Incredibly Happy - Worth Flying out to Do Surgery with Dr.Lowen

I had another visit with Dr.Lowen to look at the scar and ensure everything is healing well visually. I appreciate that he really cares about the long-term result. He even did some additional treatment on the scar to further help ensure it eventually becomes as thin as a pencil line. It's looking great, and most importantly, I'm feeling great!

I've noticed that I sleep better now, like I used to before having kids. I think part of this is I don't have back pain anymore, and another part is because after having kids I had much less bladder control and would have to get up to pee 1-2 times most nights. Now I can sleep through the entire night.

I've started doing some ab rehab exercises and also trying to mix in a bit of running into my walks (e.g. 30-60 seconds of running at a time). Excited to keep getting stronger over time.

I did a 3.4 mile hike today with 1400 feet of elevation gain and felt great, even did a few short (30 second) bouts of running at times. The scar seems to be healing well and swelling is mostly gone.

At around 3 weeks, I replaced the original binder Dr.Lowen gave me with this more breathable one. Highly recommend - it is fantastic: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HKGCJRQ/refppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ieUTF8&th1

Also, I started using the Embrace tape on the scar after 3 weeks and this has allowed me to sleep wearing compression shorts (instead of the foam and binder), which is way more comfortable. Otherwise, I keep the binder on all day.

I live in Colorado, but flew out to California for 3 weeks (1 week pre-surgery, 2 weeks post) in order to do this tummy tuck procedure with Dr.Lowen. There are a good number of qualified doctors in my area and being away from my 3 kids was tough, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime surgery and I didn't want to compromise on quality. Dr.Lowen is simply the best.

It's now 2 weeks post-surgery and I'm absolutely thrilled with my result. The incision is neatly done and super low on my belly, with no infections or other issues. The bruising is almost gone, the swelling is minimal, and my mid-section is looking sleek. Also, importantly, the belly button is very realistic-looking and perfectly placed. (This is one of the reasons I ultimately chose Dr.Lowen - I didn't want there to be any risk of symmetry issues, bad scarring, or other issues that might require a revision surgery.)

The recovery has been excellent. After 2 weeks, I feel almost fully back to normal. I'm able to go on long walks, can sleep 8 hours at night, have been taking Ubers and doing in-person work meetings for the past few days, and am completely off of medication. 

If you're thinking about doing the surgery, I say go for it!

---Even more details about my story----

I'm small (5'2", 115 lbs) and had 3 large babies in the past decade which stretched out my core. Despite being an active runner and doing strength training, my midsection never went back to "normal." When I'd do a plank, there was always a bulge  in the middle, and I had this annoying pocket of fat on the lower part of my abdomen that just wouldn't go away even though the rest of my body was lean and muscled.

I thought that this was just something I'd have to live with for the rest of my life, and had accepted that this is just what happens when you have kids and get older. Then a friend of mine who'd also had 3 kids told me about her surgery with Dr.Lowen. She'd had a full tummy tuck and was absolutely delighted with the results. She was running marathons again and loved the flatness of her abs. This opened up my world - if she could do it, maybe so could I.

From the first time I reached out to Dr.Lowen, he made me feel cared for. He spent an hour with me in our first consultation and later checked in as my surgery date approached. I appreciated that he seemed to know every single detail, and made me feel comfortable and respected. He was never annoyed or impatient, no matter what I asked.

I'm a perfectionist, and I wanted a doctor that was equally a perfectionist: someone who takes pride in their work and wants to ensure both the surgery and recovery go smoothly. Dr.Lowen delivered in every way.

How the surgery went:

Dr.Lowen's surgical team were all professionals that made me feel safe and ensured I was comfortable. The surgery itself happened in the blink of an eye. Honestly, even though this was "the big day", I was out for most of it and when I awoke, the local anesthetic they used helped me feel ok and not in immediate pain. My brother and sister-in-law picked me up and took me home, and the recovery started.

How the recovery went:

The first few days of recovery were the hardest because the bruising and swelling--while natural--is not something I'd ever experienced before. Dr.Lowen told me what to expect before the surgery, and afterwards he was also quick to respond to my text messages and also willing to Facetime with me frequently. We did either a virtual or in-person check-in almost every day for the first week. Dr.Lowen even went one step further and did a couple of laser treatments on my bruised areas and gave me Arnica tablets to take, to help speed up the recovery.  

Dr.Lowen provided me with pre and post-op instructions which were detailed and answered most questions. Here's a bit of extra advice for those of you about to do this:

(1) It's not necessary, but I found a walker very useful for the first 3 days when I would walk around particularly hunched over. It helped ease the pressure on my back. Dr.Lowen loaned me one so I didn't even need to buy it.

(2) Be sure you're drinking enough, and also consider taking a stool softener and laxative on day 2 after the surgery. I don't typically get constipation, but it's a common side effect of the painkillers you'll almost surely take post-surgery.

(3) Buy Arnica tablets to help with the bruising - Dr.Lowen can recommend some. These things are magical.

(4) Shower the day before the surgery (you can't shower the morning of, and you also can't shower for the first few days after).

(5) Buy super loose pants with a high waistband (I'm normally a size XS/S and I bought size L yoga pants). You can't wear restrictive clothes for a while after the surgery because it can cut off blood flow, and since you'll be wearing padding and a "binder" (compression wrap) around your waist, your normal pants won't fit. Personally, I love the BeyondYoga for how soft the fabric is - you don't want anything even remotely scratchy. 

(6) Be sure you have somebody to help you. In the first few days, I couldn't do something basic like lifting a heavy pot of soup out of the fridge and was reliant on others to carry things for me. I could do baby walks around the room and go to the bathroom, but I appreciated help with everything else. After the first week, I was generally self-sufficient at home and even meeting people outside. After 2 weeks, I could take 30+ minute walks and do full days of "normal" work.