48 y.o. Mom of 2 ~ LipoTuck ~ Drainless Tummy Tuck with Diastasis Recti Muscle Repair and Lipo

We shall soon see... I am very confident that I will love my results. Surgery is in 5 days! I saw my surgeon's website on a billboard, started researching and have been impressed by what I've read and watched. Felt good going into my consultation and even BETTER leaving my consultation! I am READY!
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I’m beginning this pre-op “review” in hopes that sharing my journey may help someone else and that journaling my experience will one day remind me of where I am now (& in the future to look back at where I’ve been, prayerfully feeling better about myself after a successful experience). Honestly -- mortified to share photos. :( Opening up to such vulnerability. While like most, we spend time posting to social media only THE BEST pictures “at the right angle” “of our good side”, it’s embarrassing to “show all” here in this community, especially “featuring” our problem areas! But other people’s posts I’ve seen with photos have been MOST helpful to ME & I’m so thankful for the transparency displayed here on realself.com!! So glad a friend shared this site with me! I had my consultation with my surgeon and feel VERY confident in him & his staff. I literally saw my surgeon’s billboard while out of state for a wedding & began researching immediately. This might be the first time I’ve ever contacted a business from a billboard, but I was SO impressed and I’m SO glad I did! I read and watched everything about my surgeon I could find. Dr. Ahmadi has a reputation for, and prides himself on, being a perfectionist. My surgery is scheduled on Tues, Aug 21st – in five days – for drainless tummy tuck, diastasis recti muscle repair and lipo of my abdomen, hips, back, flanks, axilla, pubis, & left outer thigh. I'm EXCITED more than nervous... glad my surgeon & his staff have prepared me for "the nerves" I will likely have with a day & a half medicine regimen pre-surgery. To share what my greatest fear would be, I would say it is to go through of all this and pay for this procedure, and to then end up gaining weight back and regretting it. Worse than that though is to have this opportunity, not take it and always wish I would have. I have purchased everything on my pre-surgery shopping list… I guess I'm as prepared as I can possibly be. I'm ready to get past the actual surgery & the first few days. Praying for the best possible outcome and then for me to do my part, that which I can control. A little about me... I'm a 48-yr-old mother of two, 22 & 18... oldest by C-Section, youngest by VBAC. I've wanted "tummy work" since the birth of my children but everything else took priority. The timing now is perfect! My husband just wants me to be happy. Wishing everyone THE BEST along your journey to a better version of YOU! I’m ready to be on the “I’m so glad I did” side!!

O. My. Goodness. I’m so excited!! Dr. Ahmadi & his staff are SO thorough. I’ve gathered my necessities... I’m ready to pack tomorrow. We leave for Texas tomorrow/Sunday afternoon. Marking appointment is Monday. Surgery is Tuesday!!! Check out my shopping list. Except for bottled water which we have plenty of & my 8 oz cup, I think almost everything else is PICTURED. My surgeon has thought of LITERALLY everything... even an 8 oz cup to make urinating easier to avoid having to sit/stand anymore than necessary. (If Amazon Prime can get it to me by Tuesday, I may end up getting a “GoGirl” device which I’ve just learned of — helps a girl pee in the potty while standing.) I had a c-section for my oldest and understand the pain of standing/sitting anymore than necessary. Just having to walk frequently at first will be enough.

Here’s my shopping list: Hibiclens, Q-Tips, Alcohol, smooth cotton Tank Tops, front closing Sports Bra, lightweight zippered House Robe, flat slip-on Shoes, Underpads (to protect bedding, car & chairs), Maxi Pads & Medical Tape (for my maxi-pad “belt” which will cover my incision line to absorb excess fluid), gauze pad squares to absorb fluid from lipo openings, PRESCRIPTIONS!!!, Bacitracin Zinc Ointment, Grocery Items for pre-surgery “liquid diet day”: water, Gatorade, Apple Juice, Broth, Grocery Items for post-surgery bland diet (until I have BM): Chicken Noodle soup, dry toast, crackers, plain mashed potatoes.

Based on other reviews, I added milk of magnesia just in case Colace doesn’t do the trick. I’ll ask my Dr first before using it. I also added Tylenol & Tylenol PM in case of pain after/if pain meds run out & I still need relief... and my fan... extra pillows for propping under knees & back, my iPad for easy access to RealSelf, Nextflix & social media post-surgery. Peroxide will be only in case of blood-type stains to use on clothes before laundry. On a funny note — I need to remember to tell my husband, mom, sister-in-love & aunt who will be taking care of me in the days & first couple weeks following my surgery to be sure I DO NOT post on social media while medicated!!! LOL!!

Hope these shopping list items help someone else. If I’m missing anything or you’d like to make suggestions, please feel free! Anyone else along this journey... I am wishing you THE BEST!!

Oh how hard to look at... yuck!! I’ll be glad when all this excess is gone. I’d rather live in abundance in other areas of my life... NOT LIKE THIS!!

Also ADDED “under chin area” to tomorrow’s procedure!!!

GOT TO GET TO SLEEP!! Big day is tomorrow!!!
Hope everyone else is doing GREAT!!