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I'm about eight months late submitting this...
I'm about eight months late submitting this review, but decided I needed to give back after all the time I spent stalking this site in preparation. I don't have before photos but I can assure you the change is dramatic. I am 49 years old and 5'7 and weigh 124. I went into my PS for a little Botox the other day and he showed me the photos he took before and after. I had forgotten just how bad everything looked. My belly button was very sad and those fat rolls were pretty darned gross.
So here is my story...After years of fertility struggles, I became pregnant with twins at the age of 34. My pregnancy was very uneventful after all the drama leading up to actually getting pregnant. I gained around 35 pounds and gave birth vaginally at 37 weeks 5 days to a 6 lb 14 oz baby girl and a 5 lb 5 oz baby girl. I'm 5'7 and weighed around 120 prior to my pregnancy. I bounced back fairly quickly considering that I was the size of a small house toward the end. It was such an easy recovery that I decided to tempt fate and try agin. I got pregnant with my third child when I was almost 38. He was born full term and weighed 8 lbs 8 oz. I only gained 20 pounds with that pregnancy and was back to my pre pregnancy weight in about a week. However, I remember looking down at my tummy after my six week postpartum visit and realizing that things were not the same as before. Ugh...so much skin and a lot of rolls. I didn't love my tummy but with three kids under 4, I was too busy to worry about that. I went to see a plastic surgeon to have some dysplastic moles removed when my youngest was about six months old. When he saw my belly while removing a mole from my abdomen, he said he could do a mini tummy tuck and "fix all that " for me. The seed was planted but I didn't want to miss a minute of being able to pick up my kids or do anything I could for them when they were small. About two years ago, I decided that despite the moderate workouts I was doing (spin class, some running and Body Pump classes) and the fact that my weight was fine to low for my height, I wasn't happy with my body. I was 47 and realized things weren't going to get better without making some changes. I started working out with a trainer, eating better and upping my cardio. My body really change for the better...except for my tummy. I did six sessions of Exilis to try and reduce the fat and skin but that was a huge waste of money and time. The surgeon I went to for the Exilis consult told me up front that a fully tummy tuck was what I really needed but said that the Exilis might make me look better in clothes...not so much unfortunately. His nurse happened to mention that they had been using this new anesthetic called Exparel during TT procedures and that the recovery from a TT had changed dramatically. The seed began to grow. I talked to my husband about it and he was pretty stunned because he thought I looked great. We talked some more and he told me to just go for it and schedule it. Last January, I scheduled my full tummy tuck without liposuction for May 8, 2014. I worked out like a fiend for the three months leading up to my surgery and lost about five extra pounds, partially from working out and partially from worry about how difficult the recovery would be. I told almost no one. Two close friends, my trainer and my parents and children were the only ones who knew. We asked our kids not to share with their friends (told them I was fixing my stomach muscles after having twins and another big baby) because we didn't want people to feel like they should bring meals or worry about us.
Honestly, the worry was for nothing. I was so freaked out the morning of the surgery. When my PS marked me for surgery, I couldn't believe how much skin he planned to remove! I almost chickened out but my husband talked me down from my ledge and told me I was doing this thing! My nurse told me that she prayed for me that morning as she did all her patients and she felt sure everything would be okay. I remember waking up in recovery and feeling a burning pain in my abdomen. I was given a very small dose of Fentanyl and when I woke up again, I felt no pain at all. My surgery was at 8 a.m. and I was home in my bed by noon. I took no pain medication except for Tylenol Extra strength during my entire recovery. The Exparel was worth every extra penny. My surgeon used it all up and down the muscle repair, at the incision sites and at the drain sites. The worst part of all of it was the drains and the Foley catheter I was sent home with. The catheter came out the very next morning, thank goodness. I started walking laps around my house as soon as that came out and didn't rest much at all the first few days during the day so that I could sleep at night. I will admit sleep was challenging those first few days. I would sleep a few hours in my bed, flat on my back with pillow under my knees and head and then get up halfway through and move to a recliner for the rest of the night. That lasted for about a week and then I was able to sleep the whole night in bed, although turning from side to side woke me up for a few months. My drains didn't put out much at all (less than 25cc per day), so I called and asked if I could come back two days early for my post-op. The drains were removed on PO Day 5 and after that, holding myself back from overdoing everything was the problem. My mom came to help out and finally asked why she was there because I wouldn't let her do anything. I started driving immediately after the drains were out and took short walks around the neighborhood the following day. I was almost upright the day my drains came out. I was walking three miles by PO day 10. I did a spin class with no resistance on Day 20 and started working out with weights with my trainer again shortly after that. She was very careful to make certain nothing I lifted put any strain on my abs. At six weeks, my PS set me free and told me I could do anything I wanted including ab work. I did take the summer off from mowing our steep lawn but that was mostly laziness on my part. :) I felt a lot of pulling in my abs for most of the summer. I'm still numb around my belly button but the area of numbness is growing smaller.
Swelling...it's so unpredictable. I didn't have a ton except when it was time for my period. I still have it pretty badly around my period. I always wake up flatter than I am at the end of the day. However, I'm pretty certain I had that going on prior to the surgery since my jeans always fit better in the a.m. than the p.m. I do have a little ledge of swelling over my scar line but my PS said that will go away as my scar starts to break down. He said lymphatics take longer to regenerate in some people than in others.
Work outs and weight...I work out five to six days per week and have built a lot of muscle, particularly in my arms, chest and shoulders. I'm not willing to eat totally clean so I do have some flank fat that hangs on but I'm okay with that. I did gain back the few pounds I lost leading up to my surgery. I was starting to look too thin in my face and my boobs were getting smaller so it's a better look for me. Life is short and I don't want to live with a bunch of regrets.
Scar...I used scar strips and BioCorneum for the first few months. I don't scar well and have had some keloids and hypertrophic scars in the past. My incision scar is kind of ropy and was really red and angry, particular around 4-5 months and my belly button scar is a little wider than I'd like. However, the redness is beginning to fade finally and I think it will look better all the time now. Luckily, my scar placement is great and is well-hidden under any bathing suit or underwear I choose.
I can only speak about my own situation. I know that others on this site have had far worse recoveries than mine and results that are less than satisfactory. I recommend that you make certain you trust your surgeon (mine is a personal friend and colleague who we've known for close to 30 years), do your research and get in the best physical shape possible before you do this. I went to my dermatologist for a mole check this fall and she said that in her opinion, people who choose this surgery as a form of weight loss are going to be sorely disappointed with their results. True words, I believe.
So here is my story...After years of fertility struggles, I became pregnant with twins at the age of 34. My pregnancy was very uneventful after all the drama leading up to actually getting pregnant. I gained around 35 pounds and gave birth vaginally at 37 weeks 5 days to a 6 lb 14 oz baby girl and a 5 lb 5 oz baby girl. I'm 5'7 and weighed around 120 prior to my pregnancy. I bounced back fairly quickly considering that I was the size of a small house toward the end. It was such an easy recovery that I decided to tempt fate and try agin. I got pregnant with my third child when I was almost 38. He was born full term and weighed 8 lbs 8 oz. I only gained 20 pounds with that pregnancy and was back to my pre pregnancy weight in about a week. However, I remember looking down at my tummy after my six week postpartum visit and realizing that things were not the same as before. Ugh...so much skin and a lot of rolls. I didn't love my tummy but with three kids under 4, I was too busy to worry about that. I went to see a plastic surgeon to have some dysplastic moles removed when my youngest was about six months old. When he saw my belly while removing a mole from my abdomen, he said he could do a mini tummy tuck and "fix all that " for me. The seed was planted but I didn't want to miss a minute of being able to pick up my kids or do anything I could for them when they were small. About two years ago, I decided that despite the moderate workouts I was doing (spin class, some running and Body Pump classes) and the fact that my weight was fine to low for my height, I wasn't happy with my body. I was 47 and realized things weren't going to get better without making some changes. I started working out with a trainer, eating better and upping my cardio. My body really change for the better...except for my tummy. I did six sessions of Exilis to try and reduce the fat and skin but that was a huge waste of money and time. The surgeon I went to for the Exilis consult told me up front that a fully tummy tuck was what I really needed but said that the Exilis might make me look better in clothes...not so much unfortunately. His nurse happened to mention that they had been using this new anesthetic called Exparel during TT procedures and that the recovery from a TT had changed dramatically. The seed began to grow. I talked to my husband about it and he was pretty stunned because he thought I looked great. We talked some more and he told me to just go for it and schedule it. Last January, I scheduled my full tummy tuck without liposuction for May 8, 2014. I worked out like a fiend for the three months leading up to my surgery and lost about five extra pounds, partially from working out and partially from worry about how difficult the recovery would be. I told almost no one. Two close friends, my trainer and my parents and children were the only ones who knew. We asked our kids not to share with their friends (told them I was fixing my stomach muscles after having twins and another big baby) because we didn't want people to feel like they should bring meals or worry about us.
Honestly, the worry was for nothing. I was so freaked out the morning of the surgery. When my PS marked me for surgery, I couldn't believe how much skin he planned to remove! I almost chickened out but my husband talked me down from my ledge and told me I was doing this thing! My nurse told me that she prayed for me that morning as she did all her patients and she felt sure everything would be okay. I remember waking up in recovery and feeling a burning pain in my abdomen. I was given a very small dose of Fentanyl and when I woke up again, I felt no pain at all. My surgery was at 8 a.m. and I was home in my bed by noon. I took no pain medication except for Tylenol Extra strength during my entire recovery. The Exparel was worth every extra penny. My surgeon used it all up and down the muscle repair, at the incision sites and at the drain sites. The worst part of all of it was the drains and the Foley catheter I was sent home with. The catheter came out the very next morning, thank goodness. I started walking laps around my house as soon as that came out and didn't rest much at all the first few days during the day so that I could sleep at night. I will admit sleep was challenging those first few days. I would sleep a few hours in my bed, flat on my back with pillow under my knees and head and then get up halfway through and move to a recliner for the rest of the night. That lasted for about a week and then I was able to sleep the whole night in bed, although turning from side to side woke me up for a few months. My drains didn't put out much at all (less than 25cc per day), so I called and asked if I could come back two days early for my post-op. The drains were removed on PO Day 5 and after that, holding myself back from overdoing everything was the problem. My mom came to help out and finally asked why she was there because I wouldn't let her do anything. I started driving immediately after the drains were out and took short walks around the neighborhood the following day. I was almost upright the day my drains came out. I was walking three miles by PO day 10. I did a spin class with no resistance on Day 20 and started working out with weights with my trainer again shortly after that. She was very careful to make certain nothing I lifted put any strain on my abs. At six weeks, my PS set me free and told me I could do anything I wanted including ab work. I did take the summer off from mowing our steep lawn but that was mostly laziness on my part. :) I felt a lot of pulling in my abs for most of the summer. I'm still numb around my belly button but the area of numbness is growing smaller.
Swelling...it's so unpredictable. I didn't have a ton except when it was time for my period. I still have it pretty badly around my period. I always wake up flatter than I am at the end of the day. However, I'm pretty certain I had that going on prior to the surgery since my jeans always fit better in the a.m. than the p.m. I do have a little ledge of swelling over my scar line but my PS said that will go away as my scar starts to break down. He said lymphatics take longer to regenerate in some people than in others.
Work outs and weight...I work out five to six days per week and have built a lot of muscle, particularly in my arms, chest and shoulders. I'm not willing to eat totally clean so I do have some flank fat that hangs on but I'm okay with that. I did gain back the few pounds I lost leading up to my surgery. I was starting to look too thin in my face and my boobs were getting smaller so it's a better look for me. Life is short and I don't want to live with a bunch of regrets.
Scar...I used scar strips and BioCorneum for the first few months. I don't scar well and have had some keloids and hypertrophic scars in the past. My incision scar is kind of ropy and was really red and angry, particular around 4-5 months and my belly button scar is a little wider than I'd like. However, the redness is beginning to fade finally and I think it will look better all the time now. Luckily, my scar placement is great and is well-hidden under any bathing suit or underwear I choose.
I can only speak about my own situation. I know that others on this site have had far worse recoveries than mine and results that are less than satisfactory. I recommend that you make certain you trust your surgeon (mine is a personal friend and colleague who we've known for close to 30 years), do your research and get in the best physical shape possible before you do this. I went to my dermatologist for a mole check this fall and she said that in her opinion, people who choose this surgery as a form of weight loss are going to be sorely disappointed with their results. True words, I believe.
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