“Feb. 23, 0530 TT/Lipo - Scottsdale, AZ”

I have only had one child who is now 22, I have gained and lost weight. recent weight loss is 44 pounds.. Tired of that flab of a stomach I have always had and hated. MY husband promised me if I lose weight I could get it done...
I lost the weight and now I am being rewarded.

As a nurse I think I know a little to much so that is making me anxious and the fact that I cant control what is going on also makes me anxious.

I know that going under anesthesia as a health woman is no big deal. I am afraid of the pain involved. and the recovery process.

Updated on 21 Feb 2011:
Big day coming up on wednesday. One more day and then a wake up. My surgery is at 0730, Have to be there 0530... I wish it was here today.... cant wait......

Updated on 27 Feb 2011:
I am day 4 post op... Very bruised and swollen in the hips from my lipo suction, pucked my guts up post op day 1... Had a lot of pain when I got out of bed for the first time. Found that the more I moved the easier it got and less pain I had.... I am so glad that I have strong leg and arm muscles. used them plenty. i had the best of care at Greenbaum Surgery Center... All my nurses and my aids were excellent.. My surgeon was the best. I will post picks soon....

Updated on 27 Feb 2011:
well i have been home for 2 days now. first night in the hospital was rough. My blood pressure was so low that I have to get two rapid infusions of fluid and i felt so very week. I am glad that I had to stay over night. I vomited at least 3 or 4 times. the next morning the doctor came to see me and everything checked out fine. wonderful nursing staff.. got out of bed and walked for the first time and that was a big effort. Got to be discharged home.. still having problems standing upright. abdominal binder kept rolling up... post op day 4 saturday,, showered. which was wonderful and i cried cause my stomach was so flat... all of these emotions released and i balled for at 10 minutes.... im much better now. though....

Updated on 28 Feb 2011:
Wow I made it through the surgery with flying colors. I Did go through a bout of hypovolemia( low blood volume) and I had a blood pressure that was so very low, 54/31. no joke. I was infused with 2 liters fast infusion.....
I finally made it to 106/64. I went through puking every time I drank cranberry juice. .Learned that coughing is the worst. I walked and got to go home the next day. Now it is monday. 5 days later. I am still sore. horrendous bruising to my hips and back side. My stomach is flat. Yeah. I am on my road to recovery..., pictures to be posted soon......

Updated on 1 Mar 2011:
What an experience this has been.. it has been a rought recovery. I am really straining my back muscles. Most of my pain has been from my back. My abdomen is flat and when I looked at it I cried. I have woke up on two different times coughing and ohhh does that hurt so bad.
I was wondering if any one else is tired of wearing the binder. I am learning to hate it.
I love the results of my TT. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
I will add my before pics and my 5 day post op pics......

Updated on 1 Mar 2011:
does anyone know if it okay to take ibuprofen during recovery process?????

Updated on 2 Mar 2011:
I had a great day yesterday... virtually no pain at all. talked to the surgeon and she said I could take ibuprofen. As soon as I have less than 30cc in each drain in 24 hours, I get to have them pulled. I have been loosing weight on the scale daily. 1 week postop and im a pound less than what I was before surgery. Surgeon says to keep expecting to loose the weight. I must tell you though that I did way to much last night. I had my friend take me to get in and out burger and I started a coughing spell which hurt me so bad. I was all bent forward trying to keep my muscles from stretching and it was awful. Got home and was in pain so I took a pain pill. the first one all day. Woke up this morning and my upper abdominal area feels like it is on fire. so of course I have to take a pain med... ugh trying to not take much and get back to ibuprofen.... Good luck ladies with your surgeries and your recoveries. I will post more pics once I can....

Updated on 3 Mar 2011:
Hello again to everyone, I am slowly getting more energy. I have one drain that is ready to come out and the other drain that continues to have dark colored blood in it., I al have added 1 week postop pics for you all to see how the body is changing,,,,,, Good luck to you all who are getting a TT with Flank Lipo.
It was well worth it.

Updated on 3 Mar 2011:
Hello again to everyone, I am slowly getting more energy. I have one drain that is ready to come out and the other drain that continues to have dark colored blood in it., I al have added 1 week postop pics for you all to see how the body is changing,,,,,, Good luck to you all who are getting a TT with Flank Lipo.
It was well worth it.

Updated on 3 Mar 2011:
Hello again to everyone, I am slowly getting more energy. I have one drain that is ready to come out and the other drain that continues to have dark colored blood in it., I al have added 1 week postop pics for you all to see how the body is changing,,,,,, Good luck to you all who are getting a TT with Flank Lipo.
It was well worth it.

Updated on 3 Mar 2011:
I have a new question... Does everyone who has had a TT and Lipo of flanks know if it is okay to remove the abdominal binder for a little while at a time.

Updated on 4 Mar 2011:
I went to see Dr. Daiza today and got to have one of the drains removed. The other is still putting too much out to remove it yet. She removed the paper tape from my incision line and cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide. let it air dry and then reapplied the tape. I am so excited because the incision line was almost invisible. I almost did not recognize it.... It just looks like a marker line drawn on my skin..... I love my new body, swelling and all.
I have always hated my stomach all my life and now every time I look in the mirror I smile so big...... Ladies you will be so happy about your results. Hang in there because it was all worth the anxiety and fear.....

Updated on 6 Mar 2011:
I just wanted to thank you all for your blogs and your support..... It has helped many of us out.
I am hanging in there. Things are starting to wake up, i.e. suture line, skin and other things that were numb,,, feels like I am being stabbed by needles and other times I feel like I was burnt by fire. All of this comes and goes.... If I sit to long I get real hard lumps in my hips from the fluid settling there so I get up and walk around the living room a few laps and it softens up. I am swelling on the side of my stomach that the drain was removed from. I was told to expect it. I love the fact that I cant eat as much as I used to because there is no room to give or stretch.
I am waiting for several more weeks before I post more pics. Good luck to you all who are going to be getting a tummy tuck/lipo done, Your first few days are difficult but it gets easier and easier after that and it is well worth the anxiety, fear, and nervousness you go through before,.,.... You will love yourself
I know I do now....

Updated on 9 Mar 2011:
Well today is officially two weeks postop... I had to take a shower today and remove the tape, the doctor has already done it once. Anyway, showering still wipes me out physically.. I was removing the tape slowly, no pain involved, and got very light headed like I was going to pass out. I am glad I had a stool in my shower for me to sit on. I survived the shower. went to bed and pulled the rest of the tape off. Had to have my mom help me with wiping down the skin with peroxide and reapplication of the paper tape over my incision. My surgeon states this helps to keep it flat. I still have a drain in and it is putting out 40cc daily. I will be so happy when it is less than 30 cc a day and we can get it removed. I am so done with it.
I ordered two high waisted, high power, spanx garments from amazon for 36.00 each. I spent 79.00 on them with shipping. I love amazon...
I am still hunched over and my surgeon does not want me to begin to stand upright until week 3.. (((disappointing)))
I am so tired of sitting and doing nothing. I know it is best. My incision is completely healed except one or two areas and my new belly button is looking awfully cute.
Ladies I will post new pics next week. I hope all is going well with you postops. and for those of you who are going to get this done, it is so very worth it (((((grinning from ear to ear)))))).....

Updated on 17 Mar 2011:


Updated on 17 Mar 2011:
I add new pics...They are from this week, Week 3 Post-op photos, Notice the drains are gone, Bruising is going away..

Updated on 17 Mar 2011:
So Yesterday was officially week 3. I had my last drain removed on Monday and That was a wonderful moment. No more tethering with a bulb...... Have been wearing my Spanx and I love it. I sleep in them... Much better than wearing that abdominal binder and waking up with large creases all over my back.... The swelling on my right side is much better than the left side. Of course with the drain just being removed I expected to have a lot of swelling on my left side. The bruising is fading fast but I still have a large area of shadowing noticeable in the light.
Been Walking slowly on the treadmill. Up to a half mile now. I am getting my energy back and each week is becoming better than the last.
I have begun to slowly straighten up my back, still somewhat hunched over so next week I will be sleeping flat with only one pillow and maybe I will be straight.
Still tight abs, Get full faster, and sometimes I feel my abs tense up and then I cant stand up as straight as I had been standing. Oh I am so very glad that I had this done and every day that I wake up I still worry that all that fat will be there... I am still shocked at how flat my stomach is and I still smile every time I look at it.

Updated on 18 Mar 2011:


Updated on 21 Mar 2011:
Wow, Yesterday I was swollen so bad I felt like veronica beauregard from willie wonka
I was full of gas and my stomach was swollen too. I am still swollen this morning. How miserable this is. I am not sure why everything is so swollen. I know that this is normal, thank god i have read about it here, otherwise I would think there was something wrong. So today is being spent laying/sitting around the house.

Updated on 23 Mar 2011:
Well, I am still going through "swell hell" some days are worse than others but I go to bed swollen and wake up less swollen, then the viscous cycle starts all over again.
i am still heavy through my butt and thighs and cant fit in my jeans that I wore before the surgery.. What gives. Can anyone tell me when this will go away and when can I wear my old jeans again comfortably.

Updated on 24 Mar 2011:
List Pros & Cons, Advice you can offer others
My advice is to join Realself and read all the reviews and forums. They do help.
My docs pros are everything I listed and starred. Cons for my surgeon are none at all.......

Updated on 13 Apr 2011:
Hello ladies, I just wanted to update everyone, It is now 7 weeks post-op, I went back to work last week full time, I am suppose to be light duty but as a nurse there is no real light duty in my department. I am not lifting patients and I am not pushing beds so I am trying to prevent from doing heavy lifting or pushing... First week was hard and my upper back was sore, I also had a lot of swelling to my lower back flanks and my abdomen.. This is the second week and still getting the back swelling, Not so bad to my abdomen...
Reality Check for me, I stepped on the scale and see I have actually gained 10 pounds from my post op weight, went on a diet last week and so far I have lost 4 pounds. I guess it was all that sitting around and eating that I did... I have been walking on the treadmill so that is also helping.
I get to stop wearing my binder/spanx at the end of 8 weeks. Then I was told I can exercise but wear the binder when I do exercise. Including sit-ups and crunches.
Well I will post my 3 month pics when the 12 weeks arrives.