“Tummy Tuck and Lipo - Virginia Beach, VA”

I am scheduled to have a tummy tuck on May 12th (pre-op April 26th) and I am scared out of my mind!!! I am 22, will be 23 in May and have a 5 year old son that tore my body apart. I've been patiently waiting for the right time to invest in my surgery, and now just so happens to fit my schedule!

I have posted pictures of what I look like now and was wondering if anyone knows what I should expect for realistic results. I want a flat tummy and want those love handles GONE!

Any reassurance and advice would be GREATLY appreciated, I've never been through a surgery before and like I said am extremely panicky right now. Thanks in advance!

Updated on Apr 23, 2010:

By the way, I am currently 150 lbs, 5'2. (Chubby, I know) I was 196 when I went into labor with my son 9/22/05, and before getting pregnant I weighed probably around 105. So all this weight is a big burden on me.

Updated on Apr 26, 2010:

Well I went to pre-op today and everything went great!! I was soo impressed to find out all of my exercising is working, I've lost over 10 lbs and now only weigh 140! Unfortunately enough my stomach or flanks never shrink so the surgery is absolutely necessary to gain back my pre-pregnancy body. My doc took my before pics and prescribed me percocet for pain, phenergen for nausea (I have a weak stomach) and keflex for antibiotics. Also gave me ambien to help me sleep the night before. I have 16 days until surgery and I'm so nervous it's ridiculous, but he has reassured me that everything will BE OKAY and I'll be so happy with my results.  Does anyone know what I should use to help heal the scar? He showed me where it would most likely end up and it's really low so I'm pretty happy about that. Again, any advice or information you can lend would be very appreciated!!! Thanks for your comments!!

Updated on Jun 28, 2010:
So I finally did it. I am a month and a half post op and if I had to, I would do it all over again tomorrow. I am soooo impressed with what my Doctor has done for me, he has truely changed my whole outlook on life!! I'll run through what I remember of the experience. The day of surgery I was suppperr nervous, didn't really know what to expect since this was my first surgery EVER. The staff at the office made me feel really comfortable and at home. The last thing I remember there was the anesthesiologist putting the last bit of fluid into my IV and telling me this would be the last thing I'd remember until after surgery, and he was so right! I woke up groggy, not really all there to understand what was going on. Surgery was scheduled for 745 and I was home before noon. The first couple days are really a blur to me, I was on so much medication I really don't remember. A lot of people tell me now that they came to see me but I really don't even remember seeing anyone. I did, though, take most of you guys' advice and stay in my lazy boy recliner for the first week or so. The best advice anyone could have given me was to press a folded pillow into my incision when standing up and sitting down, if I didn't know that I have no idea how I would have been able to use the bathroom as much as I did. I had 2 drains, one came out the 5th day and the other the 7th day. My doctor has a 4 day healing process, so I was able to take my garment off the 4th day, even before the drains came out. Which was really nice because I see a lot of people up here complaining on how much of a pain it is. The first few days I didn't really eat much of anything except for fruit and pop tarts. Just didn't really have an appetite. My surgery was on a Wednesday and I was back to work the following Thursday, so anyone that is looking to get this surgery done, it is really not as bad as some people say. The pain meds make it soooo much easier to cope. I did end up with a seroma and had to have it drained twice. But since my stomach was still numb, I barely felt it. Before I went into surgery I weighed 155, weighing myself this week I weigh 141. The doctors office told me they took off 7-8 pounds of fat during surgery. It's amazing! I have no regrets AT ALL, and if I needed to, I would do it all over again!

Updated on 11 Jan 2011:
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