The Iowa Clinic provides experience-coordinated care personalized for the needs of their patients. They comprise of skilled and experienced plastic surgeons and specialists. They understand that every plastic surgery journey is different, and they are committed to support each of their patients.
I would like to share my story as well as I feel knowledge is power. I was diagnosed with microinvasive ductal carcinoma , stage 3 with a very aggressive cell type in November 2014 by a routine mamogram screening. I am a nurse who is married to a doctor and my only reason for sharing this information is that we knew nothing about breast cancer so like so many I immediately asked "Dr. Google" to educate me. I searched treatment options and weighed lumpectomies versus mastectomies. I went to google images and was horrified by the pictures of bad results. I had an appointment the surgeon the following day and printed off numerous pictures to show him what I did not want to look like. I am a 53 y/o woman, healthy, active, a non smoker, not overweight with a breast size of 34 B-C. This information is important as it directly correlated with my surgical options. I did my homework and was knowledgeable when I walked in the door. I knew with a lumpectomy, treatment involved 5 weeks of radiation, then the lumpectomy which would leave me with damaged skin for the plastic surgeon to work with and the pictures I saw looked like someone would take a melon baller and remove the cancerous cells leaving a divot that could somewhat fixed but not back to what I felt was acceptable. I also did not want radiation. I found that there was a procedure called a skin and nipple sparing mastectomy, so as I was meeting with my surgeon I asked about it. My surgeon was Dr Hamling from Unity Point Health in Des Moines, IA . When I met with him the following morning he sat with me for an hour talking about my options. I cannot say enough wonderful things about him. His compassion and bedside manner were exemplary! He took measurements and thought I would be a candidate for the nipple/skin sparing procedure but the final word would need to come from the plastic surgeon. I would like to note at this time that not all surgeons are created equal. My surgeon consulted with the plastic surgeon to have a joint plan before ever walking into the surgical suite. My plastic surgeon was Dr. Lekkas from The Iowa Clinic and I met with him later that week. I walked into the Plastic Surgeions office with my pictures prepared to tell him what I did not want! He asked me what was most important to me and of course I said getting rid of the cancer but it was also important what I looked like when it was all over. When I showed him the pictures and asked how in this day and age can women look like this....he explained the following... Due to my size and medical hx I would be a candidate for the nipple/skin sparing procedure. If I was large breasted, had damaged tissue due to radiation or been a smoker, I most likely would not have been a candidate. He informed me that some breast surgeons just want to remove the breast to get rid of the cancer not leaving the plastic surgeon much to work with and those were most likely the pictures I was seeing. Due to the coordinated care efforts of my surgical team, the plastic surgeon coordinated with the breast surgeon. Dr Lekkas works closely with the breast surgeons educating them before the first cut is made. He lets them know how he wants the initial incisions made so that he can get the best possible outcome in the end. Dr. Lekkas was a perfectionist and I knew I had the right team! I also cannot say enough about the nurses and care coordinators that were involved in my care! I opted for the double mastectomy with reconstruction. I decided to look at this like I was not just getting rid of my cancer and not have to worry in the future, but that I would have a matched pair of perky girls, a free breast job so to speak! The plan was that Dr. Hamling would start the procedure and Dr Lekkas would come in midway and place the expanders that I would need prior to my final implants. During surgery they would check my nodes and determine at that time if I would need chemo. This part scared me to death! My oncologist informed me that if I needed chemo (I was estrogen/progesterone negative, but HER2 positive) my chemo regime would be very aggressive making me gain weight and lose my hair....AWESOME! This would be my worst nightmare. When I awoke from anesthesia, the first thing I felt for was a port for chemo. I was relieved to not find one, I then had to check out what I looked like. I have to say I was surprised to find it was not so bad. The girls were small with a distorted shape, but not bad. A week or so later, I received the final news that the cancer had not spread! My nodes were clear. I wept with relief! I went through several fills of my expanders. I did not want to be bigger than I was...the expanders were uncomfortable and felt like rocks in my chest. Im not going to lie, they were uncomfortable, but tolerable. I could not wait for the permanent implants. The end of January 2015, I got my permanent implants, 455cc and I am a full C cup. I have to say the step children look pretty good. I will have fat transfer done in the fall to soften some of the edges of the implant. Since there is no breast tissue , the implant is behind the pec muscle and when I raise my arms or do a pushing motion I can see the ripples of the implant. I am now 3 months post op and I still get twinges on the left side of my breast where they had to take some of the pec muscle to get clear margins. I also still need muscle relaxants to stop the tightening or spasms I get when I over do it. I can best describe that sensation as having full painful breasts during your period or very full breasts when you are nursing. I am a bit frustrated that as I do more I am very sore. I haven't quite figured out my new normal yet and hope that in time I can get my golf game back and do my normal activities without discomfort. Simple movements like opening a jar will flair the spasms. ( I think its the pushing movement that involves the pec muscle). I know this is a long comment, but some of the things I have experienced I did not see talked about. It doesn't change anything, but its nice to know.... I know I am very blessed and lucky and that my outcome could have looked very different if early detection and treatment was not done. I had the best care I could have hoped for and was very impressed the the coordinated care I received from Unity Point Health. I hope this information will help someone else who is on this journey!
I lost 120 lbs and have kept it off for over a year and a half now. Unfortunately, like a lot of people with substantial weight loss, I have excess skin on my abdomen. I have wanted a tummy tuck for a while, but it took me a while to find a surgeon I was comfortable with and to save up the $7,750 for the procedure. Well I am about a month out, and I am getting nervous about it. My husband in an over-the-road truck driver and he has a week off to take care of me. His company will let him have longer off, but for the sake of a paycheck, we are hoping a week is enough. I don't have friends or family close by (about an hour's drive away), so I fret about being able to take care of myself after he goes back on the road. I was able to get three weeks off of work though. I am just stressed about the healing and the pain and going under general anesthesia and all that. I am hoping to find support in the community. My friends and family have been really supportive, but it would be nice to get support from those who have been there. I look forward to getting to know more of you! Updated on 9 Oct 2013: I decided to take and add some pics. I am 5' 3" tall and currently 121 lb. I know it can be helpful to try and imagine yourself, so I thought I'd add some stats for your own reference. Updated on 21 Oct 2013: I have my pre-op physical this Friday and I have gotten pretty much all the supplies I think I will need, but maybe as I peruse this site, I will find more things that I need! I am so appreciative of the support and information provided on this website. I am more excited than nervous now. I have read others' reviews and I have seen all the before and after pictures people post, so now I am going to extensively document the before and afters so I can maybe help others out too. Can't wait for the 5th! Updated on 27 Oct 2013: I had my pre-op physical with my family doctor on Friday, I got his notes back. So, nine more days until it's time for a new me! I really can't wait and am so excited. I used to be super nervous but now I am just looking forward to the day when I can just be done with it and start healing. I have been reading a lot of reviews and looking at before and afters and it just makes me feel even better about what I am doing. It took me five years to lose 120 lb and now it is time for me to enjoy the fruits of my labors. I am getting the kind of TT which also tightens the inner thighs, so I decided to take/post some more pictures. These are my "before" pictures in size 4 jeans. I am going to take afters in the same jeans. My first pics have my thighs in them, but I decided to put one more up. Updated on 13 Nov 2013: Well, first of all, after weeks of nervousness, it just kind of disappeared about a week before surgery. I had to be at the surgery center at 7 am, I went to bed at 9 pm the night before, had no troubles getting to or staying asleep, when I got to the place and I was having my IV put in and getting marked, I was like "let's do this..." After I was marked and had my IV in, I was led down the hall to the OR, where they had a little step for me to get up on the table. The table was actually not cold and metal like I thought it would be. I was laying on a warmed air pillow, so that really helped me relax. The nurses and the anesthesiologist were warm and friendly, then... BOOM! I woke up with a binder on! I didn't need much pain medication in my IV, the nurses called me a "rock star." :) I was supposed to stay overnight at the ASC, but I really wanted to go home. My IV had come out, so they were just giving me oral pain meds, which I can do on my own. They made sure I could eat and urinate, then I took a walk up and down the hallway and Dr. Yen cleared me to go home. The hour long car ride home was pretty brutal. I was in a lot of pain when I got home. I got in my recliner and there I sat... for six days. I am not kidding you, I only got up to go to the bathroom. If I wanted a drink or dropped something on the floor, I texted my husband in the other room and he took care of it. It actually hurt to shout, so we had to go the tech route when i needed things. Getting up and down was (and still is) pretty painful. I pretty much slept in a drug-induced haze for my time in the recliner. I took the pain meds for about five days, and decided to go off them. Wow, what happened next was AWFUL! I was constipated and having horrific stabbing gas pains for one whole day. I had been taking MiraLax, I tried Milk of Magnesia, but then I decided it was time to pull out the big guns - ExLax. Whew, it worked! I don't think I have ever been so grateful to go to the bathroom :D I went to my PS six days post-op and got my drains out. I only showered twice with my drains in and the ASC gave me a handy lanyard to pin my drains to for that purpose. Thanks, Lakeview Surgery Center! I shower on the shower chair still. I am still walking bent over and you would be surprised about how tiring taking a shower can actually be. Getting the drains out was a relief. They were stitched into my groin and starting to pinch a lot. It did not hurt to have my drains pulled, it felt really weird though. My belly button had started oozing and Dr. Yen was concerned about that, so he ordered another round of Keflex for me. On day 7, I decided to go for a short drive. Getting into and out of the SUV is really challenging. I went to the local delicatessen all hunched over and hobbling. I was sore after my drive home. Today is day 8. I am not having so many problems getting out of the recliner, I kind of give myself momentum rocking first, getting in and out of bed is harder. I got a walker from Craigslist for $20 and I use it to steady and pull myself out of bed. The walker was really handy, because you really cannot use your abs. It was helpful to get off the toilet too, but now I am okay with that. Yesterday, before my husband went back on the road, I had him take some progress pictures for me. When I looked at them, I was like: "wow." I am REALLY happy with the results and when the swelling goes away, I am going to LOVE my new body. I thought I would share them with you now. Thanks for reading! (My belly skin looks kind of crepey still. It just the imprint of the binder against my skin) Updated on 18 Nov 2013: My lap dog can no longer lounge in my lap. Look at how upset he is! Updated on 20 Nov 2013: I am 15 days post-op and I can't believe the befores and afters! I am really glad I got this surgery. The expense, the pain... it was all worth it. What I can't believe is this is only the beginning. Not all of the swelling has dissipated. Looking forward to a few months from now. I go back to work on Monday. I am totally ready, got cabin fever :) Updated on 24 Nov 2013: Well, today I got ahead of myself. I had been taking it in baby steps, not overdoing it. But I was feeling really good, so I spent the afternoon having lunch with friends and then had a kind of spa day. It involved laying back at the hairdresser's sink at the salon. I basically took a long drive and made a day of it. This was after I had only been running an errand here and there. My abs started cramping. I can't walk upright anymore. The thing is, I didn't swell. I really don't have issues with swelling for some reason. But… now I am back sleeping in the recliner with pillows under my knees, I have taken painkillers, when I haven't taken them since day 5 PO. And being the brilliant person I am, did this the day before I go back to work. I don't work a lot of hours, but they are standing hours and now I'm crunched over. I saw my coworkers on Saturday and I looked and felt totally fine. I was glad for that, because I did not tell them what my surgery was for, even though they kept hinting around they wanted to know. Now I'm going to show up to work ailing and have to deflect all the questions. Suck! Well I have learned my lesson. This is a holiday week, so I'm not working a lot of hours. I'm going to go back to week one activities, being camped in the recliner all the time, getting in some activity, but really limiting myself. I guess it's back to me, the TV, and the Investigation Discovery channel. Learn from my mistake. Take it easy, even if you feel really good, remember it was MAJOR surgery. I feel like an idiot. Updated on 2 Dec 2013: Well, today I had my 4 week post-op appointment today. Dr. Yen said I didn't have to wear my binder anymore and I'm not graduating to any compression garments either. Totally free! A great thing happened to me. I wore a very form fitting dress for my first non-binder outing and someone commented on how flat my tummy was! I NEVER dreamed I could love it this much! I included angles to show you that my tummy isn't board flat. There's still a curve to it, which I like. As I was recovering, the Miss Universe competition came on and I noticed them in their swimsuits. I noticed hardly any of them had a completely flat abdomen, they mostly had this nice womanly curve to them. I had hoped I would have a belly like them… and I do! I like ALL of the curves Dr. Yen gave me. I am also probably the only person in the RealSelf forum that likes the slitty belly button. Lol. I don't feel the need to do the "marble trick" or anything. You might also notice that my scar gets a little thicker and higher right above my pubic area. Since my belly was numb, I didn't realize that I had been pulling the incision apart. I didn't realize it until I went in for my first post-op appointment. Then when it was brought to my attention, I was having a really hard time modifying how I was moving/laying, so I kept pulling it. What you see is the result of that. The scabs on that part of my incision took about a week and a half longer to fall off than the rest of my scabs. It was really thick. I was really thin, all the way into my early 30's - but my body was not perfect. I'm 40, and I'm thin again, but my body is not, nor will it ever be, perfect. This imperfect body is the one I have been happiest in though, even with the stretch marks, and the scar, and… I don't know if you can see it or not, but even with a tiny leftover corner of a tattoo that used to reside on my belly pre-surgery. I think we all want perfection, but I hope if you don't get perfection, you will settle for happiness. Peace out. Updated on 2 Dec 2013: I bought a pair of size 2 jeans today. I'm glad that I'm only going to flatten minimally now. I think a 2 is not something I would ever complain about, and although I have a petite frame and small stature, it's really small still. People have told me that I've "lost too much weight," so I was always self-conscious of being a 4. It seemed to be independent confirmation that, yes everyone, I have lost too much weight. Now I am a 2, but I actually have not lost any more weight. Only a little weight was taken off and I gained it all back over Thanksgiving (yum!) about 2 lbs. So, hey, naysayers! I didn't lose ANY weight at all! I need to ignore those people. I'll never go to a zero. I'll just eat my way back into a 2. Nom nom nom! No sample size for me! Updated on 7 Dec 2013: I'm approximately 5 weeks post-op. I feel really good, can cough, laugh, sneeze with no problems. I can't fully go back to work until I can lift around 20 lbs. I've lifted some of the common items I would lift and I have been ok, but I picked up a box of books today and… ouch, that was one too far. I should be able to return to "full duty" by next week. I have noticed I do not tire as easily. I was concerned that I would not be able to make my hundreds of cookies I usually do for the holidays due to my tiredness, but my energy has REALLY improved, so if I play my cards right, I might be able to pull that off. Only two people at work know what surgery I had done. One of them was like "how much weight did you lose???" Uhm… ZERO! Two weeks ago, when I weighed in, I had lost 1.4 lbs from before surgery. Then there was Thanksgiving, annnnd… well, I weigh exactly the same as I did before the surgery. I never asked my PS how much weight he took off. I can't imagine it was more than a few pounds. I like the way I look, I'm not worried about a number on a scale. Obviously, I don't want it to creep up and up. I weigh every week and watch what I eat closely, so I tend to nip gains in the bud. This is what I weighed in college, but I am 2 sizes smaller. My husband is coming home from the road on Christmas Eve, so we will have a family holiday and hopefully a little bow-chicka-wow-wow ;) since he has been on the road since my surgery, that's quite a dry spell! I think that's the whole update from me. I feel really great. The worst part is that I always feel like there is something heavy setting on my abdomen- it's from the numbness, of which there is a lot. It is getting better- very slowly and gradually, but the numbness is my biggest complaint. I wish I could take a bath too! The thing is that I still have my shower chair, so I can relax a little and let the water flow over me and it is an okay relaxing experience, since I can't soak just yet. I got some of this stuff called Scarguard. I'm hoping it will help with the redness- especially where I pulled the incision apart. You know, I expected the hip-to-hip incision, but what's really bothering me are these wound marks in my pubic area where the drains were! I'm normally bare down there and I was kind of excited for the lift the lady got, but there are these awful purple marks where the drains came out and there are even dots where the stitches were! I hope Scarguard helps those as well. That is all for me. I hope you have had and will have Happy Holidays. :) See you 'round the forum! Updated on 13 Dec 2013: College was a LONG time ago. I worked out like CRAZY in college. At least two hours a day, seven days a week. I had 11% body fat. So, I found pictures of me in a bathing suit from back then… and I now have the belly I had in college again! So, basically, Dr. Yen gave me the absolute best result that was possible. If you are in the Des Moines area, I say give The Iowa Clinic plastic surgery department a call. Not only did I get awesome results, this was the least expensive of all three estimates I got. Updated on 30 Dec 2013: Well, I have not updated in a while, not much to report, really. I have had some bouts with swelling lately. I did not post any pictures of my swelling, because I think everybody would be like "boo-hoo, I WISH that was my swelling!" lol I still fit into all my clothes and everything, it's just a very uncomfortable and "heavy" feeling in my abdomen. I've taken to wearing my binder to bed, because when I lay on my side the heavy feeling is exaggerated and it makes sleep difficult. My binder sure has seen better days, but it works still. My sleep schedule was REALLY thrown off by my recovery. You know, sleeping all day in a chair, sleeping on and off throughout the day. I have always had problems with sleep and that has been the most difficult part of getting back to normal. My doctor says to exercise more and that will help my sleep. So far, I have not been following that advice. :) My husband came home from the road for the first time since my surgery on Christmas Eve. Uhm… I immediately injured my abs with bedroom antics. Haha. It was really freaking painful and has taken me a little while to get back to having non-achy abs. I suppose we should maybe be a little tamer the next time we try. ;) I have been looking online at scar treatments. Vitamin E oil, Scarguard, silicone sheets, Mederma. I think the only studies that have true merit are for the silicone sheets, but I don't wanna wear those. I tried Scarguard liquid (which also has silicone in it), but it doesn't stick to my skin very well. No matter how I clean my skin, I have made sure not to use moisturizing soaps or moisturizer on the scar and wait the appropriate amount of time after application. Still, it peels right off. So, I guess that one is not for me. Most of these studies say that the likely cause of scar improvement is keeping it moist. Like it's not the Vitamin E in the Vitamin E oil, it's actually the oil helping out. So, I came up with my own idea for a scar treatment that I will be trying out. Aveda has this stuff called "Beautifying Composition" oil. It's SUPER great at moisturizing and it doesn't leave an oil slick on your skin, it absorbs right in. Like all Aveda stuff, it's made of botanical extracts. Are any of these extracts supposed to work on scars? Not that I know of. It's just a long term great moisturizing product (that smells wonderful), so I decided I will put that on my scar. I will admit that I believe that if I put nothing on my scar, it would end up the same as if I tried scar treatments. Just hoping to maybe speed it along some. So we will see if my own remedy will help that along. When I get scars, such as the purplish-colored one that adorns my lower abdomen currently, they tend to stick around for a while. I would say past what is considered a normal healing time for most. I also bruise very easily and it takes a long while for those to fade as well. So, I'm just like "what could it hurt?" with the Beautifying Composition. The bonus with that product is that you can use it as a bath oil, massage oil, scalp treatment (try that with Scarguard!), so I'm not really out anything if it doesn't work. I'll probably take some periodic pictures to document my process and post them. Well, tomorrow is New Year's Eve. I hope everybody has a safe and happy New Year and that great things happen for you in 2014! You are starting off the year with a new you, roll that into a whole year of positives! Sometimes I have looked in the mirror and thought "oh… I wish I got lipo…" or "maybe I should have done the whole Mommy Makeover," or I'm poking at something I consider an "imperfection," instead of looking at how far I have come. It is kind of a thinking trap to improve one thing and by doing so, make another undesirable thing stand out more in your head. If you "fixed" that, then it might be that yet another thing is a glaring error. I'm all for body modifications, I've had the tummy tuck, I've got tattoos and piercings… I think it's great as long as you're not chasing some unrealistic ideal in your head. You have to get to a point where you're happy. I vacillate between happy and wanting the unrealistic ideal. I know that soon, I will stop being so silly and be like "helloooo? You look great now for someone who lost 120 lbs!" And I actually REALLY lucked out because in losing the weight, my boobs went from DD's to B's and they do not sag AT ALL. I'll focus on that stuff and stop wanting the lady on the magazine cover. Because there is no plastic surgery procedure called the "Full Photoshop." Celebrate responsibly, my fellow RealSelfers! Updated on 11 Jan 2014: I am 10, almost 11 weeks out. I wanted to post a before & after in the same jeans. Updated on 21 Feb 2014: This picture is me now compared to my last pic, which was about 8 weeks ago. Flatter all the time! I'm super satisfied with my results. I have resumed intensive core workouts, but I don't go past the limits of my body. Next doctor appointment in May, but will update before then. :) Updated on 21 Feb 2014: I thought a front view and one of my scar should be posted. Dr. Yen really sculpted my waist and I think my scar is average. It has gotten lighter. Updated on 3 Apr 2014: So I got my Tummy Tuck 4 months and 27 days ago. It was the most painful thing I've done. I went from dreading having to go to the bathroom, spending my days in the recliner in a Norco-induced haze, to bring severely constipated from said Norco. I went through two rounds of antibiotics, one of which gave me a nasty yeast infection. I wore a binder for three weeks, covered by yoga pants and a zip-up sweatshirt. When the binder came off, I looked at my progress in the mirror and was like "WOW! This was all worth it!" I was super happy at that flatness. Now I'm like "REALLY WOW! This was all worth it!" I went from struggling to walk, to the simplest task making me exhausted, to now working out six days a week with no problems. I used to wince if I had to bend over, getting in and out of bed was a huge challenge. Now I do a complete core workout, even with weights. I did not battle swelling very much, I don't know why. I understand I was lucky that way. I'm out $7,750, but I would spend it again for this. It didn't just make my body look better - it made me feel better about myself, gain more confidence, see myself as sexy again. When people say "why spend so much just to look nicer in clothes?" They do not realize the effect it has. Yes, I wanted to wear t-shirts that didn't have to be baggy, I wanted to wear dresses that didn't have to have ruching in the middle to cover the bulge, I did not want a muffin top anymore. I got all that, but I also gained confidence in myself again, and a more cheerful disposition. When I walk by the mirror, I think "you look good!" Before, I always thought "ugh." I was seriously fixated on my belly. When I was in the bathtub, I thought "gross." Every single picture of myself that I saw, the first thing I noticed was the bulge in the middle, or I was upset that I lost so much weight, but still had to wear baggy clothes. What was all that work for? So when people think a tummy tuck (or any other cosmetic surgery for that matter), is for the sake of vanity, they don't understand the shift it makes in your self-image. Your confidence. I am posting pictures of my progress from beginning to end, starting with the before. I have one set in underwear, and another set in the famous size 4 jeans. The bottom one on that shows how big they are on me now. I want to thank the RS Community for your comments and support. I want to thank everyone who posted their messages of support and comfort on the "November 2013 Tummy Tuckers Check-in Here!" message board, especially mainemom, my Nov 5 buddy :) I pop in on that board now and again, but I'm mostly a lurker. I'll be back to post on the one year post TT forum next November. I'm sure I'll post here and there at one time or another, and I will update my review at that milestone. But I think I've done all I can do here for now. The results of my surgery are complete. There won't be any progress past this stage, so regular updates are unnecessary. Good luck to anyone considering this procedure. If you've got yours scheduled, don't sweat it! I know you are nervous about the scar and the pain, but you will make it through the pain - it doesn't last forever. And the scar? It's just part of my body now, it doesn't phase me to look at it. I do have ink now, and I plan on getting a tattoo on my side soon. People ask "don't you want the tattoo to cover up your scar?" Hell no! It's a badge of honor for me. I worked hard to lose my weight and I went through the pain and healing from this major surgery, I'm badass, and that's one badass scar! Gives me character! It's a symbol of the start of a better and happier me, inside and out. I'm not covering it up. If you're considering it, I say do it! But do it for the right reasons - never because your boyfriend or your best friend says you'd look better if your gut was gone. Do it for you. And pick the RIGHT plastic surgeon, one you "click" with, one with a good portfolio, a good reputation, a good education, and board certification. And talk to more than one of them. I know it is tempting to just try and find someone who can do it for the cheapest price, but would you shop around for discount brain surgery? Probably not. So keep that in mind. Go for quality, not price. Have a nice year, everyone. I will look forward to reading your reviews and updates. xoxo Dayna Updated on 5 May 2014: I had my six month PO appt today. I asked Dr. Yen the burning question you all have been asking me. Why didn't I swell very much? He looked at me like this was the craziest question anyone has ever asked him. Then he said "what do you mean? Post-operatively?" I said "yeah, most people swell a lot." Apparently, he is not aware of swell hell and if it exists, there can't be THAT many people who experience it. So, it is safe to say most of his patients don't swell. Why? I guess we will never know. Sorry I can't give you guys the magic answer here. Updated on 6 May 2014: I just got emailed my before & after pix from my surgeon. These are better than my self-portraits by far! :) he also gave me a picture of the chunks of skin they excised, which I will spare you from seeing. Lol Updated on 6 May 2014: Updated on 25 May 2014: I read a lot of TT reviews, and I see a lot of people buying these long lists of supplies before they go in for surgery. I thought that if I had bought half of those items, it would have been a big waste of money, and I was already spending enough. So, here is the list of things I bought and how useful they actually were: Recliner: yes, I purchased a recliner AND it was very helpful to me. Essential, I would say. BUT... you must also know I had been looking for a reason to buy this recliner for a long time :) I think if you can borrow one, or get a cheap one from the charity shops that maybe doesn't match your decor, but can just get rid of it (maybe give it back to the charity shop after :), you will find that helpful. Now this was helpful for ME. I had to sleep in a V shape for almost a month. In the recliner, I just had to put pillows under my knees. If I was in my bed, I would have a bunch of pillows bunching up in places under my back, I'd be slouching and uncomfortable reading books or watching TV. Plus, I was slow to get out of bed and if the doorbell rang or the dog needed to go potty (time-sensitive issues), the recliner was right next to the front door. It was already going to take longer due to the severely cold winter and I had to get bundled up. So, a recliner was BIG for me. Recliner: essential Button-front nightshirts, zip-up hoodies, front-clasp sports bras (I hate being braless), yoga pants a size larger than normal, and some brief-style (granny) panties. I also had some fuzzy, warm slipper socks, just cuz they make me feel pampered a little :) I already owned a Slanket, I liked to cuddle up in that, but you know, any blankie will do. Easy on/off clothes and blankets: Essential. I got a TV tray to go next to my recliner, it had all my meds, a little clock, a bottle of water, all the remotes, a place where I could charge my phone. Snacks like graham crackers, fruit snacks or an apple or some clementines (fruits that don't need refrigeration), so I had food to eat with my pain meds. TV tray: Very helpful. I got a walker on Craigslist for $20, I would say this had limited usefulness. I used it for maybe two days. It helped me get off the toilet and out of my chair, but I could have really skipped that one. Walker: not helpful I did buy a shower chair. I thought it made things easier, especially having my drains pinned around my neck. It made it less likely that I'd turn around fast or make a sudden move and yank on one of the drains. Plus, I was at a 45-degree angle and that made my lower back hurt a lot. Sitting was nicer. The other thing I liked about it, was that even when it was okay for me to take a shower normally, I could sit in my chair and have the water wash over me and just relax. I love taking baths to relax, but that would be impossible for a while, so this was the next best thing. Shower chair: very nice for the sake of comfort. Essential? Probably not, but comfort is a big thing for a lot of people. For the first 10 days, my husband was with me, after that I was all alone. For the next two weeks, I had my normal pet sitter come every other day to scoop the cat boxes, spend time with the cats and maintain their food and clean out and refill their bowls. That would have been ALL bending over, and bending over was super painful, so I am glad Amy was willing to come over (well, I paid, it wasn't generosity lol). I did have to take care of the dog myself, though. What I found invaluable was a one-handed, long handled poop scoop, so I didn't have to bend over and pick up his droppings, again, no bending. Help with the pets: essential As far as laxative, I started taking MiraLax a few days pre-op and was on a (surgeon-required) liquid diet two days pre-op (and that REALLY cleaned me out). I still ended up constipated. I took Milk of Magnesia, and that didn't help, I was still uncomfortable for a day and a half, so I took what I thought was the "sure thing" (I often call it the "nuclear option" lol) magnesium citrate. Those are the safer kind of laxative that add water to your stool and pass it out by making it softer. But those did not work, and now I was in quite a bit of pain, so I sent my husband out for a stimulant laxative - the kind that forces your colon to contract and push stuff out - pretty harsh on your body. The most famous of the stimulant laxatives being Ex-Lax, which finally did the trick! Laxatives: I think we all know they are ESSENTIAL! My belly button had started to ooze and it became slightly infected, so a box of 50 2"x2" gauze squares and a roll of paper tape were helpful. A couple of little first-aid supplies: helpful The stuff I did not get was any of the bromelain, arnica montana, bio-oil, expensive scar treatments, silicone strips or pads, turmeric, homeopathic, natural remedies, etc. The silicone pads show the most promise for scar treatment, but too expensive for me to justify getting it. And I didn't want to wear scar strips or pads for that long. All the stuff in that list: didn't get any so unhelpful to me YMMV I did NOT buy any compression garments, which turned out to be a really wise choice for me. My Plastic Surgeon took me out of my surgical binder after three weeks and told me not to use any type of CG. I have seen some reviews from PS that they do not use any binder or anything at all post-op, so if you are going to shell out serious dough on those things, make sure you need them. Compression garments: unnecessary (because my doctor said so). My binder started to annoy me after about a week, because it kept bunching up in places. I tried to put a t-shirt between it and my skin and I hated that even more. So, I just had to ride it out. Long T-shirt for between binder and skin: not useful, but I didn't buy one, I used my husband's t-shirt I have been rubbing Aveda Caribbean Essentials body creme and Aveda Beautifying Composition on my scar after every shower (I have always done that, I just put extra on the scar). Can't say with any degree of certainty that they made a difference (but I am super soft :) But now, I have one inch sections of my scar that have totally faded to white/flesh tone. Aveda stuff: necessary if you want to be soft and smell good :) Just remember when you see these lists of things that some people are having a mini-TT, full-TT, TT with no MR, TT with lipo, or an extended-TT or body lift, so it stands to reason that not everybody will all need the same things. Some people are having a large amount of skin taken off and have significant muscle separation, so that will make things different. I had moderate muscle separation and had about a pound of skin taken off, for my reference. There are also a lot of people getting the "Mommy Makeover," so if you aren't having any breast surgery there are things you may not need as well. These are not "one size fits all" surgeries, so the supplies you need are also not standard for everyone. Think about that before you invest in things you do not need. Check reviews of people having a very similar surgery to yours (with your same body type, if they've had kids or not, etc.) and that will probably give you the best idea. Who wants to waste money when you are already paying thousands of dollars for the procedure in the first place? Research: invaluable Updated on 31 Jul 2014: Well, ladies… I don't have a tummy tuck update, per se… my scar is healing at different rates in different places, and there are some parts that have turned white. When the whole thing matures, I can see it will be a thin, white line (except in the middle, where I pulled it apart). I had six tattoos already, and I thought about maybe covering the scar with a tattoo, but anything I could think of makes it look like I have a permanent belt on or a front tramp stamp. I'm short, and it cuts my body in half, it would just be a bad choice for me. I felt like it would be accentuating a place I was trying to draw attention away from. Since it's just going to be a thin, white line, I thought I would do something different and distract the eye away from the scar. This is just the first part of the tattoo (five hours worth), it's going to go down past the scar. We either have to leave a little gap where the scar is or work around it (I have an awesome artist, he will think of something), because it's not healed enough to tattoo over, but I didn't feel like waiting. If we leave a small gap, I will just go back and have it filled in when the scar is mature enough. I just wanted to put what I am doing in this review in case someone else wants to do something to distract from their scar, but doesn't like the "belt" look of a horizontal tattoo. I really had to mush my boob to get this angle. Lol. Updated on 4 Aug 2014: Well, I don't think there is that much of a difference in my side view. I have gained a few pounds since the last pix. I see a lot of ladies on here upset if they sit down and get a little roll over the top of their pants. As you can see by my pictures, I got an excellent result, but I put pictures sitting down and bending over so you can see my belly at those angles. I still get a little roll and you can see I have loose skin right below my solar plexus. Even though a PS can pull your skin tight, he/she cannot repair the elasticity of your skin. It's pulled tighter, but still has laxity. So it can't be 100% perfectly flat at every angle. I used to either put a pillow in my lap or slouch over and cross my arms over my belly when I sat down. Now I won't even do that in a bodycon dress. I put a picture of me when I wore a form-fitting t-shirt pre-surgery. YUCK! I'm glad THAT has gone away, who cares what happens if I bend or sit a certain way? I also have some before & after of my scar. The close-up part of my scar is the middle where I pulled it apart and how that healed. Um… what else? I have never put pictures with the lower half of me totally naked. You can see it's not a smooth transition all the way down my stomach. It's flatter below my scar. There isn't any swelling, that's just the way it's going to be. Oh, and about the numbness… I am pretty much used to the numb feeling in my belly, but the numb area has not shrunk AT ALL since my surgery! Basically hip-to-hip, ribs to mons is completely numb. I really hate when it gets touched, it feels so weird. So, I might end up with a lot of permanent nerve damage. Obviously, time will tell, but you'd think it would have recovered even a little bit! So… I think that's probably what everyone would want to know. Basically, still "Thrilled With My Result!!" lol (I see some of my pictures are uploading really low-res, I might have to re-post) Updated on 17 Nov 2014: Ohhhhkayyyy… well, a year later, I'm happier, healther, and got a little meat on my bones now. It was fun having the same number on the scale that was in high school, but I like myself to have hips, and thighs, and… come on! At least a "B" cup! Wow. Your boobs can really shrink, let me tell you! Anyway, I am about 10-12 lbs heavier than my last pix, and you know what??? All of my pictures have me in some manner of undress! Here is me - fully clothed, in a clingy dress and my favorite heels. :) you know what else? I actually have a head… on top of my neck, and it's not a yellow starburst either!!!!! And… it SPEAKS!!!! I don't think I will be updating this anymore, so I thought I would say bye "in person." To sum up: I'm flat, not like a board (esp after the weight gain :), but no muffin top. Can wear everything I want, which does not include a bikini, because I am 1000% sure I would go walking in the Lazy River or down a water slide and see part of my bathing suit floating serenely at the other end of the pool!!! Or in the case of the river, running away on the "rapids!" My scar is fine, my belly button is round, if I do a plank or a crunch kinda wonky, then my body reminds me someone stitched my ab muscles together last year. I still have a good deal of numbness, never got a dog ear, although, I had a slight bump which is covered by my tattoo. I chose not to cover my scar horizontally, as I don't thinking it would be flattering to me. There was a healed (white, flat) part on my hip that we snaked the tattoo through. Let me tell you something about rib cage tattoos. Everything you have heard about them is correct. Not for the faint of heart or those with a low pain threshold. Mine took 11 hours. Yikes. Go big or go home, I guess! I guess that's it. All good, super happy I did it, if you're reading this in a Norco-induced haze, just look at me a year later all walking upright and in pre-op jeans! I always kind of wondered about some of the people on here. I wonder if what I am really like matched to what you thought, so I thought a video send-off would be fun! You guys have made this journey wonderful! Thanks! xx Updated on 18 Nov 2014: Probably because I wasn't showing my face, but a lot of people say I look so different in my face that I am not recognizable. Probably a bit of an exaggeration on their part! You be the judge! This is me at my heaviest, before I started doing Weight Watchers.