John W. Siebert, M.D.

Hello everyone I am a 43 year old mom of a 21 and 22 year old. I have had major weight loss.. In 2006 tipped the scales at 314. (that is when I thought I had lost 10 lbs.) I have lost 120 at my highest point. but have gained back 15 and held that for two years. I had promised myself that when I reached 180 and stayed there for at least a year I could get my tummy tucked to rid myself of the excess skin. I have tried so very hard but have never reached that goal. I lost the weight with diet, exercise and a mind set that I needed to make myself happy. At every meal I imagined how I would feel after eating it. Would I be disappointed or proud of my choice and quantity? I am NOT wanting a 20 year old body I love curves not bulges and rolls. If I end up with an hour glass, perfect! or not All I need is for shirts to stop getting stuck in my fat rolls. I am tired of pulling my shirt out every time I stand up, sit down, bend over or turn. I have people telling me you don't really need one do you? then I tell them the spandex can smooth a heck of a lot. I live in a small community so I will have raised eyebrows.. but I really don't care..

I have every confidence in my choice of surgeon. I have seen photos I have consulted with him and his PA. I have checked out other Dr's. in my price range and loved his personality he practices in New York as well as Madison. I watched his video on the Internet. Which I have to say was informative and displayed extreme confidence in his ability. He stated (which made me totally be won over) that he "has both the creative artistic value to see what or how it should look and the technical skills to accomplish it"... well that statement right there got me! I have a job that demands both creative artistic value along with technical skill to achieve it.. and I also feel I possess it. Then at the end of the video he was asked to explain what the best part of his job was and with a very nice smile he said something to the effect of "when I see the smile of a person, "not patient" who I helped make there life better that makes it all worth to me". I don't really see any cons yet but I will check back in after the surgery. plain and simple I am doing this for me. :) a new confident and better me!

I will post my pictures of me at my heaviest and at my lightest but I am full dressed i will post others later this week but be warned not pretty excess skin and rolls galore

Updated on 20 Jun 2011:
Well it is getting close. My scheduled date is June 30. I have plenty of help including a sister who is an RN. bless her :) she is great. I am getting food that easy to eat in case I get sick. Crackers pudding (fat free of course), and bottled water. I dont have a recliner to sleep in but I do have a ton of pillows for my sofa and chair.

How long is the average time b4 I should be able sleep in my bed? I have a higher threshhold for pain, but I am going to tkae the pain meds. to help heal fast.

Updated on 28 Jun 2011:
ok so butterflies today getting closer.. I picked up fresh pineapple and lots of pineapple juice for the swelling .. cant wait .. but I am starting to wonder should I do this or not...

Updated on 29 Jun 2011:
I removed my photos with my face... I will re-post either today or after my TT on Thursday. I just don't want to google me and find photos with my face on them... sorry but I have lost alot of weight and cant wait to get to the next phase of the new me.... I was feeling a bit guilty for being selfish.. this is alot of money and it is out of my pocket no insurance... am I being vain? am I trying to get a look just to look good?.. answer is no on that one but i still have a bit of guilt... I know I deserve it I have worked hard to loose and what is left is skin and tough areas of fat.. I like being curvy just not rolls.. and back fat..

Updated on 29 Jun 2011:
just got the call.. surgery time is 7:30 am tomorrow. I need to be there at 6:30.. I'm not ready... freaking out butterflies I bet I can't sleep tonight ... too many things in my head I thought working today would easy my mind. not really I have a few more hours here, then home to try and get ready..

Updated on 8 Jul 2011:
well today was My first day back to work. I received one."have you been loosing weight again?" love it! some people know and some don't... I am in alot of pain in my pubic region gravity really sucks... ice is my new best friend... all in all I am pleased with the way I think I may look. the numbness is a bit freaky but my belly button has all feeling but all around nothing... if I press on my vjay-jay I can feel my pressure(pain) subside. my PA said to massage my belly with lotion to keep it moisturized and the fluid moving to my drain area. I believe they did remove around 6lbs I can't be certain but I weighed myself the day of and then 4 days later and I was 6 lbs lighter even with massive swelling... do look good to me I feel it has been worth it so far. these by far are not the post op finished photos I will post later after the swelling is gone

Updated on 12 Jul 2011:
I am so sore the swelling is killing me. By the middle of the day I can push the fluid around in my belly. The staples by my hips, especially my right, hurt like hell. a few of the tape adhesives have fallen off exposing about 2 inches of my scar total. I guess I am just really getting the blues... i feel lopsided my left is perfect hour glass, my right is a hodgepodge of bumps and indentations.. not to mention my stitches catching on my clothes on the back hips where i cant reach. I guess I am healing my scar line itches and burns no redness so no infection but the nerves are growing back and it hurts to touch sometimes. My vjay-jay is still swelling and my black girdle rubs on my staples and pubic area where the nerves are sensitive. I hate to keep using the pain meds but I have to once in a while just for relief.. now I AM A VER PAIN TOLLERANT PERSON.. but this really is getting me down... yuck my left drain is still putting out over 120 a day i need to be at 30...Updated on 15 Jul 2011:went to my 2 week PO appointment Thursday... my steri strips were still on all but two inches. I couldn't remove the drain tube like I really wanted. My PA removed all steri strips and the staples on both hips... I FEEL LIKE A NEW WOMAN!! swollen and still putting out over 55 cc a day, but no more pulling on those staples and like I said I have a metal allergy I had forgotten to tell my PS oops my bad! but all is well healing great and the tube stay till I am at 30cc. the PA commented that if I had it removed too early it would set back my healing for weeks possibly ... no way leave it another week... I can deal with it .. I was told after they removed my steri strips to use Vaseline to keep my incision soft no massage yet just keep it jelled occasionally for healing..? every time I have applied it the bloody scabs have came off very easily. nothing open on me thou. just a fairly neat line with a few areas of dried scabs and staple marks. at my 4 week apt is when they said they would let me start massaging my incision and with what... I was told at one time scar guard.. what have you had good luck with ?
PS. still feeling very lopsided left looks great but right just seems off??? waiting game I guess... swell hell has left me for new nerve ending sensitivity... that is a whole new ball game...Updated on 15 Jul 2011:I guess I should fess up... I had to go back to pain meds occassionally. at night for comfort. still icing but need to do more while working going for the ice pack right now.! :0.. more pinapple juice .. other wise doing okay had the blues and feeling sorry for myself for a bit but on the healing track.. and looking up and forward>>!Updated on 19 Jul 2011:still have a drain tube on the left... what shall I do when it's time to give it up.... yuck.. I see some other June tummy tuckers have measured their waists and seen a difference I haven't even thought of it till now so tonight I think I will measure. I have new photos.. still hodgepodge but it is only 20 days. I can see my flat belly every morning before I get out of bed. but the swelling takes over fairly soon and my belly button disappears... some fluid on my belly all around my button.. I keep telling myself I only have one chance to heal and now is the time... take it easy... hard to do when you HAVE to work..Updated on 20 Jul 2011:just got my last drain out... they weren't happy it was only one day at 30 cc but it was getting so irritated. everyday I have a water bed look to my belly button.. I am wearing a spandex slimmer and my binder. I have it a bit tight today and it is a bit of a burn... I better loosen it maybe. cant wait to measure myself in the morning and start wearing my regular clothes..Updated on 21 Jul 2011:okay thanks Ladies now you are all scaring the hell out of me I just had my last drain tube out Tuesday Thursday will be three weeks. well last night the hole . more like crater the drain was in popped open in the middle of the night and started leaking.. alot I didn't know what to do the office is closed ... I felt like a drippy faucet.. i could literally see it running out in big drips.. I held pressure on it but that didn't help.. i found some left over 4x4 gauze and taped he [RS bleep] out of it and this morning it was fine. but i suspect as soon as fluid builds again it will leak...

my belly burns alot I thought it was nerve endings coming back.. maybe I should get this checked out? I think I will call today.Updated on 21 Jul 2011:OMG i had to stop typing this to cut a clients hair and when I stood up my drain hole EXPLODED!!!!! i gushed fluid all over my skirt and down my leg... how embarrassing.. and I have no bandages that big here so i went into the bathroom and rinsed my skirt and used cotton for perms and scotch tape.... holly crap..!!! what next ????? just had to repost my comment from june TT what a day ....Updated on 26 Jul 2011:Thursday is my four week point. I wake up looking better each day but still lopsided and my thighs that weren't done need to be... I feel better looking in my mirror. it is hard to see the change and difficult at times because i was use to my rolls keeping me warm and protecting my clumsy moves... I used to lay in bed at night when I couldn't sleep and place my lap top on my slap fat but now it's gone Yeahhhh, but now it lands right on my incision... no more surfing the net on my back thats for sure... lol.. I need a new binder this one is digging in so badly it is rubbing on my incision no matter how I turn it or lossen it or place padding under it... I think I will ask for a new unbroken down one on thursday. starting to have a bit of too much laying on my back.... sore in the morning. I have tried it on my side but it hurts my incision and has a tighness like i am pulling something all along my incision. can't wait to find a better sleep position....

PS I would say don't have this surgery in the summer cause the binder and compression garments are so warm and sticky but on the other hand the fat and skin taken off me. has now made me cold when others are hot.. ??? who knows..:)Updated on 29 Jul 2011:time for my update. I went in for my 4 week appt. Thursday. I was rather depressed, however my PA had nothing but good to say.. I love her I have not seen my PS but, the PA is awesome too. I had some questions and concerns and she talked me threw all of them explaining everything in detail like she had no other client to see that day. she took alot of time with me helping me understand all of the different stages of healing . and let me know if any revisions are needed they will be part of the initial cost I already paid.. wow I feel so much better i can relax now knowing .. the I am not going to get any infection my incision is solid and healing fine and that it will start to look a bit worse before it gets better she said it will look a bit worse at the 6-8 week points.. ok so now I am ready and wont panic.. that i can start massage therapy. and what I thought was massage was just a tickle.. she massaged the incision for me so I could feel the pressure and damn its is quite firm.. I did massage it last night and it felt so weird. it has five layers or internal stitching and is as sound as can be ... biking and walking as a must for me but no running or ab work.. my thighs are a major concern so i see a lot of lunges in my future... all-in-all i am looking better each day and now I feel better too...Updated on 4 Aug 2011:well it's back to the binder for me. I have some fluid build up that cant be removed. My PA tried and tried yesterday to no avail. I would have let her poke forever to get some out but it is in a weird spot. so either i put up with it or try to use more compression to help keep me from swelling and heal faster.Updated on 9 Aug 2011:okay I am in muscle spasm hell.. my abs are cramping terribly i can already feel a few starting this morning... i am pouring on the water today to see if it helps and calling my PS. any one else have cramping in the TT MR area?Updated on 11 Aug 2011:hey all muscle spasms are normal I was told. some have them some don't .. lucky me, good thing is I am not doing anything to cause them ... now the subject of fluid pockets.. this it getting REALLY annoying... I am sooooo frustrated with all this jiggle belly my pants are tight my attitude is [RS bleep] poor and I need this water gone.. nothing is making it go away grrrrrrrrrr!Updated on 17 Aug 2011:I bought a dress off the discount rack... that fit!!! unbelievable... then I looked at it and decided I might try a belt.. it looked great with one or with out... I am so happy with my new shape now for my thighs..lol... maybeUpdated on 24 Aug 2011:time for an update. I still have a few fluid pockets. a major one on my left side starting at my groin going up into my flank area. it is like a water bed squishing around and a weird one by my navel.. I spit a dissolvable staple this morning grossed out my BF. felt like ceramic.. wild I can see a few more but they may not break the skin b4 they dissolve. I have my 2 month apt on Monday. I have lots of swelling yet. I really want to get back to the weight loss mode but my spasms are killing me.. I do like the way i am looking but my back rolls are huge and my thighs are not fitting in or should i say the are sticking out..lolUpdated on 25 Aug 2011:woke up this morning with a burn in the location of my fluid pocket. cant wait to see my PS on monday. I feel like I need to hunch over a bit today and yesterday.. when oh when will this yo-yo water retention stop I lost 4 lbs. Tuesday, on wed. took it easy on salt and ate VERY healthy. (1 egg coffee, lunch 3 oz chicken breast light mayo and whole wheat bread one slice.. dinner sliced zucchini onions, corn and 3 oz. shredded chicken whole wheat tortilla and melon) and this morning I weighed 6 pounds more than i did the day b4.. this sucks and is so depressing i can gain and lose 6 lbs of water in one day.. come on.. know wonder my pants don't fit... getting annoyed sorry to complain just frustrated I guess.. i really want to stop wearing my binder but i have the pocket to get rid of yet..Updated on 1 Sep 2011:I am now 2 months PO. I had my surgery on June 30th. I went for my two month check and had a very nice chat with my PA. we talked about the fact that because of my excessive weight loss and excessive skin I may need a bit of revision. I didn't expect that, I thought that once having a extended TT I would be good. but she explained I really did have lots of skin and fat so we will be doing some extensive lipo later on when "I" feel ready to. she also pointed out that once you change the major concerns (hence my apron & muffin top) that other things would start to appear and bother me, and I did know that. what I didn't realize was that it wasn't a one shot deal. So I am preparing to have some extensive lipo in possibly Feb. on my belly outer thighs, back and sides. I may add on the inner thighs also having lipo at my cost. toss up on the inner thigh.. if i have the lipo on my inner thigh then it will leave saggy skin on my legs but clothes will fit much better but naked or swim wear will look bad. now if i do the inner thigh it will be in prep for a medial thigh lift down the road. the word used was staging... doing pieces at a time to prepare for the next step. she explained to me that is why not all my belly fat was removed at the time of my TT it can cause the flap to die by removing too much nerve and blood vessels. okay so now I have a better understanding. (I really wished I would have understood that b4 my surgery I may have not gotten into such a funk about my belly not looking as good as i thought it might). I asked if maybe I should have done a different procedure and she said no that we would have had to still do staging because of the large loss.. as far as the pockets of fluid.. I have to be patient I am not doing anything wrong just time. I really need to get back into my old routine and find my new plateau of food vs. working out.I have a November appointment scheduled with my PS & PA together in November to discuss our revisions in Feb. not sure I can afford the inner thigh lipo or lift but it would be nice...

I was also released to start ab work but go slow and do only what doesn't hurt. so back into a routine for me... no more waiting to heal now its "heal as I go"...! so I need to move it!Updated on 22 Dec 2011:Heading back for some revisions.. I was told to expect two or possibly three more lipo revisions.. to go with the excessive weight loss I had three years ago (120lbs). the tuck feels good I feel thin but still have back rolls that are troublesome to me. My thighs will also be addressed. maybe I will find jeans that will fit my new waist and fit over my huge thighs... that has been a task and very depressing to me happy holidays all..Updated on 22 Dec 2011:sorry the posting was done weird it fellinto last paragraph

Updated on 28 Dec 2011:
well the time is set at noon thursday 12-19. I had bad dreams the last few evenings about the surgery.. I am more upset about this than the MR and TT... I dont know what is up with the postings on here they all post together

Updated on 24 Jan 2012:
well healing nicely the day of surgery went well. I was in a bit of swell hell at the one week mark. I am now at the almost four week mark and itching like crazy .. which means I am healing. I had on Monday the 16th 175cc of fluid drained off the right backside and another I think 125cc on the 23rd. other than that I feel pretty good I have bronchitis So glad I didn't have it with my TT that would have been a killer... my back is tight back rolls are swollen but smoother.. and my hips fit me better and inner thighs look better now to heal and get over the cold I have... I will post picts when I have more swelling down to see the real difference.. it looks good. but I do have to say this surgery was worse than the first lipo is PAINFULL!!!! DID I SAY PAINFULLLL YA VERY!!! and I did have another incision across my back did not expect that but whatever it takes to make everything fit!!! I think my cold had a lot to do with the way I felt so miserable this time ...

Updated on 10 Feb 2012:
just a couple photos to add from the second surgery the revisions helped me feel more balanced.. now to heal and stop swelling I am currently almost 6 weeks post-op

Updated on 10 Feb 2012:
Ya know??... put up these picture up side by side has really helped my see how much more healthy I look...!!~! I am happy...

Updated on 11 Feb 2012:
well alright last night I went out for ribs by myself and was hit on by a younger guy he was 33 and he said I was "HOTTTTTT!" he wouldn't give up... love my new shape.. Last week a long time male friend and I were chatting and he commented I was too pretty... lol thank you Dr. Siebert.. neve been accused of bieng too pretty

After years of wondering if this would actually happen, I have finally booked my mommy makeover! I am so thankful to have come across this site. The stories that people share have been so awesome and I look forward to sharing my story. I am looking forward to connecting with others on similar journeys.

Updated on 6 Apr 2017:
Paperwork arrived with all upcoming dates. Time off of work scheduled.

Updated on 22 Apr 2017:
My biggest fear is looking the same as I do, not being able to wear the clothes I want...this is a one-time shot so let's get the s right! ;)