Mommy Makeover, Lipo, Breast Augmentation-35 yr old

When I got pregnant with my first child I was skinny. Not thin, not slender, but skinny. Because of this I thought I would bounce right back. What I hadn't planned on was having my abdominal muscles separate making it impossible for me to lose my belly, no matter how much I dieted or exercised. It's a hard thing to go through as a woman, unable to wear clothes that you feel good in. Always being aware of this bulge you're trying to hide. So finally, 6 1/2 years after my first and 4 years after my second I'm doing the one thing that I have been thinking about for so long and having a tummy tuck and breast augmentation.

I'm nervous and excited and scared and thrilled all rolled up into a big ball of emotion. I am worried about what recovery will be like. I wish I could fast forward to a time where I'm back up and moving. I cannot wait to see my body once it is fully healed.

I'm lucky that I have a wonderful husband who is very supportive of my decision and able to take care of me and my girls while I'm recovering. This wouldn't be possible without him and im so grateful to have him in my life.

My surgery is scheduled for March 2nd and I am suppose to go for my blood work and preop appointment tomorrow, however we are expecting a huge snow fall and I think I am going to have to reschedule. I am hoping this doesn't postpone my surgery in anyway. I'm ready to do this thing!!
I am excited about chronicling my journey. It's through reading others personal journeys that I've been able to best understand what to expect. I think it is amazing that in a time where it is so easy to say nasty things through the anonymity of the computer screen, that the Real Self community is able to provide a huge support system of women so willing to help one another. It is a comfort to know you are out there!

I was suppose to go to my preop on Monday but we had major snowfall and it was postponed until today (Wed). Unfortunately, we got another couple of inches on top of the 14.5" we got on Monday and the roads are terrible so now it's rescheduled for Monday. I don't care what the weather is like on Monday, I am making this appointment sun, rain, snow or blizzard. I'm afraid it's going to effect my surgery date of 3/2. I have to get my blood work done and order my CG. It's really cutting it close.
It just dawned on me that my surgery is the following Monday! Gosh, that's so close!
I have been thinking about this for years and started planning on when to have the surgery 6 or 7 months ago, but since I've started the actual process it has gone so fast that I feel unprepared. It's scary!

I can't believe a week from now I will be recovering from a procedure I've been wanting for years. It's kind of surreal. It's hard to imagine myself without this belly that has been such a huge (literally) part of my life for the last six years. It's always somewhere in my thoughts. When I take my clothes off to shower I see it in the mirror. When I get dressed I have to choose clothes that will hide it. I am constantly aware of it and sucking in has become an involuntary action for me. And before I know it, that will all change.
My doctor was very confident that I would have great results. I really like her and the nurses at the hospital who did my blood work were very complimentary of her. I feel good about my choice to go with her.
I asked for exparel for pain. Thanks to my fellow RealSelf ladies for educating me on that. I would have never known to ask for it otherwise. It's costing an additional $300 but I think (hope) it will be worth it. My doctor doesn't do a pain pump so I would have been relying on my oral pain prescription. She told me her reasons but I have so many thoughts in my head they all run together. Something about the pump constantly wetting the area behind the incision and that it's better for healing if it's not wet like that.
I chose my implant size yesterday. Or at least an idea of it. I'm asking for 475cc saline implants. My breast are two (very) different sizes so one breast will have a bigger implant than the other. I have heard that women who get implants almost always wish they had gone bigger and I don't want to make that mistake, however I also don't want to go so big that I dont look proportionate to the rest of my body. My doctor assured me they will look nice. She's very knowledgable and I have great confidence in her.
I received a call today from one of the nurses asking when the last time I had a mammogram was. I'm 35 and haven't reached the age where I should have had one yet. Because I have an aunt that has a history of breast cancer my doctor wanted me to go ahead and have one done. Because my surgery is less than a week they got me in quickly. It was not the most pleasant part of my day! They squeezed my boob flat and then squeezed it more. I know what I have to look forward to in my 40's. Yikes!
I think for me right now, the biggest stress is my daughters. My surgery is scheduled at 7:30 but I have to be at the hospital at 5:45. I live about 40 minutes from there so my girls will stay with my friend the night before. She is taking them to school and I worry about how much I'm asking if her. She has kids of her own to take care of. Also, my youngest has never stayed overnight anywhere before. I also keep thinking of all the little things that I need to have done like having outfits picked out for them for at least the first week because when it comes to dressing my kids, my husband is terrible. He doesn't care if pants are long enough, shirts are ironed or patterns are matching. I think sometimes he does it on purpose just to get to me. Or getting food that can be microwaved because he's pretty incompetent when it comes to the stove. What he lacks in these areas he makes up for by being wonderful, but I still want their hair brushed! I should probably let it go for a week but I'm a SAHM and managing the house is my job. It's going to be hard to not do that for awhile.