I'm 9 days away from joining the "flat side." I'm 44, I have 3 beautiful kids, all three c-sections. More than 2 years ago I lost 35lbs but haven't been satisfied with how my belly looks or feels. I've only told a few friends and some family members. I don't want to be judged. I'm excited & nervous. I can't wait to be 2 weeks post op, wish I could just skip ahead to that part;)
So Excited, So Worth it! Tummy Tuck W/ Lipo on Arms & Flanks - Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
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Lexivandan
- Worth It
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Cost:
$10,300 - Paul J. Scioscia, MD, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
????3 Days Countdown, and I still have A house full of guest who don't know????
I began washing with hiblecens on Xmas it's all coming so fast. I guess it's probably a good thing that we still have family here so I can't obsess and get too nervous. I am mostly excited, the before & after pix of the ladies on this site are so impressive. i cant wait to be on the other side. I have been wanting to reply to you ladies but someone is always around. Right now I'm in the bathroom, lol! I hope everyone had a Merry Xmas. I will update as soon as I can, thinking of you all. Good luck & heal well?
Tomorrow is my BIG DAY!!
Nothing to eat or drink in about a half an hour...Dr. Said I could have 1 glass of wine, so that is what I'm doing:)) I'm feeling excited and pretty calm, considering. I believe I will heal beautifully and I'm just ready to get on with that, lol! I do wish my surgery were before 1pm...chances are my head will be banging with no coffee:/ hopefully I won't be to cranky with my kids or they will be relieved when I leave for sx, lol. I am posting a pix of my arms too since I am having lipo done to them. I want to have beautifully sculpted arms or I would just be happy if they looked as strong as they are. I am ready to look fit and fabulous in my 40's and on...good night ladies and Thanks for posting your journey. This site is a wealth of information and makes it easier to keep your eye on the prize?
I have crossed over to the Flat Side!!
My sx was over around 4pm & I attempted,an update,shortly after that, not sure what happened. So here I am again. Ladies, exparel is amazing. I can't imagine why anyone would have tummy tuck without this. I have been up 2x already, and I am not totally hunched over lie quasi motto, lol! Intact the most panini feel is from the lipo on my left arm(needed more there) than anywhere else. The pain is bearable. I will hopefully post some pix tomorrow. Good night for me?
2 Days post op
I am feeling great. My abdomen is completely numb, due to exparel. I am walking around, slightly hunched but nothing major. The lipo on my arms hurt more than anything. I haven't taken any pain meds for 6 hours, except OTC. I had to get up the stairs pretty quickly because my brother in law was coming and I don't want anyone to know. He hasn't been over for months, it figures he would come now, lol. More importantly I made the stairs, no problem:) I took a shower today and finally looked at myself. I am very happy, my doctor did a great job. I have one drain & it exits on the side. I can't wait to be all healed so I can make my results even better with some exercise. My husband has been awesome. I love him so much, he has been so supportive and is pleased with my results so far?
What is UP with this Lovehandle?? Please tell me it's swelling, Post op day 6
Mostly I feel really good. I've had minimal pain because my dr. used Exparel. I can't say enough about this med. I finally had a normal poop today, YAY! On day I began to poop on day 2, it was hard as a rock, painfull. Day 3 was the same as day 2 and finally 6am day 4 got all the concrete like poop out of my body. This was despite stool softeners & smooth move tea, so glad that part is over.
My biggest complaints has not been the pain. For me my c-sections were worse & so was the slim lipo I had back in 2009. The skin abrasions that are on the right side of my belly have created a conflict for me. If I wear a binder or compression garment these abrasions (from the tape) don't heal. But I need to wear the compression garment:/ and I need these abrasions to heal. I am so hoping they don't scar. It would be a tremendous slap in my face, such bullshit! I hated those slim lipo scars I had on either side of my belly button pre-op. My other concern: What is up with my left lovehandle? Why do I even have a lovehandle? Please tell me this is swelling and it will go down...please!! It is soft...not happy about this or the abrasions on he other side. Which is a shame because I am happy about everything else, so far I love the shape of my belly button and the way my skin looks, the placement of my scar. Can't wait to be more mobile. I am very active person & this sitting shit is really boring...I am reserving my judgment on my arms, way too soon to tell. My left one is bruised ALOT! I hope the arms are worth it too. I would love to have some beautifully sculpted arms to go with my we belly.
My biggest complaints has not been the pain. For me my c-sections were worse & so was the slim lipo I had back in 2009. The skin abrasions that are on the right side of my belly have created a conflict for me. If I wear a binder or compression garment these abrasions (from the tape) don't heal. But I need to wear the compression garment:/ and I need these abrasions to heal. I am so hoping they don't scar. It would be a tremendous slap in my face, such bullshit! I hated those slim lipo scars I had on either side of my belly button pre-op. My other concern: What is up with my left lovehandle? Why do I even have a lovehandle? Please tell me this is swelling and it will go down...please!! It is soft...not happy about this or the abrasions on he other side. Which is a shame because I am happy about everything else, so far I love the shape of my belly button and the way my skin looks, the placement of my scar. Can't wait to be more mobile. I am very active person & this sitting shit is really boring...I am reserving my judgment on my arms, way too soon to tell. My left one is bruised ALOT! I hope the arms are worth it too. I would love to have some beautifully sculpted arms to go with my we belly.
P.O. Day 10. Feeling Great!
I feel really good today. I have been doing a little more everyday. I had my first post op with the doc 2 days ago. I asked him about lovehandle or pooch on my left side, he said its too soon to be sure since I still have a lot of swelling. But that he may have to do a revision. Argh! I hope it's swelling & I won't have to do that. But something tells me that is not the case. I only wanted to heal 1 time. So I will try to not obsess over it or be frustrated, but it's not easy. I will be getting my drain out tomorrow, yay! Very excited about that. Tomorrow is my oldest daughters 20th birthday??seems like yesterday I was holding her in my arms. She is an exceptional young lady, she has always made us proud and has given us very little to worry about?she & my husband have been so supportive, they have taken on all my responsibilities. I am eternally grateful? I am so ready to get back to my life, my usual busy & energetic self.
Feeling Frustrated:(
Tomorrow is 2 weeks post op. I got my drain out on Friday. I am so glad to he rid of that thing. I went out to dinner for my oldest daughter's 20th birthday. It was so nice to be out. My pain has been almost non existent throughout this entire experience, with the exception of the lipo on my arms. So I have been off pain peds for some time. I take ibuprofen for swelling. I have been doing more & more everyday. When I do too much I feel like I'm going to burst. I have so much to be grateful for. But I am really beginning to wonder if this was worth it. I know swelling is part of the process, I know that many people second guess their decision, their doctor. I know some people get depressed, for me I think depressed my be too harsh a word...at this point. But I am concerned that my final results will not be better than my before. Right now, I do not think I look better than my before. I also know I am not a patient person. I miss the gym, I usually work out 4 or 5 times a week, spinning, body sculpting. I was fit and strong before this. I thought I had a pretty "before" so I expected to be happy with my results pretty early on. I did not expect to to have these love handles, this shelf, midriff:( I didn't have this before, I had loose skin, some sagging but I was straight up & down...I had hip bones and now there are these lovehandles hanging on them...argh! I have lookes at other women and I don't see anyone that is looking like me @ 2 weeks post op. You ladies are looking really good, looking like you got what you paid for, like your expectations were met. I know it's early & I know I'm still swollen, but why am I swollen like this?? I hope & pray everyone is right about the swelling. I did my due diligence in choosing my doc., I did my research. The pro's, my skin looks pretty good, I ? my belly button and my scar is thin & nice, except what has scabbed-but that will heal. But what difference does any of that make if I am stuck with these love handles?? Or if I need a revision: more$$, more time, more healing...I'm not a patient person. I am trying...this is my rant!
1 month post op
Well it has been a month & 1 day since my surgery. I haven't updated since there hasn't been any major changes. I am still swollen & still bigger than I was before my surgery. My swelling has gone down, it is taking its time in doing so:( The more active I am the more swollen I get. I have resigned myself to the fact there is not much I can do about the swelling short of sitting around all day and I am not about to do that, lol. My Dr. assured me the swelling wont hurt anything, it's just annoying. In the mean time I will focus on eating clean and going for walks regularly. I can also focus on the many things I am really happy with: my skin on my belly is so smooth and new looking, my scar is thin and healing beautifully and my belly button is pretty cute. I am also happy with how my arms are responding to the lipo, they are definitely smaller and almost all of the bruising is gone. They are still a bit sore and the skin is numb. I can't wait to work them out. So for now I am certainly flatter but I'm also wider, but I believe my Dr. when he promised me that he did not make me bigger, lol. I just have to be patient, I have learned that I am somewhat of a busy body, lol!
6 weeks PO tomorrow!
I went to see my doctor this past Monday, I was 5 weeks post up. I wanted to make sure that there was nothing else going on with my swelling. Dr. Scioscia assured me there was nothing else going on, told me I was pretty much out of the woods for seroma. Dr. S & his nurse Sharon were both impressed with my scar and belly button. My swelling seemed less that day and has progressively gotten better everyday since. I have a vibration therapy machine that you stand on & it vibrates your entire body. It is supposed to stimulate the lymphatic system, promoting circulation and increases bone density. Dr. Scioscia said I could use it, so I began using it after my appointment. My doctor also said I can begin scar therapy tomorrow and the only reason for me to wear my compression garment is for comfort. I had a lymphatic massage this past Friday, it was very relaxing...my swelling had already gone down so much by the time my massage was scheduled that its hard to say how effective it was. I think you would need a series of these massages to see any result, no less than 3, but I could be wrong. The lady who massaged me is also an MD and was very impressed with my results so far, also very reassuring. She see's many post op patients. So I am finally feeling like I can see the end result:) I am so excited & ecstatic. I have always physically felt really good thru this entire process, but esthetically speaking I have been frustrated. For whatever reason this is how my body has been healing. These new pix I am wearing same panties as my before pix. Happy healing ladies, anyone feeling frustrated just hang in there, it really does get better:D
Nine & 1/2 weeks post op
It's been over 3 weeks since my last update. I have been back at the gym. I am spinning with no issues except when I sprint, it hurts my abdomen. So I have been wearing my CG for spin class. I've also been taking Barre Rock, new class for me with no issues. Yoga has been challenging, it's very hard for me to get my balance and I swell even more after class. Overall I feel great. I am still swollen and have increased swelling at night. I have one dog ear on either side:( and though I am flatter than I was I am also wider:( of course I am frustrated and am so very ready to look better than I feel...that's why I decided to get a tummy tuck, so I would look as good as I feel. I know, of course that feeling good is no small thing...in fact IS the most important thing. I also know that this IS a process and that I look better now than I did before surgery. Just trying not to obsess...;-)
I went on four consultations and he is the one who I had the most confidence in. His vision for my new physique was most compatible with how I wish to be. He is chief of Plastic Surgery at st. Vincent's and is very personable. I am also very impressed with his before & after photos. I believe I am in very good hands.
