Tummy Tuck: Stories

First of all....I want to say hallelujah for this website. It is so nice to be able to hear other women's opinions and concerns about the procedure they are having. After having my daughter 11 yrs ago and nursing for 3 yrs....8 yrs ago I had a breast aug to fill the tissue that was left deflated. At 32 yrs old I wasn't ready to get a lift so I went pretty large to fill up my breasts. Anyways I was left with pretty big breasts....DD!!! Granted I am only 5'3" 108 lbs!! Needless to say I have felt out of proportion for a long time. My bust has also contributed to my dismay about my tummy....bigger boobs especially on a small girl make you look top heavy and thick in your tummy area especially if you're wearing anything other than a tight tank top!

 

So for my 40th bday on 2-18 I decided to get an implant exchange to a smaller silicone implant and a lift. This is a no brainier for me....I would love a perky C cup breast :).....hence the tummy issue comes into play. It has always been my Achilles heel. I am a tiny person but I gain weight in my middle and my breasts. This is my conundrum ....I only have a small amount of skin and feel fine when I am standing tall and I am in clothes. It's when I bend over and sit in a swimsuit or am naked that it bothers me. I just don't know if the pay off of a tummy tuck will even be noticeable or worth the $$ and recovery and most of all the scar. It's literally been driving me crazy....do I want the skin or the scar?? After scouring countless websites and you tube pages I found someone on this forum that had the same concerns. So for that I am grateful! I look at many of the women who have had several pregnancies and dramatic weight loss and of course I would trade the abundant skin for the flat tummy and scar.i just don't know if it will be worth it for me! I am just so undecided. I will post pics so you can see my dilemma! Please feel free to comment...I would love your opinions!

Well...after much contemplation and reading your comments and many of the reviews....I am pretty sure I am going to opt NOT to get the tt. I don't feel like my condition will be sooo greatly improved that it will be worth putting myself through the recoveries I have read about. I am grateful to be able to get all these perspectives from many different women. I still am going to do the implant exchange to something smaller and the breast lift. That I am 100% sure I want to do. I feel like when my breasts are perkier and smaller, that will help my middle section look not so thick! I will post pics of my breasts...mind you I am lifting my arms up so they are not that perky. I will have to post some different pics so you can see the sag. Please keep comments coming...they are very helpful! I am going for a 2nd consult on my tummy on the 20th but like I said...I have pretty much made up my mind to let it be. Maybe down the road I will feel differently but until then I don't think anyone should do anything so drastic and permanent without being totally 100% on board...and that I am not!!

Well...as most of you know....the decision to have any kind of plastic surgery is not always an easy one. I am sure I want smaller perkier boobs but I also worry about asymmetry, healing and the scars, but this I am sure I want to do. My tummy on the other hand has been driving me crazy. I told a GF this morn that I wish I had more skin and stretch marks so the decision would be easier.

Ok...so here is how I came to my decision. I've been waiting to see a little tiny girl I know who had a TT with Dr Bass a year ago. She had been sick and her 2 young kids were sick so finally after 2 weeks...today, the morn of my consult/pre op I got to see her tummy. Again she is a very thin petite girl...she had loose skin and stretch marks from her 2 pregnancies but you never would have known in clothes. Well... Her tummy looked great! Scar was so thin, light and low...and her tummy flat as a board! I have less skin and laxity than her so I know my tummy would look awesome! Ok...so that was a check in the pro TT column. Next I met my ps for my tummy consult...the first time it was more about my boobs and at the end I threw out the tummy thing. Don't get me wrong...I hate my tummy but have always thought it was too drastic of a surgery for my little bit of skin. Anyways we went into much more detail about the procedure...he doesn't recommend doing the mini without tightening you up from the inside. That's what he says keeps you flat for yrs to come. I am happy about that! Also I will not have any drains....because he sutures you up completely inside and closes the cavity there is no need for drains! I say yippee to that! Even my husband who thinks I look just perfect now knows I won't be happy with my tummy after my boobs are smaller and perkier. He's of the mindset.....recover once and be done! I agree with that. So anyways...I am paid in full and scheduled to do the breast lift and implant exchange with a full TT. As far as how many cc's....I have ample breast tissue and have like a 330 in one and a 315 in the other. I want to be at least a cup smaller so he will try many implants on while I am under to achieve the smaller C breast I am desiring. I have a very wide implant in now that he said was what they used 8 yrs ago but now they have a narrower higher profile implant that will give me volume and take the boobs away from my armpits! Yay again! I would love to be completely happy with myself the way I am but in reality we are who we are and I am very critical of myself. My tummy has always been the first place my weight goes and to finally feel like I'm going to have a flat tummy is really exciting! I am now in nesting mode making lists of things I will need to be all prepared for recovery. I am very lucky that my husband and I own our own business so I am able to take time off and also work from home. My mom is also coming to stay with us for a couple of weeks to take my daughter to school and dance....she's on a company dance team so she literally dances 5-6 days a week. In fact my surgery was previously scheduled for the 28th of this month but she has a dance competition in PHX on the 1st 2nd and 3rd so there's no way I'd be able to swing that. Therefore I will have surgery on the 7th. I am nervous and excited both but honestly I do have to say I feel a sense of calm after I made the decision to go ahead with the TT. I do think I would be disappointed to have perky breasts but still have a droopy tummy! Wish me luck...I will keep you all posted ;)

Well ...I'm 10 days away from my surgery and I don't know if what I'm feeling is anxiety, nerves??......either way I'm crazy nesting, cleaning, organizing and shopping!! I have washed all the sheets...cleaned out my fridge and pantry, cleaned and organized my daughters bathroom, hair ties, bobby pins, all her hair accessories for dance! Stocked my garage fridge with waters, diet coke, gatorades, ginger ale, cranberry juice...all the drinks I may want, my daughter takes to dance and my mom drinks since she will be here a week from this Tuesday. I stocked my pantry with low sodium chicken noodle soup, crackers and plenty of snacks for my daughter to take to dance. I seriously go to the grocery store 3-4 times a wk cuz I like to cook with fresh produce and meats so im trying to be prepared and have all of those items I'm able to pick up on a whim! My mom is a great cook so she will be happy to make fresh healthy meals while she's here so it's great to not have to worry about that! My daughter is a tiny lil 60 lb 5th grader so a pot pie or a frozen burrito makes her happy and other than that she lives on fiber 1 bars and goldfish. Anyways...this was the last weekend I had to prepare since I will be spending all of Saturday and Sunday before my surgery in PHX at her dance competition. I will get home....its a 2.5 hour trip home....then have to head back to PHX on Wednesday to be there for surgery Thurs morn....hence my anxiety! Anyways...I've always done my best under pressure ;) Just needed to vent my Pre-Op anxieties....thanks for listening!

Well ladies...I survived my surgery yesterday. Had the full TT and BL with implant exchange. Everything went perfect...they said I was the best patient of the day. I tend to get really nauseous and that did not happen at all...yippee. Also my pain is not too bad at all. I'm at the surgery center still and they are taking amazing care of me. I have already got up and walked around last night. I was very hunched over but the pain wasn't too bad...it's kinda just like a burning sensation I assume on the incisions. Haven't seen any of my body yet. Tried to peek at my boobies but they are bound and I have the cg on. It's about 5:30 am and the dr will Prob be by in a couple hrs and check everything out. He was a gem as was the anasthesiologist, nurses and techs!! Kind kind people!! I feel very lucky ;)....anyways, I will keep u posted with pics and my progress as soon as I can. I do have a pic of my preop markings I will post if I can. Thanks ladies for all your support...ttys!

Well...its POD 1...I think I am more sore today then yesterday and I'm sure it's cuz the pain meds they pumped in me are wearing off. Needless to say I'm taking a Percocet every 4 hrs to keep the pain at bay. I haven't really got a good look at my boobies or my tummy....I'm still all bound up and in the cg. I should be able to take a shower tomorrow so I will try and get some pics. My husband, daughter and Mom have been so wonderful helping me out. I have got out of bed several times today to go pee...but nothing else happening!! I took some colace and drank some MOM but nothing but tons of grumbling! I haven't ate very much of anything either so maybe that's why it's just churning and churning. I'm just trying to rest and sleep as much as possible cuz they say that really helps speed up the healing process. So all my other ladies...please make sure u rest rest rest! Ttys ;)

It's almost midnight and I will be close to 4 days post op. the only real complaint I have is the itching. My body itches all over. I think this is normal cuz I read about it in another review. I am walking really well and am able to get in and put of bed on my own. Still haven't been able to get good pics...I will try and have my mom take some when I rinse! Til then Happy Healing ;)

First I have to remind myself I am only post op 5 days and I have a lot of healing to do. Today I have been actually more sore then the prior days but still Prob only a 4 on the pain scale. Haven't had any real issues at all other than the normal rumbling of the tummy and the itchy body. What I felt most today was just the blues :(....I feel very sensitive and emotional. I broke down in front of my mom, husband and daughter. My mom is very supportive and said to just get it out. Kinda feels like postpartum ....you have all of these anxieties and emotions leading up to surgery and then when it's done you are left kinda physically and emotionally exhausted. I knew going into this I would not see the results overnight and I'm ok with that...it's just and adjustment to your normal life for sure. Don't get me wrong...I feel really lucky to have the means and the courage to better my body and self esteem but it does definitely come at a price! Like many of you moms out there, I'm used to tackling whatever is thrown at me everyday and to now have to rely on others for care and help is hard. I know it is temporary though and I am trying to enjoy the pampering and rest. I think the pain meds also have a tendency to put you in a fog and make you feel down. Anyways...the jest of my story here is that it's ok to feel a little down...I think it's normal for what we have gone through. I felt much better after my lil breakdown ;).....I'm used to being the girl that has it all together. I posted a pic of when I got out of the shower today. I am still hunched over but really physically only feel weak and tired....not a lot of pain. It's kinda shocking to see my body with the incisions...but I know they will heal. I go tomorrow to get some of the stitches out. I had a drainless TT so haven't had the drains to deal with...that's been so nice. My tummy feels swollen and hard but I'm sure that's normal too. When is it that you all were able to walk standing straight up? My daughter dances 5 to 6 days a week and has an open house on Saturday and we have a mandatory parents meeting on Friday but don't know if I will be well enough to go. I'm not worried about the pain, I just don't want to go hunched over so people are wondering what the hell is wrong with me :(.....these are The things that are going through my head....I guess I should just breathe, relax and take one day at a time ! Thanks for letting me vent and get my emotions out...this forum is so helpful...Happy Healing...be kind to yourself and everything will heal in time..that's what I'm telling myself...ha ha :)

Well...I just changed my profile to "worth it". I was waiting to get a good look at my tummy and boobies before I changed it. As far as the recovery and pre op goes...it has been awesome! I feel really good and think I'm healing splendidly ;). Yesterday I had the blues but think it had more to do with the side effects from the pain killers. Stopped taking those last night and Tylenol is sufficing which is amazing to me since my body has been sliced and diced like a fish fillet!! I don't have a big appetite which is not a big deal to me since I don't think I'm expending many calories. I was 112 on the morning of surgery and I weighed for the first time this morn and was 108 so I was pleased with that. I know I am still very swollen and feel super tight but we want to feel tight...that's what makes us have tiny waist and flat tummies. My ps said to not be in too big of a hurry to stand up straight...he says let all of that stay tight as long as possible. I tried on my teensiest black bikini bottom and my incision is hidden. That was my main concern...all my swimsuits are very low rise and I didn't want the scar to show....have you looked at Victoria's Secret lately?? All swimsuits are low low rise!! I will get up and try n get some pics in a few. Thx for ur comme G's and interests and let me know if there is anything I can enlighten you on. Like one if my fellow TT has said....please try and focus on the positives...as in life anything great is worth fighting for ;) happy healing to all!

Ok...finally got some new pics! Feel really good about them ;)

9 days PO.....Well girls...don't wanna jinx myself but I felt amazing today!! Woke up...took a shower, did my hair and makeup...felt awesome! After 2 days of weird icky nauseou I felt so much better today! Kinda was anxious cuz my daughter had an open house at her dance studio and had 3 performances out in the AZ heat from 1-4 o'clock...didn't know if I would be able to hang...didn't want to go hunched over etc etc! After my shower and my makeover (been livin in sweats and no make up for past 8 days) I felt like almost myself :)....I sat through the day...managed to get in the shade...felt a tiny bit swollen...not too bad tho! My daughter danced awesome...so glad I was there! My mom and I even went to Red Lobster for dinner together...yay Lobsterfest! Gosh it was good! I also went to my gf house and showed her the new girly parts! She loved the smaller perkier boobs and couldn't believe how low my tummy incision is! Very pleased with her reaction! My mom even told me how much tinier I look with my smaller boobies! My daughter also loves them 2.....she used to tell me Mommy your boobs are too big!! Funny huh from an 11 year old...but she's 11 going on 18! My husband now thinks he is my PS assistant and wants to examine me daily...ha ha...he says Dr Bass told him 2 ;) ;) At first he wasn't too on board making the girls smaller but now he loves them 2! I am in bed now And I feel pretty swollen from my long busy day but not really any more than prior days at this time so hopefully things will continue to get better each day...ha ha but am prepared if they don't...I want to be realistic. So for all my fellow TT girls...things do get better....hang in there...you to will wake up one day and feel so much better too :)

POST OP day 11 and I feel amazing! I sleep great...can now pretty much sleep however I want...on either side...not my tummy of course. I can get in and outta bed...I have absolutely NO pain....only a tightness on the incision. I have been cleaning, doing laundry...going to dinner, going grocery shopping. Haven't driven yet...not cuz I think I can't, my family just wants to be cautious so they are driving. I honestly feel almost like my normal self. I can't exercise yet of course and yes I am pretty damn swollen by the end of the day, but that I had come to expect from reading everybody's posts. My boobs feel like I've never had anything done to them...I can lift my hands over my head...touch them etc etc, it is awesome. I go back to my dr on Wed which will be 13 days po so I am anxious to see how everything is healing since its all taped. Just wanted to let you ladies know its not as bad as some of the posts may be and everybody has a different recovery and experience so don't fret everything and just go in with a positive attitude about the surgery and recovery. Good luck to all those with upcoming surgeries and happy healing to the girls that are post op ;)

PO DAY 12....still feel great!! Other than having the dreaded "swell hell" I feel super good. I even tried my tiniest lowest rise jeans on today and they fit :D I was kinda dreading trying them on cuz I was gonna be sad if they didn't fit. I posted a new pic. Don't think I will be wearing jeans anytime soon cuz I am still in my cg 24/7 and it's already hot here in AZ...so for now I am in flowy skirts and summer dresses. I really don't know how long I'm supposed to wear the cg and I see different time frames on everybody's posts so I will definitely be asking my dr 2morow. Also wanted to ask him how long I will be swelling like a bloated fish outta water :(! Honestly tho, this surgery and recovery has been a piece of cake and I am so thankful for that! Hang in there girls...we will be like new soon ;)

13 Days PO....still feeling great! Went to see my PS today! He was very impressed with my recovery. Told him I feel amazing...almost like myself except for swelling. He warned me to still take it easy....saying although I feel fine, my body is still healing from a major surgery and I should not overdo it. Ha...either said than done!! I'm just not one to lay around but I think the swelling is a good deterent and the prospect of not swelling up like a puffer fish is inviting ;) My mom is leaving me tomorrow to go home so I feel sad about that and I will definitely miss her and everything she has helped with. I wrangled her into giving my 3 pups a bath today b4 she leaves 2. So ladies...just remember although you may be feeling good and feel like your almost back to yourself, don't rush your recovery...savor it...be kind to your body and let Mother Nature do her thing ;)

PO Day 17. Feeling great but a word to the wise...ha ha....wiser than me! TAKE IT EASY! I feel great and I guess in my stupid head I think I can do everything and run around cleaning...shopping etc etc like a chicken with my head cut off.....until my tummy gets bigger and bigger and bigger and I go from walking up pretty straight to being hunched over again. So my advice to all you PO ladies....baby yourself! The house will be there to clean another day and you can always order takeout ;). I did mange to get some new pics posted. Woke up this morn with less swelling so I snapped a few and I figured out how to do a before and after pic with stitch pic on my iPhone. Hope you are all healing well and good luck to any others that are getting close to their surgery day ;)

PO Day 18 Well...I'm almost embarrassed to say that I did not heed my own advice today! I always fancied myself a smart girl but boy do I feel dumb right now! Got up this morn and hit the ground running....went and ran some errands for our business, then to Walmart where I swear I was there for 2 hours....you know Walmart! Had to get bottled water (you know how heavy that is), the big case of diet coke, laundry detergent, groceries, toilet paper and you know all the essentials we fill our carts with! Loading all the groceries and water and soda into the basket then into the car then into the house does not a happy tummy make! To boot I stocked the garage fridge...I'm kind of OCD about my fridge inside and out! I finally emptied my suitcase from 2 weeks ago from our trip to get the TT....cleaned and organized my closet cuz it became a mess while I was down. I purged all my DD bras to give to my girlfriend. I made chili beans and corn bread...ran my daughter to and from dance and went and watched my bff's son play ball tonight! I am in bed now with my heating pad under me and 2 pillows under my legs, I'm drinking hot pineapple and chamomile tea hoping I will no longer look like I'm pregnant! My head doesn't know my body isn't ready to go full steam ahead. Tomorrow I promise to be kinder to myself. You ladies do the same. I keep trying to remember to take full advantage of this time I have a free pass to take it easy ;) Rest up ladies and let your bodies heal!

I am 3 weeks PO today and don't think I could feel better! Yesterday I went for my check up...got my tape changed and seen my incisions for the first time since surgery! I was flabbergasted!!! Could not believe how thin it looked...so flat and already turning white!! Seriously if I had to live with how this looks now I could but know that it will get even better over time. The only issue I have is minor swelling as long as I'm not trying to be Superwoman. So ladies...those of you that are fresh outta surgery...it does get better everyday! Take it easy and happy healing everyone!! Also..Happy Easter to you all 2 :)

Feeling good and was home alone so I tried on some swimsuits! It's the evening so of course I'm more swollen than in the morning. I'm pleased with my incision in my suits...it's so low. My tiny vertical scar is really almost invisible when they took the tapes of to re-tape..it is very small...they taped up to my BB just to make sure it's secure. I will have the tapes on for at least 2.5 more weeks til I go back to my dr. Overall I am so very pleased. I'm hoping for my boobies to get a lil smaller but it's already such a difference...I couldn't wear a bandeau bikini before...too saggy so now they are nice and perky! So happy that I had the surgery!!!

Ok..first of all I am 4 weeks and 4 days PO and I feel great except....I am freakin itchy as hell!!! I still have tape on all my incisions on my boobs and my tummy. I don't know if I've developed an allergic reaction to the tape after 4 weeks. It is so annoying. I've take Benadryl which puts me in a baby coma...I've used hydrocortisone cream around my boobs and on my girly bits. It's maybe helped a little. I'm not supposed to see my dr til the 17th. He comes to my town every few weeks and in between I see a nurse here. I'm going to call in the morning cuz there is also a little tiny bit of oozing coming from under the tapes in my boobs that I never had before. Waaaaahhhh! I'm so annoyed...I haven't had any issues this whole time and now this! I'm just hoping I don't have some kind of infection. I really don't think so but I need to be sure. Hopefully the nurse can see me 2morow. I will post a pic of the boob so you can see where it's red...the tape there has actually come off cause of the oozing there (not like oozing oozing...just kinda wet)...it's weird. I also will post some pics in my dress so you can see the swelling I've had...not bad but kinda annoying since I was very flat pre TT...I know this is to be expected but it's still bothersome. I also know I would have less swelling if I were to take it more easy but that's just hard for me to do...I had my Easter decorations to take down...I had to call my cleaning ladies off this past Thurs since I had my 2 nephews staying with me over spring break and wanted the kids to be able to sleep in so needless to say I've been a cleaning fool! My daughter also had a science project to do over break as well and we had to bake 4 different batches of cookies eliminating ingredients and writing about the effects! At least I got some homemade choco chip cookies...yum...not that I need em ;) Anyhoo...let me know if any of you have had this itchy issue! This is way worse than any of the pain I had...I feel like I have fleas :(

Well...I was kinda hoping I did have fleas since I have a mini zoo including 3 dogs and 3 cats at home but......it's as is suspected, I've developed an allergic reaction to my tapes :(.....my poor chi chi's are sick!! They are red and swollen and so freakin itchy I feel like those bears that want to rub themselves on a tree trunk...my gosh that would feel soooo good! I called my PS who is in another city a couple hours away and I'm not due to see him til the 17th...they said to take the tapes off, rinse my incisions with water and some peroxide and then use bacitracin and cover with gauze. I'm trying to look at the positive side of this...I got to see my incisions!!! They look great, so thin and flat and not red at all! The redness that I have is from where the tape was touching my skin. I may post a pic...not sure cuz it's so ugly but feel like I should in case anybody starts to feel like this. I'm a big dummy for trying to be strong and tough this out...I felt itchy last Wednesday and thought that it would go away or I could put up with it til the 17th. I should've taken the tapes of then and my skin wouldn't be as irritated as it is. So ladies...listen to your bodies and if you itch don't chock it up to fleas!!!!

Well...although I look like a Leper and if we lived in medieval times I probably would be ran out of the village and stoned.....I am still trying to be positive!!! I slept last night without my traditional surgical cg and I wore just spanx shorts and no top just cuz it hurt to have anything on my boobs and I actually had less swelling than ever before!!! Yay. I not only have the redness where all the tape was but I have small bumps all over my arms, legs, back and some on my face. I'm hoping that I wake up in the morning and its all gone...hey...a girl can hope ;)

I havent posted because ive been too busy itching and scratching!! Well...last time I posted I was red itchy inflamed deformed etc etc...shall I go on? Well...me being me I didn't want to bother my dr I just kept thinking it was gonna get better...well it didn't!! I was scratching scabs on my arms and legs even. Anyways..I called my dr last night and he immediately called in a prescription for oral steroids. He did say that a lot of ladies didn't like taking them cuz it made them gain water weight....yikes! I took steroids back in NOV when I had bronchitis and pneumonia and didn't experience that and I've never been one to bloat on my period or swell with too much salt so I said bring on the steroids and goodbye to my itchy hell! I do seem to be a tiny bit better today and still have 6 days left of pills. I see my dr this Wednesday which will be one day shy of 6 weeks. I have 5 weeks photos but kinda felt ugly and gross so not sure if I will post. I need to look at them again. But hey...isn't this site supposed to be about the good the bad and the ugly?? Hope all my fellow girlies are Healing well but most of all happy!

Last time I posted I was an inflamed freaking itchy mess...the rash covered my whole body and my PS said on my 6 wk check up he had never seen such a thing! Typically you have a rash only where the tapes are.....lucky me

Ok last night I wrote a novel and it disappeared so here's the Clif Notes version (reference for my 40 and older girls ;)....means abbreviated for the rest of you young' uns! Feel amazing....not really too itchy...just a lil on my boobs. Stopped wearing the silicone scar strips on my boobs tonight cuz I noticed more bumps but they seem fine on the tummy. I am alternating with Bio Oil...good for all the dry skin from the rash and also using Skinmedica scar gel too. I'm cleared for exercise but have only walked my snow dogs...really just 2 Schnauzers and a 15 year old wiener dog but they pull me like we're going up the Adirondacks!! That's the extent of my physicality so I'm anxious about going back to the gym. I've decided tho to go back to my class on Wed...it's kinda like a Toning and Tightening class where we mix weights with cardio...lunges, squats, ab work which I'm sure I can't do amongst all kinds of other stuff...usually focus on a couple different body parts each day. Wish me luck ;). I think I'm ok with it...I will just do what I can do...even if its for 30 min or I have to do real light weights and take many breaks. I feel like once I turned 40 I don't get embarrassed anymore...one of the benefits of getting old ;). Besides most of the girls I workout with knew I was having surgery. Anyways...I guess I will go since this was supposed to be short and sweet....sorry ladies! Just want to close by saying I am super duper happy happy happy I did this. I feel great even tho my boobies are slightly larger than I hoped (see pics)...but I'm not gonna obsess on it cuz I wore that damn lil dress in that pic with no bra and no one was none the wiser...my boobs were perky and it was awesome!! And I was so worried about the TT scar pre op and now I couldn't care less....I'm sure it will look fantastic once it's healed and mature. So ladies...happy healing...I'm sending happy positive vibes your way and not to rub my weather in anyone's face (Lacey ;) )....the low of 63 and high of 93 with no humidity and sunshine sunshine sunshine couldn't help but make me happy! Wishing you all a great week!