Still Weighing the Pros & Cons - Tummy Tuck, MR & Lipo - South Carolina, SC

After several years of consideration, I finally took the plunge! I am a 47 year old mother of five and weigh 128lbs at 5'6". With each pregnancy, the stretch marks became worse and after my last child my skin simply did not recover any elasticity. I told myself it didn't matter because I was over 40 and to old to worry about how I looked in a swimming suit. However, a few years ago I became more consistent with my workouts and my body started to change and look good. Only the tummy still sagged over my jeans and my distorted belly button bulged out from underneath shirts! Ick! So I told myself if I worked my abs hard for one year with no significant improvement, I would get the tummy tuck. Believe me, I have a strong core and have done every variation of a tummy crunch possible - consistently and intensely with no improvement! So I took the plunge and had a tummy tuck over 2 weeks ago.

It has been a roller coaster. The first week was tougher than I expected physically and the second week was emotional. I am going to contribute most of that to the meds. I did spend a lot of time questioning whether or not I should have done this and I still have not made up my mind. I feel stronger every day and the stretch marks and extra skin are gone. But the way I felt during these early days still has not left me. I guess for me the big thing was the realization that I could have had a serious complication from the surgery and my family could be without me now over something like this. I knew all the risks going in - did all the research - but I guess it just didn't really hit me until I was laying their worrying about the blood clots, etc. how it would impact my family if something happened. It may have been the pain meds contributed to depression and make everything seem worse. I feel so much better now - but felt it important that ladies be aware you may go through that.

So having said all that - I am optimistic about the future. My scar is a little higher than I had hoped, but it is going to be okay. I will just not wear low-rise briefs - but go for plain old bikini. I can live with that. My belly button looks great. The swelling is still there and stinks, but I know from all of you that it is going to go down and I am not letting that get to me either. I tried on some bathing suits and while I still have the same old pudgy legs - I don't have to wear a tankini or one piece to hide my belly button and stretch marks! Hurray for that! And my husband said I looked "sexy!" Ha! He was afraid to look for the last two weeks!

I do have a question - any particular CG to recommend? The one the doc gave me does not feel tight enough anymore and it squeezes me at the legs (snaps between my legs). I have another one that also snaps between the legs but does not squeeze my legs - but does not feel like I get enough compression in the lower part of my stomach. Suggestions??

This site has been extremely helpful in giving useful information and insight and has been a life line through this process. Thank you to all who have shared their stories!!!

Will post after pictures soon. Gotta download them from my camera.