Sudarshan R Reddy

I am so happy to have found this site! I have been lurking for awhile and decided with just 2 days until my Full TT with MR, I need to finally post my story!

I am 35 years old and I am 5.5" and weigh 142 lbs. I am a mother to 3 beautiful kids ages 6, 4 and 2. The first two were vaginal births and my 3rd was a c-section. I swear I never had that pooch of hanging skin until after the c-section, even after already having two kids. In the passed year and a half I have lost 82 lbs! I did it by completely changing my diet and with lots of exercise. I went from someone who dreaded exercise to now I cannot go a day without a workout or else I'm crabby! I work out with a personal trainer once a week and she always takes my measurements once a month. I kept thinking my tummy would go away if I worked hard enough....what a eventually came to realize is that no matter how hard I worked it stayed the same even though everything else on me was losing inches...even my calves! I heard a commercial for a medical spa in the area that offered cool sculpting...they use a special machine to freeze the fat cells and costs about $1200. I made a consultation and at that appt. they basically told me I would be very unhappy with the results....that it was for someone who had fat in their abs and does not tighten skin. The dr. said I was the perfect candidate for a full TT and that I also had muscle separation. That was all news to me! I was shocked...but looking back I don't see why I was so shocked! I should have known based on what my trainer had been telling me. So....I then became obssessed with researching TT and looking at before and after pics. I found a plastic surgeon that is board certified and performs the surgery at a hospital that is much closer...he also happens to be 3800 bucks cheaper than the medical spa quote I got. I feel more comfortable with it being in a hospital. When I went to that consultation he agreed that I am the perfect candidate for a TT and that I do in fact have muscle separation. He had me lay on my back and do a crunch, lift my legs and do all kinds of things to feel my abs and how far they are separated. I felt he was very thorough! I have two friends that used him for breast augmentation and were both really happy with him. I booked my surgery for one month later....which is this Wednesday, July 18! EEK! I am super excited. Actually what I am most nervous about is the fact that I have VERY sensitive crazy skin that rarely heals without complications. I always get infected...no matter how clean I keep the incision. I am really hoping I can heal without issues. I am also allergic to adhesive so that could be an issue! They may have a bit of a challenge covering my incision.

I feel prepared. I have my pain meds filled, bought palmers vit E oil, bromelain, arnica tablets and gel, have lots of med supplies. My DH took off Wed, Thurs and Fri...and we temporarily live with my parents so I will have their help too...with me and with taking care of our kids. I am most worried about my 2 year old. He is such a mommy's boy...I don't know how he is going to handle me not being able to pick him up and do everything for him. He will just have to deal! My DH is going to have to work really hard and distracting him. My older two kids know I have a c-section scar from the babies birth so I have just told them that it hurts and the dr. has to fix it.

Oh and I just became a licensed Zumba Instructor this passed Saturday! I am so anxious to heal up quickly so I can start teaching! I know not to rush things and to take my time with healing and that if I overdo it, it could be bad. I can't wait to not have to hide and disguise my tummy in my workout attire...well all clothes! I went from being between a 16-18 to a size 4 now! I have never been a 4 in my life...I wore a 10 in high school and was active in dance and stuff then and felt I looked pretty good at that time. I am in the best shape of my life...finally at 35....but this tummy has GOT to GO! And it is! In two days!!



Updated on 17 Jul 2012:
Tomorrow is the big day! Holy crap....I cannot believe I am basically hours away from this done. I am not going to be able to sleep tonight!!!!!

Updated on 18 Jul 2012:
I made it to the flat side! ;) I am home and in bed. My surgery wad this morning and I a bit loopy from Vicoden....but not in too much pain just uncomfortable. Dr. said I can alternate Tylenol 3 and Vicoden so then I can take pain med more often to stay on top of pain....both say every 4 hours...but anyone know how close together I can alternate them? Like every 2 hours take the opposite one? Should I call and ask? I feel nauseated because I came home super hungry....ate a big bowl of Greek yogurt with fresh berries....and new I am regretting that decision!
My kids are being so cute and so sweet....they are loving getting things for me....hopefully they keep it up! ;) My DH is being amazing like always. So lucky to have him!
So I don't go back to see my ps until Monday....normally he would see me Friday he said but is not in the office that day. Sucks he said I can't unbind or look at it or change dressing until Monday. Drains may come out Monday he said which would mean a shower that day! I don't know how I am going to survive with no shower until Monday! I usually shower once or even twice a day in the summer!
I feel like i can already feel how much flatter my tummy is! yeah!!!!!

Updated on 19 Jul 2012:
Day 1 post op: Wow was last night a rough night. I was in pain....not horrible....but just could not get comfortable. I kept waking up hoping I had slept a good chunk of time....and only 20 min would have passed. So today I am exhausted and really sore. My lower back really hurts from walking hunched over...Dr. recommended I get up and walk around every couple hours to keep things moving and to prevent clotting. I don't have any after pics yet because I am not allowed to unbind or unwrap until Monday at my post op appt. I am dying to see what my tummy looks like. It is going to be a long couple of days!

Updated on 20 Jul 2012:
Post-op Day 2: Slept better last night plus I am able to get more comfortable while laying back on pillows. My back still hurts but I already am noticing I can stand up a little straighter. I had a little cryfest earlier :( I was just feeling emotional and felt like I put myself in all this pain on purpose. I got over it quickly and am fine now ;) My DH had to take our youngest 2 to there well doctors visits. He is doing a great job holding the fort down!

Updated on 23 Jul 2012:
Post op Day 5: Today was my first post-op appt and it went great! I was really nervous to finally see my tummy uncovered but I was very pleasantly surprised by how flat it was!! He asked me to track my fluid in my drains....when I gave him the sheet he said wow and was very impressed by how little I was draining. He said he would typically wait til Thursday to remove them but he would pull them today instead! I was ecstatic! He said because I didn't have much fat in my abdomen and he removed just skin really it makes it so I didn't need drains as long. I go for my next appt. not until next Monday. He said I am progressing really nicely and be sure to not do any heavy lifting....(ie. 32 lb 2 yr old!) or overdo it or I may then need to have fluid removed with a needle....umm no thanks! Let me tell you....having the drains removed was so painful! Especially the right side....I felt an intense burning pain way up in the middle of my stomach...he said where the tube want up to. Man it killed but subsided after a few min. Good thing I had saved one violin and took it 1 hr before...imagine if I hadn't! All other reviews I've read none else seems to think that part hurts....not me !! I am taking a shower finally in a little bit and will hopefully take a pic with binder off. I am only to take binder off to shower. Oh and I am walking even straighter today! All in all a good day.

Updated on 27 Jul 2012:
Post Op Day 9: Feeling great! I am able to stand up straight about 90%....I do pretty well when up moving around...but after I sit or lay down for awhile, I have a hard time standing up straight and am quite hunched. It goes feels so tight in the area between my BB and the incision..it feels like that's where it is the tightest and like it will just rip open! I can actually laugh now without it killing my ab muscles. That's been nice! ;) I feel like my hips are really swollen...more so than the front of my tummy...it looks like my right hip is really bulging...right where the incision ends. It is super swollen so I'm really hoping it goes down and then my incision will look lower. I haven't taken any pain meds for the last couple of days and am feeling pretty good. I already have a love/hate relationship with this damn binder. I can only take it off to shower or wash it. I then have to put it right back on, where it all day and night....when it is off it feels so good...but I feel naked and unsupported without it.

Updated on 31 Jul 2012:
2 Weeks Post Op tomorrow!
I am feeling really good and am able to do more and more without getting sore or tired. Still feel swollen especially by the end of the day but even that is getting noticably better. Just posted a few new bikini pics! I'm so excited with my results! I tried on a different bikini last night...the one in my preop pics...and it looked horrible and didn't cover the incision at all...I was really discouraged...then I remembered this black one that I had bought awhile ago (hard to remember since they have never seen the light of day!) I tried it on this morning and was really happy with what I saw in the mirror...finally! My hips still seem really swollen right where the incision ends...Not that thrilled with that...but my PS said that will go down eventually when swelling goes down. He also said my hips are my hips...and maybe I just didn't notice them until now with my stomach more contoured. Ok...whatever! I don't go back to see my PS for 2 more weeks....he said I can then stop wearing the binder if I want...and just maybe sleep in it or where spanx or a tight tank instead but only if I want to. Yeah!