PART I: Two New Tatas & a Skinny Binny Belly: 4/18/12 - Kansas City, MO

To read Part II of my review including a 16 1/2 Month After Surgery summary go to: http://www.realself.com/review/mommy-makeover-part-ii-two-new-tatas-skinny-binny-belly-4-18-12-kansas-citymo

4 WEEKS AFTER SURGERY: Ring, ring it's the new ME 1 month later. Did I seriously just have surgery 4 weeks ago? Ummmm, YES! I'm just really becoming accustomed to my new body that it's beginning to become a little more of a reality that this IS me now! :) Last Thursday I went to the doctor and left on such a high. My PS walked by the exam room as the door was about to close so I could get into the clinical garb and he stopped the door from shutting and was like "WOW! You look GREAT! You looked good before, but your body has really taken on the shape now". It was so nice to hear. I had a pencil plum colored skirt on against a see-through baby blue lace blouse with a tight cami underneath and some cute heels. When he came back to examine me, I was telling him how I was running and he said I was healing beautifully and that I could begin scar therapy. He said I should begin massaging 2x per day Mederma into my scars and rub them 10 strokes in each section. He also adjusted my boobie massages and said no more pressing down, but just to do 10 circular motions on the tops of both breast muscles 2x a day (specifically in shower or after warm wash cloth). I had all but 1 stitch (of the remaining in boobies and end of TT scar) removed AND my PS confirmed that I did not pop a stitch but that my incision line in the front midsection had separated and that it would heal and that I should just put neosporin on it and top it with a bandaid. Otherwise, I'm done with all gauze and can wear my binder or bras (at night/during day) as I please. I can just do what's most comfortable for me. OKAY, so that's the PS update. Now to the TRUTHS: After 3 days of running last week in a row (I kind of tend to go at it hard when given the ok), and then carrying my daughter a block down the street to her nanny's, I strained an abdominal muscle. :-/ I suddenly had awful pain doing simple things like laughing, pooping, coughing, lifting....I took Mother's Day weekend "OFF" from running/walking, called my PS this past Monday, let him know I was beginning to feel better and that nothing had changed to my contour/shape of my belly, but I definitely felt a muscle strain after I carried my daughter down the street. They did not have concern enough for me to come in, but said I should lay off running for another week. SO, I officially have rested for 5 days solid, am feeling back to SUPER again and got up at 4 A.M. this morning to get my 1.70 mile walk in. I took it easy but it felt good to GET UP and have my "me" time of peace, solitude, and daily strategizing. I plan on walking for the next 3 days and then I'll try to run again on Monday. Swelling comes and goes. Some days are better than others. Diet is definitely the key. With our anniversary, Mother's Day, my husband's birthday and oh so many reasons to celebrate recently, I have definitely found that what goes "in" definitely shows on how you look on the "out". I've begun to ease out of wearing the binder and bra at night (hubby loving this! - oh and probably TMI - but we have been active again and it is WONDERFUL - I feel so alive and beautiful and confidant LOL) and then during the day, I'm wearing my binder from my PS's office. They truly are my favorite compared to the binders I purchased from Macy's, and I feel more confidant and supportive wearing them to work under clothes, incase I run into a day of lots of meeting setup, moving stuff around office, etc. Plus - the binders help tremendously with swelling. I hope to graduate to being binder free in the coming weeks and then just using while I run/walk. Okismoki, that's all for now. Happy healing mamas and happy belated mother's day to all my upcoming Mommy Makeover friends. What better gift to give to "us", right? :) Hugs! To read Part II of my review, please click here.

3 WEEKS AFTER SURGERY: Wow! The days have been flying by now that I'm into my regular work/family regime! All is swell! I'm still sleeping in a sea of pillows. I take 1/2 of a Vicodin in the morning just to get me going and work out the stiffness from not moving much over the night (I have like 2 more pills left (so 4 more mornings) - other than that I'm taking just Ibuprofen throughout the rest of the day). Then, I've been spending my wee mornings walking for about 1.70 miles. Work is going great! I've never felt so womanly and beautiful. My favorite part of the day is picking out my clothes! Swelling has dramatically subsided. The #'s on the scale have continued to drop. I'm down to 149.3 which is 10+ lbs. that I've lost in the last 3 weeks. Family life is great! I'm back to picking up my daughter, giving her baths, snuggling with her, and carrying her upstairs. Holding her for extended periods, is still a little challenging, so I usually just sit down and we cuddle when she needs her Mama. I'm not completely wore out in the evenings anymore. I'm back to the usual routine of homework with my son, dinner with the fam and then a little cuddle time with hubby after the kids are down. My next appointment with my PS was scheduled for next Thursday, but we've moved it up to tomorrow morning as I did discover a tiny little issue. I think I popped a stitch right in the middle of the front of my TT incision line. I noticed it last Saturday and sent my Nurse photos. The office didn't seem overly concerned, but wanted me to come in a week earlier just to double check and make sure I don't need antibiotics. It does have a little puss (gross) that leaks from it, but overall, I'm still applying Poly Bacitracin Ointment and gauzing up all my incision areas and my Nurse said to continue being active and keep the area covered. I've read on here, that it seems to be kind of normal for this to happen, and the opening should just seal up. My PS told me I could start running at 3 weeks. He said it would hurt really bad and to just listen to my body. Since, I've been in a routine of walking daily, in celebration of 3 weeks I RAN TODAY!!!!!!!!!! YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! I brought tennies and a change of clothes to work today (dry-fit pink tank & black capris) and spent 30 minutes of my lunch running through downtown. The weather couldn't have been more gorgeous! I kept an even slow pace of 14:58 min/mi. and yes, my core muscles were extremely tight but it was TOTALLY DOABLE! I almost cried when I finished my run. 3 weeks of not running and then getting out there was UH-MAZING! We have a shower in the basement of our building at work, and I just kind of wash clothed me off, freshened up, got myself some nuts (PROTEIN!) and a banana and headed back up to the office. People have been complimenting me left and right these days about my weight loss. I gained 75 lbs. with my first pregnancy, then lost it all. 7 years later I gained 50 lbs. with my daughter and have finally lost all of that in the last 17 months! Yes, I did get a few enhancements with this loss (which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Tatas & my skinny binny belly and finally a GORGEOUS belly button) and which I'm not freely telling folks (of the surgery). I'm just being honest and telling them the truth...the parts which have worked: eating mindful and exercising and that I've been working on this for the last 17 months and the results are just now beginning to really show. I told my husband that on my run downtown today, I got a lot of "hello's and smiles" from men. I feel like I'm getting more attention than I used to which is new, but my hubby loves it. He's so cute and proud when others compliment or look. :). He's a confidant man and knows I'm his. :) Since I've lost a few more lbs., I bought another bra. Does everyone know you can get no wire bras at Victoria Secret? It's a great line. The hot pink one that I bought 1 week and a half ago was a 36D (worn on the tightest clip). They don't make this line in 34DD. The 34D at that time did not fit clean around me and was kind of uncomfy. Since I'm a few more lbs. down....TADAAAA! I'm now in a 34D. So, I picked up a black one. I hope this is it! I don't want to lose anymore cup size. I'm very proud of the size and very comfortable with these new tatas! LOL Tonight, I need to type up my ?'s for my PS tomorrow. I really don't know anything about the incision lines\stitches around my breasts & tummy tuck. Are they all disolvable? Do some come out? I feel like I have one very prickly one under my skin right at the end/top of my right breast incision line that is trying to push under the skin. So, along with the popped stitch and this one that's a bit uncomfy are at the top of my list of ?'s. Then, I'm also curious about how long I'm supposed to wrap in gauze, wear my bra to bed, wear my binder, sleep with my feet elevated....do I get my ear pierced next week (@ 4 wks. PO) or 4 weeks from last week's appt.)? Now that I can start running is there anything I can do for my arms? How swollen do you think I still am? BTW - I wore a pair of old jeans yesterday that I haven't worn in a few years. Total sexy low rise wide bottom dress jeans. This means my swelling is DOWN because it was a total celebration to just wear a pair of pants rather than only skirts/dresses. Hmmmmm....what other ?'s do I have? Oh - I need to find out about massaging. I know I'm supposed to look for lumps from the lipo and massage them out. I think I found one today and will see if they can demonstrate how to massage it out. I'll also ask about scar therapy. When do I start that? AND are there any risks that I'm taking by running and popping more stitches? Hmmmmm....I think that's all I can think of. Overall, I hope this read shows that 3 weeks out LIFE is GOOD! GREAT as a matter of fact. You know, with cosmetic surgery you have to go into it knowing you're not going to achieve perfection, but you definitely get what you pay for. I wouldn't change a thing. I am SO THRILLED with these amazing results. I now look in the mirror after I get out of the shower and instead of glancing away from my image of my African Boobies and my rolls of skin, I gawk and pinch myself and have to identify that the reflection is me! That pretty body is mine. It's a super feeling to be happy with what you see. I'm just so very thankful and so very blessed. I was in love with my life before, but now....Geez, it's the icing on the cake! :)