7/8 months post op

So I just had a friend point out I haven't updated my blog lately and  I looked and ti has been almost 5 months since I updated it. Wow has  time gone by. So the big update is I can't remember the last time I dealt with pain or  much swelling. 2-3 months I would say. I have all feeling back. No pain in or around my incision. I find my hips swell a little when I drink pop or a lot of sugar but its not the painful kind it was.
 

6 months post op

 I lost some weight initially but I am up about 5-6 lbs right now. (Also probably why I haven't taken anymore pics)  The weight gain is all from me, not surgery or anything.  I had knee surgery 3 months ago and was down for  that.  I am messing around with what workouts will work for me and I have been cheating more on my diet. I am around a lot of tempting sweets and need to learn to say no more. Plus my body seems to be at a comfy weight so I have plateaued. I want to drop 10-15 lbs but I am trying to not focus on the scale and more on being healthy and building muscle.

I haven't had an back pain since my surgery. I am able to do so much more physically. I can play more with my kids, I can move more, do more lifting, have better endurance. My abdominal muscle repair is still weaker and I am really focusing on this area bit I can see a huge improvement.

Those are all the pluses, I can think of right now.

A few down sides now.

 My incision is still very visible, its pink. I suck at scar therapy. I forget to do, the incision doesn't bother me so I just haven't made it a priority. Plus I am very pale which makes scars more visible on my. If the scar will bother you really be diligent on your scar treatment. With time the scar will fade on its own. Anything I would wear in public will cover it so I am not concerned.

I have one regret and its that I wish I would of gotten side lipo. When my stomach got smaller I now notice the love handle area a lot more. Its the main area now that I don't like. Its a hard area to loose weight and tone and I wish while i was already getting stuff done I would of had that done too. I don't want it done badly enough to go back and get it done now.

So over all, I am super happy with the results. I am glad I did it.  I feel great. I am glad I have shared this experience. I am a very open person, some people don't appreciate that but I am who I am. I know some wont understand why I would want to do this. Just exercise to loose weight. There is some damage to your body that diet and exercise wont fix. In the end you need to be happy with yourself. I am able to show my daughter a much healthier and happier mom now. Any questions please let me know.

16 weeks post op

Wow, I can't believe its been 4 months already. Seems like its been longer. I have been hitting the gym like mad for the past 3 weeks. My one complaint (STILL) is swelling. I usually have anywhere from 2-4 lbs of swelling. Most of it in my hips and outer thighs. Sometimes its still painful. This morning during my workout it hurt to jump, but my pain tolerance is decent so its very manageable.  My stomach itself swells very little and usually when I do abdominal work.

My muscle repairs feel fine. My muscles have softened up to normal. They were rock hard.  I have had one painful muscle spasm and that was when i lifted too much weight at the gym. My muscles are still pretty weak (way stronger than before though). I am still happy with the results and don't regret the surgery at all. I am much more health conscience now. I take a lot better care of myself.

Here are some pictures.

front view. slightly swollen

side view

belly button

scar, I am very pale

12 weeks post op

Ok, so I am really 13 weeks today. I have lost track of time. Thats good thats means I am just a busy girl. I have been doing really well. I feel great. When I got clearance to resume activity at 5 weeks post op, I decided to really go for it, to make some changes in life. I already ate pretty well but I could do better. I also haven't really exercised much the past year. Mainly due to having surgery in Sept 2011 on my knee. I babied my knee a lot. It still hurts, the surgery helped for 6 months maybe. I realized I have to learn to exercise with a bad knee not make excuses.

 I also had backpain when I did strenuos exercise, because my core was so weak I couldn't suport my back well. For me no amount of exercise fixed the muscle sepration I had in my abdominals. Having a solid core now is one the best things to come from the surgery. My back hasn't hurt since my surgery (unless you count sore muscles from working out, which I don't). I have this awesome friend who is teaching me yoga. She is my yoga Yoda. She is also teaching me more about general fitness and nutrition. Such an inspiration for me to get in shape and be healthy. So I have been doing yoga for the past 7 weeks.  To say I am obsessed in putting it mildly.I think I have combed the internet for HOURS looking into yoga and fitness. The awesome part is I have noticed some changes in my body already. My upper body is stronger, I have little muscles. I am still not very flexible, AT ALL. The area  I want to see improvement is my hips and thighs. This is going to take a little longer because these are my areas of swelling.

 AWE the evil swell hell. My fellow tummy tuckers it call it swell hell. Its not nice. I am not going to pretend it doesn't suck because it does. It hurts, sometimes a lot. My doctor told me swelling could last 6-12 months. I really haven't found much that helps. When it hurts I massage the area. I avoid sodium as much as possible. Now that it is getting hot I am finding the humidity is making it worse. I would definitely not have this surgery during the summer. I have decided to just ignore the swelling  as best as possible. Yeah it hurts, but no pain no gain.

Next, the huge scar. Honestly it doesn't bother me. Only I can see it. Its super low. Its still red, but I am very pale so it will take some time for it to lighten up. i use coconut oil and vitamin e on. I will admit I am bad about doing it religiously. I do it when I remember. I still have some areas of numbness around the scar but I barely notice.

I feel for having major surgery 3 months ago I am doing pretty awesome. I workout 5 days a week, I eat healthy (no ones perfect in that aspect). Yes I still have 10 lbs to loose but it will come. I am more focused on being healthier. Taking care of this new body, becoming stronger, more flexible and building endurance.

So 3 months later, was it worth it. You bet. I don't regret it at all. I know most people have hip and thigh liposuction when they have this done. I chose not to because of the added cost and I can really exercise those areas off. Now I wish I would have added that in. It would have helped put everything together nicely but in time I will see change in the areas I want. I have to be patient for the swelling to go away.

As most know I am an open book. I don't keep much to myself (this is considered a good and bad quality). If you have any questions shoot me a message. If your still in the weight loss faze before you can gave the surgery I can help with that too.

Here are a few pics.

8 week post op

I am at my 2 month mark. It feels like it should be longer. i have been back to work and exercising for 3 weeks. I am feeling pretty good. My one major issue is swelling. I still have quite a bit of swelling but I think it has to do with how active I am. I am working 10-15 hours a week on my feet and doing yoga and other exercises. Most of my swelling is in my upper abdomen, hips and thighs. i know it will eventually go away so I am ignoring it the best I can. I am really enjoying yoga and strengthening my body. I feel like i am getting stronger every day. I even was able to go play racket ball the other day which would have killed my back before my surgery. I am not really worrying about loosing weight, I am just trying to reshape my body and tone up. The love handle and hip area are my biggest areas to work on. Most people get lipo on these areas. I kinda wish I would have but I am still happy with my results. In my pictures you can see my swelling and the fact I still have stretch marks. I had to many to get rid of them all. They should fade more with time.

and for kicks and giggles this is me 37 week pregnant with my daughter.

Before and after pics from the doctor

These are the pictures the doctor took. The before are right before surgery and the after is at my 5 week check up. Update wise, I have been feeling good, I have some swelling maybe 30%. I have started exercising. I am doing yoga for the first time. I now realize how out of shape I am. baby steps. I have been back to work for 2 weeks. The first couple days were hard. Overall I am basically back to my old self, i just have to listen to my body and rest when I need to.

5 weeks

I had my final check up with Dr. Robbins today. He said my scar looks great and to keep doing what I am doing. I mixed coconut oil, vitamin E and lavender oil. My belly button is almost healed. I have been having some burning pain in my upper abdomen and I asked him about it. It is my muscles and nerves coming back to life. I don't have to wear my binder or compression garment anymore. I may still wear it to work depending on how my swelling is. I still swell easily. Most of my swelling is in my upper abdomen and my sides and hips. I can't really do anything about so I am trying to just manage the pain part of it. He also said I could go back to exercising. Just to ease into it and of course not to do any core workouts. I am trying to decide how best to ease back into exercise. I have lost 4 lbs and have about 10 more to lose. I mainly just want to tone up my legs and back. So now I am just trying to ease back into my old daily routine and add in some exercise.

A little video blog

I have found some really cool video blogs. I kinda wish I would have done this from the start. I just found that it helped to hear people tell their story instead reading about. i am an open book so why not. i will do a couple video and post them here.

4 weeks post op with pics (lots)

So I made it a month. It has been a long month. There are so many thing I haven't been able to do. I can't be on my feet for long periods of time without fatigue and swelling. I can't lift more than 10lbs, or exercise. I am pretty much standing straight up. My main issue now is the swelling.  I took my pictures in the morning because swelling is less. I have lost 7-8 lbs. On an average day where i am up and running around for a few hours I will swell and put on about 2 lbs. Its painful but I take ibuprofen. I made a lotion mixture of coconut oil, vitamin e and lavender oil. I rub that on my stomach, hips and thighs. Most of my swelling is in the hips and thighs. My belly button is healing nicely. it is the last place to heal. In my pictures you can see marks on me that is from wearing my binder at night. I can take the big white binder off. I am more comfortable in my tan compression garment when I am out and about. I see mt surgeon next week. He will redefine what I can and cant do. I go back to work tomorrow. I am nervous, just because I can't lift a lot and I will need to sit often. I was so excited. I was able to start wearing jeans yesterday...finally, no more yoga pants. I put them on and they were huge. So off to Maurices I went. I was able to go down a size. those are the tan shorts in the picture. I am excited for Dr Robbins to hopefully clear me for exercise soon. My scar looks really good. I am pale so it will show up more red. it is very thin and will continue to fade. I still have some numbness in the area and it hurts less to rub the scar. I muscle repair is feeling good. My back hurts sometimes if  I over do it but nothing like it did before the surgery. Once again I will post a side by side before and after pic. Let me know if you have any questions. I love comments.

Two week post OP - pics included

Today is 2 weeks since surgery. Its been a long two weeks. I go back to work in two weeks and school within a month or so. I am not upto housework yet. I have driven a little. twisting is hard so I try not to drive if I dont have to. I would advice people to photograph in the morning as swelling is better. By noon I am really swollen. I have been tired. Not sleepy. I actually don't nap or sleep well at night. Its a lack of energy throughout the day. When I do run to the store or go to dinner and I get really worn out quickly. I am learning that patientce is important. Its is a long healing process. Now sayign that I still feel 2 weeks later it was worth it. Am i compltely happy with my results. Not yet, but I am still swollen and my finally shape will come. My muscles are still tucking in and my waste is swollen. Muscle spasms have gotten better. They dont hurt they feel similar to full term baby kicks.
 I took some pics this morning in my pajamas lol. My front view you can see my scar is healing nicely. I am pale so my scar is vivid. It is thin. I am kinda bad at scar therapy. It hurts to do. My scar only hurts when I start touching it. its very similar to my c-section scars.My belly button is still healing. It looks dark because I still have stitches in. It had to be anchored to my abdominal wall. I should get the stitches out when I got back in 3 weeks. The marks on my stomach are from the binder. I still have stretch marks and I don't like the way they look but I am told  they will get better over time. Also you can see I am still really swollen on my sides. I chose to not get lipo. Reason 1 is the added expense and Reason 2 is I feel I shouldn't get any work done  that I can fix myself. I can work on my love handles with exercise. If you don't want to deal with your sides or your back, then I would say lipo. I have discovered I am in the minority. Most people get a lot of lipo. I am a curvy girl, I don't mind. If I drop 10 lbs and the swelling goes down I will be happy. My side view. I like a lot better. My swelling in the front is not as bad as the sides in the morning. You can see how far to the side my scar goes. My is very low on my sides. Where mt drains came out is healing.

PO Day 10

I have doing pretty good. I am the middle in what fellow tummy tuckers call swell hell. I started wearing two compression garment. The one thing I can't believe is my lack of energy. I do anything and I am just wiped out. I went to the store Friday and rode in the electric cart. We were gone less than an hour. I felt horrible when I got home. Today I had breakfast with friends. I literally sat in a restaurant for 2 hours and talked. that's it. bye time I got home I was super hunched over and had to take pains pills. I would take a nap if I didn't have 3 kids running around. I hope i get some energy back soon. I used to going going going.
Another thing I started was scar therapy. Let me back up to my 1 week post op visit. i have been super happy with my doctor but my 1 week follow up was disappointed. He seemed hurried through my follow up and didn't really give me a lot of information.Which brings me back to scar therapy. He said to start it yesterday. I using coconut oil and some scar treatment I got at the doctors office. I know i am supposed to message my scar but I was not told anything about how to do it. I do have a lot of numbness around my my incision. very similar to when you have a c-section.I wont lie its hurts to touch my scar. so messaging it seems like torture but its a big scar and I want it to be smooth. Its berry thin so that is mice and he got it nice and low on my hips. honestly a scar doesn't bother me, its will always be covered anyways. So now I have to do research and figure the best way to do scar message. I would take some updated pics of my scar and swelling but honestly i am in my recliner and so tired I am not getting up anytime soon. I will try to get some later.

Crazy emotions

So I am post op 8 days. I have been ok pain wise. its manageable. My abs ache and my left drain site aches. I am in what other tummy tuckers call swell hell. my sides and upper abdomen are swollen. All normal. I am using ice, my binder and eating pineapple. I am avoiding salt and things like pop. they just add to the swelling. One thing I would like to talk about is the emotional part of getting a tummy tuck. I didn't really consider this. The past few days I have been on an emotional roller coaster. I am feeling good one minute and then next I am depressed and want to cry. i have time where I feel like i am the size of a whale. Al of this is normal. I have left my house once in a week and that was to get my drains out. I have had great care from my mom and husband but besides them I have had no other contact with other people.
Also something normal I didn't think about is the over analyzing other parts of my body. Before the TT I was happy with the rest of my body. Sure I wanted to tone and loose a10 more lbs. i am far from skinny but I am at a healthy weight. Now I focus on everything. My legs are hug in my mind, my sides are flabby. Its weird I am just obsessed with other parts of my body. this is all a normal part of recovery.
 I made a big no no this morning. I got on the scale. I am at my presurgery weight which isn't bad but it was depressing to know he took 4 lbs off me and you cant tell. I know I am swollen and retaining fluids. I just have to keep telling myself that.
The biggest thing I am having to learn is patience. It is not one of my virtues. But recovery is a process. I have to wear my bulky binder for a few weeks. So I will have to wear my frumpy clothes for awhile. I will swell for months. I just have to focus on eating right. I cant exercise for another 4 weeks. i have to accept that. I wear out really easily. My body has been through a lot. I am inpatient so I want to be in regular clothes and back exercising like yesterday. SO yeah, I am glad I did it, I would do it again but recovery is not all rainbows and unicorns, but everything I am experiencing in normal.

Question and answer

I have had so many people ask questions and I try to answer them all. email me or Facebook me questions and I will go over them. I am an open book so ask me anything. evanaudrey@yahoo.com

Good bye drains

So I made it a week post op. I went for mt post op appointment today. Dr Robbins took my drains out. It was so weird. I could feel the drains move inside me. My left side hurt to take out but that side has been sore. It wasn't too bad. it was over quickly. My dr. said I am looking good, obviously I have tons of swelling but that is normal. I am avoiding salt, minimizing my caffeine and eating pineapple to to help with swelling. The compression garment I got didn't fit right and was not firm enough so now i am on the hunt for a new one. I have to wear one for 4 weeks. I would like to find one that is more comfortable and less bulky that what I have. I took some new pics. Some of how I look in my clothes with my compression garment. My swelling without my drains. I am feeling pretty good. I wear out easily and still need a lot of help with household things. Overall I feel like I am doing really well. its going to be another 4-5 weeks before I can exercise, do much lifting ext. I am able to take my binder of for a little while each day while I rest in my chair. MY belly button is slowly healing. I am supposed to peroxide it and then take a shower right away. i am looking forward to hopefully shaving my legs soon lol, In 3 days I can start scar therapy (I got some scar treatment at the surgeons) and will use coconut oil. This surgery was totally worth it to me. I am so glad  I got this done.

diastasis recti

I wanted to talk about the medical condition I had that was repaired during this surgery. I had what is called diastasis recti. According to wikipedia Diastasis recti (also known as abdominal separation) is a disorder defined as a separation of the rectus abdominis muscle into right and left halves. Normally, the two sides of the muscle are joined at the linea alba at the body midline.
So doing abdominal exercises or dropping weigh is not going to fix this, not at the severity I have. I have a 3-4 inch separation. thank you big babies. I have been having a lot of back pain in general and when exercising because my muscle are not functioning the way they are supposed. During my abdominoplasty Dr. Robbin pulled those muscle back to where they should be and sewed them back into place. Now after having them repaired and as soon as my healing period in  have a clean abdominal slate to work with. How awesome. I can now exercise to strengthen my weakened muscle and have it be effective. I can now work my body to be the healthiest and fittest it can be. So if this is a problem you have I think it definitely worth looking into.

PO day 5 swelling

The area that is bothering me the most is where my drains are at. that area aches and is very tender. I am trying some ice. I am also starting pineapple juice and eating pineapple as I hear it help swith the swelling.I am swollen in that area. my front isn't swollen too much. my belly button loos kinda gross. its scabby. I am sure it will look great once it heals. Ignore the messy mirror in my pictures. I have 3 small children. Over all physically I am feeling pretty well. my muscle repair just feels like really sore muscles. I am counting down the days till Wednesday when I go for my 1 week post op so I can hopefully get my  drains out.

Day 5 PO

Pain is good. No worse than my c-sections. My mood is another story. I am just getting down stuck sitting so much with nothing to do. My kids are wrecking my house and I can't do a darn thing about it. I am tired but cant sleep. My mom and hubby are great but oh my am I bored. I know poor Kati is stuck being bored but boy is it not good on the mood. I just want to be able to get up and do my normal stuff. i want to be able to go couponing or hang out with friends or even put on clothes that aren't stretch pants. Maybe I will get some visitors and calls or something. Anything to lift my mood would be awesome. i hear its normal to have this down time so I just have to wait and let it pass.

Day 4 PO

I have made it 4 days. My pain has been manageable. I am still taking my pain pills and muscle relaxers ever 4-5 hours. I am having some abdominal swelling today which has added to my discomfort. My bad has been hurting me from sitting so much. I am using a heating pad. I am starting to get extremely bored and a little down being stuck in my recliner all helpless. I know it will pass. I seem to be getting up and around a little easier. Most of my pain is from sore muscles and were my drains are at.

The topic that no one wants talk about

So I am going to talk about what no one wants address after surgery. Going #2. It is so important to take stool softeners. I took dulcolax, milk of magnesia and smooth move tea. Trust me you don't want to have to strain to go. You use your abdominal muscles to go and straining is going to be painful. Vicodin and Valium will cause constipation so it is important to not wait till your in pain to start taking something. I started the day before surgery and I still want able to go till today. Now another thing I learned  today is don't overdo it on the stool softeners or you may spend most of your day in the bathroom. So yes this is not the most pc subject but one that people need to address especially during surgery.

Day 3 PO pictures

I was able to shower today. We took off the binder and I about cried when I looked down. It looks better than I could have imagined. I still have stretch marks but I knew he wouldn't be able to get rid of them. MY selling is less than I though but I haven't gotten up a lot over the past 3 day. It felt so good to wash my hair and take a shower. I feel so much more human. It really raised my spirits to see the results. I am still in pain but it is not unbearable and I think this was totally worth it, I can feel how tight my abs are after the muscle repair. So drum roll......here are my before and after pictures.

3 day PO

I actually got a pretty good nights sleep last night. Today I get to take the binder off and shower. My mom is going to come help me. I think we will wash my hair over the sink. I borrowed a  shower stool so I don't have to try to stand up in the shower. I haven't been getting up unless I need to use the bathroom. My drains are putting out 30-35 ccs every 6-8 hours which is really good.I have had a headache since surgery. I  thought I might be dehydrated but I have been really pushing the fluids and it hasn't helped. I have called my doctor and they said it could be from anesthesia. I have never had a headache from anesthesia but every surgery is different.  Iwill be happy when its gets fully out of my system. I Am nervous about taking the binder off. How the heck will I get it back on. its on tight. will it hurt to take it off? What if I see my tummy and hate it.I know I will be swollen and maybe bruised.I guess its the fear of the unknown.But oh do I want my hair washed. I am also getting sick of being stuck in a recliner but the less I am up the better I will heal. its just so hard to have to have someone get every little thing for me.I will post again after my shower.

Binder and drains

WARNING!!! CONTAINS PICTURES

So I thought I would take a picture to show what the binder and drains look like.  the drains are kinda gross.

First night PO

I survived my first day. I developed a killer headache yesterday.Not sure if it is from falling asleep sitting up or a caffeine headache. I decided to attempt to sleep in my bed last night instead of the recliner. I think I slept for 4 straight hours. not too bad. My main thing I am focusing on is staying on top of my pain meds. My pain today so far has been manageable if I take the muscle relaxer and pain pill. I don't like the feeling of being helpless, but I can barely make it to the bathroom. I have great people taking care of me, my husband and mom. Do I think it was worth it, Absolutely.

PO day 1

Today was surgery day. I had surgery about 745 and went home around 11. Everything went very well. They took 4 lbs off my abdomen and repaired my abdominal muscles. My pain has not been very manageable. I am in quite a bit of pain. Hopefully taking a muscle relaxer and main pill together will help. I don't feel to bad as long as I don't move at all. I didn't realize how much you use your abdominal muscles. Just getting up to use the bathroom is a workout.  Plus I walked hunched over like a little old lady. I have been dozing off and on today. Only staying awake for 30 min at a time. Sleeping in my recliner is not comfortable (it wont stayed reclined) and I am sporting a pretty big headache. I know this first week will be the roughest. I just have to get through it. Dr Robbins said I could shower tomorrow if I want, but if I could wait 48 hours to take off the binder that would be best, so I think I will wait till Friday. I haven't seen what I look like yet. I am excited and nervous at the same time. The drains aren't too bad, more annoying than anything.My awesome husband took off the next few days to help me. The main source of pain is my muscle repair, the muscles are so tight and I keep having muscles spasms. Dr Robbins called a little while ago to check on me. Not many doctors call the patients themselves. I will try to take a picture of my binder and drains tomorrow to give an idea o what it looks like. Hopefully this all makes sense since I am doing this after taking a muscle relaxer and a pain pill.

Tomorrow is the day

So I have less that 24 hours till a new me. I am getting so nervous and anxious. i actually had an anxiety attack this morning. I thought I had those under control. I have to be at the surgeons tomorrow at 720. I hope i am ready.  I have all my prescriptions. An antibiotic, a muscle relaxer and a pain med. I am hoping I don't need to get a nausea medicine. Pain meds in the past haven't made me sick so we will see. I feel like I have everything ready. I have to finish cleaning my house today.I spent the week before cooking food. I have 14 freezer meals and 14 smoothies. I want to eat as healthy as possible to help with healing and just because I have a new tummy doesn't mean I should eat whatever. I really want to get back into working out after my 4 weeks healing time. The doctor recommended yoga so I think I will start with that but I really want to get back into Zumba.
I have been following other tummy tuckers on real-self.com and I have come to realize I am one of the few not getting lipo with my tummy tuck. I worried that my results will suck because of this. I have some love handles and i am chooing not to get them sucked out.I have 2 reason. 1. Hello i am blowing huge money just for the tummy tuck, i am tapped out. 2. my love handles can go bye bye with a little hard work. My loose skin and flab can't be exercise off. The more weight I loose the worse it is actually. I have some pain in jeans when I sit and my abdominal muchles have been spread having my 3 children. big babies. so it will be nice to have those muscles put back where they go and then I can stregthen them.
But first I have to get through the surgery and recovery. I hope I get visitors. 4 weeks home, doing nothing but recovering. What am I going to do with myself. So once again my post is me rambling on. I expect I will get worse at the rambling while I am on pain meds and nothing to do.

1 week

I week till surgery. I paid off my surgery today. No turning back. I have been working on freezer cooking so my family has 2 weeks worth of dinners. I have my pre op physical with my family doctor tomorrow. Tomorrow is my last day of work for a month. My doctor seems to think I will have a pretty good recovery. He said with my past c-section/hysterectomy history I should bounce back well. I have been following others of a forum called real-self. A lot of them are getting flank lipo too and said I will have bad results without the lipo. i disagree. yeah I have some love handles but I can work out to improve that. I am not expecting to look like a supermodel. Anyway, I am getting so excited. I have been really tired lately. not sure why. just have been. I think its the stress of all the planning and waiting. I can't wait till its over with.

Pre op Spaz

I had my pre op with Dr Robbins yesterday. I have been researching tummy tucks like crazy. The husband will take the laptop from me eventually. So I have been spazzing out in Kati style. Nothing new I am a bit of s spaz.
I am metally preparing myself for it to be a bad recovery s that way if its not too bad hey its will be a bonus. I have been freaking making sure those that help me have it easy as possible. I have a feeling I will end filling my freezer with enough food to feed an army. I guess I have to focus on one thing or my excitement and nerves get the best of me. I mean in a week I will be able to look at the lady bits without holding up my front butt. gross I know, but the reality of bad genetics (thanks  mom), 3 kids, 2 c-sections and a hysterectomy.
Ok I have wondered off from what I was posting about, pre op with Dr Robbins. I took my mom with me. They gave me the pre surgical info (all the bad things that could ever happen). If you have has surgery you have probably read. To those who take your mom with you, pretend you are reading the daily funnies. I am pretty sure she was totally freaked out with some of the stuff.
He really didn't go over much and to be honest after i left I was wandering why I had to drive over and hour with my mom backseat driving to be there 30 min. My surgery is Wed. the 20th at 7 am. i will be in surgery 2 to 2.5 hours with 30 mins in recovery. I think I will be in recovery a little longer unless they plan to wheel me out to the car semi conscious.  The  anesthesiologist will talk to me day of surgery. They will go over the drains day of surgery. I have to have them for 7 days and have my follow up a week after surgery. I need  to eat crackers with the painmeds. Vicodin will be my new best friend. I will have a patch behind my ear to help with nausea. I am pretty sure throwing up after they have moved my abs around could be one of the worse pains ever. Just a guess.
My mom did fins out he has never been sued and chance of infection is super low (told you she sorta freaked out). My plan is for the first week is to be a vicodin coma. hopefully my 3 children will for once leave mommy a lone when she doesn't feel well. I don't like my chances. My mother in law will cart my kids around (I think only because I forced a detailed after school schedule on her). My mom is the main person I am relying on. Not only will she have to look after my whinny butt but she will have to make sure my family doesn't bury my house in laundry and dishes. He made it seem like compared to me emergency c-section/hysterectomy this shouldn't be much worse. I should be feeling pretty good after a week or two. BONUS!!!! I don't even remember much of my recovery from that.
So yeah, this is were I am, 12 days and counting till surgery.

2 weeks till surgery

WARNING THEIR ARE PICTURES IN THIS POST! So I have 2 weeks till the big day. I have my pre op tomorrow. I will know more what to expect tomorrow. I decided to bite the bullet and take some pre op pictures. I have a double butt belly. I can't wait to see it go. It is so gross. I am trying to imagine what a flat tummy and normal belly button will look like but I just can't. So here is what 3 kids, 2 c-sections. a hysterectomy and 46 lb weight loss looks like. its not pretty.

Scar treatment

So I found something that should help my scar flatten and heal faster. Rose Hip oil.Better add this to my  list of things to get.

•  Reduce wrinkles and signs of premature ageing. It will also help counter the drying effects of the sun which are usually first noticed in fine wrinkles or "crows feet" around the eyes and mouth.

•  Attenuate scars (surgical and accidental) and improves the colour of same (i.e., reduces the redness or hyperpigmentation).  It also avoids the formation of the keloid type of scar (lump) which may appear after surgical procedures and helps to make less apparent scars left by acne or chickenpox.

•  Provide excellent results in treatment of skin that has been burnt or exposed to radiotherapy.

•  Prevent photo aging and immediately relieve dry skin and eczema.

Pre op do's and dont's

So it is really starting to sink in. Surgery in 3 weeks. I have a pre op with my surgeon the the 7th and a pre op blood work and physical with my regular doctor on the 14th. Dr Robbins sent me a packet of pre op information. It was a lot of information. There are a lot of do's and don'ts and a few things I need to get.

2 weeks prior to surgery
- No aspirin or ibuprofen
-No herbal medications
- No diet pills
- No smoking
- No Drinking
- only take tylenol
- only take medicine ok'd previously by Dr. Robbins
-Foods to avoid in larger quantities
     - Ginger, Cumin, Licorice, Wine,Vinegar, Cider, Garlic, Onion, Ginko, Vitamin E, Willow Bark and Omega -3 fatty acid.

1 week prior to surgery
- use a germ- inhibiting soap for bathing such as Dial, safeguard or Lever 2000.

So a list of things I need to get.
1. Prescriptions (they will call them in the friday before surgery, which is awesome)
2. Tylonel
3. Motrin
4. Multivitamin
5. germ inhibiting soap
6. Dry skin lotion
7. colace
8. some baggy sweats and t-shirts (stuff thats cheap and I don't care about in case my drains leak)

swelling

Tummy Tuck Recovery Guide & Tips & SUPPLY LIST, Message Boards, Cosmetic Surgery Message Boards, Forums, Skin Care, Chats

I have read up and discovered swelling. I will swell maybe 6 month. Here are some tips to help with swelling.

More tummy tuck tips

The more the merrier

• Get a recliner. Thank you Erica, for writing about your 'recliner nest'. We bought a used leather (reduces the ick factor) LazyBoy from Craig's List the day before the surgery. Thank God! In a recliner, you can sit up a bit more if you feel queasy, or lay down a bit more to sleep. You can't do that with a bed full of pillows and a husband trying to sleep next to you. I'm not a back-sleeper and I normally can't fall asleep in a recliner. But add some narcotics and sleeping pills and I slept soundly from one potty break to the next. Now that I'm off the pills, the recliner makes a nice napping place when I'm tired of scrunching my incision as I sleep on my side. By the way, I met a woman in the waiting room who had her surgery the day before I had mine. She said that she could barely sleep, and sure enough, she had no recliner.

• Wear a tank top. My doc recommended that I wear a tank top under the abdominal binder. What a great tip (and I've never seen it online anywhere else). You won't be peeking under the binder for the first few days (for fear that your guts will fall out). Once you have your drains removed and start taking showers, the tank top will help you feel fresh and clean every time you change, and you won't have as much chafing.

• Cinch the binder at an angle. I can't believe it took me two weeks to figure this out, but the binder is much more comfortable if you make it a little smaller on the top and larger on the bottom (cone-shaped). This way, it doesn't move around and bunch up as much.

• Don't get the surgery over the summer if you can avoid it. I read this piece of advice, and like other people who teach, I thought it was silly to avoid summer. Now that I've had the surgery, I can see why. If you got itchy and sweaty under your binder (which you have to wear for two months), you would be a basket case. If you can crank up the AC and stay indoors, you might be okay.

• Give yourself a break. I cried so much the first few weeks. And I'm no wuss--I've traveled around the world alone, earned a Ph.D. in chemistry, had a c-section and a vaginal birth...but this experience knocked me flat. I'm so used to being the one who makes this house run. It was hard to ask for everything, and to have my little one want me to run with her. Now it's hard to walk with a hunchback and get those pitying looks. It sucks, it's hard, but it's going to be okay in a very short time. It's my surgery and I'll cry if I want to! You should cry too, if it happens to you.

What will they think

 I have been struggling with what people will think of my getting a tummy tuck. Especially family and my church. The main people I have told are other moms and a few friends and family. I know some of my friends and family don't agree with my getting the surgery. I was told by one family member I should be taking my kids on vacation instead. I have prayed about this surgery and the decision to have it. The timing to have it and the money have all fallen into place. My husband and I are both in college. Just so happens that now i have the perfect amount of time to take off to have it.  Once I graduate and start working what job will give me 4 weeks off. not many. Yes I could use the money for other things. Do I feel guilty for spending $8000 on myself. BIG YES!!!! I am a mom I feel guilty when I have to buy new jeans or new shoes. This will help me feel better about me which will help me be the best mom I can be.. I know it is silly to care what people think but I have for 32 years, can't stop now. I live in a small town  and I know people will notice I look different. I know friends and family will wonder why I am not at work or church for a month. I am not sure yet how to tell people or what even to tell them. I decided to do this blog and a way to help me get over this fear of rejection and judgement.

1 month

So I realized exactly one month from today I will be getting my tummy tuck. I m excited, I am nervous, I am a jumble of emotions. I have talked about this for years and truly never though timing and money would line up. I have been thinking a lot of all the details that still need to fall into place.  Little things like I need to buy some baggy sweats, and some t shirts I don't care about in case my drain leaks. I am waiting for my taxes to come in any time. I will feel some relief there when I actually hold the money for the surgery. I am trying to figure out the best way to feed my family while I am recovering. I figure i need a good solid two weeks of no cooking. I don't want to ask anyone else to do. Just doesn't feel right. Any suggestions or ideals on meals would be awesome. So here is to 1 month and counting.

Top ten tummy tuck tips

Top Ten Tummy Tuck Tips

I got these from another blogger 

10. Cough Drops and Alavert There is nothing worse than sneezing and coughing after a tummy tuck. Do everything in you powers to avoid it. When you do, it feels like you’re ripping your insides out, one staple at a time. Immediately followed by a horrible burning.

9. Milking The Drains Milk Milk Milk! It may seem gross, but keep up on it. The more you get out of there, the sooner they can remove the stupid things. It’s not like you’re too busy anyway, you’re just sitting there — so milk!

8. Make Me Heal Forum I don’t know what I would have done without the forum. So many inspiring stories and helpful people. Don’t be afraid to ask any question, someone somewhere can relate and help you out! Click here for to visit the MakeMeHeal.com.

7. Take Your Pain Meds Stay ahead of the pain. Take your pain meds regularly. If you let them wear out of your system, you won’t have a fun time catching up. This is especially important for the first 3-4 days.

6. Running Pants I lived in my Adidas running pants. Their elastic waist band, pockets and lining were perfect!

5. Bromelain This natural supplement reduces inflammation and helps with the swelling. As an added bonus, it’s good for people with allergies. It’s made from pineapple so it’s natural and safe, Click here for information from WholeHealthMD.com.

4. Nextcare Tape This stuff is a lifesaver! After your stitches and staples are out, you’ll need to keep your incision covered with medical tape. The First Aide tape I tried first was too inflexible and hurt to remove. Then I found Nexcare at my local Walgreen’s. It’s soft, flexible and completely waterproof. It doesn’t even budge in the shower.  Click here for information from Drugstore.com.

3. Recliner After spending day after day in my little recliner nest, I came to love it. It helped me be independent and gave me all the support I needed to be comfortable. I could NOT have laid in bed for the first week, no matter how many pillows. I even went back to it after one night that I tried the bed. I ended up using it until I went back to work, so, a week and two days.

2. Loving Boyfriend If you can get a sweet nurse like mine, do it. I couldn’t have made it the first two days without someone there to place my pillows, drain my drains, give me my meds, get me things and pop in movies for me! And if he’s your sweet boyfriend, all the better.

1. Babywipes The uses are limitless! My favorite is giving myself a birdbath for the ten days I couldn’t shower. They also come in handy for taking off makeup and cleaning your face, wiping up after you drain your drains and general freshening up. My favorite tip by far.

Consult

I went to my consult yesterday. Dr Robbins office was really nice and his staff was very friendly and courteous. I was able to fill out my paper work online. I got in with 10 minutes of my appointment time. I did have to fill out insurance information which is weird because I can't imagine my insurance will cover this. They gave me an entire book of before and after pictures to look at which just got me excited. Dr. Robbins was so nice. He answered all my questions. He said he will be able to get rid of almost all my stretch marks with is awesome because they go up half way between my my belly button and bra line. HE also said he will fix my muscles which have been weakened and have spread form pregnancy. For the first week I will basically need a lot of care and help with my children. I will wear an abdominal binder and have two drains. He will take out the drains after a week. I wear the binder for a month. He said someone with my previous surgical history I should recovery fairly quickly. Most moms who have had c-sections find after a month they feel pretty good. My plan is to take a month off a work and school. My mother is awesome and has agreed to take care of the first week. I am a pretty whinny patient lol so she is in for it. The surgery itself is going to cost a little more than I thought but I am getting the best which I think is worth it. I thought it was only going to be around $6000.  Including anesthesia and facility fees it will be $7950. I know, WOW that's a lot. I thought about just saying forget it but seriously the timing between school is perfect. I don't know when I would have the money or time to do it if I decided to wait. I think it will tax money well spent. My pre op is schedules for March 7 and they will go over the details of the surgery then. My surgery is scheduled for March 20. Thats a little over a month. I am so excited but nervous at the same time.

Choosing a doctor

. Let me start that I researched doctors in my area for months. I believe I found the best in my state. There are a few things you should look for when choosing a doctor.
1. they should be board certified.
2. What organization(s) does your doctor belong to and what are the requirements to belong. Many are just clubs or groups that have limited requirements to become members. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery ASAPS have rigorous standards with training requirements and enforcing ethical practices.
3. Is he/she credentialed to perform Plastic Surgery in local hospitals?
 4. is the operating room fully accredited.
I picked Dr David Robbins at Des Moines Plastic surgery. He is the only double board certified plastic surgeon in the state of Iowa. There operating room is fully accredited and is located at his office. He has one of the few certified plastic surgery nurses in the state. His review I read online were awesome and i received a personal recommendation from a previous patient.

My story

So I have been researching tummy tucks for about 6 months. I have come across a few blogs that were really helpful so I decided to document my journey, the good the bad the ugly.
I know a few people will question my reasons for doing this. I am doing it for me not for anyone else. My husband doesn't mind my body they way it is but I do. I want my outside to match my inside. I was always a thin person. I never worried about weight much til I had children. My first pregnancy was your average pregnancy and I bounced back pretty well. My second pregnancy was different. I got HUGE. My daughter was almost 10 lbs and I had to have a c-section. A little over a year after I had her I decided to lose the weight I had gained before I got far I found myself pregnant again. This pregnancy was a disaster. I had major high risk complications. I spent the 6 weeks before me deliver on hospital bed-rest. I remember they weighed me a few days before delivery and I was 215 lbs. WOW. When I had my youngest I had to have an emergency c-section along with an emergency hysterectomy. Now I find myself with a preemie, a 2 year old and a 4 year old. Life goes on and one day I wake up and it hits me I weight 204 lbs. Through a friend a tried a weight loss supplement called ACE. Over the next year I loose 47 lbs. I by no means am skinny. I am sitting at 157/ But I am comfortable at this weight. The one thing that I cant stand is my abdomen. i have stretch marks like you wouldn't believe, a funky belly button and 2 lumpy bumpy belly bumps. Gross right. I just look in the mirror and think you are 31 years old you and you shouldn't look like this. I made the decision that when my tax money came in 2013 I would use for a tummy tuck. i have wanted one for awhile. I just didn't want to be selfish and heaven forbid do something for myself. Most mothers can relate to this feeling. My husband completely supported my decision. He told me he wants me to feel good about myself. I want to be comfortable in my skin. Do I think I will come out with a 6 pack, no I am realistic. I will never again be 120 lbs but I can feel comfortable in my own skin.