Operation: Get Hot Before My 30th Birthday! - Wichita Falls, TX

After carrying two of my own children, and two babies for infertile couples (including one of my very best friends) I decided it was time to reclaim my body. I turned 29 in January and since I can't stop the clock, the next best thing is to greet 30 head-on looking FAB-U-LOUS! I went on a diet after giving birth in July and lost 30lbs. I was still not at my goal weight at the time of surgery, but I know that seeing my smaller waistline & that god-awful skin flap finally gone will give me the motivation to make the rest of my body look just as amazing.

My surgery was on 2/17/14, I had a full abdominoplasty with muscle repair, and liposuction on my flanks. My surgeon said he almost always does lipo in conjunction with a TT because it looks silly to have a flat tummy and saddlebags. I arrived at the surgery center at 10:15 am & was greeted by Julie, the nurse whom I'd seen at both of my pre-op appointments. She was fantastic! My husband & I went back, I got into my gown & onto the bed & after a little while, Julie started my IV. She numbed my hand first, and I am very grateful for that. IV's suck! Dr. Stephan came in and drew on me while laying down, then had me stand and drew on me some more. The anesthesiologist, Clement, came in & went over my history with anesthesia and then gave me a little versed in my IV right before they wheeled me back. I was a little loopy but I do remember shouting to my husband as they wheeled me into the OR, "Babe! I'm gonna be so hot!" haha. Clement put a mask over my mouth and nose & asked me to breathe deep and that's the last thing I remember.

Before surgery, my biggest fear was waking up in extreme pain, but that didn't happen. I was quite comfortable actually. My throat was dry so Julie brought me a bottle of water, and then I needed to pee so Julie and my husband helped me up & held my arms as I hobbled down the hall to the bathroom. We went back to the recovery area & they dressed me because I apparently kept saying I wanted to go home. Julie wheeled me out to my truck & I climbed in with minimal pain. I slept the whole ride home & was able to climb the two steps onto our porch with no pain. I passed out in the recliner as soon as we got inside.

I have to say that I was not in nearly as much pain as I expected to be. A friend who had a TT done told me that was the most horrific pain of her entire life & she spent the entire first week in a pain med coma, so I was pretty much expecting the worst. My entire abdomen and hips were numb, so most of the pain thus far has been in my back from having to be hunched over. I limited my movement the first few days, and once I was able to move around more, my back hurt so bad I had to sit down. I'm 7 days post-op now and I'm standing *almost* straight up, and my back pain has eased up enough to let me take a quick shower the last 3 evenings. I sat on the edge of the bathtub tonight and shaved my legs & my abdominal muscles cramped up like a contraction from hell! I won't be doing that again for a few days. The worst part, besides the back pain, is the drains! They are such a huge pain to deal with. Emptying them twice a day & recording the volume, having them hanging in front of me, I can't disguise them in clothes, and one of my drain sites is leaking. Today I started having horrible, stabbing pains on my left side and I'm 99% sure it's from the drainage tube inside. I see my surgeon on 2/25 and I pray he takes them out! Other than that, this experience has been great. I'm so glad I did this, I don't know how many times I held my phone in my hand, about to call my surgeon's office and cancel. If you're thinking about having this done, go for it!