Mommy Makeover: Stories

Hi, I am a 42 yr old mother of 2 children( aged 7 and 5). I have been overweight all my life but became morbidly obese in the last few years. Crunch time came in August last year when I went camping with my family. I didn't want to go swimming with my girls as I didn't want the embarrassment of being seen in a swimsuit. I worried about sitting in the camping chairs because I thought I would break them. Also, I managed to rip 3 pairs of trousers in one week when I bent over. Finally, I decided enough was enough!!

So, on September 5th last year, I started a diet which involved eating foodpacks only. I managed to lose 10 and a half stone ( 147llbs) since then and have reached a healthy weight for my height and build. I am 5ft 7'' and currently weigh about 11 stone (about 150llbs). As I lost weight so quickly and lost so much weight, I have been left with excess skin which I know will never go, no matter how much exercise I do.

I went to see a PS a couple of months ago and got prices etc but was unable to book the date that I wanted. I looked elsewhere and managed to find a PS just down the road from my house. He discussed a TT and breat lift with me but did say that I would also need implants as my breasts are now really empty on the top after the weight loss. I didnt think I would ever need implants as I have always had large boobs but realise that he was right- my boobs are really empty now and even with a lift they would still be flat on top. He is all for me having it done together to cut down on hospital costs and only have to do one lot of recuperation. However, I am worried about how much extra pain it is going to be having 2 procedures done at the same time!

I will get the courage to take some pics and get them posted soon- tbh the thought of posting such awful pics of myself is really embarrassing!!

Only 5 days to go!! This week I have paid the fees in full and had my 2nd consultation and had the pre-op tests so it has reaaly become a reality for me this week!

I asked my PS to show me where the scar would be in relation to my knickers. I wanted to double check that the scar would be hidden. He made me laugh when he asked if they were my usual style of knickers like they were granny pants-which they weren't I hasten to add! In my embarrassment, I joked that they were perfect for tucking my tummy into. Then he said that I will probably change my style after surgery. Humph, he made feel quite a frump but I dont think he really meant it like that as he is a lovely man with a nice manner!

I am excited now and cant wait for it all to be over. It has been great reading other people's experiences in this site. What is really scaring me at the moment is just how painful is this going to be when I wake up after surgery?? Also, I am wooried about how I will react when I wake up. I have only had 2 minor ops in my life but both times I have been verbally aggressive when I woke up. The first time I shouted at another patient telling her to shut up because she was making lots of noise and I had a headache. The second time I thought I was in my own home and was aware of a man waking me up (the anaesthetist) so I kept telling him to get out! As this is major surgery, god knows what I will end up doing or who I will end up offending! Oh well, at least I wont have to see them again I suppose!!

I have bought my first bikini and taken before photos on my phone- will try to put them on here tomorrow!!

Yuk! Before photos added!

Well, here goes!!
I've just had my last cup of coffee before I am not allowed anything else to eat or drink. I have got to be in hospital for 6.30am in the morning. I've ben away all weekend and just got back at 10pm the night before surgery, so time to get my bag ready and get some sleep. Being away for the weekend, I havent had much chance to think about it. We went to Center Parcs and I have been so active- playing badminton, swimming, cycling and even roller skating that I havent had the time to think about Monday which has been a help I think as I want to avoid getting emotional- especially where being parted from my kids is concerned.
I look forward to putting my after pics on here in a few days time. Hope all goes well.

Hi everyone. I am now officially on the flatside! I arrived at hospital at 6.30am this morning on my own after leaving my husband with my daughters. My PS came to draw on me at about 8.30 then got me into my gown etc. The anesthetic then came to talk me through everything. Then I lay on the bed and they wheeled me into the anaeatheists room. At this point I became tearful because my 2 biggest fears were any complications in surgery and the amount of pain when i wokeup.
Whilst watching tv before the op i remember thinking i might get to watch the gymnastics at 2.50pm. In the recovery room i asked the time and was shocked to discover it was 5.55pm!! Still don't know why it took so long

The pain on making was really not too bad. In fact the worse pain for some reason was ny biceps. I felt like i had been weightlifting. Also on my canula hand i have 3 fingers with mind n needles which is uncomfortable.
The PS came to show mw my boobs and tummy at about 8.30 and i am over the moon. My tips are really fantastic and don't hurt as yet. My tummy is so flat despite the fact that he said it is swollen. I have already text my husband tobeing ma a bikini to go home in!!
I did have a temp and am really apt but yjey have hot me on a drip of fluids and I have drunk 2 large coffee pots of water painthe nurse just emptied 1 and half litres of urine from my catheterbag. Just had injection in leg to prevent blood clots and had anti inflammatory pill. Got to stay awake till 11pm for next dose of pain meds and can't wait. I Am feeling really tired now.
I Am so glad i Am here for 2 nights and so glad i don't have to get up today. I tried to sit up a bit more earlier and tried to form a bottom shuffle up the bed- that is a definite no no at the mo

Well must go mow as falling asleep! Night night!!

Its only a few hours since last update but am wide awake after a good nap. Considering i was asleep all day yesterday i am hardly surprised.

Just before 11pm i went sooo clammy and a bit dizzy. Then i started burping which is my equivalent of throwing up. For some reason i am virtually incapable of throwing up! Anyway, they said it was cos of the anesthetic and gave be a shot of intravenous anti nausea meds . They also put the fan on to cool me down. The nausea went quite quickly and i feel fine again now. The only thing now that bugs me is the pins n needles in my hand.

Will try to get a bit more sleep but with the noise of the fan on, the noise of the pump on my legs and the noise coming from the fan in the bathroom I don't hold out much hope!!

Morning! Day 2 post-op and I am going home.
The nurse took out all 4 drains and the catheter out this morning - what a relief that was!!
I was petrified about having them out and held onto the nurse's hand like a big wimp! But it wasn't as bad as bad I thought. I had 4 drains out and only really felt one of them- it was not painful- just a wriggling feeling. Getting around is so much easier now the drains are out. I had felt a sharp pain on my left side when I moved before but now the drains are out , the pain has gone!
My bags are now packed and I am looking forward to going home.

Mist of my main worries are over now- the surgery, the initial pain and removal of the drains.
One more fear to overcome still- the dreaded BM.

I came home yesterday with my bag of dressings and meds. I felt pretty good but a little nauseous at times. At 10 pm i took a cocktail of pills as prescribed and spent the whole night feeling so sick. I spent the whole night hunched over a bowl thinking i was going to be sick. At 7 am I took one bite of toast and that made me retch and retch but still i couldnt be sick. The retching was so painful! I am not dure whether it is a reaction to the pills or due to the anaesthetic. I have just managed to eat and havent taken any pills for 5 hours and i feel realty sick again. Has anyone else had this problem? Any advice would be helpful? Thanks

What a difference the anti-nausea pills made! I have had 2 really good days. Yesterday, I even cooked a roast dinner( day 4 post-op). I walked into town on my own today and bought a new bikini. The shop assistant asked if I was going on holiday. This threw me as the real answer is 'No, I have just had a mommy makeover and am dying to try on bikinis'. But I just said yes I was. Then she asked where!! I felt really stupid then and said 'Oh, just to Greece!' LOL!!

Anyway, I felt fab wearing a bikini when I have never been able to wear one in my life before!!

The pain is not too bad. I just get a pain on my left side where I think there must be a lot of MR.

My one concern is my belly button. How long did it take to look near normal again? It looks a bit yellowish but I am taking penicillin so hopefully it's not infected. I get my dressings changed on Monday so I'll ask then.

I was also wondering how long does it take for the wound to heal. A week?Two weeks? I just want to know that I am infection free!! Advice welcome!! Thanks x

Hi all, can anyone in the UK recommend the garment that I need to wear after the first 2 weeks? I went to see the nurses at the hospital for my one week post -op appointment. The nurse said I need to get a corset and that I should have had a leaflet telling me that I need one. Apparently it should have hook/eyes or a zip up the side.
Can anyone recommend where I can get one, cos since Ive been home i have been trawling the internet trying to find one. I have ordered 2 waistnippers from Debenhams but they have no side opening.
It was a weird experience having the nurse pulling the lint off the wounds when I cant quite feel it. It really is a strange and nail-curling experience. To me, the numb sensation when someone touches me is horrible!! Does the feeling come back? Hope so.
Bye for now x

Hi all, I am not sure why but I am really sore today and was yesterday afternoon aswell.
It's down to a variety of factors:
1) I did the vacuuming on Monday morning- Big NO NO to that from now on!
2) I had my dressings changed by a nurse who was quite rough and even put the adhesive part of the dressings on parts of my incisions.
3) I finished all my meds the day before
4) I also washed the kitchen floor on my hands and knees on Monday morning.
5) I leaned over a chair to help my daughter and managed to squash my boob between the chair and my body- it hurt and bled a little!

So, I am now officially taking it easy- well as much as I physically can before my fingers start itching to do things. I feel really lazy and lethargic doing nothing productive which I think triggers comfort eating through boredom !! I really cant wait to feel back to normal and have the wounds healed.

I showered this morning and tried to remove the dressings that the nurse put on them yesterday and it took ages because the adhesive was glued to the glue on the incisions. I had to use scissors to cut bits of dressings off. I really was less than impressed. I feel like phoning my PS's office to complain but I think both he and his nurse are off for the week. Also, I have got to go back on Friday and am worried that it will be the same nurse. She wasnt very friendly either. She asked me why I had chosen to have a mommy makeover. When I explained that I had lost lots of weight, she said that anyone she knew that had followed the same diet that I had done had put all the weight back on and more! Well, up yours nurse I thought!!

Right, that's my moaning over and done with.

On a happier note, I got some sports bras in the post today which fit beautifully- does anyone know when I can wear them instead of the zip-up bra you get at the hospital?
I also will get my corset bodysuit on Thursdsay. I am looking forward to that as the woolly garment from the hospital that I am wearing is itchy and gives me blisters. I have started to wear a vest underneath it to prevent anymore blisters from forming.

I am hoping to get stitches out of my BB on Friday. My BB is covered in a gauze and stitched on aswell I think but I can't see any stitches. How do they remove that gauze- Has anyone else had that?
Sorry for asking so many questions but the nurse wasn't very helpful and I tried phoning the PS office but there is only a receptionist there this week. I felt a bit 'alone' and 'in the dark' about my progress yesterday but then voiced my concerns and questions on here and within minutes I had the answers I needed. This website is such a comfort and an inspiration for us!! I dont know what I would have done without it.
It's also good to have somewhere to pour your heart out cos I know my hubby, as supportive as he has been, doesn't really appreciate my what I have gone through or my reasons for needing to do this.

That's it for now, Night all !! x

Hi everyone,
I haven't posted on here for a while as I have been getting back into the swing of work, looking after the kids etc. All was going well. The steri-strips are off and I was starting to massage my incisions with bio-oil. A few days ago, all twinges went and I started to feel 'normal' again. Too good to be true of course !!

Yesterday morning after showering, I was massaging oil into the incision when I felt a sharp pain. I saw what I thought was a bit of a scab- it was sore to the touch, so I got a pair of tweezers to remove it. Out from under the incision came a suture with a knot in it. I was amazed. Throughout the day, more little lumps begin to appear under the skin. By night-time, a few more pieces of sutures poked through the skin. Also, my incision on my tummy was beginning to look very red and angry.
Today, I went back to see the nurse at the hospital. She said the body sometimes rejects some of the stitches as they are 'foreign bodies'. She removed another suture which I hadn't seen and said there were 3 more which were nearly ready to come out. She said the redness was a reaction to the bio-oil, so I am now going to use aqueous cream to moisturise the skin.

My incision under my right breast has also come open a little. I think this is due to the fact that I lifted too many heavy things in Monday as I was feeling back to normal. I carried a shopping basket which, at the time, I thought was far too heavy.
This is not a major set back but I am a little worried about the wound opening up. I have now got steri strips on it..

I saw a work colleague yesterday for the first time since the op. She was asking me about the boobs and I explained how the nipples were cut out and moved up etc when a workman walked past, Unfortunately, I talk with my hands, so as he walked past me, I was circling both nipples with my fingers. I don't know who was more embarrassed- him or me!! A few seconds earlier and he would have seen me showing my boobs to my friend, so it could have been worse!! LOL!