I'm baaaaacccck
 

Hi old friends (and new ones, too)

Some of you may or may not remember me. I am just now recovering from a full tummy tuck on Dec. 21. I have a little more than ten more pounds to go, and am moving full steam ahead to get it off. I am not going to a COD, but am going to do it on my own.

Katie, Boo, Lori, Deets, HeatherPP, other Heather, Julie Marie, and any of my old friends - how the heck are ya? Any of you still around? What's everyone up to?

Hello Stiesta...........we have not yet met. It's wonderful you are back.......and please, do tell.......how was the tummy tuck? It must have made your holidays a bit miserable. I was just talking about one in a different thread. I would love to have one.......but I am so uniformed and scared.

Hi Nicole, nice to meet you, too!

As far as the TT goes, on the whole I'd say it's not been too bad. I stayed at at a plastic surgery recovery spa for three days, and that was absolutely heaven. Coming home was not too bad - DH was there to take care of the kiddos. Christmas day is kind of a fog - me sitting in a chair watching them open presents is about all I can say for the day. Slept through most of it.

The drains are the WORST part of the whole thing. I ended up paging my surgeon new year's eve because one had popped the stitch holding it in and it was sliding out - and very painful. He had me come to his house (as he was in the middle of a new year's eve party) and pulled the drains right there on his couch. So embarrassing for me, but such a great guy to do that. Once the drains came out, I was a new woman.

The only other complication I have had is my incision popped open at about four weeks out (I'm almost six weeks out now). It's pretty gross looking, but a very superficial wound. Dr. says it's just going to take time to heal - one of the potential complications you can have. I'm pretty swollen still, but have no more loosey-goosey skin or stretch marks on my stomach. It's possible that at some point in my life I may wear a bikini (and I never thought I'd say that!)

Anyway, way more about me and the TT than you probably wanted to know, but I feel like I researched this and researched it, and there are just some things you can't know about until you do it (or until you meet someone like me - ready to share the real deal!). :)

Stiesta - So good to see you, and so glad to hear you're doing well! And so timely with the TT story, definitely not TMI! Now we need you to stick around and update that avatar!

Definitely NOT TMI for me. Thank you. I tease DH all the time that I am going to get one. Now, here's a bit of TMI for you...........I told him if I ever decided to get a TT that he should totally support me on it, cuz it would make me more confindent in bed...and it would probably make me want to "ride top," more often ;)

why do you think my DH was so willing to pay for one? :belly:

Oh, Christie, how cool! I was just thinking about you a few days ago, remembering that your DH said he would give you a tummy tuck with his Christmas bonus. I was wondering if you ever did it. I am green with envy right now while I suck in my jello-belly. I am so glad to see you! Did you get your house sold?

LOL, that is awesome!!!

We never met but Hi I am Barb. I am glad that you are here. :)

Stiesta! Yay! Glad to see you back! I'm on a roll with the exclamation points! Check out my website for the newest goings on in my life! Everybody here is probably getting sick of me talking about it! But I'm a one topic girl lately! Unless we're talking about moobs though!

Okay-I'm done . . . .

JM......everytime I found out I was getting a baby........and I say 'getting,' because I truly believe all babies are put into families by God, whatever means He uses to get them there are irrelevant..........that was all I could talk about, think about, dream about..............of course, I had not yet heard of moobs....LOL. Don't apologize for your excitement and anxiousness......it's adorable!!!! All expecting mothers are like this :)

First off, JM, all I can say is WOW. You are going to make one heck of a mom. That is such a neat story - gave me chills reading all about it. She looks absolutely beautiful. Love the name, too. Congrats!!!

Katie, old friend! Yes, our house FINALLY sold after eight months. We closed on it right before Halloween. Probably the most stress I've ever had, but thank goodness it's gone. The Boston market tanked even further, so it makes me so glad to be rid of it. And, yes, DH ponied up for the TT. He's a good man. He told me that he would do anything if it made me feel beautiful. I so love him!

It's good to be back - I've got to get going and get these last few pounds off. I feel like I paid all this money and I need to look GOOD! Gotta have something to show for this pain! You gals look like you're rocking the WL world - it's inspiring!

You know we want pictures, right?

Christie--WOW!!! It is great to see you and hear that things are going great for you in sunny San Diego. I am thrilled for you on the sale of the house--I know how hard that was for you. You are a brave woman for the TT--not sure I could endure it. Yes, we want photos!! You were already so gorgeous--I can't even imagine now--you're gonna kill'em at the beach this summer. Congrats on EVERYTHING wonderful going on with you!

JM--I finally got to see the room--school computers block everything good! It's adorable--she is so so so lucky!! Can't wait to hear the news that you are on your way to get your hands on her.

Soon as the doctor okays me standing up straight, I'll take some afters (I have some before's). I still have to walk hunched over because of the split-open incision - which is a HUGE pain and so embarrassing. I see him on Monday and am hoping he clears me to start standing. I have forgotten what good posture is like.

Boo, good to see you, chickie!

Christie - :wave:
Glad to see you back!!

Sherry! Didn't recognize your avatar...how are you lady? So good to see so many old friends on here.

I just remembered - the first day I found this board was Superbowl Sunday of last year. Missed the game because I could not stop reading. Kind of fitting to be back here one year later, huh? I love this place...

Christie, Wow...I remember you. I think the last time we spoke was when you were just moving to San Diego. Your DH sounds wonderful. Looking forward to seeing the before and after pictures when you're ready to stand straight. Take Care!

Hi Christie! I'm Megan! Glad to hear about the TT as well, 'cause that's one of the things I'm considering getting when I reach goal. :) Thanks for giving us the scoop!

Christie –
It’s good to see you back. I always wondered about you and how you adjusted to San Diego. I’m so jealous of the tummy tuck, especially being in my current condition, almost 37 weeks pregnant and bursting at the seams. Good luck with the last 10 pounds. I'll be back in the game hopefully sooner than latter!

Hello Stiesta, Welcome back! You look fabulous. I green with Envy for you. I have wante a TT for oh, so long. I think it would help me with my self esteem soo much. If you don't mind sharing.. How did you get the ball rolling, and how much did it cost(ballpark figure is fine)?
I would appreciate any info!

Hi Christie! Good to have you back! Sounds like things are going great for you in San Diego. I am so glad you got your house sold. The housing market scares me and I'm thinking we'll have to be selling our house and moving in a few months. Last time I sold a house it took 2 YEARS! (8 months sounds like a walk in the park after that, huh!)

Your TT must have made you even MORE gorgeous! I hope you can stand up soon so we can see the afters! After losing 75 pounds, I am finally starting to see some loose skin. Yeesh! It's not the nightmare that it could be at this point, and for that, I am thankful!

Stay with us, and check back in often. (This coming from ME, the world's most sporadic poster these days - a true case of do what I say, not what I do!)

Hi Candice - nice to meet you!

If you're wanting a TT, this is what I would suggest: Find three doctors in your area that have impecible credentials - my DH works in health care so he knew how to spot really good med schools and residencies/internships. Once you have three you feel good about, make appts with each for a consult. They should give you a free consult - I didn't have to pay for any of mine. Then you can compare how you feel about each one, which one you feel most comfortable with, etc. Get phone numbers of patients that they have done work on and call and talk to them. The doc I ended up picking actually schedules his consults around the time of follow-ups of post-op patients. He introduced me to patients that were 4 days, 4 weeks, and 2 months post-op. I saw the incisions, saw the drains, got to find out exactly what it was like. I think actually seeing the doctors work was what convinced me to go with him. He has been just great, especially considering the complications I've run into.

As far as the cost, it varies by what part of the country you are in. I had a full TT, and lipo of the inner and outer thighs - for everything (including facility fee and anethesia it was about $13K). I think if you just have a TT, it's probably going to run you about $8,500 to $10K. It's expensive, but so, so worth it.

Anyway, look forward to getting to know you better!

Christie

Let me know how you are doing after the healing-and how your mobility and everything is. I would love to get one because of having three kids...but on the same note, I am terrified that it would ruin my dance career. I have heard some women have no trouble...but other dancers say they lose muscle control in their abdomens, and lose flexibility there (because the skin is so taut) and it really limits their belly dancing.
I am just afraid that I would get one, look great, but then have to stop dancing because I couldn't do anything with it. :lol:

hey stiesta! welcome back our kashi go lean friend...congrats on the TT, awesome for u...and ofcourse selling the house, yey! i guess burying the saint worked!
just curious about the TT, how big is the scar? how many inchs below the belly buttom...ive been thinking of getting it one day, but am wondering if its worth it for me, dont have stretch marks, just lose skin...not sure the scar wont be bigger than the problem is now...anyway, welcome back!!

Hi Aphil and Aggie - good to see you both still around!

As far as the scar on the TT, it goes from one hip to another - it's LONG. It's really low - just a smidge above you-know-what. A lot of docs will have you wear a bikini bottom to the "marking" appointment and they will hide your scar under your bikini. Mine does that, but I just had him mark me where he thought best.

Ap, as far as the taut feeling in the stomach - it's really tight. I'm still not standing upright yet (and I'm about five weeks out now). I walk hunched over (which looks just AWESOME :?: ). Plus, with my added problem of my incision popping open at about four weeks, it's going to be a while before I'm healed enough to do any ab work or have any sense of flexibility back. My complication is not a common one, but it can happen - especially if you don't have very elastic skin. The other problem is the swelling - it can last up to a year. I frequent a great message board (www.tuckthattummy.com) and there are tons of pictures and great ladies willing to share their stories. But there is a reason they call it "swell ****".

All in all, I think I will one day be VERY glad I did it, but I'm still trying to heal this stupid incision, which has been very frustrating and emotionally hard on me. Even with all this, when I bend down, there is no roll and no saggy skin hanging down. THAT alone will be worth it.

Good to see you guys!

Hi Stiesta - Nice to meet you. Thank you for sharing (your experience and the other forum - a lot of us are pondering the possibility of a TT when we get to/near goal.
It's great to meet someone who has actually gone through it.
I wish you a speedy recovery!

Christie.....when I had a C-section with my 4th baby (I had one C-section out of five births.......), my insicion started popping open after about 2 or 3 weeks, and I was baffled. I went to see the doc, and she had to pull out some of the internal stitches, because THEY WERE WORKING THEMSELVES OUT of the insicion. My body "rejected" the stitches, and in turn opened up the insicion to "rid itself" of the foreign matter. CRAZY, isn't it? I am sure your insicion is wayyy better by now........and I realize it is much larger than a C-section scar, but anyway......I soo hope you are feeling back to normal VERY soon :) Take care.
XO