Mommy Makeover - Chicago, IL

Wow -- I can't believe 3 1/2 months have passed since my surgery. I have been doing very well with no setbacks. My incisions continue to improve. I am still using Bio Corneum twice daily. I have lost a total of 15 pounds since surgery day. I am 2 or 3 pant sizes (depending on the brand). I went down two dress sizes. I am back at the gym five days a week. Still taking it easy with weights but doing most of the machines I did before my surgery. All restrictions have been lifted!!

I still have twitches here and there in my breasts. I still have no feeling around my belly button. I really don't have pain in my stomach area but I do feel pressure, here and there, when laying completing flat or trying to get up from a sleeping position. I really feel 100% back to normal. My swelling if very minimal!! If I'm up and on my feet all day and have been really busy I will swell towards the end of the day but like I say it is very minimal. My body seems to continue to change, for the better......I'm excited to see how I look in six months. I do feel like food and portion control will play a big factor in terms of results in the future. I went for my yearly physical and my doctor told be not to lose anymore weight!!!

No regrets. I love shopping!!!! Went on a trip and wore a bikini for the first time since I was in high school.

I really took it easy in the first eight weeks of recovery. I ate very well and rested. I also did a lot of walking (slow pace) and drank tons of water. I believe this really helped with my results.

Thanks Dr. Niki.......you did an amazing job!!

Thought I give a little update. Still doing well. I have no pain -- just little shocks and pulling sensations here and there. I do tend to swell up a little towards the end of the day, especially when I have been on my feet. I feel the swelling is pretty minor. I have a little tightness around my belly button and that is about it. I have been doing scar therapy on my TT Scar and Breast Scars. The doctor recommended BioCorneum plus SPF 30. You have to put it on twice daily. I believe it was $150.00 dollars but it will last for 3 months. You only use a very small amount. It dries in 4 or 5 minutes then you continue with your day! I also rub coconut oil all over my stomach after I shower. I think my scars are healing beautifully......I still wear my compression garment around the clock. I have three of them. I also wear a sports bra around the clock. I do have some swelling still on the side of my breasts, but not as much as a few weeks ago. My energy level is improving. I have resumed all daily activities but I am still very careful not to lift anything over ten pounds. I take breaks during the day and relax so I don't over due anything. My hubby still goes grocery shopping with me:) I really decorate the house for the holidays and this year I finally let my family help. We got up two of my three tress over the weekend. I'm driving and quit using a pillow over my belly about two weeks. I still sleep with two pillows under my head and one under my knees. I have been exercising but not over doing. Walking on the treadmill for 30 to 45 minutes. I have started to lift weights - only three and five pounds doing bicep and tricep work. I'm used to a lot more weight, but I really want to take it slow so I don't have any setbacks. I am so very happy with my results and I have absolutely no regrets. I'm still down ten pounds since my surgery. Pretty happy with my weight. I bought a new pair of my favorite jeans and I had to get a size zero. There is some stretch in the jeans so I might not be a zero in another brand LOL Looking forward to going on vacation in January.....

I have thought about a Mommy Makeover for over five years. Fear kept me from truly moving forward. At 56 years old I finally realized it is now or never. I was a thin kid and young adult. I put on a lot of weight with my two children. I finally lost the weight and got healthy. I have maintained a healthy lifestyle for over five years.

I am the type of person who does a lot of research. I went on four consultations. But I knew immediately, when I met Dr. Christopoulos, that I had found the doctor for me. She was very open, warm and thorough. As she examined me, she explained, in detail what she was doing and what needed to be done. A few days after meeting her, I had some questions and she called me and we talked on the phone. I really appreciated that she took the time out of her busy schedule to call me. I called and scheduled my procedure - Bilaterial Breast Lift/Reduction of Right Breast and Tummy Tuck with Liposuction. She also did Liposuction on the sides of my Breasts. I had the surgery at an out patient Surgery Center. My pre-op went well. All final questions were answered, prescriptions given and all final consent forms signed. The doctor took my before pictures (which I will put up, when I figure out how). I did get approval from my general doctor. I also had a MRI of both breasts because breast cancer, runs in my family. As the day approached my nerves were running high. I kept myself busy with preparing food and my home, for recovery. As I stated, I do a lot of research so I was very prepared for the recovery. The night before, I don't think I slept much. We had to be at the Surgery Center at six a.m. for a seven a.m. surgery. The Surgery Center was also very good. I filled out my medical history on-line, several weeks before the procedure. They called and went over everything and answered any questions or concerns I had. The day before in the a.m. they called with my arrival time. Once I got there, things went really fast. I don't think I waited more than five minutes before being called back. My hubby brought me and they let him come back after I was all prepped. I never had anesthesia before. This was one of the things I was most nervous about. They were all wonderful. Everything was explained. They gave me additional medications, because I get motion sickness and nausea. The doctor showed up and marked me up with "sharpies" and off we went. She chatted as she marked me up to keep me calm. They wheeled me into the surgical site and that is the last thing I remember:) The surgery was around four hours. I did not get sick afterwards but was very sleepy. I don't remember much about coming home. I lived very close to the surgical center which was a bonus.

My recovery has been remarkably easy. I took a total of eight pain pills. Never had a constipation problem. After the first night I could get up by myself to go to the bathroom. My throat was very dry for the first couple of days. I drank tons of water. After three days, I switched to Tylenol. I really haven't needed many though. I came home with two drains. One was removed seven days after and the other one fifteen. They really didn't both me too much. I came home in a surgical bra and abdominal wrap. They have provided me with all my post surgical garments, which is great so I didn't have to think of what to buy and the sizing. The next morning I had to go downtown (50 minutes) to see doctor. Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I slept most of the way there. She unwrapped everything - said it all looked good, bandaged me back up and gave information to me and hubby on what to do/expect for the next week or so. This is one of the things I like about Dr. Niki. I felt like she only gives you enough information to get you through the next period of healing. I really appreciated this because I never felt overwhelmed by information. I saw her a week later and so on.

Recovery Tips:
The only things I needed was an electric recliner. I believe this really helped with my recovery. I slept in it for the first three weeks until I felt ready to sleep in my bed. I was in really good shape before the surgery which I think helped too. I never used a walker. I do use a grabber stick for things I can't reach and picking things up that I seem to drop on the floor. I prepared low sodium soups for the first few days. I didn't have much of an appetite the first few weeks. I am down ten pounds from the day of surgery. All my jeans and pants are already to big on me:) I eat a pretty low sodium diet which I think helps with the swelling. I do have swelling, more towards the end of the day, but I don't feel it is a big issue. I also had the support of my family. My husband waited on me hand and foot for the first week. I am know 4 1/2 week post op and he still waits on me:) I have started to drive (around town only). Feeling comfortable with that. From the day after surgery, I walked every hour, if not more around my house. Within a week I was walking outside for ten to fifteen minutes, a few times a day. Starting at week four I have been walking on a treadmill for twenty minutes everyday. I feel like my old-self, except I get tired still, but that gets better everyday.

I had two c-sections and I felt my c-sections were harder to recover than this. I have twitches, little electric shocks, etc but no real pain. My biggest issue is "boredom". I am very active and it has been hard to sit still. I have an entire basket of magazines and books to keep my mind occupied.

I am loving my results!! They are incredible and I am very confident that they will continue to change and improve over the coming months. I'm excited to see the final result. I believe my recovery and pain level are all due to the fact that I picked the right doctor. My hats off to Dr. Christopoulos. I only wished I would have done this sooner....