52, 5 Kids, 2 C-section Later. Tummy Tuck, BA, LIpo ABD, Flanks, Chin

Tomorrow is my pre-op appointment for my Mommy Makeover which will include a tummy tuck, breast augmentation and lipo of abdomen, flanks and chin. I'm usually a private person, but I know these reviews really help, they are the reason I finally said YES!
I have been toying with the idea for years. Like many of you, I’d been wrestling with whether it was worth the money. For instance, I need a new car… it would pay for a year of one of my kid’s college… my deck is falling apart, etc. I’ve also wrestled with worry about recovery. After reading so many RealSelf accounts, I’m scared about the pain and helplessness that accompanies recovery. If you’ve had kids then you know what it’s like to be poked and prodded, pinched and pulled, needled and noodled, but does it prepare you for this? Meh? I’ve also been wrestling whether I should just accept my body as it is. After all, so many modern female voices tell us that all of this sagging and pulling is just our battle wounds from age and childbearing and we should wear it with pride. But, I have come to realize that this is verbose baloney as we watch major sports magazines give women’s awards to men after they get a boob job and lipo. Society doesn’t revere or favor the aging, sagging, matronly female figure. I’m also tired of lifting up my gut to touch my toes during yoga, or having my leggings sag under my gut and my t-shirt stretch over my gut when I run. Plus, Ladies, doesn't it feel like your insides are trying to flop out. I also hate how my breasts ooze out of a non-underwire bra or how they get pinched under my arm when I lay on my side. Right? I know it’s not just me.
I have reconciled all of those issues, finally. First, if our sagging and pooching IS just a biproduct of age and life, then WHY NOT get it corrected? Would I ever not get knee surgery because knee degradation is just a biproduct of life? Hysterectomy? Root canal? No, if I would have all those corrective procedures, even though they are simply caused by life, why wouldn’t I get this done? So, I am going into this procedure with no guilt, the same as if I was going to get hip surgery. What about the Money…I love my current car, I’ll just treat it better so it lasts longer, my kids need to work more on their own for money, and finally, about that deck... It can wait. Now what about the Pain? EEEESHHH. I’m relying on the doctor’s experience to make this as pain free and awesome as they can, this ain’t their first rodeo.
What does my husband think? He does get a say in this, after all, it's his money, too. He has been against it from the beginning. He occasionally texts me articles on botched breast augs and longterm breast implant complications. But, he’s a sweety, who is risk averse, still thinks I’m hot and is maybe worried that if something happens to me he won’t know where his favorite tie is, or where we even bank at, or who the kids’ piano teacher is.
So... thanks to the societal pressures and but mostly to the real discomfort that comes from having this gut, here we go!!!

The Pre-Op was what I expected, though weird because everyone was in masks. I paid the rest of my $$$ and signed the different releases. They took my blood pressure, which was good, I was surprised because I took the stairs. They went over the plan, which was very simple, show up early, have surgery, wake up from anesthesia and go home. I brought up my concern about pain management and the assistant said that it should be manageable with the scripts I got. They gave me a script for pain, an antibiotic and an anti-emetic.

I got to spend some time picking out implant sizes. I lost a bit of weight on the Keto diet, but it made my breasts drop at least one size. I don't want to gain 20lbs so I can get my boobs back so I'm going with implants. I basically brought one of my old bigger bras and tried on implants until it filled the bra with a tad extra for little cleavage. I like to run 5ks and work out so I didn't want anything too big. I went with the 365-375. They said they would put in what looked best for symmetry. One side is bigger than the other so we will see what goes in.

Then I had to go get my Covid test. So all in all pretty easy. Counting down!!!

SO since my pre-op appointment, I've spoken 2 women who have had this procedure. They both said it was the WORST recovery ever! They both had C-sections and they said it was way worse. They were very colorful in their descriptions of the horror that is recovery. One of them said they started off with Delaudid and that Percoset wasn't going to do a thing. She suggested I the doctor for a few days of that. Needless to say, I was now in scared mode. Great, night before, can't back out now.
I was so nervous that I evacuated my bowels 4 times. I am so clean now I won't have a BM for days and days.
I'm lucky that my BFF is coming in from out of town to help me so my husband can work. I need someone to drive my daughter to work and basically run the house while I'm down. Luckily, her daughter was one of the women I talked to about the TT so she knows what expect in helping me. In fact as soon as she showed up she started rearranging furniture to be walker friendly, set up a small table next to my recliner. And then we went on a pillow search, apparently I need a tall firm pillow for under my knees, support in my chair for my lower back, pillows for my supporting my arms, a firm pillow for my tummy.... Whew. I had not planned on getting a walker but after talking to those women and remembering the good advice on this board, that a walker is helpful. So the plan now includes sending my husband to Goodwill for a walker.
I didn't sleep a wink I was so nervouse now. I got up at 4:30 because we are over an hour away and my appt was at 6:15.
But as I was trying to find clothes to wear, just to the hospital mind you, not ballroom dancing, and I resorted to my leggings and frumpy shirt, I realized why I really need this surgery. When you can't really even wear regular clothes without discomfort and finding clothes is a pain...it's time. I was nervous but I know this is what I have to do. After all, I asked the two girls if they would do it again even if it was bad recovery and they both said yes!