Flat tummy!! So Excited! - Calgary, AB

I am going with Dr. Paul Whidden. I've heard fantastic things about his tummies!! Plus I love his bellybuttons. I only had a consult with him. DH and I liked him right away, we didn't feel pressured to use him (even though all his office staff are very convincing sales people!). I spent a lot of time basically harassing surgical secretaries from all over southern Alberta before deciding on Dr. Whidden... lol! I would have liked to use a doctor who does their surgery's at the hospital, so then I could choose to stay longer if I felt I needed too. But other things were more important to me... like pretty belly buttons...lol! I also liked very much that he didn't want to perform multiple procedures at the same time. There is a lady (a RN) who rents out a condo for cosmetic surgery patients! Plus you can hire her to give you 24hour care, if you desire. I'm going to hire her for the first day after surgery. I'll do two nights if I think I need it at the time. She will even pick you up from the clinic, if you want. She stocks the fridge full of easy recovery groceries. Could be even better than the hospital!! The only reason I'm staying so long there is because I actually live south of Calgary, and the ps suggested not driving home until after my first post-op appt. with him. Which Dr. are you going to use?!

I am leaning towards dr. DeHaas because of wonderful things I've heard about him (although my first consult with him is the beginning of May). I'll look up Whidden now though! May 30th is really soon since your consult was just a couple of weeks ago. Congrats!

Can i ask what the fees are for the recovery condo and hiring the nurse? I believe his TT are around 12K?...that's comparabel to Banff... The belly button is important! I agree! do you have a date?? I have a date and have put a down payment down...but I still waffle...I'm a scaredy cat!

DeHaas was quoting around $8000 for a TT. I know someone who had it done by him last week and she looks amazing. He won't show before and after shots... Patient privacy etc. but you can bring your own and he can let you know what is realistic. The recovery house sounds kind of cool. I'm interested in checking that our some more.

I wanted to get a consult with Dr. DeHaas, but when I called there was a super long wait to see him!!! It was going to be 6 months just to get a consult, then the secretary told me it could be up to a year before surgery. There was just too many factors that were unknown for us, I couldn't plan 18 months ahead of time! I do believe that these things shouldn't be rushed, and that you should wait for the best possible Dr., however... my husbands work schedule is unpredictable, plus there's talk of us being transferred out, plus my mum was available to fly out for the month to help with our children. So I needed to find someone who had surgery available in May. Plus I wanted to be home recovering during the summer, instead of waiting for school to start again. How long did you have to wait to get a consult?? I also know someone who had a tt with him, and she looks amazing! She loved him!

Oh... here's the website for the recovery condo. www.recoverycareltd.com if you wanted to take a look!

I booked the consult on Feb 1st and have to wait until may 2nd to meet with him. It could be another 6 months after that for the actual TT. I must admit that I'd much rather do the surgery in May! But I also had a consult with Dr. Lindsey and I was told the same time span from them so I thought it was something they were all doing and didn't realize another dr. could offer it sooner so I stopped looking. Was your friend that went to dr. DeHaas nervous about the fact he doesn't show before and after images? You look tiny everywhere except for your tummy skin so I think you are going to look amazing! Plus, you are ten years younger than I am so your recover will probably go really well too!

That recovery care website looks like a great idea! How much have they quoted you a night?

I decided to go with Dr. Paul Whidden. Loved his tummies, and his belly buttons even more! Who are you seeing for consults??

I've put a down payment with hall findlay in Banff....but I'm considering going to Whidden too...I've seen his belly buttons and they look great! I do want lipo done at the same time and Hall Findlay will do that and you have it at a hospital that you can stay at for 2-4 nights....my friend had one last year and said this was great....but I hadn't heard of a recovery condo....hall Findlay is 12,600$...nearly 3000$ more than last year! what does Paul Whidden charge?

I've heard she does wonderful work!!! I asked Whidden about lipo on my flanks, which I'm worried will come out looking 'fatter' then the rest of my stomach when I come out of surgery, and he said he's very confident that he can pull everything tight enough that I won't have a problem, but that he would go back in, with no added surgeon fees to do some lipo if I still wanted. So I'm alright with that answer. Plus, it would only be fat left over, not loose skin, so I'm sure some dedication with a good diet plan could probably solve the problem too... maybe..! Dr. Whidden is just under $12000. Plus since we actually live 2 hours south of Calgary, I'm going to stay at the recovery condo for the first few nights. The price for that is only $120/night, so basically the same (if not cheaper) than staying at a nice hotel. The fee for having the nurse there to care for you is about $500/ night. I felt it was reasonable, especially if you break it down it's only about $20 an hour. She is wonderful, and said that she'll teach my husband how to care for me and that we could call her for any reason, even after we went home. I considered Dr. H-F but it was an even further drive for us, and I believe her bellybuttons have the incisions on the exterior... I was just already sold on the no visible bb scars. I'm booked for May 30th... and I'm half paid for. My dh thinks we'll be raffling off a free tummy tuck mid-May to one of my friends, he think's I'm going to chicken out! I still don't know that I won't!!!!