Wanting a Positive Body Image - Jacksonville, FL

Ladies I'm not feeling great this morning. Bad news to start my Monday :( I returned a call to my doc's office this morning & based on my before pics emailed to the doc, she's recommending a tummy tuck for my upper/lower abs. She thinks I won't be happy with the results of the Smart Lipo on the abdomen because I'll have sagging skin afterwards. My in person consult is on Friday & I'm hoping I'll get a different response from her then. I just don't have the downtime nor $ to get a tummy tuck. On a side note, all of my other areas (bra rolls, inner thighs, upper arms) can be done for $5,000. IDK, maybe I should just take my chances & go for the Smart Lipo on the abdomen anyway???

My consultation was today. I'm excited about getting the procedures done & seeing a "new" me in a few months.The PS is really nice & very personable. She didn't appear rushed & patiently answered my questions. Long story short, I'm getting a mini-TT along with Smart Lipo on the abdomen & waist. The recovery time is shorter than the typical TT & it's not as expensive. I'm getting my abdomen & waist done Nov 20th. Early December I'll get Smart Lipo on my upper arms, inner thighs, & knees. The PS is also going to use Cellulaze on my inner thighs to get rid of my cellulite that's been hanging on for dear life all these years. Total cost $9000! All of this is freakishly expensive but I'm praying it'll be worth every penny. I keep thinking that $ should serve some other more important purpose for our family & guilt starts to set in. But at the same time, I know that "if mom ain't happy, nobody is" & this mom is tired of the droopy belly & thunder thighs. While I don't ever expect to have my pre-kids body back (Ha! I thought I was fat then in a size 4.), I'm really hoping I'll be patient & love the results I'll eventually get.

2 more days to go & I'm beyond excited! I wish today was Tuesday. I've been working out more lately & have managed to lose another 5lbs. My trouble zones still haven't budged. I've read through so many posts about Smart Lipo & mini-TTs. As expected, there's a VERY mixed bag of reults in terms of individual recovery. People who had mini-TTs with muscle repair seem to have longer recovery times. I'm grateful my ab muscles are good enough so that my mini-TT procedure doesn't require muscle repair. I'm already telling myself not to expect ANYTHING right away. No matter what, there WILL be swelling. That said, waiting more than 2 months to see results might just drive me over the edge. Lol! I'll still be swollen when my PS does the Smart Lipo of my inner thighs, knees, & upper arms in early December. I'll be a swollen & bruised mess for the holidays. It'll be worth it if I get great results in the end!

Thank you ladies for the well wishes & positive thoughts. This entire experience from the Smart Lipo to my upper/lower abs, flanks, & waist to the mini-TT has been well worth it so far. The entire procedure was painfless for me & the only time I've taken a pain pill was the 1 the nurse gave me before the procedure (along with a xanax & my 1st antibiotic). I've been up walking around our house just a little because I know that helps with my circulation & combats constipation (a side effect of takng pain meds). I go back to see my PS tomorrow because I've got this JP drain and they need to check me out overall. I've scheduled the Smart Lipo & cellulase of my inner thighs, knees,& upper arms for December 20th. I'm sooooooo looking forward to having this all done & over with. I must be getting addicted to plastic surgery because now I want my breast lifted (no augmentation though....I'm happy being a B cup). Well, ladies happy healings to us & may we all get the results we so eagerly await.

POD #1: Other than the fact that I woke up this morning & tried to get out of bed as though I hadn't had Smart Lipo & a mini-TT to my abs yesterday, my pain has been minimal. I'd forgotten about the procedure when I first woke up this morning but the jolt of pain when I tried to get up was a rapid reminder. I've been up walking around but not doing any housework nor anything strenous. My 1st post-op appointment with the PS was today & even with the swelling, I couldn't believe how small my old jelly belly has become. In fact, I no longer have a jelly belly. There was yet another surprising discovery...my pubic area swelled too! Sorry if that's TMI for some of you but I really didn't expect THAT to happen. I've taken the lortab only twice for pain and started taking extra-strength tylenol today. I've got enough abdominal pressure with the swelling and don't want the lortab to make me constipated on top of all that. Even though I'm quite familiar with drains, including this JP drain I've got clipped to my CG, they are a pain in the butt. Because my output is still a good amount, the JP stays in until my next post-op appointment in a week. Well, at least I can start to shower again. Sooooo, because my ab procedure went so well, I've scheduled Smart Lipo of my inner thighs (cellulaze to inner thighs as well), knees, & upper arms for Dec 20th. I was going to try to get the rest done sooner rather than later but I think I want to give my abs & waist more time to recover. So far, this has been totally worth it, even with the $9K price tag for all of this work. I'll put up some after pics soon. Thanks again for your support!!

POD #3: For the most part, I'm feeling good. There's just a little soreness at the incision site but no real pain. I've been so antsy because I'm not use to sitting around this much....just doing nothing. I miss my workouts & I'm worried about gaining weight because I eat when I'm bored. Even though I'm not cleared for exercise, I'm thinking about taking a slow walk around my neighborhood tomorrow if it's nice out. Also, the sooner this JP drain comes out, the better. Taking a shower with this thing in makes me so uncomfortable. I'm terrified I'll accidentally pull it out & be in a world of pain. Trying not to focus on wanting immediate results has been a bit of a problem too. I thought I was mentally prepared for weeks....even months of swelling. Nope! I analyze every curve of my waist & stomach every time I'm near a mirror. I do see some difference but I want more....NOW! Lol!

I haven't posted in quite awhile but I got Smart Lipo done to my inner thighs, upper arms, & knees yesterday. It's been 4 weeks since I got Smart Lipo & a mini tummy tuck to my abs. I've had ups & downs with my abs....mainly due to my own impatience with wanting faster results. I can honestly say that wearing the CG is a key factor in reducing the swelling. If I go too long without wearing my CG, my belly swells terribly. Still, I'm seeing positive results & only expect things to get better, despite the swelling. I went back to work 10 days after my abs were done & started running on the treadmill about 2 weeks after my abs procedure. I've had days where I've lapsed & ate too many fatty foods but my weight is holding steady at around 125 lbs. Today I've been naseous & I'm absolutely disgusted by all of this drainage. Even though I'm a nurse, the drainage is just too much & I feel dirty. I've soaked thru my post-op pads & chuks. None of it's frank blood, just sero-sanguineous fluid. I'm afraid to eat because of the nausea but I've got to try to eat some soup or something in order to take the antibiotic. Taking meds without food will make me feel worse. Funny thing is, I didn't have any nausea after my abs were done. My thighs, knees, & arms don't hurt too bad either. The worst part of the procedure yesterday was the numbing. It felt like I was being stabbed to death! If I wasn't so drowsy from the xanax, valium, & hydrocodone, I probably would've jumped off the table. Lol! My PS said that I can shower today but I've got to wait until my hubby gets home from work. I don't want to get lightheaded/dizzy & pass out in the shower. I'll try to post pics in a few weeks. It's been hard to stay away from the mirror & not obsess over every little bump, lump, & the swelling. But, in order to stay sane & patient, that's what I've had to do. I haven't taken any pics since my before shots. I'm hoping that after 6 more weeks of wearing this CG, I'll see some worthwhile changes in my body that I'll share with you all. If I haven't said it already, I'm grateful for all of you in this forum. It's nice having you all to share your experiences with me and totally relate to what I'm going thru. My husband, though supportive, is absolutely clueless!