Marco Rizzo, MD (retired)

Hi! I'm a 44 year old mom of two teen boys. I gained a lot of weigh with both pregnancies and in '05, need to have a cystocele repair (bladder prolapse). I had a fantastic urologist but the 6" incision across my bikini line allowed my extra skin & fat to hang over...It doesn't matter how many sit ups I do, nothing but surgery will fix this "blob". I've wanted to have a TT for several years and know is the right time!!! I'm so excited! I'm thrilled to have my muscles sewn back together & I'm hoping my lower back will become more stable.

My surgery is scheduled for Friday, 28 Oct. I'll be spending the first night in a hotel with a private nurse - hubby will take me home the next day and stay with me for a week.



Updated on 2 Nov 2011:
Hi all! I'm 5 days post op (yeah!!!) & feeling fairly well....my med's make me really groggy & I'm weak - other than that, i'm fine. Posted a couple 'Day 5' photos! I should get my drains out on Friday. I'm spending my days reading (when I can focus), napping, watching HGTV or staring off into space while trying not to drool on myself (ha ha!). I've got a feeling by week two of recovery I will be very bored!

Best of luck to everyone else on their journeys! C

Updated on 17 Nov 2011:
Aloha! Day #19 Post Op appt yesterday ~ everything is great! The tape on my scar is gone & am using steroid cream nightly; must wear my super tight compression binder 24/7 for one more week and then I can switch to spanx/light girdle for daytime & super tight binder for nights. My doctor is so pleased with my recovery, but he did bum me out a little...he said if I had lost 10 more pounds before surgery he could have gone a little tighter. (I lost 45 since last Dec.). My doc is fantastic but is very cautious....So now I'm thinking about Lipo on my upper arms, inside thighs and maybe more off of my hips/bellly area. (I'll have to wait until I can save more $$ ~ my hubby is totally against having anything else done).

Wow - amazing I can sit down & fall asleep during the days. UGH! I'm tired of being tired! Today was a complete couch day with the TV.... saving up whatever energy I have to go to the movies tomorrow.

Please tell me what you think of my photo's ~ I'm feeling kinda bummed and fat and blobby and old and hormonal (Ha Ha!). Thank's all for listening!!! Cherie

Updated on 29 Nov 2011:
Hi All ~
I have my check up tomorrow but my tummy 'looks' the same to me as it did at week #3 -- I actually had more pain this week then I've had the entire time....I think because I've been sneezing on and off every day! UGH! And tylenol is not doing anything for relief.

Now that my baggy saggy pooch fat tummy is gone I'm dying to start working out with weights & to try slow jogging.....how much longer do I have to wait??? I'll ask my PS tomorrow - I'm sure I won't like his answer :/

On the bright side, we are going to a semi formal dinner Thurs night and I look really great from the front! Ha Ha! Gotta get the fat off my butt!

Cheers!

Updated on 30 Nov 2011:
I had my official check up today -- I'm doing great minus the part where I had to get another RX for Vicodin since my allergies are acting up & I've been sneezing since Sat = OUCH!!! PS said NO exercise for two more weeks because of my almost 2" x 8" muscle repair, then I can start with light weights (arms), walking and leg work such as lunges & squats. No jogging until Jan 1st at the earliest and absolutely NO sit ups until? Whenever....

So my tum is doing good & somehow I 'pulled' the bottom of my left foot and am limping like an old lady! WTH? Going to take a Vicodin, put my foot up & watch HGTV! Night!

Updated on 13 Dec 2011:
UGH! I can't do simple math...I thought I was already past the 7th week but I'm not. I'll be 7 weeks post op THIS Friday! I'm so ready to be back to 'normal' :/

My mom had a massive heart attack this past weekend, she's going to be ok thank God -- but I'll need to fly home to help her when she's released from the hospital. I don't know when that will be so I'm trying to get myself ready for a short notice phone call....I'm assuming it'll be next week or the week after at the earliest. I hope my swelling will be better by then. I'm not looking forward to 10 hours of flying with the possibility of more swelling.

Has anyone else flown after only 2 months post op? C

Updated on 4 Jan 2012:
Wow! Time sure is flying by! It's probably because I flew back home to help my mom recover from 2 massive heart attacks! Yikes! She'll be fine, but I've been busy for the past two weeks taking care of her & her house, chores, shopping, etc.

I'm still swollen at the scar site - starting to wonder if it will ever go away...feels like two hard golf balls in there. I'll see my PS the first week of Feb. Maybe he'll have something helpful to tell me. I tried exercising and tore the tendon in the bottom of my left foot - soooooo - no cardio (other than biking) for the next 6-9 months (WTH???!!!!) I'm feeling very fat! As soon as I return home, I'm buying an exercise bike!

No new photos - tum still looks the same. Scar is red and mostly flat except for the center area where it feels hard & swollen. Oh well....got other things to take care of.

Cheers!

Updated on 28 Jan 2012:
Finally made it to 3 months post op! {technically 3 mo and 8 days....} I'm the same size I was at 1 month. I'm still "lumpy" at my scar line ~ kinda feels like golf ball size swelling. My monthly period has gotten a little tiny bit better - the pre-swelling is still pretty noticeable but the pain has gotten better.

I ended up with a horrible sinus infection, on antibiotics, steroid pack, and cough syrup with codeine. After two weeks of being sick, I thought I tore something inside from all the damn coughing! Went to see my PS and much to his and my relief, I only 'pulled' a nerve that had begun to regrow in the ab muscles (hurt like hell!!!! Sharp Stabbing PAIN). PS prescribed a couple Oxycodin to get me over the initial pain. I only needed a couple of pills thank goodness! My PS said my abs were mostly healed at this point and once the cough is gone, can start working out as long as it feels ok!

I've added a few photos in clothes! I haven't changed sizes -- too much eating! I'm 200% pleased with my TT and would do it all over again if needed! I'm know working on my diet, exercising, toning up and getting on with life! My next goal is to lose 20 pounds and get strong. I'd like to do a few spots of lipo next summer! Gotta meet my goals first!

Aloha!