Wished for this day since first daughter was born - Mommy Makeover!!! TT/BL/BA

I have chosen Dr. Rubis in Tulsa for my Mommy Makeover! I'm currently 5'2" and 180 pounds. I know that sounds a little high, but I've lost 50 pounds and been solidly at this weight through my last two pregnancies. I wear two pants sizes larger in my waist than I do on my hips and thighs, so I'm excited to fit normally into a size again.
I went in for a consultation with Dr. Rubis and his wife/nurse Tracy in June and had a wonderful experience with them. Dr. Rubis explained in detail the way that the procedures would be conducted using drawing and made sure that I knew exactly what to expect. He said that my skin is perfect for a tummy tuck, and that he expects to see a very good result. After Dr. Rubis finished his description and Q&A with me, his wife Tracy stayed in the room to help me try on implant sizes and compare the merits to determine which would look the most balanced on my frame. They gave me a range of 5 implant sizes to choose from based on my chest measurements. I actually opted for the smallest implant in the range provided, a 390cc, but Dr. Rubis prefers to do an overfill for more upper pole fullness so I expect to end up around 440cc. We then talked about cost. Since we are paying in cash, the TT, BA, and BL are going to cost $13,200 - a rate discounted by about $2,000 from what a person would be charged if they were using credit. I told Tracy that I was ready to book, so she and I looked over the calendar and decided on August 5th for my procedures! She said that he would generally prefer to do the BA/BL separate from the TT, but since I am a fully time Ph.D student, I can't afford to take time off for a procedure twice. So, I'll be spending about 6 hours in surgery when the time comes, which makes me a little nervous. I have great confidence in Dr. Rubis and his abilities as a PS, so I know things will go well. To hold my space on the calendar, I had to pay $1,500 up front with the balance due at my pre-op appointment.

On July 27th I had my Pre-Op appointment with Dr. Rubis. We briefly went over the same information from the first visit and he asked if I had any other questions for him about the surgery itself. I didn't have much to ask about the surgery, so he went to his next patient and I sat with his nurse/wife, Tracy, for about an hour going over instructions leading up to surgery, what to expect during surgery and immediate recovery, where I would be staying the night, my nurse and her exact duties during my overnight stay, and specifics of what to expect once I'm home as far as monitoring my drains, medicine, post-op appointments, etc. We tried on implants again and confirmed the size and its appropriateness for my frame. Then we went over my questions, which mostly involved post-op nutrition and getting back to school/work when the semester starts. I took a boatload of paperwork, 4 prescriptions (pain, muscle relaxer, antibiotic, anti-nausea), and orders to have blood work drawn at the lab. Tracy made a point to explain to me that absolutely no one is allowed to touch the implants or make a single stitch except Dr. Rubis himself. He doesn't rely on interns or allow spectators of any kind in his surgeries, and because of these policies I feel very very comfortable as I head into the final stretch. Tracy hugged me two or three times before I left the building and told me how excited she is for me. I cannot say enough nice things about this couple!! Oh, and I got instructions saying my surgery is scheduled at 1pm, and to be at the hospital to prepare by 11:30. She also said that 90% of the time, patients are moved up to the morning surgery slot and instead arrive at 5:30am for surgery at 7. I really, fervently hope that I get moved up to the earlier time slot. If not, I'm going to have to request some Valium to keep my nerves in check.

My husband and I headed to the lab for my pre-op, and we were in and out of there in less than 10 minutes! They were on top of things that day - and we were the only people in the waiting room. Tracy had said she would only call if something was wrong with my blood work, so I didn't expect to hear from anyone again until the day of surgery. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case and Tracy called me on Wednesday to say that my iron levels are very low. That's pretty normal for me for some reason, but it's not acceptable heading into surgery. She told me to start taking iron supplements and a stool softener that day and continue until surgery. She said we would check my blood again the morning of surgery to guarantee things are good going in.

I called again this morning because I feel the beginnings of a cold coming on. Their instructions are to drink Emergen-C or take a C/Zinc supplement, drink lots of fluids, and rest/do as little physical activity as possible. I have taken that advice to heart, and the dishes in the sink are my proof ;). Tracy said the only reasons that surgery would be postponed are a fever or congestion that makes it difficult for me to breath. I'm crossing my fingers to stay healthy for four more days!!

I'm feeling pretty sluggish from pain medicine right now, but I wanted to post a quick note to say that, so far, recovery has been much less painful than I imaged! I have almost no pain at all in my tummy, and a manageable amount in my breasts. I can't take off the surgical bra or the binder until my appointment on Monday, and I am so anxious to see how things look!