My Tummy Tuck...the Journey Begins - Dallas, TX

I am now one month post op and feeling good. I just worked out again for the first time yesterday, and it went ok. I didn't feel strong enough to really get a good workout. Maybe I was being too easy on myself but I wanted to take it slow just to get back into it and see how my body would do.

I still have some aches and pains now and again but not enough to need tylenol or advil. I did have a small seroma which I have had drained twice. It is right above my scar below my belly button. I still have a little pooch there, but it's mostly all swelling now that needs to resolve.

I am extremely happy with my results so far. I am down 12 lbs and am back into a size 8. What a relief! This has been such a life changing surgery already. Also, my appetite has decreased. It seems like I fill up a lot faster and don't crave as much as I used to. It may still be the after effects of surgery but I hope it lasts. Maybe it's also psychological!

My only regret so far is not having the surgery sooner! I had this idea in my head that I had to get down to my "ideal weight" first, but my body was so out of proportion and that was the true problem. I would advise anyone to consult a surgeon ASAP if you think about getting a tummy tuck, and he or she will advise you as to whether or not you would benefit from weight loss first.

I am now 11 days post op and just got out my 2nd tube. I feel like a new woman! I am still pretty swollen and disappointed that I can't fit into my jeans yet, but I'm trying to be patient. It's amazing how much thinner I look, even though my size has not changed much. I have attached some grainy pics that I took. I will post the official ones when I get them.

I am back at work today (11 days post op) and I am doing ok. Just starting to feel pretty tired since it's getting towards the end of the day. I still walk a little slow and a bit hunched over only because of the tightness. Tylenol takes care of any pain but the tummy feels too tight like it will break if I stand completely straight.

Just found out I'll be going on two work trips very soon - one to Holland! I got the ok from the doc to go. It will be 3 weeks post op, and he told me to take baby aspirin and move my feet a lot on the flight. I'll still have the garment on for both trips but it's cold there so it shouldn't be too bad.

All is well, just have to be patient about the swelling and my energy level!

I am a 39 year old mother of twin boys who are five. I had a difficult pregnancy that really took its toll on my body. I was a stay at home mom for the first 3 years, and during that time I felt myself moving into a deep depression. I loved my boys more than anything, but I kept feeling like I was losing myself and the person I used to be. When I looked in the mirror, I saw a stranger. I managed to lose all of the baby weight through diet and exercise, but my body looked nothing like the way it did before, and I couldn't wear any of the same clothes. In 2007, when the boys turned two, I decided it was time to take my body back. I had my breasts reduced and lifted. I should have gone ahead and done the tummy tuck then, but I was still holding out hope that I could work out and diet enough change my shape. It didn't happen. My decision to do the tummy tuck with liposuction came after the next three years of frustration, with the never-ending cycle of diet and exercise ghat never changed my proportion. If pants fit me in the waist, they were saggy in the butt. It they fit in the butt, the waist would be to small and I had the dreaded muffin top. Most everyone in my life has been really supportive in my decision to have this surgery but there have been a few who think I'm now "taking it too far" or getting "addicted" to plastic surgery. What I tell them is that I'm not looking for perfection, just restoration. I will never be a size two because my body was not meant to be, but I want to feel like me again. My surgery was two days ago and so far I'm doing really well. The pain is similar to my c-sec, but nothing I can't handle. I just know it will be worth it in the long run. I'll try to keep up with this and post pictures of my journey.