Laura Randolph, MD

From the beginning of my masopexy journey to end, Dr. Randolph provided a personal touch, a wealth of knowledge and a warm bedside manner. The entire office staff worked like clockwork and made my experience second to none. The intimate feeling of the office and the surgery center were much preferred over a large hospital. I felt like I had a team working for me. The professionalism of the staff and the doctor, combined with the easy going feel, made this experience easier and more tolerable. Top notch.

Dr. Randolph and her staff was awesome. Needed a breast implant revision, because of accident. She got me in very quickly. The results are amazing. Ended results was exactly what Dr. Randolph and I discuss during pre-surgery visit.

I traveled from Chicago to Bloomington to have my breast surgery with Dr. Laura Randolph. It was very important for me in choosing a surgeon that I have full faith that the surgeon would listen to what I wanted and act accordingly. While this should go without saying, I did not get the same feeling of trust with other surgeons I spoke to. On the day of surgery, I met with Dr. Randolph who took her time explaining everything to me in a kind, gentile and patient manner. My surgery was in the afternoon and it was late by the time I was in the recovery room. At no time did I feel rushed or that Dr. Randolph was in a hurry. I felt that I had her undivided attention from beginning to end. I am ecstatic about the results of my surgery. The outcome is significantly better than I expected. I can not say enough about the talent of Dr. Randolph.

I have loved working with Dr. Randolph through this entire process! I decided to get breast augmentation and felt more comfortable seeing a female surgeon. She was amazing! My first consultation appointment, she answered all my questions thoroughly and made me feel so comfortable. The day of surgery she was welcoming and excited for the procedure and made sure to also come in and follow up with me after the surgery was over. Her team was so amazing and I would 100% do it all over again. It was a great experience and I would highly recommend her.

I'm one month pre-op, and so excited! I have been wanting this for so long. I have had three c-sections, and although I'm fit, exercise regularly, and eat well, I have loose flabby skin that will not budge. Will post before pictures soon.

Curious - how does the TT recovery compare to c-section? I know it's not the same, but it's the closest point of reference I have.

Updated on 23 Apr 2016:


Updated on 7 May 2016:
My pre-op appointment is in two days, and I'm anxious yet excited! I'm keeping a running list of questions for my PS, and thinking about what I'll need to do/get in the next couple of weeks. And did I mention I'm excited?! Posting more before pics, I'll be so happy to have my smooshy extra skin gone!

Updated on 13 May 2016:
My pre-op appointment went well - lab work consisted of urine test (check for infection, protein in urine, etc), blood tests for CBC (counts) and BMP (electrolytes), followed by an EKG. All healthy and normal. I then had a lengthy (1 hour+) visit with my surgeon Dr. Randolph - she is fantastic! She puts me right at ease and I feel so comfortable, and she clearly and patiently answers all of my questions. I never felt rushed or that I was taking too much time. Now 11 days out from my May 24 surgery and I can't wait. I'm getting my house in order, getting things I'll need after, made arrangements with my employer, etc.

Updated on 17 May 2016:
I'm all jittery now, anxious and excited energy. Can barely sit still now that I'm only a week away. Any last-minute pointers?

Updated on 24 May 2016:
Surgery went very well, tummy tuck including diastasis repair and slight lipo. I remember the anesthetist asking me if I'd had Valium before (no,) he said it would take effect in a minute or so, then they were wheeling me through the hallway. I had a very pleasant dream (can't remember what about), then woke up in a recovery room 4 hours later. Have no recollection of anything else.

Pain hasn't been that bad, about a 2-3 out of 10 depending how much I move. I'm using a walker and getting around just fine - going to the bathroom a lot due to all the water I'm drinking. My mouth is very dry, could be the meds or just a side effect of the breathing tube.

Updated on 26 May 2016:
Oh wow - I skipped a pain med dose overnight (sleeping), and when I woke up to get it MAN THE PAIN!! Don't do that...

Most of the time I'm settled in the recliner with 3-4 pillows and I'm fairly comfortable. I only get up to go to the bathroom, leaning heavily on the walker because otherwise my back hurts.

I have my first post-op appointment with PS today, so I'm excited to see my tummy in progress.

Updated on 27 May 2016:
Post-op went very well yesterday, then on the way home we were in a car accident :(. An 18-year-old girl ran the red light and t-boned our minivan on the driver's side. My poor husband's door took the majority of the impact, his side curtain airbags deployed.

Ambulance took both of us to the hospital to be checked out, and my incision and drains are still fine. No increase in bruising, swelling, or drainage. Husband has pain and swelling in left arm but X-ray was fine. He has whiplash in neck and back, just sore in general. I'm so glad we weren't seriously injured, especially him.

We think the van is totaled, but waiting for insurance to get back to us. My plan is to shower today and get some better post-op pics.

Updated on 29 May 2016:
My scar itches like crazy! Bruising over my lipo also itches! Gah, this is driving me nuts, especially when trying to sleep... I know it's normal and means I'm healing but MAN it's annoying!

Updated on 1 Jun 2016:
Got one drain removed yesterday, other one will come out next week. Only putting out 15cc per 24 hours now. Can't wait to get it out! Results look SO GOOD already.

Updated on 5 Jun 2016:
Going back to work tomorrow, will be two weeks post-op on Tuesday. Healing nicely!

Updated on 14 Jun 2016:
Three weeks post-op and looking better every day - I now have a vertical line above my belly button that wasn't there before. Hubby insists its abs but I don't know because I never had abs in my entire life.

Updated on 24 Jun 2016:


Updated on 16 Aug 2016:
Almost 3 months PO, I'm having a slightly itchy burning type of pain around my incision and lipo areas - the healing continues. I look better in jeans than I ever have, though my skinny jeans don't fit yet.

Updated on 19 Sep 2016:
So things have been going great, I've been back to the usual routine for awhile now. Since I have a desk job and I'm still up 5 lbs since surgery, I recently started trying to increase my activity throughout the day - standing more, walking around the department for a couple minutes, etc.

WHOA.

Coincidentally or not, my swelling is back big-time. My scar is fine, but my overall abdomen (scar to bottom of ribcage) is puffy - I look seriously bloated.

My skinny jeans STILL don't fit because my love handle/hip area is also puffy and/or swollen (had some lipo there with the TT). Don't mistake what I'm saying - I LOVE my results and would do it all again in a heartbeat. I'm just ready for my favorite jeans to fit again!

Updated on 21 Aug 2018:
Posting pictures 2 years and 3 months post-surgery. Hands down, the best thing I’ve done for myself. I’m so much more confident and carefree, I wear whatever I want and know I look and feel great. The only criticism I I feel my belly button healed a little small, but it doesn’t really bother me.

Im not yet done with my recovery, but im very happy i got this done. Dr Randolph and her staff were wonderful and very helpful through the whole process. I do recommend them for anything you have to have done. I started the process in April and they had all my tests done and I was ready by September for the surgery.

I can’t believe I am finally ready to post here! I’ve been researching this site (and others) for months and months and now I am finally ready to ‘join’ the community ;) My tummy tuck is scheduled for Dec. 19th of this year- barely a month away!

I am a 30 year old female who, over the course of the last 4 years has lost 80lbs by changing my diet and exercise habits, and have kept it off. Ever since I was in high school, even at a much lower weight, I have always carried my weight in my stomach, especially that lower ‘pooch’ area. As I got serious about my weight loss I was ecstatic to see my hard work was paying off and my body was changing for the better- except when it came to my tummy. As I lost the weight, my stomach definitely shrank, but it also left behind this awful hanging skin. Of course, I feel SO much better about how I look and am proud of myself for the work I’ve put in, but, even though I know I look and feel so much better, I still agonize over that skin pouch, flap, whatever you want to call it, every time I look in the mirror.

I’ve been considering a tummy tuck for about the last 2 years. At first it was just a “Wow! Wouldn’t it be nice to get this done and get rid of that skin?” but it was really just a pipe dream, because of the cost and my own reservations. However, over those past 2 years, I’ve been thinking on it more and more, and doing more and more research, talking to my doctor, etc. For about the last 6 months I’ve been actively pursuing how to make a tummy tuck happen for me. I did a ton of research on the procedure and different surgeons in my area. I found my surgeon in late September and had a consultation to just see what my options were. She is great! After numerous ‘before’ photos, and letters from my general practitioner, who’s seen me go through this whole process, I got the phone call yesterday that my TT was thankfully deemed medically necessary by my insurance company and the cost is going to be mostly covered by them! It only took one more phone call, and now my surgery is on the books for over my Christmas break! I’m a teacher, so I have 2 weeks off at that time and I took an additional school week off as well (might as well use those sick days I NEVER use!) so I will end up with 24 days of recovery time before I have to go back to my third graders ;) Hopefully that will be enough….

One concern people always have for me when I’ve mentioned wanting a tummy tuck is the fact that I don’t have children yet. This is true- and I may still want kids in the future, and it’s something I’ve had to think long and hard about as well. However, I KNOW that I spent my entire twenties HATING the way I looked, especially my stomach. I do NOT want to spend my thirties feeling the same way simply because there is still a chance I may have a kid of two. This extra skin I have now is a complete hindrance to my ability to work out as best I could, has caused me to have uncomfortable issues with sweating and rashes in that area, and so on. I’ve decided the benefits to my self-esteem and just over all well-being are greater than the fact that I could end up with some other skin issues in the future if I have children. That being said, I’d be very interested in hearing from anyone who may have had a TT and then had another child, just to get that perspective.

SO- after that kind of long winded introduction, I’m just so excited to get this ball rolling! ? I know there will be a long recovery, pain, and some depression in my future after the surgery, but reading so many stories here on this site has really helped me to feel more prepared for that and know that there is hope on the other side and it will get better! My surgeon thinks I will only need maybe a stitch or two in one small section of my ab muscles to tighten up that littler area where I have a small hernia, but other than that, it should be strictly skin removal, so I’m hoping that will shorten some of the discomfort time during my recovery.

My next pre-op appointment with my surgeon isn’t until Dec. 3rd, so I won’t know much more until then- I’ve already got a new list of questions to be sure to ask when I see her, ha!

**I’ll be posting pics of my ‘before’ stomach in a few days. NO ONE ever sees that part of me so this is a huge, uncomfortable step for me, but I feel like I need to do it!

Updated on 13 Nov 2013:
Of course they took before pictures at my first consultation a while back, but I didn't actually see those. I feel like if I am going to really document this, I need to document all of it- I know looking at other people's "before and afters" really helped me! Plus, hopefully in a few months I'll get to look back on these and feel the relief that comes with being happy with my new tummy! :)

Updated on 24 Nov 2013:
I can't believe I have less than a month to wait before my TT! 25 days! It seems like plenty of time, but not nearly enough at the same time ;) I feel like I have so much to do to get ready and not nearly enough time to do it- I'm coaching cheerleading for the middle school in my district this year, as well as performing in a Christmas play on Dec. 13th and 14th, so between the cheer practices/games and the play practices and performances, I feel like I'm so busy and running out of time! I know I'll need to get my house cleaned, make all my sub plans for my school absence, grocery shop for fresh, non-salty/bloaty foods, get myself some big cotton panties and comfy sweats, and seemingly a million other things before the big day! Yikes! How do you people with young kids do all this? ;)

I had a question for anyone else getting their TT around the same time as me- with the holidays being so close to my surgery, I'm worried that I'll still be super sore and "gross" at Christmas time, which kind of bums me out. I'll only be about 6 days post op on Christmas Day and about 12 days post op for New Years. Anyone else having anxiety about that? I'm assuming I'll still have my drains in at Christmas and possibly even still at New Years, and I think that's the part that's freaking me out the most. Nothing would ever make me change my mind about the surgery- I still think despite it all, it will be my best Christmas gift ever, but I'm still anxious about spending the holidays in pain :( Does anyone else have any advice about how they are dealing with their surgery being over the holidays???

Updated on 2 Dec 2013:
I've got my first official pre-op appointment with my surgeon tomorrow morning at 9am and I can't wait! I had my initial consultation back in October, but then it was the waiting game with figuring out insurance and financing, yada, yada....I'm so ready to sit down with her again and work out the details for my surgery. I've got like 2 pages of questions to ask her, lol! After all the research I've continued to do and all the advice from reviews I've combed over on here, I have so many things I want to go over with her about the big TT day. I'm just so ready to feel not only excited about the potential of what is to come, but be more at ease about the surgery and recovery. Hopefully that happens (in part at least) tomorrow. I'll do a quick update again after my appointment and hopefully I'll have an even better outlook on getting to the "flat side" ;)

Updated on 9 Dec 2013:
10 days til TT day! Can't believe it! It is so completely surreal to me how I have fantasized about getting this problem fixed for literally YEARS and now it's 10 days away from being a reality- well, probably 10 days and 6 months before it's a completely realized, "flat" reality ;)

I had my pre-op appointment last week and got a chance to go over the procedure and whole process more with my surgeon. I hadn't met with her since October and I was staring to get nervous and second guess everything. Once I got to talk to Dr. Randolph again, it all felt ok though ;) She has such a calming manner and is open to any question I have. Her office staff are WONDERFUL and always make me feel like they are there to answer any questions I have! I took a list of things to ask about and still ended up forgetting things- mostly about after surgery stuff like tips for taking care of the incision and healing and what not, but I figure I can do that after the fact. Plus, I've already learned a lot from reading all the stories and suggestions here as well!

I found out the time of my surgery finally- 10am, so I won't have to get there until 8:30, so that gives me at least a little time to get my wits about me in the morning beforehand ;) I also found out that since my surgery is deemed 'medically necessary' and is being (mostly) covered by insurance, I am going to be kept overnight as 'inpatient' in their recovery center. This makes me feel a lot better since I will then have access to pain meds through my IV until I go home the next day and will have a nurse right there to chat with if I start freaking out about anything right after surgery. Plus, I then get to have my next day post op appoint with Dr. Randolph right there before I leave the day after surgery instead of having to ride the 45 mins home and then come right back the following day. **Has anyone else stayed overnight after their surgery? Just wondering what your experience with that was like....

I'm including some more pre-op pics today- basically to remind myself what I hate about my stupid skin pooch NOW, so I can look back at that when I'm in pain and wondering what in the world I've done! ;) Mostly, I feel ok with the way I look in clothes, but I am really excited to get rid of the stupid crease, fold, line, whatever you want to call it that I have going on in the lower half of my pants from my hanging belly skin! I hate that I can't tuck things in or wear shorter shirts without a cami underneath to conceal that added girth. And that I have to wear my pants up so high to hold in my pooch! You can't even see my belly button because it is always covered up by my pant's waist line! And speaking of belly buttons, I'm including the other picture because I'm wondering what my belly button is actually going to look like when it doesn't have a flap of skin hanging over it? I never actually see it now so I took a picture holding back that skin just to see if what I might end up with in the belly button department after surgery- we'll see how it compares!

Updated on 19 Dec 2013:
My surgery got bumped up to 9:15 so it's under 3 hours away! Absolutely can not believe it! I'm so excited but so nervous- I barely slept last night. Though I guess I'll be sleeping a lot in the next few days hopefully ;) And hopefully soon I'll have great after photos to share!

Updated on 19 Dec 2013:
I'm awake and feeling pretty ok- surgery took about 3 hours and now I'm in the recovery center where I'll be staying overnight, thankfully! I get a morphine pump for tonight so that has been wonderful! I'm hooked up to so many things, I can't even! Lol!

I won't get to really see anything until next week when my doc checks me out, but I'm hoping to have some pics to post next week.

Once I am home for a couple days I'll try to update with my progress and keep checking other's stories for advice ;)

Updated on 20 Dec 2013:
Made it home in one piece! So to speak ;) My surgeon came in and checked me over this morning and said everything looked really good and went very smoothly. My belly button is a little oozy, but not so bad that is soaked through or anything. At the angle I was looking at it I'm afraid it seems a little off center but my sister assured me it looks fine ;)

Staying overnight in the recovery center was so worth it! The nursing staff both there and in the OR were wonderful, made me feel right at ease and answered all of my questions.

I've been able to get up to go to the bathroom about 6 times since surgery and it's not too awful so that's been good! I'm still pretty nervous about getting super constipated but I guess that just comes with the territory. I've been taking a stool softener and drinking juice. I bought some laxative suppositories for the future, just in case! ;)

Doc said I can undo my binder and air it out every once in awhile while I'm laying down, since I can't take a shower until Monday! I have 2 drains, but the nurses said they were emptying well and not with just a ton of fluid so if that keeps up I might be able to get them out sooner. Doc said she'll prob take one out on Monday and leave the other just a little longer to be on the safe side. I'm really anxious to see my actual incision scar at that appointment too! From what I can tell with still being all wrapped up, it should be pretty low. Fingers crossed!

So now it's just the waiting game- everyone seems to say that the first 3-4 days are the worst, so hopefully those go by quick!

Thanks again for all the well wishes and advice! I've got a few pics to post and I'll post some of my actual stomach once the doc has my dressings all off next week.

Updated on 20 Dec 2013:


Updated on 21 Dec 2013:
I slept super soundly last night! Only got up to the alarm I had set to take my pain pills and once to go to the bathroom. But I still feel exhausted today- much more tired than yesterday.

I'm down to one pain pill every 4 hours instead of 2 and that's been fine. I'm hoping to start weaning myself off more and more, probably next week. I don't want to push it too hard but my pain so far as been pretty manageable so I figure the sooner I can be done with the meds the better!

I'm still taking my Miralax once a day and occasional Dulcolax pills as well. So far I don't even feel like a need to go #2, so at least I'm not miserable...yet. But I guess I've only really drank water and juice and then eaten 3 yogurts, a cup of chicken noodle soup, some ritz and saltine crackers, and some whole grain toast since Wednesday night. Maybe there just isn't much in there now anyway ;)

My belly button area is super itchy today and was last night too, so I hope that's fairly normal. Other than that I though I can't even feel my insicions until I try to get up and they pull a little. I can tell I'm still pretty swollen, as I expected.

I'm still undoing my binder every couple of hours while I'm lying down and I'm using the walker to help with the back pain as I shuffle around. But I have to say, so far (knock on wood) everything has actually gone better than I expected! I sure hope that keeps up! ;) Monday at 9:45 am can't get here soon enough! I'm ready to see what I'm really working with here and get more reassurance from the doc! Pics will follow that appointment. I continue to cherish the advice and support from everyone out there on RS. I think I'd be lost throughout this process without you!

Updated on 22 Dec 2013:
Ok- I need these drains gone! It's not so much that they hurt, but they are so annoying and it's starting to get really sore around the area that they go in :( My 'output' is slowing down for sure, but it's still a bloody color. Lighter than before, but it worries me that I'll have to have them in longer....I'm supposed to get one out on Monday.

I'm also stressed out that I haven't gotten to see my actual incision yet. The doc checked my belly button on Friday before I left the recovery center and checked for 'oozing' anywhere under the other bandage which I didn't have. But it seems like a lot of people already have their dressings off by now and are walking around without their binders and drains and now I'm getting worried since I'm not! Boo hoo! I'm sure I'm just being a baby and getting to the point in recovery where I'm second guessing everything. Couple that with the fact that I can't shower yet and it makes for one miserable me! :(

Thankfully I am still in very little pain. I can walk around pretty easily and almost completely upright if I wanted too, but I'm still using the walker for support for my back and trying not to stretch things out too much. I get up every 3 hours and walk around the house several times. I'd stay upright longer if I wasn't still so tired.

Anyway- thanks for being a place to vent! Today is just one of those days.

Updated on 22 Dec 2013:
As the day goes in I've been much more mobile and feel like I need the walker less and less (still using some to help my back). Unfortunately I started my period today as well- probably contributing to my gloomy mood and the swelling I'm already having. I'm still pretty wrapped up but I thought if post a quick photo of what you can actually see. I feel like the lower left side is more swollen and the upper right side by my belly button too, making me look uneven, but I'm assuming (and hoping) that will even out with time.

Updated on 22 Dec 2013:


Updated on 23 Dec 2013:
Yehaw! Got one of my drains out today! It was the one that always had very little drainage anyway. My doc said that the other one is looking good as well and I have relatively little output with that one too, but she wants to leave it for another week to be safe. So I'll get the other one out next Monday when I go in for my next appointment. So, hopefully I'll feel like a 'real' human being again on Dec. 30th ;)

I've had much more energy today, though I do still tire easily. My surgeon's office is about a 40 min drive from where I live so while it did take a lot out of me just to ride in the car, it was nice to get to be out of the house for awhile. I feel like I am standing much more straight today as well, but I'm trying not to push it too much as things do still feel tight.

I also got all of my dressings removed at the appointment today! I still have the steri strips over my incision so it's still pretty dark and 'gunky' looking, but the doc said she would remove that and put new ones on at the next visit. She said they were still fresh enough today that if she tried to take them off now I would bleed quite a bit. No need for that! But overall my scar line looks like it should turn out pretty nice when its all healed up. It's pretty thin and even and low. There is one spot on my left hip that looks to me like it could be a potential dog ear problem but doc says we'll keep an eye on it and go from there. Too early to get too far ahead of ourselves ;) My new belly button is looking great I think! It has to stay dressed for awhile still so it heals properly (a nice deep innie" lol) so I don't have a pic of that yet, but I'll take one the next time I change the bandage. Overall my tummy is a million times better than before! I'm trying to look past the swelling and lopsided-ness that goes with that and just know that there is a lot of healing to do before I'm at that final result, but so far so good I think! ;)

Oh and I got to finally shower today and it was the most glorious thing EVER!!!

Updated on 24 Dec 2013:
Well, today has been a roller coaster of emotions. I felt really good yesterday, and woke up this mornings feeling pretty rested. I finnnnnally had a real BM and even though it was not at all pleasant, it was such a huge relief! Literally, lol! Hopefully that means things will keep moving along in that department ;) I've cut back on the pain meds too, so that should help as well.

Things just kind of went down hill from there, unfortunately. I think I may have just pushed myself a little too much yesterday and this morning while I was feeling so good because the rest of the day I have been in swell hell for sure! My upper abs around my belly button are so swollen and so are my lady parts ;) The remaining drain site looks fine and doesn't hurt or anything so I think that's all fine. My incision area feels so tight though with all the swelling and it seems like no matter how I lay or sit its pulling and I'm uncomfortable.

I know there are just good days and bad days and its part of the process. I think all this being in bed over the holidays and the fact that I'm on my period just got the better of me today and I spent a good portion of my day in tears. I just want to be able to enjoy my favorite holiday foods, and traditions, and time with my family, and instead I'm stuck in bed. And my incision is still all taped up and gross and I just wanna rip that off and clean it up! Sigh....*end pity party*

I know I asked for this and really I'm probably doing really well, and I really am so thankful that I was able to do this for myself and in the long run it will be sooooo worth it! But Lord have mercy, today just sucked! ;)

Thanks for giving me a place to vent and for sharing all of your insight into this whole process! I hope all of you lovely folks are enjoying your Christmas Eve! God bless!

Updated on 29 Dec 2013:
Well after a couple days of rest and recouping, I'm feeling relatively normal again ;) I didn't do myself any favors over the holidays when it came to eating- yikes! Seems I got my appetite back just as everyone was bringing over Christmas sweets and wow, I def over indulged! The only upside to that was that it seemed to get my bowels moving again....a mixed blessing, lol!

Had some major swelling for a few days and I'm still dealing with that off and on, as many of you are first hand familiar with....just feeling tight in general but I am standing about 95% straight I'd say, so that's something.

I'm a little nervous about my scarring- I think the placement is great, but I still have a lot of the tape on so I can't see how everything really looks. But I do feel like the stitching on the ends at my hips is kinda mmmm rough looking I guess. Is that normal? At the places where the tape is loose my incision seems pretty thin but its already kind of hard and raised which worries me. I have another post op tomorrow so I'll def be talking to my surgeon about it, but she hasn't seemed too concerned with the scar in our past conversations- she said you really just have to give it time to heal and actually "be what it's going to be" and then if I need some revision we'll go from there. I'm hoping *fingers crossed* that I won't need any, but I feel better knowing she is more than willing to fix things if I need it and it should all be covered with my insurance. As I've mentioned before, I'm a little disappointed in noticing that my belly button isn't completely centered, but in looking back at old photos it does seem that my original bb was off centered a bit too so that may just be where mine was meant to be ;) And really, all of that aside, I'm still so pleased to no longer be carrying around that skin apron I was dealing with before! My stomach is just so much smoother overall and I feel like yes, there are still imperfections, and some of those may fade as I heal and some my not, but my tummy is so much more true to the work I've put in and feels like me ;) I'm not sure how confident I'll be in a bikini or naked, haha, but I already love how much better I look in clothes!

So that's my update so far- still sleeping on my back, which I hate! But I'm finally supposed to get my other drain out tomorrow and then hopefully I can wear normal clothes again and start trying to sleep on my sides. Other than that, I'm feeling pretty good and looking forward to about another 15 days off before I have to return to work- hoping to be more the 'real me' by then! ;)

Oh one last thing- I want to start some scar treatment next week since I'm basically all healed up and I was wondering if anyone had any strong recommendations on products that have worked well for them in that department? Like I said, my scar line seems pretty thin and I know the coloring takes time to fade, so I'm mostly just concerned with the hard, raised feeling it has right now. I've been doing some research and will continue to check with my surgeon too of course, but I'd like to hear from some trusted RS friends! ;)

Updated on 29 Dec 2013:
Here are some photos of the days just after Christmas- they show the swelling a few days ago and my belly button progress. I haven't taken any in the last 2 days but I will after my other drain comes out tomorrow!

Updated on 30 Dec 2013:
Literally just left the surgeon's office and I'm finally drain free!!! Wheeee!!! Hoping all those extra days helps ensure I don't have any issues with fluid from here on out...I know that can still happen but I'm hoping after 11 days with a drain that the fluid will cut me some slack and behave ;)

I'm getting ready to head home after a teensy bit of shopping first. My very first real outting since surgery so I'll def make it brief. I'll post pics and a more thorough update of how my appointment went either later today or tomorrow.

Updated on 31 Dec 2013:
So, yesterday I had my 2nd post op appointment. The office staff and my surgeon said they couldn't believe it had only been 11 days since my surgery because I looked so good and was healing nicely, so yay! ;) All the tape came off and they cleaned up my incision area and put new tape on- what a difference! everything looks less ugly now, lol. My doc doesn't want me to start any major scar treatment for a little while. She said she finds people have better results if they wait until the scar has started pigmenting more, after it is healed up well. But she said I could go ahead and start using whatever scar cream or vitamin E oil I want on it the next couple weeks.

I completely forgot to ask while I was there, but I think I'm going to go ahead and switch to wearing my Spanx instead of the compression binder they gave me. She had said it was fine to take that off periodically anyway to just let everything breathe and I really feel like the Spanx give me more all over support anyway, without cutting in to me as much as the binder. I have 3 pairs of the legless kind that come all the way up to under the boobs so they give great, even coverage and I can switch them out and wash them. I'm going to call her office after New Year's and double check that it's ok, but I feel like if my body feels ok with it, it should be fine ;)

How soon did you all start doing some light cardio? I'll be 2 weeks post op on Thursday and obviously on Swell Hell days (like today-yikes!) I don't feel like doing anything, but I'd like to start at least like walking on the treadmill whenever I'm feeling good. I'm completely terrified of gaining back weight! I know there is some extra hanging around because of fluid and swelling right now, but now that I'm so much happier with my stomach, I'd really like to get my arms, legs, and butt back in shape and drop about 10ish lbs from where I was at the time of my surgery.

Anyhoo- after my appointment yesterday, my mom and sisters and I did a smidge of shopping while we were in town and I felt really good. When I got home I caved and tried on a bunch of my clothes. All of my shirts and dresses look sooooo much better on me already! I tried on some underwear that I always felt to fat in before with my belly and they fit so nicely now. I even tried on my bikini bottoms (that I only ever wore at my parents backyard pool, not in public!) and I was thrilled with how they look- completely cover my scar and sit nice on my hips now. Most of my pants fit pretty ok right now. There are a couple of pairs from when I was a little thinner this summer that are snug that I didn't want to risk trying to button right now. I think after the swelling goes down though they should be fine and I may even be able to go down a size once I can finally start exercising again. And when the holidays are over and I stop eating like crap! But overall, I was really pleased with my new shape in my old clothes ;) That's all I really ever wanted- to feel confident in the clothes I love. No more lumps and bumps and rolls and lower belly buldge to make me feel bad when I look in the mirror.

BUT all the activity might have been a bit much cause- whoa! I must have pushed things more than I thought yesterday and/or consumed way to much salt (damn you eating out!) because today I am the most swollen I have been during this whole process! My stomach is so tight and like rock hard! I look like I'm 5 months pregnant. I hope this is just one of those days and not a sign that I'm gonna swell a bunch more now that my other drain is out- do NOT want to deal with any fluid problems, so fingers crossed! It probably didn't help that I slept in my own bed last night for the first time since the TT and it didn't go super well. I'd been staying with my parents and using their amazing temperpedic bed which has the ability to raise and lower the head and feet so it was perfect! I never had any back pain at all from that thing! But, once my drain came out, I was anxious to get home. I tried to keep my head and legs propped up with pillows but it just wasn't the same and I woke up with super bad neck and shoulder pain this morning :( I bought a wedge pillow today hoping that will help things. If not, my dad said he will bring over a recliner for me to use for awhile and see if that is better.

Sorry for the long post! Hopefully it was somewhat informative and useful for someone ;) I hope everyone has a fantastic New Year's! I know even with all the ups and downs and more still to come, this was the best end to my 2013 possible! Looking forward to the new me in 2014!

Updated on 2 Jan 2014:
Not too much to report, other than I'm glad to have made it to 2 weeks post op! Still dealing with major and minor swelling off and on. It's pretty much confined to the area between my incision and my belly button area right now, though I do also have some swelling in my hips too. While it is certainly REALLY uncomfortable, I know it's just part of the process. So far I haven't felt like I'm retaining any pockets of fluid or anything- hopefully that remains that case!

Still not liking sleeping in my bed so yesterday my wonderful father brought over a recliner for me to use for awhile. It doesn't really fit in my living room but I could care less, lol! I still hate not being able to sleep on my side or stomach, but in the recliner it's much more manageable. Think I'll stick to that for at least another week or 2.

I was wondering who else out there had their drain tubes placed in the pubic area? I know that's a pretty common placement but I was just wondering how those areas scar? Mine are still red and scabbed over right now so I just wanted an idea of how others look once they are healed...do those scars fade out eventually too? Oh, and how's everyone's belly button doing? I stumbled across some reviews where women had their belly buttons close up completely and it freaked me out! So far mine seems fine, but of course, I'm a worrier. I started putting a ball of gauze back in my bb like I did when it was still fresh, just to give me peace of mind ;)

That's pretty much all I have going on. I'm still amazed how different I can feel day to day. Some days I feel like I'm good to go and do anything and some days I'm still forced to stay put on the couch or in the recliner due to the swelling and exhaustion. I don't go back to work until the 13th so I still have a good amount of time to get some more rest. I'm posting some 2 week pictures just for reference. Still a might swollen, but I'm still thrilled with the way my undies fit and look now!

Updated on 8 Jan 2014:
Hey all!

I figured I would just start posting weekly-ish now that I'm a few weeks into my recovery. Not much new to report. I'm still dealing with the on and off 'swell hell' we all get to deal with. I usually feel pretty great in the mornings and then as the day wears on I get that tight feeling more and more until bed time. I feel more swollen in my hips now as I guess stuff tries to work it's way around the incision. I hope that's temporary- I've always had bigger hips, and I'm totally fine with my curves, but I don't want them to stay THIS big forever! I know it's just part of the process but I'm def. ready for it to get better! ;) I'm just so ready to be able to wear my normal pants again and *fingers crossed* get to the point where I can maybe even buy a smaller size.

I've been wearing my binder at night and then wearing my Spanx during the day to get ready for that process when I go back to work next week. I know that first week is gonna be pretty rough so I'm just hoping my students are extra sympathetic for a little while, lol!

I'm hoping that now that I've had my drains out for over a week that I'm past the major risk of getting a seroma. I've not had any problems so far outside of what seems to be normal swelling and that 'hard' tummy feeling. I've not felt sloshy or seen any fluid build up, so I'm hoping that means I'm pretty much out of the woods in that department.

I'm still sleeping in my recliner, though I'd like to move back to my bed later this week if I can. I think maybe it's just more of a comfort thing- I get nervous lying too flat and even though I'm dying to sleep on my sides, it's still scares me.

All in all, I'm feeling pretty darn good- more tired than I'd like, but good ;) I'm calling my surgeon's office tomorrow to see if I can get cleared to start some kind of light cardio- I'm getting so nervous about not being able to work out! I'm also starting back up on Weight Watchers on Monday when I also go back to work. I need to get my eating back under control now that the holidays are officially over. Especially since my exercise is so limited. I'd really like to drop around 10 lbs for the summer months, and tone back up. I ran a half marathon last July and my legs were in great shape and I'd really like to get back to that ;) I'm hoping to be good to go to start training in late March to run a 10K in June. Something to shoot for! I'm gonna try to start walking on the treadmill next week and then possibly start up with yoga and low impact step aerobics at my gym. Gonna clear it with my surgeon and just try to listen to my body.

Incision and belly button looking pretty good! As I've said before, I'm super happy with the low placement for where my scar will be and I think my belly button is looking really nice! I have a nice innie that seems to be healing really well and not showing a lot of scarring. I'm still a little nervous about it closing up too much so I'll keep an eye on that, and I do think it is a little off center- though as I said, I think it may always have been and I just never noticed when I had that 'cave' bb because of my hanging skin. I still have the tape on my incision from my last post op and I'll leave that on probably until Monday and then change it. Doc said to keep it taped because it helps with it not raising up and then just change the tape ever 1-2 weeks, so that's the plan until further notice.

Hope all of you are healing up nicely and feeling better and better! And to those of you still waiting for your turn- keep checking in on this site! It did so much to help me answer my many questions and just calm my nerves. Good luck!

Updated on 10 Jan 2014:
I took my tape off completely for the first time (outside of the surgeon doing it in her office) so I got my first real look at my scar line. On one hand, slightly terrifying and on the other, not so bad ;) I like that it's relatively thin and has a good curve to it. It feels a little raised right now but I'm sure that's normal. I'm a little nervous about a possible dog ear on my left hip, but I'm trying not to worry too much about it this early on. I know a lot of what I'm seeing has to do with the swelling (which is really bad tonight!) and that the scar will change a lot before it's at the final result.

I'm going to stick with paper tape- I'll be switching it off every few days, or as it's needed when it starts falling off. I know some people swear by the silicone sheets and I may switch to that later but my surgeon really recommends the continued paper taping for the first months before moving on to the silicone sheets and I'm gonna go ahead and stick with her recommendations . I figure I trusted her to cut me open and put me back together so I should follow her directions ;)

I am interested in starting some massaging of my scar in between tapings and I wondered what you all might recommend. In this area my surgeon really left it up to me and had no preference. She said the massaging of the scar is good and I can use bio oil, vitamin e oil, mederma, ect. Do any of you have strong opinions on what has worked the best for you?

Updated on 13 Jan 2014:
First day back to work today and I may literally explode! This is by far the most swollen I have been thus far! :( I know it is all part of the process and I know I probably did too much today but Holy Moses! As a 3rd grade teacher it is very hard for me to "take it easy" at work. My students were great, they weren't a problem at all- and I know I shouldn't be standing all the time however, I feel like I need to wear my binder to hold everything in BUT then trying to sit in it for any amount of time is a nightmare so I was up and down a lot! It's a lose-lose....it also probably didn't help that I had a doctor's appointment right after school for my thyroid checkup, followed by a middle school basketball game (I'm the cheerleading coach but thank goodness for my wonderful co-workers! One of them offered to stay and watch my squad for me so I could go home at 6 instead of 8). Needless to say, a 7am to 8pm on my first day back was not a great choice but I didn't have much of a way around it.

All that aside, this has not made me regret having the surgery! I'm really trying to keep those flat days I've had in mind and look back on all my before pics for perspective. HOWEVER this swelling is really taking a toll on my mood. It's hard to stay positive and focus on the end result when I feel like I'm going to burst and still can't wear my old clothes :( I know everyone goes through this but arghhhhhh! It sucks!

So, anyhoo, no tummy pictures for me today as I can't even bring myself to look at it, but in an effort to keep everything in perspective I'm posting some before and after pictures of myself at my heaviest weight (nearly 240 lbs) compared to some shots of myself from (before surgery but) after the weight loss at around 150-160 lbs. I need to remember I've come so far already and when my body finally cooperates and stops swelling up like crazy (and I can work out again!), I'll be so much happier and proud of my work again and have the stomach I worked for.

PS- I officially started back on Weight Watchers today and despite the fact that I also started my period (thanks for the extra bloat and depression Mother Nature) I have done a good job all day and haven't felt like I was starving. So wish me luck in that continued endeavor ;)

Updated on 15 Jan 2014:
Not a whole lot new to report- still swelling progressively throughout the day. Today was a particularly bad day for that, but I also was on my feet longer because I had lunchroom duty and my stupid period was particularly awful today as well....grrrr! So, I'm assuming that made things worse today than they have been before. I still don't see any signs of seromas or anything. I'm just very, very tight everywhere! I had a lot more swelling in my upper abs today than I usually do too. I can't think of anything that I did differently today that would cause that, so I'm assuming it's just part of the ups and downs of the process.

I still have no regrets! Even though I'm "fat" and miserable by the afternoon, I LOVE how I look in the mornings when I first wake up! I'm still even a tad swollen then, but I still feel like my stomach looks pretty great and I really like my shape. So hopefully when that extra swelling is gone too, I'll feel like a knockout ;)

Updated on 18 Jan 2014:
Finally, a day where I didn't look 4 months pregnant by the end of the day! Lol! Granted, I didn't have to work today so I wasn't on my feet quite as much, but still! There was def still a little swelling in the morning and it got a little worse as the day went on but not nearly as bad as it has been- hopefully when I'm also off my period in a couple of days that will continue or get even better ;)

I seem to have misplaced my incision tape somewhere, so I just decided to leave it uncovered today after my shower. I'll buy new tape tomorrow if I can't find it since I'm gonna pick up some kind of scar cream/oil tomorrow anyway.

That's about it- glad to have a day where I felt pretty good the whole time. Hopefully that continues or I at least have more days like this each week. Hope all of you lovely ladies are healing up nicely! Have a great rest of the weekend!

Updated on 21 Jan 2014:
Does anyone else find themselves with more swelling in their upper abs at random times? Most of the time mine is confined to my hips and the area between my belly button and the incision line, but sometimes lately, it's weirdly like all above my belly button...hmmmm. I guess it happens more on days where I've eaten a big meal and maybe because my lower tummy is tighter now all that food bloat is just migrating north? Lol- does that seem plausible? Just wondering if anyone else has noticed this happening.

Also, those of you using paper tape on your incision, how often are you changing it? I just started using bio oil on my scar line and it says to apply it twice a day, but I'm also taping my incision still per my PS suggestion and I wasn't sure if it's ok to change the tape everyday or if that will irritate my skin...thoughts?

Updated on 29 Jan 2014:
Can't believe it- 6 weeks post op on Thursday! In the last week or so my swelling has seemed to subside somewhat, though the more active I am the more I swell. I suppose it will be that way for awhile yet. I've been able to wear my regular pants to work lately, so that's progress. I still don't feel comfortable in some of my pants that were tighter on me before- I can get them on and button them but with the numbness and random swelling, they feel weird and I don't think they'd be very comfortable by the end of the day.

I'm a little discouraged to find that my hip and waist measurements haven't changed really since the surgery :( I'm hoping that's just because I'm still swelling, especially in the hips. I definitely already feel better and more confident in my clothes, everything lays flatter and I don't have the weird buldges, and really that's what I wanted the most going into this. But it sure would be nice to see some pounds and inches come off still....

On that note, I started back up on Weight Watchers recently and have done "ok"- I've cheated pretty bad on the weekends but have still managed to lose about 3.5 pounds. I'm starting back to the gym for the first time tonight too so I'm nervous and excited about that! Hopefully in the coming weeks I'll see some muscle tone returning and knock off a few more pounds! I'll keep y'all posted on how the workouts go in the coming weeks.

I have my next post op visit on Monday so I'll update again with any news I get after that. I've got some "bumps" under my scar line in just 2 small areas that I'm a little nervous about that I'll have the surgeon check on. They don't hurt or anything and they don't feel like they have fluid or anything in them cause they're pretty hard. Maybe just scar tissue built up in those particular areas???

I'm posting some pictures today to show my how my scar is looking and the swelling I still have going on. Hope everyone is doing well!

Updated on 18 Feb 2014:
Well hello RealSelf friends! Long time no see! ;) I've been busy busy busy the last few weeks, and honestly there hasn't be a TON of changes in my TT journey since my last post. I do have a couple of things to mention though and a pic to post.

I really felt like the 6/7 week mark was a turning point for me. I'm still swelling by the end of the day and depending on my diet and how active I am on any given day, I do still get that upper ab swelling and in my hips. However, it is soooo much better than what I was dealing with a little earlier in my recovery. My surgeon said it's very common to have some level of swelling all the way up to 6-12 months after surgery, so I'm glad she prepared me for that. But like I said, the swelling is not nearly as bad now and I can usually anticipate it based on how my day is going.

I started back to the gym around 6/7 weeks as well, and at first I was just going maybe a couple of times a week and doing minimal stuff. I tried jogging on the treadmill early on and could barely do a minute! Considering I have done multiple 5k's and a half marathon last summer, that was a bit of a shock for me! I knew taking that much time off would effect my endurance level, and I also just felt weird in the tummy area when I was jogging. Like my lower ab muscles just felt tight and pulled during it. But cut to last week and this week and I feel much better during my workouts! I can jog now with no problems and I'm a couple of weeks in to my 10k training. I still haven't done much in the way of weights or ab stuff, but I'm hoping to do more with that next week and beyond. I didn't have super extensive work done with my muscles during my surgery- it was pretty much all skin removal, so I'm hoping I'll be able to get more abs going soon without too much problem. I've also been doing step aerobics and kickboxing classes without any problems as well. Occasionally I'll have to modify things if we've been doing a lot of jumping exercises or I'll feel that pulling sensation again, but it's nothing major.

Overall, I am still thrilled with my results! My scar is really low and is already pretty thin. I've been using bio oil on it twice a day on average and just massage it a little with that. My surgeon said I'm welcome to use other methods if I feel the need to, but she doesn't start recommending things like silicone sheeting and such until about a year after the surgery once the scar as had time to heal completely and mature. I was taping my scar still to help flatten it, but my skin started to get irritated by the tape. I asked my doc about it and she said to just stop using the tape and not to worry about doing anything else unless I start to notice my scar getting more raised and rope-like. So far that hasn't been an issue.

At my last post op a few weeks ago my doc said she was also thrilled with my progress, so that's good to hear! ;) She said everything is healing wonderfully and everything I've experienced so far is completely normal. And we both love my innie belly button, lol! The scarring with the bb is hidden really well.

I am still just a tad bummed about my measurements. They haven't changed a whole lot since surgery and I don't know if that's because I'm still swelling and stuff or what. I am finally able to wear my pre-surgery pants all the time now. It took awhile for me to feel comfortable in them because even though they went on and zipped up and look great, I knew by the end of the day the swelling would make the waist band tighter and too uncomfortable to wear all day, and I'd start to swell up over the waist band which is a pain! So I'm still basically a size 10. Granted, that size looks SO much better on me now because everything is smoothed out and flatter, but I am really hoping to get down to a size 8 soon! I'm currently still doing WW and hoping to drop 10-15 lbs in time for summer. I'm back down under my surgery day weight which is good, so hopefully with some more gym time, consistently better eating, and swelling subsiding even more, I'll be seeing that scale and inches go down more soon! It's crazy how now that my lower ab pooch/skin is gone, I start to notice my other imperfections so much more- my hips and thighs are driving me crazy! Typical woman right? ;) I keep trying to remind myself that I've come SUCH a long way and I can still put in the work to improve on those things. I didn't have any lipo done and really just had skin removal and some skin tightening with my surgery, so I still have hip fat to deal with and some loose skin/flab above my belly button and I need to be ok with that! I'm a fan of a womanly shape and no one is perfect.

That's about it for now! I don't go back to see my surgeon until June, as long as I don't have any concerns, but I'll still try to post every couple of week until then. I'll also post some comparison pics from before surgery to now and some of me in clothes to show how my things are fitting now. The photo I'm including this time is just of me at the end of a normal work day to show how my swelling is still there but much better ;)

Good luck and happy healing to you all!

Updated on 21 Feb 2014:
Nothing super new going on but I'm posting a few pics today just to show how my scar is doing and how some clothes fit for me at 9 weeks. Sorry if the pics are a bit of an overload- I feel like I post so many, but honestly looking at others progress in pictures is what was really helpful to me so I just try to do what I know helped me along ;) I'll do a workout/weight loss (hopefully!) update in the next couple weeks.

Updated on 21 Feb 2014:
2 weeks before surgery compared to 9 weeks after- now I promise I'm done with pics for awhile, lol! I promise I'm really not this full of myself ;) I still have work to do but it's shoes the progress...

Updated on 9 Apr 2014:
Helloooooo friends! Tomorrow I’ll be 16 weeks out from surgery. Four months, what?!?! Yeesh- it’s been quite a while since I’ve given you all an update! Apologies all around ;) Honestly, the reason for my hiatus is really just that my life has just gotten back to nearly complete normalcy, which is something I was doubting would ever happen when I was just a few short days/weeks post op. Most of the time I don’t even think about my surgery or incision/scar line at all, which is amazing! I’m actually getting to the point where I can almost forget what I felt/looked like before the surgery, which is so crazy! But I do have a few observations/thoughts to share:

-Swelling: This is pretty much gone now, though I am still always a little flatter in the mornings when I first wake up, but I rarely notice any significant swelling anymore during the day (unless I’ve been working out really hard). However, when I’m on my period-yikes! I never really experienced feeling bloated because of my cycle before, but now I ALWAYS do. Also, it’s not really swelling, but as I’ve mentioned before, if I indulge too much and overeat during a meal my upper belly get so poochy and uncomfortable- it’s like the food has nowhere else to go but ‘up’ now. It’s a good reminder to stop eating like that! ;)

-Exercise: I’m back to full, normal workouts at the gym. I jog on a regular basis, anywhere from 1-5 miles at this point and I can do all the machines and weights without much trouble. I also attend step aerobics, kickboxing, and boot camp classes. Every once in a while I’ll get a weird pulling feeling in the muscles near my scar line or a sharp, quick pain (especially when I do exercises that stretch me out, like yoga) but I always just try to listen to my body and slow down/back off when I need to and then I don’t have any lingering problems.

-Scar: My scar is getting to that purple stage in the healing process. I’m looking forward to the day it starts to fade out to a pink or white color, but overall, it doesn’t really bother me. I knew there would be a significant scar left behind from this surgery and I am SO much happier with having that than the hanging skin I HATED before. Most of the scar is smooth and flat, but I do have a few spots that are a little raised up and bumpy. Nothing that I’m super worried about though and my surgeon said at the one year post op mark we can revisit how it’s looking and decide if I need any revision then, so I’m not really too concerned with it for the time being. Occasionally I’ll feel a little pain if I’m pressing on the scar, like in a weird way in my clothing or sometimes when I put the Bio Oil on it. But it’s not enough that I think it’s a problem, otherwise, I’d call my surgeon and see what she thinks.

-Clothing: I am SOOOO much happier with the way I look in my clothes now! I was always a bit of a clothes hoarder, or as I prefer to think of myself “just very into fashion” ;) And now I actually feel like I can wear anything in my closet without worrying about how short a shirt is or how to cover my pooch. That’s not to say I don’t still find things to not like about my body. It seems like a lot of people think that after you have a surgery like this you will have a flawless midsection and should never complain again. I’m here to tell you, after this surgery you will more than likely still have some rolls when you sit or hunch over, especially in tight pants. I think this is especially true if you’ve had a major weight loss before your surgery. Because I didn’t have an ‘around the world’ tuck to include my hips and back, I still have some excess skin in those areas that probably won’t be going away, which causes there to still be a pudge in those spots in some clothes. So, just be prepared to see those kinds of things if you were in the same boat as me before surgery. BUT, I do TRY to keep my complaints to a very bare minimum because as a general rule I LOVE my new stomach and that has truly changed my ability to finally be pretty comfortable in my own skin! And I’m finally going to be able to wear a bikini without being totally mortified! ;)

I hope everyone is doing well in their recovery or prep for surgery! This ability to share my story and reading those of others has really helped with this whole process. I’ll try to be more faithful in checking in my with progress and keeping up with everyone else’s as well.

(Oh! And I’ll have some progress pics to share soon too!)

Updated on 9 Apr 2014:
Here are some pics from over the last few weeks...

I'm 18..young, I know..anyway, I got pregnant when I was 16 and had my beautiful baby boy when I was 17 on April 14th 2011. I chose to put him up for adoption, out of love, because it was better for him. It's an open adoption and I'm still a big part of his life. I used to be a size 1-3 and 110lbs and an A cup. I had tight skin and perky breasts all without stretchmarks. I gained 35lbs and no my breasts and stomach are covered in stretch marks and I have very loose skin. I went to my consultation last week and am putting the down payment down next week when I schedule it. I am nervous about how my stretch marks will look because my Dr said I will still have some around my belly button and of course my breasts. I also have never had surgery before. I also don't want my belly button to look unatural. I'm really nervous about not looking the way I want to.



Updated on 12 Jun 2012:
okay so it took awhile because of some money issues but now FINALLY everything is in order! yipee! on June 11th I put my deposit down and booked my surgery date for July 5th. My pre op date is June 25. I have a few questions to ask my doctor but does anyone have any other advice on what to ask or any other information I should know? I'm trying to get everything covered so I'm not completely clueless. Still really nervous about the pain. I'll also update some more pictures too since I have lost a little weight and some marks have faded a bit. Cant believe its less than a month away!

Updated on 7 Jul 2012:
okay so today is July 7th, I had my surgery on the 5th. I got a full standard tummy tuck, liposuction on my love handles, and saline breast implants. Right when I got there everything went to smoothly and on time, everyone was so friendly and helpful and always informed me about what was going on. When I woke up from surgery I was doing pretty good and didnt feel too much pain. I went home a few hours later. It was hard walking because I had to be hunched over so much. Most of the time my back ends up hurting more than anything else. my breasts are sore and sometimes its hard to move my arms too much, my stomach feels like its burining a lot. I have not been able to see my stomach or breasts yet because my doctor said i cannot take my dressings off at all until i go back for a check up. Mornings are extremely rough but once I get moving I do pretty well considering all that I had done. I empty my drains about every 8 hours but theres never a lot just a little amount so hopefully when i go back they will tell me i can take my drains out. I get shakey a lot but I think its just because of my nerves.

Updated on 9 Jul 2012:
so today I had my first post op. my dr was actually gone so I saw a different dr, which I already knew would happen ahead of time and I was completely fine with it because theyve been working together for awhile and see each others patients and I've seen great reviews for him as wel. He was very friendly the whole time. I got one of my drains removed but had to keep the other in. Not going to lie it kinda hurt. I got to finally see myself today. My left breast was bruised and my right wasnt, they filled my left one more than my right so they would both be the same size. I have no infections there and he said I am healing great. I have bruising on my sides from the lipo. My TT scar is healing great too. I still have stretchmarks but not nearly as bad. the ones on my side are still purple while the ones in the middle are white. Does anyone know any ways to help turn the purple ones white? ive had them for almost two years now. the white ones you cant see as well but it upsets me that the purple ones stand out a lot and i ended up with more on my left than my right. my belly button looks kinda off center? but I'm not entirely sure. Im very swollen still. I'm impressed that my scar seems to be pretty even compared to lots of otheres I've seen. My stomach isnt completely numb but close to it. It doesnt really hurt either. I just cant wait until the swelling goes down and I start to heal more. I'm ready to go shopping! :)

Updated on 24 Jul 2012:
so last tuesday i got my second drain out, OUCH. I am now wearing my own sports bra and i havent taken any pain meds in awhile, I seriously feel sooo great! I might be doing a little too much but i feel so back to normal that its crazy. I ended up buying my own compression garment because i wanted one that fit me a little better and didnt come all the way to my knees and i love the one i got. My breasts got smaller because the swelling keeps going down, and my implants are still higher up. I feel like they're kinda sagging a bit? probably because they're heavy and I'm not used to it and maybe being too anal, although they have taken on an odd shape which I will talk to my PS about at my apt this thursday. My belly button creeps me out a bit...I hope I can get it pierced.. I'll try to update sooner after my apt =) I'm so surprised that i feel this good.

Updated on 12 Sep 2012:
its been awhile since I've updated. I guess I'm kinda unhappy. Ill try to upload some pictures soon. My breasts shrunk A TON after the swelling went down. a lot more than I expected, I am a B/C cup.. I wanted a C/D cup or slightly bigger. I feel like they arent that round and still sag some. My stomach still has a ton of stretchmarks and my scar from my bellybutton goes off to the side oddly (will post picture) and my scar is raised a bit on the left side which my PS is going to fix. and my scar is high up so i have to watch what I wear. I didnt expect perfection, but I guess I had my hopes a little too high.

Updated on 1 Feb 2013:
Its been 6 months now. I am not very happy. I have to go in and have my scar fixed because the ends pop up. It seems like I have fat build up around my scar, hopefully I can lose some weight and it will help. I still have a ton of stretchmarks, but I'm mostly upset about my breasts. Once the swelling went down and my implants dropped it was like I barely got implants. I went up one cup size. They arent as round or as perky as I want them to be, nor the size I wanted. If I get them redone it will cost 5 thousand, which I dont have since I already spent 12, so I'm out of luck and a little depressed over it. I feel like it was a waste of money and not sure what to do now.

Updated on 8 Jun 2013:
next month itll be a year post op. I have gained a little bit of weight. My scar and stretchmarks look horrid, in my opinion. My scar seems to be high up and I still have marks above my belly button. My breasts fall to the side and are a lot more saggy than I expected. I thought they'd be bigger, rounder, and perkier. but instead they have a weird shape to them and seem uneven most of the time.I went up one cup size.... not exactly what I wanted. So I'm not feeling to great about my decision.

Updated on 8 Jun 2013:
here are some pictures to go along with my last update, for some reason It wouldn't let me post them with it

Hello RealSelf world! Since I've found myself visiting this site more as I move from the planning to the scheduling stage of my breast augmentation, I thought it might be time to share a little of my story. Also - and maybe it's just me - but I haven't found a ton of profiles of women around my age, small frame, who HAVE had kiddos. So here I am.I've been pregnant 9 times. I know. I'll just be over here while that news settles on ya. Okay, most of the shock gone? Cool. I've breastfed 7 children for at least 9 months each. My pre-pregnancy bra was 32B but now I'm 32AA. I'm currently in the best shape of my life and it feels like time to assist my boobs in becoming what they can't on their own. I've chosen a doctor (who is great) and was hyping up for my pre-op appointment on April 6 whennnnnnn (dramatic pause) COVID 19 happened. It looks like my surgery will be rescheduled for May/June, but we don't have a definite date yet.In the meantime, I'm checking out profiles here and doing my own research. Specifically, I find myself debating what size implant would be best for me. That's one of the things my doc assesses at the pre-op, so having it cancelled kinda sucks. But the info here has been super helpful!I'll post some pics so you can see what I've got to work with here... ummm not much lol

Updated on 7 Apr 2020:


Updated on 6 May 2020:
Now that my state is slowly releasing some of the covid restrictions, my PS office called to reschedule. This I expected. What blew my mind was that they had an opening so soon! My surgery is May 18 - twelve days from today! Spending my remaining days planning for travel to and from the surgicenter (I live an hour away) as well as researching what size implants would be best. So far I am looking at Mentor plus (which I'm told means high profile, right?), around 350 cc range, submuscular. Of course this will be finalized by the PS at the pre-op appointment but it feels good to have something definite on the calendar.

Updated on 15 May 2020:
My PS and I decided on the 300cc Mentor High Profile overfilled gel implants. She was hesitant to go any higher on cc's with my BWM being so small. As much as I hear about people wishing they had gone larger, I'm more concerned about not looking top-heavy. Plus without a lot of fat tissue in which the implant can "hide," I'm afraid of the dreaded circular shape showing thru the skin. Surgery in 3 more sleeps!!!

Updated on 16 May 2020:


Updated on 18 May 2020:
My PS is a rockstar. You know how you just get that feeling with some people that they're really listening to your questions/concerns and giving them the full weight they deserve? That's my PS. She's as easy to be with as she is knowledgeable. Which is a pretty great combination of attributes for the medical field.
Apparently my surgery went well. I didn't wake till in the recovery room where I subsequently fainted. Ugh. Story of my low blood pressure life. The nurses/doctor/anesthesiologists had been warned that this might happen (it happened with all my births), so they were ready and handled it beautifully. After eating a bit and drinking a lot, I felt better. They watched me for about an hour then released me to come home.
Which is where I am now. Honestly, I don't think I could be doing more than sitting here just breathing if I wanted to. Not because the pain is so intense, but because the Tylenol with Codeine is no joke. Well, the pain is its own thing, but it kinda reminds me of how it felt when my milk came in after each birth. Tingly, tight, full. Soreness stretches into my arms/shoulders even. BUT unlike the sensation of milk arriving, there is no pain or discomfort south of my bellybutton! Weird, I know. But when you've had as many vaginal births as me, you tend to remember it. A lot. Lol
Biggest surprise so far has been what I can only describe as difficulty in breathing. I think it's just pectoral soreness, but it really kind of hurts to breathe - especially deep breaths. And here I thought I had read enough of everyone's stories on this website to eliminate the surprises! Nope! Lol

Updated on 18 May 2020:
Haven’t seen them yet without this sexy surgical bra. It’s okay. Good things come to those who wait.

Updated on 20 May 2020:


Updated on 21 May 2020:
Huge difference daily in how I feel. Strength is returning and range of motion improving. Already gave up on the Tylenol with Codeine as it was making the constipation worse. Only on ibuprofen now. And my bowels are grateful. Also took a VERY SLOW walk this morning at sunrise. It was a little challenging as my body is used to sunrise runs, not walks, and I found I kept wanting to speed up. But I’m trying to be good and let my body heal. Still being outside in the fresh air was its own kind of medicine.

Updated on 24 May 2020:
My girls have been with me almost a week now and this is the first time I’ve put them in anything other than the surgical bra. They look sooooooo beautiful, but I’m biased ;)

Updated on 26 May 2020:
Got home from an encouraging one-week post-op appointment to these beauties from my PS office! How thoughtful and classy!

Updated on 30 May 2020:
Worked an afternoon in the office on day 11 post-op. (Starting to move toward reopening my state.) Dress was casual, so lucky me. Here I am in just a T-shirt. But still had to document the occasion of my first day there with my girls :)

I continue to feel better every single day. Currently not back to my usual running schedule, but walking briskly now for 2 miles a day isn’t terrible. At least I’m getting outside and stretching my legs. Hardly taking any pain meds at all. Mostly allergy pills haha .. spring allergies are the bane of my existence.

Updated on 11 Jun 2020:
Even tho the pictures of scars on this website aren’t my favorite (I’m squeamish), I’m posting mine. My PS removed the last of the bandages today. AND - this is the best - released me to begin running again :):):)

Updated on 16 Jun 2020:
I’m not sure if the pics do it justice, but the girls still have a ways to go in terms of softening. They’re definitely better than at first tho. You can see how prominent their shape is naked versus with a bra on.
It really doesn’t bother me most days. As you can see from the red shirt pic, they look amazing in everything even during the settling process.
I’ve had some weird little pains here and there as the nerves heal, but nothing I couldn’t look up online and feel comforted. Sure do miss my arm workouts tho. Not even gonna lie. My PS said to give it 3 more weeks. :(

Updated on 16 Jun 2020:
Almost forgot!!! My PS recommend silicone strips for my incision sites to help minimize scarring. They’re expensive, but after wearing them for several days, I can happily report they do seem to be making a difference. Not as much dry peely stuff coming from my incision sites. I’ll probably wear them for at least the next month or so.

Updated on 28 Jun 2020:
Starting to see changes in the softness .. maybe even a little dropping too? Dressing rooms have become MUCH more enjoyable, not gonna lie.

Updated on 26 Jul 2020:
Perhaps a little more dropping will happen with my right side soon. Also perhaps I’m the only one who can see the asymmetry lol
According to size charts recommended in my interactions on this site, my new bra size is approximately 28G. I find it hard to know for sure as many of the retail chains still haven’t opened their dressing rooms (per COVID-19) and I’m not a person who buys online unless I’m certain the size is right.
Scars are healing beautifully and the slight pinches/tingles from the implants settling are becoming rare. I’ve even gone several days braless because of open-backed shirts and the girls still feel and look so perky and full. Not at all what I’ve noticed with those my age who are naturally more well-endowed when they go braless. Just sayin.
Couldn’t be happier with my decision! Would recommend augmentation to anyone interested in a youthful shape!

Updated on 26 Jul 2020:


Updated on 17 Sep 2020:
Here are some recent shots of my girls. They feel so great - soft and perky and no pain at all anymore. As you can see, they sit kinda far apart so cleavage is more of an achievement than the natural hang of things. Which is fine, actually, as I can wear low cut shirts without being “all out there” if that makes sense. Unless I want to be, of course ;)

Updated on 7 Feb 2021:
Funny how even something like temperature can affect us, right? Being an outdoorsy kind of person, I am accustomed to finding ways to hike and run during the cold months. With these implants, tho, that’s been a little more interesting. They seem to feel best when snug as possible in a supportive bra. Since this is a change from previous winters when movement wasn’t affected by my bra choice, I’ve been adjusting and working on planning better than I’ve had to before. Not a hindrance to outdoor movement, of course, just another factor to consider as I layer up!
I’m also pleased with the softness and fullness which have come to characterize my breasts. Kinda wish I could go back to the me of last May (in the weeks after surgery) who felt like the implants were super high and tight and tell her it was all gonna work out fine lol .. grateful for a PS who knows her stuff!

Excited to finally find a Dr. who listened to my concerns and took the time to comfort me through this process.When I was 20 years old I made the decision to get breast implants by a well known plastic surgeon in seattle only to leave with bottomed out implants WAY too big for my frame, and a scar on my abdomen due to him dropping a hot knife on me. I was hesitant to ever step into a surgeons office again but found myself depressed with my body after having a second child. I went to multiple offices in the Chicago and St Lois area and I felt like they just saw me as another surgery not as a person. Dr Randolph was so sweet and answered all my questions. She spent an hour with me, and really got to know me which was pretty awesome. I decided that day I was going to book my surgery with her. I am scheduled to have a Tummy tuck and Breast lift in a couple months and I'm SO Excited and very confident in my surgeons ability. I will be taking pictures throughout this journey and can't wait to see my final results.

Updated on 23 May 2018:
So excited about surgery day, went to my pre op appointment and had all my questions answered. Dr Randolph was real with me about my expectations which I totally appreciated. Having a perfectionist personality, it was good for her to remind me not to expect perfection. She warned against getting the BL as the scarring may not be worth it, although I decided to go through with it anyway to get rid of the loose skin. Right now I'm working on getting off my extra weight before surgery. I have lost 10lbs and have about 5 more to go ????.

Updated on 11 Jun 2018:
4 days post op, and I'm so happy with my results (The lines on my breasts are from my surgical bra). My stomach is flat and I have no more loose skin, and my breasts are exactly where I wanted them to be on my chest wall.

Updated on 22 Jun 2018:
Loving my results and feel that my scars are healing wonderfully. Was worried I wouldn't like my breast results as much after the swelling went down, but I actually think they look even better.

Updated on 28 Jun 2018:
I'm one happy girl ???? feeling myself and love the way I look In clothes now. A few more weeks and I will enjoy wearing a bathing suit after the swelling goes down.