Tummy Tuck: Stories

Hi everyone! Well like a lot of other people I have been on this site for sometime now, and now its time to tell my story. In my twenty's I was always thin about 103 to 108 but I always (even as a child) had a pooch, there was nothing I could do to get rid of it. So late twenty's is when I had my first child, after my first child I had 4 more so total of 5 and they are all c-sections. I never got back down to my let say 108 again I always stayed in the 125 to 140 range, after my son my final baby i have stayed from 131 to 138 and I seem to be happy with that, though 130 would be great! I am active, I love to work out, I do run and do weights but I have found since turning 40 it is really hard to shed that weight. I am now 43 Im 5"3 and currently range from 136 to 138 go figure! I have wanted a tummy tuck after each baby lol but I just kept having them! So now we are done and its been 7 years since my last and I have a Tummy and I'am done with my tummy! Its not to bad I really have no stretch marks but I do have a pooch, I hate my pooch. I want to look good in clothes, I want to wear the dress and not worry about my tummy showing or gosh i cant wear that dress because of my pooch or wow wish i could wear that pair of shorts, I'm just tired of hiding my tummy and hiding me! Im tired of going shopping and being discouraged when the only thing discourage me is my tummy. So Im going for it! My husband is who is really supportive and has encouraged me to do this, not that he thinks I look awful he just wants me to be happy and he wants me to feel good about me. He told me I look beautiful to him either way! So he has been my rock! I made a date for Jan and I cancelled it I was scared to death of dying on the table or never waking up and then after being on this site I have realized a lot of you have the same exact fears I do! You guys without knowing it have also been my strength, reading all your stories has really helped me to prepare myself for what waits ahead. I'm still scared but I think that is normal but I'am jumping in. More questions to come....have a great day ladies and happy healing to you all!

Ok, Im not getting any lipo done and now Im getting worried about that! Do I really need lipo with this?

 

Gosh I am getting so excited about the tt surgery!! I walked in Target yesterday and they have the bathing suits already out
and I just had a smile on my face looking at all the possibilities. My Pre Op is not until Feb 18 gosh so long away kinda
wishing the days to go by.

Ok i just posted the pics. I probably could have gotten some better ones but I had my daughter take these of me, I wil post just a little more
before I go in. Gosh i think the pics just made it more real for me?! Wow I'm really going to do this? Man I really hope everything goes
smoothly and I hope I look as good as you ladies do. I have seen all kinds of things that you need on here but if anyone reads this
and can give me some tips or things that are a must that i need please feel free to give thank you ladies and have a wonderful happy healing and happy waiting day!

Got my date changed today to March 1 at 7am.!!!! Yes

Well its been a long awaited road so far and today is my Pre-Op apt! Gosh I cant believe its here, I know its only a Pre op but like many others I have waited so long. March 1 is getting closer and closer :)

Hi Ladies Ok well the Pre- op went good I think......So we were in there for about a hour and a half...The nurse went over everything and one thing I found interesting is that over my scar for 3 weeks they are putting this alomst like a saran wrap type thing on it so it can heal and protect it as well. I will not be able to take it off but she said when it comes off it will not hurt at all. So on to the next part...I am not getting and lipo he does not think i need any which is fine with me but this part im confused about, he said I do not need mr?? He says I'am very hard there and that he does not feel I need it or that the few stitches he would put in would not be worth the extra recovery time or pain. He said he would do it all day long if I asked him to but as of right now until he looks at it he does not feel i need it. So I told him... I only have one shot at this and I want it done right but I guess if he feels like I do not need it then I have to trust him, but he did say that when he gets in there that if it looks like either way he will discuss with hubby. Ok I'm very happy with the Pre-op dont get me wrong but I guess I thought I would need the mr so kinda confused on that..any thoughts guys? Other than that Ladies I walked out with a smile on my face!!! He also said my scar would be very low and that he would go around my hips a little which pleased me, not all the way in the back but more than I thought, so that will help get rid of some of my hip bugle lol. Im getting a binder at the surgery center then about a week after spanx. Oh and guess what, he is going to come visit me at my house. I was like wow and crap at the same time, hubby better make sure this place is Clean lol. I can just see me up Cleaning!! I'm going to post this to my profile as well to get input on the MR, but really I am HAPPY!!!! Worth waiting for! Oh and there was a fire drill when i was in the office lol told the nurse I'm not walking out in my bra and panties LOL.....

Hi Ladies! Can anyone tell me if having my MR repair is a good thing or not?
The doc said I felt good but he would have to see in the operation and if it was not that bad then it was not worth the recovery, but I would like to here from you and see what you say, after being on here for sometime now I just have it in my head that I would need it? So with that being said day of surgery doc and hub will talk about it when he has a good look. Please give suggestions. Thanks :)

Hi Ladies! Ok so tomorrow is my big day!!! Yay! Went and did a little shopping today, got some fresh fruits and vegatables, some low salt all natural popcorn (its new I seen it at sams something called skinny popcorn). I have stuff to make protein smoothies so I think Im ok. Making homemade chicken soup right now for the family for the weekend and making lasagna for tomorrow so hub can put in the oven. Put away my jeans because I wont be in them for awhile lol, getting some laundry done. So I will enjoy the night with my family and Hope for the absolute best for tomorrow! Not sure if I will sleep a wink tonight but I will try. Thank you to everyone for all your support! Love this place! Oh and I have to be there at 6am surgery at 7am :)

Hello Everyone. This is Hubby checking in for Rea. Her surgery went really well. PS did have to tighten muscles in lower abdomen. She was borderline but he felt that it would be better if she disliked him for 3 weeks and loved him after vs. not being happy.

Her recovery did not go so well. She was very nauseated from the anesthesia. After giving her everything and the kitchen sink to control it they decided it would be best for her to head home and sleep it off.

All in all we arrived at 6:00am surgery started at 7:00am. She was out of surgery and in recovery between 10:00 and 10:30. We did not leave to head home until 4:00pm.

She is resting well now and not complaining so much about the nausea.

Oh and most importantly she is going to be thrilled with the results. She has not seen her tummy just yet.

Regards - Hubby

Hi Ladies
Well things seem to be going alot better today. Just taking it easy. One thing I have noticed was peeing, I could not pee at all yesterday but things got a little better last night and this morning, comes slow, kinda odd but thought I would mention that if anyone else has the same problem. Pain meds have been good , Im usually very sensive but the vicodin seems mild and the muscle relaxer seems to totally knock me out and relax me. :) Hub gave me a
sneek peak at my tummy today, he had to clean drains. It looks good so far so we will see. Doc did say if I needed a little more done then I could come in later for some lippo so that was nice. Pain is ok not to bad it burns, oh and he did tighten my lower tummy muscles. Drains are not bad they do not bother me at all, scars looks low so far. I want to thank all of you Ladies for the prayers and good thoughts coming my way, it means alot. :) if anyone has any questions i can try my best to answer, but so far the worst was recovery after the operation anesthesia was the worst part, it just Sucked! ok im going to upload 2 photos :) enjoy!

Hi everyone! Ok well im feeling ok today just had a little dizziness but I think its from the meds. My PS just came by the house, he looked at everything and was pleased, then he took out scissors and removed the saran type tape over my belly button and pulled out the like 7 inch gauze that was inside of it, omg was that the oddest feeling ever and then he put a new one back in, crap thought I was going to pass out ugh.... So I thought he did muscle repair in my lower belly but nope he did it all the way up! He took off 1.8 total weight period and also he said my muscles were about three finger gap. Another thing i did not know was that the stitches in the muscles never go away. Had no clue on that one just sounds a little freaky to me. He said I will have the drains in for at least 2 more weeks, hopefully sooner they will come out. So right now I fell like a big fluffy marshmallow lol and I do know everyday will get better. Im going to just do tylenol today and see how it goes and no BM yet. Chat again soon everyone have a great day.

added 2 more pics really similar to yesterday. Tomorrow I will try to get one standing up.

Also today I did notice some of the swelling going down so that is good. Does anyone know at all how much walking around I need to be doing?

hello, ok post op day 4. I think it was so so in the morning but it turned out better. I kept having alot of nausea very bad and we figured it out it was my antibiotic so doc took me off of it, thank gosh! Had a sponge bath today from hub and that was really good. Then I had my first BM it was not alot but I started screaming IM pooping Im pooping and hub runs in and say Yeah your pooping, only to find out that when I walked out of our bedroom All of the Windows were open in the house lol. So guess the whole neighbor hood knows lol, but later that day I did again and was alot better. Oh and also i have not seen my tummy standing up only sitting down and when I decided to take a sneak peek i just about had my binder off and the Power goes out lol, what a day! So hub took me in later and I had a little look, lots of swelling but its going to look good. Looking forward to getting through the rest of this week. Wish everyone well and fast and happy healing.

15 days. I have not added pics in a long while so thought i would put this up. :)

Hi Ladies
Well Im 31 days out and I thought I would put up some pictures. The only thing I have to say I dont care for is below my belly button you see this line kinda a indention I guess but Im not to worried, I know he will fix what ever it is I need done. Everyday Im feeling better and swelling is starting to go down. Hope it keeps that way! I cant wait to get out and run again my body is starting to get flabby :(, but I will kick but when I can lol. Hope you enjoy the pics!