Now I Have the Stomach I've Always Wanted

Now It's almost 2 mos post op and I'm feeling great. The tenderness at the incision area is nearly gone. I am and have been back to all my normal activities and exercises for a few weeks now. I am very happy with the results.

Just posted pictures that were taken at 21 days post op. I am happy with the results. At the end of the day my stomach is more swollen, than upon wakening; but that is just part of the healing process. A note I meant to mention in my original review: It is handy to have a yeast infection treatment (3 day Monistat or whatever you choose) purchased prior to surgery. On day 6, I developed an uncomfortable yeast infection, likely due to the strong antibiotics for surgery and post surgery healing. It was not easy getting out to the drug store to buy at that point in the recovery process. Hope this helps any ladies prepare prior to surgery.

I have always had a pooch on my lower belly, even before having 3 children. I was just ready to have it gone for good, and Dr. K did that for me. He is like a human form of a god to me, recreating & sculpting women's bodies. He didn't just give me my pre-baby body back, he gave me the body I've never had. As young as 12 years old I remember having a low hanging belly. Even when I lost weight and was down to 112 lbs (5 years ago) the belly was still there. Losing weight alone never did or could have achieved the results that Dr. K was able to with this full tummy tuck. Two weeks before surgery I had my pre-op appointment, and did bloodwork in the lab upstairs from his suite (included in the surgery cost). I was given a list of prescriptions to get filled the week before surgery, and brought those with me the day of surgery. I was told to not eat or drink anything 12 hours prior to surgery. I actually ate very lite the day before, things like soup and juice from my juicer. I think this really helped, since with all the meds you will not be able to have a bowel movement for a few days after post op. I actually had purchased milk of magnesia for after the surgery, as other reviews have suggested, and had that on hand to help the process of inducing a bowel movement post-op. I had a patch for anti-nausea that I put on the night before surgery, and never threw up or got sick post surgery. I left the patch on for 3 days. So I was nervous about Anesthesia (who isn't?). But it was nothing. The nurse even gave me a local anesthetic quick shot in the hand to numb, prior to putting in the IV for the anesthesia. (Wish my OBGYN would have down that for the IV during the birth of my children, those things can really hurt). The IV was put in my hand & I didn't feel a thing. Then I walked into the surgery room, and they put in the anesthesia medicine, and I was asleep in a few seconds. I woke up a few hours later & don't remember a thing from the surgery. Immediately after surgery I felt no pain, None! The meds they give during surgery must be really strong. I felt like I was able to move more than I should have been, so I suggest really resting that first night; since you will feel like you're not sore. My ride came to pick me up, and came in and the nurse explained how to empty my three drains that were from my lower abdomen area. ( I actually emptied them myself & the catheter bag, since my help wasn't all that attentive) I also had a catheter in, that they put in after I was asleep on anesthesia; and that stayed in till my post op appointment the day after surgery. It was actually very helpful, as I didn't have to get up to pee & could just rest all day and night. I had soup and other easy stuff to feed myself; since I was really on my own the week after surgery. Would have been easier to have help, but it can be done on your own. First 24 hrs did require someone to be there to help me per Doctors orders. So on day 1,2 & 3 post-op upon waking up let me say, the pain is intense. You just have to stay on top of the pain meds, and take them every 4 hrs. Even in the middle of the night I woke up to take them to preemtively help for that first morning getting out of bed feeling. On day 3 the drains were removed, and then I only had to wear the compression wrap. I didn't experience any blood oozing onto my sheets at night or clothing, as some other reviews from patients of other surgeons have reported on this site. The key is to follow the two week pre-op instructions of not drinking alcohol or taking blood thinners like advil. On April 8th I went back to school (not advised by the Dr., but you can do it). I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to go to a 9-5 job yet, even a desk job. I only had 1 or 2 classes each morning, so I was able to be home by noon and rest. Since they do advise taking 2 weeks off, I took it easy during that time, even with classes. I didn't carry a backpack or lift anything heavy. Now at 20 days post-op I'm still sore, and taking 1/2 - 1 pain pill per day (that really helps, advil or tylenol just wasn't providing the pain management when I've tried it). I am able to walk around alot now, and was at Picnic Day at UC Davis yesterday & walked all around campus. I was sore at the end of the day, so I rested. I am still wearing the compression garment, which helps to keep the swelling down and provide support. I will post before pics, which are just embarassing. No amount of girdles or spanx ever held that belly in, and was obvious even with clothes on. I am really happy with the results, and have been told that I am still swollen, so the final results in the next 9-12 mos should be even better. I advise the healing diet post surgery, which consists of a lot of vegetables, soups, and salad. I did lose 40 lbs in the last year prior to surgery by juicing and eliminating wheat and refined sugar from my diet. It is advised to be as close to your ideal weight prior to surgery for the best results and to lower risk. The higher the BMI, the higher the risks during surgery. I was still about 15 lbs over my goal weight at surgery, yet the results are better than I expected. I found physicians in Davis, but chose Dr. K for his expertise; and his office is only 20 minutes away. I would highly recommend this physician and his staff for anyone seeking a tummy tuck in the Sacramento region.