD I LOVE them. Again I cannot stress enough how great this whole experience has been. I was extremely lucky that my family and friends were all very supportive. I will post more recent pictures soon to show off my incision. My incision looks 10x better than I thought it would ever do at this point. Happy, happy, happy!!! :)

Added a couple more pics. Will add more soon!