After Two Kids, I Really Want to Wear a Bikini Again!!! Newport Beach, CA

I can't wait to get started on this makeover journey!!! I chose Dr. Milind Ambe after 3 consultation appointments. Dr. Ambe made me feel very comfortable and has a wonderful reputation locally. I really hope I am making the right decision! I am currently 38yrs old, 5'5", 140-145lbs, size 6 pants, 34D bra. I am happy with my current size, weight, and cup size, but I hate my stretch marks, sagging skin, and protruding stomach. I recently went to Maui and after seeing many 40-50yr old women rockin' their bikinis, I am determined to do the same!

I can't believe it but my surgery was almost derailed as I had a surprise miscarriage over the weekend! I had no idea I was PG as I was under the impression I was infertile. My two kids were conceived with the assistance of fertility treatments & while my DH & I have been together 20+yrs we have never conceived on our own. What a shock!!! Life is crazy sometimes!

Well today is surgery day. I'm trying to stay calm but have been awake with my stomach in nots since 3am. :/ I'm not really worried about the pain, I am just freaked out thinking of all the slicing and dicing they will be doing on me. The medical technique is something I don't want to think about. I really just want to get this day behind me. Someone else gave advice regarding fear prior to surgery. She suggested taking another hard look at your body and weighing your current situation to what you want to achieve. That has really helped me not to back out due to fear. I really want this extra roll gone and my boobies to be perky again. I want to wear a bathing suit with relative confidence. And I want to stop changing outfits several times whenever I'm getting ready for something. I'm sure most if not all of you understand this feeling. Here's some before pics. Please pray for me!

I feel like I'm doing relatively well for day 5 post surgery. I took off my binder and took a very brief and rushed shower for the 1st time last night. I was very pleased with how flat my stomach looks and my pretty new belly button. My breast look good but they are still very tight and are hard to see well with me still hunched over a bit. Unfortunately I wasn't pleased to discover my normally amazing and doting husband had decided to drink too much wine prior to helping me with my much needed and anticipated shower! He wasn't drunk per se, but he was being really sloppy, not at all gentle, and rushing me through the shower. Boy did he get an earful from me afterward!!! I understand that he's a bit bored this weekend taking care of me and two kids but come on! Grrrr!!!! He took a few pics of me prior to the shower, but I don't think they adequately show my progress. Hopefully I can get my girlfriend to take some better pics when I see my PS in the morning. I feel like I'm close to standing up straight, my back is very sore (as everyone else has warned), I've been walking the house and using the toilet on my own. I haven't needed the walker or bed side commode my husband rented, but the hospital bed has been a lifesaver!!! I especially need it since I am a side sleeper and am supposed to sleep on my back for 4 - 6 weeks. I've built myself a little cocoon with pillows, raised my legs and have my back slightly raised which I think mimics the fetal position as close as possible for me. I went down to 1 Oxycodone at a time yesterday and am trying to stick to Extra Strength Tylenol going forward. I finally had a few BMs yesterday but am waiting for more movement today. The drains pinch and bother me some but I believe they are the better way to go over a drai less TT. I'm just trying to be patient and take it easy for now. I'm so glad I did months of research prior to having this surgery as I feel my expectations have been in line with my experience so far. I'm also VERY happy and satisfied with my choice of Dr Ambe as well. He told my husband and I that he took an extra 45 minutes with me at the end when he realized he could remove even more skin as he was almost done stitching me up. I appreciate that he didn't just think "ah, that's good enough" but instead decided "I can do even better!" And spent the extra time to do his best absolute best for me. I can't wait to see the end results. I'll keep you posted!

I couldn't be happier with my results at this point! I got my drains & stitches out on Friday- thank God! Those drains were starting to really bug me! The drain, belly button, and breast stitch removal was not painful at all, but I did try to just lay back and take deep breaths with eyes closed at times. That's my go to method for dealing with scary medical stuff. Lay back and trust the professionals. For anyone who cares to know, I didn't see my PS at this visit but was instead cared for by two highly capable and professional nurses. I had no problem with this and felt very comfortable and satisfied with their care. I will go back and see my PS on Tuesday. I believe he will be checking for wound healing and swelling issues after Friday's removal of drains and stitches. So far I think I'm doing great. I was warned by the nurses not to over do this weekend unless I wanted to risk a possible Seroma or strain on my BL incisions. This weekend I've been staying in bed, icing a TON, and getting up to pee & stretch my legs every few hours. I have noticed more of a swelling feeling post drain removal, and my breasts have felt a bit more sore as well. My PS office instructed me to stop wearing the post surgery compression garment and to switch to Spanx with a very large ace bandage wrapped over top from around the belly button down over the mons region. The bandage wrap is a pain and has to be adjusted every few hours - ugh! No pain, no gain, right?! Here's a picture I took on Friday post drain removal, and this morning I caved and tried on my bikini. I am SO happy so far!

I would do it again in an instant! Loving my results and my new bikini! ????????