“Mini Tummy Tuck - Tues. Excited and Scared! - Wellesley, MA”

I am a 41 year old mother of three, ages 12 12, and 13. I have low body fat but have not been able to wear a bikini in 13 years. The skin below the belly is loose and wrinkles when I bend down. I hate that.

Surgery is two days from now. Some concerns include infection and/or a scar that is placed too high preventing the desired goal: a bikini!

Updated on 21 Mar 2011:
Tomorrow is the day! Wish me luck :-)
Any insight on just how bad this is going to hurt and with musc. tightening will be appreciated.

Updated on 28 Mar 2011:
One week later and I couldn't be happier with my results. It's a good feeling.......one that is beyond words.

Updated on 4 Apr 2011:
2 weeks post op. Today I learned, there's no need to be a hero. Sometimes, pain and inflammation have a mind of their own. Call your Doctor, if you have muscle pain (not uncommon at this stage) and work to get that pain under control.

Updated on 5 Apr 2011:


Updated on 12 Apr 2011:
WE MUST HAVE A GUARDIAN ANGEL.

During my initial consult, Dr. Kimberly O'Sullivan urged me to have a few of my moles removed asap. They are/were located on my abdomen. When I told my husband about this, he seemed to take it in, especially given the irregular mole on his back. He had put off the removal of one mole, in particular, for nearly two years! Thank God, fate intervened on what could have been a horrific outcome. Dr. O'Sullivan is diligent and very informed about irregular moles. When I called her office on a Friday, they had a cancellation and scheduled my surgery on the following Tues...... to schedule my tummy tuck. I ran it by my best friend and husband of nineteen years. He said, "will she be able to remove my mole........after your procedure? I must admit, his inquiry caught me off guard. I was so excited about finally getting rid of this loose skin, it seemed odd to work in his mole but I went along. In fact, I had nearly forgotten but the answer was "yes" after I called the office to confirm.

A week later, the news was shocking and frightening beyond belief. Stage 1, active melanoma. Cancer. We are panicked beyond words and we're not out of the woods yet. This week, we're going to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. We suspect, they will recommend a Sentinal Node Biopsy to ensure the cancer has not spread to his lymph nodes. The odds are on our side.

Miraculously, my tummy tuck, a Doctor who is hyper-vigilant about moles and a husband who needed an "in" all came together to give us a fighting chance. We have learned that Melanoma makes up 4% of all skin cancers but it is, by far, the deadliest. We both shudder to think of the outcome had we not found Dr. O'Sullivan.....or if I had delayed my procedure. The Real Self site led us down the road to what will likely be a full recovery. Please keep us in your prayers.