Tummy tuck with MR, and a little lipo... worth it!! - Melbourne, AU

These are my most recent pics. Two were taken first thing in the morning, the other two on a day when I swelled pretty bad. See if you can spot the difference!

This may well be one of my last updates on RS. It has been so incredibly helpful to have the support of some wonderful ladies on here. During some very dark and difficult days this site got me through! So here's a recap on where things are at with me....

My scar...at nearly 4 months is just a neat, thin red line. All the same I do find it a bit confronting still to look at. I just have to remind myself this is a badge of honour for being brave enough to go through with this major surgery. I've been using Bio-oil each morning when I get out of the shower. The little bit of puckering of the skin that I kind of obsessed over in the first few weeks is very slightly visible now and I would imagine will be completely smoothed over in 6 months.

Exercise routine...I've been given the go-ahead to ramp it up so I've got a new clinical pilates program that is a killer. In fact by summer I think I will have the thighs of an Olympic speed skater. My flexibility is back to almost 100% normal, I just can't extend my spine as far back as I used to, which is understandable. As it's winter here I don't get to walk every day as the weather has been appalling. This sucks as walking is the only cardio I do. Kudos to any of you who happily flog yourself at pump class and spin or whatever but I won't do that to myself. I've seen it happen too often with friends who get into this mentality of 'well I did pump this morning so I can eat that muffin / bag of chips etc'. I don't want to sound all preachy but when I read about some ladies on here having a TT then hitting the gym like a maniac to lose more weight, I just shake my head. You don't want to run yourself into the ground, especially if you've got little kids to take care of and a job to do. I'm glad I got my weight to a comfortable point pre-surgery, and my diet has been good before and is still good now. (It helps being coeliac, I just don't eat much packet food). Since coming back home from a month in Thailand where I lived on eggs, rice, fruit, vegetables and seafood, I have had a bit of a bender on pasta and pizza but that will stop soon or I will un-do all that great work my PS did.

My tummy....is cute and small. But it's not flat. Am I bothered? No. Look I'm small and petite and since my sx my boobs seems to have gotten bigger so I just love my shape. I'm 46 next month and I can rock a bikini now. Woohoo! So yes there is a little bulge there and maybe this will resolve in time, maybe it won't. I'm not going to get worked up over it. My number one reason for having the surgery was for people to stop asking if I'm pregnant. Number 2 was to repair my muscles and have a strong core to hopefully have less back pain. The sx has been a success on both counts. I've just come in from 20 mins bending over and pulling weeds out. Normally I'd have terrible lower back pain by now and reaching for NSAIDs. I'm fine.

I do think if your number one reason for this surgery is 'to be flat' then you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Don't want to preach again...but it's natural for us women to have a little curve there. If you want to have ab definition you won't see it if you have a doona wrapped around your waist...you know what I mean? If you're naturally curvy and on the bigger side, celebrate that but be realistic about your results.

My swelling....some days I swell some days I don't. It's not an all-over swelling just a spot above my bb. There is absolutely no connection with exercise, food - nothing. Some days I wear a shape wear tank, it's so tight I practically pop a shoulder out putting it on. It feels nice and snug once on but it doesn't stop the swelling. Even though it makes me feel a bit miserable by evening I don't think anyone else can tell. I will post some pics and see if you all agree.

I still wear my waist-high shape wear Bridget Jones-style big panties. They make me look like Wonder Woman! Honestly I've never had defined hips and a wait in my life but I do when I wear these. My lacy knickers are all shoved to the back of the drawer much to hubby's disappointment...maybe come summer I will get back into them.

A few weeks ago I had this really annoying fluttery sensation in my right side, it would happen every few seconds and last for hours. It seriously felt like my PS had left a midget in there who was kicking the heck out of my insides. I understand this is part of the deep muscle healing that takes place. Hopefully that is all over.

I often ask myself why did it take 15 years to do this and the answer is pretty simple....I always thought this was 'plastic surgery', it was all about looks and just done for cosmetic reasons. Until I met my PS I had never heard of diastasis recti. This is hands down the best thing I've ever done for myself.

I feel completely normal, just that my core feels stronger. I think back to those dark days when I felt like I had a massive rubber band round my middle 24/7 and I was so damn tired all the time, couldn't bend, couldn't twist, sleep disrupted...it takes a while but it does get better and you will feel normal again, trust me!

Here I am hamming it up for the camera on Koh Samui. A year ago I never would have let myself be photographed in a bikini let alone strike a pose!