Dr. Joseph is phenomenal!

I interviewed a total of 6 surgeons before proceeding with my extended tummy tuck. The moment I meant Dr. Joseph I knew he was the perfect surgeon for me. He was very knowledgable, caring, attentive and took his time answering any questions and explaining the procedure.

The Office Manager Lemya is so sweet. I was nervous as I didn't know anyone personally who had had surgery with Dr. Joseph. Although all of his online reviews were excellent I wanted to talk to someone in person. Lemya listened to my concerns and asked me if she could give my phone # to a previous patient that had the same procedure I was getting ready to have. I was thrilled that she went above and beyond and I was able to talk to this patient and she put a lot of my concerns, questions and anxiety at ease.

During the Pre-Op appt, I met with Dr. Joseph's nurse Anita. She was also very nice, sweet, caring and patient. She went over all of the pre-op info and asked me if I had any questions. She was happy to answer anything for me. I arrived at the surgery center very early. I was quite nervous but everyone made me feel calm and taken care of.

From the receptionist, to the nurses, anesthesiologist and Dr. Joseph, I just knew I was in good hands. When I woke up, the nurse answered all of my questions and told me the night nurse would be there in the evening. By then, I was a bit more conscious and I met the night crew. They were phenomenal too. They took great care of me. Dr. Joseph personally called my husband and told him everything went great. He also answered any questions. My husband called 2 more times to check on me and the nurses provided any info he asked.

Overnight, I was given a light dinner, crackers, water and I was taken for a short walk. The next day, Dr. Joseph came to see my husband and myself and he went over any post op questions. He was thrilled about the results and you could tell he was genuinely excited about the outcome. The nurses changed me into my clothes and I walked to my car (they were happy to provide a wheelchair but I felt good enough to walk). I had a very uneventful recovery.

I did call Anita (Dr. Joseph's nurse) once or twice during the first week just with some questions about a bit of swelling. The swelling went away gradually and all was ok. The pain was VERY manageable. I felt this was way easier than my planned C-section. I wish I knew the recovery was going to be what it was as I would have spent less time worrying. I stayed on a schedule for my pain meds during the first 3 days. I slept most of those days. By the end of the week I was still hunched over but feeling relatively good. I saw Dr. Joseph one week post op. They took out one drain and my stitches from my belly button and the lipo of my flanks. Dr. Joseph inspected the incision and it was healing beautifully. 3 days later I returned to have the other drain removed. Anita rocks at taking those out. I could barely feel anything. She inspected my incision and Dr. Joseph stopped by for a few minutes (I knew I wasn't there to see him but it was nice of him to stop in).

The following week I started my lymphatic massages. Anita stopped by at the end of the first one as I had one stitch that still needed to be removed inside my belly button. Next week I have my 4 week post op appt with Dr. Joseph. So far, I am thrilled about the results. My scar is healing very nicely and my stomach is flat. My experience has been nothing less than perfect!

A couple of things I've found helpful during my tummy tuck.

1. Sleep on a recliner. I tried to sleep on my bed and it was disastrous!

2. Keep up with the stool softeners. You'll be grateful.

3. Load up on vitamin C and Zinc. My whole family got sick and I somehow avoided it.
Thank goodness because coughing feels like the most horrible experience you can imagine.

4. Showering wasn't too bad for me. My skin did need a lot of lotion and TLC. The itching was unreal for about 2 days.

5. I wasn't very hungry but I made sure o ate often (even if it's just fruit). It helped with the nausea.

6. Everything gets me exhausted. I was in great shape before surgery now walking down one aisle at the supermarket has me winded. Be patient with yourself. Take it easy and accept help when offered.

7. Wearing underwear with drains is annoying and painful. I opted for sleeping dresses and summer dresses if going out. It eliminated the need for underwear and it bothered the are of the drain less.

My husband went to pick me up at 6:30 a.m. We hanged out for a bit until Dr. Joseph came in to see me. Dr. Joseph is such a nice man. He is very professional, gentle and caring. I could have not chosen better. Dr. Joseph changed my dressings and showed my husband how to care of the drains and my belly button. He warned me I could get more swelling and bruising in the next couple of days.

The nurse changed me into my clothes. I brought a long sleeve sleep gown that I bought at Target. They worked great. No need for underwear yet I feel covered enough.

I wanted to walk to the car. The nurse provided me with a walker and off we went. Little steps but it felt good to get out of bed and walk a little. It was uncomfortable with the drains but very doable. Getting into the car was a bit challenging. I wish my husband would have brought my low care instead of the high SUV ... we made it work either way. The nurse helped me pull my legs up in the SUV. I buckled up and held a pillow against my tummy. I didn't need it but it helped me feel secure.

We got home and it felt good to walk again. I went directly into the bathroom. The nurse showed me how to squat using only my legs and not engaging my abdominal muscles. For the most part it has worked. Afterwards I went to the recliner. I had queued all of these shows on my Netflix but I barely had energy to keep my eyes open for 10-15 minutes. My day basically consists of trying to get up to to go to the baton, coming back, checking my phone, taking pain pill and going to sleep.

The pain is still very manageable. So far my recovery has been easy and uneventful. I'm grateful.