Tummy Tuck Countdown!!!!! It's 7 days until my TT and I'm super excited. I am 42 yrs. old with a scar from an ectopic pregnancy over 20 years ago. I have wanted a TT for nearly 15 years, but with the thought of someday having children I put the idea on hold. Since I can now say with a great deal of certainty that there's very little likelihood of having children, I'm ready to proceed with my plan. For me, having a TT has dual purpose. 1. To remove the physical scar, which has served as an old, constant reminder of what could have been; and 2. To recapture my hourglass figure that was lost almost 25 years ago because the emergency surgery severed my abdominal wall muscle and left behind thick scar tissue which made it impossible to have a flat stomach no matter how much I exercised and watched my diet. With my mind made and determined, I set out to find the perfect plastic surgeon. I searched diligently for the right ps; going from consultation to consultation. Upon reading all the reviews, I scheduled consultations, both free and fee-based, with many of the top rated and most highly recommended plastic surgeons in the area, even a few were referred by close friends whose great work I've seen first-hand. After each consultation, I was able to quickly determine those who were NOT going to do my surgery. From those who seemed competent, had good reviews and nice work portfolios, I was always left wondering how I would decide from amongst the ranks. All of my wondering ceased the moment I met Dr. Fara Movagharnia. He was so personable, compassionate and knowledgeable. This was also reflected in his office and hospital staff, who too were professional and kind. During my initial consult, Dr. Fara's description of what he could do for me far exceeded my expectations. First off, unlike many of the other free consultations, HE, not his assistant, personally consulted with me. He addressed my concerns and answered all my questions before I could even ask! I felt as if I were already his patient; he took his time and was very thorough and detailed. He shared some great weight-loss advice that served better towards my interests than his (because it REALLY worked!) and limited some services because the potential health risk as opposed to trying to get another dollar and performing a poor job or putting patients at greater-risk like some other doctors were willing to do. Although it's an added cost, I love the fact that all his surgeries are performed at the hospital as oppose to his office or onsite surgical facility. I truly believe a surgery of this magnitude should be performed only in a hospital where in the case anything unexpected occurs, the equipment and staff is already in place. As an added bonus, he's the Chief Surgeon and Chief of Staff at the hospital where he performs his surgeries! I am totally confident in his ability; the before and after pictures in his portfolio were absolutely amazing. Although, I'm a little nervous, I'm mostly anxious for my results. Like many of you, I've read just about everything I could on the topic and have spoken with others who've had a TT. With Thanksgiving behind me, I'm sure this week will go by quickly. While I have just bout everything situated, I still have few things to put in place. I plan to post updates along the journey. I am open to any tips, suggestions or advice anyone has to offer. Updated on 7 Dec 2015: While my days leading up to surgery were chaotic and full of uncertainty, I'm happy kept my scheduled date. I am doing much better than I had anticipated. I'm not sure if this was due to the pain medicine pump, which turned out to be a great investment. So far I have not experienced any extreme pain. I've decreased the number of pain pills and only took them 3 times over the past 24 hours. I really hate taking pills, but I hate pain even more so trust me when I say the discomfort is manageable. I'm moving slow, but functioning fine. I spent more hours awake today, I contribute that to the decrease in medication. I'm going in tomorrow to have my drains removed. I will post pictures then. Updated on 8 Dec 2015: Saw Dr. Fara today, my drains weren't ready to come out like I had hoped, but I was very pleased with the results thus far. I'm posting a before picture and one from today. Although I have bandages on my belly button and incision, you can get good idea of the transformation. Keep in mind it's only day 4 post op, so still very swollen but my waist measures 33"! ???????????????? Updated on 9 Dec 2015: Ok, here is the before and after day 4 post op comparison picture. I'll post more next week once the drains are removed and of the other areas. I will also post updates of my progress. I really must say it was well worth it. My incision looks great and I haven't taken any pain meds at all today. It's only day 5 and I feel energetic. I went for a short walk today in the neighborhood with my puppy. I took my walker for added insurance, but didn't really need it. I'm no longer using it around the house at all. My recovery is progressing much better than expected. My friends and family are impressed with my progress. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to post a comment or email me. Updated on 9 Dec 2015: Here's better before pictures, so you can see what I was working with. I had mistakenly deleted them from my earlier post. Updated on 7 Feb 2016: Hi RS dolls!!!! It's been 8 weeks post-op and I am so thrilled with my results. When I look into the mirror, I'm so amazed of the transformation. After week 4 post-op, I began lymphatic massages to help with the swelling. Lidia Mosquera and her staff at Med Therapeutic Skin Care, were so knowledgeable and helpful during this phase. They administered the massages and focused on shaping and contouring. They sell compression garments, so they assisted me in selecting the ones that best address my needs. They share a lot of other helpful tips and valuable advice. I am so grateful for them. Now I want lipo my arms and thighs, but they are encouraging my to do endermology instead. Not sure which route I'll take, I'm going to do more research first but it's great to know other options exist. In the meantime, I'm going to hit the gym and work on toning my flabby areas. I'll keep you guys posted!!! Here's more pictures from my 8 week follow-up with Dr. Fara. I still have some swelling in lower abs and back, which Dr. Fara said could last 4-6 months. So right now, I'm focusing on scar management since I'm prone to hyperpigmentation and keloids as you can see from my previous surgeries on my before pictures.