Mommy Makeover Here I come Charlotte, NC

Hi everyone! I am a mommy of 4 beautiful children (22,13,4,1). 5'5 135lbs and I am a 34 saggy A :( During breastfeeding I was a nice 34DD or D which I loved! Each time I prayed against it but each time they deflated seemingly more and more. I have had 4 c-sections and breastfed 3 of the 4 of them for approximately 2 years each!

Every since my first I always knew I wanted to get them fixed because they were shot after the very fist pregnancy. My tummy on the other hand was "ok" after 1 I still returned to a 24 inch waist and I felt good about it. Then I had the second one and with each one my tummy just got a little more "different." So I have now decided that the time is right! The time is NOW!

I was considering only getting my boobs done because I have been thinking about that for years. I still have my consult papers from an appointment I went to back in 1995! I just didn't have the cash then. Recently, now that I am finished having kids, I have been thinking about getting a tummy tuck...mainly because since I have had 4 c-sections my tummy kind of hangs over where I was cut at. So no matter how tiny I get, I still have my automatic fat roll. That's the name I coined it. So when I wear fitted dresses you see a tiny roll and that irritates me because I work hard on my body. I workout 4-5 times per week and I want to be fit. Not to mention that I have had saggy boobs for 22 years since my first daughter was born. And I always feel self conscious on the rare occasions that I do say "forget it" and wear a bikini.

There are some things that I want to do that I was never able to do. 1. Wear a bra top with my workout pants 2. Go braless just for one day! 3. Feel good in a bikini! 4. Wear a bra without padding!!! These things may sound silly for some, but others know exactly what I mean! I have never had this privilege because I started my family at a very young age. And I just want to do it. For once I want to feel good in my tops. My body isnt proportioned because I am a saggy A cup and my hips is a 38 so I always feel like I dont look as good as I could so I figure why not! I am done having kids so DO IT!!!

I have been searching around for the "right" plastic surgeon for me. I have been on soo many consultations that I have lost count but I think its 5 and I went to see one twice. She may be the one I just feel like I need another opinion from a more experienced doctor. I think its been hard because I am getting soo many services at once. NOw if it was just a BA and L then I could find a good breast surgeon but seeing as though I am looking into doing all of this together I need to be sure to choose carefully. I'd like to have my surgery done early February but the longer I wait the further out I am going to have to push it out : ( This process is getting to be soo frustrating because I want it done NOW!!! WHile I have the money, the time off, the decision made and before I have a chance to get scared and talk myself out of it. I have been through those bouts of feeling guilty and saying this is a lot of money to spend on myself when I have a family yada yada yada! Also I was freaking out about being put to sleep for 5 plus hours, etc.

I heard of valium after the procedure but heck I feel like I need one now just to make it through to surgery! I was soo upset today I got emotional. On Real Self I just found 2 new and final doctors to consult with and after that I am done. However, I can't get in to see them for a month! With one of them it was the day I picked for my surgery! : ( Sometimes I wonder if I should just go with the lady I have and just call it quits! I feel confident in her breast job but not so much in my TT. Plus I think she may not hear me asking for D's she said she will get it as close as she could. But I want D's! Well I do feel ok with her TT, but I feel like I can have more confidence. Plus I had a bad experience with a lady doctor so I usually go for a man (no periods, no hormonal imbalances). I have my days so they are entitled to theirs too right? Then I hear people say you will KNOW when you meet your doctor you will get a feeling. I haven't got that feeling yet although I do like this lady!

I get excited after I talk to every doctor especially when they tell me how great I will look after. I think I am just excited about the results and having the actual procedure done not so much the doctors I've seen. I am still dealing with the fact that I will be put under (using propofol what MJ died from- improper use though but still) and the fact that I will be sleep for 5 or more hours! That's almost a whole nights sleep for me. So I am working through that part but I want it so bad I will be ok.

I almost can go without the TT but I just feel like it will be super awesome. I just want to be ready for bikini season! After 22 years I will finally get to wear an un-padded bra. Just thinking about the after makes me soo excited. That's why I just want to get there! I am not looking forward to the recovery and just wonder if its worth all the trouble seeing as though I am not "that bad" whatever "that" is! I am hoping to get pain pump on bothmy boobs and my tummy to keep me comfortable. What will I tell my family? I really dont want anybody to know. I have only told a couple of my CLOSE friends and my sister as I am a very private person anyway. My husband is ok with it because he knows how bad I want it, but he is not excited by a long shot. He is really doing it for me. I bet you he will LOVE the result so I cant wait to post that once its done. I look forward to posting pic's. But first I look forward to finding my surgeon and locking in my date.

I am not sure if I should wait for these other two surgeons. One is Raleigh Durham area and I am in Charlotte so that's a 3 hours drive just for a consult AND he charges for his consults too. They ave a 3 step process for out of towners so I start step one tomorrow. Step 2 and 3 wont be until Feb as well. The other consult I am waiting on is on Feb 13th, he charges AND its about a 45 minute to an hour drive from my house. This female PS is very close to my house so that's a big plus. Ok so this is why i am thinking of just going with her. But I am just windering about "that feelng" that yu are supposed to get when you meet the one! This is really weighing heavily on me. I am soo excited about surgery and want to learn as much as I can so I have been stalking these forums all day everyday. Its the first thing I do when I wake up and teh last think I do before I go to sleep. It's really taking over my life and I spend most all waking moments doing some research or on a forum reading!

Boy I will be glad when this is over. I am beginning to think the more you see the more confused you get. I have gotten quotes from 10k-20k. From over the muscle to under, from smooth to textured, from a full to a mini, benelli to full anchor, from all stretch marks will be gone to not quite all of them. Man I have been told so many different things my head is spinning! Once iI get my date I will be soooooooo happy it will be a big relief. Ok I will update again once I speak to the next surgeon or before if more comes up before then. This is my booby journey and I plan to post everything here from searching for a doc to perform my surgery to post op pictures. I hope to read this one day when this is all over and I can look down at my boobies and my belly and say it was ALL worth it!

Yesterday was challenging. I got called in for a cancellation from this surgeon I wanted to consult with. I was excited to get in to consult with him. This was my first time having to pay a consultation fee and I paid $200 for the consultation. This $ doesn't go towards surgery at all : (
Well I was just happy to get in because my appointment was Feb 17th just for a consult. I was hoping to have my surgery in February. So anyway I went and the office was nice people seemed to be nice too just average no real going out of the way. Maybe I am just picky. smh.
So the appointment went will I feel this surgeon has a lot of experience and I do feel as though I'd be comfortable with him.
Since this is consult #6 I am really running out of patience with this process but if you want it to be right and feel good about your choice I guess this is what you just gotta do!
I liked his approach to let me choose versus the other surgeon was saying more of I'll see if I can get to your desired size but I am certain we can get close. I can always demand with her that I want 450 cc's I guess. Maybe I was being a little passive.
So anyway I was soo disappointed to find out 1. The next available surgery date is in April AND the quote nearly caused me to hyperventilate and pass out all at the same time! I thought surely there was a mistake but nope my mommy makeover consisting of BA, BL, TT came to be 27k!!!! As you may remember I have gotten quotes from as low as 10k- now 27K. I am beginning to think that maybe I should just do my breasts and suck it up. I can't believe the cost from this surgeon! I liked everything about him and what he recommended for me EXCEPT the fact that he said I needed to have a hip to hip scar. I have meet with so many I had about 3 tell me just a short scar will produce GREAT results just what I wanted all my stretchmarks to be gone and that c-section pouch! So I am not sure if I should pay ALL this EXTRA money for a surgeon who doesn't even have my surgery date available (which means I will have to wait longer and this wait is killing me or at least I feel like it is) , he's is 10k more and will leave me with a longer than desired scar. I wish I could just be sure this the lady doc I seen twice so far will do what she says but then how do you ever REALLY know! There is no guarantee about the 10K extra surgeon either. Decisions, decisions...
I kinda feel like since she's a lady she understands about having a short scar it appears that she will do a special technique. I don't know why I need hip to hip anyway because I have no fat on the sides just this extra skin and belly pooch from having 4 c-sections!
Sometimes I wonder if I should even torture myself with a TT. From a distance I am fine but I would like to feel confident in a bra top or a bikini at the beach so maybe I will do it I just hope its all worth it thought. I very concerned about the recovery. AT first I used to think about not making it through the surgery and never seeing my hubby or kids again but I think I am passed that. I attribute that to reading all these success stories on here. Now I am just concerned about the recovery and the discomfort for a result that is not a huge difference. If I can get what they are telling me I can get then I am cool with proceeding. I just want to make sure I wont have any complications. I realize that there are no guarantees in surgery so just keeping it all in perspective has been hard for me. I also want to make sure that surgery happens incident free. I feel that with doing so much its hard. Maybe I am just thinking to much!!! Then the selfish feeling creeps up on me...
I;m getting so discouraged and I don't know if it will ever happen. : ( I wish I just knew the answer, the right decision to make. I am pretty much doing this alone. My husband who is usually pretty supportive doesn't really seem to care much about this surgery and that's been hard for me. Because I haven't told too many people and I feel like I am all alone at times. He doesn't think I need this and thinks I am fine the way I am. I get that...but I want this for ME! I feel as though I will feel better about myself for once. Its been 22 years since I didn't have stretchmarks and thats hard in itself. I got pregnant at a very young age as I am only 37, so I feel like i just never had the chance to do it at all. I've always had a mommy body!
Oh I forgot to mention that my husbands best friend is a PS (board certified) and he told me he would do the surgery for me with only his expenses. That means I would be looking at only 4-6k and I thought that was awesome. But I don't think he does a lot of what I want- a mommy makeover. He has done then but I really do want a highly experienced surgeon to perform my surgery.
Anyway more to come later. Yesterday after the appointment I was in such a blah mood. I want this done now and I feel like I am just spinning my wheels. Thats me though once I decide to do something no matter what it is buy a house, car, outfit, go on a vacation whatever...I jump right on it and make it happen. Since I haven't been able to do that in this process is really bothering me. I am going to try to hang on in here. I hope my husband comes around. I can tell he is only doing for me but I'd like for him to be excited too or at least act like it! I want to be able to share my excitement and talk to him about it but due to the fact that I feel he is not interested I feel like why even bother! Especially on the days I'm discouraged. Which seems to be a lot now days.
Well I have one more consult scheduled for tomorrow that I've had for months so I may just go ahead and go for the heck of it but at this point I am soo done with consults!
The good thing about yesterday is that I did choose a size I think I like. 450 silicone. Oh wait... I am just thinking...I wonder if this other surgeon (the lady) does subfascial placement? That's what I've decided on that will be best for me based on all my research. Oh my if thats the case then Ill be back to the drawing board!! Because I was just thinking she may be the best bet. I do like the fact that she is close. Oh my.....Calgon take me away! I am soo not enjoying this part! I hope it gets better!

Ok I consulted with a surgeon my friend went to years ago for BA. Hevwas very nice and I liked the fact that youvstayed overnight automatically when getting a tummy tuck.

When talking about my BA he asked me what size and I said I want a D cup small to mid but nit a full D. He looked surprised and said I don't think you can do a D?? What I've been to many other consults and I thought that was weird. What do you mean you think I should get a C. Well actually he said we like C's!" Huh? No one else really told me that. Maybe he's seeing something other docs don't see I dint knw but that was a turnoff. So back to the drawing board. On Monday I'm consulting with Dr. K and on Tuesday Dr. E. Then I hope I have my surgeon!

I really like Dr. C so far. But I'm not happy she doesn't do subfascial placement. She said it wouldn't be good for me because my skin is thin. I'm concerned about the animation if I go completely under so we will see what these other two docs say. She's my top #1 right now mainly because she said she could give me superb results with just a mini scar with is only 2 inches more than my c-section scar! I thought that was awesome. Obey 2 docs said that outta 7 so far! Or is it 6 I'm loosing count. Anyway I love it because scar will be small and I don't want hip to hip as I don't think I need it. My tummy isn't that bad. If she would do my BA subfascially I would probably just go with her. She doesn't do the pain pump but I'm going to push for that!
All these different opinions and approaches is getting confusing.

I'm really curious about this no drain thing as I think thevdrains will gross me out I have a weak stomach but if I have to do the drains I will. Dr. E doesn't the no drain technique so I'm looking forward to seeing him on Tuesday.

Well I'll report back on Monday after my appointment then again on Tuesday. I hope one or both can do the short scar with subfascial. If not, then it's here in writing that I am not going to anymore consults. I made a consult appt with Dr. F on the 12th but I'm hoping to be already scheduled by then. This is driving a sista freaking crazy. If they don't do the short scar then I'm definitely going to Dr. C I'll deal with the implants completely under the muscle this short scar is worth it.