Worth It, but Complications and Hard Recovery

After two pregnancies, I had fairly severe diastisis recti (3” gap between the two columns of abdominal muscles!). Additionally, I had an umbilical hernia. I had this repaired in Dec 2022 by Dr. Warren Schutte. I had an awful reaction to the cream they applied in surgery (DMSO, or something), getting a skin yeast infection and dealing with a terrible rash for EIGHT MONTHS post-op. I was really disappointed with how the surgeon handled this- they sort of booted me to a dermatologist and basically made it sound like the defect was my body, not this incredible irritant they used. During my recovery, a nurse told me to “pull out any stitches that started poking out.” I did this and ended up pulling out a string 6 inches long- stitches that definitely should have stayed in! Because of this, the top “abs” on my stomach still have a gap between them / the gap reopened. I also required a revision of the belly button area 7 months after surgery. Despite all of this, my quality of life has greatly improved, as has my self confidence. Worth it ultimately, but a hard journey with far more complications than I ever anticipated! In many ways, I wish I had worked with a different surgeon, but in others, I am grateful for what he has given me back.