Tummy Tuck with Liposuction for 36 yr old mommy

The effects of four pregnancies all by C-section every two years through out my twenties left me with a very undesirable shape. I had tried kick boxing, cycling, hiking, and general laps on the treadmill to try to maintain my weight and regain some semblance of my pre-baby shape. Along with healthy eating and the sheer craziness of my life with four young children I was able to get my weight within 10 pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight each time and maintain that. For those of you good with math that means 10 extra pounds with each precious child. My weight wasn’t the only issue it was also the extreme extra skin that was left over from the surgeries.
I had been randomly doing research on having a tummy tuck since my last child was born. I put it off longer than I needed to as well because I was worried that there was no way that they would clear me for surgery with the extra weight I maintained. This was not the case. While I would have managed, I am very glad that I also waited until my youngest was five before undergoing the surgery. I was still tempted and did (just a couple of times) find myself in situations where I had to pick him up before I was cleared to. I paid for it every time. Which brings me to my biggest piece of advise. Have a good support network setup and make sure you have time to completely shut down and do nothing for at least two weeks. I mistakenly thought that I would be up and about within three weeks. Yes, even with all the C-section experience.
When preparing for surgery please make sure you do your research on the facility and doctor who will be performing the procedure. I went to three consultations before I decided. Although it wasn’t a tough decision once I met Dr. Derby and his staff at Sarasota Plastic Surgery Center. They were very kind, sincere, and honest with their assessments and care. A qualified doctor with a caring staff will make all the difference in the world during your recovery. You will have questions (some embarrassing) during your recovery and before the surgery. It is essential that you can trust your doctor and their staff. I was very fortunate in that I found an excellent facility and doctor to perform the procedure.
I was so excited, even more then nervous, for the surgery. I felt guilty which I have heard is common for mommies. I still do feel a bit of guilt but I give my heart and soul to my children this was something I needed to do to regain a piece of me I had lost along the way. Pajamas was all that was really necessary for the day of and day after the surgery. All the rest sat in the bag, never used. Then there was pain, and more pain, and a bit more pain oh and swelling, lots and lots of swelling. Make sure the nursing staff keeps up on your pain meds and just say no if they want to pull your catheter before you are ready. Do get up and walk when they tell you to…it will help later…or so I’ve been told. My husband was wonderful during my recovery and did almost everything for me. Walking consisted of making it to the fridge and back to the bed for most of the early days so plan on taking it pretty slow for a while.
Every day the pain gets better…little by little…each day a little bit better until finally it subsides to the point where you don’t notice it every waking second. I was stitched particularly tight which meant that I was also stooped over for a very long while… (at least three weeks). I am approximately eight weeks post op and I only have phantom pains through my hips when I have over done it. My procedure included liposuction which made this surgery so much different than the C-sections because it felt like my whole core had been obliterated. I still feel like I am wrapped tightly especially around the back but this is subsiding too as time passes.
The numbness through my stomach and back were surprising side effects that I hadn’t anticipated. I guess the feeling won’t completely return for up to a year. At this point the feeling is starting to come back but I still cannot feel my belly button area at all. The other surprising revelation was that with the tightening the pubic hair line moves up from where it was so be prepared to either get laser hair removal after the procedure or become really good at waxing. The bruising was also unbelievable in their size and color. These of course subside with time but they can be alarming when you first see them.
All of these “side effects” are well worth the results which were just amazing. I still can’t believe it. I am just thrilled! I was honest with most but work about the procedure. Even those at work called me out on the differences…they were definitely noticeable and keep getting better with each passing week. I still have to be careful of not overdoing it or my back becomes very sore and for me I get pains in my hips. I also have to watch my food intake to make sure there is not too much salt because that makes the swelling even worse. I can’t eat much since the tightening which is great but it also means that I have to make sure I am eating enough protein. I preferred soup as a comfort food after the surgery but I found that resulted in me not eating enough. I haven’t started working out since we are so close to Christmas…thinking I’ll just start that as my New Year’s resolution. All in all, I have no regrets and I hope this rambling on will help those considering a tummy tuck procedure in making the best decision for themselves.