Tummy Tuck: Stories

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Tummy Tuck ~ Newport News, VA

  • updated 1 year ago

I am 35 yrs old and mom of 3 beautiful girls....

  • 15 Nov 2011
  • 3 months pre

I am 35 yrs old and mom of 3 beautiful girls. After 3 pregnancy my tummy isn't the same. I have done many classes at the gym from yoga, zumba, weights, steps, etc... nothing work for make my tummy at least half way the way I was before having babies. I had done also p90x & insanity and no improvement.

I just schedule my surgery for Feb 3rd, 2012. I'm excited but also so freaked out about the thought of going under general anesthesia and never waking up. I don't like the thought of being unconscious and not knowing what's happening.

I been searching for months a good plastic surgeon (got great tips from this site on how to find one) I had 3 consults and saw many pictures before & after online from other doctors in my area. I decided on the surgeon that is ABPS & ASPS. He make me feel comfortable and I like the before & after pictures of previous tummy tucks he performed.

I am SO nervous about my upcoming TT! I have read...

  • 1 Jan 2012
  • 1 month pre
I am SO nervous about my upcoming TT! I have read so much about them and really appreciate everything that I have found on here! My husband is very supportive. I am blessed to have him in my life! he supports me on this and is going to be taking care of me thru this. He’ll help me the first 2 weeks! He says he love me the way I am, but I know he will love the results just as much or more when everything is said and done. My stats: small frame, 5’1”, 123 lbs (my weight before pregnancies was 90 lbs - highest weight was 170 lbs) I was left with terrible stretch marks and sagging skin as you can see.

I’m nervous, but I’m feeling so much better...

  • 27 Jan 2012
  • 7 days pre
I’m nervous, but I’m feeling so much better now about my surgery!!! I cannot believe that my day is almost here! The weeks have flown by since I have scheduled this surgery. My hubby got all my prescriptions (Keflex, Percocet, Phenergan & Xarelto) which was a journey (he had to go to 2 different military pharmacies and at the end he got the last 2 at cvs)… got ScarAway for c-sections, slippers, comfortable clothes, soduko, books, etc… I’m trying to get ready at home for the big day with all the cleaning, etc… I spent so much time on this forum and can’t thank you all enough for sharing your advice, recoveries, photos and well wishes. I had never had any kind of surgery so RS is just what I needed to prepare me for this surgery! Thanks also to the kind advice & support of the ladies here!

I’ll probably need have a scar revision because...

  • 12 Mar 2012
  • 1 month post
I’ll probably need have a scar revision because the left side of my scar is a little higher than the right side... Is so tight and swollen on my left side... I know is not my ps fault... it's just the way I'm healing... Luckily my Dr. wants perfection as much as I do! And after a few months he will be fixing it!! (love my Dr.!)

BB-was black... after the first week started looking like beef jerky... I never put nothing on it and after like 4 weeks it started shedding on it's own... now looks normal!

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Dr. Blanchard was very polite and never made me feel uncomfortable. He answered every question I had no matter how little or silly it may have seemed. I am very happy with my tummy and I am only five weeks out. Prior to meeting Dr. Blanchard, I had consults with other doctors but I felt comfortable with him. He answered all my questions. The surgery went well, from what I remember. My stomach looks amazing (compared with before) and the scar is super low and healing well. I am five weeks post-op and feeling better every day. I would highly recommend Dr. Blanchard and his staff for your tummy tuck.

Comments (75)

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mandy77 28 Mar 2012
your tummy looks amazing :)
MelissaTx 18 Mar 2012
Just keep wearing your garment and If you get swelling it's very normal, expect the swelling for up to 4 to 5 months. It usually happens when you overdo things, when you swell, take it easy and wear your garment! :)
MelissaTx 16 Mar 2012
looks great Gben. Glad it turned out good! How is the healing going for you?
gben 18 Mar 2012
Thank you Melissa! healing been ok... I was expecting pain but I was on top of my medicines and after like day 4 I stop taking the pain med and only my antibiotic... I'm so happy I did it! I been for 18 years with the same tummy so I still can't believe how my tummy looks now :)
msbeas 16 Mar 2012
Hi Gben, congrats to u and ur looking good girl!
gben 18 Mar 2012
Thank you msbeas! I look at your profile and you look awesome!! congrats to you too... I still can't believe how different I look with the same clothes I always wear...
CarJen 15 Mar 2012
Yes, I'm having mine on June 1 in Norfolk. I haven't gotten excited about it yet. I'm more worried about losing enough weight to get the results I want.
gben 18 Mar 2012
I know what you mean... the last 10lb were the hardest for me... it help me to eat half of what I was eating (I stop eating things like bread, pasta, potatoe, rice, sweets, soda, juice) I got my carbs from fresh fruits... and excercise 4-6 days a week... but keep positive... and you'll make it happen!
CarJen 15 Mar 2012
Your results look amazing!
gben 15 Mar 2012
Thank you CarJen! are you having a tt?!
Jennof3 14 Mar 2012
You look awesome! Do you still have alot of swelling at 5 weeks? Do you still have to wear your garment? Have you started scar therapy?
gben 15 Mar 2012
Thank you Jenn! you look awesome too! :) I still have a lot of swelling (specially in the afternoon)... I wear my garment every day and night (I take it off only when I shower) my ps told me that I can use anything that snuggle my tummy... he said to be careful with the corset style because the boning (might hurt me and I won't feel it in some parts)... I haven't start any scar therapy... I'm just using steri-strips to give it some pressure... although I bought already the Scar-Away for c-section... I'm waiting until my next appt (in 2 weeks) so I can ask my ps if I can start with the scar-away... oh and I'm massaging every morning n night the lower left side of my tummy because it was so tight (is also the part that's most swollen everyday)... after like 3 weeks of massaging is getting way better... happy healing!!!
AFmechanic 12 Mar 2012
I had to come check out your tummy since we had the same surgeon. Your tummy looks so good! I hope mine looks like yours when all this swelling goes down!
gben 13 Mar 2012
Thank you AF! you look awesome! you even have that line in the middle... I don't have that line (arrg) ... but I'm so happy I did it!!!
Katapple 12 Mar 2012
You look really really good!! I can't even tell that your scar is higher on one side and your scar is so low that I don't think you'd need a revision. Fabulous results!

PS I drink coffee all the time, sometimes 3 cups a day and don't notice any extra swelling :)
gben 13 Mar 2012
Thank you Kat! after all the swelling is gone maybe I won't feel like I need a revision... I don't thinks is that high either :)

Wow! you drink a lot of coffee (I just drink 1 cup) :)
Stellar820 12 Mar 2012
Wow! Your tummy looks great! Your results have made me even more excited for my own tummy tuck!
gben 13 Mar 2012
Thank you Stellar! you are going to be so happy after is all done!!
newmomat37 22 Feb 2012
I hope you post pics soon...I am right there with you..went straight to swell hell.
As a side note, I had that same weird lump/bump right under my breast bone you were talking about. I stayed the night in hospital so my doc saw me the very next day in the a.m. and explained same thing, my MR went all up to breast bone and it was just swelling that wasn't quite getting covered by comp garment. I was freaked out b/c it was huge, like a speed bump between my boobs, at top of fib cage area. Anyway, the swelling in that area is almost entirely gone...too bad I can't say the same thing for the rest of my swelling! :) Best wishes!
gben 22 Feb 2012
Thank you newmom! my tummy doesn't looks flat at all, I hope is all the swelling... I try to post a picture but it says I have to rate my dr. and I don't want to rate yet until all the swelling goes down & I see my scar(haven't see yet)... I'll try to send you the picture in the private message... can't wait for all the swelling to go away!
wannabeyorkie 26 Feb 2012
Hi gben. I noticed that you used the same doctor as I did and my tummy also isn't very flat. I am 9 days post op today and I still like my tummy it just seems that it should be flatter. But I am also swollen. Have you talked to the doctor about your concerns yet and if so how did he react? I plan on bringing up my concerns when I see him next. So far I have only had one post op appointment but I have another this Wednesday. I think the Dr. Is nice but seems to rush the appointments when ever I see him.
gben 12 Mar 2012
Hi wannabeyorkie! Sorry to answer you so late... I just saw you comment (I need change my settings) my tummy is getting better (I'll try to post some pics).. I had a big bump the first week but it’s all good now... It was all the swelling... I still get very swollen in the lower abdomen in the afternoons (specially if I drink coffee) but that's part of the recovery process... if you have any concern you should talk to him... if you can't wait to your next appointment call to his nurse (they are available 24/7). I also did notice he seems in a hurry, so I always make a list with all my concerns & questions before I go to my appointments… so far it work out good, he answers all my questions… I saw your pictures an you look great! give yourself time to heal... it going to get better every day :)
MaumeeMG (RealFriend) 12 Mar 2012
Wow gben - I never considered coffee being the culprit for my swelling. I have a ton of it every morn! And of course I have swelling every night. :-/
gben 12 Mar 2012
Hi Maumee... I have swelling every night but when I drink coffee I'm way more swollen at night... so I'm trying to drink coffe on the weekends only :)
MelissaTx 8 Feb 2012
gben--just checking in to see how you are feeling :)

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