I'm 30 years old and like many others, I've struggled with my weight my whole life. I have two beautiful boys, one of which I gave birth to in 2002. This is when I gained the most weight. I was 286 lbs! I'm only 5'6 so that was a whole lot of weight. Now, I've never wanted to be skinny because I love my curves but I certainly didn't want my curves to be that big. Since then, I've lost over 100 pounds. I am now 184 pounds and I'm still losing weight. I exercise daily and I'm very careful about what I eat. I'm currently strengthening and toning my arms to compensate for the lack of muscle use I'll have in my abdomen after surgery. I have had 3 consultations with wonderful board certified plastic surgeons in my area and I decided to go with one who has a review on RealSelf. The doctor I chose has a sub specialty in post bariatric body contouring and I figured if he can help those who have had bariatric surgery, then certainly he can help me. I am so ready to have this surgery I don't know what to do. I'm trying to keep myself busy so that I don't think about it so much but I'm so excited! My husband is taking a week off of work to take care of me then my girlfriend will be coming to stay with me for about a week. I feel so good about this, I can't wait!!!Updated on 4 May 2012:Okay, so I feel like I'm losing it. The days seems to be moving by so slowly, I don't get it. I'm so ready to do this and have it done. My surgery date seems so far away and it seems to be all that I can think about. I'm going around the house looking for things to clean to keep my mind off of the procedure. Looking up other people's experiences and reading updates help too. I have an appointment with my surgeon on the 15th of May. I think once I've done that I'll start to feel better.Updated on 6 May 2012:I was feeling a little self conscious about the before photos that I posted. I was thinking about how I never show my tummy and what others must be thinking about how it looks. Then it occurred to me that we were all getting our tucks for the same basic reasons. I was going to take the pictures down but I decided to put more up because there might be someone, like me, who has a tummy that looks like mine. Overall, I am so proud of myself for losing weight and I want to show my body off. I'll be able to do that after June 1st. In the meantime, I'm going to continue to love myself that way that I am. I'm still working out and eating healthy and I'm still losing weight. This morning, I weighed in at 182 pounds! I have so much to be thankful for and I have so much more to look forward to. I am loving life and living it to the fullest.Updated on 14 May 2012:So my pre-op is tomorrow and I am so excited! I didn't even wait for the office to call me to confirm my appointment. I called them because I wanted to make sure that I was still scheduled for tomorrow. My husband cleaned the house yesterday so I have nothing to do today except take care of my baby. I'm going to workout because I really need to make sure that I'm in the greatest shape before the surgery. Three weeks from now, I'll have the body I've been dreaming about.
I haven't told many but I told my father the other day that I was going through with the surgery. When I mentioned it to him before, he said that I should just do crunches. Since I've lost weight, he understands that crunches won't do it. What some people don't understand is that a tummy tuck is not a weight loss surgery. I mentioned that I wanted to do this to my stepmother and she suggested that I lose weight the old-fashioned way. SAY WHAT!? I don't want to have to explain to everyone the reasons I want to get this surgery done because I'll have to educate them on it and then I'll feel like I have to justify my decision to do this. My mother-in-law doesn't understand plastic surgery for any reason and I love her to death but I won't be telling her about this either. So only a handful of people know that I'm actually going to get the surgery. My husband, sister, father and two of my close friends are the only ones who know. I only told my father because he was planning on visiting the week of the surgery so I decided that instead of lying I would just tell him the truth because I was still going to get the surgery regardless of how he reacted to it.
Oh, I almost forgot, I told my neighbor about it and she's thinking about getting it herself. She says she hates her tummy. Welcome to the club, honey. She's going to be checking in on me after the surgery and she may go see my PS later.
I've been waiting for my pre-op appointed before I decide to prepare anything. I don't know what I'm supposed to do to prepare. I actually didn't do anything when I had the two c-sections. I'm not that good at planning. I like to take things as they come. I'm not sure if that's a good idea in this situation but I haven't felt inclined to do anything up to this point. We'll see what happens.Updated on 17 May 2012:Okay, so I went to my pre-op appointment. I won't have to do a bowel cleanse like I thought I would. I will have to do a day of only clear liquids though. I got my prescriptions for a muscle relaxant and some pain pills. I will have one drain that will probably be removed two weeks after the surgery. My procedure will be in the afternoon. I had hoped it would be in the morning but at this point, I don't think I care very much. I just want to get it done. The nurse went over some instructions for after the surgery. She said that a recliner would be good to use after the surgery but there is no need for a hospital bed. She made it very clear that I was going to need to move around and I was NOT to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk. She said that I should drink a lot of water after the surgery as well. There was so much information to take in, I was afraid I wouldn't remember it all. I probably won't. My surgeon complimented me on my weight loss and that made me feel good. He went over what he was going to do and I asked him about my belly button because I had a dream that my belly button was going to be huge. He said that he would make sure it was small and would tuck in the scar so that it wasn't visible.
I thought that after I had my pre-op appointment that the waiting would be a breeze, it isn't. I'm more anxious now than I was before and I'm finding it difficult to distract myself thinking about the surgery. I'm reading other people's journeys and admiring their results. I've been on youtube and I'm watching some of their journeys as well. I'm just ready to get it done! I'm cleaning everything, washing everything, moving everything and I'm working out. Waiting, waiting, waiting....Updated on 30 May 2012:So it's almost time. I was so anxious about the surgery that I wasn't necessarily eating the right things and I wasn't exercising like I should have been and I gained a few pounds. I was able to get it under control and I have lost the weight that I gained and more. Phew, that's a relief. I don't know why I feel like every pound could possibly prevent my belly from being as flat as I want it. I just want to get closer to my weight goal.I'm not even sure what that is. I'll know when I get there. Tomorrow, I go on my clear liquid diet. I hope that today I can maintain healthy eating. I'm getting a little nervous. I just want my results to be awesome. I'm also very excited for all the ladies who are going to be on this journey with me. I'm so glad you all are here.Updated on 31 May 2012:So today is my liquid diet. I'm excited because I know tomorrow I'll have my new body! Yes! I keep trying to imagine what I'll look like after surgery. I'm reading reviews and looking at results and hoping and praying my results will be what I expect them to be. I'm so ready and I'm so glad so many ladies are going in on the same day as me and I'm so happy we are all keeping in touch. I feel like we're doing this together. Tomorrow is my day!Updated on 2 Jun 2012:Post Op Day 1
Today is much better than yesterday. I'm feeling pretty good. I'm taking a muscle relaxant and 1 Percocet every 6 hours. I went to visit my Dr. today so that he could check my tummy out and make sure I could go to the bathroom. I'm going to the bathroom by myself and I can walk around hunched over. I'm wearing a binder around my tummy. My Dr. took my bandages off and told me to wear a t-shirt under my binder for comfort. I haven't been in my recliner at all. I've been sleeping in my bed. I bought one of those pillows that has arms. I'm not sure what it's called. Anyway, since it props me up, I have been able to sleep with it in my bed. My husband has been helping me so much. I have one drain that exits through my vaj-j and he empties it every 2-3 hours.I will probably have in the drain for two weeks. I get my sutures removed on Thursday. I'm pretty sore right now but I LOVE my results. My Dr. was so excited about it. He and his staff were wonderful. .Updated on 3 Jun 2012:Post Op Day 2
Today I feel pretty good. I really expected to be in more pain but I'm just sore. I can go to the bathroom and I walk around the house with no problem. I do however have trouble standing for long periods of time. I start to get hot and I feel dizzy. My PS told me that I can shower today. He started taking off my tape and bandages yesterday and told me to wear a shirt under my compression garment. In my opionion, this tummy tuck is easier than my c-sections in terms of pain. I feel pretty good. I still have to find a way to handle my one-year-old. He pounces on everyone and everything in this house and I don't need him to pounce on mommy right now. I make sure I hug and kiss him and tell him I love him. Myoldest son is being so helpful. He emptied my drain yesterday but he made it clear that he did not want to see my tummy. My husband has been waiting on me since we got home. I worry he's doing too much so I haven't been calling him about helping me to the bathroom. I've been going on my own when possible. I had my son help me once. I've been walking around the house making sure I'm moving and when it gets uncomfortable i stop. Anyway, I'm standing up straighter and my PS said it was okay for me to stand upright. Well, my husband just cooked breakfast and I'm starving so I'll check in later.Updated on 5 Jun 2012:Post Op Day 4
Yesterday was a good day. I walked around the house and picked up a few things. I made myself breakfast and watched TV with my family. I sat in my recliner while I held my one-year-old in my lap. Of course he had to climb up on his own. I was happy to hug and kiss him. I did stop taking Percocet and I started taking Extra Strength Tylenol and I still take the Toradal as prescribed. I did try not taking anything except for the Toradal but I was a little more uncomfortable than I wanted to be so I took some Tylenol after an hour. I had some drainage from the site where my drain is last night. I slept pretty hard so I may have caused the drain to move somehow. I’ve secured the drain with safety pins onto my binder and I’ve put a clean washcloth over the area that was leaking and it seems to be doing fine.
This morning, I got up and made breakfast while my husband took the kids to the bus stop and went shopping. The kitchen needed some attention so I loaded the dishwasher and cleaned everything else. I cooked a pot of grits and made some bacon and everything was done by the time my husband got home. I wanted to vacuum but I was told not to do that specifically so I didn’t although I felt like I could. I told my husband I wanted to go for a walk but he said that I needed to sit down and relax and stop trying to do everything just because I felt good. I feel like I’m being pretty careful and I’m not overdoing it. Its’ raining today so I wasn’t going for a walk anyway. When my son gets home from school, I’m going to have him vacuum the living room. I spilled coffee on myself so I’m going to take a shower this morning. Also, I need to wash this binder. Other than that, things are great.Updated on 8 Jun 2012:Post Op Day 7
I'm feeling so good this morning. Yesterday I had a Dr.'s appointment. My PS was very impressed with my progress. I had my sutures removed but he said that I was still draining too much to have my drain removed. I figured as much so I'm okay with it. He said that if I started to output less that 35 cc per day then I could come in and have the drain removed. I'm not sweating the drain though. I have it secured with a big bandage that keeps it from moving along with some safety pins attached to my binder. I was a little nervous about having my stitches removed. It didn't hurt but it was uncomfortable. It felt like individual hairs being plucked with tweezers. I was glad when it was over. The weirdest feeling was when they took the sutures out of my belly button. My PS told me to keep neosporin inside it and cover it with a bandage. My stitches were replaced with steri-strips. I can take a shower now and get the strips wet. I just have to make sure that I dry them off. They are supposed to stay on for a week and will probably start coming off on their own. I haven't had any paid meds for two days now and I feel awesome today. The first day without pain meds, I was slow and pretty sore. I'm still sore, of course but less sore than I was yesterday. I've been pretty swollen these last couple of days but I'm fine with that because I know it's temporary. I'm pretty excited about getting my drain removed because I know then that I will be well on my way to recovery. I'm feeling more and more normal with each passing day. I'm so glad I did this. Sometimes I think the pouch is still there and I reach to feel it and it's gone and I'm glad. I can't wait to shop for clothes to fit my new body. I can't wait to start jogging again. For now, I'm good. I'm happy.Updated on 8 Jun 2012:I took a real shower today by myself. Afterwards, I was so tired and winded. I had to lie down and rest for a while. The simplest things take so much energy but I feel clean now.Updated on 12 Jun 2012:PO Day 11
TIme really goes by fast. I can't believe it has been 11 days since I had my tummy tuck. I'm draining a lot less than I was and I have an appointment to get my drain removed on Thursday. I can't wait. I've been trying to be brave with this thing, but I'm ready to get it out!
I took my kids to the park the other day and I soon found out how exhausting it is to do simple things. We didn't stay long but I think the boys needed to get out of the house. As far as pain, I only have soreness and a little discomfort but nothing terrible. I feel pretty good but I do feel that i need some more rest so I plan on going to bed early tonight. My neighbor is going to go with me to my appointment on Thursday and I am so grateful for that because I need someone to help me get my baby in and out of the carseat.
I am so swollen today and I'm not sure how long this will last. I expected to have some swelling though so it's okay, I just want this drain out. I'm looking forward to Friday so I can say I'm 2 weeks post op! I'll be resting until then.Updated on 13 Jun 2012:Hello everyone! I feel like I turned a corner today. I feel awesome! I'm standing much straighter and my lower back doesn't hurt anymore. I do find myself hunching over and I have to remind myself to stand up. I have so much more energy today and I just feel good. I can't wait to get this drain out tomorrow because I think it will make all the difference. I have not gotten on a scale because I can become very obsessive and I don't think there is anything I can do about the number on it right now anyway. I was 179 pounds the day I had the surgery and I am so scared the scale will say I put on weight since I haven't been able to exercise.
So this month is Victoria's Secret semi annual sale and I haven't bought any new bras since I've lost weight. I want to go shopping for some this weekend if possible. I can't tell you all how invaluable you all have been to me. I look forward to reading how everyone is doing and I love how honest everyone is. Oh, and speaking of honesty, please make sure your drinking your water and taking a stool softener or something like it because you don't want to be constipated. I thought I was through with that and didn't take anything and well, it wasn't pretty. Anyway, I'm taking it easy today. Happy healing, everyone!Updated on 15 Jun 2012:I got my drain removed! I'm so glad and I feel so much better. It's so much easier to move around without having to worry that I'll pull that darn drain. I feel amazing. My doctor told me that it's okay for me to do cardio! Woo hoo! I'm gonna see what I can do. I won't do anything that makes me uncomfortable but I need to get these hips and thighs slimmed down. I'm still swollen but it's not as bad as it was. I have to wear my binder for another couple of weeks which is fine with me. I'm so glad I did this.Updated on 17 Jun 2012:Did I say I was going to do cardio? There is no way that is going to happen. I went outside today thinking that I would run a mile and got slapped in the face with reality. I started my jog and as soon as my foot hit the ground I was reminded that I had surgery 2 weeks ago. I ended up walking 4 miles and I laughed to myself the whole walk thinking about how foolish the idea of jogging was at this point. I'll stick to walking for now. I did go shopping and was very happy to learn that I now wear a size 10 in pants and a small in shirts. I have never been this small in my entire adult life so imagine the delight when a medium shirt was too big and I had to get a small shirt instead. Woo hoo!
So my tummy is still swollen but the swelling has gone down a lot. I love the way I look in the morning and my husband loves the way I look any time of day. He was helping me pick out clothes and was very excited about how I looked in them. My belly button freaks me out a little bit but I know it will get better in time. I do notice other parts of me that I would like to improve but I'm trying not to go there. Anyway, that's all for now. Happy healing!Updated on 25 Jun 2012:There's not much new to report. I'm feeling much less sore and I'm doing normal activities except for lifting heavy objects. I am wearing compression garments and my binder for the next couple of weeks. I have been walking more and I get really winded trying to power walk. I'm still swollen. Some days are better than others. All of the tape has come off of my incision and I keep a shirt on under my binder to protect my skin. I thought I was walking upright until I went to the mall. I looked at myself in the mirror and my posture is terrible. I tried standing straighter but I feel a slight tightness directly below my breasts where my muscles were pulled together. Hopefully, this will improve with time. Oh, I talked to one of my sisters and we have a similar build. I was telling her the size of my clothing at New York and Company and she told me that she wears a larger size than I do although she weighs less than I do. I was surprised to hear that but I'm happy about what I've accomplished so far. I still don't have a weight goal. At this point, it doesn't seem to matter much. I just have an idea of what I want to look like so I'll shoot for that. Thank you awesome ladies for checking in with me and I appreciate all of your comments. Happy healing to all of you!