DONT GO TO THIS DR!!! Davenport, IA

First off, anyone that is even remotely thinking of going to Dr. Van Raalte ...DONT GO!!!
All he cares about is getting your money. As soon as he got my money (and I paid in cash by the way) he stopped treating me with any kind of respect! I stated in prior updates that I felt a "pop" happen in my abdomen 3 weeks after the surgery and my stomach was sticking out, he told me that he thought it was just a fat pocket and that it was from too much pizza and donuts. Then he told me that I need to lose weight. I had already lost 30 pounds after the surgery and if it was a fat pocket.. Isn't that what I just paid you 10,000 dollars to remove!!!
Anyway, over re next few year my stomach was giving me problems... Lots of swelling, pain. I have been unable to work for years at this point. Just walking and doing laundry hurts by the end of the day.
Well I decided to go back and see him after about two years because it wasn't getting any better and I ended up in the hospital with so much pain I couldn't walk. They told me I had two hernias. Umbilical and Ventral. Stemming from the abdominal surgery. I knew when I heard that POP that was something wrong in my stomach.
Well I went to talk to Dr VanRaalte about it and he berated me. Told me I was overweight, out of shape (which I can hardly workout because it caused so much pain) and it wasn't his fault. I also stated to him that my back where he did lipo was worse than when I came I to see him. He didn't want to discuss it. He decided to finally refer me to a friend of his regarding my "possible hernia" and I went to see him but I wouldn't allow his friend to do the repair. I went to another dr that I trust.
Well since that hernia repair I have still had problems. I was recently told that the abdomial repair of my diastase a was never really fixed. My walls are separated bigger than before the surgery. And that now it is medically necessary for me to have my abdomen repaired.
I can't work, I can't hardly lift and I am restricted to walking mostly for exercise. I'm pissed!!!!
I want my money back!!! I want to be able to see a dr that knows what he's doing to fix this mess he made of me.
I don't even know if my insurance will cover this abdominal repair!!!
DO NOT GO TO IOWA PLASTIC SURGERY FOR ANYTHING!!! He's mean to women unless you're getting a breast aug!! He loves that!!! I refused and he was not happy with me.
Hopefully I can get myself fixed... Right now I'm a mess!!!!

Well I had my surgery in May of 2011. I cant believe its been that long already. I have been through ups and downs with my body since then. After the surgery I thought it was going to be easy for me to keep my weight down and within a year of my surgery I not only gained back the 30 pounds I lost but I gained more! I went from 230lbs before surgery, to 200 after. I kept that off for about a year and then it slowly crept back on me. I got up to my heaviest at 252!! I was so upset!! Well I decided to do something about it and Dec. 2012 I went to another Dr. and he helped me to get down to 190!! It took me 6 months to lose that 60 plus pounds. I am planning on losing 40 more by march or 2014!! Lets pray!! LOL
Needless to say this weightloss affected my surgery aftercare progress.
I gained alot of my weight in my upper body. Mostly my arms. I had heard from many people that they struggled with this after a tummy tuck. It is true!!
I am still dealing with that, I just have to focus my efforts on my arms and back now.
Over all here are my pros and cons since having this surgery:
Pros: Flat tummy (mostly)
It has definately helped my confidence
able to wear a bikini
Cons: Having a hard time with my stomach (hardening)
Issues with using the bathroom (blocked up often)
Pain in my abdomen (I feel stitches still and I feel like one area never healed right)
I have a hard time working out without pain in my abs afterward
My arms and back carry my weight now (top heavy)\
I look "box-shaped" in my middle" no real shapely curve. I never looked like that before the surgery and I have had a hard time trimming my middle since the surgery because of the pain when I workout.

Overall I am happy with the external results. I never expected some of the long term sideeffects. I can live with it, but I dont think I ever want anymore surgery for cosmetic reasons. There are so many things your body goes through afterward it unreal.
Im not trying to be debbie-downer...Im being blunt and honest for those getting ready to embark on this journey. Its worth it, but be prepared for the changes that may come later.

Its been a while since my last update. I'm sorry for that. I have had death knock at my familys door over the past few months. 1st my father passed away and now my grandfather all in the past 4 months. I mention this because my recovery was going good and then I started to swell and my stomach was huge. I don't know why. Maybe stress. But it was horrible. I looked like I was 6 months pregnant at one point in he past month. But once the stress subsided a little my stomach went down. So go figure. But that freaked me out.
Now I thinking I'm gonna need some more lipo maybe ever a mini tuck on my stomach....my dr said the same the last time I was in for a visit. I still have noticable loose skin above my incision and some protruding above the navel. I'm ready the get it fixed but I have to wait.
All in all I wouldn't change anything. I definately look better than I did. I am 4 sizes smaller than I was Wooo Hoo! I started at a size 16 I'm down to a 12. Praise God. But I will say my butt and hips are like whoa!!! Lol.
Question: is anyone doing ab work 2 months out? Let me know if u are and how that's going.
Anyway, I will try to stay more current. I miss my tummy tuck family.
Sidenote: I'm now considering more surgery....nose job, lipo of the legs.....maybe :-) maybe not.