Tummy Tuck: Stories

I have been thinking about a tummy tuck and/or liposuction since I had a tubal ligation in 2011. I am 5'9" and before I had my first baby I weighed 145lbs, I gained 70lbs and then lost 55lbs, leaving me at a still healthy 160 lbs. My stomach skin was definitely different, but I could live with it, however I was really not happy with how pregnancy affected my breasts so in 2005 I had a reduction/lift. Fast forward to today... I have had two more children. The good news is that I am still happy with my breast reduction/lift, however my abdominal area now looks like a war zone. I have been going to the gym, running and eating healthy for the last 8 months and I am not seeing any results in my abdominal area.

After having a CT for abdominal pain I was told that I have an umbilical hernia and that it will eventually have to be repaired. I figure that since I have to go under anesthesia for the hernia repair, why not take care of everything at the same time. I had an appointment on Monday with the same doctor that did my mother-in-laws tummy tuck 2 years ago. Although I would have rather had lipo because it is less invasive the doctor said that I would not be happy with the result and that I really needed to have a tummy tuck to get rid of the extra skin. Not to mention about 98% of my stretch marks and the surgical incision from the tubal will be gone.

After reading an article in good housekeeping about a woman in her 50's that decided to have then tummy tuck with a hernia repair I am more motivated to do this now while I am in my 30's instead of waiting so long. As soon as I can get the time off with work I am going to schedule a tummy tuck with lipo in the upper abdominal area and flanks. I will post more info/photos as they become available.

20 days till a new tummy!!!....Getting excited now and starting to plan my overnight bag. Have lots of questions for my PS on Wednesday for my pre-op appt. Bringing my husband with me so that he can ask questions too.

I am so excited!!!! This time next week I will be getting my bags packed for TT day!! I am kind excited and scared at the same time. I see all these great results on RealSelf and just hope that mine turns out as well. I have been putting Palmer's Cocoa oil with E on every morning and every evening, going to the gym and watching what I am eating. Hopefully, I will be down to 185 before next week. I am at 187 now.

Day 5 pre-op.
That was almost as bad as having a really attractive PS looking at me naked in an open paper robe and grabbing my fat roll....in a well lit office.
I hope that by doing this I can help someone else with my "dimension" see what their results may look like. Thanks for all your support girls and posting pictures and the great advice. I will keep the pictures and my experiences posted.
XOXOXO

Installed my shower wand today and put the toilet seat raiser on. My husband took one look at the toilet an told me to take it off until I needed it. :).... Messed with his throne, you would have thought I organized his tools (grounds for divorce in his mind).

Going to return the walker my sister had one in her garage...who knew??? That will save me $45.00. The way I see it, that's a really cute top when I can go shopping again!

I am getting antsy now. It is harder to focus at work. I almost wish that I had taken the day before off too. I know that there is sooo much that needs to be done before I go in. Oh well, I will get what I can done and then count on looking pathetic enough so that my Mom helps with the house. From what I have read shouldn't be too hard.

Next update will be on the flat side :) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Swollen, sore and bruise. Not as bad as I thought that it would be. I love the fact that I can see the beginings of my new shape. I could have cried this morning when I say that for the first time since I was 19 I have a flat tummy again with almost no stretch marks.

Think that I may have been over doing things yesterday. Went to sit in my recliner and I got a gushing burning sensation in my lower right abdominal area. Would have sworn I tore my incision, but it is fine so what ever I did it was inside. I almost wonder if it isn't my body trying to heal around the drain tube and it pulled loose. I drugged myself with 2mg of dilaudid and 10 mg of valium and put myself to bed, which is where I probably should be spending more time anyway. Put out about 120 ml in the last 24 hours so doesn't look like I am going to get the drain taken out today. I will be happy to see the sutures around the belly button and the staples go away today! Have a small area on the incision line that I am worried about so I will as my PS today.
Thank goodness for my G-Ma. She is my 76 year old grandma that is an RN and she still works per diem!! Amazing lady! She has been spending every day with me and keeping me company. I made two bracelets over the last two days with her (she likes to bead).
Hope all the April TT are healing nicely with amazing results!

Will post more pics later today.

Today I vow to follow my own advice! No superwoman for me oh no. Yesterday I made two upside down pineapple cakes for my mother-in-law's birthday, beaded her a necklace and earrings and walked around most of the day. Not a good idea I could hardly stand up last night and the swelling was awful!!

I am planning on taking a full three weeks off now just to make sure that I am ready to go back to work. I feel great ...until my body tells me that I just had a major procedure and slow down. So, today my goal is to plant it in the recliner and take a nap before the family gets home.

I did keep my drain as I suspected. My PS offered to take it out if it was really bothering me, but he may have to drain any fluid collections with a needle. I said that the drain and I are great friends, doesn't bother me a bit it can stay for a few more days. He didn't take all the staples out just half of them and I have to keep my BB sutures until one week post-op. The drain comes out by Friday regardless of fluid output. He said that sometimes having a drain in will cause your body to produce fluid because of the suction. Since I have to drive 90 minutes to see him I made an appointment for Friday to have the drain, sutures, and staples removed all in one day!
As you can see from the pictures my hips are still pretty swollen, but the bruising is starting to really fade. Love the arnica gel..tip..put in in the fridge. Feels great going on and the cold can't hurt the swelling either.

Like I said before, I am amazed with the results so far. I am sure that I will be blown away when all the swelling goes down.

I have a nice little stash of cash for new clothes, but I think that I am going to wait 3 months post op to allow most of the swelling go down. That is so exciting. I haven't gone on a real shopping trip for myself since before my son was born 5 years ago. Not even sure I know where to begin. I am going to have to call in reinforcements to help with style and fitting. I am so used to buying baggy tops to hide the skin/roll.

I hope that everyone is healing well and staring to see the results they wanted or at least a major improvement. I would like to thank all the ladies that have posted pictures and information on their tummy tuck journey on realself. It really helped me how to prepare and what to expect pre and post operative. Hugs and kisses to all you wonderful ladies. May you look as beautiful on the outside as you are on the inside.

I will continue to post pictures.

Went and hung out with my mom this am. Definately going to take a nap today and plant it in the recliner for the rest of the day. Going to see PS tomorrow to have all my extras (staples,sutures and drain) removed. I am very glad that I decided to take the three weeks off. I have a feeling that I am going to need it. My husband has been great with the kids (4 and 2), making dinner, and keeping the laundry caught up. So lucky to have him.

Happy healing everyone!!

Went to PS today. Had drain removed. Not gonna lie....it burned. But not so bad I got as far as yelling "SON OF A" and stopped myself. My PS chuckled and filled in buscuit for me. Staple removal is a piece of cake. Found out sutures around belly button are disolvable as well. So they will fall out on their own. Got the okay to take them out myself if they get red and inflammed. Follow up appointment next week.

Thinking about weekly picture updates from now on unless you girls prefer that I do daily updates still. Let me know!

XOXO and happy healing.

Have to make myself slow down again. Went to PS on Thursday and he removed few of the sutures from drain site. This morning I am leaking organish fluid from old drain site. I think this is from the swelling as a result of too much activity. Fluid has to go somewhere right.

I have one more week off of work and I plan to actually take it easy from here on out. On the plus side I have a lot more energy..which I think is what is getting me into trouble. :)

I am going back in two weeks to have the TT extended around the hips to remove the rest of the loose skin and lipo the flanks ($3500). The improvements over the last year have only gotten better. I go to the gym 2-3 days a week and am very active the other 4-5 days. The hips and flanks have not responded to exercise/diet. The scar is long, but mostly faded and hides under panties/bathing suit.

I am day one post-op tummy tuck incision extension and lipo of the flanks. So far so good! After the local anesthesia wore off the incisions burned so I took some pain meds and went to bed.
Today there is some swelling and slight discomfort. I only took 800mg of advil twice today and then 1 percocet at bed time. Not really that bad. I was up and active most of the day but I did take a two hour nap. I have a two small kids (3 &5) and I was able to handle them both by myself the day if surgery and today. I can already see amazing results even with the swelling. Dr. Giles is amazing!! I will post some pictures soon.

Amazing results. Uneventful post-op period. I rode my bike 8 miles day 4 post-op and 5 miles day 5 post-op. Back to they gym in one week. Activity is not restricted in anyway. Bruising was gone at 2 weeks and minor swelling at the end of the day Getting lots of compliments and even more "looks."