Confessions of a Lurker - Fort Lauderdale, FL

i was not planning to share my story, but i found everyone else's so inspirational that i decided to throw mine into the mix as well. i'm 5'3.5 (that half inch is very important), 128 lbs (my steady weight was 138 pre-surgery but i've had a few issues with my appetite and lost weight in the exact place i wanted to keep it once again - my breast friends).

anywho, my surgery was on september 19th, 2012. i had consultants from 3 physicians and they all seemed about the same so i went with one from a large practice fairly close to my home. honestly, it was the rep who sold me - the same physician had performed her surgery & she did a show and tell w/details on her surgery, recovery and everything. i scheduled my procedure about 10 days after my consultation. i've been thinking about either a tummy tuck or lipo for a few years. i lost about 45 lbs...i swear 10 of them came from my breast friends but nothing from my stomach, love handles or inner thighs. i'm pretty active and have been for years - weight training, spinning, yoga, pilates, cardio...i have a treadmill at home. but even with a trainer kicking my butt & doing 2 a days (hiit cardio & long sessions after weight training), the gut still plagued me.

all of the consultants i had gave me the same report - lipo would do nothing for my abdomen because i only had fat pockets on the sides and the rest was loose skin.

my recovery was uneventful...except for the vomiting (life altering expulsions that scared my animals), loss of appetite and probably doing too much. i live alone & boarded my dogs for 3 days and was back to their schedule on the saturday after my procedure. luckily, they smelled illness upon me and took mercy on me so i wouldn't have to walk them as much or as far...all this for some kisses & allowing them in my bed again.

i had my 1 month post-op visit today and have been cleared to exercise. i'm concerned that i still have no appetite and feel a little weak occasionally (i know this is because i'm not eating enough).

advice i wish i'd heeded:
1 - ixnay on the altsay (just say no to sodium)...i'm very swollen & i think this may be part of the cause
2 - no bending over...hard to do when you have to scoop after 2 little dogs

i will provide additional pic's after my swelling subsides. the only other issue i have is the scar/incision. i know it will fade and recede, but damn that thing is a scary beast. and i am itching like crazy. i've taken benadryl a few times and used cortisone. oops, i forgot - while i was on pain med's i had the craziest dreams...i was tending to my garden (just watering) and that nite i dreamed a giant mosquito sprayed me in the face with something toxic. a night or so later, i dreamed i looked out my bedroom window and frankenstein was walking by very very slowly.

the next phase for me is maintenance - returning to my workouts, tending to my scar (my doctor recommended biocorneum but i forgot to get it from the pharmacy today)...i am going to try the palmers oil and burts bees belly creme. i also purchased a gelzone wrap (it's silicone and supposed to help with scars...and also a compression garment). i received it a few days ago and love it as compared to the old antiquated CG.