8 Days PO...SO WORTH IT!

Hello, I am a 26 year old mother of 2, a boy and a girl and a wife to an amazing man. I am 5'5' and approx. 178 lbs. I am not going to elaborate and bore you with some long sob story about how I grew up in a low-income home eating mainly pb&js and hotdogs, but I will tell you that I have been chunky my entire life. While most women get a "kangaroo pouch" after having children, I developed one while I was a child. Growing up I have never felt comfortable in my own skin. Never fitting in clothes the right way, and God forbid I ever try to wear a bathing suit.

God has blessed me with 2 beautiful, healthy children and I am so thankful for them! But as you can imagine, my stomach and kangaroo pouch has only gotten worse from being pregnant and gaining in excess of 40 lbs.with each pregnancy. Not to mention, both of my babies were born by C-section. Yep, you guessed it...the doctors cut right in the middle of my kangaroo pouch, making it impossible to lose.

The day I gave birth to my son, I maxed out at 250 lbs! I dropped down to 228 lbs. and stayed there for 2 years before I found out about a prescription appetite suppressant. This medicine helped me get down to around 178 lbs, when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. After my daughter's birth, I fluctuated between 192 and 200 lbs. For the past 3 months, i have been back on the appetite suppressant and been serious about getting down to a healthier weight. Eating less, drinking more water, and exercising, I have gotten back down in the 170 lb. range, with motivation to keep it up and make this a lifestyle change; after all, I had had my tubes tied, no more excuses.

I recentlyI went to my first plastic surgery consultation and received so much information about having a tummy tuck, and confirmed that I was a great candidate for the surgery. She also informed me that I did have some muscle separation from being pregnant. She tugged and pulled on my loose fat and skin, showing me what would be done in surgery. While this was a little embarrassing, I was so excited at the possibility of finally getting rid of this adversary in my life. I say adversary because it has really been an emotional hinderance in my life. It has convinced me that I am not attractive, hindering me from being able to wear many different clothes, lowering my self-esteem...hindering me from loving myself as much as I should.

Before I left, I sat down and talked about the costs associated with this type surgery, and was quoted nearly $9,000. My heart would have sank if I hadn't done some previous research before I went, and found that the national average cost of this surgery is around $7,900 (according to Real Self.com). With $9,000 being quite a bit over the average, I am definitely going to be "shopping" around. Consultations run anywhere from $50 to $125 each, so I am hoping that I find a plastic surgeon that I'm comfortable with, with the right price, sooner than later.

I have even created a "Tummy Tuck Fund" on a website called gofundme and have been sharing it with my friends and family in hopes of some love offerings to help me out financially with this life-long wish. (i did link it to a reviewer with a similar looking pre-belly to show an example bc I do not yet pics of my own...will get some up soon tho... so please forgive me)

I have been reading through as many reviews as possible in my area, but if you have any additional advice on who is the best PS for the best price in NC, please share!!

After doing much research, I found a plastic surgeon in Greenville (NC). He has great reviews and is a tad bit closer to home. I had a consultation with him today, and I thought it went great. Come to find out, he actually opened the practice 20 years ago, and the only way they advertise (besides their plain website) is by word of mouth. After my consult, I then went to see the scheduler to go over the costs and schedule availability. I was pleased to find out that the total cost would be $5,605...full tummy tuck with MR and lipo where needed. I was so excited that I went ahead and scheduled my surgery! I go for a checkup/pre-op on September 6th, and then surgery on September 19th. I am so excited, yet it doesn't feel real yet. My husband is going to put in for time off for the surgery tomorrow at work, so maybe when he tells me that his leave is approved it will sink in...?

My surgery is this Wednesday! I am so excited and nervous. Going to rent a recliner from Aaron's tomorrow. Also going to get my prescriptions filled.