Julie Lawrence, FRACS (retired)

I had always had large and "odd" shaped breasts, the grew quickly. Even after children, breast feeding & weightloss they wouldnt get smaller. I knew from a young age I wasnt pleased with not only the size but the shape and after years of headaches, shoulder and back pain and interference with exercises I knew its what would be best. Only wish id done it earlier. Updated on 4 Jul 2016: Still only early days but here are some pictures of how its going. Healing well, still swelling at my ribs, tightness and some firmness at the folds. Cnt waot for them to settle and smooth/round out at the bottom. Also Im so looking forward to be able to get back to the gym! Updated on 21 Jul 2016: yay today I get to go get sized :D I have a very small opening under my right breast thats taking a little longer to heal but ive been covering it woth inadine and a dressing for the last week which seems to be doing the job! Otherwise im very happy the shape has settled and I only have slight dicomfort from bumpy roads haha and the cold weather. The worst is the 'morning boob' but once im up it quickly goes away. Laying on my left size is still uncomfortable and Im choosing to wear a soft "ahh bra" to sleep for added feel of protection... Nxt week im goinf back to gym! So excited about that :) will be a steady start but I dnt want to hurt myself. Nurse said no awimimg or hot yoga untill the small wound is completely healed but that shouldny be long now!! Updated on 6 Aug 2016: Been back at gym for just over a week! :D I have even been on short runs and doing intervals!!! Such a difference. Only bought 2 new bras as I dnt want to get carried away incase my size changes. Besides atm I just wanted something to support me whilst training and comfortable to wear daily. Had my last nurse appt at the beginning of the week as I had 1 tiny spot just under my right brest that was taking a little longer to close. Alls well now tho and I wont go back untill October when I see Dr Lawrence for my post op follow up. Nurse said 1 more month and I can wear underwire bras if I choose too :D heres some updated progress pics. Updated on 1 Oct 2016: I figured it was time for an update... Im now 16 weeks post op. My BR was on the 10th June this year, here in Adelaide by Dr Julie Lawerance. I had the vertical scar technique and a total of 800grms removed. Ive gone from a 12G to aprox 12DD depending on make of bra. I still have numbness in parts of my breasts, mainly in the areas near the incisions at the bottom and in my right nipple. My left nipple is hyper sensitive and same with the areolas on both. Im pretty much on 'high beam' all the time and not knowing it lol All the lumps and firm tissue I had post surgery has all seemed to have softened now and they have settled into a nice rounder shape. Ive just started trying out underwire bras again but I still find them a bit uncomfortable and difficult to find a good fit... sad about that as I actually thought getting a reduction wld make bra shopping easier... all my previous health related issues from having large breasts are gone & exercising has become so much easier. I do sometimes find myself 'missing' my big boobies but then I look at my before and afters and literally rejoice in how much happier I am both physically and mentally. Feel free to ask me any questions. Good luck to everyone on their journey!

Dr Lawerence told me firmly that she would not do my breast reduction if i didnt give up smoking. i had seen another surgeon who didnt even mention giving up smoking. i gave up smoking. Thanks to Dr Lawerences practices i have very neat breasts and I'm smoke free. I would recommend Dr Lawerence to everyone needing/wanting plastic surgery.

About me: I've never been big in the boob department and before children I was a nice perky small C but after breastfeeding my first child my breasts probably dropped a cup down to B. Then came the twins who sucked out whatever life my boobs had left in them and I'm now an A cup, not that I can fill out a size A bra very well! I never thought I would get a boob job but then my husband left me 3 months ago (and had a girlfriend within a week, let's be honest, he more than likely had her lined up before he left me) so after feeling very deflated (in boobs and self esteem department) I got straight on the phone and made an appointment for a consult. I did some sizing 2 weeks ago and decided on 205g (so I think that means 205cc), after looking at others results on here I'm now doubting whether it will be big enough?? I am quite petite and weigh 46kg and am 167cm tall so I don't want anything overly big either. The Dr has suggested under the muscle and high profile. Phoned the Dr today and she is putting the order in tomorrow so I'm thinking somewhere between 250-275cc??? It's only just over a week till I get new boobs and now I'm really looking forward to it! Updated on 30 Sep 2014: Spoke to the Dr this morning and she is going to have both a 250cc & 285cc available for me to try on the day and make a decision. Really hard to decide as I guess going under the muscle can produce different results for everyone. Oh boy only 8 sleeps to go! Updated on 8 Oct 2014: So I'm about 10 hours post op! I really didn't think about the surgery at all until I arrived at the day surgery clinic today, I guess having 3 little ones keeps your mind on other things! I was undecided between 250cc and 285cc some tried the sizes again when I arrived and even though the 285cc still seemed a little big for me I tried to take into account that because they were going in under the muscle they would flatten out a bit. So I guess I was more nervous about the anaesethic more than anything else as I'd never had one before! I was so disappointed when I woke that I didn't get to count down! Haha! Apparently all went well and there were no problems! I have been keeping up on oxycodeine and Panadol so the pain won't kick in. It feels sore to take deep breaths and just feels bruised all across my rib cage but other than that it's ok. I can take the bandages off in a couple of days and have my post up check up in a week! Updated on 9 Oct 2014: So I'm now day 2 post op and I've just had my first shower, yay! Got to take off the bandages and am now just left with tape over the incision. The pain isn't too bad, my ribs and sternum just feel bruised. My boobs are very pointy and have little feeling so I'm hoping this is just from the swelling. Haven't got any noticeable bruising yet but that might still show in the next day or 2. They still feel weird to me, actually because of how pointy they are they feel like bazookers sitting on my chest! I just hope they soften and round out soon cos I feel a bit freakish! I think the size is good, waiting on the swelling to go down but for my frame I certainly wouldn't want to go any bigger! So far my recovery has been good, I've been eating heaps, no nausea or vomiting and had my first BM yesterday. I will spend today in bed because I don't want to overdo things and pay for it later! Updated on 11 Oct 2014: It's day 3 post op! I've had some muscle stretching going on I think??? I get this feeling under my nipple which feels like my muscle is being ripped. Under my left nipple I have this flicker happening, feels like a nerve or something, has been on and off all day! Still taking pain relief but trying to stretch it out. I feel like they've rounded out a bit more. Updated on 11 Oct 2014: Day 4 post op and I've ran out of oxycodone so just using Panadol and neurofen plus. Have some bruising around the incision but my boobs aren't really too sore, more uncomfortable then anything. I do still have pain on the left where the incision is. Tried on some bras that I bought when pregnant and haven't worn since or at all and now I have boobs to fill them out! Boobs are still on the pointy side but I'm really loving them! Best decision I've ever made! Updated on 16 Oct 2014: So I went back for my post op check up. The stitches are dissolvable so they just peeled off with the tape. The nurse said everything looked fine just that they're still swollen, especially my nipples! She put some betadine over the incisions and some steri strip which I'm to keep on for a further week. I have to continue wearing the post op bra for another 2 weeks day and night and then after that I have to wear it daily for another 4 weeks. Bought some scar treatment cream which I will also start using in a week. Have a 3 month post op scheduled for January but other than that everything is great! Woohoo, loving my new boobs! Can't wait for all the swelling to go down and the numbness to go away cos scratching them when itchy doesn't feel like I'm scratching my itch, if that makes sense!

Hi everyone, I have been reading all of the reviews on this site for the past few months and decided it was about time I made one myself. I am a mother of 3 children all by c-section (not by choice mind you would have loved to deliver naturally) my eldest has just turned 7. I have been wanting to have a TT done since I had my eldest daughter and it has just been a matter of waiting until we were finished having all our children. I am in Australia and have been lucky enough to get my TT booked in through the Medicare system here. That means because I have elected to go in as a public patient and my doctor has deemed my surgery is reconstructive and not cosmetic it won't end up costing me a cent. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to finally have this done and I know it will make a massive difference with my self esteem and just finding pants that I feel comfortable wearing. I am 30 years old and weigh approx 65kg with a height of 166cm. I am a very active person and train with a PT twice a week with other gym sessions included during the week and also netball thrown into the mix. I know I have tummy muscles under all that loose skin and it will be nice to finally see the rewards of all my hard work. I am booked into have my surgery on 18th September (I could have had it earlier but this is when my netball season is finished and there was no way I was going to miss out on that lol) Can't wait for it all to be done although I must admit I do have one slight fear and that is going under a general which I have never done before. The surgery doesn't bother me as after having 3 c-sections I feel I am well prepared for that part. My doctor and advised me I won't need lipo so I will having just the TT with MR. I look forward to keeping you all up to date as my surgery draws near and is completed. Thanks for all your reviews they have helped me immensely with my preparation and seeing what type of results I can expect. Updated on 1 Aug 2012: I booked my flight today to get up to Adelaide the day before my surgery is due. I pretty happy about this because I'd been keeping an eye on the airline's website for a while now and it looked like I wouldn't be able to get a good price so was going to have to catch the bus up (would have taken about 6 hours). However I checked again today just out of curiosity and what do you know they had released some cheaper tickets again so I booked straight away. Saved about $100 dollars which hubby was happy about. I forgot to mention in my first post that I am having the surgery done 500km from where we live so I have to stay up in Adelaide for about 10 days. This is going to be the hardest part for me (pain I can handle lol) because I will have to be away from my husband and 3 kids. Luckily I have a lot of my family up there so will be staying with my Dad and will have my 2 younger sisters around the place to keep me company. Think there will be a lot of skyping happening with the kids. Hope when I finally get home the kids still remember who I am ha ha especially my youngest Tayah who is only just over 1. Also I'm a little concerned how the hubby is going to cope with the 3 kids by himself for 10 days. I have already started giving him lessons on how to put our eldest daughters hair up for school. Updated on 21 Aug 2012: Well I'm now down to a month to go. Every day closer I get more excited. Have been working my butt off at the gym more than usual and have dropped another couple of kilos which I am happy with. Fairly sure I am now at a good weight and have a good enough shape and tone to see good results....fingers crossed anyway. I am eagerly waiting for my pre op paperwork to arrive in the mail. The surgeon said I would get all the info and stuff on the day of surgery about a month before hand. Anyways must keep moving on life is extremely busy at the moment with the 3 kids, business and building a new house. Will be glad when this part of the year is over with xx Updated on 28 Aug 2012: Okay so I am down to under 3 weeks till the big day. I received all my paperwork for hospital admission etc in the mail this week and it has made the whole thing very real now. So much so I have been having the weirdest dreams about the surgery lol. Last night I dreamed that I didn't even use my plastic surgeon I went to someone else (who knows why) and the surgery didn't go right. He left lots of loose skin and said he couldn't be bothered tightening up my tummy muscles like planned. Was quite a vivid dream. Lets hope the real thing goes a lot better ha ha! Updated on 8 Sep 2012: Hi everyone, thought I'd do another update before I head off to the city in 8 days time. Can't believe how fast the last few weeks have gone. This week will go even faster I'm sure as I have a lot of organising to do before I leave Monday week for 10 days ahhhhhh. My poor husband is starting to worry a bit too about how he will cope with the 3 little ones on his own. He will have lots of help from my Mum and his parents though so shouldn't be too bad. I've posted some more photos taken from today, not sure if there is much of a difference but I have lost a couple of Kg's which I'm happy about. Based on the before photos do you think I will have good results without lipo? My surgeon advised me against lipo and said i didn't need it. I had my pre op appointment over the phone with the nurse earlier this week and I feel a lot better now about the upcoming surgery. She gave me heaps of info on what will happen prior to the surgery and what to expect after the surgery as well. I will give the hospital a call a few days before hand to find out where I am on the surgery list. I check into the hospital at 12pm so can eat up until 7am and drink water until 10am which is good. Just hoping that I don't have to wait long to have the surgery once I arrive as I think that is when the good old anxiety will set in. I think it is worse knowing that I will be away from my loved ones for such a long period of time while I recover but i know in the end it will be worth it. Looking forward to my lower abdominal stretch marks going although I know there will still be plenty left over as I seem to have stretch marks everywhere including my pubic region (so annoying). Guess it shows how crap my genetics are as I only ever put on 12-14kgs for each of my pregnancies and lost it all again afterwards. Would hate to see how I'd look if I had put on more weight argh! Anyways I hope all you fellow September tummy tuckers are doing well especially the ones that have already had your surgeries. I am still on this site daily checking out all the results. xx Updated on 10 Sep 2012: So girls this time next week I will be in the middle of surgery ahhhhhh freak me out! I just can't seem to stop thinking about it this week and am finding I keep getting lots of tummy butterflies and its still 7 days away! Anyone else found the nerves coming on so early? Updated on 13 Sep 2012: So I'm starting to get organised today and tomorrow finishing washing all the kids clothes for hubby and getting my stuff in order to be away for 10 days. Has anyone got any advice on what clothes I should pack. I know to take some yoga style track pants and lose tops so I am comfortable after surgery but I don't want to be walking around for the full 10 days in just my daggy clothes. Should I take my existing jeans or would I expect to be a little smaller even with swelling after surgery? Updated on 16 Sep 2012: So I am just finishing packing my suitcase and trying to make sure hubby has everything in order before I fly out to Adelaide early tomorrow morning. Every day that it gets closer I am actually getting more exited. Really can't wait now for my flubby tummy to be completely gone. Will have most of tomorrow free up in the city to perhaps do some shopping and make the most of being able to walk around for the day and then I check into hospital 12pm Tues for surgery. Hoping I am close to the start of the list and won't have to wait too long. Talk to you all when the surgery is over! Updated on 17 Sep 2012: So i am sitting at the dinner table at 6:50am having a light breakfast as this is probably all I'll get for today. Don't check into the hospital until 12pm and then I'm 3rd on the surgery list which means i won't go in until after 4pm. Man that wait is really gonna suck big time. After feeling pretty good for most of my time leading up to the big day yesterday was a shocker. I was so nervous all of yesterday made even worse i think by the fact i said goodbye to my babies for the next 10 days. I was good held back the tears. Anyway when i see the doc earlier this arvo i think i might request something to help me relax and get through the afternoon. Okay better finish my breakfast cut of time is 7. Talk to u all tomorrow when I'll be the new me xx Updated on 22 Sep 2012: Hi everyone, sorry i haven't even able to update for a while, i stayed in hospital for 3 night's and only have been back at my dad's for 2. Wow where do i start. It's been quite a difficult ride. I will try to give a good run down since Tuesday's surgery but I'm doing this on my galaxy tab so i will make it brief. So i ended up waiting 4 and half hours in hospital before i went into surgery. I was fairly nervous but managed to keep it under control. I was in surgery for a couple of hours i believe and stayed in recovery for another 2. This was my first time going under a general so i wasn't sure what to expect. It took me a long time to come out of the anesthesia and i could hardly keep my eyes open. I woke with a pca pain pump which i started to use as soon as i woke because i felt pain from the get go. When they took me back to my room it was a bout 10pm and i slept on and off through the night getting woken up for ops every hour. I had to get up to go to the loo about 6 times during the night and this was tough. I unfortunately had a reaction to the anesthesia and i threw up each time i moved. Ouch that hurt like hell. So to quickly wrap up the first 2 days i was in a lot of pain and feeling very nauseous. They were pumping me full of every drug possible to combat this but it only made things worse. I had 3 hours sleep over the first three days and this was tough i just couldn't get comfortable in the position i had to sleep in the hospital bed. It made my back really sore. I was so happy to come out of hospital on day 3 po and because my drains only released 20.ml over that last 24 hours they were removed Fri arvo. The removal of the drains didn't hurt a bit and i couldn't even feel them coming out. So I've been back at my dad's for the past 2 nights and i can't believe how much progress i am making daily. The first night home i slept in the recliner and then last night i managed to get comfortable in bed laying on my side with lots of pillow support tucking my knees up in a fetal position. I wore every couple of hours just changing sides when I'd get sore. I have quite a lot of swelling especially at the front where my muscles were repaired. I can't wear my old jeans yet which were loose before surgery so the swelling must be extensive. Hoping all that will go down soon. Doc said she took off about 600grams of skin and that there wasn't much fat so it didn't weigh a lot. I've uploaded a couple of pics do u all think I've had good results, i didn't have any lipo? Okay I'll leave it at that today hope all my other September tummy tuckers are recovering well xx Updated on 24 Sep 2012: I can't believe the dramatic changes i am making every day. I had my first p.o. appointment this morning and my surgeon is extremely happy with how i am healing. She said i am more like a patient 2 weeks out instead of 1. I can walk upright fine now and am more and more comfortable in bed every night that passes. I was told my belly button should changed as the swelling goes down but i know that worst case scenario i can have it fixed easily if needed later. I've been advised not to do anything but walking till 6 weeks so i will stick to that even though i know it's going to kill me not being able to work out properly. Swelling last night was probably at its peak so far but i was pleasantly surprised this morning when i could start to see some small definition in my abs. New photos added :-) Updated on 26 Sep 2012: Hi girls so I'm now up to day 9 since my surgery and things are still going well. I managed to get out of the house yesterday for a spot of retail therapy seeing that most of my clothes now no longer fit me. I did a good 3 hour stint and although i was sore afterwards and am really really swollen today it was worth it :-) i had my best nights sleep since surgery and woke up at one stage almost stretched out in bed to my shock. I see my surgeon again tomorrow for the last time till i fly home tomorrow night. They are removing my belly button stitches and giving me the all clear to go home. I can't wait to get home and see my kids and hubby whom i have missed heaps. Thank goodness these past 10 days have actually gone really quick. I seem to be really swollen on my hips and above my bum guess where the love handles sit. Is this normal because i didn't have any lipo. My vajaja is really puffy too so unattractive lol. Updated on 1 Oct 2012: SO I am now 2 weeks PO. Just when you think you've hit the highest point in swelling it just goes and gets worse doesn't it. I had my worse day yesterday for swelling felt like I was pregnant again. Then this morning I've taken some new photos and wow the difference from the pics I took 3 days ago is terrible! I look fat as! So discouraging because I feel like people are going to look at me and think what she doesn't look any different to before her TT. Really getting me down although I am sure my monthly is due this week (really hoping so) maybe that is causing a lot of the severe swelling. Anyway guess there is nothing much I can do about it but I look at a lot of your photos at the 2 weeks stage and you all look so fantastic and I want that too :0( Updated on 8 Oct 2012: Okay so I am officially 3 weeks PO today. This past week has definitely had its ups and downs. The later part on the up. So I found I was really swelling a lot this past week. Got my monthly in the middle of the week so I'm taking that into consideration on how much I bloated, was not a good look. The past couple of days the swelling has started going down so I am hoping I am over the worse of it now (well until the next monthly is due again lol) Has anyone found that their hips and butt are getting bigger? Or is it just that the tummy is no longer taking away from those parts of the body. I had read that the body looks to store weight in different areas now that a lot of the tummy fat cells have been removed. Will have to be really careful with putting on extra weight I don't want to end up with a big bum lol. I started back at my gym yesterday morning by doing a 30min walk on the treadmill. I'm not allowed to do anything but walking till the 6 week po mark so I am going to do as much walking as my body can handle. I did my usual walking pace of 6.2km per hour and on an incline so I was working up a little bit of a sweat. I was really surprised at how well my body handled it. I was only starting to get tired and a little sore by the evening so not too bad for my first session back. It will be hard to restrain myself from going for a run but I will behave myself ;0) Anyway not much else to report on this week. Talk to you again next week when I hit the 1 month mark yey! Updated on 15 Oct 2012: Hi guys so not too much has changed the past week. Swelling is still fluctuating day by day. I had an awesome day on Saturday waking up to see the glimpse of a 6 pack hiding underneath the swelling. That didn't last long though with the swelling returning the past couple of days. Yesterdays swelling was really bad after doing some light exercise at the gym. Its funny how it changes from day to day. I'm just taking it all in my stride now. Can't wait till I can rip this stupid CG off! I love the support it gives me when I am wearing it but its so stretched and out of shape now and sits funny. Kinda gives me a wrinkled look where it has stretched. Anyway hopefully my tummy will feel a lot better of the next couple of weeks and come the 6 week mark I will be able to do without it during the day. Its my 31st Birthday this Saturday 20th Oct so I have asked for money money money from all my family because I have some serious shopping to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Updated on 31 Oct 2012: Hi everyone, I haven't posted for a couple of weeks. I've just found that I haven't got too much more to report that is any different to week 4. I am still finding I am swelling a lot especially now that I am back at the gym and pushing myself a little more with the exercise. I have found that I get a little sore in the abdominal muscles after a work out but mostly finding I don't have as much energy exercising and I have found that my strength has disappeared a lot since the surgery. An example of this is before my surgery I was doing push ups on my toes with my feet up on a high bench (45 degree angle) My trainer had me try some normal push ups on the floor today and I felt like I weighed about 100kgs so obviously I have a bit of work to do before I get back to my full strength. He also had me do a few planks and hovers on the floor which to be honest I was a little scared to do it at first thinking that it would really hurt when I contracted my ab muscles. Surprisingly it wasn't too bad. I am really tired now though and will probably be totally stuffed by the end of tomorrow after my first group training session back. I'll make sure to take it easy. I have my cousins wedding on Saturday and I am wearing a strapless cocktail dress that I have had in my closet for a few years and never worn because it comes in at the waist and when i use to wear it would push my tummy right out and make me look pregnant. I am happy to say that that is now longer a problem and its nice to be finally confident wearing a dress like that and not feel uncomfortable. Anyway I'll try to take some more pics sometime soon but at the moment I pretty much still look the same as I did in the 4 weeks pics. Updated on 14 Nov 2012: So I've just passed the 8 week mark. I have found the last 2 weeks my exercise fitness has dramatically improved again to be somewhat near to where I was pre surgery. I am doing full abdominal workouts as well and cardio and weights. I really believe that this has been made so much faster because I was really fit before my surgery. I highly recommend you all do as much as you can fitness wise before your surgery because you will definitely bounce back faster. So my results haven't really changed much since the 4 week photo. I am still swelling a little in the evenings after exercise and I am hoping that the love handles that have developed on the back parts of my hips are from this and not extra fat. I have decided to try and lose another 4 kgs bringing me down to 60kgs to see if these go away. The skin has loosened up somewhat as well and when I sit i still do have a small roll mainly under my breasts. however this is still a major improvement from where i started so i can't really complain. i really do think that the body stores fat in different areas after a tummy tuck. my inner thighs hips and butt certainly feel a little bigger despite all my exercise. guess i will notice them a lot more now since my tummy is no longer my major focus. has anyone else found that they swell more on one side? my left is a lot more swollen than my right side. Updated on 16 Feb 2013: Hi everyone, yes it has been quite a while since I updated however I have found that not a lot has changed since about 8 weeks po. I have however in the past 6 weeks worked extra hard on my nutrition and dropped 3 kg's from my PO weight. I want to drop another 2 to get down to my goal weight of 60kg and have better muscle definition from all my hard work at the gym. I saw my surgeon last week for the first time since 10 days PO and she is really really pleased with my results. She has asked to use my before and after photos in an article that she is writing on tummy tucks :0) So I still get some minor swelling on my left side and above my belly button but my surgeon said that is still completely normal and will eventually go away to end up looking like I do in the morning all day long.....looking forward to that day. I am probably the fittest and healthiest I have ever been and I must say having this surgery has helped my confidence grow tremendously. I am now about to start working as a PT at the gym I go to and this is something I never would have done pre surgery, I just never had the confidence in myself. Anyways there is not much else to update on. I hope you all are recovering well! Check out my before and after shots side by side I've just put up, it really puts into perspective the huge transformation the surgery has given me. I'd do it all again in a heart beat!

I'm an Australian and my surgery is booked in one weeks time .. 21st June..have been able to secure this surgery under our public medical system ... waited a very long time. I am very excited and very nervous (the unknown etc.) I have heaps of excess skin from losing half my body size through healthy eating and becoming a gym junkie. This us definitely the icing on the cake for me after a long journey of hard work and dedication. <3 Updated on 26 Jun 2016: Five days post TT surgery and very surprised how good I feel, walking very straight and little pain, just paracetamol. I can hardly wait till the dressings come off on day 10 .. loving how my skin now is smooth and tummy is flat.

I am 55 and since going through menapause i have fat that has deposited on my hips, no amount of exercise or diet will shift it. I do not let my husband see me naked and this is effecting my marriage. I also do not like anyone i know walk behind me as i think all they can see are these enormous hips. Updated on 25 Oct 2015: Well i am just waiting to go into theatre, i have seen my doctor and am marked up ready to go. Updated on 29 Oct 2015: Today is day 4 and i have never felt better, i am taking it very easy, and not on much pain relief. I will get my stiches out in 7 days, can't wait. I weighed myself this morning and i was 62.4k pre op and am now 59.6 post op, I'm very happy with that. I have posted some before and after shots. Updated on 4 Nov 2015: Today being the 10th day i had my stitches removed, the nurse said she is very happy with the healing process and I'm still very swollen, i have an appointment booked for next Tuesday 10th Nov. to have the clear tape removed. I was very surprised to hear that the main scar is just held together by glue and disolvable stitches x Updated on 10 Nov 2015: Well Its been 15 days today since my life changed forever. The nurse said that I'm healing very very well. I think i have been overdoing it a bit lately, so need to start taking it easy. I have been feeling really good, the only negative thing i feel is this binder, I've been told to wear it as tight as possible to help getting everything back to normal, its quite uncomfortable, i might as well get used to it as I'm going to be wearing it for quite a while x Updated on 10 Nov 2015: I'm so happy with my results and its only been 15 days. I have been overdoing it a bit so need to start taking it easy x Updated on 16 Nov 2015: I have lost; 3cm from Ribs 2cm from my middle (belly button mark) 8cm from my stomach (i measured 5cm down from my belly button i used that as a guide then around my body) 4cm from top of legs That's 17cm from my ribs to the top of my legs, I'm happy with that I'm still swollen so hopefully i will be a bit smaller by Christmas x Updated on 23 Nov 2015: I have 2 medium binders that i wish to sell, i live in Adelaide. I paid $100 for them and am asking $60. They are in excellent condition, i need to wear them for another 3 weeks, i will then be selling them x Updated on 6 Jan 2016: I had my TT on 26th October, I'm feeling great except for the swelling. I have been eating quite a bit more lately but the swelling is really uncomfortable, I'm just wondering if this is normal, its been 9 weeks since my surgery?

Hi all, I'm 39 years old, weigh 58kgs and have a 10 and a 12 year old. My first baby was almost 10 pounds (and I had stacked on the weight, about 20kgs ) and I could see my stomach muscles had separated while still pregnant with him. Second pregnancy I put on about 20kgs also, but this baby wasn't quite as big, almost 9 pounds. Fast forward 8 and a half years and I'm totally over having to tuck in my belly, and being asked if I'm pregnant again! I got a referral from my Dr to see Dr Julie Lawrence in Adelaide. Yes haa, I'm eligible to be put on the public waiting list, which means I don't need to pay for it! 16 ,on the later I get a phone call to say that I have reached the top of the list and to come in for another appointment. I am told then that they can do it in 3 weeks! Was not expecting it to be so soon. I'm a teacher so I had to organise to take some time off of school, 3 weeks in total, and as it will back onto our school holidays, I will have 5 weeks in total to recover. Hopefully enough time for me to be back to almost normal. Updated on 15 Jun 2015: I didn't wake up well in recovery, I was sick from from being under and I threw up, oh my, how painful that was, I honestly thought that I'd popped something. Very scary! I spent a couple hours in recovery waking up, don't remember much, apart from the pain of throwing up, and being scared about doing it! When I was finally able to go to the ward, I was still a bit yuck and throwing up, nice way for my hubby to see me, not! He was waiting for me for awhile, apparently I stayed in recovery for a little longer, he was waiting for ages wondering where I was. They gave me some anti nausea meds into my drip and not long after a shot of morphine, I felt a bit better at this stage, as long as I didn't move! My head felt like I was bobbing on a boat, very dizzy with the slightest of movements. A few hours later, I thought I'd be ok to go to the toilet. I finally sat up with the help of a nurse, and violently threw up all over the floor, myself, the chair and I think the nurses shoes :( Updated on 15 Jun 2015: Day 1 was much better! No nausea, and I was able to get up and go to the toilet a few times. Not much moving going on, very sleepy. Updated on 15 Jun 2015: Yay, I had one of my drains removed today, much more mobile. Am able to get up and go to the toilet by myself, it's a bit of a shuffle, a hunched one at that, but by myself! Updated on 15 Jun 2015: I was finally discharged from hospital this morning. In Australia the average stay is about 3 days. All I was waiting for was the good news that I had less than 20mls in my remaining drain, and I did. The nurse removed that and I was on my way home. Had a BM almost as soon as I got home, must have been the familiar surroundings ;) I think I may have overdid it a bit today, not that I was up doing a dance or anything, but I'm feeling really good, I have more pain in my hunched back than my belly. May have done a bit too much walking around the house, although I did start watching the 3rd season of Orange is the new Black, so there was a reasonable amount of couch time too. I don't have a recliner but the couch is ok, either sitting straight or with my legs up and a pillow under my knees. My butt is getting very sore of being in the same position, can't wait to be able to sleep on my side! Updated on 20 Jun 2015: Not much has changed, walking around heaps, went out to dinner last night which was nice. I get my dressings off and BB stitches out tomorrow, however, the remains tape will stay on until day 14.

Here are the fast facts; I am 33, I will be 34 at time of surgery. I am 170cms tall. I have 2 daughters - D#1 (02) was 9pd4oz, D#2 (08) was 6pd neat. Pre pregnancy I was 63kgs and busty. I generally wore size 14 clothing. Pregnancy #1, Over 100kgs at full term. After baby 1 and got back to 67kgs but could not get rid of the apron of skin. (first thought about TT) Preg #2, 93kgs at full term. I yo-yo'd after baby 2 (Lowest 60kgs highest 89kgs). Since the GFC in 2008 I was made redundant 4 times, 2 due to businesses going bankrupt and twice due to natural disasters (Cyclones which hit QLD). I considered myself lucky when I finally secured a Government desk job in October 2014. I have to say that a Tummy Tuck has never far from my mind since pregnancy #2. Although it seemed like it was going to be a pipe dream with the job losses and whatnot. After getting the desk job in October I decided that I was going to make 2015 the year that I focused on me and in my head I gave the project "MY NAME 2015"..... On 1st Jan 2015 I weighed 88.5kgs, I was wearing size 16-18 clothing. In February I started Uni and enrolled in a Bachelor of Paramedic Science (part time) In March I started volunteering as an Ambulance Officer (also part time) In April I made an initial consult with Dr Julie Lawrence a plastic surgeon based in Adelaide, SA. My first impression of Dr. Lawrence.... was that she is a Doctor and not a sales person. Funnily enough, this is exactly why I have chosen to book my surgery with her. Dr. Lawrence showed no false warmth, this was business and she was professional, patient, polite and clinical. She didn't ask me how I felt about my body, she simply examined me and provided professional advice. I was not offered photo albums full of her work, nor was I offered images of the results that I could expect. What I got to see was Dr Lawrence's steady hands draw a layman's diagram of the tummy tuck procedure. I got to hear her calm voice explain the steps that she would take, should I put my life in her hands, and go ahead with this surgery. I visited a Doctor, and received professional advice. Because of the lack of bulls#!t I booked my surgery date the very next morning. I have decided against opting onto the public waiting list for this procedure (even though I qualify for it). While I have no savings after the 4 job losses I will give up everything which is not essential in order to save for it before January 2016. With the time I will need to spend losing weight, raising two kids, working full time, studying part time and volunteering with the ambo's I figure that I will not have that much time to waste money on luxuries in the coming months anyway! So here's to project ME2015/16! I am going to check in with photo updates across the next 37 weeks (which coincidentally is the same amount of time it takes for a woman to be considered 'at term' in a pregnancy).... -Tucker2016

Only those in a similar situation will understand how frustrating and emotionally exhausting the process and wait for a breast reduction truly is! At 18, I decided I was fed up with my G cup breasts. Insecurities were extreme, I suffered bursitis in both my shoulders and prolonged back issues. After my initial consultation with Dr Lawrence in early 2013, I knew immediately after meeting her that things would not go well. The lack of eye contact and her abrupt nature was very off putting, but, in so much pain, I agreed to be placed on her waiting list. A year and a half later, and in the wait for my health insurance waiting times to wave, I receive a call from her receptionist telling me I had "reached the top of the list and dr Lawrence was ready to operate." Of course, I got my hopes up. After canceling my shift, having my sister extend her trip to Adelaide to attend the appointment with me, and a 45 minute drive, I was ridiculed, embarrassed and absolutely devastated by the end of my 3 minute consultation. Dr Lawrence showed NO compassion, professionalism or courtesy for my situation. I was told she "only had times in May 2015" and was quite blatantly told that if it interfered with my studies that I should look else where. It didn't end there. After trying to negotiate with the doctor, she took me out to the waiting room, where patients, reception staff and others were all very aware of what my procedure was and how I wouldn't be able to attend at that time. So unprofessional. I have been in a medical course for only a year and know better than that. It was the end of the line for me when she said "you can call and cancel it if it doesn't work", she slammed her pen on the desk, and closed her office door on my face. I was absolutely disgusted. I even felt sorry for the receptionists who could tell that the service provided was NOT of a professional standard. All I could think was "how did this woman even pass the UMAT, the medical interview and how does she practice in a job she clearly hates?" There is no way in hell that I would let that woman lay hands on me. Especially after being told that my breasts "would probably still be asymmetrical after my surgery." Isn't that the reason we have the surgery? To eliminate all these issues that are causing us pain and insecurity? How this Dr handles patients with much more severe cases -breast cancer survivors etc- actually unsettles me. I will never return to this Dr, nor will I allow any of my family or friends to the belittled in the hands of someone who is meant to help you.

I am 25 with two children, I have always been a small petite frame. My first baby was 10 pound 10... My second baby was 9 pound something. So my skin got stretched twice something chronic which has left me with a zillion stretch marks & so much loose skin I could make another person with it. Anyway both births were via ceserean & here in Adelaide Australia I went on "the waiting list" back in June 2014 the wait is 12-18 months. I'm super pumped not to have to tuck my flap in my Harry high pants one day. The pics r of me now & I will post afters once the procedure is done. Updated on 17 Dec 2014: I am 25 with two children, I have always been a small petite frame. My first baby was 10 pound 10... My second baby was 9 pound something. So my skin got stretched twice something chronic which has left me with a zillion stretch marks & so much loose skin I could make another person with it. Anyway both births were via ceserean & here in Adelaide Australia I went on "the waiting list" back in June 2014 the wait is 12-18 months. I'm super pumped not to have to tuck my flap in my Harry high pants one day. The pics r of me now & I will post afters once the procedure is done