FLAT SIDE NOW- Good bye apron, hello flatness!

I am 38, 5'5", 155 pounds. I have two teenage children. I was always slim before my children and once I was through with two very close pregnancies (they are 16 months apart), my stomach had the dreaded apron. I actually knew it while pregnant with my second child because I had asked my OB Dr. why is my stomach right under my full term belly jiggly. He broke it to me that my ab muscles probably "gave out" and it was also why my stomach drooped. Sigh. Fast forward to August 2013....hysterectomy (cut open, kept my ovaries), he said he could do a little tummy tuck while I was cut open. I was so excited! Although, he told me that he probably could not get all the overhang (esp on the side as he would have to go all the way to side of hip), I was excited to see my stomach when I woke up...I was VERY disappointed. He did not cut me very straight and alas, one side of the bulge is biggen than the other side. You can kinda see my bulge on smaller side and def see it on larger side in my clothes. :( I pretty much had the same recovery as someone who undergoes a TT, so I have experienced it. I swore that I would NEVER, EVER be cut open again after those agonizing first weeks lol. I dealt with the hunched over, not being able to be comfortable when I slept, not being able to get out of the bed (husband and kids had to haul me up out of there/my kids said I walked and acted like an old granny lol), constipation, the binder which became my best friend and I wore it for six weeks, and the swelling when on feet too much. I was so happy to be over the female issues, but wished I would have just had him do it laparoscopically since he didn't cut much off. :/ Also, I was very sick the day after my surgery (stayed in hosp 2 nights), had a major migraine, and vomited when nurse gave me my migraine med instead of my naseau pill that I had asked to have before getting up for the first time. She got her payback when it went all over her :) . It was the most horrible pain ever to vomit after being cut open there! Wowza. My husband has been wonderful throughout everything! He is my rock. He tells me that I'm beautiful just as I am. However, he told me one day after I kept jokingly telling he and the kids that I wanted a TT for Christmas, that if it was something that would make me finally feel comfortable enough to stand naked in front of him instead of covering my stomach, he was for me doing it. I don't mind him seeing me naked from behind and as long as my stomach is covered (or I'm laying down)....but I cringe when he see's me full frontal. I know it's ugly and he must too! I do know he loves me and all my flaws, even though he says I'm not flawed. Aww. I'm doing this for me and my self esteem. I know I have other areas that aren't model perfect, but I think of them as normal. I definitely do not think of my stomach as normal. I am NEVER comfortable in a swimsuit when we go on vacation...we go to Cancun once or twice a year, and let me tell you-those women always look good and in two piece bikinis! Here I am in a tankini or one piece...ugh. I have a consultation with a doctor in Indianapolis on Feb. 26. I have read and read reviews on all of the PS in that area and he has so many wonderful 5 star reviews and not a bad one. If I like him, I'm going with him. If not, I'll try the second best choice I have picked and do a consult with her. We are going to Florida first week of June, so hubby and I both think that the last week of March would be a good time to do it. He is off that week, so he can help me. I hope that 10 weeks will be enough time to heal to be okay with driving that far and enjoying myself. (???? anyone have any input on that???) One PS did a consult via email where I sent him my pics and they called me. He said I needed a full TT with lipo of the flanks. I don't know if I will need lipo or not...read his reviews and wasn't too pleased with them. We have set aside just enough for what we believe the TT will cost and not sure we will want to spend extra for lipo. Guess we will see. Thankfully, I'm a stay at home mom (since Jan 2014) and won't have to worry about returning to work. I can't wait and will post more after my consult with the PS.

Has anyone used Essential Oils in their recovery?

Well, we spent a fabulous week in Cancun....however, the beach is my nightmare as usual. Filled with tiny bikinis and alot of thongs, I usually feel very down on myself during this time. This last week was no exception, however knowing that I am going forward with a TT soon helped me to feel a little better. I cringed every time I took off my swim cover up and raced for the water or sat down and pulled knees up to cover myself lol. One day, I decided to wear a little more revealing bikini (well, revealing to me, not to the tiny girls with strings on lol) and took of my cover up thinking we were headed to the water. Husband just decided to take his time taking off his shirt and rearranging everything on our chairs while I stood there feeling like a blimp. I snapped at him to hurry up as I can't just stand there looking like that. He was like, "oh goodness, you look fine!" If he only knew how humiliated I felt standing there......
Anyhow, we had a great time as usual despite my insecurities while forced to wear a swimsuit. :) I cannot wait until this summer, post TT, and for my husband to say WOW look at my wife in her swimsuit! Fingers crossed anyhow. :
Thursday is my consult with a PS and I am so excited, I can barely contain it!