Mommy Makeover: Stories

I am getting a full tummy tuck, breast augmentation and breast lift. I am 38 years old and have 3 kids - a 19.5 year old son, an almost 15 year old daughter, and an 8 month old son. I was pregnant with my oldest son at 18 and gained too much weight too quickly and, well, I got stretch marks. Yes, a healthy baby boy too (can't imagine my life without him!), but at 18, stretch marks on my belly was a tough pill to swallow! I never got any new stretch marks with my daughter or my youngest son (I gained a reasonable amount of weight with both of them), and with my oldest kids I managed to always regain the muscles in my abdomen so that they were flat ... but after this last pregnancy my muscles separated and I now have a pooch that will not go away no matter how much I diet and exercise (I've tried, I really have!) I consulted with Dr. Cohen in April and since his first available surgery date wasn't until August 15, we paid the $500 deposit to hold the date. I've thought about it off and on since that date but now that I'm down to under a month and my pre-op appointment is just 5 days away (Friday, July 27), it's all I can think about.

Sometimes I get really anxious when I think too much about it. The fear of the unknown is certainly my biggest fear (does that even make sense?). I am beyond excited to finally be getting this done but so nervous! Dr. Cohen said it will be about an 8-hour surgery ... I hope I wake up from that (one I my biggest fears for sure!) The last time I was under anesthesia was when I was 4 and had my tonsils out. Obviously, I don't remember a thing! So that part scares me. I am worried about the recovery, the drains, the not being able to care for/interact with my 8 month old son. We have a nanny who will take care of him during the day while my husband is at work and she is really good with him so I guess I shouldn't worry but I just wonder how long I will be "out of it" to where I can't even sit on the floor and play with him (never mind picking him up). I don't know how I even stumbled on this site - and I debated creating a profile at all (and just read instead) but if nothing else it might prove therapeutic for me ... and may be interesting to read over when I'm all done and healed up! Soooo yeah ... 25 more days and counting!

Sorry for the sideways pics ... I didn't know how to fix that! :(

19 days post op. I feel depressed, sad, lonely, bored. So tired of sitting around and doing nothing. My 6 week post op appt with my PS is Sept 27 ... 24 more days! Anyone else so over their recovery? I want my life back!

I am 3 weeks post op today. I stepped on the scale and was surprised to see the number - 113.8. I am 5'6" so I am happy with this number :)

Yesterday I drove for the first time and I was absolutely fine ... I'm sure most are driving long before this but I have been extra careful because I am paranoid of hurting something and setting myself back. I also was out and about for several hours yesterday - including a trip to Target and getting my hair cut and colored. I feel like now that I am ok driving, I will go out and about a little each day in an attempt to get my life back! I didn't take Percocet all day yesterday and for the previous week before that, I was taking 1 or 2 a day.

My newest "pain" has been the sharp, shooting pain in my breasts. My PS assured me this is normal but wow can those pains hurt sometimes! They really catch me off guard and it feels like someone is stabbing me. I am looking forward to that going away!

I am standing up about 90 percent straight (see my side pic from today). My abdomen is still tight from the muscle repair and all the pulling he did, but it's certainly better than it was a week ago.

My biggest frustration is that I'm still sleeping in the recliner. I am just not comfortable on my back or my side in bed. I never would have thought I'd be sleeping in a recliner 3 weeks out!

Counting down to my 6 week post op appointment on Sept 27 ... only 22 more days!

I'm 25 days post op and am so swollen it's depressing! Suppose I am not drinking enough water or maybe not eating as light as I should be. We've had alot of family events that revolved around food, of course, and another one tomorrow! I keep looking at my intra op pic and my belly IS flat - so I know that I will get there but I think I need to do something drastic to help my body along. Perhaps a few skipped meals is in order.

I am standing almost entirely upright but the upper center of my abdomen is tight and by the end of the day hurts after standing up so straight. It definitely still pulls!

Sneezing hurts ... My abdomen goes into spasms! Ouch!

I'm wearing a sports bra and high waisted Spanx 24/7. Kinda over those but it feels weird without the Spanx on. I'm ready for a real bra though!

I've been overly cautious about doing too much so as not to pull or strain anything. My 6 week post op appt is Sept 27 ... I'm counting down the days!

I am 4 weeks post op today. I don't feel a whole lot has changed since last week, especially with regards to the swelling. I am seriously over the swelling and don't feel it will subside anytime soon (according to several other reviews on here) Ugh ... Frustrating. The nerve pain in my right breast (the only one I was experiencing this in) has subsided. The only thing I do feel, which is weird, in my right breast only, is a strange sensation when I lay on my right side - it feels as though the implant is shifting to the side - or when I bend down to pick something up - it feels as though the implant is moving forward. It's a very odd sensation and it only happens in my right breast. It has been happening for awhile and I called my PS yesterday and she said it sounds like the muscle contracting. Has anyone had this experience? I sure hope it doesn't last long because I miss sleeping on my right side. I typically flip from left to right all night long so I'm having a hard time getting comfortable and usually end up back in the recliner ... damn thing, I thought I'd be rid of it by now!

I am standing almost entirely straight but by the end of the day my upper and middle abdomen is really sore. I have still been taking it pretty easy so as not to hurt anything and set myself back. Only 15 more days until my 6 week post op appointment.

Hope everyone is doing well.

I forgot to mention that I went to Victoria's Secret yesterday and got measured for a bra (my PS said I can wear a non underwire bra now instead of a sports bra). Anyway, she measured me and I was a 32DD (sister size being a 34D). I was surprised by this as I don't feel I LOOK like a D (which sounds big to me as I was barely an A before surgery). My PS said that Victoria's Secret has a tendency to be sized larger than other bra manufacturers. Makes sense as that makes for good marketing and feeds our confidence, right? Having said all of that, I am 100 percent happy with my breasts and wouldn't want them even a tiny bit bigger or smaller ... they are perfect for me! :)

I am 5 weeks post TT, BA, BL (tomorrow). I am going to Mexico in 3 weeks and want to start tanning before I go. I asked my PS and of course they are so against tanning beds and just said I should spray tan. Well, I am not a fan of spray tans and so I am going to tan a little bit before I go otherwise I will fry as the sun is so HOT there. So here's what I was told: don't expose your scars to the sun as it affects how they heal/fade. I have been doing a bit of research and I found Mederma for scars that has SFP 30 in it. If I use this in the tanning bed, is this enough or should I wear a bikini as well? Also, I have heard that the skin on the tummy is really sensitive to sunlight as well so I'm thinking about putting sunscreen on it (or maybe covering it with a towel). All thoughts and opinions greatly appreciated!

Today I am 5 weeks post op. I feel about 80 percent back to normal. I say 80 percent because my mid/upper abdomen is still sore, especially at night after being active throughout the day. And when I say active, I really mean lightly ... going to the mall, out to get Starbucks, errands, etc. Nothing crazy! I really try to take it easy still and am not out all day, everyday. My stomach hurts like CRAZY when I sneeze, cough or laugh. I am pretty much used to my breasts and absolutely LOVE them! They are very sensitive though so putting on a bra in the morning (and sports bra to sleep in at night) I have to be so careful.

I tried to take my 10 month old out of his high chair yesterday but it really pulled in my abdomen area. I had the nanny take over. Speaking of, we still have our nanny full time from 6 am - 6 pm everyday. I really couldn't do this without her. Originally we told her we'd need those hours thru 6 weeks, but we are now going to extend that to 8 weeks. After that week we go to Mexico for a week (she's coming with us, of course) and hopefully by the time we get home (I will be almost 10 weeks post op) I should be 100 percent better!

I am wearing a non underwire bra most days and a sports bra to sleep at night. I am supposed to use an Ace bandage (in lieu of massaging the breasts ... and this is because I had a lift using Strattice). I only wear the Ace bandage when I'm hanging around the house. I wear my Spanx 24/7. I have gone without them a time or two and I notice by the evening I am more swollen and even sore. I really like how they hold me in.

I start out sleeping in my bed at night - on my left side (my right side isn't comfortable for some reason) - but halfway thru the night I usually end up in the recliner. It really is just more comfortable for me. My poor husband! haha

My scars are healing well I think. I have my 6 week post op next Thursday (9/27) and I'm anxious to hear what he has to say about my healing. I bought New Gel scar sheeting but haven't used them yet, pending my PS approval. I do feel that the bruising near my belly button and the look of my hernia repair looks worse in pics than in person. Hard to believe but true ... perhaps it's the lighting as the bruising looks bad in pics but really isn't that bad.

I am not sure that alot has changed from last week to this week, but I posted new pics. My scale is still hanging in at my regular pre-op weight of around 113. Fine by me. I was so worried about gaining (my PS said to expect anywhere from 1-15 lbs) I didn't gain anything.

I hope everyone is healing well. I find myself reading more stories on here lately and enjoy watching everyone's progress!

I am officially 6 weeks post op today. I am feeling about the same as last week and I'm going to say 80 percent back to normal. I took care of my 10 month old son by myself all day yesterday and I was really sore by last night. Our nanny was back at 6 am today to help out. I guess I'm not ready to do it all yet! I admit I still sleep in the recliner (I really find it more comfortable than my bed these days!) I have been wearing my Spanx 24/7 still so I think that helps with the swelling. I do feel the swelling has been very minimal these days and I couldn't be more pleased! I am 100 percent satisfied with everything!

I have an appt with my PS tomorrow so I suppose I should have waited until tomorrow to post this (curious to see what he thinks of everything) but I will post again after my appt.

Today was my 6 week post op appt. I do have one small divet (about the size of half a pea) on a stitch on my left breast but he said to put Aquaphor on it 2x a day and it should heal on its own. He said my scars are very clean and flat which is amazing at this point. He is very pleased with my healing. I do still have some bruising around my belly button but he said that will surely fade within a month or so. I had bought New Gel scar sheeting and I asked him if I should start using it and he said that I don't really need it. Well there was $175 wasted. He said I could use it if I want but my scars are so flat that it most likely won't make much difference as scar sheeting is for raised scars. I was cleared to exercise again and he said to start out with 15 minutes a day and increase that time each day based on how I feel. 15 minutes? ugh ... my legs and butt need at least an hour a day! I know it's a process but man, it sucks!

I asked my PS about the tightness I feel in my abdomen when sneezing or laughing too hard (yes, this STILL is happening 6 weeks post op!) and he said it's totally normal and may stay that way for several months. Speaking of my abdomen, it is still very numb and I was told it may take 12-18 months to have full feeling again. It's such a strange sensation when my 10 month old son leans against it!

All in all, I am feeling pretty good (I just posted yesterday so see that post for more info). I can't wait until I can post 6 MONTH pics! :)