47 Year Old Mother of Two Adult Children and Nana to 4 Gorgeous GLAM Babies! - La Jolla, CA

I am 47, 5'4 and 1/2. My weight fluctuates between 155-165. At my heaviest I weighed 190. I have been thinking about a tummy tuck for many years but was always told I didn't need it. Just exercise and cut down in my eating. I have had liposuction 3 times (1998, 2007 returned in 2008). The first time I asked the PS if I needed a tummy tuck. He said no, just lipo. Did it and no change besides the muffin top. In 2006 I began a huge exercise and diet regimen and managed to lose 35lbs dropping down to 155 size 8. In 2007 I went in again after my weight loss to a different PS. My younger sister had had a beautiful TT, breast reduction and thigh lipo in 2004 so I went to where she went. Her PS was not able to take me cause he was booked. So another PS in his office scheduled me for lipo. Lots of fat removed, but still 1 year later my stomach was still huge. This was not swelling! The 2nd surgery he only charged for anesthesia. I think he was a little intimidated by my then boyfriend! 6 years later, my stomach still looked like I was 8 months pregnant. It seemed that my stomach had gotten bigger so I had to buy size 10 pants so that I didn't feel like I was strangling in my own clothes.

My then boyfriend is now my husband! (5 years this April). I told him I wanted to have a TT. He said no, all you need to do is exercise like you did years ago. I have seen you do it before and you worked really hard at it! What he did not understand is that yes, I am muscular. I run, spin, I use a 3 lb hula hoop, weights sit ups galore but my stomach would not go away. It seemed that the smaller my body got, the more my tummy bulged. So, I resorted to sucking in my stomach all the time. Wore blousy shirts mad never tucked anything in. If I took a picture we would retake it if I did not suck in my tummy or if I forgot. When I sat down, the lower pooch would cover my Miss Kitty!
I hated how I had to pull my pants up above the belly button just so it appeared as if I was flatter than I was or to stop them from rolling down. Or, if my pants were too tight, by the time I got home from work, I had the indentation of buttons on my tummy.

Last year I found out I had hypothyroidism. Hmmm, maybe this is why I had such a hard time losing weight, my bulgy eyes etc. I have always been dairy free due to lactose intolerance. My PCP suggested I try to go gluten free. So, I did it and dropped 7 lbs. I do do still occasionally eat Wheat or gluten. I can tell when I do. My body doesn't like it at all.
So last September 2013, I told my hubby again that I was gonna start saving my money to get a TT. He said ok just lose a few more lbs and exercise so you are at your weight you want 155. (I had put on a few lbs and was weighing 164). He told me if I get down to 155, he would pay the difference of what ever is was short.

I started researching and looking at PS. I narrowed it down to two, I wanted a PS who had experience working with ethnic people. I didn't want to keloid. I scheduled my appt. online with the same surgeon who had done my sisters surgery this time. October 2013 I went for my appt. come to find out, that doctor had left the practice and started his own 1 floor below. The manager who had worked with us before was still there. She stayed on to keep working with the other two PS's who were left. Come to find out, she had had a TT the year before. She showed me her b4 and she then pulled up her shirt and showed me her after. I was extremely impressed! I agreed to just stay and meet him. He spent an hour just talking to me and looking at my skin type. Then came the embarrassing part. I had to take my clothes off and let him look at me. He was very honest and forthright. He told me to let it all hang out so he could see what needed to be done! By the time I left there, I was more convinced than ever to get it done.
I returned two months later the first week of December with my down payment. Scheduled my surgery for 2/20/14. Fast forward to 2/6/14 my pre-op appoint. Lots of paperwork and those dreaded naked photos. Front, back, side to side and then bending forward to see all the fat hanging loose. I did not have hanging skin just a very rounded hard tummy. I was blessed,to not have any stretch marks from my two pregnancies! Just some on my thighs from the yo-yo weight gain.
2/17/14, I received a call from the nurse to answer any of my questions. Unfortunately for her I work in the healthcare field so I had lots of questions! So much to where she asked me what I do. Infectious Diseases I told her. She laughed and said ahh ha!
Because of my field, my friends (vendors) made me a care package with lots and lots of goodies (bio patch for my drains, CHG antimicrobial liquid soap to cleanse my skin for a week prior to the surgery instead of the night before and morning of). And because I wasn't able to take a shower the entire time the drains are in, I had packets of wipes that had soap, CHG and moisturizer all in one)? I was set!
2/19/14 the day before my surgery I worked until 7pm. I was a nervous wreck. So, I get home, have my last meal (NPO after midnight) and a little fun with the hubby since Miss Kitty will be on hiatus for few weeks or so. LOL! He was not thrilled with that news. I won't repeat what he said! Thank goodness I was prescribed Valium to help calm me the night before and morning of. I needed it.
2/20/14 530am I wake up, dry swallow a Valium, take another shower with my CHG and make the hubby get up.
We arrive at 7am. I am whisked back, stripped down naked and marked up by the PS. My hubby watching the entire time. ( I wonder how he felt having another man drawing on my naked skin? :-). I have on my bonnet, booties and gown and compression stockings! Oh so attractive. I give my hubby a huge kiss and off he goes for 5 hours. I climb on the table, the nurse from a few days ago introduces herself and starts my IV. My anesthesiologist comes in and all I remember saying is WOW, that was the best IV start ever, I didn't feel a thing!
And then I woke up in recovery, then I was in the wheel chair, car and then walking up the stairs with my youngest daughter (24) helping me up the stairs while my hubby put the dogs outside. My GLAM baby Isabella was looking at me crazy wondering why was Nana walking bent over and what was the bag hanging between her legs (Foley catheter)
My daughter Elizabeth came up to help me out but ended up leaving the next day because Bella had a high fever during the night and vomiting . Turns out she had scarlet fever.
I had an appt. back with the PS so they could remove the FC (life saver during that first day and a half)
So, my hubby has to work and we devised a scheme so that I was able to pretty much take care of my self without having to get out of bed unless it's to go make pee pee. (A friend loaned me a walker another life saver and a toilet seat that sits on top of the toilet so you don't have to bend or squat. Just sit). I had a cooler with ice, bottled water, bananas and crackers. I don't recommend that for anyone, but it worked for me. I slept the majority of the time .

2/22/14. Lovely text from my sister-in-law asking how I was doing and what did I get done??? I told her Lipo and tummy tuck. The witch replied back and said "Good GOD! You couldn't just you have took an extra spin class and move away from the table!!!" Oh, i was livid. I was nice and replied back "hahaha very funny! That doesn't work for me, believe me I have tried." What I wanted to say is "did anyone tell you to put on double padded bras for the breast enhancement surgeries that you've had not once but twice? I told my hubby that she's a hypocrite and where she could shove it. To say the least, we haven't spoken since. She's asks him how I'm doing but no call to me.
Sleep is really difficult, I keep sliding down in my bed so I had my hubby buy me a pillow that looks like a chair to keep me sitting up better. Better but nothing like sleeping on my belly or side. I also have to get up several times during the night to make pee. Hate it. If I don't go then I feel loads of pressure on my Miss Kitty and it's sore enough from being lipo'd.
2/24/14, my dogs Kella 16lb bichon frischee poodle mix and Willie 38lb puggle are not happy sleeping downstairs with the gate up. Kella is so pissed that she keeps jumping the fence and coming up. So finally I tell my hubby to let them up and let's see what happens . They jumped on the bed, sniffed me and the both laid down at the bottom of my feet and slept there all day with me. Not once did they jump on me.
Moving forward to present time 3/15/14 post-op day 23. I am sitting downstairs on the couch with two pillows behind me for support. My drains stayed in for 12 days for the left and 19days for the right. I am still very sore and walking slightly hunched. Nothing like how it was in the beginning. My tummy was really flat this morning when I got up. The days before I was really swollen. I think I over did it! Just lazing around the house this weekend since I return to work on 3/17/14 half days for the first week and then more hours the following week. I will keep you all posted with my progress. As soon as I get my before pictures, I will add them. I have been taking photos of myself since day 3 and will add those as well.

So, I am PO day 30 today. I cannot believe that it has been 30 days. It seems like the pain would never go away! Now it is minor pain which is controlled with Tylenol and 800 mg Ibuprofen. My tummy is getting flatter by the day. Some days I am swollen beyond belief when the day comes to an end. Over all, I am falling in love with my tummy! I also noticed that my weight is dropping as well. Still waiting to get my b4 photos from my PS's assistant. But here is a picture from today

I forgot to add the other photos