James D. Foley, MD

I am planning to get a full tummy tuck this thursday. I am very happy about my decision and looking forward to getting this surgery over with ! I am a 28 year old mother of one son.
I am so lucky since I work at a hospital, I am able to pay only half upfront and the rest is payroll deduction !! yay!!


I gained a lot of weight with my pregnancy and have many gross stretch marks, I am 5'8 and weigh 163. Doing this is something I have dreamed about for years. I had a breast augmentation when I was 20 and was very pleased with the result. Now having my stomach done I am looking forward to being able to wear a bikini this summer :) My only regret so far is that I did not lose more weight before, but I have been at this stable weight for several years. I have already filled my meds, rented my recliner ( its a power one) have a friend to come stay and help me for a few days, Now I just need to live with the anxiety of waiting for the days to creep by... can I just hop on the table already and get this over with ....



Updated on 8 Oct 2012:
Monday night .... a few more days to go! I forgot to include that my son was born via C section in my above post. I plan to spend tomorrow doing last minute errands as I have to work wed the day before.....Im so nervous I cannot wait to get this over with. I hope and pray its all worth it!

Updated on 11 Oct 2012:
Today's the day ! I'm all gowned up waiting. My Nerves are not so bad thanks to 2 Ativan.
I'm praying everything goes well! I pill post more pics when I can !

Updated on 11 Oct 2012:
Im home now about 7 hours post op. So far the pain has not been too bad . I've been taking 2 Vicodin 7.5-325 mg every 4 hrs and 1 flexeril 5 mg tab. I am thinking that maybe the local has not completely worn off yet ?
The feeling to me is that I did about 5 thousand crunches ! But so far my lower and do not hurt yet. The nurse emptied my drain before I left the hosp. And I've been home a couple hrs and it's not half full. Luckily I only ended up with one drain .
I'm sooooo grateful I rented the power recliner ! Money well spent ! I have not looked yet at the incision maybe tomorrow!

Updated on 12 Oct 2012:
I saw my new belly button ! I didnt want k
To take my binder off but I was told I needed to put neosporin on my new belly button daily.
My incision is low and covered with steri strips, get my binder back on was tough though. Even with my boyfriend helping it was hard to get it back on as tight as they had it on at the hospital. But I look way thinner already it's amazing - ill try and get some pictures tomorrow.
Hopefully I will sleep better tonight than last night . No regrets though from what I have seen so far its worth it!

Maybe shower tomorrow ? I'll see how much energy I have

Updated on 13 Oct 2012:
I had a shower today and I feel so much better ! I did the yoga band trick that I heard about on here and pinned my drain to it and that helped.
I drained about 50 cc this am when I woke up and about 30 cc this afternoon.
Today is by far the most sore I have been . I am happy with what I have seen so far for results though even with all the swelling .

Updated on 14 Oct 2012:
My drain is sore today ugh . I am crossing my fingers that it will come out at my one week post op this Wednesday.
So not to be TMI but I have not had a bm since the day before my surgery. I have been taking 3 colace a day and drinking tons of fluids. And nothing.... Ugh. Any suggestions other than colace of something that i can try ? I'm swollen and do not want to add bloated on top of that.
I can't figure out how to add my new post op pictures. I will add them as soon as I can figure it out!

Updated on 17 Oct 2012:
Today I am 6 days PO. This afternoon I am praying my drian will come out at my Dr. appt this afternoon.

Last night I slept in my bed YAY!!!! I was worried about rolling around and hurting myself but, I propped my self up with extra pillows, and one under my legs and I stayed put . So nice to wake up next to my honey. :)

So its been a WEEK since I have had a bm. I have been taking the 3 colace - the MOM and drinking prune juice. Im asking for a script today for the strongest laxitive there is because this is crazy!

My pain level is not bad, I had been setting my alarm to wake up in the middle of the night to take my vicodin but last night I didnt and I was able to get up out bed fine with help from my bf) I took my am dose of vicodin and I will take another dose before my appt in case they pull the drain out.

My house is driving me nuts its messy and my bf works all the time so he doesnt feel like cleaning so I am on a mission to find a cleaning lady online today.
Wish me luck !

I have no had a good look at my incision yet as its covered by steri strips, I am almost afriad to look at it - What is the best cream to put on it to minimize the scar or has anyone used the silicone strips that you put over the incision ?? thoughts??.

I spent hours last night looking at clothes and bathing suits online that I will be able to wear now- I am so pumped to go shopping !!! I would do this again in a heartbeat so far it has not been bad at all as long as you take the pain meds. Best decision ever!

Updated on 18 Oct 2012:
Today I am one week post op and I am feeling great!!!

My post op appt went well yesterday- every thing looks good and is healing well. I had a small mystery blister below my belly button that was from wearing my compression garment without a shirt underneath and apparently my compression garment pinched me. I also had a small blister that was on my incision that was from me stretching the wrong way but that is looking better today.
Drain stayed in - I am still putting out over 30cc per day. That's stinks but 1 more week is not so bad. I found that by gently wrappy a sterile pad over it and taping it down . It moves a lot less and is hardly painful at all.

I had to break down and use a suppository last night as it had been a week since my last bm. It worked within a half hour and it wasn't that bad. I did another one today as not much came out the first time ( gross tmi sorry) and did the trick. I am going to make sure to increase my fiber intake and cont. with the colace.

I made the HUGE mistake of getting on my scale today. I have gained almost 10 POUNDS since my surgery. I almost cried considering they took out almost 3 lbs during my tummy tuck. Does anyone know if water retention happens after surgery ?? Since working out is out of the question I'm panicking :( ahhh I hate scales !!!!

Updated on 20 Oct 2012:
Today I broke out in the grossest rash ever ! All over my things ,legs and arms. I have finished my antibiotics and have not used new soaps or detergents to I am not sure where it came from. Even 2 benadryl didn't help just made me more tired.
I'm felling so fat and gross and bloated today and I'm sick of not being able to drive and not being able to wear what I want. I'm sad that I am not able to play much with my son too. He keeps asking when will my tummy feel better :(
Im not in a lot of pain just sore and getting worn out super easy. I wish I could fast forward through the next few months. I'm such a active person all this sitting around is making me depressed , thank god for Celexa lol.

Updated on 24 Oct 2012:
Had my 2 week follow up today. My ps says things are looking really good. I am still draining out at least 30cc of fluid every 24 hours so my drain must stay in another week. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. So now I need to find a Halloween costume to hide my drain in. I am so grateful overall I am no longer taking any Vicodin only ibuprofen as needed. I have been taking a muscle relaxant and a Ativan before bed. I am back in my bed with a pillow under my knees and 2 pillows under my shoulders and head. I'm not too sore. I am standing up straight too. Going back to work nov 1 so I plan on enjoying the rest of my time off. My only regret so far is going to a ps that would not do liposuction with the tummy tuck, he said it was because the risk of blood flow and tissue would die blah blah blah ..... I think that perhaps he does not have the skill set to do it. I think liposuction with the tummy tuck would have made the most dramatic result. Oh well ......

Updated on 23 Jan 2013:
I am 3.5 months out now and feeling really good and happy that I went through with my full TT. Now I need to get my butt in gear and start working out- I was cleared to go to the gym weeks ago but Ive been feeling lazy and this cold weather doesn't help my motivation. I'm thinking maybe Ill see results sooner now that my fat roll is gone :) I would do it again in a heart beat- I do wish that I could have had liposuction with my tummy tuck for more of a dramatic change but my PS would not do it - said that it shouldn't be done due to blood clot issues...which I think is total BS since many ladies on here have had the full TT and lipo- so now I start saving for my lipo :) The only think im not thrilled with is my scar, I think I will be limited to bathing suit bottoms I can wear , but I would rather have that scar that my giant fat stomach so I would still do it again !!!!

Updated on 18 Feb 2014:
I have been wanting lipo since I had my tummy tuck and I can't wait to have my consult! I'm wanting flanks and upper abdomen !

Updated on 18 Mar 2014:
Oct 2014 will be post op 2 yrs for me!! I am happy that my loose skin is gone , but unhappy with how high my scar is . I also am unhappy with the center part
If my scar , it seems to indent
In the middle and creates a slight
Bludge, I'm thinking about seeing if I can get that fixed maybe next year.
am getting lipo next week on my flank and upper abdomen area and around my bra strap and I think that will really improve my contour!! Praying it makes me look bikini worthy this summer !