James H. French Jr., MD, FACS

I had a breast reduction with liposuction around my armpits right before Christmas. The process moved very quickly from the time of my consultation in late November, but the staff and especially Dr. French’s coordinator Sherrie made it easy and painless! They answered all of my questions leading up to the surgery, and you can tell that a lot of thought was put into making sure patients understood their after care and feel supported through it.
The actual surgery was a breeze. I had never had surgery so I was terrified, but it went smoothly and I was able to get home same-day and rest. I felt good enough to join my family for Christmas and by the end of the first week could lift my arms a bit more and felt more “normal”. My breasts now look amazing; Dr. French did such a great job and I’m thrilled with the results!
Post op care hasn’t been easy but that is no fault of my Dr. French or his staff - I’m not great at taking it easy and that has affected my healing. I have some wounds at the t-junctions on each side that aren’t healing properly so I’ll need some more sutures places. With that said, it was absolutely worth it and I’m so happy!

Dr. French is the best! He is cheerful, understanding, affable, knowledgeable, and goes out of his way to help you. Dr. French did my tummy tuck in 2004 and breast reduction in 2005 and the results are still great. My eye, brow and facelift are fantastic.

He is so understanding with your spouse and always listens and answers to their needs. And his staff is outstanding...kudos to all of them! Sherrie Gozdick, his Patient Coordinator is always available to help out, answer questions and is very understanding regarding anything you ask her.
Everyone loves my “fresh “face. I recommend Dr. French to anyone who needs a plastic surgeon. I even carry his business cards to handout when someone asks who did the work.

After having two kids and gaining and losing weight I was left with a disporportioned body with a lot of saggy skin. I decided on a TT and lipo around my inner and outer thighs. That happened in NOVEMBER/2017. Im very happy with the results but some areas I wish were better. For example the scar, some fat around my hips and saggy skin around my thighs. I guess these are normal concerns and I new these things could come up after the surgery.

So overall I'm happy with my body, but after breastfeeding my 3 kids for a total of 3yrs and 8 months, my boobs do not look great at all. Very saggy and low. So this was very comprehended decision. A friend of mine recommended to go no less than 400cc, as they go smaller over a year, and also if going under the muscle they lose 10%. So I was choosing between 405 and 445cc. Decided to go with 445cc considering my frame and to fill a lot of skin (I did not want to have lift due to scars). Wanted them to be naturally low and naturally wide. My hubby was against it all the time, but I was desperate. Surprisingly, right before my surgery the supported me and told to go for bigger size (as he said: well, if you gonna do it anyway, go for good size)))). So today was my surgery. Everything went well, and I'm at home recovering. Taking pain meds on time and staying in bed. Feeling fine, as long as I'm not moving)) My breast has been pretty high, and I feel that the bottom of my breast is still empty with nipples looking down(((( I don't was to take my bra off just not to get upset. However tomorrow I'll do it and post some pictures. Btw, o completely forgot about diet and ate 3 bars of ice-cream and spicy soup. Is it very bad??

Updated on 20 Oct 2017:
Today I went to Dr French for follow-up and expressed my concerns about empty skin at the bottom and nipples looking down. He said that hopefully when the implant drops it will fill that space. May be there'll still be some skin, but not much..( He applied some tape on me to pull the bottoms up, and told me to keep it for a week until the next check-up. I ordered Marena Surgical bra with the tape on top to push the beast down - hope it will help))

Updated on 21 Oct 2017:
So today is day 2 post-op and I understand it's too early to judge, but I hate my empty skin on the bottom..((( I just so much hope it will drop down and fill-in soon. I don't like how it looks now, especially from the side..(

Updated on 24 Oct 2017:
So they look better. But the saggy skin on the bottom of my breast skin really concerns me((

Updated on 25 Oct 2017:
The pain is almost gone, just some discomfort on the incisions and left armpit area. Yesterday my baby hit me on my left breast and I almost died of pain! Now it feels like the left one is more swollen. However, overall swelling is getting better and I feel them a bit softer. I've been wearing marena bra which is the most comfortable ever, and also has compression strip on the top to push them down, which I guess helps a lot and I feel much more pressure from the top on the incisions.

Updated on 2 Nov 2017:
So today is 2 weeks post op. They are still sitting high, and my bottom part is still empty. I am starting to freak-out. Will it ever be full down there?? I'm just afraid that even after they drop, it won't fill, will it??

Updated on 2 Nov 2017:
They look fine in bra, but I'm just concerned about how they look naked..(

Updated on 14 Nov 2017:
I'm very happy to know that some of you guys have been following my journey)) it gives me more motivation to keep telling you my story. So it's almost 4 weeks and I feel that little by little it's getting better. I cannot pinch my skin from the bottom as much as I could just couple of weeks ago. So that's good - feels like they are gradually dropping and filling in. From my pictures you can see that my right breast is dropping first and the left one is still sitting high. From the very beginning the left one was more painful under the armpit and also my baby got me on that, so may be for that reason it's more tense and swollen. The nipples are still pretty low though. I hope very much that they will move higher over time. What I've been happy about are my scars, which are almost invisible. I've been very active, however still not comfortable lifting my baby or cutting with knife (or doing anything with my breast muscles). Really want to go back to workout, but a little afraid, so only squats for now)))

Updated on 23 Nov 2017:
Today I woke up and checked myself in the mirror. My problematic left one seems to have a double bubble!!((( it's been uncomfortable - like it's really tight in the nipple area (not the skin, but under the skin), and sometimes like the implant is sitting the wrong way. I wanted to give it time. But today I'm super frustrated by the possibility of double bubble... Help! Is it??

Updated on 1 Dec 2017:
So here's my 6 weeks update. Most of the discomfort is gone - even in the left one it's getting much more comfortable, though I'm still feeling some muscle tightness in the nipple area. They are visibly lower and more flexible. I really want to go to the gym and yoga, but feel my breast muscles to be still tender and tense, so decided to postpone 2-3 more weeks. Find them still little saggy, but overall happy with the results)))

Updated on 30 Dec 2017:


Updated on 30 Dec 2017:
So here's my 2.5 months update. Everything goes fine, they are very soft, and I love them. BUT! The front of my breast is still not filled and it more feels like my natural blood sitting over the implant. Also the DOUBLE-BUBBLE, which is not visible from the regular view, is pretty visible from some other positions, and that makes me quiet uncomfortable in bed. My PS said to wait until 6 months and hope it will resolve itself. This makes me really upset..(( What is the possibility it will resolve itself??

Updated on 8 Jan 2018:
So here's how my breast looks from other points))

Updated on 1 Apr 2018:
Now that almost 6 months passed, my breast is lower and the double bubble is still there - mostly visible whenever I raise my arms. Considering revision, but would that help?? I cannot afford spending a few more thousands..((

I'm about to write a review of my implant removal, so I thought it only fair to write a review of the implants as well.

First and foremost, Dr. French did a great job, and the implants looked objectively great and felt physically fine. My decision to get them removed had nothing to do with the outcome.

Last summer, I decided to get breast implants. It was a difficult decision because I was very ambivalent about them. Obviously I wanted to look as good as possible, but at the same time I would have rather not had breasts at all. In the end I decided that because I was 5'2" with a small waist, big hips, etc., there was nothing I could do to not look feminine, so I might as well look super-feminine. As I told a friend at the time, "I'm stuck looking like a girl, so I might as well look like a hot girl."

Dr. French was kind and professional, as was his staff. I had an uneventful surgery and a pretty quick recovery, and the follow-up visits were efficient. I was also able to call his staff at any time, day or night, when I had questions about stitches or swelling.

After six months, I was completely healed-- my scars were barely visible, the implants had dropped so that my breasts no longer looked unnaturally high, and everything just generally looked great. By that time, I had finally admitted to myself that I was trans, and having large prominent breasts was making it even more difficult and awkward to present myself in a masculine way. Hence the decision to get them removed.

Although I realized that breast implants (breasts in general, really) were not for me, Dr. French did a great job and I would highly recommend him to anyone who actually wants rockin' [RS bleep].

I had those full, youthful, perky breasts that left men admiring and women jealous and betting their friends that they were fake. They were all real and, as the saying goes, they were Sensational! At a few minutes away from 46 years old (after breastfeeding twins for a year at age 38 and then a singelton for a year at age 40) , these once sensational breasts were now sensational in a different way. Now, they represented a pair of mismatched tube socks with a billiard ball carelessly dropped into the bottom of each one. Sensational? Not! My left breast was an out of control, mushy Double D cup and my right breast was an underfilled water balloon representing a weak C cup, both harnessed together by an overworked size 32D bra. When I took the bra off, the girls would slap the floor. Enough was a enough. Time to set the girls right again. The 32D bra was the best compromise I could come up with for one empty girl and one that runneth over. It wasn't comfortable or pretty and there was nothing sensational about them! Finding a Plastic Surgeon is a lot like finding the right man. You know when you know! The conversation is easy. You feel comfortable. It feels right. There is no little voice inside your head telling you to run. I met with about nine surgeons. Two of them were "almosts", one was "maybe" and then I met with Dr. French. I just knew he was the one! I explained to him that I did not want huge stripper boobs and I would be really upset if I woke up with them. I wanted to be a 32 Full C or a small D on both sides. I wanted a rounded look on top. I did not want any side boob. Oh, and did I mention that I have an auto immune disease? Dr. French told me that the procedure I need to get the look I want is a small Reduction in my left breast, a Lift and small Implants in both breasts. To accommodate my Auto Immune issue, we had to use Saline as opposed to Silicone, which will be fine because I have a good amount of tissue to cover the implant. The implant would be small, round, smooth and placed under the muscle and the projection would be Moderate Plus. This just felt right. Dr. French was "the one"! We set the date! Our journey back to "Sensational" began on 9/16/15. I am five days post surgery now. He put in a 185cc implant on the left and a 205cc implant on the right. I'm still quite swollen, but I'm looking good. I hope, when the swelling goes down, I'm not too small! I am leaving for my second post-op appointment in a couple hours. I am posting pre surgery pictures and pictures form three days post surgery. I will continue to share as we progress.

Updated on 21 Sep 2015:
Just saw Dr. French for my Day 5 Post Op visit. OFF with the wrap and bandages and ON with surgical sports bra for me! (It's all about the small victories!) As you can see, there is still lots of swelling on the sides and on top. My left side is more swollen than the right side. Makes sense because the left side was "D cup that runneth over" and required tissue removal. So, as the days go by, the swelling will go down, the sides will come in and the "ledge" on top will soften and my breasts will take on a more natural shape . All great news! What about the incisions? We are looking good there too. I do have a few blisters from the tape, but nothing that won't scab over and heal. I do feel some sparks and stabs of pain as the nerves reconnect. While it doesn't feel great, it does mean I'm healing and that in itself is GREAT! I even have feeling in my nipples already. Yippee. Aside from being exhausted (I did just have surgery!) I am doing great. Stay tuned for more of my journey.

Updated on 23 Sep 2015:
Here we are at Day 7 and like everyone says, going through this experience is like riding an emotional roller coaster! Come along on my ride, but be warned...I'm on a little bit of a downward plummet at the moment. Being a glass half full kinda girl, I know we are going to sky rocket at the next turn, but for now, I'll describe the craziness I feel right now. Hold on to your hats (or in this case, boobies)!

Full disclosure, I am drugged! Yep! Sleeping pills, (I will get to my sleeping hell in a moment), muscle relaxers and pain meds. I have the trifecta! Now, I need to say here, I had twins at 38 and then a singleton at 40... both by way of a C-section. I took pain meds for about a minute! So, I'm quite shocked, (I, who boasts a high tolerance for pain) that I have been a royal wuss through this experience so far!

I am in P-A-I-N and sleeping, even on my back, is T-O-R-T-U-R-E! My breasts (saline) feel so hard that if I were a superhero, I would be called Marble Mams! For real! My marble-like breasts feel like they just may rise up out of my chest, tearing my skin and flesh As they explode from my body. We go from this explosive feeling to the "fondu poker" experience. Yes, Fondu. You know, that long thin metal stick that you use to dip treats in chocolate or cheese? Each one has a different color at one end and two very sharp prongs at the other end to spear food with? Well, imagine if someone were to hold the spear in the fire until it is red hot, stab your breast repeatedly with it, and then push you into a pool of alcohol. Still with me? Hence, the no sleep and the meds.

So now that you have taken the ride to Crazy Town with me and understand the sleeplessness and pain part, here is the sad part and I have no one to blame but myself... I made it very clear to Dr. French, his staff, my husband, (and anyone else who would listen) that I did not want to look like a stripper, that I am a mom of three, that I'm not tall enough to look chubby, blah, blah, blah! I insisted that I wanted to be a Full C. BIG MISTAKE, ladies. Always listen to your doctor. If you trust him enough to Let him cut you open, then trust him enough to know what will look good on you! I wish this "me" could have had this conversation with the "me" of 7 days ago. So now I am in tears because at 7 days out, I may be too small now and we all know that I am just going to get smaller as the swelling goes down. So, I want to cry. I always had beautiful breasts and now I basically cut them off. Am I over reacting? Is it the emotional roller coaster I'm on, am I trapped in Crazy Town, is it the pain meds and the fact that I have not pooped since the day before surgery, or am I really too small because I didn't allow my doctor to be the artist he is? Will I see things differently tomorrow? ????????????????

Updated on 23 Sep 2015:


Updated on 27 Sep 2015:
Phew! Thanks, for hanging with me through that downward emotional plummet! So glad I was prepared for that by reading so many other posts on Real Self! While I still hurt (with night time being the absolute worst) and I am still quite swollen, I have no regret about about size. I put a bikini top on (just to see) and I was pleasantly surprised that I am happy with my size! Here iare pictures. I will post more as the healing progresses.

Updated on 27 Sep 2015:
I am now good with my size. I am definitely not too small. Here is a picture of me in a 32D bra. I think it works. My only worry now is my left breast. If Gumby and Frankenstein hadn't a baby, it would look like my left boob. Itvisxa hit square with the outer edge being much more pronounced. This was the breast that was originally larger and received a reduction, so I suppose more trauma equals more swelling. Plus, as my awesome surgical nurse said, "they are sisters, not twins, they will heal at different rates and will have their own journeys." I am paraphrasing on the journey part. ????. I hope she is right!!! My two week appointment is in 3 days, so we will see.

Before Journey of having a Tummy Tuck:
I am an athletic 24 year old, with two kids. Before kids I was 130 at 5'5. When I had my first son I gained 40 pounds on top of developing Pre-Eclampsia around 32 weeks. I became very swollen very fast which led to lots of stretch marks on my stomach and lose saggy skin. After having my son I was left with a stomach that did not resemble anything close to the one I had before, it was marked and stretched out. I lost most of the weight and just covered my stomach up from there on out. Two year later I had my second son. After my second son I joined a gym and started working out with a trainer, determined to transform my body, thinking if I toned my stomach, the saggy skin and stretch marks may not be as noticeable....well i was wrong. Even after losing 10% body fat, I was still embarrassed by my stomach. My husband and I agreed we were done having kids and that he would get a vasectomy and I would get a tummy tuck.

Starting Journey:
After a few months of research, and talking myself up to actually having the procedure, I finally found a Surgeon to have a consultation with. Finding the right Dr. was very important to me, I didn't want to have to pay a consultation fee, I wanted a well known surgeon in my area and I also wanted to know some who had gone to them ( picky, I know). Well the stars lined up and I found my surgeon immediately, Dr. French was GREAT! and so was his staff. He explained to me how the procedure worked and that he also included lipo of the flanks as part of his full tummy tuck procedure. It turned out I had Diatasis (separation of my ab muscles) so a mini tuck was out, and a Full tuck was my option. After leaving the appointment I felt really excited and ready to get the show on the road. I talked to my husband and we decided to go for it! The next day I scheduled my appointment for April 1.

Unlike most Surgeons I researched, my Dr. had me stay one night in the hospital, so I went in on a Tuesday at 6AM and left the following day around noon. At first I was a little skeptical because everyone I knew went home a few hours following surgery, and it added a bit to my bill. However I must say, I am so happy that I did stay the night. The staff at the hospital were GREAT! I got to have extra medicine and a nurse to walk me through everything. It also gave my husband a little break to take care of the kids and get the house ready. It was definitely worth the extra money to stay a night in the hospital! That day in the hospital I would say my pain was managed VERY well, I also did not have to get up until that night around 9- due to the fact I had a catheter. Sitting up and walking was definitely more of a challenge than I had anticipated, I was only able to walk short distance and back to bed. The only problem I came across after surgery was, peeing on my own. It took me 15 hours after the catheter was taken out to be able to pee on my own. Once i was able to pee, the hospital discharged me. after that I had zero problems going to the bathroom. ( I also passed a stool day two after surgery- with no medicine which some said it took almost a week)

At home I was very lucky to have lots of help between my parents, mother in law, and neighbors. All of whom helped by either watching the kids or bringing meals or small favors for me and my husband! I was very lucky to have such an amazing support group there to help my family and myself! The first two days home I took my pain medication religiously on the hour, and mostly slept or just laid in bed. I personally had a hard time reading or watching TV, and just relaxing was most comfortable to me. I also tried to get myself up and moving every 2-3 hours, either walking to the bathroom or just down the hall and back, to stretch my legs and muscles. One thing I was not prepared for was the achenes of my back and legs from being hunched over and sitting up in bed (including sleeping) and I found walking often helped with the soreness of the rest of my body.

Today is post op day 5, and I am feeling pretty good! I am still slightly hunched over when I stand or walk, but I can walk up and down stairs and walk further without feeling as tired. I am also laying at more of a diagonal, which has taken some pressure off my lower back. Last night was my best night of sleep. I took a muscle relaxer before bed, woke up once to use the bathroom around 4 am and took a pain killer and went back to sleep util almost 9am! I am stretching my pain meds to every 5-6 hours today hopefully by tomorrow I will switch to Tylenol. I did wear my binder 24/7 for the first 3 days and at my post op appointment they took it off and I was excited to see my stomach! I was still pretty swollen, but he said it is very normal and as days/weeks go on it will continue to go down. They put the binder back on and told me I could take it off every now and then if I felt like I needed a break. So far I have taken it off twice for about 10 minutes each time. I am hoping to get my drains out tomorrow ( I have two) and once i get them out, my Dr, will give me a new nicer binder that will stay on for about 4 weeks.

I have to say overall the pain was/is there, it is something to be expected. 1 out of 10, I would say my highest pain was a 6, and once I figured out how to move/not move I have been at a 3/4. Things to keep in mind before getting the tummy tuck: you will have a large scar running across your lower abdomen, it will not necessarily get rid of all stretch marks. You should lose weight BEFORE your surgery, the more in shape you are the quicker your recovery, and from what I have read/seen the happier you are with your results. Also more than anything have a good support group especially if you have young children, mine are 2 and 5 and I have no idea if I would have been able to do this without lots of help! Sometimes as moms we feel we have to be "super mom" and we can do anything and everything on our own. With this surgery it is not the case, swallow that mommy pride and accept any and all help, in the long run you will be glad you did! The advice that I was given, and try to hold on to and remind my self, the results take time. You will have swelling and bruising and scaring for months- a year or two after. SO you must be PATIENT. Don't expect a super model stomach a week after surgery! And everyone recovers at different paces, don't compare your recovery to mine or anyone else's :) just stay positive and you will end up where you want to be

I know I am only pot op day 5, but so far I say it was worth every penny, and every moment of discomfort. I can not wait to continue to see results, and I will try my best to remain positive even when I am still swollen a month out- this healing process takes time.

*The photo I added, the picture on the left is my before and the two on the right are post op day 3. I am still at 70% swelling and my Dr. says I should still lost about another 1-2 inches once all the swelling does down. I am also sitting because standing at the time I was too hunched over for a decent picture.

I am 63 years old...thought about doing this for 5 years. Had a full facelift in January 2011 but was too scared to have a TT. Finally got to a point that I was more disgusted with the way that I looked and was willing to go through the fear and pain of a TT. Once I made the decision, I had the surgery five weeks later. Lost two sizes and can stop wearing big flowing shirts and tops....Had the TT, muscle tightening and Lipo.

I am almost 3 weeks post op and decided to write a review to possibly help other moms who are still breastfeeding and want a tummy tuck. Will post pictures soon after I download them to my computer.

My surgery was 6 February 2013, so I'm almost 3 weeks postop. I saw two plastic surgeons. The first was nice but I didn't feel confident in the outcome with her. The second cost almost twice as much, but was worth every penny. I have a high mistrust of all doctors in general, but I felt comfortable and confident with my surgeon from the beginning. It helped that a friend of a friend had a tummy tuck with him with outstanding results, and the nurse I met on my initial consult also used him for her TT. They had a huge binder of pictures for me to look at, so I felt very comfortable with his experience level.

I am 37 and have 5 kids (3 boys and twin girls). I'm 5 feet tall and pre-surgery weighed 109. I'm down to 103 but my ideal weight for my frame is 105. My appetite is coming back, so those two pounds will be back shortly!

The main reason I'm sharing my story is breastfeeding. I've read this site for months, and found so many helpful reviews, especially other twin moms with twin skin and large muscle separation. But I haven't seen any other women still breastfeeding before and after surgery, so I want to share that it is totally doable, and give encouragement. My twins are 21 months old, and night weaned, but still nursing about 4 times during the day. I had one overnight stay in the hospital and was concerned about a possible plugged duct/mastitis. I made sure to talk to my PS ahead of time about breastfeeding, which I'm pretty sure was a first for him, and I also called the hospital and coordinated with the lactation consultant to have a breastpump brought to my room post-surgery. Everyone was wonderful. The day of surgery I talked to the anesthesiologist and the medications and breastfeeding - the anesthesia was not an issue, as it would be out of my system before I got home, and the Percocet I was prescribed IS safe to take while breastfeeding. It peaks in milk about 2-3 hours after you take it, so time feedings accordingly and it's fine. The most important thing is to plan ahead and communicate so everyone understands the situation. I pumped about 4 times in the hospital, so no plugged ducts or mastitis.

As far as my surgery and recovery, it has been so much easier than I was prepared for, and for that I am eternally grateful! I was scared, like we all get. I booked my surgery last spring, and was originally supposed to have it Dec 18th 2012, but got the flu and had to reschedule. So i had a REALLY long time to think about it, and stress over it, and obsess over it, and tell myself I didn't need it. But I carried my twins full term, and they were 6 lbs each, and I'm 5 feet tall. I gained 60 pounds. There was no way my stomach could recover from that! I run and am thin and in shape, but my stomach still looked pregnant and it made me really sad.

So, I did it and it was the best thing I've ever done for myself. My surgery was at 1 pm, and I was in my room by 4pm. When I first woke up in recovery I felt a lot of burning in the incision and my belly button, so they gave me demerol, which pretty much knocked me out. After that I never really felt much pain. I took 1 percocet every 4 hours that night, and was fine.

The next day I was home by about 10:30 am, nursed my girls (carefully, one at a time, while my husband was there to make sure they didn't accidentally hurt me), and took my last percocet at 11 am. After that I never felt like I needed it, plus I was starting to get itchy and constipated. I switched to extra strength tylenol, and was totally fine. (I do have a high pain tolerance.)

I have had no issues with my recovery. I do still have swelling, but nothing extreme. I hate my binder and CG, and plan to immediately ditch them at 6 weeks when my PS gives the green light. One of the reasons I like him so much is he tells me to trust my body with everything - driving, picking up my babies (20 lbs each), exercise, etc. There is no "one size fits all" to recovery. I'm not going to do anything stupid to jack up his excellent work, but I'm not going to live in a bubble either!

I'm so so happy with my results, and my surgeon. So happy that I'm still breastfeeding, and my life is back to normal. I'm not running yet, going to be a few more weeks I think until I'm able to do that, and my energy isn't 100%. But I homeschool my kids, and have been here on my own since 2 weeks postop, when my parents went home and my husband went back to work.

I'd be happy to answer any questions, and would like to thank everyone who posts reviews as they were invaluable to me!



Updated on 27 Feb 2013:
3 weeks post op today. I've lost a total of 4 inches off my waist, and still have some swelling!

Updated on 3 Mar 2013:
3.5 weeks postop - got my tape off two days ago. Incision looks great, very thin. A little high on the sides but it will drop. I have no complaints!

I went out yesterday for a haircut and errands and only wore spanx. I did swell, but nothing horrible, and it felt great to wear my jeans and a fitted shirt! My jeans are too big in the waist now.

I hardly think about my stomach or surgery already, and it hasn't even been a month. I get the pings and zings of reconnecting nerves, and I'm still definitely not ready to start running, but normal life is in full swing. Still ecstatic with my results!

Updated on 6 Mar 2013:
4 weeks postop today! Still have some swelling but it's not bad. I started scar therapy (Mederma) last week. I only wear compression if I'm out of the house all day, not at night at all. If I'm home all day I put it on in the afternoon. It doesn't really reduce swelling but it makes it less uncomfortable.

Energy is almost 100%, and I'm hoping to start (slowly) running in the next 2 weeks.

Updated on 16 Mar 2013:
5.5 weeks postop. Took my new stomach out shopping today, had a blast! Fitted shirts look awesome now that I'm a hottie. ;)

I plan to start running next week. I still swell during the day, but even at the end of the day I look waaaaay better than pre-surg. No complaints.

Updated on 20 Mar 2013:
6 weeks postop! I have some new stretch marks below my belly button, but ask me how much I care? That's right, not a damn bit. I'll still be rocking a bikini this summer!

Updated on 20 Mar 2013:
I forgot to say I've lost another inch off my waist, for a total of 5 inches. Pre-surgery my natural waist was 30 inches, now it's 25 inches.

Updated on 1 May 2013:
12 weeks postop today! I went to FL 2 weeks ago and wore a bikini for the first time in 10 years. It felt great and I looked hot. ;)

I've had a lot of swelling at night the past few days, for no apparent reason. And I'm still more swollen now than I was at 6 weeks, but that seems normal from what I've read. I feel great and love the things I can wear now.

My waist is just under 25 inches.

I am 46 years old and I have been wanting to do this for about 18 years now. I had to have surgery twice when I was in my early 20's to have ovarian cyst removed. I started noticing after that surgery that a little pouch had formed across my low belly above the incision. I figured in time it would go away, it didn't. In fact, over the years it has gotten bigger.

Six years ago I went through a tough divorce and I picked up a lot of weight. On January 8, that all changed. I finally made up my mind to get the weight off. I promised myself when I got within 10 pounds of my goal, I was going to get a tummy tuck to get rid of that roll that I hated.

I have lost 40 pounds and I feel great, except I still can't stand that jelly roll. Well, now it's time for my prize. I met with my PS and I think I'm ready to go for it.

I've been reading a lot about tummy tucks because I wanted to educate myself as much as possible. I stumbled across this site and I'm so glad I did. It has been extremely helpful. It has made me scared and nervous and has also given me hope, strength and encouragement.

I do have a question for you other tummy tuckers. I was not able to have children so I never had a baby. Do you think this procedure might be a little easier on me since I've never had kids. I'm getting a full tummy tuck with some lipo to belly (aka - my jelly roll) and flanks and probably some minimal repairs to my abdominal wall.

I would love to hear from someone who had a tummy tuck with lipo and never had kids.



Updated on 9 Aug 2011:
Great, I went to my family doctor today to have a physical to clear me for surgery. I picked up "Shape" magazine to read while I was waiting and what was the first article I see when I open the magazine? An article on liposuction and you better "think twice about going under the knife." OMG, my mind started going crazy on me. I started wondering if this was a message from God telling me not to do this. It was just too weird. I really started second guessing myself.

Needless to say, when I got home I called somebody I know who had a TT and Lipo done 3 years ago and talked this out with her. Feeling much better now. Uggg, this process is mentally draining.

Will post pictures soon.

Updated on 19 Aug 2011:
I have had allergy problems with pain meds in the past, especially morphine. PS wants me to try taking a percocet (before surgery) so we will know if I'm going to have an allergic reaction to it. I just took it and I am praying that I'm okay with it. Please don't let me be allergic to it. Eleven days and counting.

Updated on 20 Aug 2011:
Woo Hoo...I did good with the Percocet I took last night. Had a little bit of itching but it was minimal. Didn't seem to upset my stomach at all. I had such a bad experience with morphine years ago. It made me itch soooo bad that it was worse then the surgery. When the nurse told me I was having an allergic reaction to it, they started giving me shots of Benadryl. Percocet has bothered me in the past (years ago) but last night it was okay. I am so relieved and feeling much better about things. Monday I have my last pre-op appt with my PS. Counting down the days.....

Updated on 22 Aug 2011:
One week from tomorrow, at this time, I will be in my hospital bed (hopefully not in too much pain)and the recovery phase will have begun. I can't believe how excited I am.

Today I had my last pre-op appointment. I really like my PS and feel so comfortable with him and his staff. I was told that the hospital I am having my surgery at is top notch and very nice. I will be in a private room and my nurse will only be taking care of me and maybe one other person. I will only be there for one night.

I am going to have two drains and they showed me today how to "milk" them. I also got a chart I need to fill in every time I empty them. This part of the recovery is going to be interesting. Got my binder too.

Let the countdown begin!!

Updated on 23 Aug 2011:
So today I was standing in line at the pot-belly sandwich shop (oh my, LOL, that name just took on a whole new meaning)thinking about one week from today, at that time, I would be in my hospital bed starting my recovery. All of the sudden the floor felt like it was moving. I'm looking around thinking I've lost my mind. I wasn't losing my mind, it was an earthquake. Then the place really started shaking and I fell into the counter. I live in Virginia, we don't get earthquakes here. If I had had my surgery today, I would have thought I was hallucinating. And Ouch, that would have probably hurt. What a day.

Updated on 24 Aug 2011:
Wow, I can't believe I only have 5 more days, and I am so calm. I know the reason I'm calm is because of all the wonderful people on this site. I feel so ready for my TT because of all the great advise given. Thank You!

I got the nicest letter from my PS's office today. They have been fantastic. They sent me something to give to my "caretaker." It talks about what they should expect and how they can help me. It also provides information on how they can get in touch with the doctor 24 hours a day. This is really helpful and good information. I just keep feeling better and better about my upcoming procedure.

Updated on 27 Aug 2011:
Uggg, I only have three more days and I have been feeling so relaxed and excited and now I'm stressed and need to vent. Mother Nature is the cause. First there was the earthquake and now Hurrican Irene. I am a police officer and live in the path of Hurricane Irene. I was supposed to be off today and tomorrow, working Monday, then surgery Tuesday. I was going to spend this weekend getting ready. I have a lot to do. Now I have been called back to work. I have to head to work this evening, they are putting us up at a hotel and be ready to hit the street at 0600 hours tomorrow morning. I will work a 12 hour shift, come home to get some sleep to just turn around and head back to work the next morning (Monday). This stinks. I would love to take off on Monday but I just don't see how I can. I have a couple really serious cases right now at work that I'm trying to get wrapped up before my surgery, and we are moving into a new building the day after I get back so I have had to pack my office. I'm 90% packed but still need to finish the last minute things I need up until I leave Monday afternoon.

Right now I'm doing laundry so that will be done. I have brought all the outdoor deck furniture in so the wind doesn't blow it away. I am going to pack up everything I need for the night tonight at work. Then I'm going to get everything packed that I need to take to my Mom and Dads which is where I'm staying the week after surgery. On my way to work tonight, I will drop my dog off at their house along with everything I'll need next week (my clothes, meds, etc). When I get off work tomorrow evening I will go back to their house and pick up my dog (who is my baby by the way), come home and get all my bills paid for September. My sister and niece will be taking care of my dog while I'm recovering because I can't take a chance of her jumping up on me because she weighs 50 lbs. Packing up the stuff the dog will need shouldn't take me too long.

I am soooooo stressed but trying to look at the bright side. Next week while I'm recovering, the weather is supposed to be wonderful. My parents have a beautiful backyard so maybe I can spend a little time outside getting some fresh air and even though I will be very sore and uncomfortable, I will be able to relax, I hope.

Hurricane Irene, this is very bad timing on your part.

Updated on 29 Aug 2011:
Getting ready to go to bed. Tomorrow is my big day. I have to be at the hospital at 6:00 am. Can't wait to be on "the other side." I won't be able to send updates until I get back home. My parents don't have internet. I'll be back in a week, hopefully.

Updated on 4 Sep 2011:
I can't believe I'm 5 days post-op. Have been at my parents since getting out of the hospital on Wednesday. They don't have internet so was going through a little computer withdrawals. Mom woke up this morning and sounded like she was coming down with a cold so I had my dad bring me home. My parents have been an absolute blessing. I have to say, I'm doing GREAT!! Surgery went very well on Tuesday, Aug 30th. I couldn't be more pleased with my progress. I must say though, staying in the hospital one night helped me tremendously. The nursing staff was fabulous. Was discharged early Wednesday and went straight to my parents. Slept a lot the first two days. Had my first BM at 3:00 AM on Saturday and it went much better then expected. I just sat there for about 20 minutes and let my body work. Wasn't painful at all. I have been able to get by with mostly Tylenol. The worst thing for me so far is the back pain. I also hate the drains. Dr. told me on Friday he would take them out when I see him this Tuesday. I am so afraid that is going to hurt. I'm going to take two pain killers before I go in.

I hope everyone else is doing well. I will post more later. Feeling tired so going to take a little nap.

Updated on 6 Sep 2011:
Had my one week appointment today and every thing is looking good. I got my drains out and what a difference. It feels so good to have those things out. I took two pain killers before I went to the PS and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised on how quick and easy it was. Didn't really feel a thing. I also got my stitches out of my BB. It is still very numb so didn't feel that either.

I am now sporting the next phase of garment wear and I must say on a scale of 1-10, 10 being very sexy, it's a one, LOL.

I continue to do well and I'm very pleased with my progress. I have been very lucky and have not experienced much pain with this at all. This has not been nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Hang in there my fellow tummy tuckers!

Will post new pictures soon.

Updated on 9 Sep 2011:
I have a question for everyone. I noticed while reading some posts today that it seemed like a lot of ladies didn't get their stitches out of their BB until around the 2 week mark. My BB stitches were taken out after one week. Anyone else get their BB stitches out after one week?

Updated on 9 Sep 2011:
I just posted pictures I took 8 days post-op. Had a little bit of swelling going on but I know that's normal. My compression garment gets tighter and tighter as the day goes on because of the swelling.

Updated on 12 Sep 2011:
I had my two week follow-up appt today with my PS. He and I both are very pleased with my progress. Things are looking good. Having some swelling of course but that's just part of the process. Even with the swelling, I still love my new tummy.

PS has cleared me to go back to work but because of my job, I will have to be on light duty. I'm okay with it because I honestly can't imagine getting into a foot pursuit and chasing a bad guy right now.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

Updated on 15 Sep 2011:
I am all smiles this morning. I feel like a little kid. My 20 year old niece called me this morning and asked if she could stop by. She has a key to my house so she just let herself in. I come walking down the stairs and she says, "oh wow, you look so skinny. You are smaller then me." Thank you my sweet beautiful niece (smiles).

Updated on 22 Sep 2011:
I am 3 weeks and 2 days post-op today. This is my first week back to work since surgery (took 3 weeks off) and it has been a rough one.

My first couple of weeks went pleasantly well and I didn't have any problems. The pain was minimal and after the 3rd day, I was able to control it with Tylenol (most of the time).

This week I have been really uncomfortable. I hope I didn't screw something up. On Sunday (19 days post-op), I was feeling good and my grass needed cut. I live alone and really didn't want to bother anyone so I decided to try and do it myself. I was very careful starting the lawn mower and was mostly able to do it with arm strength. I stopped the lawn mower to empty the bag and then had trouble starting the mower again. After trying a few times, I finally called my neighbor who came over and finished the yard for me. I was really hurting that night and was so mad at myself for doing what I did.

I'm trying to figure out if the pain I'm experiencing now is because of the lawn mower or if it's because I may have entered a new phase of recovery/healing. I think if I had really damaged something I would have felt some kind of instant pull or pain when starting the mower/cutting grass/emptying bag, but I didn't. The pain got worse as the day went on.

I've had some burning going on in my flank area (had lipo done there) and the internal area behind my BB has really been hurting. The swelling is not fun either. As the day goes on, the swelling gets worse. My tummy also feels really hard. I hate these little jabs of pain that get you when your least expecting it.

Is it possible that as the numbness starts to decrease a little, you just start to feel more aches and pains? I hope it wasn't the lawn mower, Ugggg!

Updated on 23 Sep 2011:
I decided to take off from work today because I've had a little bit of painful week. I am so happy I did. I stayed off my feet today and rested in my recliner and what a big difference. I was actually comfortable and mostly pain free today. I am going to take it easy this weekend.

Updated on 26 Sep 2011:
I had my 4 week follow-up with my PS today and I'm doing great. I can't believe how good my incision looks. He usually has his patients start putting something on their incisions at this point but mine is looking so good he wants me to leave it alone. I have the normal swelling, twinges, etc. going on but otherwise I'm doing great. PS said it was okay if I wanted to start working out my arms with light weights. Two more weeks and I can start using my eliptical and treadmill. I will try and update my pictures this weekend, if swelling is down.

I'm going on a cruise in two weeks. I really didn't think I'd be ready and was prepared to cancel it (I got travel insurance) but it looks like we are going. I can only wear a one piece bathing suit (and still have to cover my tummy with sunscreen) per my PS. Otherwise he told me to have a great time. Woo Hoo!!

Updated on 29 Sep 2011:
I just posted 4 week post-op pictures I took this morning. I don't like the swelling in my BB right now but my PS said that will go away. I was also thinking my BB was off center a little but started laughing when I looked at my before picture because it's off center there too. I'm fine with that, it's my own little trade mark.

Updated on 8 Oct 2011:
My new body and I are leaving on a 7-night cruise tomorrow. For the first time since I can remember, I had so much fun packing. It's so much fun wearing cute clothes now. I am so excited. My PS wants me to stick with a one-piece bathing suit since I'm only 5 1/2 weeks post-op. He also wants me to keep sunscreen all over my tummy. He want's me to protect my incision from the sun's rays. He said use a sunscreen for babies that has zinc in it. Good Luck to all of you who will be having your surgery this coming up week. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.