Ready for Fitted Dresses -Miami, FL

Hi, I am very excited and nervous about my tummy tuck scheduled for December. Has anyone had a tummy tuck done by Dr. W Perry in Miami, Fl. Hoping for the best so I can wear fitted dresses. After two C-sections and some weight loss, I have been counting down the days. The bad part is that I have been looking at all these botched tummy tuck photos and it is driving me insane. I am praying that I don't experience that. Can't wait to get to the flat side : )

Best of luck ladies!

I will be heading for my 2nd consultation tomorrow. This seems so surreal that I am even going through the process. I have butterflies but am really excited to see a flat stomach. I have a huge list of questions for the doctor....although I have already asked him plenty. Are there any suggestions from you ladies?

I have done more research than any of the papers I have ever written for my graduate degree. Well, I am so ready to move forward and I wish my surgery was tomorrow so I could get over the nervousness. It seems so surreal that I am even doing this but I want it so bad.

My second consultation went pretty well. He spent a lot of time with me, answered all my questions and when I couldn't stomach another picture of the surgery he showed me another. Lol, I do agree with some of his other patients on here that he is very,very personable. He was calm (helps with my nervousness) and reviewed my CAT scan to show me the separation. I didn't feel like he was selling me a dream but more telling me the reality. His lipo work is amazing. I am having lipo just on the waist. The other doctors I spoke with did lipo but did not accomplish the curve affect that I am looking for. Dr. P's lipo pictures look like perfectly sculpted models..........wow. I still have the jitters but he does bring me to a certain level of comfort when speaking to him.

My biggest fears: Wound separation, serious infection, PE and no follow up care.
My support: My wonderful husband who has been there for every step, tear and worry. My cousins who will be in town for most of my recovery.
My concern: Missing my kids for ten days.
My dream: To wear my fitted dress and show my curves.

I am an active duty spouse and my husband is expecting to return from deployment in 8 days. I can't wait to hug him and thank him for his continued support although so far away. He demanded to be there with me for the surgery. I had originally planned to do it with my cousins but he insisted.

Going through with this takes a lot of mental courage and I am still developing it. I better hurry up because my surgery is RIGHT around the corner.

Stay blessed Ladies!

I am so thankful that I have made it to the flat side!!

My husband and I got on the road yesterday afternoon to head to Florida for surgery. The drive was well and I really didn't have the surgery on my mind until we got closer to the hotel. The weeks prior to the surgery were so busy as I was prepping my family and work for my departure. That surely was a lot of work, stress and I didn't have time to do basically anything for myself. I threw my clothes in the suitcase and the only items I purchased specifically for my surgery were: baby wipes, extra strength Tylenol, MOM, thermometer, pads and a shower curtain to place on the bed. The most important thing that I did before leaving home was prepare small gifts bags for my kids for them to open while I was gone. Man, I couldn’t stand the thought of being away from them so I just wanted them to have something daily from mommy.
We checked into the hotel room at 1100pm, ate my last meal at 1130 and showered with antibacterial soap. I got up the next day at 530, showered again and headed to the doctor.
At this moment is when the fear set in. I had no time to think about it the weeks before because life was taking over. As we set in the parking lot I just kept thinking, "What am I doing?" When we got inside I said, "Why would I do this to myself?" Then I started thinking about my kids. I was going through it! My husband said, "Babe, you will be fine. Just pray and know that I will be here." I am so thankful for him as he has been my rock for 10 years now.
After getting changed, Dr. Perry comes in the room for paper work signing and to mark my body. That man has the BEST bedside manner EVER. He is calming, relaxing, knowledgeable, caring and funny. I have read other reviews about his amazing bedside manner and it is true. After talking with him my fear started to lessen and I felt like I was in good hands. Everyone has their own thing in regards to care and I am a stickler about bedside manner. No worries about Dr. Perry in this are whatsoever.
The next step was the nurse, Jessica, walking my to the surgery room. On the way there I had to kiss my husband goodbye. My fear started to rise. I had a little panic attack because I didn’t want to be put to sleep. I wasn’t scared of the surgery….just going under. I did warn Dr. Perry that I was a crybaby and I felt the tears coming as I laid back on the table. The anesthesiologist told me I was going to be fine. The nurse said I was going to be fine. I remember him putting the needle in my hand…….and then five minutes later I woke up. Well not really…but that's how quick it felt. I woke up and heard the nurse say, "Erica you have been in the recovery room for some time now so I'm going to start getting you dressed." I'm like what?! You guys haven't even started yet. LOL! I saw Dr. Perry, he told me I did well. The anesthesiologist waved at me and the nurse took excellent care of me. Thank you God for watching over me and placing me in such good hands.
My pain level afterwards was about a 7 but after staying consistent with my meds it is more of an uncomfortableness not so much pain. I was able to eat rice and an apple with no problems. My husband has been helping me in and out of the bed, I am surely drugged up and bent over. I have not seen my results yet because I have the binder on. He did tell me that I could take it off but I would rather not. My follow up appointment is today at 1230. I am scared to see my scar. I just pray that the hanging stomach is gone and I can get some of my shape back.
I cannot thank you ladies enough for you support and will post pictures soon. BIG thanks to Dr. Perry for his pleasantness and care. I know I said it before but I will say it again. There is no other Dr. out there that has his amazing bedside manner. Even his office manager, Norma, gave me the best service, came in on her off day for me and helped me.
Rest is needed and I surely want it. Sorry about the typos.

Oh my! The pain, stiffness and gas. I am not sure what to do. I am walking to and from the bathroom and stretching my arms in the air as much as possible. I am also trying to stand a little straighter but I know that will take time. I can't wait to see my results but I know that will take a while. I am taking this recovery minute by minute. Happy healing!

It is day 4 and I am still in great pain. Man I didn't expect to be so uncomfortable. I am praying for this pain to go away.

You ladies where so right. After having a BM it feels amazing. I am hoping to feel much better today.

I am taking this day by day. I would love to be able to rest. The pain has decreased substantially but the this discomfort is still there. Most of the discomfort is coming from the lipo and very little from the drain area. The drains are more annoying but my bleeding has been steady. I am now rotating 400mg of over the counter Motrin and a half of a Percocet every 4 hours. I am moving around pretty good but the most movement is to the bathroom, kitchen, couch or bed. I haven't really seen my results but I can say that my stomach looks 90% flatter even with the binder on. Can't wait to se my results. Emotionally I have been ok. I just wish I could get comfortable and fast forward my healing. I can't wait to be able to move normally, dress without drains and move forward with life. My doctor said I was healing well and things look good so that makes me feel better. Just in a "blah" mood today.

Swell hell is real. I think I have been lightheaded for about two days and it is so annoying. My tongue is also still numb, only on the right side, since the surgery. I have learned that propping my feet up helps with the swelling but the swelling makes me feel crazy. I wish it would just go away.

I am also dealing with a love / hate relationship with the binder. I love it so much because it provides support and keeps the swelling down. I hate it because it rides up. The lower part of my abdomen protrudes and the binder sometime cut into that. UGH!!!!! I hope that the swelling on top of my VJJ and lower abdomen goes down. This is my only worry right now. Do you ladies have any tricks to help reduce the swelling?

I am feeling even more emotional today to include the consistent uncomfortableness from the swelling. I also have pressure in my ears. Ugh. I just want these drains out!!
They bother me and I think I will feel so much better without them. HELP!!!

Yesterday was a very emotional day. I was praying that my drains would be removed because they were ruining my life, praying that my TT looked good because I hadn't truly seen it and thirdly, praying that the uncomfortableness would decrease. As I counted down the minutes to see my Dr., I built up a super high level of anxiety regarding the pain that you ladies have talked about when getting the drains removed. I kept saying, "Choose one Erica, either you want them removed or you don't!" Needless to say, I silently wept to myself and harbored a deep fear of the pain. I also worried that the amount in my drains, 15 to 20 cc's a day, was still too much and I would have to keep them in.

Well, I drove myself to the doctor, got in his office and reminded him many times that I really didn't want him to touch me but I wanted the drains out. I am sure that in his head he said, "this lady is crazy." Oh well. Here is the truth:

Dr. Perry is amazing. His everything is amazing. Bedside manner, jokes, gentle touches, personality, etc. I even called him twice, late at night, because I felt light headed and needed to make a change to my medicine. His gentleness and caring spirit means more to me than anything.

Norma is amazing and amazingly beautiful. You have to see her. She is kind, caring and understanding. She makes it happen and I love that about her.
Did the drain removal hurt? Yep, but everything hurts to me. The most painful part was not the actual removal but the burn afterwards. Let's not forget the anxiety build up.

What did he do: He made me take deep breaths, while breathing with me, and then pulled them out when I wasn't aware. I love him.

Afterwards, he cleaned me up, removed some stitches, talked about aftercare and told me I looked great. Then he had me get off the table, took some pictures, some more examining and cleaned me up. Perfect.

When I got off the table I felt like a new person. Those drains crippled me! I was more mobile, he made me stand straight as possible and showed me how to massage the small area that I received lipo on the sides. When I looked in the mirror I was amazed. I didn’t have a hanging belly, just swelling. I LOVE my belly button and new contours. I was already curvy but his expertise took them to the next level. I actually saw my hips which I couldn't before because of the protrusion and overlap.

Guess who's emotional? This girl. A happy emotional mixed with a "I can't believe that I did it emotional." I feel like there are so many outfits that my stomach limited me from wearing and Dr. Perry changed that.

I am so ready to see how I look as the swelling goes down. The only con that I have is that the swelling has mostly settled right above my VJJ. I have to massage that area to see if it will go down. I do have two small areas that opened there but I told myself not to fret. I cleaned them, put some neosporin on it and some gauze. I will just keep a close eye. I am also prone to keloids so that is also a concern. Can't wait for the swelling to go down………..it makes it look like I have a small wee wee………..ugh.

What's next: I am still very much in recovery so I will be careful while trying to get my life back to normal. I will massage the areas as discussed and alert him if anything happens. I can't wait to run again and lift weights. Can't wait to take pictures in a fitted dress.

Today is my last day in Miami so I will be traveling home. I miss my children SO MUCH! I can't wait to kiss and hug them.

I am to fearful to do any additional elective surgeries BUT if I had to I would choose Dr. Perry. He is MY doctor and I am happy to be a part of Team Perry ; )

Thanks for the support ladies and I will be updating as much as possible as this journey is nowhere near over. I am wishing myself and you happy healings!

Good Morning Ladies,

As those who are further along in healing have been saying, it gets easier everyday. I am so thankful for that. I do not regret the decision that I have made. I am so elated when I put on a shirt and the breast area is tight but the stomach area is loose.

So let's talk:

Wardrobe: I was a size 10 when I went in to surgery and I am still the same size....just a different shape. I have been wearing my same skinny jeans because they fit my hips and butt but are loose in the front which accommodates the area that is most swollen. I will take a picture and post soon. Not having that protruding stomach with hang leaves so much room in the front of your pants and I am sure I will have even more room once the swelling goes down. My shirts fit awesome. I am a 34D, yesterday my waist measured a 34 (if I was measuring in the right area but I believe is measure to low so it may be smaller) and my hips were a 42. I can't wait until the swelling goes down so I can shop.

Weight: Last year, the day after Thanksgiving, I weighed a huge 186. This was my heaviest ever aside from pregnancy. That day I told myself I was going to lose the weight from my pregnancy as my son was one. My goal weight was 155. From that day to a month prior to my surgery I went from 186 to 162. I then bounced from 162 to 158. Today I weighed in at 155.8. I am so happy and can't wait to start working out again. I need to do a lot of toning and I am sure my weight is only 155 due to the surgery although I would love to keep it this way. My body is usual a stable 160 (before I had kids).

Recovery: Everyday my mobility gets better and better. Two days ago, I walked around in the grocery store and made myself stand as straight as possible. It only took a little walking before I was tired but it did wonders for my posture. I can't wait to be able to stand straight and walk normal. I stopped my pain medication on day 5 or 6. I now only take Motrin if the lipo areas are painful or if I am really sore. I haven't taken it in a couple days now. I am really not in any pain but the swelling does make me uncomfortable. I also wanted to mention that I had an allergic reaction to my antibiotic and didn't realize it until day 9. My symptoms included a numb face and tongue, shortness of breath, and I felt spacey and lightheaded all the time. I initially attributed it to the surgery and anesthesia but it wasn't. As soon as I stopped the antibiotic it went away.

I hope my review will help you ladies. I was wondering if you could tell me when did you start walking straight? What has helped with the swelling?

Happy healing!

Showering: I have been showering by myself for about two days now. I still have difficulty reaching my feet but I get it done.

Sleeping: I have been sleeping in my bed since day 9. I remember, on day 5 or 6, talking to Dr. Perry and when he asked about my sleep I told him I was sitting up on the couch. He was like, "Get in the bed and make yourself comfortable." I was thinking, yeah right. Well after I got the drains out I decided to reconsider. When I finally arrived back to my home after being away for ten days I decided to try it. I have about ten pillows in my bed and I prop them up and under me. Boy oh boy, sleeping on my sides felt AWESOME! (Yep, he was right again.) I sleep through the night with my pillows and spanx. The only difficulty I have is rolling over. That takes some thought and effort. I can't wait to be able to sleep on my stomach.

Here are a few pics. I am so over the soreness and swelling. The swelling is in my upper and lower abs : ( I am ready to get back to my normal life! The back pain decreases day by day but I am tired of sitting on my butt and the pulling on my right side. Even with massage, the two small areas that I received lipo on are bumpy...................when does the freakin swelling and soreness stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was a great for standing up straight. I'm not sure if it's because I was more active or because I forced myself to stretch my abdominal area a little more. I hope to feel even more straight tomorrow.

The swelling remains the same. It is much better in the mornings compared to night.

I can't wait to start working out. My body needs toning and I miss weight training and running.

I do have stitches that pop out and my lipo areas are hard. I hope they soften with massage and time. The soreness has decreased a little and incision seems to be healing slowly but well. Because Miami is not too far, I think I'm going to schedule a follow up visit with my doctor at the two month mark. I have no concerns as of right now.

Happy healing ladies...although it seems like a slow process : )

I love my new shape! A lot of people at my job noticed that something was different but most haven't asked. One guy asked me if I had a baby..... I have mixed emotions about this. Lol, Is he saying I looked pregnant before???? If so he's right but he doesn't have to make it known. Another lady asked if I had surgery because I was out so long........NOSEY!!! I didn't know what to say. Any advice?

I still swell a lot but it has decreased just a little. Can't wait to not wear shape wear and stop swelling.

I'm still wearing the silicone strips and massaging my lipo areas which are still a little hard.

I love the fact that I can finally tuck my shirt in!!!!

Happy healing ladies!

I have a desk job working at the hospital. I have received a lot of funny looks from coworkers. I'm assuming that they realize something different but it kills me that they continue to stare. I would like for them to either ask or just not stare. I'm having a little trouble dealing with this. I think that in the hospital environment people expect you to disclose information about your medical because you work closely together but I also believe that they should be clear in understanding that it is none of their business. I wonder what will happen if my information that I turned and my boss is going to be disclosed. I think that they should mind their own. I told my boss that I was having female surgery but I asked him not to disclose. Women can be so ridiculous. This last week a lady asked me if she should consider a TT. I told her that she was. And she replied by saying anyone can get a little nip and tuck. She was just fishing for information. I wanted to choke her. Enjoy your life lady.

I decided to take a short walk on the treadmill. After walking I was so swollen. I'm not sure why. Anyone else experience this?