Tummy Tuck/Lipo/Contour

I went through my old updates and what an incredible 5 months it has been. I did have minor side affects like contact dermatitis with that horrible itchy rash - twice and a tiny seroma. But through it all, I never lost confidence in not only my body's ability to heal but in my PS, Dr. Campanile and his assistant, Alexis.

The only one major issue I still have is swelling. Totally, totally sucks. Even in the newest pictures, I can tell the areas that are swollen like below my belly button. But that can take up to a year to completely go away so patience is key.

I look back at my earlier pictures and even then, swell seemed to be the biggest issue. The pictures back then were scary looking but I knew that it was just swell and nothing could be done but give it time. So time I gave it.

I've always been active but I find now, the strength in my abdominal region is much better. I was never able to do reverse situps very effectively. But now i can do perfect reverse situps. Same with my squats. I'm almost back up to my PR and i still feel strong. I told my coach that the exercises I use to hate, I now love. It's as though in just fixing the diastasis, everything fell into place.

I've seen significant improvement just since I've been cleared to go back to exercising without restriction at month 3. I can't say my before surgery and after surgeryworkout has differed too much but the effectiveness of the workout has. I can't blame weight loss that initially occurred after surgery or even diet, as both have stabilized. But something is different in how my body responds to working out. Maybe i'm able to hold myself in proper form now? Maybe i was overcompensating for my diastasis and causing imbalance in other areas. I just don't know. I just know that there's a change in the way my muscles respond to weight training in that area of my body.

I still have the healing ridge but that also takes time to go away.

Perhaps some of the swelling is caused because I do love miso soup. I have miso soup most days.... =)

I'll take more pictures at month 6. I may have to have a slight scar revision where the seroma was but am hoping that once the swelling goes away, it'll normalize. In the big scheme of things, totally not concerned. My goal in getting surgery was to get that diastasis repaired. So that is done. Everything else now is just gravy. At my age, a scar is just one more story to remind myself of the journey I took to forge the person I am.

Last thing again. Dr. C is a very good PS. Please look at his befores and afters. I'm not there yet but soon I will. I am not abnormal in my results from him. I'm the average. He works with each body and doesn't promise anything. But my pictures at 5 months is testament to his sculpting and diastasis repair ability.

Here are new ones.

Just more pictures