43 Yrs and 2 Teenagers Later.... I'm starting my journey...

After almost a year of researching various Doctors and stalking sites like Real Self, I finally decided... My time is now! Surgery scheduled in less than 3 weeks with Dr. James Platis in Chicago. I'm 5'7 and 185lbs and although I'm curvy, (hips & butt), I've always had an area or two that seemed to bother me the most, one being my stomach. I'll never be SKINNY nor do I have the desire to be. I just want to be comfortable again.. Ohhh and look super cute in my clothes.. ????

Hi All! Just thought I'd add a couple before pics to use as comparison later.. Now let the count down begin..

So I'll be the first to admit, the first two days post op were much more difficult than anticipated. Although I did manage to go to the restroom without assistance, getting in and out of bed was a bit of a chore. If I were to give any tips thus far, I'd say. 1) Stay on top of meds like clockwork as prescribed by your Dr 2) Try to get up and walk around every 3-4hrs if possible. I believe this made a world of difference for me and by day 3, my energy has definitely increased. In a nutshell, the days leading up to, I second guessed myself a hundred times over.. But after getting to the hospital, the nurses were truly awesome.. All spoke very highly of Dr. Platis and even shared their personal surgical experiences with him, reassuring me that I had made the absolute best choice. Just hearing that and knowing that I was in GREAT hands, felt like 1,000 lbs being lifted off my shoulders. So YES this girl is happy.. STiFF, SWOLLEN but HAPPY. Lol Can't wait to see final results.