Like Cinderella's Glass Slipper

In April of 2019 I had to have emergency surgery that left me with a 9'' scar down the middle of my abdomen and surgically separated abdominal muscles. Due to the muscles being separated I had several hernias and was struggling to find a surgeon who could fix the hernias, muscles and revise the scar. After research I felt Dr. Mussman was the best.

I had been stalking Real Self for years since losing 130 lbs back in 2013. I used the site to do research for my breast reduction and had been lurking around looking at lower body lifts for a long time. I carried most of my weight in my lower body (beside my breasts) and thought that procedure would benefit me the most. I got a short consultation from the plastic surgeon who did my breast reduction and locked in a great price, but continued to read reviews and research experiences.
Fast forward to 2021 - April 2nd I ended up in the Emergency room having an Emergency Laparotomy (where they slice you open from breast bone to pubic bone for a cecal volvulus that had developed necrosis and gangrene and a clot in a major artery in the abdomen.
This emergency laparotomy incision was not able to be sewn together and I had an open abdomen for almost a year. This left me with an ugly, uneven scar that had adhesions and lumps. Because the underlying muscle was not sewn together I had two hernias on the incision line, and has problems with urinary incontinence and core weakness and back pain. I also had another hernia on the right lateral ventral area, also known as a spigelian hernia.
I needed the hernias repaired, the muscles sewn back together and the scar revised.
After all imaging was done, the plastic surgeon that performed my breast reduction informed me he did not repair hernias. Most general surgeons who repaired hernias did not do the muscle repair or do scar revision. I had the task of finding a specialist plastic surgeon who would also repair hernias.
I was running out of time as the spigelian hernia was causing blockages and becoming more dangerous with each passing day. I finally found a specialist who did reconstruction and plastic surgery about 2 and a half hours away that also did hernia repair who was very highly rated. After 7 months of searching I decided to schedule surgery with Jason Mussman in Surprise, Arizona at Regency Reconstruction. I a booked for September 22, 2023 for repair of 2 umbilical hernias, repair of spigelian hernia, rectus abdominus plication and scar revision.

The surgery center was and a half hours away from my house so a bit of preparation was needed prior to surgery. I was scheduled for 10 am on September 22nd with check-in at 8 am. They ended up taking me early due to the fact that the patient scheduled before me ate and drank and their case had to be cancelled. The nurse had me change into a large blue gown with compression hose and hospital socks. She was very reassuring and kind. Another nurse came in to start my IV and went over my medications and allergies. The first nurse came back and also went over my allergies. Dr. Mussman came in and went over the plan for the day. He made his markings and he, along with the nurse looked pleased and expressed so. He said they would fix the hernias without mesh, which was a relief for me. A little while later the anesthesiologist came in and went over the plan. He was very accommodating for my TIVA request as I get very ill with heavy gas anesthesia. And then it was time.
I woke up and my mother was beside me. I had some pain at the top of my incision and a little where the drain was coming out. The nurse was giving me more pain medication. My vision was very hazy. The nurse gave me some gauze to wipe my eyes. Everyone said everything went perfectly. Dr. Mussman had already been out to speak to my mother. The anesthesiologist was just leaving with a smile on his face. All is well. The nurse had me take 2 pain pills and try to eat and drink a little. If I did well with that, we could start getting me dressed to go home. My follow up appointment was for 12:45 the following Monday.
The ride home was uneventful thanks to the preparations I had made in advance. I found a foot pillow to keep my knees bent and hips flexed, a pillow to go in between the seatbelt and my torso, a horseshoe pillow for my neck and an extra blanket to keep me warm - along with cold water to sip on to soothe my sore throat from the intubation. I also had a mix of snacks for when I got hungry as I hadn't eaten since the night before. My wonderful mother drove me and made sure everything was perfect.