Mommy Makeover: Stories

I have been wanting a tummy tuck for the longest time... from the time I was pregnant with my 1st child 8 years ago. I remembered wailing, yes wailing, when i saw my postpartum tummy immediately after the delivery. It was full of stretch marks and saggy.

Well, fast forward 1 year and surprise surprise, the skin actually firmed up and left very little excess skin as compared to immediately right after birth.

Oh, some details: I'm 167cm tall. (about 5'4) and 46 kg (102lbs) Sounds really underweight i know, but asians are supposedly built with higher fat proportion and less muscle and bone mass and hence the lighter weight. But i assure you, I see other pictures on here and I think I look like women who weigh 130-140lbs at the same height.. sigh sigh.. i think maybe weight is just a number.. It is really where you carry your weight that has any meaningful value to me.

Anyway, then I had my 2nd child. did not put on much weight and lost it all less than 1 month after delivery.. still the stretch marks persisted and the skin laxity is back.. I don't think i can blame my kids for it since they were 7 lbs babies. not exactly huge...

So 27 Feb 2013, I went back to my plastic surgeon here.. (I'm so frustrated that being a very conservative society here, no one talks of their surgeons' work.) I'm sure people here have ps as well and hence the huge number of plastic surgery clinics. It's just that no one wanna talk about it. If you ask anyone,they'll definitely be offended and go "Noooo!! It's all natural!" If only we are open enough and I can read reviews like on here.. You guys got a great thing going!

So my surgeon, Dr W, he told me the skin laxity is enough for him to tuckand leave me with no vertical scar from the bb. but i think his scar placing is higher than most i see here.. Apparently, asian skin is more prone to keloids( and hyper pigmentation) and scar placements like where the pubic hair is, makes our skin more prone to developing keloids. That sux big time. still, with all the wrinkly loose skin, I think a slightly higher scar will look better than the wrinkly stretch marked skin. :( So my scar placement will be like 5cm or 2 inches above the hair line. and will be a straight line hip to hip. i actually prefer a curved line.. like a smile :)

And since we were there, I also asked him about a BA. I used to be a VS 32DD prior to kids and breastfeeding. ( i think being on the BC pills made my boobs bigger but super sore.) Now, i'm a deflated barely A. I think maybe the only saving grace about my situation is at least, despite the huge volume loss, they did not have any ptosis. So, anyway, Dr W recommeded me a 200cc teardrop/anatomical mentor moderate plus. But I did not want to do this and end up looking the same. So I asked for the biggest i can carry off.. and he said "No more than 300cc" ok. So after looking at the catalogue and profiles, we settled on the mentor teardrop 305cc, moderate plus. incision will be at crease. I asked about incidences of flipped implants due to the irregular shape of the teardrops in relation to the rounds implants and his reply is that it has never happened in his 35 years as a ps( heck, his son is also a PS). ah well.. I trust him and I want him to use something that he is comfortable and confident with.

I will go for my pre op on the 5th March(so 4th March for you guys :) cos of the time difference) And I will have to make a full payment.

Here are some questions I asked him during the consultation:
When I asked him if i need anything, he say no need to buy anything, we;ll provide..

So i ask him "Do you mean you include the CG??"
he actually said he don't think I'll need it. But if i want, I can 'just get one from the shop at the hospital'

ANd bra? He said to just use a sports bra.. ok.. (tell me, is it hard to put on a sports bra with no zip after a BA?? I cannot find 1 with zips!)

and as for drains, he thinks I will not need them since i'm not doing lipo and swelling will be minimal? (I'm getting nervous here...) but he will decide during the surgery whether or not to place the drains. I will stay in the hospital for 2 nights with catheter. but he says that most probably, the drains will be out before I'm discharged from the hospital IF I get any. oh well.. I hear you all got it in for 1-2 weeks and it will greatly reduce the swelling.. so without, I hope I will not be hysterical.

And my anesthesiologist(sp?) will be using betadine(sp?) as painkiller instead of morphine and will add in anti nausea in my IV.

I also asked about getting my tubes tied. He said if i want, maybe I should consult with a gynae on my pre op on 5th Mar. I thought and thought and chickened out... Mostly cos i read all the horror stories on the side effects.. then my hubby veyr sweetly suggested maybe he'll go for a vasectomy instead :)

Oooh cool!!!! My review got published!! :)

My cost I entered as $20,000. That's in SGD(divi

Oooh cool!!!! My review got published!

The cost I entered as $20,000.
That's in SGD (divide that by 1.3 and should give you USD equivalent)
Here is the cost breakdown :
Full TT - $4,500
BA - $4,500
implant cost - $2,000
anesthesiologist - $2,400
hospital charges - $5,000 - $8,000

It's the 3rd of march now. Definitely getting more anxious. 8 more days to go. Seems like my emotional rollercoaster has started earlier than most. Was sitting with my elder son today which he was on the iPad. He was telling me a bunch of stuff he was reading off it and I just started tearing up. Images like when he was a couple of months old started going thru my mind. When he was little and helpless and I was carrying him all around in the baby sling, his chunky baby thigh, all the cuteness and now sitting beside me is this boy, so grown up already. I know he noticed my years but he just continued telling me stuff while holding my hand. I have not told my kids yet. I dunno what to say to them. I broached the topic a few times when the boys asked about my belly skin n stretch marks but to them, they think I'm perfect and already the most beautiful mom ( I guess most kids think their mom is the most gorgeous woman in the world huh ?) bless their souls!

Did 2 hours of yoga this morning trying to work off those nervous energy. Then feel so guilty since its a Sunday and instead of taking my kids out, I'm doing my own thing. How selfish of me! Also, I missed feb's period.. But tested negative for pregnancy. Low chance... I think it's the recent stress of moving causing the weight loss, causing the missed period...

So it's midnight where I am at now and technically, it's already Monday :( gotta wake up before 6am tomorrow but just can't sleep. I'm crazily nesting.. Washing clothes, sheets, carpets. Then drying and then ironing the 5 full load of laundry like a mad woman. And not to mention the sweeping, and 2 passes of mopping and floor polishing (what was I thinking?!?!?). And you'd think after all the mat work in the morning I'd just laze around with jello arms..

Then when it was dinner time, I was suddenly consumed with what I think was an anxiety attack. Everything was like closing in on me. Ended up not eating any rice... Husband got worried that I'm on empty stomach, bought 4 kinds of chocolate fudge cakes/pies for me. Bad choice.. I ate 3 slices and got even more nervous. Must be the sugar over load :(

Also I got waist length, super thick black frizzy hair. So I'm thinking of cutting it so during recovery, handling my hair will be easier. But my husband thinks I'm over planning ( he likes my long hair??)... What do you guys think??

See, I just realized I've been rambling on and on.. Jumping from 1 point to the next... Dear me...

just completed my pilates class! I feel so good! :) but i am aching all over :) was doing a plank and looking down at my tummy and seeing the bulge at the tummy hang down makes me "I'm so ready for this!!" lol!

i keep thinking about the schedule for my surgery day... it will be a monday, so will definitely wake up early at about 6am. get the kids ready and sent to school (they go to school then to day care within the school. but since it is a school holiday, my kids will just go to daycare in school) then go to the hospital at about 8am for the surgery at 9:30am. since i have to be fasting we won't be losing time eating breakfast. I'm a bit worried as I have to eat all the time. and if i skip a meal, i already start feeling giddy. surgery will be about 3 hours. so i guess I will send my husband to hunt for some grubs for himself. :)

since 28 feb when i went for consult and paid a downpayment of $1,000, i have not touched any alcohol. it's quite tough for me since daily i have a little during dinner. it mellows me down to relax and enjoy my meal and relax after a long day. i don't drink much... maybe a glass of red wine... but i really feel it when i don't drink. I snap at my kids quicker and get annoyed when they mess up the dinner table... dunno... not a major issue but just an observation. oh yes... my husband still drinks... and i can actually smell the bouquet of the wine when he helps himself to a glass without even looking to see if he is really pouring.. my sense of smell is crazy.. always has been, especially so after my pregnancies and the heightened sense of smell did not go away.. my dad says i'm like a dog... cos there was this time we went to the mall and we forgot where we parked our car.. and i literally sniffed my way back.. I remember the smell of the shops and navigate...weird huh..

also, anyone here is a regular blood donor? I regularly donate.. and before i scheduled my mm, i thought that it was not gonna happen til about may.. so i donated on the 22 feb. so apparently, the amount that they take will take my body 3 months to replace.. i so regret that now.. but on a more positive side.. i helped save 3 lives and when they did my finger prick test to check for blood haemoglobin level, i got a solid 14.0 :) so i guess i'm eating right and exercising right :)

Before I joined realself as a member, I was already trawling through reviews and I did a screenshot of a picture someone else on here posted as a dream body. I'll repost that pic. Do you guys think my results can look similar as my wish pic??

In a couple of hours, I'll be having my Pre-op. my ps will be making me fill out a crazy amount of forms and also do the blood work. I'm nervous despite the fact that I know I will not be in surgery today. I'll also have to make a full payment by today. I'll bring over the wish pic too. Do you guys think its a realistic dream body for me? Or is it too far fetched? On my mind right now is also the implant sizing. 1 sec, I'm worried about it being too small and imperceptible, the next sec, I'm worried its too big and everyone is gonna think I had a ba. Then last night I got these strange sensation like dropping off a cliff or going down a high roller coaster that was keeping me awake.

Going for my pre-op now!! Man! I'm a nervous wreck for nothing....

My implants are here!!
And got the slip to go get my blood work done:)

So yesterday during my Pre op, I have been posting from my iPhone. Do it's quite abbreviated :(

Here's what happened:
2pm : I arrived and was ushered in to see dr w. as I got an appointment, I didn't have to queue up.
Once I got in, his 2-3 other ladies came in. It was his OT nurses and 1 administrative girl to take pictures.
I had to remove my clothes save my panties. ( it was weird doing it in front of huge full height windows with no curtains. But he assured me that the windows are 1 way glass. So while I can look out perfectly, people outside cannot look in)

So, similar to other realselfers here, the patient coordinator took pictures while we discussed scar placement.

Tummy tuck scar: it turns out that maybe I may not have enough skin to avoid a vertical scar due to him trying to lower the Tt scar. Which I think is still good. But he was saying vertical scars can have problems healing especially at the T junction. That is due to blood flow. So he may try to avoid it with a small zigzag instead. Alls good for me :)

Breasts: the implants arrived and are sitting there in sterols packaging. They ordered 3 pieces for me just in case there are problems with 1. I showed dr w my wish pic and he said, mine will likely ride higher. That's cos I have requested to fill in the lost volume at the upper pole of my breasts. I just hope it'll all end up looking natural enough :)

So we made full payment. Signed my life away with a credit card transaction of $11,000. (Had to call the card company to temporarily increase the credit limit. Lol!)
Then she sent me to the anesthesiologist's clinic for her payment of $2,400. That was in cold hard cash! Definitely nervous.
Then it was for bloodwork for Pre-op profile(POP1). That cost me $48.

The last place to go on my scavenger hunt is in another location since I opted for a cheaper surgical facility. I went there expecting to Pre admit. However, nothing much happened. They just took my identification card, input my data into the computer. Turns out its like a waste of time cos I'll still have to arrive 2hours before op anyway. Also, the Pre surgery financial and preparatory counseling I was expecting did not happen. Guess ill just call up my ps's office later to ask about the fasting and stuff I gotta do.

It's almost noon of 6th Mar where i am at! so less than 5 more days for me! I just got a call about an hour ago from the patient coordinator that my bloodwork results are in and everything is good to go. I guess that means I only have waiting left to do.

Also, my period arrived yesterday in full force after skipping 1 month. which is all good since it's better to be dealing with it now than 5 days later.. I have been cramping quite intensely.. I am the sort of person who embrace my pain.. cos I always feel that it is needed to get something.. like contractions are need for birthing a baby.. peristalsis is needed for you to poop... uterine cramping/spasm is need for monthly flow, the natural order of things so to speak and so forth,,, I normally would just breathe and get thru 1 breath at a time... but since yesterday til today, i think there at least 3-4 episodes that made me just wanna pop a pain killer.. so unlike me since the pain is manageable.. but with the nerves on edge from the coming mm, I felt that it is not as tolerable.. Which brings me to think that our emotions will affect the level of pain we feel. start panicking and pain will definitely shoot thru the roof but if we are calm and lead ourselves to think that its normal to feel that way and that we ARE making progress, the discomfort will be way more manageable. Dunno.. see..... rambling again.

oh, told the nurses of my PJ set and they told me to that a button down dress sorta PJ works better. So, as I was going to the bank this morning.. I passed by an old shop selling old stuff for old people and saw this perfect loose fit, flutter sleeves light pink polka dot dress made of thin material that buttons down the entire way for SGD 8! woah! seriously! 8 bucks!! would have bought 2 but they only have 1... ok.. anyway i have a washer dryer that washes and dries clothes with the day.

In less than 3 hours, it'll be 7 mar here! I went from crazy nesting a few days ago to not feeling up to anything today. The crazy mood swings a few days ago should just be me PMS-ing. Once Aunt Flo came into my town, moods have stabilized. But now I'm feeling lazy and tired. I'm getting so worried, especially for my husband who will have to pick up the slack caused by my immobility. His work seems busy recently after the long Chinese New Year break. Lucky thing he is built to handle high stress since the beginning. So unlike me. Easily stressed out. Still, I anticipate a rough time for him during recovery.. I'm such a worry wart.. Hubs on the other hand is the sort that handles the problem as it comes. I tend to anticipate them n get overly stressed out :(

I can't believe til now, I'm still losing sleep over the implant size. Sometimes I think 305s are too small and other times I think maybe too big. Also, will larger implants cause aerola/nipple diameter to increase also? I'm doing a cream incision, so it's not that my doc can cut off excess skin and resize them aerolas...

It's 11 am in the morning here on Friday and guess what? I just received a call from the clinic's nurse that she forgot to ask me to test for HIV and Hep B. Which should be fine... since 4 days before i went to book my surgery date. I donated some blood. and the blood donation centre here will use 50 cc of the donated blood and run a huge battery of tests. so the blood should be fine. BUT the hospital will need the result slip of the blood work. So i guess, more blood to be taken from me again today. i was just telling my hubby i look like a druggie now.. my right inner elbow is littered with 3 needle scars :(

Just went for more blood work that the clinic nurse forgot to order the last time. Testing for HIV n hep B this time. Cos me $30 :( I feel like a big baby now, feel like whining about the pain the needle caused then I thought if the worse pain I'm about to go thru come Monday... Sigh... The wait n suspense is killing me. My results should be out by 4:30pm today since they took blood from me at 2pm. They will call me when it's out :)

Wow! Time still manages to fly by!! It's 1am here, 9th mar.
Went for a concert with the hubbs - checked
Bought birthday present for march birthday boy - checked
Bought PJs - checked
Bought extra socks for older boy (too many holes to mend!!) - checked
Set up bed side supplies rack - checked
What else am I missing?

Yikes!!! Just woke up an hour ago. It's 8am on a Sunday here now. Yikes! Tomorrow, this time, I'll be in the hospital! Brought the kids for some fun yesterday... Decided not to cut my hair... But halfway thru, I was so restless and just had to do something... Walked into the hairdressers n cut off about 4 inches of hair. To which my DH said "why isn't there a difference?" From waist length to shoulder length and the man says no difference?!?!?! Tonight at midnight, I start fasting. Super worried about not eating. I'm the sort that needs to eat often. If not, those tummy acidic and distended feelings, feelings of nausea sets in. I got a weak tummy you see. So always gotta pop them disgusting digestive enzymes to help me digest the food I eat. Still, the anxiety is taking a toll on me. Been losing weight that I can't afford to lose :( dh has been having these small talks with me. He was telling me that this is the healthiest I've ever been. All those exercising and no medications. 2-3 years ago, I had this major anxiety problem that affected my work and social life. I'd go into a panic attack for no reason and it could strike any time. It made me only wanna stay home. Crowded places especially set me off. Its like I could smell everyone's odor and it gets unbearable. I was going from doctor to doctor, trying to figure out what was wrong. Tests after tests showed nothing wrong. Til the last doctor said IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) apparently there isn't a cure. But it can be managed. I remember i would pop pain pills every morning to help me get through the day. my tummy was constantly in turmoil and i keep getting the runs.. It was like labour pains everyday. It was so bad I would break out in cold sweat. So I went to see a Chinese traditional practitioner who gave me herbs and I felt better. I started exercising, eating often and basically stop trying to treat every single symptoms I felt. It's helped! N the last 2 years were great!

So today I was kept busy doing my sisters hair for an important event for her, taking my kids to the beach (sorta.... Since they did not get in the water) then we headed for the pool at grandma's... Not much left to do now but it's only 4pm!!! I can see my time from now til late going by slowly. AND I'm in such an anxious state, I actually thought my kids term break starts tomorrow. Turns out its next Monday! Wtf! It's crazy the amount of tests the regular 8 year old has to take during term 1 of primary 2!!! Thank goodness my son can do those pesky algebra problem sums on his own.. Or I'll just ... Nevermind. The problem is, he works everything out in his head, doesn't write the steps for the teacher. Sigh sigh.. I don't think I can handle 1 more complaint about my son disrupting his class:( if only he spend his time writing the solutions out neatly instead of catapulting erasers into the air... Gosh... I do have a penchant for rambling on and in dont I?

Hi ladies! It's the morning of my mm sand it's close to 7am here. Just thought to put in a post before my op. 1st thought is : "I'm so hungry!!!" I have to get there by 7:30am and it will be another 2 hours before they put me out.

I made it! :) so far so good in terms of pain. Actually not much pain yet. It turns out, I needed mr. The biggest discomfort is Tt incision on the left side. But maybe it's cos of the drain. I got 1 drain n 1 catheter :) so far, I have not seem myself yet. Everything is in a binder or compression bandage. But the pain is way less than I expected. Also, I'm not on morphine. So just simple betadine added into my IV drip. How's everyone doing?

Also this morning, during the financial counseling, the hospital say I am looking at $7500 ( estimate cost)

For some reason whole I was in the operating theatre waiting for dr W, I started crying. The shivering. I guess I'm emotional due to the fact that its really happening. I'll post pics once I can:)

Cannot sleep thou its 2am now. Not in pain though. So still good. It my blood rriee abiut pain nowpressure dropped til 80/56. So they are stopping my pain meds.. Cos it can be cause of that. EO

It's 1:30 here on the 12 mar. So officially 24 hours post op. I don't have pain pump but as long as I don move, there isn't any pain. When I do try to get up, I feel sore. Boobs feel like I've done a hundred push-ups tummy feels like I did a million sit-ups. So far no sharp pains. My ps is supposed to visit me today. But I haven't seen him. I'm quite bored. I'm supposed to be on this "W" position for at least 48hours. Not to walk around. My drains yield about less than 20ml the last 24 hours. What else should I add? Apart from the pain is less bad than I thought. Of yea. My blood pressure fell v low last night. So I'm not even on petadine drip anymore. Just paracetamol. They're worried it's the petadine side effect. Oh well.

Took off bandages! But still too shocked to take it all in. All I know is my boobies are huge! Hubbs got to hold them and he says they are hard.. m.....My Tt scar is all puckered up. Stretch marks are still there. But now they are under my bb :) took out catheter too and the walk to the toilet 20 steps away wore me out real bad..

I had my mm on Monday at 9:30am -1:30pm. It's Wednesday now at 7am, I guess I'm good to be discharged. Only problem is the man got a 2 hour meeting today and he doesn't feel good leaving me at home alone. So he thinks I should stay another day. But it's so hard to rest here... I'm in a 6 bedder ward and the amount of visitors other people have is crazy. And then some of them snore at night. Which kept me up all night. Still, there re advantages to stay, the bed for 1... can remain in a good position for me. And the food.. I think we eat 5 times a day. The bad is the snoring, the $144 bed fee and $110 nursing fee per day:( what do you guys think?

So, it's Wednesday today, noon time and I'm still in hospital. Actually, nothing hurts really. Just apprehensive about being alone at home. I'll be discharged tomorrow morning. I miss home!! And my kids keep telling hubbs that "nothing's the same without mommy at home.." Awww... But they visit me everyday and have subways for dinner... My compression garment isn't really compressing... I got it in xxs. And 1 end starts from my back, goes across my tummy n velcros on itself. The tightest setting but still loose. Ah well. Still I feel vulnerable without it. My drips are all taken out. My catheter too. Only left with the drain. I'm so not looking forward to having it pulled out but I want it out! Since this morning, I started having head pains on the left only. So, that's the worst discomfort for me so far.

Here are the medications I took:
Right out of OT:
- petadine (IV drip)
- maxalon (IV drip)

12 hours later:
- petadine stopped due to low blood pressure
- maxalon for nausea continues.
- oral zophran for nausea
- augmentin antibiotics 2x a day
After 24 hours,
- no more IV drip drugs. Only saline and glucose
- acoxia for pain 2x a day
- tummy protection pill to be taken with acoxia
- ultrasep : taken only as needed ( Tremadol with paracetamol)

Just got my single drain out! I was terrified but it's isn't so bad. And wow!! The feeling of elation at having the drain out is crazy great!! :)))) now there isn't anything dangling off my body that I could step on or pull on. I'll be discharged tomorrow and I'll see my dr again on Friday morning :) oh, the 1st day of walking was bad. But after a few more practice today(necessitated by having the catheter out) I'm a pro granny walker! Lol! Complete with the hunched over back and shuffle:) I hope you guys are all doing well! It's true, day 3 PO is the great turning point for me in terms of mobility! :)

So today I officially discharge! :)

Last night was rough. Did I mention that I was warded in a 6 bedder ward? So at around 2am, an Indian lady was wheeled in on the bed next to me. Poor thing was really low on sugar and started being really confused. But she talked and talked and talked. Sometimes so tenderly, sometimes like in the middle of a quarrel. All the way til 5am. She stopped talking BUT started snoring really loudly. I had a panic attack from lack of sleep, I couldn't eat, started getting nausea. And started shaking and crying. Anyway, at 9am the nurses changed me into another ward with an empty bed. I couldn't sleep with the horrendous pressure headache but eventually I did. I woke up, forced myself to eat a cracker n some hot chocolate (I live on hot chocolate these days) and felt a whole lot better! Hubbs is doing the discharge procedure now and I can't wait to go home.

When will swelling typically start after drain removal?

So how do I count post op days? If Monday was op day, Tuesdays is PO day1, so Friday today should PO day4?? Only?

Ok... Anyway, I got discharged on Thursday at about 1pm. I think, the extra day I stayed in isn't helpful. There's this depressing feeling about hospitals. The person beside me was in for chemotherapy and is constantly on narcs and vomiting violently, the person on the other side got pushed n fractured her leg bone but due to a previous heart surgery, she is on 2 kinds of blood thinning meds which makes her a risk for bleeding during surgery... And the person opposite me got stage 1 cervical cancer.., you get the picture.. All the doom and gloom and crying and moaning and groaning from the pain. Makes me feel so selfish cos what I'm doing is an elective procedure. So I guess, those things got to me. Hence the crying on discharge day. But once I got home! Wow! Huge change in spirits! My 5 year old mopped the whole house so my feet won't get dusty, my 8 year old did the laundry, packed clothes and bags for him and his brother and then chopped up a plate of fruits for me to speed healing. Oh wow! Home definitely is a better place for healing.

Oh yea, when I admitted to hospital, the financial councillor told us to expect to pay $7500(ps estimate was $5-8k) in total for 3 days hospital stay and operating facilities fee. So we put a down payment of $2500. At check out, I was pleasantly surprised that my bills were only $4700. So less $2500 deposit, hubbs topped up the difference of $2200:)

So total I spent:
Ps: $9000
Anesthesiologist : $2400
Implants :$2000
Hospital : $4700

Total $18,100( SGD)

Not feeling too happy today. The man is supposed to be 'taking care' of me right? But so far he hasn't done anything. Yesterday, he took me home ten spent a long one sleeping while I loaded the dishwasher, swept and cleaned the house a little. Today he was full time working from home after driving me to te hospital for the post op. not much happened at post op today. My ps just cleaned my wounds and check to see If they are ok. Everything looks ok, which is good :)

Then we went home and he did not even help me with my younger son, so I'm tired and cranky from lack of sleep. While the man taps and taps on his laptop. Normally I don't need a nap in the afternoon but after the op 4 days ago, I'm exhausted. When I tell him I'm hungry, he ignored me.. An basically ignored me all the time. So much for "I'll take care of you!" And the house is a huge mess... Sigh... Guess I'm just ranting and worried that doing too much may affect my healing..

Sorry for the less than positive updates. Guess I just needed a place to rant. On a more positive note, I told the man that I'm fine and ranted about him on realself. Lol! Guess he felt guilty, cooked dinner and then gave me a sponge bath. And it's the first time I had everything off at once save for some dressings/bandages. And wow! My general shape looks good! I guess the boobies look big now cos of the swelling. There seem to be more volume above the nipple than below. So a bit off balance looking. Still, they're softer feeling now :) I so cannot wait to see the final results!!!! A bit worried that the Tt scar cannot be covered by normal bikini bottoms thou

So today is day 5, going on 6 now, and... I'm afraid I lost the will to abstain from intimate relations with the man. Being braless and asking the man for massages somehow escalated... And I'm now super worried that I've somehow compromised my results. Seeing most doctors ask for 4-6 weeks. I'll post some pics of my slightly more swollen belly :( to remind myself to abstain, abstain, abstain. On a side note, how can he feel the urge when looking at me all bandages up like that?

Also, I'm super itchy under the Cg. I put on a tank under it, feels slightly better but still itchy. Oh, and the skin which previously felt numb has sensation today.

I'm day 6 post op. my left breast is starting to look and feel more natural. Less high and tight looking and is softer. Also, cos it looks lower now, the nipple is more centered( not too high or low) But my right one.... Is still riding so high that my nipples look like its still low. Dunno if I'm making any sense. But the gist of it is: my boobs are unbalanced. 1 higher and bigger, the other lower and smaller :(

So today is 1 week post op. I went for my review earlier than expected as my hubby will be training a class tomorrow and will not be free to take me. So, something I did not expect, my sutures were taken out. The individual surface ones are easy but the ones that they cut 1 end and pulled the long long ends out burns. Still, just a couple of seconds and they're out!

I took a pic of my Tt scar before removing the sutures. It looks like it has the potential to be a thin line. Also, the puckering I mentioned earlier has improved a whole big lot!

I got cleared for showers! Yay! I got cleared to stand up straight! Yay! My back is killing me from all the granny walk:) My right breast is riding higher than the left so I was taught some massaging technique to help it drop.

I'll visit again next week and I'll be getting a bra :)

For some reason, going for my appointments and hearing from my dr that everything is going well makes me happy :) I guess, being the worry wart I am, i start questioning if all is going well.

And regarding the binder, they said to have it on "firmly, but not too tightly". Learn something new everyday. I always thought its better to be tighter. Also I read other reviews where their Cg is so tight it "chafes" and "cuts into skin" etc.

Today is day 8 PO and I'm feeling great. Majority of sutures were out yesterday and I'm in no pain. The rest are supposed to be dissolvable. So since yesterday, I stopped taking my pain medications. (Actually, I forgot then this morning, I woke up in no pain and I called to check with my ps office and they said its fine:))

Remember I was saying, yesterday was my PO appointment, and I was cleared for showers and taught breast massages? It worked like a charm! The massage is not really a massage. Just using my palm to push on the implant( push the top part toward my ribcage, not push downwards, but it'll make the implant move slightly downwards ). So since after the appointment I was pushing here and there as long as no one is looking ;) at night, I took a warm shower and I actually felt my right breast soften significantly. Maybe it's the massage or the warm shower that relaxes taut muscles, but I'm Soooooo much more comfortable.

I stood in front of the mirror, fully expecting both boobs to be dropped equally, but, I guess the left one dropped some more since then. Now I totally understand when people say both their boobs will drop at different rates. Still, for them to have a slight hang over my crease, they still both have more dropping to do. It's so easier to be patient if you can notice progress.

Also, I have reached the end of my tolerance for dirty living! I swept, but I can't handle the broom with 1 hand. It's crazy how I can feel different muscles working. I never thought the chest muscle were involved in sweeping motions. When I over strain them, they seize up and I feel my breast go higher again. :( so I just swept lightly and my younger boy helped by using the vacuum on my dust pile. So many big piles... Gosh!!

Also last night my man was on the phone with his mom( she still lives in the country from where my husband is from) and she's coming to visit 1st week of next month, for a month. She treats me right and everything but she's not in the know about my mm. And with my home so messy, I'm a dead woman. Ok.. I'm just being melodramatic..

Also standing straighter (thou not fully upright) has put an end to the backaches. In fact, I was able to walk way longer periods without looking for a wall to lean on or a bench to sit on. So, another yay!! :)

Going out with my man and I got nothing to wear! My tanks are too tight for my boobs even with no bra. Put on a dress with a tank under and feeling top heavy.. What do you ladies think?

Started by wanting to clean up a bit... yes, a wee bit. Swept a bit, rested. Mopped a bit, decided not to due to straining. Rested. Then, I saw 5 loads of washed laundry heaped high on the sofabed... Decided to fold some, ended up ironing, folding and putting away ALL! Bad choice! Now I'm feeling so fatigued and my tummy is seriously bloated. I don't think it's the Chinese food I ate, cos I ate Chinese food everyday.... I'm miserable now. And, the white tank I wear under my binder, has a wee spot of brown blood on it. Now I'm worried again...

Oh and I also bought a new bra. In Singapore, the biggest wireless bra from Wacoal that's not a sports bra is a B cup. Great. Just great... They gave me a receipt for returns but from the looks of it, the bra is too small and even if it doesn't fit, there isn't a bigger size for me to change for :( and it cost me $40 :(

I'm too bored at home I'm gonna go to work tomorrow. Physically, I think work is easier than me trying to play super mom at home.

So, looking at my wardrobe to see if I got enough fit and flare little black dresses to wear :) turns out, very little of my old clothes fit comfortably over the new girls. I think so far, the fit for this black dress is best. But I'll have to pair it with a cardigan due to the awesome neckline ;)

Hi ladies,

I work at a desk job, so physically, it's very light. So yesterday was day 10 and I was back full time. I could have waited as my time off was til next Monday, but I was too bored and when I'm bored I start thinking, thinking and wondering. So being at office was a good change. I also straightened my hair, put on some makeup and dressed differently for obvious reasons. Seems my colleague all say "wow! You look different! Where did you do you hair at??" So I guess, 1 look at me, they noticed something different and assumed its the hair and makeup and I just told them I was going somewhere nice after work. Which isn't a lie.

And my work sometimes involved a small walk to the bank. It isn't far normally... But omg, now that I'm a turtle walker, it took forever to get there. Instead of power walking, I strolled there. I guess it looks normal just that I take more time. There isn't pain, the reason is I didn't want to increase tension on my Tt scar and incision. BUT, the number of stares I get on the way!! Wow! Takes a little bit of getting used to;)

At home last night, I weighed myself. I'm finally back at my Pre op weight. Previously my weigh was stubbornly 3-4lbs higher. Also, my waist is about 23" at the tiniest spot.

Smaller but side view still looks yucky. I'm standing straight as I can but I still feel I'm standing like without the normal natural arch at the small of my back, ( what my pilates instructor refer to as "tailbone like tucked in"). So this results in a look that seems like I got zero booty and a hunched back.

My measurement are:
Boobs :34" overbust 26" underbust
Waist: 23"
Hips: 33"

I don't think there was any swelling when I took that measurements. I gauge swelling by the visibility I my hipbone. So yesterday, at night, it was sticking out. But I'm anticipating more swelling coming since I'm more active now.

The nursin bra I bought arrived. It's a 32D. I tried it on and it has drop cups! Brings back memories of my breast feeding days. Showed it to my man and he was like "ooh kinky!" I feel the 32 band is a bit loose and the bottom band rides up on the breasts but the D cup wasn't large enough to cover my right boob, but left was ok.

I also ordered the Genie bra online here from a deals website. It's going for $27.90 for a pack of 3. I hope they fit. I got size M. I normally would just take a S.... But based on measurements, I should be an M now. Waitin for it to arrive and once again worried that the bottoms band is too loose.

It's day 12 PO today and my 2nd day back at work. With work, time flies! I added a new pic which is the reason I sometimes get so excited for - my waistline is tiny, when there isn't swelling :) so now, despite the fact that I wear a binder under my clothes, I look 'normal' and not so thick at the waist anymore like I felt I was a few days ago. So I think swelling is definitely coming to me less. So I'm happy about that despite me preferring not to have any. Hey! It's an improvement!

It's been 14 days since my mm. So far so good :) I can finally walk straight without consciously reminding myself. So, I put on a bikini. It's really high cut due to its "retro" design. My bb is actually behind the tape. The shadow above is an internal suture my ps placed under the skin to anchor my skin lower to reduce tension on the Tt scar. It'll dissolve after about 2 weeks(now??)

I'll see my ps again tomorrow. I hope my scar is healing good. So worried about that.

There's a separation on my Tt incision of about an inch in length and no width( both sides are touching). Went for my post op appointment today and my ps managed to squeeze out a few drops of fluid collecting there. It barely soaked a piece of gauze. But it means I got to go back in 3 days. Apart from that, the rest of my Tt incision is really thin, like a pen line drawn by a felt tip pen. Many times thinner than my stretch marks. My ps is awesome, isn't he?!?!?!

So all of you ladies out there who feel well, DON'T DO TOO MUCH!!!! Let the house be dirty, let the laundry and dishes pile up, let the kids manage their own school bags!!

Also, I still have to go braless for another week. My right is still riding higher than my left... But I went to a wacoal to get sized. Holy cow! 70E! Unpadded! Fully filled out... A bit shocked... I should have just gone with the 200cc... Ah well...

I guess it all started in the morning.. I was going for my followup when I notice a moist spot on my tape covering my Tt incision. Then at my ps clinic, they peeled off the tape and a section of my Tt incision, about an inch, it was not attached, and oozing a bit of blood/ fluid. My ps assured me that it wasn't too bad and no sutures required and to keep it clean but let it drain and see him in 3 days.

So instead of going to work, I went home. Then started getting a feeling of pressure in my abdomen. I started getting nervous, thinking maybe more skin is gonna split. But maybe it's just swelling. I felt distended. Then the cramping started. Ouch! Not a sharp pain kind of ouch but a dull irritating constant cramping. I should have seen it coming. I mean, the last few days, I noticed my face getting oily, have sorta a pimple outbreak, vajayjay discharge have thickened etc... And I was just feeling generally down te whole day until after my shower, I had an epiphany! I'm PMS-ing!! I'm at day 21 of my cycle... So in a week, I'll be having Aunt Flo visit... Duh!!!

Oh, I took a shot of my Tt scar. Apart from the split portion of about an inch in length, the rest is thinner than I imagined. The tagaderm looks soiled but mostly from the ointment the nurse applied.

It's day 16 PO today. And I actually woke up when my son came into my attached bathroom to brush his teeth. Since my mm, I think I can only spent 4-5hours in my back, after which, the muscles in my chest will be cramping and ill wake up and sit up til it goes off. And most of the time have trouble getting back to sleep. Today I did not have the cramping muscles and realized I slept more than 7 hours continuously! Another milestone? Yay!! But it could just be a good day and it might be back tomorrow. Dunno, 1 day at a time :) just happy today :)

1 thing I get frustrated about is the bra purchasing process. The nurse tells me to get a specific kind of fit for bras. I keep buying the wrong things... And bras are so expensive here. 1st wacoal I got, too small at a medium $40. 2nd bra I got online $16.90( the cheapest). Both are not 'passed' by the nurse. So she sends me off to another departmental store yesterday and I got my 3rd bra, wacoal at 70E at $89( daylight robbery pricing if you ask me) I hope this one fits. And if it does, I'll get 1-2 more and use these 3 for the next 6 months til I recover and wear any bra I want :)

The 'heaviness' in my abdomen has dissipated. Maybe I'm not really badly pmsing at all. But just swollen from too much activities?? I don't really know anymore.

Also, I gave my man a hug before he left for work. Normally, my boobs will feel tender if I press myself against him. Today it didn't. So I hugged him slightly tighter and he actually said to me "I can't feel your tummy on mine" in a way like he actually missed my tummy bulge... Seriously??

It's day 19 PO now. I started out this review thinking it'll help other ladies understand this whole mm process since I benefitted from other ladies' reviews who have done it before me. Now, I think this review is also important for me as I have a sort of journal of my recovery process. So if I am in doubt of my progress, I can read my own review for assurances.

I haven't been updating daily anymore as I'm full time at work. I had another PO followup yesterday at day 18 and the 1 inch split 3 days before have closed to just maybe half a cm. I'm amazed at what my body can do in just 3 days. That portion is looking red and inflamed as compared to other parts but at least it's closing. I'm confident that in time, I'll get there.

My ps gave me an antibacterial ointment to apply on the open wound areas, which is just a spot really and cover it with waterproof band aid.

The rest of the scar, the best looking ones are under the breasts. It's thin, and the colour is the same as its the surrounding skin. My left breast have dropped til I think they look a lot smaller but I love it! The right has also dropped considerably but still a step behind the left. I no longer have morning boobs which is a welcome change. I feel comfortable lying sideways, finally! I thought my back was killing me.

My ps started me on dermatix for the rest of the scar.. I'm skeptical if it'll work.. It's silicone gel with ester C. Applied twice a day. It costs slightly more than $80. And the packaging says it'll last 2 months for a 6 inch scar... Mine are definitely way way longer... If it works, it's money well spent. If not, a big waste of money I don't need.

Posture wise, although I think I'm standing straight, my posture just isn't the same. I feel thick at the waist still. My dresses all feel so tight. Then I measure my waist, 23inches.. Which means its smaller than Pre op. but somehow, the fit is different. I dunno. It's like I stand with my butt pushed forward so I look curveless... But I won't be forcing it.. I'm sure once the skin stretches out and I got more skin laxity around the front, I can stand in my usual way, back slightly arched :)

I brought in the 70E/32DD bra and the nurse okayed the fit. So despite it being underwired, I'm to wear it when I go out. At home, I can go braless.

I wore the bra yesterday. After a while, I felt so uncomfortable. It feels tight. But the thing is, it isn't. My ribs feel bruised. But when I check, it's not.

I'm PO 21 days today and another followup at ps clinic. It will be every 3 days followup wil my split completely closes up. Everyday, it gets better, split looks shallower but I'm getting impatient! Why can't it close up by now?? The 1st 3 days, so much closed up... The last 3 days, almost like theres no progress. Anyway....

I got 1 suture poking out, and holy cow!! The nurse pulled it with the tweezers and about 3 inches just slipped out. Painless and cathartic ;) similar feeling of satisfaction as popping ripe pimples... Lol!

The tape burn is from the waterproof dressing that I use to cover the split area. And I got to change it daily. So the constant sticking and ripping out of the sticky dressing is making the surrounding skin raw and inflamed. It burns like crazy. Like I had a fall while rollerblading and sustained an abrasion.,

My boobs have dropped satisfactorily and hence, I got to start wearing my underwire bra diligently when I'm awake to keep them from sagging. When I sleep, I can still go braless. Lets hope the 2 bras I bought will suffice. Also, the boobs have some swelling to them. Which is good. I would like for them to be less prominent.. So far I got 2 people asking me if I did something to my boobs.

My tummy... Definition is returning to the part from under my boobs to my bb. Even my ps mentioned about seeing my 6pecs :) from my bb to the incision... Sigh.. Swelling is bad. I'm like 4 months pregnant. Funny thing is it does not give me discomfort. Just makes me sad cos its ugly :( but good thing is, it'll pass. 3-6 months they say and I can't wait for it to come. So impatient I am...

Today, I'm 26 days PO. It's almost a month, I can't believe how time flies! ;) I went for my followup today and am glad, no, I'm ECSTATIC, that my wound have closed up completely! So in total, it took 10 miserable, seemingly-longer-than-normal days for my body to heal the 1 inch split. Which on hindsight, seems reasonable. ;)

The man is back to his moody self after a one day reprieve but nothing he can do to dampen my mood now! I feel so complete, I'm at peace. For years I was embarrassed, ashamed of my physical self. Now that feeling is gone. I'm confident with my body, that it actually feels so good to go topless, lmao. ;)

Oh, yes!!! another piece of good news is that I can start my exercises. Gently of course. My ps said I can start brisk walking and tai chi (srsly?!?!) no cartwheeling and somersaults. Ahahaha... Not that I'll attempt those even if I didn't just have the mm :) lol!!

My breasts have settled into 70E nicely. Swelling is almost gone for leftie and rightie is still slightly
More swollen, especially at the upper pole. I think it can be attributed to the full load of housework I have been doing. Anyhow, the implants are in a great position now and I'm wearing my underwired bra during all waking hours so they don't drop further:)

Also, yesterday I had to go check out a photo booth my company is helping to develop at a carpentry workshop and it was so dusty!! I was sneezing like crazy. And surprise surprise, my tummy didn't burn, no sharp pains! That has got to be considered a milestone, right? A small but crucial step to normalcy ;)

Also, despite my increased activity, the last 2 days, I haven't been getting as much swelling. Majority of it seems confined to 2 inches above and below my Tt incision line. I think there still are internal sutures there. I can actually feel them thru my skin.

With so many positive things happening today, I'm Soo soooo thankful. Thank you God for looking out for me!

I just realised that the implant i am fitted with is a Mentor CPG (highly) cohesive III. Not the regular silicone implants with cohesive I. And apparently, for Mentor silicone implants, there are cohesive I, cohesive II and cohesive III. The higher the number the more cohesive the silicone is. and I have been searching and searching and so far, I see that CPG cohesive III is not FDA approved? or is it that i have been looking at outdated articles? and according to a Dr T on RS, cohesive 3 is called MemoryShape and not MemoryGel... Anyone have more info on this?

Today I'm exactly 4 weeks out from my mm. So far so good. I'm still wearing my binder which gets harder to put on as it gets looser and the amount of overlapping increases. I don't really notice the swelling much unless I look in the mirror. Sometimes I find that the green veins in my boobs get very prominent, like when I was breast feeding. But other times, they're barely visible.

My period finally came... a week late. It sux to wear the binder, which overlaps with my underwear and now a pad under all my clothes.

Nothing much to update since there's not much changes. I guess I'll update when I next see my ps. That'll be about 6 weeks po. Then hopefully I don't need to wear my binder and can start more rigorous exercises other than brisk walking.

Happy healing ladies!

I'm exactly 5 weeks po today. (I was typing a review halfway and my browser crashed! So I'm re-typing... sigh...)

After the heal of my tt incision split, it has been pretty uneventful. Which is great! I'd hate to get another complication that requires high maintenance in the form of frequent visits to my PS's clinic.

The most significant difference this week seems to be my boobies. They have dropped significantly from the upper pole and now is quite centered. (i.e. quite equal amount of boob above and below the nipple.) I'm glad they look less snoopy-ish and more gently sloping of natural breasts. Also, they have gotten softer -- a lot softer. except when i lie down flat on my back, then they seem to feel very firm. But when i stand up, they are really soft and squishy.. They also do not feel sensitive anymore that i can hug my kids fully, instead of from the side. Look wise, I think they look significantly smaller and I actually prefer it this way.. I love love love them now :) I spent a good part of po week 2-3 obsessing about how they looked too big/fake/obnoxious and how NOT proportionate they look with my body. blah blah blah.. Glad to be done with that phase :)

Another improvement, thou less significant, is my skin on the boobies. Right after the surgery, they were stretched out, shiny, dry and some part bordering on scaly and flaky. It lasted for 4 weeks.... I wasn't even sure if it's from stuff they sprayed on my skin during the op or my own skin falling out.. It was disgusting. Not being okay-ed to shower probably compounded that feeling of ewwww. Now, after moisturizing, showering and being stretched out, they look normal. like the rest of the skin on me :) I happy with that: Imagine having nice cleavage after all the recovery we go thru and then be embarrassed about flaunting them in a low cut top coz of the disgusting skin!! My next po appointment is on 18, thursday. Let's hope I can be cleared for more exercises.. I'm having an acute lack-of-exercise syndrome now .....

Today, I am 39 days PO! time flies. Had my followup with my surgeon 3 hours ago and everything is healing well, so since I'm happy so far with the results and the easy recovery, I'm changing my rating to Worth it!

My surgeon has worked on me before.. a reconstructive surgery on horrible scars caused by an emergency surgery which caused huge lesions which were hyper pigmented and very conspicuous. I was impressed by how being worked on by him under LA was so painless.also, while the results are not invisible, at least the lesions are not screaming for attention now. ANd so i trusted him completely for my mm. And i feel that i could not have found a better surgeon for me even if i tried looking harder. On hindsight, I would do this all over again. same surgeon, same procedure.

These are the stuff i am cleared for:
- getting rid of my binder
- do exercise that don't involve boob bouncing (ie, no jogging but ok with inline skating and cycling)
- go swimming

Things that i still can't do:
- abs workout.. gotta wait 3 month for that
- jump rope. or anything that involves hopping/jumping/bouncing

During the followup, the nurses were palpating my boobs and they commented on how soft they are now and they were unable to feel the implant and how the implant base size fitted my natural anatomy. Such a small comment but brings such happiness to my heart!

I'll go for my next followup in a month.

Previously, the incision under my right boob was a bit dented in, causing the right boob to look a tad like a square at the bottom. but now that is completely resolved. and if i may say so myself, the scar is directly at the crease, which make it virtually invisible. The left side which i preferred initially, with its pale thin scar has lost its position to the right :A) awahhaha for some reason, the scar is NOT in the crease. like higher up. how do i explain? Half the scar is in the crease the other half went off tangent towards my nipple.. lol.

If any body asked me, I'd say "Choose your surgeon wisely, then go ahead, don't look back!" The results are totally worth it!

Anyway, my mood is totally buoyant, bordering on euphoria now. I feel that i am back to feeling like my normal self only upgraded! I initially only wanted a tt but the BA is what brings me the most happiness now :) I'm sure I'll be happy about my tummy soon, but judging from previous scars, I take 1-2 years for my scars to fade.. So i need to be patient :) when and if it does fade, I will know that i am the best that myself can be. And i can live with that :) previously, i felt that i can't live with myself... that's a horrible feeling.

So today I decided to have some laksa(a very spicy coconut milk curry noodle normally cooked with prawns and cockles) but being the worry wort I am, I actually called my ps office if its ok. And this is what the answer was "sure! Can eat prawns and cockles! No problem. Crabs and lobsters are fine too. And in the event you ordered but changed your mind, no problem too! Just drop it off at the clinic for us! " LOL!!!

After lunch, I actually went bikini shopping. I know, I know... It's way too early for shopping. But I did it anyway... For the fun of it. But I loved the bikini bottom so much I actually bought it. What do you ladies think?

It's more than 10 years since I put on a bikini. Wow! All that lost time. But my striae are still visible. Maybe a coverup when out of water would help?

I'm day 46 today. Just wanted to update since I got a buried stitch try to break free on the night of Day 44.

On day 44, after my bath, I felt something poking out when i run my finger tips over my incision line to put on some dermatix. I wasn't sure if it was a scab or what. since it look like its white or skin coloured. I tried pulling it but it will not budge.
So, on the morning of day 45, I called my PS's clinic and found out that my PS is on a trip. (NOT great!) But the nurse, Yvonne, wanted to have a look at it anyway. So I booked an appointment in an hour's time (so that i can drive my kids to school first).

So, when i got there, it really was a buried stitch and she managed to grab a hold of it with a pair of mean looking tweezers and pulled it out. Simple, fast and easy.

Then on another part of my incision, she could see the blue colour of the suture thru my skin. ( It wasn't poking out, it wasn't giving trouble. It was just visible...) She was like "can you take a little pain? I can pull this out for you."
I was really afraid since i'm no longer numb on the incision. But i wanted it out anyway. So she took a large gauge needle from a sterile package and poked like 2-3 times ( i felt every single one of the pokes) then she took her skinny tweezers and put it in the hole created by the needle and pulled. It burned as the suture slid under my skin while she pulled. Still, it was over in a jiffy and I was glad it's out. It measures about 3/4inch perhaps?

This morning, Day 46, when i looked at my incision, i felt it look tamer. Less red. Is it all in my mind?

I'm at 7 weeks PO today. Nothing much to really update as a milestone. But swelling is really at a minimum really. I went shopping this morning. I know, its a Monday :) But i needed to run some errand and at the place, there were sales going on at practically every store. So I popped into a store and they were having half price for all the available skirts left from last season. These were tiny skirts in only XS (22-23inch waist) and they look really small and not something I would even consider trying on. Lo and behold, I decided to try them on and WOW! they fit! and it was an easy fit. Not squished up, muffin top inducing kind of fit. It was an easy, breathable, comfy fit! woots!~ that really made me happy :)

I'm at 7.5weeks PO. Still think its super worth it. My boobs have stabilized at its current size so I ordered bras from Victoria's Secret and had it freight forwarded to me. In my haste, I ordered 32DD, thinking it is the equivalent of my 70E(which was professionally fitted) but if I had read properly, I'd know international sizing starts at A while US sizing start at AA. Sob sob... Wasted $49.50 for 2 bras!!! :(

I'm 8.5 weeks PO now. Life is back to normal apart from the non clearance for exercising like jogging and abs work. I feel like I've gone back many steps in terms of fitness.

I have very little swelling I think but my weight is 51kg. Up from about 47kg. That's about a 10lbs increase.

I wear my silicone strips on my tt scars. I think it's help but I'm not sure. The scars under my breasts are thin and flat and skin colour. So I leave them alone apart from once a day of dermatix with the vitamin c.

Overall, I'm very satisfied with my results. With clothes on, I'm very very hourglass :) and sitting down, let's just say I no longer hide my muffin top with my handbag :) but without clothes, there's the red scar and stretch marks still to deal with. But at least, with the wrinkles ironed out, the stretch marks are less apparent. Maybe next to explore is makeup coverage?

I'll put up some pics. Ones a close up of the scar, the other is with the scar strips. Let me know what you think.

I am almost 9.5 weeks. On Sunday night, I thought i had another spitting stitch( or so I thought). So on Monday, I arranged for my appointment to be brought forward from 17th may to 13th May. I saw Dr W on 11am (As always, seeing him is a pleasure and it kind of soothes my worries and fears.) and it turns out that the blue speck was a hardy piece of dirt that I could not manage to clean off.. so embarrassing!!

Another reason I wanted to see Dr W is that a spot on my TT incision feels sore. It had been for the last 2-3days... And while i was lying on the clinics chair, reclined, Dr W p

My previous update got cut off twice when I was updating. Bummer. What I meant to say was: I was laying down on the clinic chair, reclined. Dr W was palpating my tummy along the incision line and Lo and behold, nothing was feelin sore, nothing hurt. ( I called in due to a 'spitting stitch' and a sore incision wound) but when I went in, the suspected spitting stitch was actually a speck of dirt and the soreness went off. So he inspected the rest of my incision and said although it all looks ok, my Tt incision looks like its widening. Uh oh... So I got to put those paper tape on it. My silicone strips were useless in this instance.

So the treatment plan was simple. I'd sit upright, then stick a piece of paper tape on top of the incision and pull downwards with some tension and stick. Paper tapes are able to withstand showers and can completely dry out. So no problems.

So after I got up, I was walking around the clinic and bam!! The soreness returned. It felt like a bruise that was pushed on. And I was explaining to the nurse how I normally notice it when I'm on my feet, but when I lau down to inspect it, I can't seem to pinpoint the trouble sore spot. Why?

She just said "muscle soreness"

Made sense... Made me feel stupid. :)

Standing up, walking, I use my abs, the soreness is felt.
Laying down, abs are relaxed, no soreness...

On the bright side, I went shopping. Gotta love Herve ledger inspired dresses! Apart from the incision ridge of my Tt, the rest is perfect!! (Perfect as can be as compared to my 'befores' anyway:)

So I'm 10 weeks PO now. Time flies.

My workload is back full swing and I'm tired. Plus one of my kids broke his arm. Taking care of him, while it brings him closer to me, is super tiring for me!

So, I was busying washing, hanging, putting stuff away when I felt (not heard) a pop under my right breast, near the incision. It was followed by a hot pain that zinged outwards toward my back. I took my bra off and momentarily felt better. But still sore. I felt along the incision n it was super tender. Like even touching the skin lightly brought on sharp pain. I checked with a mirror but all was looking ok. So I took a shower quickly and dried myself n put on dermatix. The first contact brought on sharp pain n zingers. Then by the 3rd or 4th stroke as I was like massaging the incision, the pain went off. Completely. And it wasn't even sensitive to touch. It went from sharp pain and sensitivity on touching to back at normal. Not sensitive or hurting. It's weird. Anyone felt the same thing?